For as long as people have walked the Earth, they have loved and needed animals. All people,everywhere, need animals, and they rely on animals for many things.

Take you, for example. For breakfast this morning, let’s say that you ate scrambled eggs, bacon, toastwith butter, and orange juice.

Which animal provides us with eggs? Which one gives us bacon? Where does butter come from, andwhich animal provides us with it? Oranges, of course, do not come from animals — they grow onorange trees. But which animal pollinates the orange flowers to make orange fruits? Do you know? And

if we didn’t have that pollinator, we wouldn’t have oranges.

We need animals for more than food. Many centuries ago, our cave-living ancestors wore animal furs andhides to keep themselves warm during Ice Age winters. While we don’t wear animal skins quite like we used to,some people wear fur coats, leather belts and leather shoes.

Years ago, animals worked for people in farms and cities, pullingplows and guiding the milkman’s wagon and junkman’s cart. Today,most farmers use tractors instead of oxen and drive trucks instead ofhorses, but animals still work for people, like a police officer’s horseor a security team’s guard dog. Guide dogs help blind people to getaround safely. And, in some places, cowboys still work with horsesand cattle.

We need animals for more than just food and work. Animals live in ourhomes and are our beloved pets. They appear in our movies and televisionshows. We write novels and picture books about them. They entertain us inzoos and aquariums. During summer vacations, we visit them in natural

places, like wildlife refuges and national parks. We paint portraitsof them and photograph them for museum gallery shows.Animals have even invaded our language: We hold a "mouse" to

operate a computer, vote on "butterfly ballots" and get yelled atby teachers for "horsing around."

Many people hunt animals for sport, while others work to pro-tect wild, hurt, endangered or homeless animals.

In the pages of this special newspaper section, we’ll explore a whole bunch of ways that peopleneed animals, and give you a chance to better understand the deep and lasting connection

between people and animals.

2

Learning standard: using effective speaking and listening behaviors

Animals are often in the news. Sometimes theyrescue people. Sometimes someone is trying to rescue them. Look through your copy of the newspaper, examining the headlines to see

whether animals appear in any news articles. As a class, discuss how animals might have

made the news in today’s paper.

An Ode to An Animal: A Poem

We live in a world overflowing with animals of every shape, size and color. Here’s a poem about animals. Many lines endin a missing word. Can you guess what the last word of these lines might be? Fill them in, then read the poem aloud as agroup.

There are animals everywhere, on land and sea, in forests, in oceans, in air.

Animals plentiful, animals small, animals huge and ones rare.

There are wasps and whales, bees and bears, bats and howling beagles,

Aardvarks and alligators, llamas and lice, sharp-eyed fish-catching (1)_________________,

Rhinos and roundworms, monkeys and macaws, little tiny ants,

Zebras and zooplankton, termites and turtles, and great gray -----–(2)_____________________,

Flying fish and flamingos, penguins and pandas, elk and electric eels,

Otters and ocelots, narwhals and newts, and furry, fin-slapping (3)_______________________.

There are reindeer and ravens, wolves and wombats, the cobra-killing mongoose,

Dragonflies and dolphins, flounders and fleas, the huge-antlered lake-living (4)___________________,

Vultures and vipers, prairie dogs and parrots, the little mouse-eating shrew,

Scorpions and scallops, sunfish and swan, in Australia, the hopping (5)______________________.

There are tigers and toucans, bullfrogs and butterflies, a female duck and her drake,

And orangutans and owls, gorillas and geckos, the poison-fanged rattle (6)____________________,

Hyenas and hornets, iguanas and inchworms, the quiet manta ray,

And jellyfish and jaguars, woodpeckers and whelk, the feathered and flying blue (7)______________.

All totaled, there are more than five million species, each one in constant motion,

Flying through forests, diving in deserts, and swimming across the ocean.

No matter how big, no matter how small, each one needs to share

The same few things that keep them alive: water, food and air.

3The answers are 1.eagles 2. elephants, 3.seals, 4. moose, 5. kangaroo, 6. snake 7. jay.

