Brian ''Fox'' Ellis-Learning From the Land_ Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities (1997)(1)

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Learn ing f rom the

L a n d



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L ea r n i n g

i r o m t h e

L a n d

teaching tcologi} Z hron yh Stories and A ctivities

B r i a n " F o x " E l l i s

I l lu s t r a t e d b y D e b o r a h W a l l e n

1997

Teacher Ideas Press

A Division of

Librar ies Unl imi ted , Inc .

Englewood,

Colorado



Co p y r ig h t © 1 9 9 7 Br i an " Fo x " E l l i s

A l l R ig h t s Res e r v ed

P r i n t e d i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a

N o p a r t o f t h i s p u b l i ca t i o n m ay b e r ep r o d u ced , s t o r ed i n a r e t r i ev a l s y s t em , o r

t r a n s m i t t e d , i n a n y f o r m o r b y a n y m e a n s , e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o c o p y

in g , r eco r d in g , o r o th e r w i s e , w i th o u t t h e p r i o r w r i t t en p e r m i s s io n o f t h e

p u b l i s h e r . A n ex cep t i o n i s m ad e f o r i n d iv id u a l l i b r a r y m ed ia s p ec i a l i s t s an d

t each e r s w h o m ay m ak e co p i e s o f ac t i v i t y s h ee t s f o r c l a s s r o o m u s e i n a s i n g l e

schoo l . O ther por t ions o f the book (up to 15 pages) may be cop ied fo r in - serv ice

p r o g r a m s o r o t h e r e d u c a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s i n a s i n g l e s c h o o l . P e r f o r m a n c e s m a y

b e v id eo t ap ed f o r s ch o o l o r l i b r a r y p u r p o s es .

T E A C H E R I D E A S P R E S S

A Divis ion of

L i b r a r i e s U n l i m i t e d , I n c .

P . O .

Box 6633

E n g lew o o d , CO 8 0 1 5 5 - 6 6 3 3

1-800-237-6124

w w w . l u . c o m / t i p

P r o j e c t E d i t o r : C o n s t a n c e H a r d e s t y

I n t e r i o r D e s i g n : J u d y G a y M a t t h e w s

W i th ad d i t i o n a l i l l u s t r a t i o n s b y J e f f Ca r l s o n f ro m

Exploring the Illinois River, 1996

L i b r a r y o f C o n g r e s s

Cataloging- in-Publ icat ion

D a t a

El l i s ,

B r i an " Fo x . "

L e a r n in g fr o m th e l an d : t e a ch in g eco lo g y t h r o u g h s t o r i e s a n d

ac t i v i t i e s / B r i an " Fo x " E l l is ; i l l u s t r a t e d b y D e b o r a h W al l en .

xxvi i i , 145 p . 22x28 cm.

I n c lu d es i n d ex .

ISBN 1-56308-563-1

1. E n v i r o n m e n t a l s c i e n c e s - S t u d y a n d

teaching-Activity

p r o g r a m s .

2.

S to r y t e l l i n g . I . T i t l e .

G E 7 7 . E 4 5 1 9 9 7

372.3'57044--DC21 9 7 - 1 0 9 9 5

CIP

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C o n t e n t s

Preface ix

A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s x i i i

I n t r o d u c t i o n x v

• T h e B a l l a d o f R u s t y a n d N a n c y : A T r i l o g y 1

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r 3

The Story 5

Fo l low-Up Ideas fo r "The Ba l l ad o f Ru s ty an d N a n c y " 1 9

C o m p a r e a n d C o n t r a s t , 1 9

T h e C i r c u l a r S t o r y t e l l i n g G a m e , 1 9

E x p lo r in g t h e E f f ec t s o f O u r Beh av io r ,

21

So c i a l A c t i o n an d C i t i zen s h ip , 2 2

• W a l t e r t h e W a t e r M o l e c u l e by Br ia n "Fox"

Ellis

a n d G a r t h

Gi lchr is t

. • . • 2 5

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r 2 7

The Story 2 8

Fo l l o w - U p I d eas f or " W al t e r t h e W ate r M o lecu l e" 3 2

C o r r e l a t i n g M a p s a n d D i a g r a m s , 3 2

T h e C i r c u l a r S t o r y t e l l i n g G a m e , 3 3

H o w M u ch o f M e I s Wate r ? , 3 3

H o w M u ch o f T h i s I s Wa te r ? , 3 5

E v a p o r a t i o n , 3 6

• T h e

W e b 3 9


The Story 42

Fo l l o w - U p I d eas f or " T h e W eb " 4 9

Adven tures in the Web of L i fe , 49

M ak in g a Fo o d Web , 5 3

W h e r e A r e t h e P r e d a t o r s ? , 5 4

W h e r e H a v e A l l t h e P r e d a t o r s G o n e ? , 5 6

Wh er e D o es O u r Fo o d Co m e Fr o m ? , 5 6

T a k e Y o u r S t u d e n t s F i s h i n g ! , 5 8

• T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t T a m e d a B o y: A Tall Sc ie nce Tale 59


The Story 6 3

Fo l l o w - U p I d eas f or " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t T a m ed a Bo y " 6 8

D i s c e r n i n g t h e F a c t s , 6 8

T h e L i a r ' s G a m e , 6 9

Br ing a Snake to School , 70

T e l l i n g T a l e s T a l l an d T r u e , 7 0

C o n t e n t s v i i



• C o u n s e l o f C r o ws 73

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r

75

The Story

76

Follow-Up Ide as for "Co unse l of Cro ws" 79

Porque (What-For) Stories: Folktales as a Source of

Scientific Wisdom, 79

Animal Wisdom, 80

Listening to the Voice of Nature, 81

Native American Tales, 82

• A N i g h t o n t h e H u n t 8 5

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r

87

The Story

88

Follow-Up Idea s for "A Nigh t on the H u nt " 91

Guess ing-Game Poems, 91

Writing and Telling the Story of Wildlife, 92

Wild Animal Observation, 93

Say I t wi th Pictographs , 93

• T h e S a l m o n ' s J o u r n e y by Garth Gilchrist 9 7

C o m m e n t s to t h e T e a c h e r

99

The Story 100

Follow-Up Ideas for "Th e Salm on's Jo ur ne y" 104

Migration Route Map Study, 104

Writ ing a Migration Story, 105

• T h e S e e d 1 0 9

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r I l l

The Story 112

Follow-Up Ideas for "Th e Seed" 117

Seasonal Poetry with Scientif ic Accuracy,

117

Moving Beyond "The Seed," 117

Tracking the Seasons , 118

Growing a Prai r ie , 118

Sorting Seeds, 119

Art Ideas, 120

• B a r e S t o n e 1 2 3

C o m m e n t s t o t h e T e a c h e r 125

The Story 126

Follow-Up Ideas for "Ba re Sto ne " 130

A Walk Th rou gh Successional Stages, 130

Comparing Spores and Seeds, 130

Bare Pavement , 131

Science and Story tell ing Bibliography 133

Index 141

About the Au thor 145

via

C o n t e n t s



Vreiue

W o r k i n g i n t h e g a r d e n , w e e d i n g t h e a s p a r a g u s p a t c h , I c a m e a c r o s s a s

q u a r t z a r r o w h ead an d m y m in d r ee l ed w i th t h e p o s s ib i l i t i e s . I s aw a Ch e r o k ee b o y

s t a lk in g a d ee r i n t h e s h ad o w s o f t o w er in g o ak s . I h ea r d t h e r h y th m o f tw o s to n es

c l ack in g t o g e th e r a s a c r a f t s m an m o ld ed t h e t o o l s o f s u r v iv a l . Bey o n d t h a t , I h ea r d

th e c r a s h of tw o co n t i n e n t s ad r i f t , t h e g r i n d in g an d s h a t t e r i n g o f r o ck s , m o l t e n

s i l i ca seep ing in to the c racks and s lowly coo l ing , c rys ta l l i z ing , to fo rm the quar tz

s tone I he ld in my hand .

E v e r y w h er e I t r av e l o n t h i s E a r t h t h e r o ck s s i n g . T a l e s s t a l k m e f ro m b e h in d

t r ee s an d h i l l s i d es . T h e l eg en d s o f t h i s l an d a r e c l am o r in g t o b e h ea r d .

Stor ies o i t h e L a n d

In the essay , "Good , Wi ld , Sacred , " Gary Snyder t e l l s o f the journey ta les o f

t h e A u s t r a l i a n A b o r i g i n e s . T h e s e s t o r i e s s e r v e a s m a p s t h a t b r i n g t h e s e m i - d e s e r t

r e g i o n t o l i f e w i t h m y t h i c a l c r e a t u r e s a n d h u m a n a d v e n t u r e s . E a c h w a t e r i n g h o l e

h o ld s a s t o r y . E ach p r o m in en t r o ck r em in d s t h e t r av e l e r s of t h e i r l o ca t i o n an d

r em in d s t h em o f t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h ip t o t h e l an d . T h es e s t o r i e s a r e t o ld f r o m o n e

g e n e r a t i o n t o an o th e r . I f p eo p l e k n o w th e s t o r i e s of t h e l an d , t h ey a r e n ev e r l o s t .

T h e p eo p l e f ee l a d eep e r co n n ec t i o n w i th t h e i r p e r s o n a l an d cu l t u r a l h i s t o r y

t h r o u g h t h e l a n d s c a p e .

T h e K lam a t h t e l l s im i l a r s t o r i e s t h a t co n t a in t h e h i s t o r y of t h e i r p eo p l e an d

th e b es t f i s h in g h o l e s a lo n g t h e r i v e r . T h e N av a jo l an d s cap e i s s a id t o s t a lk t h e

p eo p l e ; c liff faces h o ld s t o r i e s t h a t r em in d t h e p eo p l e o f ap p r o p r i a t e b e h av io r w i t h in

t h e c o m m u n i t y a n d a p p r o p r i a t e r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h t h e t h u n d e r - b e i n g s a n d c r e e p y

c r aw l i e s .

I n d i g e n o u s p e o p l e a r o u n d t h e w o r l d h a v e e n c h a n t e d s u c c e s s i v e g e n e r a t i o n s

w i th t h e s t o r i e s o f t h e l an d . So m e o f t h e s e s t o r i e s h av e b een l o s t t o ch an g es i n t h e

l an d s cap e an d ch an g es i n t h e d r eam s cap e o f o u r r ap id ly ch an g in g cu l t u r e . Bu t s t i l l

the h i l l s and e lder s p rov ide deep r eservo i r s o f s to ry . I f you seek these s to r ies , you

wi l l f ind them.

Stor ies

o i

th e L a n d

ix

W



L e a r n i n g t h e S t o r i e s o f t h e L a n d

How does one learn the s to r ies o f the land?

A s a s t o r y t e l l e r , I h av e co n d i t i o n ed m y s e l f t o l i s t en . I h av e p as s ed l o n g h o u r s

s q u a t t i n g o n a s t o n e i n t h e m id d l e o f Ro ck Cr eek a l l o w in g t h e m u s i c o f t h e d an c in g

w a te r t o f i l t e r i n to m y th o u g h t s , d r i n k in g t h e w a t e r an d a l l o w in g i t t o f l o w in to m y

v e i n s .

I began to learn the songs o f water .

You can do the same. L is ten to the e lder s , l i s ten to the songs o f the wi ld wor ld

a r o u n d y o u .

Bef r i en d a n e ld e r ly p e r s o n i n y o u r n e ig h b o r h o o d a n d t h e h i s t o r y of y o u r h o m e

w i l l u n f o ld i n co n v e r s a t i o n . Sp en d t h e d ay w o r k in g i n t h e i r g a r d en an d t h ey w i l l

fill y o u r ea r w i th t a l e s t a l l an d t r u e . A s k y o u r n e ig h b o r s o r ch eck t h e co u n ty c l e r k ' s

o ff ice to lea rn ab ou t the r ec en t h i s to ry o f yo ur land ; r ea d up on loca l geo logy an d

n a tu r a l h i s t o r y a s w e l l a s t h e p eo p l e w h o p r ev io u s ly w a lk ed t h i s E a r th .

A few weeks ago I wen t to a sawmil l w i th a f r iend to ge t sawdus t fo r h i s goa t

b a r n . O n t h e w ay o v e r , w e t a lk ed o f t h e ch an g in g f ace o f t h e B lack M o u n ta in s : t h e

ef fec ts o f ac id r a in , logg ing , an d the lan ds l id e of 1976 . W hi le shov el in g sa w du s t , I

h e a r d t h e f am i ly h i s t o r y of t h e s aw y er an d l ea r n ed a b o u t t h e s e t t l i n g of t h e v a l l ey .

A f t e r t h e s aw d u s t w as i n t h e b a r n , m y f r i en d s h o w ed m e h i s g a r d en , o r ch a r d , an d

w o o d lo t . H e s h o w ed m e h i s r e l a t i o n s h ip w i th t h e l an d . N o w I s ee t h e m o u n ta in s

wi th h i s eyes .

I l i s t en t o t h e w o r ld a r o u n d m e , t o o .

O n e o f m y f av o r i t e h ik in g t r a i l s h a s b een an im p o r t an t v o i ce i n m y ed u ca t i o n .

H ik in g t h e s am e t r a i l d o zen s of t im es , i n m o r n in g l i g h t an d a t n ig h t , t r u d g in g

th r o u g h s n o w o r b l ack b e r r y b u s h es , I h av e s een t h e m an y f aces o f t h e p l an t s an d

c r ea tu r e s w h o l i v e t h e r e . T h e s u b t l e v a r i a t i o n s f r o m d ay t o d ay an d t h e d r am a t i c

s eas o n a l ch an g es h av e i n s p i r ed m u ch p o e t r y an d s o n g .

O n e t r ee a lo n g t h e t r a i l h a s b eco m e a s p ec i a l f r i en d . O n e b l az in g a f t e r n o o n ,

w ea r in g o n ly s h o r t s an d a T - s h i r t , I w as cau g h t i n a s u d d en , ch i l l i n g r a in . Fea r in g

h y p o th e r m ia , I s t ay e d i n t h e s h e l t e r of t h e h em lo c k , r e l a t i v e ly w a r m an d p r o t e c t e d ,

w a i t i n g f or t h e c lo u d t o d r y . A n o th e r d ay I c l im b ed i n to i t s em b r a c in g l im b s t o v i ew

th e v a l l ey . I h av e ea t en i t s c r y s t a l l i z ed s ap an d w a t e r ed i t s r o o t s . T h r o u g h t h i s

d eep e r s h a r in g I h av e co m e to u n d e r s t an d t h e eco lo g i ca l n i ch e o f t h i s t r ee ; I h av e

l ea r n ed i t s s t o r y .

I t ' s a s t o r y t h a t b eg in s w i th t h e b i r t h o f G a i a ; m ig r a t e s w i th t h e co n t i n en t s

an d g l ac i e r s ; i n v o lv es t h e w in d an d r a in , m o s s es , f e r n s , c en t i p ed es , r o ly - p o l i e s an d

a mouse—a m o u s e w h o d r o p s a s eed i n to a m o i s t c l u m p of m o s s . F r o m th i s s eed t h e

s to r y o f t h e h em lo ck s p r o u t s .

I en c o u r ag e y o u t o t ak e t im e t o s i t q u i e t l y an d l i s t en t o t h e s t o r i e s of y o u r l an d .

X

pREI E



T e l l i n g t h e S t o r i e s o f t h e L a n d

I m ag in e y o u r s e l f a w a t e r m o lecu l e t h a t f l o w s f r o m th e c lo u d s t h r o u g h t h e

eco s y s t em to y o u r f au ce t an d b ack t o t h e c lo u d s . Wh a t a r e t h e i n t e r v en in g ad v en

tu r e s ? T r ace y o u r l u n ch b ack w ar d t o i t s p o in t o f p u r ch as e , t o t h e p r o ces s o r , t o t h e

so i l where i t g rew. Or , t r ace i t fo rward : Where does i t go f rom your be l ly?

Mark your ca lendar on the day you see the f i r s t rob in o f sp r ing , the f i r s t and

l a s t f r o s t o f t h e g r o w in g s eas o n , t h e d ay y o u r f i r s t t o m a to r i p en s , an d t h e d ay t h e

f i r s t s n o w f a l l s . U s e t h e s am e ca l en d a r y ea r a f t e r y ea r t o n o t e t h e n ig h t t h a t t h e

katyd ids beg in to s ing , the day you ge t your f i r s t mosqu i to b i te o f the year , and the

week o f peak co lo r on the maple t r ees . Th is fo lk wisdom can be woven in to any

n u m b er o f s t o r i e s . Fo r ex am p le , o n e t a l e co u ld b e t o ld f r o m th e p e r s p ec t i v e o f a

crea tu re te l l ing what i t does ( and what i t s f r i ends and foes do) to adap t to the

ch an g es o f co lo r , t em p er a tu r e , an d t h e av a i l ab l e f o o d s u p p ly .

I en co u r ag e y o u t o t e l l t h e s e s t o r i e s . Wh i s p e r t h e n am es o f w i ld f l o w er s . Wad e

knee-deep in an icy c reek , s ing ing the songs o f f rogs . Imi ta te owls . Share the

s i l en ces w i th t h e o ak s an d m ap le s .

Th e lan d is fu ll of l ege nds c lam or in g to be he ard ! •

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Stories oi the Land

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A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

1 w o u ld l i k e t o ack n o w led g e a l l o f t h e c r ea tu r e s o f t h e E a r t h w h o h av e h e lp

m e a lo n g m y jo u r n ey a n d i n s p i r ed m e t o w r i t e t h e s e t a l e s . M o s t n o t ab ly , I w o u ld

l i k e t o t h an k t h e h em lo ck , d r ag o n f ly , m o u n ta in l i o n , m i lk w eed s eed , s a lm o n , w a t e r

d r o p ,

m o lecu l e of i r o n , o w l, r a t t l e s n ak e , s p id e r , an d c r o w . T h e y t o ld m e t h e i r s t o r i e s

so I cou ld te l l them to you .

I w o u ld a l s o l i k e t o ack n o w led g e t h e g i an t s u p o n w h o s e s h o u ld e r s I s t an d .

T h e r e h a v e b e e n c o u n t l e s s w r i t e r s i n t h e A m e r i c a n n a t u r a l i s t t r a d i t i o n w h o s e

v o i ces h av e h e lp e d m e t o f in d m y o w n . So m e of t h em in c lu d e H en r y D av id T h o r e au ,

R a l p h W a l d o E m e r s o n , Walt W h i t m a n , Aldo L eo p o ld , Rach e l Ca r s o n , G ar y Sn y d e r ,

Ba r r y L o p ez , A n n ie D i l l a r d , an d D av id Ra in s W al l ace . I f y o u h av e n o t r ead t h e i r

s t o r i e s , v i s i t y o u r l o ca l b o o k s to r e o r l i b r a r y t o d ay !

T h i s b o o k w o u ld n o t h av e b een p o s s ib l e w i th o u t t h e t ech n i ca l s u p p o r t o f m y

office staff, t o w h o m I a m p e r p e t u a l l y g r a t e f u l . T h a n k yo u K a t h y G e s s , J a n e M e n k ,

an d Bev L o o s f o r t y p in g v a r io u s p a r t s o f t h e m an u s c r ip t . I a l s o w an t t o t h an k J o y

Connol ly and Diane Coon fo r a l l o f the work you have done tha t a l lowed me more

t i m e t o w o r k o n s t o r ie s . A s p e c ia l t h a n k s t o J a m e s T h r u s h f or y o u r e n c o u r a g e m e n t

a n d s u p p o r t .

T o t h e s t u d en t s an d s t a ff of t h e Sen eca , Il l i n o i s , s u m m er s ch o o l p r o g r a m , w h o

gave me a chance to f ie ld tes t many o f these s to r ies and lessons , I owe a deb t o f

g r a t i t u d e .

I w o u ld a l s o l i k e t o t h an k Su s an Z e r n i a l an d S t acey Ch i s h o lm o f L ib r a r i e s

U n l im i t ed , a s w e l l a s ed i t o r Co n s t an ce H ar d es ty , f o r t u r n in g m y r o u g h n o t e s i n to

a f ine book.

A n d f i n a l l y , I w o u ld l i k e t o t h an k m y w i f e an d tw in d au g h t e r s f o r l i s t en in g t o

m y s to r i e s , en co u r ag in g m e , p u s h in g m e w h en I w as t i r ed , an d f o r a l l o w in g m e t h e

s p ace t o f i n is h t h e m an u s c r i p t . •

A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

xi i i

I






Introdnction

X

h e r e i s a l o t o f t a l k ab o u t c r ea t i v e w r i t i n g ac r o s s t h e cu r r i cu lu m , t h e w h o

l a n g u a g e a p p r o a c h , a n d t h e a r t o f t e a c h i n g t h i n k i n g s k i ll s a n d p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g

s t r a t e g i e s . Learning from the Land i s a n a tu r a l t o o l f or acc o m p l i s h in g a l l t h e s e

th in g s , an d f o r i n t r o d u c in g eco lo g i ca l co n cep t s an d g e t t i n g s t u d en t s ex c i t ed ab o u t

sc ience as wel l .

I h ad tw o g o a l s i n m in d w h en w r i t i n g t h i s b o o k . T h e f i r s t w as t o p r o v id e

s t u d e n t s w i t h o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r a d v e n t u r e a n d f o r e m p a t h y w i t h w i l d c r e a t u r e s ; t o

br ing sc ien t i f ic f ac t s to l i f e . The second was to teach bas ic sc ience sk i l l s in a way

t h a t i n t e g r a t e s c r e a t i v e w r i t i n g a n d s t o r y t e l l i n g .

T h i s b o o k co n t a in s n in e o r i g in a l s t o r i e s t h a t i n co r p o r a t e an a r r ay o f s c i en t i f i c

co n c ep t s . Be cau s e o f t h e w ay t h e s t o r i e s a r e s t r u c tu r ed , t h ey can ea s i ly b e a d a p t e d

f o r l i s t en e r s o f an y ag e o r l ev e l o f k n o w led g e . E ig h t - y ea r - o ld ch i l d r en h av e r e

s p o n d e d t o t h e s e s t o r i e s w i t h q u e s t i o n s t h a t s h o w e d t h e y w e r e b e g i n n i n g t o g r a s p

co n cep t s l i k e p l a t e t ec to n i c s an d g eo lo g i ca l t im e . Y e t w i th t h e r i g h t co m b in a t i o n o f

u n u s u a l f ac t s , p o e t i c m e tap h o r , an d a l l u s io n s t o t h e co m p lex i t y o f n a tu r e , t h e s e

s a m e s t o r i e s h a v e h e l d p r o f e s s i o n a l n a t u r a l i s t s ' r a p t a t t e n t i o n . T h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g

here fo r everyone .

Fo l lowing each s to ry a re a f ew s tuden t - tes ted ac t iv i t i es tha t c ross cur r icu lar

b o u n d a r i e s an d i n s p i r e c r ea t i v e w r i t i n g , p r o b l em s o lvin g, an d a d eep e r u n d e r s t a n d in g

o f n a tu r e . I n ad d i t i o n , within each s to ry a re severa l ideas for qu ick , han ds-o n ac t iv i t i es

tha t can be eas i ly adap ted to var ious g rade leve ls w i th more o r l ess p re- teach ing and

s tep-by- s tep co ach ing . (See pages xx-xx i fo r more d e ta i l s on thes e ac t iv i t i es .)

Obvious ly , th i s book i s ju s t a s ta r t in g po in t . I t p rov ides s to r ie s and ac t iv i t i es you

can use wi th your s tuden ts now. More impor tan t , these s to r ies serve as models fo r

s tu d en t s t o u s e i n w r i t i n g t h e i r o w n s to r i e s . T h e u l t im a t e g o a l i s t o h av e s t u d en t s

move in to the ou tdoors to observe eco log ica l p rocesses f i r s thand , measur ing and

ev a lu a t i n g w h a t t h ey o b s e r v e , an d t h en c r ea t i n g s t o r i e s t o t e l l t h e i r p ee r s .

This book gives you just a few of many possibi l i t ies for s torytel l ing and fol low-up

act iv i t i es . When you are develop ing your own ideas , t ry to inc lude as much d i r ec t

con tac t w i th na tu re as f eas ib le . Mos t schoo ls a re wi th in a shor t d r ive o f a s ta te park ,

na t iona l fo res t , o r seashore . Closer to home, a ne ighborhood park , a t r ee beh ind the

s ch o o l , o r ev en t h e c l a s s r o o m t e r r a r i u m p r o v id e co n t ac t w i th n a tu r e .

I f you love a walk in the woods, i f you

h u n t o r fi sh , o r i f you en joy th e b i rds a t y ou r

b ac k y a r d f eed e r , y o u h av e acces s t o a w ea l t h

o f s t o r i e s . Y o u can t r an s l a t e t h e w h i s p e r s

f rom the f ie lds in to te l lab le t a les , you can

d r aw o n y o u r ex p e r i en ce i n t h e o u td o o r s t o

i n s p i r e a n d e d u c a t e y o u r s t u d e n t s . Y o u c a n

te l l the s to r ies in th i s book , and you can

c r ea t e y o u r o w n s to r i e s an d ex p e r i en t i a l

ac t i v i t i e s .

