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Creature of the Week

Thomas Haren
1991 Woodrow Wilson Biology Institute

OBJECTIVES:

  1. To familiarize students with the wildlife that exists in their immediate environment.
  2. To gain an understanding of the impact that man has had on his local environment by gathering data on wildlife.
  3. To increase awareness of the dependence of humans on wildlife.

MATERIALS:

Creature of the Week sheets; 5" x 7" notecards; pen/pencil; Fieldbook of Natural History by E. Laurence Palmer; Peterson Field guides to birds, reptiles and amphibians, and mammals. Other textbooks and field guides can be used as supplements.

PROCEDURES:

  1. Place one name of an organism from your local environment on a 5" x 7" notecard. Place the notecard on the bulletin board in your classroom at the beginning of each week.
  2. Place a stack of blank Creature of the Week sheets on a desk or counter in your classroom. (Save paper---use both sides--good for 2 weeks)
  3. Place textbooks and field guides in Media Center/Library. Recommend placing textbooks on a reserve basis only!!
  4. Students must go to the Media Center/Library outside of class to complete Creature of the Week Sheet. This will encourage students to use Media Center/Library.
  5. Creature of the Week sheets are to be completed and collected by Friday of each week.

EVALUATION:

Teacher has several options for evaluation:

  1. Take a weekly grade on each Creature of the Week Sheet.
  2. Give weekly quiz on Friday over that particular Creature of the Week (option-allow students to use the sheet they have completed).
  3. Give a quiz/test at the end of your grading period over all of the accumulated Creatures of the Week.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITIES:

  1. Teacher can substitute plants in place of wildlife,
  2. Teacher can contact local Division of Wildlife or Park Service to have speaker presentation.
  3. Do lesson on significance of protective coloration.
  4. Compile list on bulletin board of how wildlife is beneficial to man.
  5. Study trophic levels- producers, consumers, decomposers- build food web (including humans) for your local environment,

Creature of the Week Sheet

Common Name:
Scientific Name:
Description : size,weight, color: Food-Diet
Length: Circle one of the following:
Carnivore Herbivore Omnivore
Weight:
Height: Main food items:
Coloration:
Unique Characteristics: Reproduction
Gestation period:
Miscellaneous: Number of Young:
Location-Range:
Incubation Period:
Habitat:
Beneficial to Man: Number of eggs:
Dangerous: Male-Female Characteristics:
Who is larger?
Circle one of the following:
warmblooded coldblooded		 Permanent Resident: Yes No
Nicknames:
Class: (circle one) Insect Fish Amphibian Reptile Bird Mammal

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