Learning standard: locating diverse places

Pick one animal from this poem and find out what country and/or continent it comes from. Using a

toothpick and construction paper, make a flag withyour animal’s name on it. Attach each flag to your

classroom globe with a small piece of modelingclay. Try to fill the globe with animals on land andin the ocean! If you don’t have a globe, try making

one from papier-mâché or out of clay. Finally,check the newspaper to see if there is any news

from that part of the world.

Finish this sentence: People need animals because

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Read aloud some of your sentences. Write on the black-board all the different reasons that people need animals.

Imagine that you are going to live on an island, all by yourselfand far away from people. To live there, you would be allowedto take three different animals with you – for company, forfood, even for clothing. Which three animals would youbring?

Write your choices on the lines below:

_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

4

Divide the class into groups of three or four. Your wholegroup will live together on the island in a hut without electricity. How will you grow food? How will you staywarm at night and dry during the rainy season? How willyou store water for bathing and cooking? Which animalswill help you? Which animals can harm you?

Talk about these questions with your group. Read aloudeach of your choices of three animals to bring with you.Then, decide as a group which three animals the entiregroup will bring with you to the island. (Not three kinds of animals, but only three individual animals are allowed.)Which three did the group choose? Write your answers on the lines below. This time, to the right of the animal’s name,write why you’d like to bring that animal. How does each animal help you stay alive on the island?

ANIMAL REASON

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Now share your group’s choices with the whole class. Howmany different ideas does the group have? Is there any animal that was selected by every group?

Here’s another challenge. Read this list of reasons that people have needed animals. Think about allthese reasons as you read them.

People need animals as pets. (Example: dogs, cats.)

People need animals to provide food. (Example: cow,pig, chicken.)

People need animals to provide clothing. (Example:sheep, goose.)

People need animals as transportation. (Example: horses.)

People need animals to provide work. (Example: oxen,mules.)

People need animals as wild creatures to visit in theirnatural home. (Example: birds, deer.)

Of all these reasons, circle what you think is the mostimportant reason why people need animals. Talk aboutthis as a group. Remember: there is no right or wronganswer.

Learning standard: understanding the characteristics of organisms

People need and use animals to survive. Weuse animals as pets and for food, clothing and

work. Search through your newspaper for examples of ways people use animals. How many

different ways can you find? Make a list to showthe results of your search.

The Important Reason

Three For The Road

Survivor

Read the following information about dogs. As youread, fill in the numbered blanks using one of thewords below. Use one word per blank, and none will be left over.

thousands cavesmell sizes sheep bombs blind Great Dane earthquake friendprey Dalmatianbreeds Shepherd

Of all the animals that live on Earth, few are more important to people

than dogs. Dogs come in all shapes and (1)_______________, from the

tiny Chihuahua to the massive (2)________________, from the spotted

(3)________________ to the fancy French poodle. What’s amazing about

dogs is that no matter what kind, they are all considered one species,

and all came from a single animal, the wolf. We know from archeological

evidence, such as paintings on (4)_____________ walls, that dogs have lived

with people for tens of (5)____________ of years – almost since the very first people! Today,

dogs are mostly pets, but in prehistoric time, dogs were important members of the commu-

nity. They helped track down and hunt (6)_______________. They guarded the clan at night

from vicious animals like wolf cousins or cave bears. Dog breeders recognize 138 different

kinds, or (7)_______________ of dogs. Each breed was developed for a specific purpose: the

German (8)________________ to guard and herd (9)_______________, the Bloodhound to use

its keen sense of (10)________________ to track prey for hunters, the Labrador Retriever to

carry back ducks shot in the water. In Japan, the Akita was bred, believe it or not, to hunt

bears. Even today, dogs work hard. In airports, dogs are used to sniff luggage for explo-

sives and (11)_______________. At border crossings, they are used to sniff for drugs. Seeing-

eye dogs help (12)________________ people walk, security teams use dogs to guard important

belongings, and dogs are even trained to find people trapped in buildings and rubble after

an (13)________________! For thousands and thousands of years, the dog has truly been

humankind’s best (14)________________.

5

Learning standard: writing for different purposes

If you are looking for a pet, the Classified ads are a good place to start. Readthe ads to see if there is an available pet for you. Then write your own

Classified ad that describes exactly what type of pet you would like to own.