In t rodnct ion

x v

T



Eow th e Stories Developed

A l l o f t h e s t o r i e s i n t h i s b o o k w er e d ev e lo p ed i n t h e o r a l t r ad i t i o n . Wh en I

d i s co v e r t h e k e r n e l of an i d ea , I l e t i t g e r m in a t e i n m y im ag i n a t i o n . I c a r e f u l ly w a t e r

an d f er t i l i ze i t by d i sc uss ing the idea wi th f r iends a nd co l lea gue s . I b r in g i t in t o t h e

s u n s h in e g r ad u a l l y b y p r ac t i c i n g o n n i eces , n ep h ew s , an d t h e ch i l d r en o f f r i en d s . I

a l l o w i t t o m a tu r e an d b ea r f r u i t t h r o u g h co u n t l e s s p u b l i c p e r f o r m an ces a t s ch o o l s ,

n a tu r e cen t e r s , co n f e r en ces , an d f e s t i v a l s . O n ly a f t e r t e l l i n g a s t o r y 1 0 0 t im es d o I

w r i t e i t d o w n . O f t en , I r eco r d a l i v e p e r f o r m an ce an d t r an s c r ib e t h e s p o k en w o r d .

T h en I ed i t t h e s t o r i e s t o m ee t t h e r i g o r s o f t h e p r i n t ed p ag e .

A l th o u g h t h e s t o r i e s a r e l i g h t l y ed i t ed , t h ey a r e a s m u ch l i k e t h e o r i g in a l ,

s p o k en v e r s io n a s p o s s ib l e i n o r d e r t o cap tu r e t h e d y n am ics an d e l ec t r i c i t y o f a l i v e

p e r f o r m a n c e .

Sto ry te l l ing , more than any o ther medium, has a spec ia l power fo r insp i r ing and

educat ing l i s tener s . For th i s r eason I would l ike to encourage you to tell t h e s e s t o r i e s .

Becoming si

tel ler o i ta les

Y o u a r e a l r e ad y a t e l l e r o f t a l e s . E v e r y d ay y o u t e ll y o u r o w n s to r i e s . Y o u m ig h t

t e l l t h em s t r a ig h t , o r y o u m ig h t em b e l l i s h a b i t : ad d a f ew d e t a i l s h e r e , a n o t e o f

e x p l a n a t i o n t h e r e . T h r o u g h t h e s e l i t t l e e m b e l l i s h m e n t s , y o u m a k e t h e s t o r y y o u r

own.

T h e s t o r i e s i n t h i s b o o k a r e m y s to r i e s ; t h ey r e f l ec t m y ex p e r i en ces , m y lo ca l

e n v i r o n m e n t , m y e m b e l l i s h m e n t s . T h e y m o d e l fo r y o u a l l t h e d e t a i l s a n d e m b e l l i s h

m en t s t h a t g o i n to a s t o r y t h a t i s told, r a t h e r t h a n r e a d .

As any storyteller would do, feel free to change the details to f it your local

env i ronment and to r e f lec t your exper ience and per sonal i ty . Name loca l r iver s and

mounta ins . Inc lude p lan ts and an imals tha t a re ind igenous to your r eg ion . Change the

na m es o f cha rac t er s to inc lude you r f riends an d r e la t ives . Ed i t scenes tha t do no t fi t you r

per son al h i s to ry , and add scenes tha t do fi t in wi th w hat you know. For exam ple : "Th e

Web" is about a f ishing tr ip on one of my favorite lakes. If you have ever

been f ishing, you could easi ly change the detai ls to sui t your favor i te

lake or r iver . You could even change the species in the s tory f rom

bullf rog to leopard f rog, heron to egret , largemouth bass to tarpon.

Many of the s tor ies were created as a f ramework; i t ' s up to you to

f lesh them ou t wi th the de ta i l s of your loca l en v i r on m en t .

H o w t o L e a r n t h e S t o r y

To te l l a s to ry wel l , you mus t en joy i t yourself. So,

t h e m o s t im p o r t an t t h in g i n ch o o s in g a s t o r y t o t e l l i s

to f ind one you r ea l ly en joy and can imagine yourse l f

te l l ing . I f you don ' t love the s to ry you te l l , do you th ink

y o u r au d i en ce w i l l ?

xvi

In t rodu ct ion



After you have found a s to ry , r ead i t over severa l t imes . Read i t once ou t loud

f o r f ee l i n g , r h y th m , an d t o n e . Read i t ag a in t o g e t t o k n o w th e ch a r ac t e r s . I m ag in e

you are each o f the charac ter s as you r ead . Read i t aga in to ge t to know the p lace

o r s e t t i n g . I m ag in e y o u a r e i n t h a t p l ace , s ee in g a l l t h e d e t a i l s n o t i n p r i n t . Read

i t o n e m o r e t im e t o l ea r n t h e o r d e r o f ev en t s . S t an d u p an d r ead t h e s t o r y w h i l e

m a p p i n g o u t b o d y l a n g u a g e a n d g e s t u r e s .

I f y o u r ead a s t o r y o u t l o u d s ev en t im es , t h en t h e w o r d s an d im ag es , t h e

f ee l in g s an d g es tu r e s w i l l b e im p r in t e d o n y o u r p s y ch e an d y o u w i l l

know

the s to ry .

D o n o t m em o r i z e t h e s t o r y . I h av e o f t en s een b eg i n n i n g t e l l e r s f o r g e t o n e w o r d

an d t h en f o r g e t t h e r e s t o f a s t o r y . S im p ly r em em b er t h e im p o r t an t s cen es , f ee l i n g s ,

im ag es , an d p h r a s es . ( So m e t im es I w r i t e a b r i e f o u t l i n e o f t h e f i v e m a in ev en t s t o

h e lp m e r em em b e r t h e s eq u en t i a l o r d e r of t h e s t o r y . ) I f y o u r em em b e r t h e b a r e

bones , then you can f lesh i t ou t d i f f e ren t ly each t ime you te l l i t , add ing de ta i l s o r

s k im m in g o v e r t h in g s t o s u i t t h e au d i en ce .

I f y o u im a g in e t h a t t h e s t o r y h ap p en e d t o y o u , t h e n t e l l i n g t h e s t o r y i s li k e

t e l l i n g s o m eo n e ab o u t y o u r d ay . T h e w o r d s a r e l e s s im p o r t an t t h an t h e im ag es an d

fee l ings . Be in your s to ry and le t

your

words te l l i t .

Pract ice , Pract ice ,

Practice

T h e t h r ee m o s t im p o r t an t t h in g s t o r em e m b er w h en l ea r n in g a st o r y a r e to practice,

practice, practice. Th ese are the thr ee keys to success . Tel l th e s tory to every m em be r of

you r family , every f r iend w ho will l is ten, the dog, th e cat , the goldfish . In the beg inn ing

ask for posi t ive feedback only: What are you doing r ight? What is working? Learn to

screen the com me nts , pay ing a t ten t ion to the help fu l ones and d i s rega rd ing the o th er s .

Only af ter you have learned to screen the feedback should you ask for construct ive

cr i t i c i sm. Remember , th i s i s your s to ry , so you mus t t rus t your judgment .

T e l l i n g t h e T a l e

Before you beg in te l l ing a t a le , r e lax . Pause fo r a moment o f s i l ence , t ake a

d eep b r ea th , an d l e t t h e s t o r y u n f o ld . A l i t t l e n e r v o u s n e s s i s n a tu r a l an d h e lp s y o u

to f o cu s . Y o u a r e n e r v o u s b ecau s e y o u ca r e ab o u t w h a t y o u a r e d o in g an d w an t t o

ge t i t r igh t . Ref rame your nervousness in th i s l igh t and see i t as a pos i t ive fo rce to

b e h a r n es s ed t o h e lp y o u d o y o u r b es t . T h en y o u can h av e f u n an d en jo y t h e

au d i en ce r e s p o n s e . Rem em b er , y o u r l i s t en e r s a r e r o o t i n g f o r y o u ; t h ey w an t y o u t o

succeed because i t means they wi l l have a good t ime, too!

P r e lu d e

A g o od p r e l u d e g r a b s y o u r l i s t e n e r s ' a t t e n t i o n , p r e p a r e s t h e m t o l is t e n , a n d

eas es ( o r j o l t s !) t h e m in to t h e t a l e . Beg in w i th s o m e h i s t o r y o r b a ck g r o u n d ;

s o m e th in g ab o u t t h e au th o r o r s o u r ce o f t h e s t o r y ; a s o n g , p o em , o r ch an t ; a

q u es t i o n o r p u r p o s e f o r t h e l i s t en e r ; o r s o m e in t r i g u in g s o u n d e f f ec t .

T o m o d e l t h i s t e ch n iq u e , each s t o r y i n t h i s b o o k b eg in s w i th a p r e lu d e t h a t I

u s e i n m y s h o w s . So m e o f t h e p r e lu d es a r e p e r s o n a l . Fo r ex am p le , t h e p r e lu d e t o

" T h e Web " i s ab o u t m y f r i en d L a r s an d m e . Y o u w i l l n eed t o t a i l o r t h e p r e lu d e t o

y o u r a u d i e n c e a n d yourself.

Becoming a

tel ler o i

Zales

xvi i



I m a g i n a t i o n

I m ag in a t i o n i s t h e m o s t im p o r t a n t t o o l i n a s t o r y t e l l e r ' s b ag of t r i c k s . Y o u m u s t

im ag in e t h e ch a r ac t e r t o k n o w w h a t v o i ce o r p o s tu r e t o u s e . Y o u m u s t im ag in e t h e

s e t t i n g b e f o r e y o u can b r in g t h e au d i en ce i n to i t . I m ag in a t i o n w i l l a l l o w y o u t o

em b e l l i s h an d p e r s o n a l i ze t h e s t o r y , t a i l o r i n g i t t o t h e au d i en ce an d m ak in g i t

u n i q u e ly y o u r s . A n d , if y o u l o se y o u r p l ace i n t h e m id d l e of a s t o r y , y o u r im ag in a t i o n

wil l a l low you to make i t up as you go along!

U s e y o u r im ag in a t i o n t o l i v e t h e s t o r y a s y o u t e l l i t . Wh en ev e r I am l ea r n in g

a n ew s to r y , I a lw ay s s p en d s o m e t im e im ag in in g each ch a r ac t e r , e ach s cen e , an d

each ev en t . T h a t w ay , w h en I t e l l t h e s t o r y , t h e w o r d s co m e eas i l y . I n s t ead o f

m em o r i z in g t h e w o r d s o f s o m eo n e e l s e ' s s t o r y , I s im p ly t e l l t h e s t o r y a s I h av e

ex p e r i en ced i t i n m y im ag in a t i o n , a s i f i t h ap p en ed t o m e y es t e r d ay .

Involve the Audience

T h e au d i en ce is y o u r p a r t n e r in t h e s t o r y t e l l i n g p r o ces s . I n

v o lv e y o u r l i s t en e r s w i th s ev e r a l s p ec i a l t e ch n iq u es .

F i r s t an d m o s t im p o r t an t : M ak e ey e co n t ac t ! S im p ly l o o k in g

in to each p e r s o n ' s ey es , s p eak in g t o t h em , i s t h e b es t w ay t o h o o k

y o u r l i s t e n e r s .

A s k r h e to r i ca l q u es t i o n s : H av e y o u ev e r f e l t ( s een , d o n e ) t h i s

b e f o r e? D o y o u k n o w s o m eo n e l i k e t h i s ? Rh e to r i c a l q u e s t i o n s h o o k

y o u r l i s t e n e r s i n t e l l e c t u a l l y .

U s e l o ca l m e t ap h o r s . Co m p ar e e l em en t s o f t h e s t o r y w i th t an g i

b le p laces , eve n ts , an d peop le . Say , for exam ple , "The bou lder was as

b ig as th i s room" or "The owl ' s w ings were as long as my arms ."

U s e r e f r a in s . M an y s to r i e s f ea tu r e a ch o r u s o r a k ey l i n e t h a t

r ep ea t s s ev e r a l t im es . I n v i t e y o u r l i s t en e r s t o r ep ea t k ey l i n e s w i th

you l ike a chorus .

E n co u r a g e p a r t i c i p a t i o n b y g iv in g y o u r l i s t en e r s a j o b o r a s

s i g n in g t h em to a ch a r ac t e r . Fo r ex am p le , I a s k m y l i s t en e r s t o b e

th e w in d ( t o m ak e w in d s o u n d s ) w h en I t e l l t h e s t o r y " T h e Seed . "

T h e r e a r e m an y w ay s t o i n v o lv e t h e au d i en ce em o t io n a l l y ,

co g n i t i v e ly , p h y s i ca l l y , an d im ag in a t i v e ly . O f t en t h i s i s n o t w r i t t en

in to t h e s t o r y , b u t w i th a l i t t l e im ag in a t i o n an d r eh ea r s a l y o u can

f in d w ay s t o ce l eb r a t e an d b u i l d o n t h e r e l a t i o n s h ip s b e tw een t h e

t e l l e r , t h e t a l e , an d t h e l i s t en e r . O p en y o u r i n tu i t i v e n a tu r e an d

tu n e i n to y o u r au d i en ce . Wa tch ca r e f u l l y an d l i s t en a t t en t i v e ly .

Bu i ld o n t h i s i n v i s i b l e b o n d t o b r i n g y o u r l i s t en e r s u n d e r y o u r

spel l !

Use

All live

Senses

We p e r ce iv e t h e w o r ld t h r o u g h a l l o f o u r s en s es . I n t e l l i n g s t o r i e s w e h e lp o u r

l i s t en e r s ex p e r i en ce an im ag in ed w o r ld . T o m ak e t h i s h ap p en , m in i s t e r t o a l l o f t h e

s en s es . D es c r ib e o r a l l u d e t o f l av o r s . Rem in d y o u r l i s t en e r s o f s m e l l s p l ea s an t an d

p r o f an e . Sp ec i f y t h e t ex tu r e s o f c l o th in g an d s k in , t h e t ex tu r e s o f m o o d s an d

m i l i eu s . S t im u la t e t h e s en s es w i th n o i s e s : c l ap , s t o m p , h o o t , an d s q u eak . D r aw

e l a b o r a t e w o r d p i c t u r e s .

xvi i i

Introductio



V oice

Speak in a vo ice tha t i s loud enough to be heard and c lear enough to be

u n d e r s t o o d . P a c e yourself, g i v in g y o u r au d i en c e t im e t o p r o ces s w h a t t h ey h ea r .

Mos t beg inn ing s to ry te l le r s speak too qu ick ly ; i t i s bes t to l e t the words ro l l

off y o u r t o n g u e a t a p ace t h a t a l lo w s l i s t en e r s to r e l i s h t h e s o u n d s an d t h e m ea n in g s

of what is said .

Co n v ey t h e f ee l i n g s t h a t a r e n a tu r a l t o t h e ch a r ac t e r s an d s i t u a t i o n s i n v o lv ed

in t h e s t o r y . A v o id a m e lo d r am a t i c , s y r u p y v o i ce . Fee l i n g s a r e u s u a l l y b es t u n d e r

s t a t e d r a t h e r t h a n o v e r d o n e .

K eep y o u r t e l l i n g li v e ly , f r eq u e n t l y ch a n g in g t o n e , p ace , an d co lo r. A cc en t s can

be very e f f ec tive if use d ap pro pr i a te ly and ac cu ra te ly .

Sound Ciiects

So u n d e f f ec t s ad d h u m o r an d s u s p en s e . T h ey can s e t t h e m o o d an d g r ab t h e

a t t e n t i o n o f y o u r l i s t en e r s if i t s t a r t s t o s t r ay . I n t h e s e s t o r i e s t h e r e a r e m an y

o p p o r tu n i t i e s t o h o o t an d h o w l , s w o o s h an d g r o w l . I h av e w r i t t en i n m an y s o u n d

ef fec t s , bu t f ee l f r ee to add more o r to change them.

Gestures a n d WoAi\ Language

U s e g es tu r e s t h a t co m e n a tu r a l l y t o y o u . I f y o u a r e t h e t y p e o f p e r s o n w h o s e

h an d s m o v e w h en ev e r y o u t a lk , t h en y o u w i l l u s e m o r e g es tu r e s t h an o th e r p eo p l e

wi l l . I f you do no t t a lk wi th your hands , don ' t t ry to fo rce i t . Ins tead , f ind a s ty le

th a t s u i t s y o u .

I f you l ike , you can lea rn a few bas ic s igns in A m er ic an Sig n La ng ua ge . S pr i nk le

th em th r o u g h y o u r s t o r y t o ad d an o th e r l ay e r t o y o u r t e l l i n g .

Fac i a l ex p r e s s io n s a r e a g r ea t t o o l f o r ex p r es s in g em o t io n . So m e t im es I w i l l

p au s e i n t h e m id d l e o f a s t o r y an d g iv e t h e au d i en ce " t h e l o o k . " Wi th o u t w o r d s , m y

l i s t en e r s w i l l k n o w ex ac t l y w h a t I am th in k in g ( o r I g iv e t h em a m o m en t t o f i g u r e

i t ou t ) .

Wa lk t h e w ay y o u t h in k t h e ch a r ac t e r s w o u ld w a lk . S t an d t h e w ay y o u t h in k

t h e y w o u l d s t a n d . I n t h e s e s t o r ie s t h e r e a r e c o u n t l e s s o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o s t r e t c h y o u r

arms in f l igh t , s ta lk , o r c l imb a t r ee .

W h en y o u a r e r ead y t o t r y m o r e co m p lex m o d e s o f ex p r es s in g t h e s t o r y t h r o u g h

b o d y l an g u ag e , t r y p an to m im e an d d an ce . Wo r k s h o p s i n e i t h e r a r t f o r m w i l l g iv e

y o u a d d e d a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r t h e s u b t l e t y a n d r i c h n e s s of n o n v e r b a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n .

Ihe Ind

Su p p ly a n ea t an d t i d y en d in g t o t h e s t o r y . T h e r e a r e m an y c l a s s i c en d in g s

th a t can b e ad ap t ed t o a lm o s t an y s t o r y , f o r ex am p le , " . . . an d n o w th i s s t o r y b eg in s

ag ain " o r " . . . an d to th i s day . . . . " Af ter you r end in g , pau se for a m om en t o f s i l ence .

Bo w an d g r ac io u s ly accep t t h e ap p l au s e !

Becoming a

te l le r o i t a l es

x i x



h

E a ch t e l l e r is d i f f e ren t an d t e l l s s t o r i e s d i f fe r en t l y . So m e m ak e g r ea t s o u n d

e f f ec t s ; o th e r s ex ce l i n m o v em en t an d m im e . F in d a s t y l e t h a t f ee l s co m f o r t ab l e .

T r y n ew th in g s , ex p e r im en t . D i s ca r d w h a t d o es n o t f i t an d p r ac t i ce w h a t f ee l s r i g h t .

Rem em b er , y o u a r e a l r ead y a t e l l e r o f t a l e s !

Hare Coniidence

With t h e r i g h t am o u n t o f p r ac t i ce an d a l i t t l e f a i t h i n y o u r ab i l i t y , y o u t o o can

c a p t i v a t e a n a u d i e n c e . W i t h Learning from the

Land

y o u c a n h e l p y o u r s t u d e n t s

u n d e r s t an d t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h ip w i th l o ca l eco lo g y an d ce l eb r a t e t h e w eb o f l i f e .

A Word About Experiential

Mncdtion n m l lUim h-On Science

O n e o f t h e g o a l s o f t h i s b o o k i s t o en co u r ag e t each e r s t o p r o v id e h an d s - o n

o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s t u d e n t s t o c o n d u c t s c i e n t i f i c r e s e a r c h , t o r e p l i c a t e e x p e r i m e n t s ,

a n d t o i n t e r a c t w i t h t h e m a t e r i a l p r e s e n t e d i n e a c h s t o r y .

E ach s t o r y i n t r o d u ces s ev e r a l l a r g e co n cep t s i n t h e f i e l d s o f n a tu r a l h i s t o r y

an d eco lo g y . T h es e s t o r i e s b u i l d a co n cep tu a l f r am ew o r k , b u t each s t o r y i s a l s o

d es ig n ed t o b u i l d s c i en ce s k i l l s , t o t r a i n l i s t en e r s t o t h in k l i k e s c i en t i s t s , an d t o

c o n d u c t e x p e r i m e n t s . T h e a c t i v i t i e s f o l l o w i n g t h e s t o r i e s h e l p s t u d e n t s t o " t h i n k

l i k e a s c i en t i s t " an d " t h i n k li k e a n a r t i s t " b y e n c o u r a g i n g t h e m t o w r i t e c r e a t i v e l y

ab o u t t h e i r d i s co v e r i e s i n s c i en ce .

C o n d u c t i n g E x p e r i m e n t s

W h i l e T e l l i n g t h e T a l e

W i t h i n s e v e r a l s t o r i e s I h a v e w o v e n e x p e r i m e n t s o r o p p o r t u

n i t i e s f o r s t u d en t s t o f o r m u la t e h y p o th es es . I t i s ex c i t i n g t o

i n t e r a c t w i t h s t u d e n t s , a l l o w i n g t h e m a f e w m o m e n t s t o c o m e u p

w i th a h y p o th es i s , b r a in s to r m p o s s ib i l i t i e s , t e s t t h e i r t h eo r y , an d

t h e n e v a l u a t e t h e i r t h i n k i n g .

"The Ba l l ad o f Ru s ty an d N an cy " i n co r p o r a t e s a m in i - ex p e r i

m en t t o d i s ce r n w h y an o w l h as o n e ea r h ig h e r t h an t h e o th e r . I

u s u a l l y d o t h i s b y a s k in g each s t u d en t t o ch o o s e a p a r t n e r . T h en

I s ay , " Wh y d o y o u t h in k an o w l h a s o n e ea r h ig h e r t h an t h e o th e r ?

W h a t a r e t h e a d v a n t a g e s ? R e m e m b e r , a h y p o t h e s i s is a n e d u c a t e d

g u es s . T h in k ab o u t w h a t y o u a l r ead y k n o w ab o u t o w l s , an d co m e

u p w i th a h y p o th es i s . " I g iv e t h e s t u d en t s o n e m in u t e t o d i s cu s s

th e q u es t i o n w i t h a p a r t n e r , t h en I b a n g o n m y d r u m to g e t t h e i r

a t t en t i o n . U s u a l l y , I d o n o t ca l l o n s t u d en t s a t t h i s p o in t . I n s t ead

I say , "Let ' s t es t your theory . " I choose 5 to 10 s tuden ts as a

co n t r o l g r o u p an d a s k t h em to k eep t h e i r ey es o p en . I a s k t h e r e s t

o f t h e s t u d en t s t o c lo s e t h e i r ey es . T h en I m o v e a r o u n d t h e r o o m

c lap p in g , s o m e t im es h o ld in g m y h an d s h ig h , s o m e t im es l o w . I a s k

XX

f iifrodifif ion



t h e s t u d en t s w i th t h e i r ey es c lo s ed t o p o in t i n t h e d i r ec t i o n t h ey h ea r t h e c l ap p in g .

T h e co n t r o l g r o u p o b s e r v es t h e s t u d en t s w i th t h e i r ey es c lo s ed t o a f fi r m w h ich

o n es co r r ec t l y p o in t t o w h e r e I am s t an d in g a s I c l ap an d m o v e a r o u n d t h e r o o m .

F in a l l y , I a s k t h e s t u d en t s t o o p en t h e i r ey es an d d i s cu s s w i th t h e i r p a r t n e r

h o w th ey k n ew w h ich d i r ec t i o n t h e c l ap p in g w as co m in g f r o m . D o es t h i s s u p p o r t

t h e i r h y p o th es i s o r n o t ? A t t h i s p o in t , I c a l l o n s ev e r a l s t u d en t s t o an s w er e i t h e r

o r b o th q u es t i o n s : H o w d id y o u k n o w w h er e t h e s o u n d w as co m in g f r o m ? Wh y d o es

an o w l h av e o n e ea r h ig h e r t h an t h e o th e r ?

I a lw ay s em p h as i ze t h a t a p a r t i a l an s w er i s g o o d an d t h a t s ev e r a l an s w er s

to g e th e r g iv e u s t h e w h o le p i c tu r e . T h i s i s h o w s c i en ce w o r k s . N o o n e k n o w s a ll t h e

an s w er s , b u t i f w e p u t o u r h ead s t o g e th e r w e can f i g u r e i t o u t !

I n s im i l a r ( b u t s im p le r ) f a s h io n , I a s k s t u d en t s t o d i s cu s s w h y a g r ea t b lu e

h e r o n s w a l lo w s i t s p r ey h ead f i r s t , ( s ee " T h e Web " ) an d h o w a r a t t l e s n ak e b ecam e

s t u c k u n d e r a r o c k ( s e e " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t T a m e d a B o y " ) .

