Monday, November 27, 2006

The Hunter

Ask a group of adults their opinions on hunting and you may receive responses across the spectrum. The same is true with students. Project WILD’s activity “The Hunter” allows students to take a closer look at their personal feelings regarding hunting, while respecting other points of view.

Explore more about the hunting debate. As a class choose natural resource organizations and find their stand on hunting. Check out a list of conservation organization in Iowa. Assign students to serve as members of these organizations and hold a debate.



Wildlife Management Book List
Grades 3-5
Chandler, G. 1997. Guardians of Wildlife. Lerner Publishing Group.
Patent, D.H. 1986. Buffalo: The American Bison Today. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Grades 6-8
Camp, W.G. 2000. Managing Our Natural Resources. Thomson Delmar Learning.

Grades 9-12
Bailey, J.A. 1984. Principles of Wildlife Management. Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
Deal, K.H. 1997. Wildlife and Natural Resource Management. Thomson Delmar Learning.
Dinsmore, J.J. 1994. A Country So Full of Game: The Story of Wildlife in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Feldhamer, G.A. 2004. Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Let’s Talk Turkey

The most celebrated animal of Thanksgiving is, of course, the turkey. The WILD activity “Let’s Talk Turkey” delves into the history of the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Americas. Research the history, current status, and hunting regulations of the wild turkey in Iowa at http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/files/trkindex.html.

Add these great books about wild turkey to your Thanksgiving favorites.

Grades Prek-2
Becker, J.E. 2002. Wild Turkeys. Thomson Gale.
Patent, D.H. 1999. Wild Turkeys. Lerner Publishing Group.
Scheer, J. 2001. A Thanksgiving Turkey. Holiday House.

Grades 3-5
Patent, D.H. 1989. Wild Turkey, Tame Turkey. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Stemple, D. 2001. High Ridge Gobbler: A Story of the American Wild Turkey. Boyds Mills Press.

Grades 6-8
Lavine, S.A. 1984. Wonders of Turkeys. Penguin Group.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Deer Management

Whether they know it or not, students are frequently exposed to the debate on deer management in Iowa. The WILD activity “Deer Dilemma” brings this topic from discussions at the dinner table to the classroom. Besides using the background information in the activity, try using the following to make it more Iowa related.

• Discover issues about Iowa’s deer population by going to the Iowa DNR Wildlife Bureau’s webpage.
• Incorporate literature into your lesson by assigning the 80 page book Whitetail – Treasure, Trophy, or Trouble, a History of Deer in Iowa by Larry Stone to the students. Read about the book online.
Read about Iowa City’s efforts to reduce the deer herd in its city limits.




Reading Connections
Grades PreK-2
Bennett, D. 2005. Finding a Friend in the Forest: A True Story. Down East Books.
Patent, D.H. 2004. White-Tailed Deer. Lerner Publications.
Kalbacken, J. 1992. White-Tailed Deer. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Lantier-Sampon, P. 1992. Wonder of Whitetails. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Sams, C.R. 2004. Lost in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy. Sams, Carl R. II, Photography.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 1999. All About Deer. Scholastic.
Evert, L. 2002. Whitetail Deer. T&N Children's Publishing.
McClung, R.M. 1987. Whitetail. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 6-8
Munoz, W. 1994. Deer and Elk. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Friday, November 03, 2006

WILD About Mountain Lions

Nothing says “teachable moment” like the sightings of mountain lions (Felis concolor) in Iowa. Similar to WILD’s “How Many Bears Can Live in the Forest?,” “How Many Lions Can Live in the Forest”* looks at the limiting factors of mountain lions. An engaging social studies extension for secondary grades is to assign students a position on the classification of these animals - no classification (current status) vs. furbearer status (proposed by the IDNR). Allow time for research, preparation, and a debate.

*used with permission from South Dakota’s Game, Fish, and Park’s recent publication WILD About Mountain Lions




Reading Connections

Grades PreK-2
Fowler, A. 1999. Cougar: Lion of the Mountains. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Hodge, D. and N.G. Ogle. 1999. Wild Cats: Cougars, Bobcats and Lynx. Kids Can Press.
Middleton, D. 2001. Pumas: Big Cats. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Walker, S. 2002. Eye Wonder: Big Cats. DK Publishing, Inc.

Grades 3-5
Barrett, J. 1998. Cougar. Gale Group.
Corrigan, P. 2001. Cougars. Northwood Press.
Corrigan, P. et.al. 2002. Big Cats!: Exploring the Fascinating Worlds of Cougars, Leopards, Lions, and Tigers. T&N Children's Publishing.
Crewe, S. 1998. Life Cycle of the Mountain Lion. Steck-Vaughn.
Gentle, V. 2002. Cougars. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Simon, S. 1994. Big Cats. HarperTrophy.
Stone, L.M. 1997. Cougars. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 9-12
Bolgiano, C. 2005. Eastern Cougar: Historic Accounts, Scientific Investigations, and New Evidence. Stackpole Books.
Busch, R.H. 2004. The Cougar Almanac: A Complete Natural History of the Mountain Lion. Lyons Press.
Ewing, S. and Elizabeth Grossman. 1999. Shadow Cat: Encountering the American Mountain Lion. Sasquatch Books.