Take a poll of the students in your class.How many have pets?

What kind of pets? How many have dogs? Cats? Fish?

Other animals? Your teacher can put the numbers

of each on the board. Make a graphshowing the classroom pets.

6

The cat is another animal that has been a longtime friendand partner of people. Today’s pet cats are the descendants of two wild animals, the African wildcat and the Asian wild-cat. The ancient Egyptians might have been the first to tamethe wildcat as long as 5,000 years ago.

Like dogs, cats were tamed to help people. While dogs helpedshepherds and hunters, cats performed different work. Theycaught mice and rats. This was important because disease-carrying fleas and insects lived in the fur of mice and rats sothose animals caused lots of problems.

In fact, the mouse-catching abilities of cats were so importantthat cats were honored in many cultures, including those inEgypt and India. In England, there is a legend about a 15th-century mayor of London – Dick Whittington. Although hewas very poor as a young man, he was the lucky owner of a cat with such rat-catching skills that an African princebought the cat and paid so much money that Whittingtonbecame a wealthy man.

Today, cats are still popular, but not just because theycatch mice. Why do people like cats?

Here are some statements about cats. Decide whetherthese statements are true or false. Circle your choice.

1. The natural life span of a cat is only one or two years.

2. Cats can see OK during the day, but really well at night.

3. Cats were so valuable in ancient Egypt that the Egyptiansmade mummies of them and buried them in tombs.

4. Cats have very poor hearing, worse than that of people.

5. The Sphinx is a breed of hairless cat discovered in Canadain 1966.

6. Cats kept outdoors kill millions of songbirds every year.

Here are some popular breeds ofcats. Can you match the breed withits description? Draw a line fromthe cat’s name to the line that youthink describes it.

Answers: 1. False. Cats live as long as 15 years. 2. True. 3. True. 4. False. In fact, cats can hear sounds you cannot. 5. True. 6. True.

Answers. 1. e. 2. d. 3. a. 4. f. 5. c. 6. b.

Tabby True, Feline False

tabby true feline false

tabby true feline false

tabby true feline false

tabby true feline false

tabby true feline false

tabby true feline false

Match the Breed

1. Russian blue

2. Siamese

3. Maine coon

4. Persian

5. Manx

6. Japanese bobtail

a. the only cat breed developed in the UnitedStates

b. A cat from Japanthought to be a luckycharm

c. Developed on theBritish island of Man, thiscat has no tail at all

d. A cream-colored catfrom Thailand, a countryonce called Siam

e. A blue-furred cat breed discovered in Russia

f. A long-haired cat fromIran, once known asPersia

Somepet cats live indoors as

pets. Others live outdoors, comingand going as they please. Many biologists

worried about wild birds urge owners of out-door cats to bring their cats indoors. Because cats

are natural hunters, outdoor cats catch and kill mil-lions of songbirds — robins, sparrows, finches and

more — every year. Should pet cats be allowed to liveoutside? What do you think? How many cat owners inyour class have indoor cats? How many have outdoor

cats? Why do the owners of outdoor cats think itbest for their cats to stay outside? Why do the

owners of indoor cats think inside is best?Talk to your parents to find out what

they think.

An Important IssueAbout Cats

Create a Classroom Pet Store

Do you like visiting pet stores and check-ing out all the different kinds of pets?Turn your classroom into a pet store!Using large pieces of art paper, pretendthat each large sheet is an aquarium or acage. Draw pictures of pets at a pet store,each one in its cage on one sheet ofpaper. Label each cage with informationabout the pet: its name, what it eats,what it needs to stay alive. Create thepet store and then invite another class

to come visit.

While cats and dogs are the most popular pets of all time,many other kinds of animals have been pets, too. Some folkslove the tiny hermit crab, while others keep the very largehorse. Some cuddle with the furry chinchilla, while others chatwith the very smart chimpanzee. One thing that all pet ownershave in common, though, is that no matter what the pet is, theowner is responsible for it. That means that if you have a pet,it’s up to you to see that it is well cared for. You have to feed it,groom it, clean it, and give it a safe and loving home. If youcan’t or won’t be responsible and respectful of your pet, youshouldn’t have one.