Posing Rhetorical Questions

M an y t im e s t h r o u g h o u t each s t o r y I p o s e r h e to r i c a l q u es t i o n s t o ch a l l en g e m y

l i s t e n e r s t o t h in k l i k e s c i e n t i s t s . M an y of t h e s e q u e s t i o n s co u ld b e ex p lo r ed in m o r e

d ep th o r u s ed a s s p r in g b o a r d s f o r r e s ea r ch a f t e r t h e s t o r y t e l l i n g s e s s io n .

H a n d s - O n A c t i v i t i e s

t o E n c o u r a g e S c i e n ti fi c D i s c o v e r i e s

Fol lowing each s to ry a re severa l hands-on exper iments . These ac t iv i t i es a l low

s tuden ts to in te rac t w i th the concep ts in t roduced in the s to ry . Mos t o f the ac t iv i t i es

can b e d o n e w i th few m a te r i a l s an d m in im a l p r ep a r a t i o n . T h e m o s t im p o r t an t f ac to r

i s t h a t s t u d e n t s a r e g iven a ch an ce t o

do

sc ience , no t ju s t he ar o r r ead abo u t i t . The se

ac t iv i t i es f ac i l i t a te easy , e f f ic ien t oppor tun i t i es fo r maximum invo lvement .

F in a l l y , a n u m b er o f s u g g es t i o n s f o r ac t i v i t i e s a r e m en t io n ed . Fu l l d e t a i l s

ab o u t h o w each ac t i v i t y i s p e r f o r m ed a r e u n n eces s a r y an d w o u ld m ak e t h i s b o o k

too long . The ideas a re o f fered as sp r ingboards fo r your own crea t iv i ty .

Fee l f r ee t o s u p p l em en t t h e i d eas p r e s en t ed w i th ad d i t i o n a l ac t i v i t i e s an d

e x p e r i m e n t s .

W r i t i n g C r e a t i v e l y A b o u t S c i e n c e

F o l l o w i n g s e v e r a l s t o r i e s a r e w o r k s h e e t s t o h e l p s t u d e n t s c o n d u c t r e s e a r c h

an d w r i t e t h e i r o w n s c i en ce s t o r y . M o s t o f t h e s e s h ee t s r e s u l t ed f r o m m y c l a s s r o o m

teach in g ex p e r i en ce o r f r o m m y ex p e r i en ce a s t h e O u t r each E d u ca to r f o r t h e

C i n c i n n a t i M u s e u m o f N a t u r a l H i s t o r y . S t u d e n t s m a y w o r k o n t h e m i n d i v id u a l l y ,

b u t f o r t h e m o s t p a r t , t h e w o r k s h ee t s a r e b e t t e r u s ed i n s m a l l co o p e r a t i v e l ea r n in g

g r o u p s w i th ex t en s iv e t each e r s u p e r v i s i o n . I n t h i s w ay s t u d en t s can h e lp each o th e r

w i th t h e r e s ea r ch an d p ee r ed i t t h e i r w r i t i n g .

T each e r s an d s t u d en t s co u ld u s e t h es e w r i t i n g p r o j ec t s t o b u i l d a p o r t f o l i o o r

f i l e fo r fu tu re s tuden ts . In th i s way , fu tu re r esearch i s ass i s ted by p r io r p ro jec t s .

A Word About exper ien t ial educat ion an d Hands-On Science

xxi



O b v io u s ly , t h e ac t i v i t i e s , i d eas , an d w o r k s h e e t s a r e j u s t t h e t i p o f t h e i ce b e r g .

E ach t im e I r e r ead t h e s t o r i e s I s ee d o zen s o f o p en in g s f o r ex p e r im en t s i n each t a l e ,

c o u n t l e s s o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s t u d e n t s t o e x p l o r e t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d a n d a c q u i r e t h e

s k i l l s t h ey n eed t o t h in k l i k e s c i en t i s t s .

A

Not e

o n A n th r o p o m o r p h i sm

a n d f o l klo r e

A n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m m e a n s p r e s e n t i n g o r i n t e r p r e t i n g n o n h u m a n e n t i t i e s i n

t e r m s o f h u m a n f e e li n g s a n d a t t r i b u t e s ( a n t h r o p o = h u m a n , morph = t o ch an g e ) .

A l t h o u g h f ab le s an d f o lk lo r e m ak e u s e o f an th r o p o m o r p h i s m , t h ey a l so co n t a in a

g r ea t d ea l o f i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t h o w a cu l t u r e r e l a t e s t o i t s en v i r o n m en t . T h i s i s

o n e a s p e c t o f c u l t u r a l b i o g e o g r a p h y . A n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m i n t r a d i t i o n a l f a b l e s a n d

f o l k l o r e i s n o t m e a n t t o i m p l y t h a t a n i m a l s a c t u a l l y h a v e h u m a n e m o t i o n s ; r a t h e r ,

t h e a n i m a l s i n f a b l e s a r e m e t a p h o r s f o r h u m a n s .

A l th o u g h m an y o f t h e s t o r i e s i n t h i s b o o k a r e w r i t t en w i th f o lk lo r e m o d e l s i n

m i n d , g r e a t p a i n s w e r e t a k e n t o a v o id t o o m u c h a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m . S i m p l y n a m i n g

a molecu le o f i ron ox ide Rus ty obv ious ly v io la tes th i s p r inc ip le . Bu t a carefu l

r ead in g o f t h e t ex t r ev ea l s t h a t e f f o r t s w e r e m ad e t o p r e s en t t h e an im a l s w i th f ew

h u m an f ee l i n g s o r t r a i t s . So m e p e r s o n i f i ca t i o n i s h e lp f u l i n d ev e lo p in g e m p a th y

an d b u i l d in g a b r i d g e of u n d e r s t an d i n g . W h en u s ed ca r e f u ll y , i t a l s o ad d s t o t h e

s to r y an d i t s t e l l i n g . N ev e r th e l e s s , a l l o f t h e s t o r i e s a r e f i r m ly g r o u n d ed i n s c i en ce

f ac t , n o t s c i en ce f i c t i o n . I t i s t h i s b a l an ce b e tw een f ac t an d t ech n iq u es f o r b u i l d in g

e m p a t h y t h a t m a k e t h e s e l e a r n i n g stories.

A l l of t h i s r a i s e s t h e m u r k i e r q u e s t i o n of a n t h r o p o c e n t r i s m . A r e h u m a n s t h e

m o s t ev o lv ed l i f e f o r m ? Wes t e r n s c i en ce t en d s t o r eg a r d h u m an s h ig h ly , o f t en

d i s r e g a r d i n g t h e w i s d o m of o t h e r c u l t u r e s t h a t se e h u m a n s a s m e r e l y a n o t h e r

s t r and in the g rea t web o f l i f e . One o f the goals o f th i s book i s to c rea te s to r ies tha t

v a l u e t h e i n h e r e n t w i s d o m o f n a t u r e . A g a i n , t h i s r e q u i r e s a b r o a d e r a p p r o a c h t h a n

th e t r ad i t i o n a l " j u s t t h e f ac t s " m o d e l . A l th o u g h t h ey u s e s c i en t i f i c m o d e l s f o r

i n v e s t i g a t i o n , m o s t s c i e n t i s t s a g r e e t h a t s u c h m o d e l s c a n n o t a n s w e r a l l q u e s t i o n s .

C o m p l e m e n t i n g t h e t r a d i t i o n a l a p p r o a c h is m u c h re c e n t r e s e a r c h t h a t e x p l o r e s t h e

w ay s p l an t s an d an im a l s co m m u n ica t e an d t h in k o r f ee l . A l th o u g h i t i s d i f f i cu l t t o

d es ig n s t u d i e s t h a t d i s t i n g u i s h i n s t i n c t f r o m in t e l l ec t , m o r e an d m o r e s c i en t i s t s a r e

ag r e e in g t h a t an im a l s d o i n d ee d r ea s o n an d f eel .

A d m i t t e d l y , t h e s t o r i e s i n t h i s b o ok r a i s e a n u m b e r of t h e s e q u e s t i o n s w i t h o u t

f ul ly a n s w e r i n g t h e m . T h e i d e a s of a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m a n d a n t h r o p o c e n t r i s m

p r o v id e r i ch p o s s ib i l i t i e s f o r c l a s s r o o m d i s cu s s io n . Fo r ex am p le , r ecen t r e s ea r ch

s h o w s t h a t t r e e s r e l e a s e c h e m i c a l s i g n a l s w h e n t h e y a r e a t t a c k e d b y d i s e a s e ; t h e s e

s i g n a l s w a r n o t h e r t r e e s , w h o i n t u r n p r o d u c e t h i c k e r b a r k a s p r o t e c t i o n . P a r r o t s

a n d d o l p h i n s c a n a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s p o s e d b y t h e i r t r a i n e r s . A r e t h e s e e x a m p l e s o f

c o m m u n i c a t i o n ? H o w d o t h e y d i f f e r f r o m h u m a n c o m m u n i c a t i o n ?

xxi i

Introduction



A n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m i n S t u d e n t S t o ri e s

W h e n s t u d e n t s w r i t e s c i e n c e s t o r i e s b a s e d o n t h e i r r e s e a r c h , t h e y t e n d t o

an th r o p o m o r p h i z e t h e an im a l s . T h e ch a l l en g e f or s t u d e n t s is t o w r i t e s c ien ce f ac t s

i n s t o r y f o r m w i t h o u t e x t e n s i v e a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m .

E n co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o an a ly ze t h e f ac t s ( w h a t t h ey can o b s e r v e an d m eas u r e )

and wr i te s to r ies based on those f ac t s . Exp la in tha t the goal i s to see what we can

l ea r n f r o m s tu d y in g t h e n a tu r a l w o r ld an d t o w r i t e s t o r i e s t h a t ce l eb r a t e o u r r o l e s

an d r e l a t i o n s h ip s w i th in t h e co m p lex w eb o f l i f e . Wh i l e en co u r ag in g c r ea t i v i t y an d

s e l f - ex p r es s io n , s u g g es t t h a t s t u d en t s m ak e ev e r y e f f o r t t o r em a in g r o u n d ed i n t h e

rea lm of sc ience .

H a v e s t u d e n t s e x p lo r e i s s u e s of a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m a n d a n t h r o p o c e n t r i s m i n

ed i t i n g an d r ew r i t i n g t h e i r s t o r i e s . Fo r ex am p le , i n s t ead o f h av in g an im a l s s p eak

in h u m an l an g u ag es , t h e s t u d en t s co u ld ex p lo r e t h e an im a l s ' c a l l s , s i g n a l s , b o d y

l a n g u a g e , a n d p h e r o m o n e s . S i m p l y d e l e t i n g a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m c a n t i g h t e n u p a

s to r y an d im p r o v e t h e f l o w . Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o i d en t i f y m u r k y o r q u es t i o n ab l e

as p e c t s of t h e i r s t o r y an d co n d u c t ad d i t i o n a l r e s e a r c h t o i n c r e as e t h e s c i en t if i c

accu r acy o f t h e i r t a l e s .

S t u d e n t s

a s S torytellers

E n co u r a g e y o u r s t u d en t s t o t e l l t h e i r t a l e s a s a t o o l fo r h e lp in g t h em to r e w r i t e

an d ed i t t h em . A f t e r t h e s t u d en t s h av e t o ld t h e i r s t o r i e s t o t h e i r c l a s s , g iv e t h em

a chance to te l l the i r s to r ies to o ther c lasses and g rade leve ls . I have seen i t aga in

an d ag a in : I f s t u d en t s t e l l t h e i r

stories—if

only to a

partner—their

w r i t i n g b e c o m e s

m u ch m o r e f l u id , d e t a i l ed , an d co h es iv e . Oral language development is an impor

tant step in improved reading and writing.

Wh en ev e r y o u a s k s t u d en t s t o p e r f o r m f o r a l a r g e g r o u p , g iv e t h em am p le

o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e h e a r s e i n s m a l l e r , s u p p o r t i v e g r o u p s . O n e w a y t o s t r u c t u r e t h i s

is:

1 . T h e s t u d en t p r ac t i ce s a t h o m e . ( Y o u m ig h t a s k a p a r en t o r o ld e r s i b l i n g t o

w r i t e a n o t e w i th p o s i t i v e f eed b ack f o r t h e s t u d en t . H av e t h e s t u d en t s h o w

you the no te to ver i fy tha t she d id p rac t ice a t home. )

2.

T h e s t u d e n t p r a c t i c e s w i t h a p a r t n e r .

3. Fo u r s t u d e n t s i n a co o p e r a t i v e g r o u p t e l l t h e i r s t o r i e s

to each o th e r .

4.

E ach s t u d en t p e r f o r m s f o r t h e en t i r e c l a s s .

T h r o u g h o u t t h i s p r o c e s s e m p h a s i z e t h e p o s i t i v e . G i v e s t u d e n t s

o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o c o m p l i m e n t e a c h o t h e r , a n d m a k e i t c l e a r t h a t

n o c r i t i c i s m i s a l l o w ed . T e l l s t u d en t s , " T e l l y o u r p a r tn e r o n e

th in g y o u l i k ed ab o u t t h e w ay h e / s h e t o ld t h e s t o r y " o r " Ra i s e

y o u r h an d if y o u h av e a co m p l im en t a n d t h e p e r f o r m er w i ll c a ll

o n y o u . " So m e s tu d en t s n eed p r ac t i ce b e in g n i ce ; b e s u r e t o

model pos i t ive f eedback fo r them.

Students

a s

Storytellers

xx



E v en tu a l l y , y o u w i l l m o v e t o co n s t r u c t i v e c r i t i c i s m . T h i s n eed s t o b e h an d l ed

ca r e f u l ly . M o d e l it a s a t ea ch e r , t h e n a l l o w s m a l l g r o u p s t o o ff er s u g g e s t i o n s . S t r e s s

th a t t h e s e a r e s u g g es t i o n s t o b e u s e d o r d i s ca r d ed b as ed o n t h e j u d g m en t of t h e

t e l l e r . Rem in d s t u d en t s t o f o cu s o n h o w th e s t o r y o r i t s t e l l i n g co u ld b e im p r o v ed ,

n o t o n w h a t t h ey s im p ly d id n ' t l i k e ab o u t t h e s t o r y . Rem in d t h em to p r o v id e p o s i t i v e

f eed b ack a lo n g w i th co n s t r u c t i v e c r i t i c i s m !

l e a c h i n g

Basic S cien ce

Skills

Sc ien ce i s a p r o ces s , a w ay o f t h in k in g , a w ay o f i n t e r ac t i n g w i th t h e w o r ld .

Th is p rocess r equ i res a bas ic se t o f sk i l l s . F igure 1 (page xxv) l i s t s the bas ic sc ience

process skills as determined by Funk, Fie l, Okey, Jaus, and Sprague (Learning

Science Process Skills, D u b u q u e , I o w a : K en d a l l /H u n t , 1 9 7 9 ) . F i g u r e 2 ( p ag e x x v i )

i s a f o r m to h e lp y o u ev a lu a t e t h e w ay s i n w h ich y o u a r e a l r ead y en co u r ag in g

s tu d en t s t o p r ac t i ce t h es e s k i l l s an d w ay s y o u m ig h t en co u r ag e s u ch p r ac t i ce i n t h e

f u tu r e .

Conclusion

S c i e n c e i s a b o u t d i s c o v e r y , a b o u t e x p l o r a t i o n , a n d a b o u t c o m m u n i c a t i n g o u r

d iscover ies to o ther s . More and more , i t i s r ecogn ized as a c rea t ive e f fo r t , w i th leaps

o f im ag in a t i o n b as ed o n s o u n d o b s e r v a t i o n an d l o g i c . Sc i en ce an d s t o r y t e l l i n g a r e

a n a tu r a l p a i r , f o r s c i en ce i s t h e s t o r y o f o u r w o r ld . H e lp y o u r s t u d en t s l ea r n t o

l i s ten to the songs o f the c r icke t , and soon they wi l l b lossom wi th songs o f the i r

o w n ! •••

cJ<f a ehild /x to keeft aLii%e hii oe her i^ei

onihip of at leajrf one adult loiio ean ihaee

it, veelijLeooe&uity the fio'/t excitement and

niyjLterty o*f the too eld ate Lioe in.

Rach e l Ca r s o n , f r o m A Sense of Wonder

xx i v

In t r od u c t i o



Science Process Skills

Basic Science Skills

O b s e r v a t i o n

To look , l i s t en , touch , t as te , and fee l ; to use the f ive senses to acqui re de ta i l ed

spec i f i c in format ion .

M e t r i c M e a s u r e m e n t

T o m e a s u r e h e i g h t , w e i g h t , l e n g t h , t e m p e r a t u r e , a n d t im e u s i n g t h e i n t e r n a

t i o n a l s t a n d a r d .

C las s i f i ca t ion

To organ ize or impose order on a co l l ec t ion of ob jec t s , even t s , and l iv ing

t h i n g s b y o b s e r v i n g s i m i l a r i t i e s , d i f f e r e n c e s , a n d i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d

g r o u p i n g t h e m a c c o r d i n g t o a n a r b i t r a r y b u t u s e f u l p u r p o s e .

C o m m u n i c a t i o n

T o c l ea r l y de f i ne i deas , d i r ec t i ons , an d des c r i p t i o ns fo r o t h e r s t o c om pr e he nd .

( O n e u s e of c o m m u n i c a t i o n i s t o d o c u m e n t r e s e a r c h s o t h a t o t h e r s c an r e p e a t

t he s t udy t o a s ce r t a i n i t s va l i d i t y . )

P r e d i c t i o n

T o f o r ecas t a f u t u r e o bs e r va t i on bas ed on ca r e f u l ob s e r v a t i o n and i n f e r en ces

a b o u t r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d o b s e r v e d e v e n t s .

I n f e r ence

T o r e c o g n i z e p a t t e r n s a n d e x p e c t t h e s e p a t t e r n s t o r e c u r u n d e r t h e s a m e

c o n d i t i o n s .

Integrated Science Process Skills

I den t i f y V a r i ab l e s

T o i den t i f y any t h i ng t ha t i s l i ke l y t o change o r va r y du r i ng t he cou r s e o f an

i n v e s t i g a t i o n . T h e r e a r e t w o k i n d s of v a r i a b l e s : m a n i p u l a t e d v a r i a b l e s a n d

r e s p o n d i n g v a r i a b l e s .

F o r m u l a t e H y p o t h e s e s

T o c o n s t r u c t a n e d u c a t e d g u e s s b a s e d o n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s a m o n g v a r i a b l e s .

D e s i g n I n v e s t i g a t i o n s

T o se t up a p l an ne d s i t u a t i o n t o y i e l d da t a abo u t t he acc u r acy o f a hyp o t h es i s .

R e - o r d e r , A n a l y z e , a n d D r a w C o n c l u s i o n s

T o co l l ec t da t a f r om an expe r i men t , o r gan i ze i t i n a mean i ng f u l w ay t h r ough

gr aphs and expos i t i on , and u s e i t t o s uppo r t a hypo t hes i s .

F i g u r e 1. B a s i c s c i e n c e s k i l l s . A dap t ed f r om Learning Science Process

Skills

b y F u n k , F i e l , O k e y , J a u s , a n d S p r a g u e ( D u b u q u e , I o w a : K e n d a l l / H u n t ,

1979) .

In t rodu ct ion

xxv



leaching

Busk

Science Process Skills

M or e t han a body o f i n f o r ma t i on , s c i ence i s r ea l l y a w ay o f s ee i ng and

t h i n k i n g , a w a y of m e a s u r i n g a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g o u r w o r l d . F o l l o w i n g i s a l i st of

t he bas i c s c i ence p r oces s s k i l l s t ha t w i l l he l p you r s t uden t s t h i nk a s s c i en t i s t s .

B e l ow each s k i l l s t a t emen t a r e t h r ee b l ank l i ne s . O n each l i ne w r i t e an ac t i v i t y

t ha t you do u s e o r t ha t you may us e i n you r c l a s s r oom t o t each o r app l y t he s k i l l .

Basic Skills

O b s e r v a t i o n

To look , l i s t en , touch , t as te , and fee l ; to use the f ive senses to acqui re de ta i l ed

s pec i f i c i n f o r ma t i on . ( E xampl e : W r i t e a de s c r i p t i ve pa r ag r aph abou t an app l e .

Use al l f ive senses . )

M e t r i c M e a s u r e m e n t

T o m e a s u r e h e i g h t , w e i g h t , l e n g t h , t e m p e r a t u r e , a n d t i m e u s i n g t h e i n t e r n a

t i o n a l s t a n d a r d . ( E x a m p l e : U s e m e t r i c m e a s u r e m e n t s t o m e a s u r e t h e h e i g h t ,

l eng t h , w i d t h , and w e i gh t o f a f avo r i t e book . )

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n

To organ ize or impose order on a co l l ec t ion of ob jec t s , even t s , and l iv ing

t h i n g s b y o b s e r v i n g s i m i l a r i t i e s , d i f f e r e n c e s , a n d i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d b y

g r o u p i n g t h e m a c c o r d i n g t o a n a r b i t r a r y b u t u s e f u l p u r p o s e . ( E x a m p l e : C u t

p i c t u r e s o f a n i m a l s f r o m m a g a z i n e s o r c a l e n d a r s . G r o u p t h e p i c t u r e s i n t o

ca t ego r i e s t he s t uden t s de f i ne o r c r ea t e . D i s cus s t he g r oup i ngs o r ca t ego r i e s

an d com pa r e t h em t o t he e s t ab l i s h ed ca t ego r i e s o f k i ng do m , ph y l u m , f ami l y ,

gen us , and s pec i e s . O r , hav e s t u de n t s i nv en t a c l a s s if i c a t ion s y s t em f or w i n t e r

coa t s . H ave s t uden t s w or k i nd i v i dua l l y o r i n s ma l l g r oups t o c r ea t e a c l a s s i

f i c a t i on s y s t em, t hen d i s cus s and compar e t he va r i ous c l a s s i f i c a t i on s y s t ems

c r ea t ed . )

xxvi

Introduction



C o m m u n i c a t i o n

T o c l ea r l y de f i ne i deas , d i r ec t i ons , and des c r i p t i ons f o r o t he r s t o c l ea r l y

c o m p r e h e n d . O n e u s e of c o m m u n i c a t i o n i s t o d o c u m e n t r e s e a r c h s o t h a t

o t he r s can r epea t t he s t udy t o a s ce r t a i n i t s va l i d i t y . ( E xampl e : W r i t e s t ep - by -

s t e p i n s t r u c t i o n s f o r m a k i n g a s a n d w i c h . )

P r e d i c t i o n

T o f o r ecas t a f u t u r e o bs e r va t i on bas ed on ca r e f u l obs e r v a t i on an d i n f e r enc es

abou t r e l a t i ons h i p s and obs e r ved even t s . ( E xampl e : E ach day f o r one w eek

no t e w ha t t i me bu s es a r r i v e a t t h e s choo l [ a t t he en d of t he d ay ] . T h en p r ed i c t

which bus w i l l a r r ive f i r s t on the next f ive days . )

I n f e r e n c e

T o r e c o g n i z e p a t t e r n s a n d e x p e c t t h e s e p a t t e r n s t o r e c u r u n d e r t h e s a m e

cond i t i ons . ( E xampl e : W or k i ng i n s ma l l t e ams , d i ag r am t he f l oo r p l ans and

d e s k a r r a n g e m e n t s i n s e v e r a l c l a s s r o o m s . T h e n p r e d i c t h o w o t h e r c l a s s r o o m s

mi gh t be a r r anged bas ed on g r ade l eve l , r e l a t i ons h i p t o t he ha l l , and o t he r

va r i ab l e s . )

Integrated Science Pr ocess Skills

I d e n t i f y V a r i a b l e s

T o i den t i f y any t h i ng t ha t i s l i ke l y t o change o r va r y du r i ng t he cou r s e o f an

i n v e s t i g a t i o n . T h e r e a r e tw o k i n d s of v a r i a b l e s : m a n i p u l a t e d v a r i a b l e s a n d

r e s p o n d i n g v a r i a b l e s . ( E x a m p l e : B r a i n s t o r m a n d d i s c u s s

what-if

q u e s t i o n s .

I f t h i s changed , w ha t e l s e w ou l d change? Fo r exampl e , i f ou r c l a s s r oom w er e

1 0 d e g r e e s c o ld e r [ m a n i p u l a t e d v a r i a b l e ] , w h a t o t h e r t h i n g s w o u l d c h a n g e ,

and how [ r e s pond i ng va r i ab l e s ] ? )

I n t r o d u c t i o n

xxvi i



F o r m u l a t e H y p o t h e s e s

T o c o n s t r u c t a n e d u c a t e d g u e s s b a s e d o n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s a m o n g v a r i a b l e s .

( E x a m p l e : B r a i n s t o r m a l i s t o f

why

o r

how does that work

q u e s t i o n s : O n a

c l o c k , w h y d o e s t h e s e c o n d h a n d m o v e f a s t e r t h a n t h e m i n u t e h a n d , a n d w h y

d o e s t h e m i n u t e h a n d m o v e f a s t e r t h a n t h e h o u r h a n d ? H o w d o e s t h a t w o r k ?

