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Objectives
Students will 1) recognize that their reaction to an animal might be
based on myth or stereotype instead of factual information. 2) learn the
value of animals that are feared, and their contributions to the world of
nature and to humans.
Background
Certain animals cause people to respond emotionally, even violently. For
instance a person might automatically recoil at the sight of a spider or bat
or snake, and react by wishing them dead. Yet, most spiders are harmless and
are important contributors to healthy ecosystems. Bats eat mosquitoes that
can be a serious health hazard, and snakes are an essential part of the food
chain.
Method
Students respond to pictures of a variety of animals, and learn of their
contributions.
Materials
Large photos or drawings of a variety of at-risk animals in Nebraska,
including ones considered scary. Paper and pencil for each student.
Procedure
Before the
Activity
Print the series of at-risk animal pictures off the Wildlife Week website.
1. As each picture is shown, ask the students to write the first word
that occurs to them, without saying the word out loud. Tell them to leave
several lines of space below the word before responding to the next picture.
(Show the pictures in mixed order, with some that might be feared mixed with
ones that provoke less emotion.)
2. When all the pictures have been shown, show them again in the same
order, and ask students to write a sentence or two below each word, telling
why they responded that way.
3. Discuss with the students their responses so they can hear what
their classmates think.
4. Have each student pick the most feared animal from his/her list,
and research it.
5. Later, when research has been completed, divide students into small
groups to report their information to each other.
6. Poll the students after the reporting session, by again showing the
pictures and asking for an oral response. Determine how many, if any, have
changed their impressions of the most feared animals.
List of Some At-Risk Animals in Nebraska
Check the menu for
pictures and information on these at-risk animals.
1.
Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
8. Whooping Crane
2.
Timber Rattlesnake
9. Swift Fox
3.
Plains Pocket Mouse
10. River Otter
4.
American Burying Beetle
11. Regal Fritillary Butterfly
5.
Ferruginous Hawk
12. Trumpeter Swan
6.
Townsend Big-Eared Bat
13. Burrowing Owl
7.
Pallid Sturgeon Fish
14. Flying Squirrel
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