And, if you do decide to get apet, where will you go? Think aboutadopting an animal from an animal shelter. Every day at shel-ters all over the country, thousands of animals wait for goodhomes. When you adopt one, you spend a little but you get alot. You save a stray animal’s life and help to cut down on theoverpopulation of homeless animals. And, at most shelters, fora low cost, a veterinarian (animal doctor) will do an operationso that your pet doesn’t have any babies. This way your petwon’t add to the millions of stray, unwanted animals.

Pick a PetChoose one pet from inside this box and do some research at the library or on the Internet to find out about it. Draw its picture in color in the box, and fill in the blanks with the information you found.

◆ Angelfish ◆ Vietnamese pot-bellied pig ◆ Macaw ◆ Guinea pig ◆

◆ Lop-eared rabbit ◆ Horse ◆ Box turtle ◆ Hermit crab ◆ Goldfish ◆

Bu

rm

es

e p

yth

on

◆ G

er

bilP

ar

ak

ee

t ◆

Ch

imp

an

ze

e

My pet: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

What I discovered about it: ________________________________________________________________________

Learning standards: reading for information, writing in

inverted pyramid style

Pets make news all the time. A dog might rescue achild from drowning in a stream, or a cat stuck up in a

tree needs a neighborhood fire department to rescue it.Pick an interesting news story in today’s newspaper. Read

the story carefully. Notice how the headline captures the central idea of the story. See if the news story answers the

five W’s — who, what, when, why and where. Make up a newsstory about a pet, either your own real pet or an

imaginary one. Write a news story answer-ing the five W questions.

7

Learning standards: reading charts for information, understanding humor

1. Some animals are talented stars oftelevision and motion pictures.

Examine the television and movie list-ings. Are there any shows or movies

that use animals in an importantrole? Make a chart telling the nameof the animal, the show or movie,

and a brief description of the animals’ role.

2. Open your newspaper to thecomics. Are any comics about pets or

animals? Read those to yourself.What makes the story funny? Write

an explanation of one strip you thinkis funny. Then write a story aboutsomething funny that you saw an

animal do in real life.

Animals have been characters in books for as long aspeople have been writing books. Animals have alsostarred in TV shows and movies since they began, too.From Bambi the deer to Winnie the Pooh the bear, Arthurthe aardvark to Beethoven the St. Bernard, so many dif-ferent animals have found life in books, television andfilms. Even underwater sponges have had their ownshow -- Nickelodeon’s "Sponge Bob Square Pants."

Animals appear as co-stars and supporting actors, too.Harry Potter’s books are crawling with animals, fromgiant snakes and spiders to Hedwig, his letter-carryingowl.

Sometimes animals appear like people — walking, talk-ing and wearing clothes. Sometimes these animals arejust like they are in real life.

Book It!Visit the library and find a fiction book about an animal. Then, select a nonfiction book about thatsame animal. For example, you could try "Misty ofChincoteague," a famous story about wild horses seton the Chesapeake Bay. Then read a book abouthorses. Write a book report about both books —what you learned from each, which one was moreenjoyable, etc.

8

Animal 1.At 100 feet long, it’s theworld’s largest animal

LUBE HALEW---___ _L_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Look for the names of animals famous for being the biggest,tallest, longest, fastest and smallest of all. We’ve scrambled eachanimal’s name. Read each clue, and unscramble the animal’sname to fit in the blanks, one letter per line. Can you correctlyunscramble all 14 animals? To help you, we’ve placed one letter in the right place in each one. Good luck! Note: The pictures do notmatch the clues so don’t get confused!

Animal 2: Tallerthan any NBA basketball player, the world’stallest bird can also outrun any human,reaching speeds of greater than 40 milesper hour.

SHRICOT---___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _H_

larg

Animal 3: Measuring 15feet long, it’s the world’s longest

venomous snake and primarily eatsother snakes for dinner. HINT: In spite of its

first name, it doesn’t wear a crown.

KNIG BARCO ---___ ___ ___ ______ _O_ ___ ___

Animal 4: At almost two stories

tall (about 20 feet!), it’sthe world’s tallest animal.