D i s cus s pos s i b l e ans w er s ba s ed on w ha t you know and w ha t you gues s t o be

t r ue . )

D e s i g n i n g I n v e s t i g a t i o n s

T o s e t up a p l anned s i t ua t i on t o y i e l d da t a abou t t he accu r acy o f a hypo t hes i s .

( E xampl e : I n ans w er t o t he ques t i on abou t how and w hy t he hands on a c l ock

move , w r i t e a one - page p l an o f ac t i on t o ans w er t he ques t i ons . T he goa l i s t o

an s w er t h e qu es t i o n , H ow cou l d w e f ind ou t abo u t . . . .? Fo r exam pl e , yo u

c o u ld c ar e fu l ly t a k e a p a r t a b r o k e n w a t c h a n d c o m p a r e t h e s i z e a n d s h a p e

and pos i t i on o f t he gea r s a t t a ched t o t he va r i ous hands . )

R e - o r d e r , A n a l y z e , a n d D r a w C o n c l u s i o n s

T o co l l ec t da t a f r om an expe r i men t , o r gan i ze i t i n a mean i ng f u l w ay t h r ough

gr aphs and expos i t i on , and u s e i t t o s uppo r t a hypo t hes i s . ( E xampl e : A f t e r

c o m p l e t i n g t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n , p r e s e n t t h e f i n d i n g s i n w r i t i n g a n d o r a l l y . F o r

exa mp l e , d r a w ch a r t s of t h e ge a r s i n a c lock and exp l a i n t he r e l a t i o ns h i p s

a m o n g t h e m . )

F i g u r e 2 . W o r k s h e e t fo r b r a i n s t o r m i n g s c i e n c e - s k i l l t e a c h i n g i d e a s .

Based on skills outlined in Learning Science Process Skills by Funk, Fiel,

O k e y , J a u s , a n d S p r a g u e ( D u b u q u e , I o w a : K e n d a l l / H u n t , 1 9 7 9 ) .

xxvi i i

In t r od u c t i o



Ike Balla d o f f tust i j a n d JVan i ij

A Zri lo tm

dl Mingle protein inoleenle oe a Mingle finger

f a Minqlje ujlLahl^ on the radio o

M i n g l e i d e a o f g o n r &

f

implies tlie udiole

hijitorieal

r e a c h

of

M i e lla r a n d o r g a n i c

e o o h U i o n . 3t i& enougli to make gou tingle

all tlie

t i m e .

J o h n P l a t t , f r o m T h e S te p s t o M a n



From Learning from the Land. Copyright © 1997. Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.



C o m m e n t s t o t h e t e a ch e r

W H E N

I

TAUGHT SIXTH-GRADE SCIEN

I u s ed t h i s s t o r y a t t he beg i nn i ng o f t he yea r t o i n t r oduce t he concep

t u a l f r a m e w o r k f o r t h e e n t i r e y e a r . T h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r I m a d e

refe ren ce s to th i s s to ry , so th e p ieces of th e sc ience cu r r i cu lu m f it in to

a l a r ge r p i c t u r e . T h i s i s t he r ea s on I beg i n t he book w i t h t h i s s t o r y .

You wi l l a l so no te some of the o ther s to r i es in th i s book bor row p ieces

o f t h i s s to r y , exp an d i n g on t h em o r u s i ng t he m w i t h a d i f f e ren t

e m p h a s i s .

"The Ba l l ad of Rus ty and Nancy" descr ibes the r epea ted appearance

of two e lements , i ron and n i t rogen . You can adapt th i s s to ry to var ious

top ics . Fo r exam ple , you could focus on i ron and n i t rog en in the p la n t s

and animals of a speci f ic ecosys tem, l ike the rain fores t or deser t . Or , you

could focus on someth ing more spec i f i c , l ike human ana tomy and phys io l

ogy, wi th a s tory about Rusty the Red Blood Cel l and the body ' s react ion

to cris is from the internal point of view of one blood cell . You could focus

on geology, including plate tectonics ; geological t ime; the mineral cycle

( rock to sand to sed im ent ) ; and types o f rocks ( igneous , m eta m orp hic , a nd

sed imentary) . Or , you can keep i t b road and focus on var ious branches of

science. When I te l l th is s tory to teachers , I chal lenge them to l i s t a l l the

branches of science. I then chal lenge myself to fol low Rusty through al l of

t he b r an che s of s c ience t he t each e r s have name d . E ve r yw her e t h a t i r on o r

n i t rogen appear , Rus ty or Nancy do , too .

I t i s easy to adap t th i s s to ry to your loca l geo log ica l and envi ron

men t a l h i s t o r y . T he ve r s i on i n t h i s book i s s pec i f i c t o t he uppe r M i d

w es t . W hen I t e l l t h i s s t o r y i n t he des e r t S ou t hw es t o r i n no r t he r n

E ur ope , I adap t i t t o t he geo l og i ca l and env i r onmen t a l

h i s t o r y o f t h o s e r e g i o n s . A l t h o u g h I c h a n g e t h e n a m e s

o f t h e p l a n t s a n d a n i m a l s , t h e c o n c e p t s r e m a i n t h e

s ame . Fo r exampl e , i n t he des e r t I f ocus on s ha l l ow

o c e a n s , s e d i m e n t a r y r o c k s , a n d a n c i e n t s a n d s t o n e .

R u s t y m o v e s t h r o u g h d i n o s a u r s , t h e A n a s a z i , t h e Z u n i ,

c a c t i , b a t s a s p o l l i n a t o r s , r a t t l e s n a k e s , l i z a r d s , m u l e

dee r , an d m ou n t a i n l ions . W i t h N a ncy I m ay exp l o r e

s t r i p mi n i ng , s mokes t acks w i t h l a r ge emi s s i ons o f s u l

fur and n i t rous ac id , and ac id r a in . Before t e l l ing th i s

s t o r y , you may w an t t o do a l i t t l e r e s ea r ch t o adap t t he

s t o r y t o you r r eg i on . R ead t he s t o r y once be f o r e you

vis i t the l ib ra ry , and s imply p lug loca l de ta i l s in to th i s

f l ex ib le f r amework .

TAte

Ballad

oi llusty an d JVannj 3

W

W



This long s to ry i s eas i ly shor tened . When I pe r fo rm i t a t a confe r

ence o r fe s t iva l i t t akes 45-60 minu tes . When I to ld i t to my s ix th -

g rade c la ss , I to ld i t ove r the course o f th ree days , s ta r t ing wi th

b a c k g r o u n d in f o r m a t io n a n d th e B ig Ba n g o n d a y o n e , Ru s ty o n d a y

two,

and Nancy wi th fo l low-up d iscuss ions on day th ree . Because o f

t ime cons t ra in t s I am of ten fo rced to c l ip o f f the Big Bang , sk im the

geology, and cut one loop of the food web to te l l a 15-minute vers ion of

Ru s ty . To t r im Na n c y to a

5 - m i n u t e

ve rs ion , sk im the geo logy and pe t

r o c h e m ic a l r e f i n e m e n t , f a s t f o r wa r d h e r s h ip m e n t o n t h e b o a t , c u t t h e

de ta i l s o f the b i r thday pa r ty , and move r igh t to the po l lu t ion . (Al l o f

th i s wi l l make more sense a f te r you read the s to ry . ) Of course , I r ecom

m e n d y o u t e l l t h e e n t i r e s t o r y ( a n d I h a v e s e e n y o u n g c h i ld r e n l i s t e n

a t t e n t i v e ly t o t h e wh o le t h in g ) , b u t i n t o d a y ' s c l a s s r o o m s , t h a t m a y

no t be p rac t ica l .

P lease be aware tha t th i s s to ry con ta ins ma te r ia l fo r o lde r s tuden ts ,

inc lud ing in fo rmat ion abou t rep roduc t ion and some gory p reda to r /p rey

scenes . This information is inc luded because i t ref lec ts rea l l i fe in the

wild , but i t may be unsui table for some s tudents . I t i s impera t ive tha t you

read the s tory f i rs t , and adapt i t to su i t your audience . •••

CAMIL ififrux th& M1< % 4£ . . .

4

Ike Bal lad

of

K usf u

an d

JVaticij



Ike Ballad o f If ush j an d JVam u

X his ta le i s ac tu a l l y a t r i logy of

s h o r t e r s t o r i e s . I t ' s a s t o r y t h a t b eg an 1 6

b i l l ion year s ago and a s to ry tha t i s hap

p en in g r i g h t n o w . Y o u a r e a p a r t o f t h i s

s t o r y . T h e s t o r y i s h a p p en in g i n s id e of y o u

an d a l l a r o u n d y o u .

As I said , i t a l l began 16 bi l l ion years

ago. We l l , n o t ex ac t l y . Sc i en t i s t s ac tu a l l y

es t im a te t h a t i t a l l s t a r t e d ab o u t 1 2 t o 16

b i l l ion year s ago . But does anybody rea l ly

k n o w ? W e r e y o u t h e r e w h e n t h e u n i v e r s e

w a s m a d e ? W a s a n y b o d y t h e r e ?

Ihe Big Buna

Think abou t an a tom, a c loud o f e lec

t rons whi r l ing around a t iny nucleus o f

p r o to n s an d n eu t r o n s . A n a to m i s o n e of t h e

smal les t th ings known to modern sc ience .

Atoms are so smal l tha t a mi l l ion o f them

wil l f i t on the t ip of your f ingernai l . They

are the bu i ld ing b locks o f the un iver se .

Maybe you have seen a symbol of an

a tom wi th the nucleus enc i r c led by

t iny e lec t rons . I say symbol because

a toms are so t iny no one has ac tua l ly

s e e n o n e . B a s e d o n r e s e a r c h a n d

theor ies , we can on ly hypo thes ize

abou t the i r shape and s ize .

T h in k ab o u t o u r s o l a r s y s t em , p l an

e t s a n d m o o n s w h i r l i n g a r o u n d t h e s u n .

A d d t h e co m e t s t h a t co m e in to o u r s o l a r

s y s t em a t s t r an g e an g l e s , an d t h e s o l a r

sys tem looks a lo t l ike an a tom.

Our so lar sys tem i s a t iny par t o f a

l a r g e r co n g r eg a t i o n of s t a r s ca l l ed t h e

M i lk y Way g a l ax y . P i c tu r e t h i s : a c l u s t e r

o f s ta r s a t the midd le o f the ga laxy , w i th

s m a l l e r s t a r s w h i r l i n g a r o u n d t h e o u t s i d e

edge . O ur s un i s ju s t one o f b i l l ions o f

s t a r s ,

an d our so la r sys te m i s ju s t one o f

t h o u s an d s o f s o l a r s y s t em s i n t h e M i lk y

Way ga laxy .

Think abou t i t . In a way , you were

t h e r e . T h e ca l c iu m in y o u r b o n es , t h e i r o n

in y o u r b lo o d , t h e s e a r e m in e r a l s . A n d t h e

e l e c t r o n s a n d p r o t o n s , t h e t i n y a t o m i c

p a r t i c l e s t h a t l a t e r m a d e t h e s e m i n e r a l s ,

were p r e s e n t a t t h e d a w n o f c r e a t i o n .

T h es e m in e r a l s a r e i n s id e y o u t o d ay . So

th e n ex t t im e s o m eb o d y a s k s y o u h o w o ld

you a re , you can say ,

" O h ,

a t l a s t e s t im a t e ,

I 'm ab o u t 1 6 b i l l io n y ea r s o ld ."

When

t h ey

l au g h , y o u can t e l l t h em w h a t I h av e j u s t

t o ld y o u . I t ' s t r u e . T h e t h eo r y t h a t m o s t

m o d e r n s c i e n t i s t s b e l i e v e g o e s s o m e t h i n g

l ike th is . . . .

Co m p ar ed t o an a to m o r a s o l a r s y s

t em , t h e M i lk y Way g a l ax y i s en o r m o u s ,

h u m o n g o u s , g ig u n d o u s . . . w e l l , i t ' s b ig

ger than words can te l l . Yet a l l th ree o f

them—the a t o m , o u r s o l a r s y s t em , an d

t h e M i l k y Way—have t h e s a m e b a s i c

s h ap e , a c l u s t e r i n t h e m id d l e w i th p a r t i

c l e s w h i r l i n g a r o u n d t h e c e n t e r .

I s n ' t t h a t a m a z i n g ? K e e p t h e s e i m

ages in mind whi le I t e l l you th i s

s to ry .

N o w , I w a n t y o u t o i m a g i n e

ev e r y th in g i n t h e r o o m a r o u n d y o u

compressed down, squeezed down as t igh t

as i t wil l go. Take out al l the space be

tw een t h in g s . T ak e o u t ev en t h e t i n i e s t

s p ace t h a t s ep a r a t e s y o u an d m e an d t h e

chai r and the ce i l ing . Take ou t the mos t

im p o r t an t s p ace , t h e s p ace b e tw een t h e

e l ec t r o n s , p r o to n s , an d n eu t r o n s . I f y o u

cou ld take ou t

al l

t h e sp ace b e tw een t h es e

th in gs , th en you cou ld tak e th i s en t i r e room

and com press i t, squeeze i t down in to som e

th in g s m a l l e r t h an a m a r b l e . O f co u r s e t h a t

marb le would weigh as much as th i s room.

Imagine tak ing ou t the space be tween

the wal l s , be tween the bu i ld ings , be tween

the houses and t r ees . Take ou t even the

th e

liuj H an d

5

T



t in ies t space be tween the e lec t rons ,

p ro

t o n s ,

an d n eu t r o n s . I f y o u co u ld t ak e o u t

all t h e s p a c e b e t w e e n t h e s e t h i n g s , y o u

co u ld t ak e y o u r en t i r e c i t y an d co m p r es s

i t , s q u eeze i t d o w n in to s o m e th in g s m a l l e r

t h a n a b a s k e t b a l l . O f c o u r s e t h a t basket

bal l would weigh as much as your c i ty .

I m ag in e t ak in g o u t a l l t h e s p ace b e

t w e e n t h e E a r t h , t h e p l a n e t s , t h e s u n , a n d

th e m o o n . T ak e o u t ev en t h e t i n i e s t s p ace

b e t w e e n t h e e l e c t r o n s , p r o t o n s , a n d n e u

t r o n s .

I f you cou ld take ou t al l t h e s p ace

b e tw een t h es e t h in g s , y o u co u ld t ak e o u r

s o l a r s y s t em an d co m p r es s i t , s q u eeze i t

d o w n in t o s o m e t h i n g s m a l l e r t h a n a b e a c h

b a l l . O f c o u r s e t h a t b e a c h b a l l w o u l d

w e ig h a s m u ch a s o u r s o l a r s y s t em .

T h e r e a r e t h in g s i n d eep s p ace t h a t

a r e co m p r es s ed j u s t l i k e t h i s . T h ey a r e

ca l l ed n eu t r o n s t a r s , o r b l ack h o l e s . B l ack

h o l e s a r e t h e r e m n a n t s o f s u p e r n o v a s ,

s t a r s t h a t h av e ex p lo d ed . B l ack h o l e s h av e

s o m u ch g r av i t a t i o n a l p u l l ev en l i g h t can

n o t e s cap e t h em .

N o w i m a g i n e t a k i n g o u t al l of the

space be tween the so lar sys tems and ga lax

ies . T ak e o u t

al l

o f th e space be tw een a l l the

m a t t e r i n t h e u n iv e r s e . T ak e o u t ev en t h e

t i n i e s t s p ace b e tw een t h e e l ec t r o n s ,

p ro

t o n s ,

and n eu t ro ns . If you cou ld take ou t all

of the space be tw een the se th in gs , you cou ld

take the en t i r e cosmos and compress i t ,

squeeze i t down in to someth ing smal l . How

smal l? Wel l, no one knows for su re . T he y ' r e

s t i l l work ing on tha t .

Sc i en t i s t s b e l i ev e t h a t t h i s i s h o w th e

u n iv e r s e b eg an , a s o n e h u g e c lu m p o f m a t

t e r . Wh er e d id t h e m a t t e r co m e f r o m in

the f i r s t p lace? No one knows fo r su re . Bu t

t h a t ' s a n o t h e r s t o r y . T h e n , a l l t h o s e e l e c

t r o n s ,

p r o to n s , an d n eu t r o n s , a l l o f t h a t

m a s s ,

a l l o f t h a t en e r g y , b eg an t o u n d u

l a t e .

A l l t h a t en e r g y b eg an t o g r o w , b eg an

to v ib r a t e , b eg an t o ex p an d an d

Poik

PoockU

Piikkk

All th a t s tu ff ex p loded!

To give you an idea of how hot th is

ex p lo s io n w as , s o m e o f t h i s m a t t e r co o l ed

to fo rm s ta r s . Some of the s ta r s were l ike

f u r n aces t h a t h ea t ed m o lecu l e s an d f u s ed

th em to g e th e r t o f o r m l a r g e r m o lecu l e s .

G r a v i t y d r e w c l u m p s of m a t t e r t o g e t h e r .

So m e c lu m p s co o l ed ev en m o r e t o f o r m

l iq u id s an d solids—and p l a n e t s .

T h i s i s t h e B ig Ban g t h eo r y o f t h e

c r ea t i o n o f t h e u n iv e r s e . H av e y o u h ea r d

o f t h i s t h eo r y ? Sc i en t i s t s b e l i ev e i n t h e

B ig Ban g , i n p a r t , b ecau s e t h ey h av e h u g e

s a t e l l i t e d i s h e s , b i g g e r t h a n a f o o t b a l l

f i e ld , and these sa te l l i t e d i shes l i s ten to

t h e s o u n d s i n d e e p s p a c e . T h i s i s t h e

s o u n d t h ey h ea r : k - k - k - k - k . Sc i en t i s t s b e

l i ev e t h a t t h e k - k - k - k - k t h ey a r e h ea r in g

is the echo o f the Big Bang . No one knows

f or s u r e if t h ey ' r e r i g h t , b u t t h a t ' s t h e

t h e o r y .

S o t h a t ' s t h e B i g B a n g t h e o r y : t h e

u n iv e r s e b eg an a s o n e b a l l o f en e r g y , an d

i t ex p lo d ed o u t i n to a w h i r l i n g an d tw i r l

i n g u n i v e r s e . T h a t w h i r l i n g a n d t w i r l i n g

an d ex p an d in g i s s t i l l g o in g o n t o d ay .

So m e of t h e s t a r s w er e l i k e f u r n ac es

t h a t h e a t e d m o l e c u l e s a n d f u s e d t h e m t o

g e t h e r t o f o r m l a r g e r m o l e c u l e s . S o m e

c h u n k s of m o l t e n m a g m a co o l ed a n d

formed l iqu id o r so l id masses .

F r o m th a t B ig Ban g , t h e M i lk y Way

galaxy was fo rmed . The Mi lky Way i s a

s p i r a l g a l a x y t h a t i s w h i r l i n g t h r o u g h

space . You know what a sp i r a l i s , r igh t?

I t ' s l i k e a tw i s t i n g t h r ead . [ T each e r : M ak e

a s p i r a l m o t io n w i th h an d . ] M an y s t a r s

fo rmed ou t on the edge o f the Mi lky Way.

O u r s u n i s j u s t o n e o f t h o s e s t a r s . W h i r l

i n g a r o u n d s o m e s t a r s a r e p l a n e t s ; t h i s

m a k e s a s o l a r s y s t e m . T h e Earth—and

M a r s a n d J u p i t e r a n d s e v e r a l others—are

t h e p l a n e t s i n o u r s o l a r s y s t e m . S o m e

p l a n e t s h a v e m o o n s w h i r l i n g a r o u n d

th em . So m e p l a n e t s h av e 5 o r 1 3 m o o n s .

E a r th g o t o n ly

one—was

tha t a f a i r dea l?

N o w th in k o f t h i s : T h e B ig Ban g s e t

o f f t h e w h i r l i n g , s w i r l i n g u n iv e r s e . T h e

M i lk y Way w h i r l s t h r o u g h s p ace . So l a r

s y s t e m s w h i r l t h r o u g h t h e M i l k y W a y .

P l a n e t s w h i r l a r o u n d s t a r s . M o o n s w h i r l

a r o u n d t h e p l a n e t s . A n d e l e c t r o n s w h i r l

a r o u n d t h e n u c l eu s o f t h e a to m . I n a l l t h a t

w h i r l i n g an d s w i r l i n g a r e tw o v e r y g o o d

f r i en d s o f m in e , Ru s ty an d N an c y . I 'd l i k e

to te l l you the i r s to r ies .

6

th e Ballad o i

Rusty and Nanc



th e Ballad of R u st y

Xvusty i s a mo lecu le o f f e r ro us ox i

T h a t ' s i r o n an d o x y g en , o r r u s t . Y o u 'v e

seen i t . The rus t on your b ike , the rus t on

a car , the r ed in your b lood i s f e r rous

ox ide . Th is i s h i s s to ry .

Ru s ty w as t h e r e a t t h e c r ea t i o n o f t h e

Ear th , four and a ha l f b i l l ion year s ago .

H e w a s t h e r e w h e n t h e m o l t e n m a g m a

cooled , when the r a ins began to f a l l and

h a r d e n t h e c r u s t o f t h e E a r t h . H e w a s

th e r e i n a l l o f t h a t w h i r l i n g an d tw i r l i n g —

and he s t i l l i s today .

L e t ' s s t o p f o r a m o m en t n o w to t h in k

ab o u t g eo lo g i ca l t im e . Sp r ead o u t y o u r

a r m s fo r j u s t a m in u t e . Reach o u t a s f a r

as you can . Look over a t your r igh t hand .

T h a t i s t h e b e g in n in g of t h e E a r th . N o w

look over a t your le f t hand . That i s the

p r e s e n t m o m e n t , r i g h t n o w . F r o m y o u r

r i g h t h an d t o y o u r l e f t h an d , t h a t i s t h e

s p an o f t im e t h a t h a s p as s ed s i n ce t h e

E ar th w as f o r m ed . T h a t ' s f o u r an d a h a l f

b i l l ion year s .

G u e s s w h e n d i n o s a u r s a p p e a r e d ? D i

n o s au r s s h o w ed u p p as t y o u r l e f t e l b o w ,

n ea r y o u r w r i s t . T h a t ' s 2 5 0 m i l l i o n y ea r s

ago.

G u es s w h en h u m an s ap p ea r ed ? If y o u r

r igh t hand i s the beg inn ing o f Ear th and

your le f t hand i s the p resen t moment , hu

mans appeared on the tip of the f ingers of

your le f t hand . That ' s co r rec t , your left

hand! Homo sap iens showed up no t very

long ago in geological terms: 25,000 years

ago.

Let ' s ge t back to Rus ty . He was here

through al l of th is . Rusty was inside the

cru st of th e Ea r th . He began a s pa r t of a large

supercon t inen t ca l led Pangaea , which la te r

b r o k e i n to L au r as i a an d G o n d w an a l an d .

What ' s a supercon t inen t? Wel l , a t one po in t

in t ime the con t inen ts we have today were

al l one piece. That 's right—there was jus t

one b ig con t inen t , a supercon t inen t ! I f you

could tak e a map of th e wor ld an d cut ou t al l

o f the con t inen ts— Afr ica , A ntarc t ica , As ia ,

A u s t r a l i a , E u r o p e , N o r t h A m e r i c a , S o u t h

America—you would f ind they f i t toge ther

l i k e a p u zz l e . T h a t ' s b ecau s e , a t o n e p o in t

in geo log ica l t ime, they a l l were one con

t in en t ! A t th a t t im e, the cur ve of Af r ica f it

r i g h t in b e t w e e n N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d

S o u t h A m e r i c a . C a n y o u i m a g i n e t h a t ?

H o w d o I k n o w ? I k n o w b ec au s e r o ck s

w e f i n d i n N ew E n g lan d a r e t h e s am e

r o ck s w e f i n d i n E n g l an d an d Sco t l an d .

S lo w ly t h e co n t i n en t s d r i f t ed . T r y t o

im a g in e t h a t , if y o u can . Ru b y o u r h a n d s

t o g e t h e r . F a s t e r , h a r d e r ! Push y o u r h a n d s

t o g e t h e r w h i l e y o u r u b t h e m f a s t e r ,

h a r d e r , h a r d e r , f a s t e r ! D o y o u fee l t h a t

he a t ? Do you f eel the f r ic t ion? N ow c ou ld

y o u im ag in e t ak in g a r o ck t h e s i ze o f

N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d r u b b i n g i t a g a i n s t a

rock the s ize o f Af r ica o r Eu rop e? Im ag ine

a l l t h e h e a t t h a t w o u ld m ak e ! A l l t h a t h e a t

w o u l d m e l t s t o n e . T h a t ' s j u s t w h a t h a p

p e n e d a s t h e c o n t i n e n t s d r if t e d . A n d ,

d o n ' t f o r g e t , t h ey ' r e s t i l l d r i f t i n g t o d ay .

H o ld o n ! N o r th A m er i ca i s m o v in g ab o u t

an inch o r so each year .

