Touch the Elephant’s Trunk
Biology, English, Zoology
Teachers might talk with students about the fable “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” As each part of the elephant’s body is touched, a different conclusion is reached. For example, when the second person touched the tusk, he thought it strong and smooth like a spear. The third person touched the elephant’s trunk and thought it like a snake.
Read “What’s to know about elephants’ trunks? A lot more than people think.” What do today’s researchers discover about the trunk? Discussion might include
• Give examples of the four movements of the elephant’s trunk: wrap, twist, stretch and shorten.
• Why is study of the elephant’s trunk important to zoologists?
* Why is study of the elephant’s trunk important to robotics?
Teachers may have students read these other KidsPost articles:
• “A Circle of Elephants”
• “Separating elephant species shows they are closer to extinction than scientists thought”
Get Acquainted With a Devil
Biology, Geography, Zoology
Have students look at the photograph of a Tasmanian devil. What do they think of it? Markings? Ears? Cute? Unusual? Worth saving?
Read “The devil’s return.” Antonia Noori Farzan reports on an Aussie Ark project to reintroduce Tasmanian devils that once populated Australia. Can joeys the size of tiny shrimp help “restore the continent’s environmental balance and return it to something close to its state before European contact”?
Questions for closer reading and discussion are provided in Joeys Promise Return of Devils. See ANSWERS section below for suggested responses.
What to Do With the Zeal of Zebras
Biology, English, Ethics, Government, Zoology
Did your students hear about three zebras that escaped from a Maryland farm? Discuss what they know about the zebras? What are their chances of evading capture and of surviving in winter weather? Read Petula Dvorak’s column “Maryland zebras are trying to evade capture. Just let them.”
As a columnist, Dvorak is expected to share her experiences and opinion.
• What details make you feel like you are along for the ride?
• What sad news does Dvorak share in the third paragraph?
• How does she bring in the views of others?
• What additional perspective does she give of the “farm” from which the zebras escaped?
• What is Dvorak’s point of view about the hunt for the zebras?
Group Words
Biology, English, Government, Zoology
In her column, “Maryland zebras are trying to evade capture just let them,” Petula Dvorak uses two collective nouns: a “dazzle of zebras” and “zeal of zebras.” These convey local attitude toward the escaped zebras as well as being examples of assonance and venery.
This curriculum guide’s Word Study — Not Just Any Group focuses on venery, the category of collective nouns that name animals. The Word Study takes us from the art of the hunt to fascinating ways the venery may be classified and provides student activities.