FRAFIGE---___ ___ ___ ___ _F_ ___ ___

mof

unrea

CH___

AnimaMeasuring the world’s HINT: One app

HIMBUGD_H_ ___ _

Extreme Animal ScrambleAnswers

Animal 1: Blue whale. Animal2: Ostrich. Animal 3: Kingcobra. Animal 4: Giraffe.Animal 5: Whale shark.

Animal 6: Hummingbird.Animal 7: Hercules beetle.

Animal 8: Polar bear. Animal9: Komodo dragon. Animal

10: Cheetah. Animal 11:Millipede. Animal 12: Shrew.

Animal 13:Swift. Animal 14: Giant squid.

9

Entertain Yourself With This Extreme Animal Scramble

Animal 5: Checking in at

50 feet long, it’s thergest fish yet discovered.

HINT: Its first name tells you how big it is.

WELAH KRASH ___ ___ ___ _L_ ______ ___ ___ ___ ___

Animal 11: With almost 200 legs, it’s the world’s most armed animal.

DELLIPIME ---___ ___ _L_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Animal 7:More than 6 inches

long, it’s the biggestmember of the largest groupf insects, the beetles. HINT: To

nscramble its name, think of aally strong guy from long ago.

HULERES Beetle_ ___ _R_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ BEETLE

Animal 12: This fierce little meat-

eater measures only 1 inch long (and mostof that is its tail),making it the world’ssmallest mammal. HINT:

A famous play by William Shakespeare was about taming one.

WERSH___ ___ ___ ___ _W_

al 6: less than three inches long, it’s

s smallest (and lightest) bird. peared in Disney’s Pocahontas movie.

DRIMN___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Animal 8: The world’s largest

land-living meat-eaterlives in the Arctic Circle,and is a fierce hunter ofseals, fish and even people.

PROAL REBA ---___ ___ ___ ___ ___

_B_ ___ ___ ___

Animal 9: At almost 10 feet long,it’s the world’s largest lizard, eating deer,

pigs, even wild horses. HINT: Its first name is theisland on which it lives; for its second name, think

of the imaginary animal that is celebrated duringChinese New Year.

DOOMOK GROAND___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _G_ ___ ___

Animal 10: Able to sprint atspeeds of almost 70 miles per hour,this cat is the world’s fastest animal.

HATHECE--- ___ ___ ___ ___ _T_ ___ ___

Animal 14: Thefavorite food of thesperm whale, thismysterious deep-ocean giant is the world’slargest invertebrate and the owner of the

world’s biggest eye. HINT: One-half of its name appears in the sentence before this one.

GNATI DUQIS _G_ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ ___

Animal 13:The world’sfastest bird isalso the bestnamed: It canfly at speedsbetween 100 and 200 mile per hour!

STIFW___ _W_ ___ ___ ___

10

Many people work with animals every day. Horses and dogs helppolice officers in their work.Chimpanzees and dogs roderocket ships in the 1960s toteach us whether space wassafe for living creatures. (Itwas. The animals returned to Earth unharmed.) Blind people use seeing-eye dogs to help them cross streets and walk towork. Even today, farmers across theworld still use horses, oxen, donkeys, and mules to plow fieldsand pull carts full of food to market. Cowboys still ride horsesto control herds of cattle.

Animals are used in science experiments to help us under-stand many things. Lab rats, studied by scientists, help usunderstand diseases and how different parts of the bodywork, and so much more.

Imagine that you are a scientist in a laboratory. Can youget your lab rat from the start to the end of this maze inorder to find the piece of cheese at the end while avoidingobstacles in its way? Use a pencil or pen, and search forthe right way out of the maze. How quickly can you (andyour rat) complete the maze?

Careers for People Who Love Animals

All around the world, millions of people spend their livesworking for and with animals. Zoologists study the behavior of endangered species in the wild and createplans to save them. Rehabilitators care for injured hawksand owls. Naturalists lead guided walks to show people animals in the wild. Kennel workers look after pets whilepeople are on vacations. Pet-store owners sell you dogs,cats, fish and birds.

Below are several more ways people earn a living byworking with and around animals. Use your classroom orhome dictionary to find the definition of each. Write eachdefinition in the space provided.