Rus ty was par t o f the c rus t o f the

E a r t h n e a r w h a t is n o w C a n a d a a b o u t

1 0 0 , 0 0 0 y e a r s ag o , g iv e o r t a k e 1 ,0 0 0

y e a r s . A b o u t t h a t t i m e , t h e E a r t h g r e w

cold and snow fe l l f as te r than i t cou ld

mel t . As the snow p i led up , i t fo rmed g la

c i e r s .

Fo u r t im es i n t h e r ecen t ep o ch h u g e

g lac ier s , o r shee ts o f i ce , pushed ou t o f

H u d s o n B a y a n d N o r t h e r n C a n a d a .

Can you imagine a shee t o f i ce near ly

a m i l e t h i ck an d h u n d r ed s o f m i l e s w id e?

Can y o u im ag in e a b u l l d o ze r t h a t b ig ? A

b u l ld o ze r w i th a b l ad e a m i l e t h i ck an d

1 0 0 m i l e s w id e? E v e r y th in g i n t h e w ay o f

th a t b u l l d o ze r w o u ld b e p lo w ed r i g h t o v e r .

All of the t rees , a l l of the

rocks—rocks

a s

b i g a s y o u r house—would b e p u s h e d

ahead o f th i s bu l ldozer , th i s shee t o f i ce .

A s t h e g l ac i e r s m o v ed d o w n ac r o s s N o r th

A m e r i c a , t h e y b u l l d o z e d e v e r y t h i n g i n

th e i r w ay . T h a t ' s w h y t h e n o r th e r n p a r t s

Zh e Ballad

of

Rusty 7

R



of Ohio, Indiana, and I l l inois are as f lat as

a pancake . How do I know? I know be

cau s e Ru s ty w as t h e r e . Ro ck s f r o m n o r th

e r n C a n a d a l i t t e r t h e f i e l d s o f t h e

m i d w e s t e r n U n i t e d S t a t e s .

How d id th e rocks f rom C an ada end up

in I l l ino is? Some of the rocks tha t were

b u l l d o zed t u m b led u n d e r n ea th t h e g l ac i e r .

As the g lac ier moved on , the rocks ro l led

a lo n g u n d e r n e a th . T h e w e ig h t of t h e g l ac ie r

t u m b led t h e r o ck s ag a in s t each o th e r , an d

tha t made the rocks sp l i t and crack . Some

t imes chunks o f the rocks b roke o f f and

we re le ft beh ind . I f you l ive in th e no r th er n

p la ins s ta tes , you may have found these

chunks o f g ran i te , s tones tha t look ou t o f

p lace . They are ca l led g lac ia l e r r a t ics , and

t h e y

are

out of p lace: They once belonged in

n o r t h e r n C a n a d a .

Fina l ly the g lac ier s s ta r ted to mel t . To

give you a n idea of how big the glaciers we re,

th in k of th em as giant ice cube s. On e ice cube

mel ted to make Lake Er ie . Another i ce cube

mel ted to make Lake Mich igan . The Grea t

Lakes a re the r emnants o f g lac ier s .

Ru s ty w as t h e r e . Ru s ty w as i n o n e o f

the rocks le f t beh ind by the g lac ier s . As

t h e i c e m e l t e d , t h e a r e a w a r m e d u p .

Fif

t e e n t h o u s a n d y e a r s a g o , t h e w e a t h e r i n

t h e n o r t h e r n p l a i n s w a s l i k e t h e w e a t h e r

in Alaska today . How do I know? Wel l , i f

you send a p robe in to the bo t tom of one o f

t h e G r ea t L ak es an d p u l l u p l ay e r s o f m u d

an d s ed im en t , i n t h e d eep e r l ay e r s y o u

w i l l f i n d p o l l en f r o m tu n d r a p l an t s , s ed g e ,

an d w i l l o w . T h es e a r e p l an t s t h a t g r o w in

cold

places—like

A l a s k a . If y o u d a t e t h a t

pol len to f ind out how old i t is , you wil l

f ind i t i s 15 ,000 year s o ld . That ' s how I

k n o w th a t 1 5 , 0 0 0 y ea r s ag o , I l l i n o i s h ad a

c l im a te l i k e A las k a h as t o d ay .

Twenty thousand year s ago , mas todons '

and woolly m am m ot hs roam ed. [Teache r : Re-,

m em ber , p ar t s of th is s tory are specif ic to th e

m i d w e s t e r n U n i t e d S t a t e s . F e e l f r e e t o

change the details—such as the kind s of p lan t

and animal l i fe

described—to

sui t your re

g ion . ] Mas todons were enormous ha i ry e le

p h an t s w i th h u g e t u s k s . A n d w h a t w as h e r e

1 7 , 0 0 0 t o 1 8 , 0 0 0 y ea r s ag o ? Sab e r - t o o th ed

c a t s ,

b eav e r s b ig g e r t h an y o u a r e , an d d i r e

w o lv es b ig g e r t h an t h e m o d er n w o lv es .

H o w d o I k n o w ? T h ey l e f t t h e i r b o n es

b eh in d . T o d ay , f a r m er s a r e s t i l l f i n d in g

t h e s e h u g e b o n e s i n c r e e k b o t t o m s a n d

along the edges o f f i e lds .

M a n y o f t h o s e a n i m a l s b e c a m e e x

t i n c t w h en t h e i ce m e l t ed , b u t s o m e m i

g r a t e d n o r t h a n d o t h e r s a d a p t e d t o

c h a n g i n g c o n d i t i o n s . T h e m u s k - o x i s o n e

an im a l t h a t m ig r a t ed . I t i s s t i l l a l i v e an d

w e l l i n t h e b a r r e n , n o r t h e r n m o s t r e g i o n s

o f N o r th A m er i ca . T h e l a r g e b eav e r b e

c a m e e x t i n c t ; s m a l l e r b e a v e r s a d a p t e d t o

t h e w a r m e r c l i m a t e .

T h e an im a l s w er en ' t t h e o n ly t h in g

th a t m o v ed w h en t h e c l im a t e w a r m e d u p . If

you were in I l l ino is no t long

ago—just

10,000 years—you would be in a dec iduous

fores t . (Deciduous t r ee s d rop the i r l eaves in

the f a l l . ) The oaks and h ickor ies tha t g rew

in M issour i dur i ng the g lac ia l per iod sp re ad

n o r th a s t h e a r ea w ar m ed u p .

T h e r e w as o n e h u g e o ak t r ee , an o ak

t r e e s o b ig a r o u n d , t h r ee p eo p l e h o ld in g

h an d s i n a b ig c i r c l e co u ld b a r e ly r each

a r o u n d i t . Can y o u im ag in e an o ak t r ee

b ig g e r a r o u n d t h an t h i s an d o v e r 1 0 0 f ee t

tall? Can y o u im ag in e? A n d o f co u r s e ,

w h e r e t h e r e w a s f o r e s t t h e r e w e r e b e a r s

an d co u g a r s , w i ld ca t s an d e lk .

So w h er e w as Ru s ty t h en ? S t i l l i n t h e

rock under l ayer s o f so i l .

S

Zh e

Ballad

o i

Rusty a nd Nancy



A b o u t 1 0 , 0 0 0 y ea r s ago, t h a t h u g e

o ak t r ee g r ew . It r e a c h e d its r o o t s d o w n

i n t o the g r o u n d and it f o u n d the r ock

w h er e Ru s ty w as . T h a t r o o t f o u n d a c r ack

in

the

r o ck . T h a t r o o t g r ew in to t h a t c r ack

a n d t h a t r o o t e v e n t u a l l y b r o k e the r o ck in

two.

The r o o t was l ike a s t r a w . S l u r p ! It

s u c k e d

the

m i n e r a l s

out of

t h a t

rock—

R u s t y i n c l u d e d . R u s t y w e n t up the root ,

t h r o u g h the t r u n k of the t r e e i n t o a

b r a n c h , f r o m the b r a n c h i n t o a l imb , f rom

th e l im b in to a t w i g , and f rom the tw ig

i n t o a leaf.

Th at l eaf pu t Rus ty to work . Leaves are

l ike food factories

for

t r ees ; they take sun

l ight and t u r n it in to food. This process—

tu r n in g s u n l i g h t i n to s u g a r and s t a r c h to

feed

the

tree—is

c a l led p h o to s y n th es i s .

Can

y o u say p h o t o s y n t h e s i s ? T h a t was Ru s ty ' s

job:

All s u m m e r l o ng , he w o r k e d w i t h

ch em ica l s and m i n e r a l s in the leaf to m a k e

food for the t r e e . He w o r k ed ev e r y day t h a t

t h e sun was s h in in g . If it was a c loudy day,

h e got to r e s t . Do you k n o w w h y ?

R u s t y w o r k e d all day and s l ep t all

n i g h t .

He

w o r k e d

al l

s u m m e r l o ng . T h e n

s l o w l y the ice and s n o w r e t u r n e d . It

w a s n ' t a n o t h e r g l a c i e r ,

it was

w i n t e r .

As

t h e f r o s t s e t t l ed in, the f a c to r y in the

l eaves c losed down. The t r e e s u ck ed m o s t

of the i m p o r t a n t m i n e r a l s out of the

l e av es an d s t o r e d t h e m in its t r u n k and

roo t s .

Yes, t r e e s s a v e and r eu s e t h o s e v i t a l

m i n e r a l s . R e c y c l i n g is n o t h i n g new

M o t h e r N a t u r e

has

b e e n d o i n g

it for

b i l

l i o n s of y e a r s . E v e r y f al l t r e e s d r aw m an y

of the m i n e r a l s out of t h e i r l e a v e s and

s t o r e t h o s e m i n e r a l s

in the

t r u n k

and

d o w n in the r o o t s for the w i n t e r .

So Ru s ty was d r a w n out of the leaf

a n d s t o r e d d o w n in the r o o t as the snow

fell. All w i n t e r l o n g he w a i t e d . T h e n in the

s p r i n g , w h e n the sap r ose

a n d the l i t t l e b u d s on the

t r e e b u r s t o p e n , R u s t y

was

d r a w n up f rom the r o o t s , up

t h r o u g h the t r u n k , but t h i s

t i m e i n s t e a d of g o in g i n to a leaf, he be

c a m e p a r t of the f lower .

A n oak f lower is a lot l ike a h u m a n .

So m e f l o w er s are m a l e , and som e f lowers

are f emale . Mos t f lowers , l ike tu l ips

and

d a n d e l i o n s , h a v e the m a l e and the f emale

p a r t s t o g e t h e r . ( T h i s is an i m p o r t a n t p a r t

of science!)

But an oak

t r e e

has

m ale f low

e r s an d f emale f lowers . And you k n o w

w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n m a l e s and f e m a l e s get

t o g e th e r , d o n ' t y o u ? ( T h i s is an i m p o r t a n t

p a r t of science!)

R u s t y w e n t i n t o one of th e male f low

e r s and he b e c a m e a t i n y g r a i n of po l len .

P o l l e n

is

l ik e s p e r m m a d e

by a

t r ee . M o s t

o f t h a t p o l l en j u s t b lo w s out o n t o the

g r o u n d . M a y b e you h a v e n o t i c e d in the

s p r i n g t h a t

in the

m o r n i n g

the

c a r s

and

t h e s i d e w a l k s are d u s t ed w i th y e l l o w p o w

d e r . T h a t ' s p o l l en . M i l l i o n s and b i l l i o n s of

g r a i n s of p o l l en are m ad e ev e r y s p r in g ,

a n d m o s t of t h e m are j u s t w a s t e d on the

g r o u n d . But not R u s t y . He f o u n d a f emale

f lower . And you k n o w w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n

m a l e an d f em a le oak f lowers get t o g e t h e r ?

T h e y m a k e a c o r n s .

R u s t y b e c a m e an a co r n . A co r n s are

m a d e

in the

s p r i n g . T h en ,

all

s u m m e r l o n g

as the factory in the leaf makes food, some

of th a t food is s t o r ed in the a co r n . Ru s ty the

a c o r n got f a t t e r and f a t t e r , p lu m p er and

p l u m p e r , all s u m m e r l o n g. By fall, he was a

big, fat acorn . A long came a squ i r r e l . Th is

s q u i r r e l was h u n g r y . T h i s s q u i r r e l was r u n

n i n g a r o u n d g a t h e r i n g a c o r n s an d h ickory

n u t s

and

w a ln u t s . T h i s s q u i r r e l c l im b ed

up

t h e oak t r ee , w en t out on a b r a n c h , and

found Rus ty . The s q u i r r e l ate R u s t y the

aco r n !

The

squ i r r e l d iges ted

the

a co r n ,

and

s o Ru s ty b ecam e p a r t of the s q u i r r e l .

A s a s q u i r r e l Ru s ty co u ld c l im b t r ee s .

He cou ld run out on the b r a n c h e s and he

c o u l d j u m p i n t o o t h e r t r e e s . He co u ld run

d o w n t r e e s and a r o u n d t h e i r t r u n k s . He

c o u l d g a t h e r a c o r n s and s t o r e t h e m in his

c h e e k s .

He

co u ld b u r y

the

a c o r n s

in the

g r o u n d for the w i n t e r .

Zh e Ballad o i Rusty

9



H o w m a n y of you t h i n k s q u i r r e l s

r e m e m b e r w h e r e t h e y b u r y all of the i r

a c o r n s ? If you t h i n k t h e y r e m e m b e r

w h er e t h ey b u r y

all of the

acorns , r a i se

y o u r h a n d .

If

y o u t h i n k

s q u i r r e l s r e m e m b e r

w h er e t h ey b u r y

a few

a c o r n s , r a i s e y o u r h a n d .

If you

t h i n k

s q u i r r e l s d o n ' t r e m e m b e r w h e r e t h e y

b u r y

any of

the i r acorn s , r a i se you r h and .

Su r p r i s e ! Sq u i r r e l s d o n ' t r em em b er w h er e

t h e y b u r y a s ing le acorn . No. T h ey j u s t b u r y

t h e n u t s h e l t e r - s k e l t e r all over the p lace

b e c a u s e n u t s s t o r e b e t t e r u n d e r g r o u n d .

Wel l , Ru s ty

the

s q u i r r e l b u r i e d a c o r n s

all

t h r o u g h

the

a u t u m n . T h e n , w h e n w i n t e r

c a m e

he

w e n t

to

s l eep .

S q u i r r e l s

do not

h i b e r n a t e l i k e

a

b ea r

or frog. They

may

s l eep

for a

coup le

of

days.

W h e n

it 's

real ly cold they might s leep

for

six or seven days . Can you ima g ine s leep ing

fo r six or s ev en d ay s ? I m ag in e w h a t d r ea m s

you would have . But if you s l ep t for six or

seven days , when you woke up , do you t h i n k

y o u ' d

be

h u n g r y ?

Why, yes.

So, af ter

a

week, Ru sty

the

squir rel woke

up .

He was

very hungry .

Now, if he

couldn ' t

r e m e m b e r w h e r e

he

b u r i e d

all of

t h o s e

acorns ,

how do you

t h i n k

he

found them?

You're r ight ,

he

smel led them.

A

squir rel 's

nose

is so

sensi t ive

it can

smel l th rough

a

couple inches of snow, a couple inches of

leaves, and a couple inches of dirt—up to one

foot of w h a t ev e r is cover ing those n uts !

Sniff, sniff, sniff..

.

no

n u t s o v e r t h e r e .

Sniff sniff sniff. . .

no

n u t s o v e r h e r e .

Sniff,

sniff, sniff...

h e r e

are

s o m e n u t s ! Ru s ty

the

s q u i r r e l s t a r t e d d ig g in g d o w n

and he

found

a n ice p lu m p h ickory

nut . He was so

h u n g r y

h e

was not

p a y i n g a t t e n t i o n

to

w h a t

was

h a p p e n i n g a r o u n d

him.

R u s t y w a s n ' t

the

only one who was h u n g r y .

In a n e a r b y t r e e was a g r ea t h o r n ed

owl . That owl saw t h a t s q u i r r e l . It lifted its

l a r g e wings—wings l o n g e r t h an my a r m s ,

more than f ive f ee t

long—and it

soared

d o w n t h r o u g h

the

f o res t , dodg ing among

the t r ees . Owls have spec ia l f ea ther s

on the

f ron t

of

the i r w ing s tha t s l ice

the air so you

c a n n o t h e a r t h e m

fly.

R u s t y did no t h e a r the owl.

R u s t y the s q u i r r e l w as b u s y ea t

in g a h i ck o r y nut w h e n snatchl

F r o m

out of

n o w h e r e c a m e

the

o w l .

It

g r a b b e d

the

s q u i r r e l

w i th r azo r - s h a r p t a l o n s .

It

to re

a t

the

s q u i r r e l ' s t h r o a t w i t h

a

r azo r - s h a r p b eak ,

and the

squ i r r e l ' s b lood

d r ip p ed o n to

the

g r o u n d . Wi th s h a r p t a l

o n s

the owl

s n a t c h e d

up

t h a t s q u i r r e l

and

c a r r i e d it b a c k to the t r e e . As it t o r e

c h u n k s of raw meat f rom the b o n e s of the

s q u i r r e l , Ru s ty b ecam e p a r t of the owl.

If you t h i n k b e i n g a s q u i r r e l was a lot

of

fun, you

s h o u ld

try

b e i n g

an owl.

Ru s ty

t h e

owl

cou ld

fly

t h r o u g h

the

f o res t

at

n i g h t .

Can you

imagine f ly ing?

She

soared

t h r o u g h

the

t r ee s , ev en t h o u g h

her

w ings

were more than f ive feet long.

She

dove left

an d r i g h t . So m e t im es

she had to

s t r e t c h

her

w in g s s t r a ig h t up and d o w n to m o v e be

t w e e n the h u g e t r ee s of the forest.

Owls ar e e x c el le n t h u n t e r s . On an av

e r ag e n ig h t , a g r e a t h o r n e d owl may ca tch

a n d

eat 15-30

mice . W ould

you

r a t h e r h a v e

o n e

owl in

y o u r n e ig h b o r h o o d

or a

w h o le

lot

of mice?

W e

all

know owls hav e

b ig

eyes

so

t h ey

can

see in the

d a r k ,

but

they a l so

use

t h e i r

e a r s . Did you

k n o w

an owl has one ear

h i g h e r t h a n

the

o t h e r ?

Why do you

s u p p o s e

t h a t is? I'll show you.

L e t ' s do a l i t t l e sc ien t if ic r e se arc h .

F i r s t , you n eed to f o r m u l a t e a h y p o th es i s :

W h y

do you

t h i n k

one ear is

h i g h e r t h a n

the

other? Everybody p ick

a

p a r t n e r

an d

d is

cuss th i s . Next ,

I

n e e d

a

con t ro l g roup .

[Choose f ive s tuden ts . ]

You

f ive keep your

eyes open ,

so you can

w a t c h

me

c l ap p in g .

I

would also l ike

you to

h e lp

me

m o n i to r t h i s

e x p e r i m e n t

by

o b s e r v in g y o u r c l a s s m a te s .

T h e r e s t of you are my gu inea p igs .

C lo s e y o u r ey es . Now I'm g o i n g to go

a r o u n d the r o o m an d c lap , and you try to

p o in t to w h e r e the c l ap p in g s o u n d is co m in g

from.

Use

y o u r ea r s . D o n ' t ch ea t ,

do a

l i t t le

sc ien t i f ic t es t here . Don ' t open your eyes

u n t i l

I say so.

P o i n t

at the

c lapp ing sound .

[Clap th ree t imes . Move

to a

d i f f e ren t pa r t

of

the

r o o m . C lap t h r ee t im es . M o v e y o u r

10

Ike Ballad

o i

Rusty an d Nan c y



h a n d s h i g h e r . C l a p t h r e e t i m e s . M o v e

y o u r h an d s l o w er . C l ap t h r ee t im es . Re

pea t th i s in var ious par t s o f the room for

o n e m in u t e . ] O p en y o u r ey es , p l ea s e .

How d id you know where the sound

wa s coming f rom? Do you hav e a hypo thesis?

[Ask several s tudents . ] How did you know

where to point? You heard i t over here be

cau se this ear hea rd it f irst . You he ar d it over

th er e beca use tha t ear he ard i t f ir st . Who can

add to tha t answer , who has ano ther idea?

Yes,

sound t ravels in waves and i t takes

longer to get to the other ear .

T h i s i s h o w s c i en ce w o r k s . N o b o d y

has a l l o f the answers ; sc ien t i f ic d i scover

ies a re made in p ieces . We a l l pu t our

m i n d s t o g e t h e r a n d t h a t ' s h o w w e g e t t h e

b e s t a n s w e r s .

So, why does an owl have one ear

h i g h e r t h a n t h e o t h e r ? L e t ' s u s e o u r r e

s ea r ch t o an s w er t h e q u es t i o n . A n o w l h as

one ear h igher than the o ther so i t can te l l

w h e r e s o u n d s a r e c o m i n g

from—above

o r

be low.

Do you have a dog o r ca t? When you

ta lk to i t , does i t tu rn i t s head? Cats and

dogs do tha t to pu t one ear above the

o ther , to c rea te the same ef fec t tha t an

o w l h as n a tu r a l l y .

Ru s ty k n ew h o w to l i s t en , an d s h e

knew how to ca l l to o ther owls . Whoo-

w h o o , w h o o , w h o o - w h o o o . L e t m e t each

you the ca l l o f the g rea t horned owl . Thei r

long dis tance cal l is 1-2 , 3 , 4-5 , 6-7 , always

a n o d d n u m b e r . L i s t e n t o t h e r h y t h m ,

t h e n y o u c a n t r y : W h o o - w h o o , w h o o ,

w h o o - w h o o o . T r y t h a t o n e m o r e t i m e :

Whoo-whoo , whoo , whoo-whooo . I f you go

o u t i n t h e l a t e ev en in g o r ea r l y m o r n in g ,

you can ca l l an owl . They l ive in mos t

ci t ies .

But le t ' s ge t back to our s to ry .

A s an o w l , Ru s ty s p en t h e r n ig h t s

c a t c h i n g s n a k e s a n d m i c e , r a b b i t s a n d

sk un ks . (Yes , sku nk s! An owl does no t h ave

a sense of smell . I f a skunk sprays i t , the

owl does not not ice. ) But Rusty grew old—

jus t as you and I wil l one day. Af ter a while

her eyes were not so clear , her ears d idn ' t

work so wel l . Af ter a while she wasn ' t able

to hun t very wel l , and

her wings d idn ' t work as

well as they used to . She

t r ied to ca tch a mouse ,

b u t i t g o t a w a y . S h e

t r ied to ca tch a r abb i t ,

but i t was too fas t .

O n e n i g h t l a t e i n

O c to b e r , Ru s ty t h e o w l w as h u n g r y . Be

cause she cou ld no t ca tch any food she had

n o f u e l . Becau s e s h e h ad n o f u e l s h e

co u ld n ' t s t ay w ar m . Ru s ty t h e o w l s h iv

ered. She f roze and died. She fel l f rom the

t r e e .

Sh e w as b u r i ed i n a b l an k e t o f r ed s

an d y e l l o w s a s t h e au tu m n l eav es f e l l

u p o n h e r . T h e s n o w s of w i n t e r co v e r ed h e r

w i th a b l an k e t o f w h i t e . A l l w in t e r l o n g

th e o w l l ay t h e r e , u n t i l s p r i n g cam e an d

th e s n o w m e l t ed . T h e l eav es b eg an t o r o t

an d so d id th e owl . I t r ea l ly bega n to s t in k .

Along came a f ly . You migh t th ink

tha t the owl smel led g ross , bu t the f ly

smel led d inner ! The f ly f lew down and

took a b i te . Then the f ly la id eggs . The

eg g s h a t ch ed . H av e y o u s een m ag g o t s ?

ygran

* ^ ^ j ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ r ^

tff^ g

of the decomposing

owl.

Rusty did not become par t of the f ly ;

she did not become par t of a maggot . Like

most of the food and f iber you eat , Rusty

was on ly pass ing th rou gh , if you know w ha t

I m ean . Th is is an im po r ta n t p ar t of sc ience ,

part of the cycle of l ife. But let 's leave it

alone for now.

T h e n t h e r a i n s c a m e . T h e s p r i n g

r a in s w as h ed Ru s ty i n to t h e s o i l . Ru s ty

b e c a m e p a r t of t h e m u d — c o m m o n , o rd i

n a r y , ev e r y d ay m u d .

J u s t l i k e y o u . Y o u a r e m ad e o f m u d .

Do you ea t food? Wh er e does th a t food

grow? I t g rows in d i r t , in mud . So , f rom

w h a t a r e y o u m ad e? Y o u ' r e m ad e f r o m

m u d , b u t y o u ' r e l u ck y m u d . Y o u can s t a n d

an d w a lk . Y o u can w r i t e p o e t r y an d p l ay

b as k e tb a l l . M o s t m u d j u s t l ay s t h e r e , l i k e

s o m e p eo p l e y o u m ay k n o w .

Z h e

Ballad o i Rusty

11

T h e y l o o k l i t t l e



Bu t Ru s ty d id n ' t l ay t h e r e f o r l o n g .