Farmer:

Jockey:

Biologist:

Rancher:

Ranger:

Zookeeper:

Veterinarian:

Shepherd:

Learning standard: evaluating career opportunitiesCheck the Help Wanted ads and circle any jobswhere people work with animals. How many ofthose jobs are there? Which do you think is themost important? Write a description of the most

important animal job.

Learning standard: reflecting on scientific knowledgeAre there any science news stories in today’s newspaper? What was

discovered? Were animalsinvolved in any way?

Animals are an important source of food. Cows, pigs, sheep,ducks, chickens, fish, turkeys — these are only a few of the ani-mals people eat. What we eat depends on where we live. There areEskimos and Japanese people who eat whales. In parts of Africa,people might eat the entire alphabet of animals from antelopes tozebras.

Hungry? Let’s go to lunch. Read the menu on this page. Ten foodsthat come from animals are on this menu. Can you find all 10?Circle them. Discuss this with your class. Are there non-animalfoods you could eat instead? Would you?

LunchMunch MathUse the menu on this page to answer the following questions:

1. You and your dad go to the restaurant for lunch. You orderchicken fingers, French fries, ice cream and a soda. Your dadhas roast turkey, salad and soda. How much will your lunchcost?

2. You and your friend decide to share a plate of spaghettiand meatballs, a cup of milk and a slice of pie. How muchdoes each of you owe?

3. You order a hamburger, French fries, a hard-boiled egg,pudding and juice (you were hungry!). When you go to paythe check, all you have is a $10 bill. How much change doesthe cashier give you back?

4. Divide into teams of two. Each of you should write two ofyour own lunch-menu word problems, and challenge yourpartner to find the correct answer!

Food ArtSearch through the newspaper’s advertising for photos,pictures or words representing foods that come from ani-mals. Cut them out, and make a collage of foods peopleneed that come from animals.

Classroom MenuWrite a list on the board of all the animals your class haseaten. Can you name at least 20 animals? Hint: oceananimals count!

Answers:Lunch menu. The 10items are hamburger,turkey, meatballs, chick-en, fish, bacon, cheese,eggs, ice cream andmilk. (If the cornbreadwas made with butter,than we have 11 items,for butter comes frommilk.)

Lunch Munch Math: problem 1: $17.55 total;problem 2: $3.25 each;problem 3: your changeis only $0.25—one quarter!

11

Lunch Menu

Main Courses

Hamburger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 5.25

Roast Turkey and Cranberry Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.75

Spaghetti and Meatballs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.50

Chicken Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.50

Fish Sandwich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.00

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Sandwich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.75

Grilled Cheese Sandwich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.75

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.90

Side Orders

French Fries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.75

Cornbread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Hard-boiled Egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.25

Applesauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Desserts

Ice Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.80

Peach Pie…… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.25

Chocolate Pudding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.50

Drinks

Milk, Soda or Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

12

From the very first moment humans walked the Earth, theyhave hunted animals. In fact, some of the earliest tools everfound have been arrowheads and spears that were used forkilling animals. For thousands of years, we depended on ani-mals for food, clothing, even tools. We used their bones to make

fish hooks, buttons, hammers, sewing needles andmuch more.

Today, millions of people huntanimals. Some people hunt for

pleasure and sport. Somehunt for food.

Do you know anyone who is ahunter? Have you hunted or

gone in the fieldwith a hunter?Talk aboutwhat thatexperience islike. In America

today, mosthunting of animals — like deer,pheasant andturkey — is forsport, though many

people eat the animals they hunt.

Here are some groups of people from around the world whohave hunted or still hunt today. The column on the left showsthe name of the group of people. Use your computer, library orInternet resources to look up that group’s name, draw a line towhere that group’s people live, then a line to the animal youthink that group would hunt. You might have to look up an animal’s name in your encyclopedia or reference materials tolearn the country in which that animal lives.

People Country Animal hunted

San Bushmen Australia Buffalo

Laplanders United States Seal

Inuit (Eskimo) Finland Zebra

Aborigine Botswana Kangaroo

Lakota Sioux Canada Reindeer

Surviving AgainIf you did the "Survivor" activity onPage 3, return to those same groups.Remember which animals you select-

ed to bring on your island. Now, as a group, writea list of animals you agree you are allowed to hunt.

Alongside that, write a list of animals you would not hunt.If your group elects not to hunt at all, what will your group eatinstead? How would you survive?

Talk About It1. Would you ever hunt? Why or why not? What do you think thedifference might be between hunting buffalo and eating a store-bought hamburger made from a cow?

2. Eskimos sometimes hunt whalesand eat whale meat — and insome Eskimo groups, the brain isvalued above all else. People in Japaneat whales where whale is valued as adelicious treat and eaten raw as a kindof sushi. Would you eat whale meat? Whyor why not? If the whale were endan-gered, would you eat it? What if thespecies of whale eaten was plentiful, andnot endangered at all? What’s the differ-ence between eating a whale and eat-ing a cow? Are there any animals youwould never eat? Why?

Answers: San Bushmen—Botswana—ZebraLaplanders—Finland—ReindeerAborigine—Australia—KangarooInuit (Eskimo)—Canada— Seal

Lakota Sioux-—United States—Buffalo

13

Zoos are important places where people and animals meet.Zoos try to teach people about the importance of animalsby introducing people to them — up close and very person-ally. Have you ever been to a zoo? What kinds of animalshave you seen?

Look around this page for the kinds of animals people liketo visit in zoos. Pick one of these animals. Draw it in its zoopen below. To the left of the pen, draw a zookeeper caringfor the animal.

What kinds of things does a zookeeper do for a wild animalin a zoo? They feed the animals, keep them clean, care forthem when they are sick, teach people about them, andmore. Draw your zookeeper doing one of these things.

To think about

1. Why are zoos important? Should we keep animals in cagesfor educational purposes? What if an animal is endangered inthe wild and can be kept safe in captivity?

2. What might a zoo be like from the animal’s point of view?What can a zoo do to make life more comfortable, even enjoyable, for the zoo animal?

Learning standard: writing dialogue with appropriatepunctuation

Look through the comics for animals thatare in the strips. Create another panel ortwo at the end of the strip to increase the

role of the animal. Are you able to punctu-ate the new dialogue?

Read this play aloud (youdon’t have to act it out). Thereare parts for six students. Dividethe class into six equal groups,and have one group be "Player 1," another "Player 2," etc.Or choose one student foreach part and have the restof the class join in on "All"or simply listen — andtake turns. Considerrehearsing this aloud,and performing itfor anotherclass or reading it for a schoolassembly.

Player 1: We live in a wild world.

Player 2: A very wild world

Player 1: Full of strange and silly,

Player 3: Feathered and furry,

Player 4: Slimy and slippery,

Player 5: Beautiful and bizarre,

Player 6: Weird and wonderful,

All: Animals.

Player 1: We live in a wild world.

Player 2: A panda on a mountain in faraway China eatsalmost nothing but bamboo, bamboo for breakfast.

Player 3: Bamboo for lunch.

Player 4: Bamboo for dinner.

Player 2: A whole lifetime dedicated to eating bamboo.

Player 3: Yet a crow in a forest will eat almost anything itcan get its beak on.

Player 5: Like dead animals and the eggs of other birds.

Player 6: Like garbage and a squished squirrel on the side ofthe road.

Player 3: A whole life dedicated to eating just about every-thing it can.

Player 4: A salamander might spend its entire life underone log.

Player 5: But a Monarch butterfly born in Canada

Player 6: With a brain the size of the period in a book

Player 5: Is born with travel directions to a secluded mountainvalley in Mexico, more than three thousand miles away.

Player 6: No one can run like the cheetah.

Player 1: No one can fly like a swift.

Player 2: No one can sing like the humpback whale.

Player 3: No one makes honey like a bee.

Player 4: No animal is quite like any other animal.

Player 5: Each one is special, different, one of a kind.

Player 6: We live in a very wild world.

Player 5: Overflowing with animals of every shape, color, andsize.

Player 4: Living in every habitat imaginable.

Player 3: From the driest desert

Player 2: To the coldest tundra

Player 1: To the steamiest rain forest

Player 6: To your very own backyard. Heck, animals even liveinside your house.

All: And some animals even live on us (start scratching yourheads).