G r o w in g n ea r b y , o n t h e ed g e o f t h e f o r e s t ,

on the edge of a f ield , was a prair ie clover .

T h e r o o t o f t h i s p l an t s u ck ed Ru s ty i n .

S lu r p ! J u s t l i k e t h e o ak t r ee d id . P r a i r i e

c lover p lan ts need i ron , too . So , Rus ty

t r av e l ed u p t h e r o o t o f t h e p r a i r i e c l o v e r

to i t s s t em , an d w as d ep o s i t ed i n t h e p e t a l

o f th e f lower . Th e f lower w as r ed in p ar t

b ecau s e o f t h e i r o n an d o th e r m in e r a l s i n

th e p e t a l .

T h e n a l o n g c a m e

a b u t t e r f l y . M an y i n

s ec t s a r e a t t r ac t ed b y

t h e b r i g h t c o l o r s o f

f lowers and the sweet

s ce n t o f n e c t a r . T h e

b u t t e r f l y l a n d e d t h e r e

o n t h e f l o w e r p e t a l

an d u n r o l l ed i t s l o n g p r o b o s c i s , a l o n g

h o l lo w , s t r aw - l i k e t o n g u e . T h e b u t t e r f l y

s u ck ed u p t h e f l o w er ' s n ec t a r . Ru s ty w as

p a r t o f t h e f l o w er ' s petal—not t h e n ec

tar—so w h e n t h e b u t t e r f l y f l e w a w a y ,

Rus ty was s t i l l in the f lower .

A lo n g cam e a b u c k , a m a le d ee r . T h i s

w as a h u g e , tw e lv e - p o in t b u ck . T h i s d ee r

w as h u n g r y . H e s aw th a t r ed c lo v e r an d

ch o m p , ch o m p , ch o m p , h e a t e i t . Ru s ty

b ec am e p a r t of t h e b u ck .

Rus ty loved be ing a buck . He loved

r u n n i n g t h r o u g h t h e f o r e s t a n d d o i n g a l l

o f t h e t h in g s d ee r d o . H e r an an d j u m p ed

over logs . He used h i s an t le r s to f igh t w i th

o th e r m a le d ee r t o t e l l t h em , " H ey , l eav e

m y d o es a lo n e . "

B u t l a t e r t h a t y e a r , w h e n R u s t y w a s

co m in g d o w n a t r a i l , h e p as s ed a h u n t e r

w i th a b o w . T h e h u n t e r w as h id in g i n t h e

b u s h es a lo n g t h e ed g e o f t h e t r a i l . H e

w a i t ed b es id e t h e t r a i l w h e r e h e h ad s een

Ru s ty g o ev e r y d ay . A s Ru s ty ap p r o ach ed ,

t h e h u n t e r b eg an t o q u i e t l y s i n g a s ac r ed

s o n g t h a t ca l l s t h e d ee r . Wh a t t h e s o n g

m ea n s i s , " N a t iv e d ee r co m e jo in t h e f ea s t .

B l a c k n o s e d e e r c o m e j o i n t h e f e a s t . "

R u s t y h e a r d t h a t s o n g .

W h e n R u s t y h e a r d t h a t s o n g , h e

w a l k e d t o w a r d t h e h u n t e r . T h e h u n t e r

r ead i ed an a r r o w , b u t b e f o r e h e f i r ed h e

looked the deer in the eye and wi th a s i l en t

p rayer asked , "Would you g ive your l i f e so

th e p eo p l e m ay l iv e?" T h e d ee r w a s j u s t a

f ew yards o f f , bu t i f he had tu rned to walk

aw ay , t h e h u n t e r w o u ld h av e l e t h im g o .

T h e h u n t e r a s k e d a g a i n i n a s i l e n t p r a y e r ,

"Would you g ive your l i f e so the peop le

m ay l i v e?" T h in k ab o u t i t . Wo u ld y o u g iv e

your l i fe?

T h e d ee r t u r n ed a s i f t o g iv e t h e

h u n t e r a b e t t e r s h o t , a n d a g r e a t s h o t h e

w a s . H e s h o t h i s a r r o w r i g h t i n t o t h e

s h o u l d e r , r i g h t i n t o t h e h e a r t . T h e d e e r

jumped once and f e l l over dead .

Now , d i f f e ren t t r i be s do th i s d i ff e r

e n t l y , b u t w h a t t h e h u n t e r m a y h a v e d o n e

n ex t is t a k e n s o m e of t h e co r n h e ' d g r o w n

an d s p r in k l ed t h a t co r n o n t h e m o u th o f

the deer . An of fer ing to the sp i r i t o f the

deer would be made so the sp i r i t o f the

d ee r w o u ld co m e b ack an d t h e r e w o u ld b e

d ee r ag a in n ex t y ea r . Wh a t h e m ay h av e

d o n e n ex t i s t ak en a t o o l an d cu t t h e b e l l y

o f t h a t d e e r o p en . H e w o u ld h av e t ak en

o u t s o m e of t h e o r g an s b ec au s e t h e y ' l l

s p o i l t h e m ea t , b u t t h e l i v e r an d k id n ey s ,

t h e s e h e s a v e d f o r h i s g r a n d m o t h e r a n d

g r a n d f a t h e r b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e d e l i c a c i e s .

H e m a y h a v e e a t e n t h e h e a r t w h i l e i t w a s

s t i l l w a r m . T h i s w ay , p a r t o f t h e d ee r ' s

h e a r t w o u ld b eco m e p a r t of h i s h e a r t , a n d

h e w o u ld k n o w th e l o v e an d co m p as s io n o f

th e d ee r .

Now d i f f e ren t t r ib es do th i s d i f fe r

en t l y , b u t w h a t h e m ay h av e d o n e n ex t i s

p u t t h a t d ee r o n h i s s h o u ld e r an d ca r r y i t

h o m e . Becau s e t h a t d ee r g av e i t s l i f e , i t

w as t h e h u n t e r ' s d u ty t o g iv e i t aw ay . T h e

12

the Bal lad

of R usty

an d Nan c y



h i n d q u a r t e r h e m a y h a v e g i v e n t o h i s

f r iends . The r ibs he may have g iven to h i s

s i s t e r . T h e f r o n t q u a r t e r h e g av e t o t h e

m e d i c i n e w o m a n , a n d R u s t y b e c a m e p a r t

o f the o ld woman. But th i s was no t any o ld

w o m a n . T h i s ol d w o m a n k n e w e v e r y p l a n t

in the fo res t .

Wo u ld y o u l i k e t o k n o w th a t ? Wo u ld

y o u l i k e t o k n o w ev e r y p l an t t h a t g r o w s

a r o u n d h e r e ? W h i c h o n e s a r e p o i s o n o u s ;

w h ich o n es a r e m ed ic in a l , f o r h ea l i n g ;

w h i c h o n e s y o u c a n e a t , l i k e b e r r i e s ?

Ru s ty k n ew h o w to m ak e b as k e t s , h o w to

t an h id es an d m ak e c lo th es . A s a m id w i f e ,

Ru s ty h e lp ed m an y b ab i e s co m e in to t h i s

w o r ld an d h e lp ed m an y e ld e r s c r o s s o v e r

to t h a t o th e r w o r ld . F in a l l y i t w as Ru s ty ' s

t i m e ,

an d o n e m o r n in g t h e o ld w o m an d id

what you and I a re go ing to do one day—

s h e d id n ' t w ak e u p . H e r p eo p l e , t h e p eo p l e

o f t h e r i v e r , b u r n ed d o w n h e r h o u s e o n t o p

o f h e r an d b u r i e d h e r in a m o u n d w i th h e r

ea r th ly p o s s es s io n s . T h a t i s h o w th e r i v e r

p eo p l e b u r i ed t h e i r d ead . T h a t i s w h y y o u

f i n d s m a l l e a r t h e n m o u n d s t h r o u g h o u t

t h e M i d w e s t .

Let me ask you th i s : Would you l ike

sc ien t i s t s to d ig up your bones fo r r e

s ea r ch ? O r , w o u ld y o u l i k e a g r av e r o b b e r

t o d i g u p y o u r g r a n d f a t h e r ' s b o n e s a n d

s e l l h i s j ew e l r y an d o t h e r p o s s es s io n s ?

N o ? W h e n y o u s e e t h e s e m o u n d s , r e s p e c t

t h em as s ac r ed s i t e s , t h e r e s t i n g p l aces o f

e ld e r s .

So the cyc le wen t on . Year s l a te r , a

c h i p m u n k b u r i e d a h i c k o r y n u t i n t h a t

m o u n d . T h e h i c k o r y n u t s p r o u t e d ; i t s e n t

o u t a r o o t t h a t w r a p p e d a r o u n d t h e b o n e

o f t h e o ld w o m an . So Ru s ty b ecam e a p a r t

o f t h e h i ck o r y t r ee . M an y y ea r s l a t e r , h e

b ecam e a h i ck o r y n u t an d w as ea t en b y

t h e g r e a t - g r e a t - g r a n d m u n k of t h e c h i p

m u n k w h o p l a n t e d t h e t r e e . T h e c h i p

m u n k w as ea t en b y a b l ack s n ak e , w h o

w as ea t e n b y a r ed - t a i l ed h a w k . A n d s o t h e

cycle goes on . Rumor has i t tha t Rus ty i s

s t i l l ou t there . So on your way home, o r as

you go fo r a walk in the woods , keep your

ey es o p en . Y o u m ig h t r u n i n to h im .

T ha t was th e s to ry o f Rus ty . I to ld you

th is was the ba l lad o f Rus ty and Nancy .

Nancy had a very dif ferent l i fe . As a matter

of fact, I would like to challenge you to a

l i t t l e h igher l eve l o f th ink ing ca l led com

p a r a t i v e an a ly s i s . H o w i s N an cy ' s l i f e dif

f e re n t f rom R us ty ' s ? As you l i s ten to th i s

s t o r y t r y t o f i g u r e t h a t o u t . I n m an y w ay s

th e y a r e t h e s am e . H o w a r e t h ey t h e s am e?

H o w a r e t h ey d i f f e r en t ?

th e Ballad o i

Rusty

U



Ihc Ballad o i Mumi)

A o b e g i n w i t h , N a n c y was no t

so l id l ike Rus ty , l ike i ron . Nancy was n i

t r o g e n , a g a s . She was l e s s t i g h t l y b o u n d

t o o t h e r

molecules—lighter ,

w a r m e r ,

g a s e o u s . T a k e a d e e p b r e a t h . H o l d it. Let

i t o u t . N o w t a k e a n o t h e r d e e p b r e a t h . The

a i r you j u s t b r e a t h e d in was i n s id e the

p e r s o n n e x t to y o u a few seco nds ago .

T a k e a d e e p b r e a t h . W h a t you j u s t

b r e a t h e d in is m o s t l y n i t r o g e n . Ai r is 78

p e r c e n t n i t r o g e n an d 21 p e r c en t o x y g en .

C a n y o u i m a g i n e a g r a p h of t h a t ?

I t is o x y g en we n e e d to l ive. We get

o x y g e n t h r o u g h o u r l u n g s w h e n we

b r e a t h e . W h e n we exh ale (who-o-o) , we

give off c a r b o n d io x id e . T r ees and p l a n t s

a r e j u s t the o p p o s i t e . T h e y t a k e in c a r b o n

d io x id e and g ive off o x y g e n. P l a n t s d o n ' t

h a v e l u n g s of c o u r s e ;

t h e y d o n ' t b r e a t h e . I n -

s tead they t ransp ire

ases th rough

stoma,

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ t i n y h o l e s in

>Once m ore, take an

ther deep breath.

The

o x y g e n y o u j u s t b r e a t h e d

in m i g h t h a v e b e e n in

s id e a t r e e a few w e e k s

ago.

G iv e t h a n k s to th e

p l a n t s e v e r y t i m e y o u b r e a t h e .

B u t l e t ' s get b a c k to N an cy . N an cy

w a s t h e r e w h e n the u n i v e r s e was m a d e .

Wel l , to be m o r e e x a c t , the e l e c t r o n s and

p r o t o n s t h a t n i t r o g e n is m a d e of w e r e

t h e r e .

In the

f u r n a c e

of a

s t a r , t h e s e e l ec

t r o n s a n d p r o t o n s c o m b i n e d to f o r m n i t r o

g e n a t o m s . N a n c y was t h e r e . N a n c y w as

t h e r e w h e n t h e E a r t h w a s m a d e 4 .5 b i ll i on

y e a r s ago. N i t ro g e n wa s on e of m a n y

g a s e s , w h i r l i n g and t w i r l i n g in the y o u n g

E a r t h ' s a t m o s p h e r e , an a t m o s p h e r e t h a t

w a s too h a r s h to su pp or t l if e as we k n o w

i t . Over b i l l ions of y e a r s , the E a r t h ' s at

m o s p h e r e c h a n g e d . N a n c y w a s t h e r e .

N an cy was pa r t of the uppe r at mo sph ere.

Nancy f loated in t h e c u r r e n t s of air circling

the globe. She was caught in a j e t s t r eam . A

j e t s t r eam i s a s t re am of air tha t swir ls arou nd

the p lane t , a round and aro und . N ancy f lew

over

the

s u p e r co n t in en t P an g aea . ( Rem em

ber tha t?) She f lew over Nor th Amer ica and

Asia as they m oved apa r t . She f lew around

an d a r o u n d for a b i l l ion year s , a round and

around , a round and around .

B u t the E a r t h w as c h a n g i n g . I to ld

y o u the c o n t i n e n t s w e r e m o v i n g , r i g h t ?

N o r t h A m e r i c a moves—how m u c h ? One

i n ch each y ea r . I m ag in e t h i s : A la s k a was

o n c e d o w n n e a r the e q u a t o r ! L a n d t h a t is

n o w f r eez in g co ld w as o n c e a t r o p i c a l

s w a m p . C a n y o u i m a g i n e t h a t ?

This was back before the days o f f low

e r i n g p l a n t s . T h e r e w e r e p l a n t s , all r i g h t ,

b u t t h e r e w e r e n ' t a n y f l o w e r s . P l a n t s l i k e

f e r n s an d m o s s e s p r o d u c e s p o r e s , not

s e e d s . T h e y r e p r o d u c e t h r o u g h t h o s e

s p o r es .

Y o u ' v e all s e e n l i t t l e m o s s e s and

f e r n s g r o w in g in t h e f o r e s t ? W el l, in t h o s e

d a y s , h u n d r e d s of m i l l i o n s of y e a r s ago,

t h e f e r n s w er e

as bi g as

t r e e s .

The

m o s s

w a s

as

b ig

as a

b u s h . T h o s e w e r e

the

days

b e f o r e d in o s au r s , b e f o r e r ep t i l e s , b e f o r e

h u m a n b e i n g s . In t h o s e d ay s , i n s ec t s co n

t r o l l ed the w o r ld . T h e r e w er e d r ag o n f l i e s

n e a r l y as l a r g e as y o u a r e . T h e w o r ld w a s

t h e i r s .

I n t h a t h u g e s w am p th e s o i l , t h e m u d ,

the water was s l igh t ly ac id ic , l ike a l em o n .

T h e w a t e r was a w eak ac id , so m a n y m i

c r o s co p i c o r g an i s m s co u ld n ' t l i v e

in it.

The ac id k i l l ed the t i n y a n i m a l s . T h e r e

w a s no b a c t e r i a , no g e r m s .

N o w , if yo u t o o k a

h a n d f u l of r i c h g a r d e n

soil , you wou ld f ind m ore

t h a n 1,000 o rga n ism s l iv -

in g in t h a t one h an d f u l ,

B u t in t h a t s w a m p , no or-

g an i s m s g r ew . Becau s e it

w a s a c i d i c , no b a c t e r i a

cou ld l ive there .

14

Zh e

Ballad

of Rusty a nd Nancy

T



P l a n t s a r e n ' t m i c r o o r g a n i s m s . P l a n t s

don ' t mind a l i t t l e ac id . So , they g rew in

th a t s w am p . E v e r y w h er e y o u l o o k ed t h e r e

were g ian t f e rns and mosses .

L e t ' s g e t b ack t o N an cy . E v e r y l i v in g

t h i n g n e e d s n i t r o g e n . T a k e a d e e p b r e a t h .

A i r i s 7 2 p e r cen t n i t r o g en , b u t y o u can ' t

a b s o r b i t t h r o u g h y o u r l u n g s b y b r e a t h

i n g . M o s t p l a n t s c a n ' t a b s o r b n i t r o g e n

f rom the a i r , e i ther . L ike us , p lan ts ge t

t h e i r n i t r o g en f r o m th e i r f o o d s u p p ly .

W h er e d o p l a n t s g e t t h e i r f oo d ?

Wel l , one p lace a p lan t ge t s nu-

t r i en t s i s t h e s o i l ; t h ey ab s o r b

n u t r i e n t s t h r o u g h t h e i r r o o t s .

Bu t i f t h e r e i s n o n i t r o g en i n

the so i l , how do p lan ts ge t i t ?

Wel l , th i s huge f e rn , in the

s w a m p r e l i e d o n s o m e b l u e -

g r een a lg ae . T h e b lu e - g r een a l

gae l ived in a pudd le on tha t

f e rn . The a lgae l ived in a l i t t l e pudd le tha t

f o r m ed d o w n w h er e t h e l ea f m ee t s t h e

s t em . I t l i v ed t h e r e b ecau s e r a in w a t e r

co l l ec t s t h e r e , an d t h e r a in w a t e r i s n o t

ac id ic . Even in d i f f icu l t s i tua t ions , l iv ing

th in g s ad ap t an d t h r i v e ! B lu e - g r een a lg ae

can ab s o r b n i t r o g en f r o m th e a i r . T h e r e

was p len ty o f n i t rogen in the a i r , so the

b lu e - g r een a lg ae h ad a l l t h e n i t r o g en i t

n eed ed an d m o r e . Wi th n i t r o g en t o s p a r e ,

t h e a l g a e h a d s o m e t h i n g t h a t t h e p l a n t

n e e d e d . B u t t h e p l a n t a l s o h a d s o m e t h i n g

t h e a l g a e n e e d e d : S u g a r . R e m e m b e r , i n

" T h e Ba l l ad o f Ru s ty , " w e t a lk ed ab o u t

h o w th e f ac to r y i n t h e l eav es t u r n s u n

l i g h t i n to food—sugar an d s t a r ch ? Wel l , a

fern is al l leaf—it m ak es p l en ty o f s u g a r

an d s t a r ch . So t h e r e w as t h e a lg ae w i th

n i t r o g en t o s p a r e , an d t h e r e w as t h e f e r n

w i th s u g a r t o s p a r e . Wh a t d id t h ey d o ?

They found a way to exchange sugar fo r

n i t r o g e n . Can y o u s ay s y m b io s i s ? I t m ea n s

tw o th in g s l i v e t o g e th e r , an d each h e lp s

th e o th e r s u r v iv e . I n t h i s ca s e , t h e f e r n

g av e u p s o m e s u g a r o r s t a r ch , an d t h e

b lu e - g r een a lg ae g av e u p s o m e n i t r o g en .

So the f e rn t r aded a l i t t l e o f i t s sugar fo r

t h e a lg ae ' s n i t r o g en .

Now le t ' s ge t back to Nancy . Nancy

m o v ed d o w n f r o m th e u p p e r a tm o s p h e r e .

She cooled and set t led closer to the surface

of the Ear th . Cool th ings s ink , warm th ings

r i se .

As Nan cy se t t l ed , sh e was absorbed by

t h a t b l u e - g r e e n a l g a e . Zoop T h e a l g a e

passed her on to the f e rn . How d id tha t

h ap p en ? T h e f e r n co u ld ab s o r b m o i s tu r e

an d t h e n u t r i en t s d is s o lv ed in t h e m o i s tu r e

th r o u g h i t s l e a f w h o r l , o r b as e . Slurp

Nancy became par t o f tha t f e rn .

E v en tu a l l y , t h a t f e r n f e l l

over and d ied . Splat I t fell into

th e ac id i c m u d . Bu t t h e f e r n

d id n ' t r o t t h e w ay m o s t t h in g s

do . I t t a k e s l i v i n g o r g a n i s m s —

l ik e t h e b ac t e r i a , w o r m s , an d

m a g g o t s y o u f i n d i n g a r d e n

soil—to m a k e t h i n g s r o t , a n d

th i s ac id i c s w am p h ad n o b ac t e

r i a . Becau s e t h e r e w as n o b ac t e

r ia the f e rn jus t s lowly d i sso lved . O ther

ferns fel l on top of i t and i t was bur ied

th e r e i n t h a t m u d . A l l t o g e th e r t h ey d i s

s o lved an d m a d e a t h i ck , o ozy m u d p u d d l e .

Can you imag ine a m ud pud d le the s ize

of Chicago, I l l inois? In some places that

p u d d l e w a s m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 f e e t t h i c k !

Slowly the con t inen ts d r i f ted .

Poikk

Vol

canoes e rup ted and lava poured over tha t

m u d . N o w th e m u d p u d d l e w as en cas ed i n

r o ck . T h e co n t i n en t t h e s w am p w as o n

dr if ted far to the north—so far , i t ended up

in a very cold place . I to ld you wh ere before.

D o y o u r em em b er ? T h a t ' s r i g h t ! A la s k a !

T h e co n t i n en t d r i f t ed n o r th , f a r t h e r an d

far ther , and today the land tha t was once a

tropical , fern-f i l led swamp, is in Alaska!

Fo r a w h i l e t h e lan d w as u n d e r w a t e r .

Year a f te r year sand p i led up on top . Layer

af te r l ayer o f sand and sea she l l s covered

th e l av a t h a t co v e r ed N an cy . H o w d o I

k n o w ? A t t h e t o p o f D en a l i , o r M o u n t

M cK in l ey i n A las k a , t h e t a l l e s t m o u n t a i n

in N o r t h A m e r i ca , w e f in d s ea s h e l l s . I s n ' t

t h a t a m a z i n g ?

So the lava and sand and so i l and

r o ck s p i l ed u p . N an cy w as c r u s h ed , co m

pressed under 100 f ee t o f rock . Can you

th e

Ballad

o i

Nancy

15



i m a g i n e w h a t w o u l d h a p p e n i f s o m e o n e

took a rock more than 100 f ee t th ick and

set i t on top of us r ight now? We'd be f lat !

T h a t ' s w h a t h ap p en ed t o N an cy , t o a l l o f

t h a t m u d . I t w as co m p r es s ed u n d e r l o t s o f

s t o n e — s a n d s t o n e , l i m e s t o n e . A l l o f t h a t

r o ck s q u eezed t h e m u d . A l l o f t h a t p r e s

s u r e c h a n g e d t h e m u d . M o l e c u l e s ,

s m a s h e d t o g e t h e r , b e g a n t o c o m b i n e i n

n ew an d u n u s u a l w ay s . T h ey f o r m ed o i l .

O v e r m i l l i o n s of y e a r s , t h e w h o le m u d

p u d d l e t u r n e d i n t o o n e h u g e , u n d e r

g round lake o f o i l .

A few mi l l ion year s l a te r , g ive o r t ake

1 0 0 , 0 0 0 y ea r s , t h e r e w as a s c i en t i s t , a

geo log is t . A geo log is t is a pe r so n who s tu d

i e s t h e h i s t o r y of t h e E a r t h t h r o u g h i t s

r o c k s . T h i s i s p r e t t y f a s c i n a t i n g

stuff

I m ag in e l ea r n in g t o r ead h i s t o r y i n a r o ck ,

l o o k in g a t a m o u n ta in o r a can y o n , an d

b e i n g a b l e t o s e e w h a t h a p p e n e d t h e r e

o v e r m i l l i o n s of y e a r s . T h a t ' s w h a t g eo lo

g is t s do . Th is geo log is t had a cho ice : He

c o u ld w o r k a t a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l e d u c a t i o n

c e n t e r a n d t e a c h p e o p l e a b o u t t h e E a r t h

and geo logy . Or , he cou ld t r ave l the wor ld ,

look ing fo r o i l . Th is geo log is t exp lo red the

Ear th look ing fo r o i l un t i l f ina l ly , he went

o n an ex p ed i t i o n t o A las k a .

T he geo log is t sen t a p ipe down in to

th e E a r th an d h e s t r u ck i t r i ch . T h ey d o n ' t

ca l l i t b lac k go ld fo r no th ing ! Af ter r e s t i ng

f or m i l l i o n s of y e a r s , N a n cy w as d r a w n

o u t o f t h e g r o u n d . Slurp A h u g e p ip e l i n e

was bu i l t . Th is p ipe l ine i s so b ig tha t 10

of us cou ld walk th rough i t s ide-by- s ide .

This p ipel ine is so long, i t goes al l the way

f r o m n o r t h e r n A l a s k a , f r o m P r u d h o e B a y

in t h e A r c t i c C i r c l e , t o s o u th e r n A las k a ,

P r in ce Wi l l i am So u n d , n ea r V a ld ez .