Player 1: But no matter which animal you are,

Player 5: From a single-celled amoeba living in a pond to theblue whale, the largest animal of all,

Player 2: Animals need only a small handful

Player 3: Or paw-full

Player 4: Or flipper-full

Player 2: Of things to stay alive.

Player 3: Like plentiful food and habi-tat in which to live,

Player 4: Like a safe place toraise its young,

Player 5: Like clean, clear waterand clean, fresh air.

Player 6: And if an animalcannot find these things.

14

One WildWorld:

A Read-AloudPlay

Player 1: You can probably guess what might happen to it (Pausefor a moment).

Player 3: People live in a wild world, too. Animals are our neigh-bors.

Player 5: Animals are our food, sometimes our clothing.

Player 2: Animals work for us, animals work with us.

Player 4: Sometimes animals kill us, like when a shark bites aswimmer.

Player 6: And sometimes we kill animals, like when we ordershark in a restaurant.

Player 2: We need animals.

Player 1: But animals need us, too.

Player 3: Animals help us every day in so many ways.

Player 5: But we need to help animals too.

Player 6: So we will always have wild animals as our friends.

Player 3: So we will always have wild animals as our neighbors.

Player 5: So we will always live in a wild world.

Player 6: A world where clownfish always swim in sea anemones,

Player 2: A world where seals always hide from polar bears,

Player 4: A world where spiders always spin silken webs.

ALL: A wild world.

Player 1: A world where kangaroos always raise joeys in pouches,

Player 2: And bears always rip into beehives searching for stickyhoney,

Player 3: And skunks always spray their scent into the face of anangry fox,

Player 4: And owls always hoot in deep forests at night.

ALL: A very wild world.

Player 5: Where fireflies always flash,

Player 6: Puppies always play,

Player 4: Porcupines always pinch,

Player 3: Chameleons always change color,

Player 2: Penguins always waddle,

Player 1: And whales always sing in the ocean.

Player 6: We live in a wide and wonderful world overflowing withanimals of every shape, color and size.

Player 3: Let’s not for-get the animals aroundus.

Player 2: And let’s work together to keep our planet

ALL: A very wild world.

Learning standard: employing strategies to constructmeaning

and recognizing wordsCheck out today’s Sports pages, and lookup the standings for a professional sport

– hockey, football, baseball or basket-ball. Do you know the names of the

teams? Pick a sport and write the namesof the professional teams in that sport

named for wild animals. Why are so many teams named for

animals?

15

16

Even if you don’t have a pet, you live among animals. Allpeople live alongside animals, for every one of us lives in a neighborhood and neighborhoods are filled with animals.No matter where your home is, ants crawl along the side-walk, birds sing from trees, squirrels jump from tree totree, and more.

Which animals live in your neighborhood? Write on theselines the names of at least 10 (more if you can do it) wildanimals that live in your neighborhood. What do you knowabout these animals?

Learn MoreAbout Animals

Here are some Web sites you can check out to getmore information aboutanimals.

www.aspca.org:The home page of theAmerican Society for thePrevention of Cruelty toAnimals, a cousin of theHumane Society. Founded in1886, it’s America’s firstorganization dedicated tocaring for animals.

www.worldwildlife.org:The home page of the WorldWildlife Fund. Check out itskid’s pages.

www.enature.com: A commercial Web site dedicated tonature, especially birds. In its Field Guide section, youcan find lots of gorgeous photos of many different kinds of animals.

www.natzoo.si.edu: The Smithsonian Institution’sNational Zoo Web center. The zoo, based in Washington,D.C., sponsors online demonstrations. Watch, for exam-ple, the elephants being fed every day at 11 a.m.* Please note that websites change frequently.

Credits:❏ This Hot Topics supplement was written by Mike Weilbacher.

Mike directs a nonprofit environmental organization in thePhiladelphia region and has been writing, lecturing and

teaching about nature, science and the environment for 25years. Widely published in environmental magazines and journals, his educational supplements have appeared in newspapers across the country, earning him two awards

from the Educational Press Association of America for thesewritings.

❏ Edited by Ken Bookman❏ Learning activities by Ned Carroll

❏ Graphic design by Jeanine M. Reilly❏ Copyright, 2006 Hot Topics Hot Serials

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