All of that o i l is sucked out of the

g r o u n d an d p u m p ed i n to t h e p ip e l i n e . I t

f l o w s t h r o u g h t h e p ip e l i n e t o P r in ce Wi l

l i am Sound , where i t i s loaded in to sh ips .

T h e s h ip s s a i l s t r a ig h t o u t o f t h e b ay

ac r o s s t h e Pac i f i c O cean .

S o m e t i m e s t h e s h i p s t r a v e l s t r a i g h t

a c r o s s t h e P a c i f i c O c e a n w i t h o u t a n y

p r o b l e m s . B u t s o m e t i m e s , t h e y d e v e l o p a

l eak o r t h ey h i t s o m e th in g l i k e a r ee f an d

b r eak o p en . T h en t h e o i l s p i l l s o u t an d

f loa t s in a th ick layer on the ocean and you

k n o w w h a t h a p p e n s t h e n : c a r n a g e a n d

c a t a s t r o p h e , d e a t h a n d d e s t r u c t i o n .

Bu t l e t ' s g e t b ack t o N an cy . A t V a l

d ez , N an cy w as l o ad ed o n to a s h ip t h a t

w e n t s t r a i g h t t o H o n g K o n g w i t h n o l e a k s

o r acc id en t s . I n H o n g K o n g , s h e w as u n

lo ad ed a t a r e f i n e r y , w h e r e s h e w as h ea t ed

u p an d m ix ed w i th o th e r ch em ica l s . M o le

cu l e s an d a to m s w er e t i ed t o g e th e r i n a

n e w a n d u n u s u a l w a y . N a n c y b e c a m e a

n e w , m a n m a d e m a t e r i a l c a l l e d p l a s t i c . W e

c a l l i t m a n m a d e b e c a u s e t h e m o l e c u l e s

an d a to m s a r e t i ed t o g e th e r i n a w ay t h a t

i s n ev e r f o u n d i n n a tu r e .

Af ter the r e f inery

Nancy was sh ipped to

a f ac to ry , where she

was made in to a l i t t l e

r ed boat . That l i t t l e

r ed boat was pu t in a

b o x t h a t w as w r ap p ed

w i th s h r in k - w r ap ( an o th e r k in d o f p l a s

t ic). H un dr ed s of boxes ho ld ing l i t t l e r ed

boats were loaded on to a c ra te , and then

t h e w h o l e c r a t e w a s w r a p p e d i n m o r e

s h r i n k - w r a p .

T h en i t w as t im e f o r an o th e r r i d e . A

b i g c r a n e l o a d e d t h e c r a t e o n t o a n o t h e r

s h i p .

T h a t c r an e b u r n ed d i e s e l f u e l , w h ich

i s a p e t r o l eu m

product—which

i s m ad e u p

o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v es .

T h e ship—which a l s o b u r n ed d i e s e l

f u e l , w h ich i s a p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich

i s m ad e u p o f m o r e o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v es —

m o to r ed b ack ac r o s s t h e Pac i f i c O cean t o

t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . F i n a l l y N a n c y c a m e

b ack t o A m er i ca ! A t t h e d o ck s , an o th e r

c r a n e u n l o a d e d t h e c r a t e of l i t t l e r e d

b o a t s .

T h a t c r a n e a ls o b u r n e d d i e s e l

fuel—which

is a p e t r o l e u m p r o d u c t , w h i c h

i s m ad e u p o f m o r e o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v es .

T h e t r u c k c a r r i e d N a n c y fr o m S e a t t l e

t o Ch icag o . T h e t r u ck b u r n ed d i e s e l f u e l—

w h ich i s a p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich i s

m ad e u p o f more o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v e s . I n

Ch icag o s h e w as t ak en t o a w ar eh o u s e ,

16

th e Ballad

of

l lushj and A ;innj



w h er e s h e w as u n lo a d e d b y a f o rk l if t. T h e

fork l i f t burned d iese l fuel—which i s a pe

t r o l e u m p r o d u c t , w h i c h i s m a d e u p o f

more o f N a n c y ' s r e l a t i v es .

N a n c y w a s s t o r e d i n t h e w a r e h o u s e

f or n ea r ly a y ea r . T h a t w a r eh o u s e w as

h e a t e d w i t h k e r o s e n e h e a t e r s . K e r o s e n e i s

a p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich i s m ad e u p

of—right

More o f N a n c y ' s r e l a t i v es . F i

n a l l y , N an cy w as l o ad ed o n to an o th e r d i e

se l t ruck , which d rove to a s to re in the

h ea r t o f a c i t y . T h e t r u ck b u r n ed d i e s e l

fuel—which i s a p e t r o l e u m p r o d u c t ,

w h ich i s m ad e u p o f more o f N a n c y ' s r e l a

t i ve s . A t t h e s t o r e , s h e w as u n lo ad ed an d

s to ck ed o n t h e s h e lv es .

T h e n ex t d ay , a m o th e r w as s h o p p in g

w i th h e r s o n . T h e l i t t l e b o y s aw th a t r ed

b o a t a n d h e s a i d , " M o m m y , M o m m y ,

p lease? I 've been a good boy . Can I have

th a t r ed p l a s t i c b o a t ?"

A n d h i s m o th e r s a id , " N o . Y o u h av e

en o u g h t o y s a l r ead y . "

But the boy took one o f the boats and

car r ied i t w i th h im anyway . When they

we nt to pay fo r th e th in gs they we re buy ing ,

the mother saw the boat and sa id , "No" and

put i t back on the

shelf.

The l i t t le boy was

sad because he r ea l ly wan ted tha t boa t .

N o w , t h a t m o t h e r w a s p r e t t y s m a r t .

H e r s o n ' s b i r t h d a y w a s c o m i n g u p , a n d

s h e r e m e m b e r e d t h a t r e d p l a s t i c b o a t . S o ,

o n e S a t u r d a y m o r n i n g s h e t o o k h e r l i t t l e

b o y t o g r a n d m a ' s h o u s e w h i l e s h e w e n t

s h o p p in g . G r an d m a w as co o l ; s h e t o o k t h e

l i t t l e b o y t o a p a r k , w h e r e t h ey h a d a g r ea t

t i m e a n d saw—guess w h o ? — R u s t y !

M o th e r w en t b ack t o t h e s t o r e . Sh e

b o u g h t t h a t r e d p l a s t i c b o a t a n d w r a p p e d

i t i n b eau t i f u l w r ap p in g p ap e r w i th a g o r

g eo u s r i b b o n an d b o w . O n h e r s o n ' s b i r t h

d ay , s h e t h r ew a b ig p a r ty . A l l o f h i s

f r i en d s cam e o v e r an d t h ey s an g ( a r e y o u

r ead y ? ) , " H ap p y b i r t h d ay t o y o u , h ap p y

b i r t h d a y t o y o u . . . . " T h e y p la y e d p i n t h e

tai l on the donkey and al l of

those funny old games. Do

you s t i l l p lay those games?

A l l t h e k id s h ad a g r ea t

t i m e ,

and then the l i t t l e boy go t to open

h i s p r e s e n t s .

He go t a basebal l f rom one f r iend .

" H e y , t h a n k s ! " A n o t h e r fr i en d b o u g h t

h im a b a t . " Co o l ! " A th i r d f r i en d b o u g h t

h im a g lo v e . " Y o u m u s t h av e t a l k ed ab o u t

i t , t h a n k s ! "

N ex t h e o p en ed t h e p r e s en t h e g o t

f rom h is mother . He took o f f the r ibbon

an d b o w . T h a t r i b b o n w as m ad e o u t o f

polyester—which i s a p e t r o l e u m p r o d u c t ,

w h ich i s m ad e u p o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v es .

A n d t h e g i f t w r ap w as p r i n t ed w i th ink—

w h ich i s a p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich i s

m ad e u p o f m o r e o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v e s . A n d

t h e s h r i n k - w r a p w a s m o r e plastic—which

i s a p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich i s m ad e u p

of more

o f N a n c y ' s r e l a t i v es . A n d t h e b o x

w a s p r i n t e d w i t h

ink—which

i s a pe t ro

l eu m p r o d u c t , w h ich i s m ad e u p o f more

o f N an cy ' s r e l a t i v es .

T h e l i t t l e b o y h ad t h e r i b b o n an d t h e

w r a p p i n g a n d t h e s h r i n k - w r a p a n d t h e

box . T h a t ' s a b ig p i le of ga rba ge fo r a l i t t l e

r ed p l a s t i c b o a t .

As soon as the par ty was over , the

l i t t l e boy and h i s f r iends went to a c reek

b eh in d t h e h o u s e . T h ey w er e s a i l i n g h i s

l i t t l e b o a t d o w n th a t c r eek w h en t h e l i t t l e

boy had an idea . He sa id , "Hey , l e t ' s p re

tend i t ' s a war . " One o f h i s f r iends sa id ,

" I ' l l be the bad guy ." As the l i t t l e boa t

w e n t d o w n t h e c r e e k , t h e y t r i e d t h r o w i n g

rocks a t i t . One k id p icked up a b ig rock

and—Splat A d i r ec t h i t ! T h a t l i t t l e r ed

p las t ic boa t , which the boy had on ly had

for abou t one hour , was in p ieces f loa t ing

d o w n th e c r eek .

Nancy—as

the p las t ic

molecule—broke

off of a t iny f ragm ent . Bec ause she wa s p ar t

o f a chemica l tha t na tu re had never seen

before, she did not b len d in too wel l. W hen a

catf ish cam e along i t wa s cur ious. I t use d i ts

whiskers to smell because i t can ' t see in a

muddy creek . I t smel led someth ing i t never

smelled before and, being cu

r ious , t as ted i t . So Nancy—

b o u n d u p i n t h e

p l a s t i c —

went in to the l iver o f tha t

ca t f i sh .

llw Ballad of Nancy

17



Becau s e N an cy h ad b een ch an g ed i n to

a ch em ica l t h a t w as n ew to t h e n a tu r a l

wor ld , the ca t f i sh ' s l iver cou ldn ' t hand le i t .

Th e po isons and th e tox ins bu i l t up , and one

day the ca t f i sh d ied . I t tu rned be l lyup , and

i t f loated down along the edge of the creek,

where I th ink i t migh t s t i l l be s t ink ing .

A n d w h a t h a p p e n e d t o N a n c y t h e n ?

N a n c y h a d b e e n c h a n g e d i n t o a n u n n a t u

r a l p r o d u c t , an d s h e co u ld n ev e r g o b ack

ag a in . So , ev e n tu a l l y t h e ca t f is h r o t t ed

a w a y , b u t N a n c y r e m a i n e d i m p r i s o n e d i n

th e p l a s t i c m o lecu l e f o r ev e r .

We h av e a ch o i ce . E v e r y t im e w e b u y

s o m e t h i n g o r m a k e s o m e t h i n g , w e m a k e a

cho ice : What do we want more o f , Rus ty

o r N an cy ? D o w e w an t t o n o u r i s h t h e w eb

of l i f e , o r do we want to d i s rup t the ba l

a n c e , c h a n g e t h e n a t u r a l o r d e r ? W h a t d o

w e w an t t h e E a r th t o b e l i k e i n 1 0 0 , 0 0 0

year s? I t ' s up to you and me and a l l o f us .

W h a t d o w e w a n t m o r e of, R u s t y o r

N a n c y ?

18

Zhe Ballad o i Rusty a nd Nancy



lollow-Up

Ideas

iot

Zlu> Ballad o i

Rusty and

A;ninf

C o m p a r e a n d C o n t r a s t

•••Science skills: Observation; Communication; Inference;

Re-order, Analyze, and Draw Conclusions

I m m ed ia t e ly f o l l o w in g t h i s t r i l o g y o f s t o r i e s , d i s cu s s t h e d i f f e r en ces b e tw een

an d s im i l a r i t i e s o f Ru s ty an d N an cy . O n t h e ch a lk b o a r d o r w h i t e b o a r d d r aw tw o

o v e r l ap p in g c i r c le s (a V e n n d i a g r am ) . I n o n e c i r c le l i s t ch a r a c t e r i s t i c s u n iq u e t o

Ru s ty . I n t h e o th e r c i r c l e l i s t ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s u n iq u e t o N an cy . I n t h e o v e r l ap p in g

s e c t i o n l i s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s t h a t R u s t y a n d N a n c y s h a r e .

T h es e s t o r i e s co m p ar e n a tu r a l cy c l e s t o t h e l i n ea r u s e , ab u s e , an d d i s p o s a l o f

m a n m a d e p r o d u c t s . D i s c u s s h o w t h e f a c t s i n t h e s t o r i e s s u p p o r t t h i s t h e m e . U s i n g

fac t s from th e s to r ie s , d i sc uss ways th a t peop le a re pa r t o f th e cyc les o f n a tu re an d

w ay s t h a t p eo p l e h av e a n eg a t i v e im p ac t o n t h es e cy c l e s . B r a in s to r m w ay s i n w h ich

w e co u ld h av e a m o r e p o s i t i v e im p ac t an d r ed u ce o u r n eg a t i v e im p ac t s o n t h e

e n v i r o n m e n t .

T h e C i r c u la r S t o r y t e l l i n g G a m e

•••Science skills: Classification; Communication

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; chalk

M an y o f u s h av e p l ay ed a s im p le s t o r y t e l l i n g g am e in w h ich o n e p e r s o n b eg in s

a s t o r y , t h en s u d d en ly s t o p s an d h an d s t h e s t o r y o f f t o t h e n ex t p e r s o n . T h e s eco n d

p e r s o n p i ck s u p w h er e t h e f i r s t p e r s o n l e f t o f f , t h en s u d d en ly s t o p s an d h an d s t h e

s to ry o f f to the nex t per son . The s to ry i s passed f rom per son to per son un t i l

ev e r y o n e h as h ad a ch an ce t o ad d s o m e th in g t o i t .

G i v i n g t h i s o l d g a m e a n e w t w i s t , y o u c a n d e e p e n s t u d e n t s ' u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f

many cyc les o f na tu re , such as the minera l cyc le , the gaseous cyc le , the food web ,

an d t h e w a t e r cy c l e .

T o d o t h i s , u s e " T h e Ba l l ad o f Ru s ty an d N an cy " a s a m o d e l . S t a r t t o t e l l a

s t o r y ab o u t t h e cy c le s o f n a tu r e , t h en s u d d en ly s t o p . W o r k in g in s m a l l co o p e r a t i v e

g r o u p s , s t u d e n t s c o n t i n u e t h e s t o r y . T h e r e a r e t w o w a y s t o c o n t i n u e t h e e x e r c i s e :

s t o r y t e l l i n g an d s t o r y w r i t i n g . I r ec o m m en d u s in g b o th ac t i v i t i e s i n t h a t o r d e r .

R e m e m b e r , o r a l l a n g u a g e d e v e l o p m e n t is a n i m p o r t a n t s t e p in r e a d i n g a n d w r i t i n g .

Wh en s tu d en t s h av e a ch an ce t o t e l l , t h en l i s t en t o o th e r v e r s io n s o f a s t o r y , i t

e n r i c h e s t h e i r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e c o n c e p t s a n d p r o c e s s of c r e a t i n g s t o r i e s . W h e n

th ey r ead an d w r i t e s t o r i e s i n t h i s c i r cu l a r g am e , t h ey s ee s ev e r a l m o d e l s an d

in d i r ec t l y t each each o th e r t o w r i t e o r c r ea t e s t o r i e s . I h av e s een im m ed ia t e an d

d r am a t i c im p r o v em en t i n t h e c l a r i t y , d e t a i l , f l o w , an d co m p lex i t y o f s t u d en t s '

w r i t i n g a s a r e s u l t o f t h i s s im p le tw o - p a r t ex e r c i s e .

Mlow-Up

I d e a s for

Ike

Ballad of R u st y a n d N a n c y

19



Storytelling

You can pass the story orally, with each s tud en t giving some specific d etails a bou t

one life form. For example, you could start a story about Rusty, who became part of

an alfalfa plant and was eaten by a rabbit. Then give details about Rusty as a rabbit:

As a rabb it R usty loved to hop aroun d, wiggle his nose, and eat wild gree ns. He w as

fast, he had big hind feet, and in each season his coat changed colors. One day he

crawled out of his hole in the ground, and as he was crossing the snow-covered

meadow, snatchl What happens next? Hand the story off .

The next storyteller might tell how Rusty was eaten by a fox, then add details

about Rusty the fox. For example: Rusty loved being a fox. She had a long, slender

nose that could sniff out her enemies and prey. She had a big bushy tail that helped

her to keep he r balanc e as she ran . She also used he r tail to keep warm on a cold w inter

night. Each student adds detail about Rusty's current life form. The more detail you

model when you start the story, the more detail you will elicit from your students.

Story Writing

You can do the story circle as a writ ing assignment. Assign students to small

groups of about four s tudents each. Ask each student to write the beginning of a

story on a sheet of paper. (All four s tudents do this , each one writ ing a different

beginning.) After an al lotted t ime the students s top writ ing and pass their s tory to

the s tudent on thei r r ight . Each s tudent takes a moment to read what his or her

team m ate h as wr i t te n and the n adds to the s tory. This process rep eats un t i l a ll the

students in each group have had a chance to contribute to each story. Allow 3-10

m inute s for each wri t ing interval , depending on your s tu de nts ' grade level, wr i t ing

abi l i ty , and at tent ion spans .

C o m b in i n g W r it in g a n d T e lli n g

Telling and writ ing can be combined in circular s tories . Combining tel l ing and

wr it ing ha s man y benefi ts . Allowing stu de nts to l is ten to each othe r and to tel l the ir

stories informs the writ ing process and encourages f luid, cohesive writ ing. In

addit ion, tel l ing their s tories or sharing what they have writ ten with the class

builds s tudents ' confidence and prepares them for tel l ing an entire s tory by

themselves. I t is also a chance for them to learn from their peers through indirect ,

nonverbal feedback about what works and doesn' t work in performance.

Individual Writing Exercise

After s tud en ts have par t ic ipated in c ircular s torytel ling or wr i t in g to s t imu late

their thinking, have each student write a version of "The Ballad of Rusty and

Nancy." Have each s tudent pick an element—iron or nitrogen—and t hen map ou t

three or four "incarnations" or l ife forms in which the element might appear.

Encourage students to go into great detail about each l ife form. Give students t ime

to go to the l ib rary and to use reference m ate rials . As a guideline, suggest s tu de nt s

describe one complete cycle. For example, a s tudent could follow Rusty from mud

to a pla nt , to a herb ivore, to an omnivore, to a carniv ore, and back to mud . H oweve r,

remind them it is better to provide a great deal of detail on one l ife form than to

race through three or four. Be sure to al low plenty of t ime for prewrit ing, free

20

Ike Ballad

of

Rusty a nd Nancy



writing, rewrit ing, and edit ing. The f inal drafts of their s tories could be i l lustrated

and collated into a classroom anthology.

Depending on your curriculum, these stories can focus on a wide range of

science topics, including Rusty in a Rain Forest or Rusty the Single-Celled Organ

ism. Challenge students to write about things they have recently s tudied.

E x p l o r i n g t h e E f f e c t s

o f O u r B e h a v i o r

A s "The B a l l ad o f N ancy" makes c l ea r , eve r y day each o f u s makes dec i s i ons

t ha t adve r s e l y a f f ec t t he env i r onmen t . I t c an be en l i gh t en i ng t o ca t a l og t he w ays

each of u s af fec ts t h e en v i r on m en t .

Monitoring Waste

•••Science skills: Classification; Metric Measurement;

Communica t ion

•••Materials: Trash; plastic gloves; kitchen or bathroom

scale; pen or pencil and paper

As a class, sift through a bag of trash to find materials that could be recycled,

organic waste, or unnecessary packaging. Wearing plast ic gloves, s tudents sort the

trash into piles , then use a scale to weigh the amount of each type of waste. They

chart or graph the results . (To be sanitary and safe, you may want to create and

bring in a sample bag of garbage.)

As a homework assignment, ask each student to s if t through a bag of family

garbage and produce a graph showing the amounts of mater ia ls that could be

recycled, organic waste, unn ece ssary p ackaging, and othe r types of tra sh th ey f ind.

The s tudents compare thei r graphs . Emphas ize safety and sani tary pract ices , and

encourage parental supervision. After s tudents have a chance to inspect the trash,

talk about ways to reduce waste.

Discuss bulk purchases, packaging that is recycled or that can be recycled,

composting, using cloth bags instead of paper or plast ic at the grocery store, and

other options for reducing waste.

Expand your trash inspections beyond the classroom: Monitor food waste and

excess pack aging in the lunch room . After s tu de nts doc um ent the waste in th e lun ch

room, talk about ways to reduce i t : Encourage students to bring their lunch in

reusable containers and to bring only what they will actually eat . Some schools

have eliminated 70 percent of their waste!

W a st e a t H o m e a n d o n t h e R o a d

•••Science skills: Metric Measurement; Communication;


•••Materials: Junk mail; pen or pencil and paper

J u n k m a i l .

Ju n k mai l i s a huge waste of na tura l resources . Ju nk m ai l was tes

not only trees ( to make paper) but also petroleum (to make ink, plast ic wrap,

.follow-Up

I d e a s

for Ike Ballad of

R u s ty a n d

N a n c y

21



co a t i n g s o n p ap e r , an d t h e f u e l n eed ed t o s h ip i t a c r o s s t h e co u n t r y ) . T o m o n i to r

t h i s w as t e , f am i l i e s can co l lec t a l l o f t h e j u n k m a i l t h ey r ece iv e i n a m o n th , t h en

w e ig h i t an d m u l t i p ly t h a t w e ig h t b y 1 2 . T h i s w i l l y i e ld t h e n u m b er o f p o u n d s o f

j u n k m a i l t h e f am i ly can ex p ec t t o r ece iv e i n o n e y ea r . T o r ed u ce t h i s w as t e , t h e

f am i ly can w r i t e t o t h e co m p an ie s i n v o lv ed an d a s k t o b e t ak en o f f t h e m a i l i n g l i s t s .

( Sen d t h e r eq u es t t o D i r ec t M ar k e t i n g A s s o c i a t i o n , M a i l Re f e r en ce Se r v i ce , P . O .

B o x 9 0 0 8 , F a r m i n g d a l e , N Y 1 1 7 3 5 - 9 0 0 8 . ) F a m i l y m e m b e r s c a n t h e n p r e d i c t h o w

m u ch t h e i r j u n k m a i l i n g s w i l l d ec r eas e . A f t e r w a i t i n g a m o n th o r tw o f o r t h e

r eq u e s t s t o b e p r o ces s e d , t h e fam i ly can m o n i to r t h e j u n k m a i l ag a in to s ee w h o s e

p r ed i c t i o n w as r i g h t .

R o a d h o g . H a v e s t u d e n t s m o n i t o r t h e n u m b e r o f m i l e s t h e y t r a v e l b y

au to m o b i l e i n an av e r ag e w eek . T h en d i s cu s s w ay s t o r ed u ce t h e i r au to m i l e s b y

w a lk in g , b i cy c l i n g , r i d in g m as s t r an s i t , an d m ak in g m o r e e f f i c i en t u s e o f each t r i p ,

f o r e x a m p l e , b y c o m b i n i n g e r r a n d s .

R e s o u r c e s .

H a v e s t u d e n t s l i s t a l l o f t h e p e t r o l eu m p r o d u c t s t h e y u s e ev e r y

d a y . T h e n d i s c u s s r e n e w a b l e v e r s u s n o n r e n e w a b l e r e s o u r c e s . H a v e s t u d e n t s t a l k

ab o u t w ay s t o m ak e m o r e e f f i c i en t u s e o f n o n r en ew ab le r e s o u r ces an d w ay s t o u s e

r e n e w a b l e r e s o u r c e s i n p l a c e o f n o n r e n e w a b l e s . I n a d d i t i o n , s t u d e n t s m i g h t c o m e

u p w i th w ay s t o r ed u ce t h e i r u s e of r e s o u r c es a l t o g e th e r , f or ex a m p le , t h e y m ig h t

t u r n o f f t h e w a t e r w h i l e t h ey b r u s h t h e i r t e e th o r ca r r y t h e i r l u n ch i n a c lo th b ag

in s t ead o f a p ap e r s ack .

S o c i a l A c t i o n a n d C i t i ze n s h i p

•••Science skills: Observation; Communication;

Ident ify Variables; Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: The Lor ax, by Dr. Seuss; newspapers;

pen or pencil and paper

R e a d a l o u d The Lorax by Dr . Seus s an d the n , as a c lass , s tu dy a loca l env i ron

m en ta l p r o b l em . V i s i t t h e s i t e o f t h e p r o b l em an d i n t e r v i ew o f fi c ia l s an d n e ig h b o r s .

S t a g e a d e b a t e w i t h s t u d e n t s a r g u i n g p r o a n d c o n . E x p l o r e w a y s i n w h i c h s t u d e n t s

c a n b e p a r t of t h e s o l u t i o n t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l p r o b l e m . A r r a n g e t o h a v e s t u d e n t s

h e lp w i th t h e c l ean u p o r r em ed ia t i o n a t t h e s i t e . H av e t h e c l a s s w r i t e l e t t e r s t o

Co n g r es s o r l o ca l co r p o r a t e ex ecu t i v es en co u r ag in g t h em to ac t r e s p o n s ib ly . S tu d y

t h e w o r k i n g s o f C o n g r e s s a n d h o w a b i ll b e c o m e s a l a w s o t h a t s t u d e n t s u n d e r s t a n d

h o w th e i r l e t t e r s a f f ec t l eg i s l a t i o n .

Conclusion

E ar th D ay E v e r y D ay , a l t h o u g h a g r ea t i d ea , h a s b eco m e a c l i ch e . S t i l l , i t i s

im p o r t a n t t o b e m in d f u l o f t h e w ay s w e a f fec t t h e en v i r o n m en t , b o th p o s i t i v e ly an d

n eg a t i v e ly , w i th o u r ev e r y ac t i o n . M o r e im p o r t an t , w e a l l n eed t o l o o k a t t h e

im p l i ca t i o n s o f o u r b eh av io r an d m ak e d ec i s i o n s t h a t w i l l en s u r e a h ea l t h y en v i

r o n m en t fo r t h e f u tu r e . M u c h of t h e ac t i o n t a k e n t o s av e t h e E a r t h i s r eac t i v e , a

r e s p o n s e t o p r o b l e m s h u m an s h av e c r ea t ed . T h i s lev e l o f w o r k i s n ec es s a r y an d

u r g en t , b u t i t i s a l s o im p o r t an t t o b e p r o ac t i v e , b o ld , an d v i s i o n a r y .

22

Ike Ballad of

R u s t y a n d N a n c y



B r a in s to r m a li s t o f p r o j ec t s y o u co uld u n d e r t a k e t o im p r o v e y o u r l o ca l h a b i t a t .

Fo l l o w in g a r e s o m e id eas :

• P la n t a t r e e a t schoo l an d a t hom e.

• P l a n , p l a n t , a n d m a i n t a i n a b u t t e r

f l y g a r d e n , h u m m i n g b i r d g a r d e n ,

wildflower g a r d en , o r s ch o o ly a r d

o r b a c k y a r d h a b i t a t .

• Deve lop a n a tu re t r a i l a t schoo l o r

a t a loca l park .

• P la n t f ru i t and n u t t r e es for peop le

or for b irds .

• A rr an g e a clas s f ield t r i p to a local

n a t u r e p r e s e r v e .

Ch o s e o n e p r o j ec t an d g e t b u s y ce l eb r a t i n g y o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e w i ld w o r ld .

Mlow-Up Ideas for

"Che

Ballad of Rusty an d Nancy

23






Walter th e Water MMe cn le

Brian lox H l i s and Garth Gilchrist

<3 Monitoring Waste briny faejA &howe & /W th&

llliv&tfoll} ^L&UXtML

Per cy By s s h e Sh e l l ey , f r o m The Cloud

From the seas and the stream



From

Learning from the Land.

Copyright © 1997. Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.



Comments

to t h e le a t h e r

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE WATER CYC

Similar to "The Ballad of Rusty and Nancy" in its cyclical nature, i t

covers the evaporat ion, condensat ion, and precipi tat ion of our most

precious natural resource.

This is another story that is easy to adapt to your local cl imatic,

geologic, and environmental condit ions. Start in the lakes or ocean as

the source of ra in . Trace Wal ter th roug h your local we athe r pa t te rn s

into your local r ivers, lakes, and water supplies. Change the detai ls to

explain your local environment. •••

cAniL naui the zt&wf

. .

.

Walter Ike Water Molecule

27



Walter the Water M.okrith

'nee I was d r ink ing a t a l l g lass o f

w a t e r . Glunk Glunk Glunk Wh en I w as

f in i s h ed , t h e r e w as a t i n y d r o p o f w a t e r a t

t h e b o t t o m o f t h e g l a s s . T h e s u n l i g h t w as

s h i n i n g t h r o u g h t h e g l a s s a n d m a k i n g a

l i t t l e r a in b o w th e r e o n t h a t d r o p o f w a t e r .

L o o k in g a t t h a t d r o p o f w a t e r , I t h o u g h t

ab o u t w h e r e i t h ad b een an d w h er e i t w as

g o in g an d a l l t h e ad v en tu r e s t h a t d r o p o f

w a te r h ad s een .

Y o u k n o w t h a t t h e w a t e r o n E a r t h

today has been here fo r b i l l ions o f year s ,

r i g h t ? T h e s am e w a te r t h a t i s i n y o u t o d ay

w as i n s id e t h e d in o s au r s 2 0 0 m i l l i o n y ea r s

ago. As I looked a t th e

d r o p o f w a t e r , I b eg an

t o t h i n k a b o u t i t s

s to ry , the s to ry o f the

w a te r cy c l e , t h e s t o r y

o f W a l t e r t h e W a t e r

M o lecu l e .

Wal t e r ' s s t o r y b e

g ins a t the bo t tom of

t h e P a c i f i c O c e a n ,

d e e p ,

d e e p d o w n ,

w h er e t h e s u n d o es n ' t

sh ine . Sun l igh t canno t make i t down so

far—more

than a mi le , deep , down a t the

bo t tom of the ocean .

Way d o w n th e r e a t t h e b o t t o m o f t h e

o cean , Wal t e r , a t i n y d r o p o f w a t e r , w as

squeezed in wi th a lo t o f o ther d rops , b i l

l i o n s o f d r o p s o f w a t e r . T h e r e w as w a t e r

ab o v e h im an d w a te r b e lo w h im . T h e r e

w as w a t e r i n f r o n t o f h im an d w a te r b e

h in d h im , w a t e r o n t h e l e f t an d w a t e r o n

th e r i g h t . Wa l t e r w as s q u eezed i n o n ev e r y

s i de .

Can y o u im ag in e t h a t ? Sq u i s h ed ! I t

w as p r e t t y b o r in g m o s t o f t h e t im e . A n d

d a r k ! T h e s u n ' s l i g h t c a n n o t p e n e t r a t e a

m i l e i n t o t h e o c e a n . T h e r e w a s n ' t m u c h t o

do.

T h e r e w a s n ' t m u c h l i f e d o w n t h e r e .

Oh , once in a wh i le a glow-in-the-dark fish

w o u ld co m e b y , b u t m o s t o f t h e t im e t h e r e

w a s n ' t m u c h h a p p e n i n g .

A l l t h a t w as ab o u t t o ch an g e ! N ea r

th e s u r f ace o f t h e o cean w as a g i a n t s p e r m

whale—one of t h e l a r g e s t m a m m a l s o n

E a r t h . W h a l e s b r e a t h e a i r l i k e y o u a n d

me. T ak e a d eep b r ea th . H o ld i t , h o ld i t .

How long can you hold it? You can ho ld

y o u r b r ea th f o r a m in u t e if y o u a r e l u ck y .

A w h a l e can h o ld i t s b r ea th f o r n ea r ly an

hour . Th is g ives i t p len ty o f t ime to ge t

d o w n n e a r t h e b o t t o m o f t h e o cean . T h i s

w h a l e t o o k a g r ea t b ig d eep b r ea th an d

dove down, down, d -o -o-w-w-n-n .

I n t h e d a r k n e s s

o f t h e o c e a n t h e

w h a l e co u ld n o t s ee

w h e r e i t w a s g o i n g .

How d id i t f ind i t s

w ay ? T h a t ' s r i g h t , i t

sang. T h e w h a l e s an g :

wooohnngl [ C o m m e r

c i a l r e c o r d i n g s o f

whale songs a re ava i l

ab le on tape and CD.

Ask for them at a local

mus ic s to re tha t can hand le spec ia l o r

d e r s . ] H a v e y o u e v e r h e a r d a w h a l e ' s

s o n g ? T r y s i n g i n g t h a t w i t h m e :

wooohnngl Th e wh ale use s i t s vo ice l ike

sonar o r r adar . I t ' s ca l led echo loca t ion . The

whale l is tens to the echo of i ts voice, and

w h en t h a t ech o co m es b ack , t h e w h a l e can

te l l f rom the sound whether i t s vo ice i s

echoing off a ship ( the whale needs to dive

deep to avoid the harpoon) , or a coral reef

( the whale needs to avoid i t because i t wil l

scrape its side), or a school of

krill

or small

f i sh (d inner ! ) . Mos t whales ea t the t iny

shr imp cal led kr i l l , but a sperm whale wil l

ea t any th in g it can catch—giant squ id is one

of i ts favor i tes . This whale was hungry.

28

Walter Ike Water

Molecul



L o o k in g f o r f o o d , t h e w h a l e d iv ed

deepe r , deep er , down, down. I t sang i t s song

and l i s tened . It he ard th e echo o f som eth ing

long and thin with a lo t of legs . The object

had more than e igh t l egs , so i t wasn ' t an

octopu s . I t was a g ian t squ id ! Th e squ id w as

s w im m in g , t r y in g t o g e t aw ay , an d t h e

w h a l e w as s w im m in g , t r y in g t o ca t ch t h e

squ id . Next th ing you know the squ id and

th e wh ale we re f igh t ing . Th e squ id w rapp ed

i t s l egs a round the whale , and the two of

them ro l led and wres t led . As they ro l led

an d w r es t l ed t h ey w en t f a r t h e r an d f a r t h e r

down, down to th e bo t to m of th e sea , wh ere

Wal ter f loa ted , squ ished .

Ch o m p , ch o m p ! T h e w h a l e an d g i an t

squ id fough t . Chomp, chomp! The whale

a t e t h e s q u id . Ch o m p , ch o m p ! W h en t h e

whale a te the squ id , i t swal lowed some

water , too .

W a l t e r w a s c a u g h t i n t h e w h a l e ' s

m o u t h !

By n o w , t h e w h a l e h ad b een u n d e r

water fo r qu i te some t ime, so i t had to r ace

back to the surface to get a breath of ai r .

Wa l t e r w as i n s id e t h e w h a l e . H i s ad

v en tu r e w as f i n a l l y b eg in n in g .

T h e w h a l e r each ed t h e s u r f ace . Y o u

k n o w th a t l i t t l e b lo w h o le i n t h e t o p o f t h e

w h a l e ' s h e a d ? W h o o s h ! W h a l e s u s e t h a t

h o l e t o b r e a t h e . Y o u b r e a t h e t h r o u g h

holes in your head , too : They are ca l led

y o u r n o s e a n d m o u t h .

W h e n w h a l e s b r e a t h e o u t , w a t e r

co m es o u t . So , w h en t h i s w h a l e b r ea th ed

o u t , Wa l t e r r u s h ed i n to t h e a i r , i n to t h e

s u n l i g h t . T h e n splashl W a l t e r l an d ed o n

th e su r face o f th e oc ean .

Wal t e r r o d e a w av e u p , u p an d d o w n

th e o th e r s i d e . I t w as b e t t e r t h an a r o l l e r

c o a s t e r . U - u - u - p a n d d - o - w - w - w - n t h e

o t h e r s i d e . U - u - u - p a n d d - o - w - w - w - n .

When Wal te r go t to the top o f one wave ,

h e f o u n d d r o p s o f w a t e r j u m p in g i n to t h e

a i r . When he went u -u -u-p to the top o f the

n ex t w av e , h e j u m p e d i n to t h e a i r , t o o .

Wal t e r h ad ev ap o r a t ed ! Can y o u s ay

e v a p o r a t i o n ? W h e n w a t e r b e c o m e s a i r

b o r n e , i t b e c o m e s w a t e r

vapor,

t h a t ' s

e v a p o r a t i o n !

T h e w in d s w ep t Wal t e r u p . I t c a r r i ed

h im h ig h e r an d h ig h e r . So o n h e w as h ig h

ab o v e t h e Pac i f i c O cean . T h e w in d ca r r i ed

W a l t e r h i g h e r a n d h i g h e r . A fe w m o m e n t s

a go ,

Wa l t e r w as a m i l e u n d e r t h e o cean ;

now he was a mi le above the su r face . Be

f o r e l o n g Wal t e r f l o a t ed u p i n to a j e t

s t r e a m . J e t s t r e a m s a r e ri v e r s of a i r t h a t

c i rc l e t h e E a r t h . T h e j e t s t r e a m c a r r i e d

Wal t e r o v e r t h e Pac i f i c O cean an d o v e r

N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d a c r o s s t h e A t l a n t i c

O cean . A n d o v e r E u r o p e an d t h e f o r m er

So v ie t U n io n . A c r o s s A s i a an d b ack o v e r

the Pac i f ic Ocean . In a coup le o f days ,

W a l t e r w e n t a r o u n d t h e e n t i r e p l a n e t .

W al t e r f l o a ted a lo n g i n t h e j e t s t r ea m

f o r q u i t e s o m e t im e , g o in g a r o u n d an d

a r o u n d t h e E a r t h . W h e n h e f l o a t e d o v e r

C a n a d a t h e r e w a s a h i g h - p r e s s u r e s y s t e m

th a t f o r ced h im d o w n n ea r t h e g r o u n d .

T h i s co ld f r o n t p u s h ed o v e r Can ad a , s o

Wal t e r s an k . Co ld a i r s i n k s , w a r m a i r

r i s e s .

Not on ly d id he s ink down near the

s u r f ace of t h e E a r th , b u t h e m o v ed s o u th

to w ar d t h e eq u a to r . A s t h i s co ld f r o n t

b l ew o v e r t h e U n i t ed S t a t e s , a w ar m f r o n t

moved up f rom the Gul f o f Mexico . When

th e w ar m f r o n t an d t h e co ld f r o n t cam e

together , they d id a l i t t l e dance ca l led a

s t o r m s y s t e m .

All of a sudden— z u u p , zuupl—Walter

was no t a lone . T iny d rop s of wa ter s tuck to

his f ront and his back and his lef t and his

r igh t . Before long , a c loud appeared there

in the sky . Out o f a b lue sky , the mois tu re

came together and a c loud was made . Wal

ter was par t of that cloud. A cloud is l ike a

lake f loa t ing th rough the a i r .

Wel l , th i s co ld f ron t and warm f ron t

m ad e m o r e t h an j u s t a c l o u d ; t h ey m ad e a

th u n d e r h ead , a h u g e , b o i l i n g c lo u d f i l l ed

w i th b ig d r o p s o f w a t e r . So o n Wal t e r w as

Walter

ike

Water Molecule

29



t o o h e a v y to f l o a t , and he fell to the

g r o u n d . W a l t e r was a r a i n d r o p ! W h o a ,

w h o a , w h a a a a a a a a , splatl W al t e r f el l to

t h e g r o u n d w i t h the o t h e r r a in d r o p s , l ef t

a n d r i g h t . T h e r e on the g r o u n d , the r a i n

d r o p s ran t o g e t h e r . W a l t e r ran i n t o a l i t t l e

t r i c k l e , and t h i s l i t t l e t r i ck l e j o in ed an

o t h e r t r i c k l e

and

f o r m ed

a

l i t t l e c reek .

T h e l i t t l e c r eek j o in e d an o th e r l i t t l e c r eek

a n d m a d e a l i t t l e s t r e a m . T h i s l i t t l e

s t r e a m , r o l l i n g o v e r

Whitewater

r a p i d s

an d i n to d eep p o o l s , j o in e d an o t h e r s t r e am

a n d b e c a m e a r iver .

Growing near th i s

r iver was a huge t r ee .

T h e t r e e had a r o o t

tha t r eached down in to

the r iver .

The

r oo t

was

l ike a s t r aw . Slurpl The

roo t sucked Wal te r in to

tha t t r ee . Whi le

he was

d o w n at the root , Walter

p icked up a l i t t le some

t h i n g — c a l c i u m .

T h e n

W a l t e r w e n t i n t o the

r o o t up t h r o u g h the

t r u n k of t h a t t r ee . Wa l

t e r w e n t up the t r u n k an d i n to a b r a n c h

o f t h a t t r ee . Wa l t e r w en t

out on a

l im b

and

i n to a leaf on t h a t t ree . When h e re a c h e d the

leaf, the

cel ls

in the

l e a f t r a d e d s o m e s u g a r

f o r t h a t ca l c iu m . Wo u ld you m a k e t h a t

t r ad e? I f y o u had s o m e ca l c iu m , w o u ld you

give it to s o m e b o d y for s o m e s u g a r ?

W a l t e r c a r r i e d the s u g a r b ack d o w n

t h e t r u n k of t h a t t r e e . W h i l e he was c a r

r y i n g the s u g a r , it t u r n e d i n t o s t a r c h !

W a l t e r c a r r i e d the s t a r c h d o w n to the

r o o t . W h e n

he got

t h e r e ,

one of the

cel ls

t r a d e d W a l t e r s o m e i r o n for the s t a r c h .

W a l t e r was p a r t of t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n

s y s t e m of the t r e e . He was l ike a t r u c k

d r i v e r , c a r r y i n g m a t e r i a l s up and d o w n

t h e h i g h w a y of the t r e e ' s t r u n k , d r i v i n g

t h r o u g h the xylem and the ph loem ce l l s ,

w h e r e m o i s t u r e m o v e s up and dow n f rom

t h e r o o t to the l eaf an d the leaf to t he r oo t .

O n e day, W a l t e r cam e to ano ther l eaf

and not iced l i t t le drops of water l ined up

n e x t to a l i t t le hole. That hole is called a

s tom a. Basical ly , i t's a ho le in a leaf, a s t o m a .

W al t e r j o in ed the o t h e r d r o p s of w a t e r

l ined up n e x t to the s t o m a . The d r o p at the

f ront of the l i n e j u m p ed out of th e ho le , and

the l ine moved fo rward . Th en

the

nex t d rop

j u m p e d out of the ho le , and the l ine moved

forward again . Aaahl Out into the air W a l

t e r w e n t .

Can

you say e v a p o t r a n s p i r a t i o n ?

T h a t ' s w h a t W a l t e r j u s t did.

Y e s ,

W a l t e r had e v a p o r a t e d a g a i n !

T h i s t i m e , t h o u g h , i n s t e a d of f l o a t i n g up

i n t o a c loud , he c o n d e n s e d o n t o a b l a d e of

g r a s s .

S o m e t i m e s , if you go out in the

e a r l y m o r n i n g a f t e r a co o l n ig h t , you will

see

the

g r a s s

is wet and

m ay b e y o u r b i cy

c le is wet—but it h a s n ' t r a i n e d . T h a t

m o i s t u r e is ca l led dew or c o n d e n s a t i o n .

W a l t e r

had

b e c o m e

a

d r o p

of dew.

W h e n the sun r o s e , m o s t of the dew

e v a p o r a t e d , but not W a l t e r. He s a n k i n t o

t h e g r o u n d , and t h i s t i m e he ran d e e p . The

r a i n s c a m e and w a s h e d him d o w n , d o w n a

w o r m t u n n e l , d e e p i n t o the g r o u n d . T h i s

t i m e ,

he b e c a m e p a r t of an u n d e r g r o u n d

l a k e .

Do you k no w w h a t an u n d e r g r o u n d

l a k e

is

ca l led?

It 's

c a l l ed

an

aq u i f e r .

I n t h i s aq u i f e r was a p i p e . The p ipe

w a s p a r t

of a

w e l l .

The

p i p e

was a man-

m a d e s t r a w . W h e n s o m e b o d y at the

f a r m

h o u s e on the top of th e a q u i f e r t u r n e d on

t h e f au ce t , Wa l t e r f l o w ed up t h r o u g h the

p i p e ,

t h r o u g h the w e l l , t h r o u g h the f au

ce t , and i n to s o m eb o d y ' s g l a s s .

T h a t s o m e b o d y was

a l i t t l e g i r l who was g e t

t i n g r e a d y

to go to

schoo l .

S h e d r a n k a t a l l g l a s s of

w a t e r . Y o u ' r e s u p p o s e d

t o d r i n k l o t s of w a t e r

e v e r y day. Her mom sa id

s o . G u l p ! G u l p ! G u l p !

W a l t e r w e n t i n t o t h a t l i t

t l e g i r l . She k i s s e d her

m o m g o o d - b y e . She got

o n the bus and r o d e the

b u s

to

schoo l .

30

Walter tke

Water Molecule



W a l t e r was go ing to school. All the k ids

l au g h ed and p layed on the bus. W h en t h ey

got to school , W al te r we n t th ro ug h the b r a in

of that l i t t le gir l . She was s m a r t ! The w a t e r

in her b ra in he lped her w i th her m a th . F r o m

h er b r a in Wal t e r w en t d o w n

to her

hear t ,

and from

her

h e a r t

he

w e n t

to her

l u n g s ,

and

from

he r

l u n g s

he

w e n t

to her

h e a r t ,

and

t h e n

he

w e n t

to her

l eg , wh ere

he

he lped

the

l i t t le g ir l walk to l u n c h .

F r o m her leg he w e n t to her h e a r t ,

and f rom her h e a r t he w e n t to her l u n g s ,

and f rom her l u n g s he w e n t to her h e a r t ,

a n d t h e n he w e n t to her s t o m a c h . T o d a y

w a s a g o o d l u n c h — p i z z a , the l i t t l e g i r l ' s

f av o r i t e . The w a t e r in her s t o m a c h h e l p e d

h e r

to

d i g es t

her

l u n c h . W a l t e r c a r r i e d

n u t r i e n t s b a c k

to her

h e a r t ,

to her

l u n g s ,

to

her

h e a r t ,

and

t h e n

to

d i f f e r en t p a r t s

of

h e r b o d y . T h a t is the way b lood f lows in

y o u r b o d y : f r o m y o u r h ea r t , to y o u r l u n g s ,

t o y o u r h e a r t , and t h e n to p a r t s of y o u r

b o d y . Say t h i s rap w i t h me: h e a r t to l u n g s ,

l u n g s to h e a r t , h e a r t to body , body to

h e a r t . H e a r t to l u n g s , l u n g s to h e a r t ,

h e a r t to body , body to h e a r t .

A f t e r l u n ch

the

l i t t l e g i r l wen t ou t

s ide

for

r e c e s s .

She and her

f r i ends p layed

k i ck b a l l ,

her

f a v o r it e g a m e . W h e n

it

c a m e

h e r t u r n

to

k i ck ,

she ran up and

c r ack ed

t h a t b a l l . Whooshl I t f l e w o v e r the

p i t c h e r ' s h e a d . It f l ew over second base .

The l i t t l e g i r l ran to f i r s t (huff, huff ) , she

r a n to s eco n d (huff, huff ) , she ra n to t h i r d

(huff, huff ) , and she ran all the way h o m e

(huff, huff ) . She sl id i n to h o m e b as e . Wow

A h o m e

run Yea

E v e r y o n e c l a p p e d .

Huff Huff The

l i t t l e g i r l

ran so

h a r d ,

s h e w o r k e d

up a

s w e a t . W h e n

you

s w ea t ,

y o u l eak . You h av e t i n y h o l e s in y o u r s k in

ca l l ed p o r e s . You c a n ' t see t h e m b e c a u s e

t h e y ' r e so s m a l l , but i f yo u had a p o w er f u l

m ag n i f y in g g l a s s , you co u ld see l o t s of

l i t t l e h o l e s in y o u r s k i n . You are l e a k i n g

m o r e

or

l ess

all the

t i m e .

You are

l e a k i n g

r i g h t

now.

E v e r y t i m e

you

s w e a t

you are

l e a k i n g

a lot

W a l t e r c a m e

out of the

l i t t l e g i r l

as

s w e a t , an d t h e n he e v a p o r a t e d a g a i n . T h i s

t i m e he w e n t i n t o a c l o u d . The c loud b lew

a c r o s s the U n i t e d S t a t e s and the c loud

b l ew o v e r the A t l a n t i c O c e a n , p i c k i n g up

m o i s t u r e a l o n g the way. E v e n t u a l l y the

c loud was t h i c k w i t h w a t e r . W h e n the cold

r a i n s t a r t e d t o f a l l , w h o a , w h o a ,

whaaaaaaaa— splash Walter landed in

t h e o c e a n .

He

f loa ted down, down, down.

A f i s h s w am p as t ,

and

W a l t e r w e n t i n t o

th e f i s h . Wa l t e r w en t i n to the be l ly of the

f ish , in to the b l o o d of the f ish , in to the

b l a d d e r of the f ish . . . . W h a t h a p p e n e d

n e x t ? I w i ll leave th i s to y o u r i m a g i n a t i o n .

L e t me say t h a t w h e n the f i sh swam away ,

W a l t e r was l e ft be h i nd .

W a l t e r s a n k d o w n , d o w n , d e e p e r ,

d eep e r . Be f o r e l o n g

he was at the

b o t t o m

of

the

o c e a n . T h i s t i m e

he was in the

A t l a n t i c O c e a n ,

not the

Pac i fi c O cea n .

But

i t

was

m o r e

or

l ess

the

s a m e . T h e r e

was

w a t e r in f r o n t of him and w a t e r b e h i n d

h i m ; w a t e r on the lef t and w a t e r on the

r i g h t ; w a t e r ab o v e and w a t e r b e lo w . It was

d a r k ; the s u n l i g h t c o u l d not m a k e it d o w n

so far. It was d e e p and d a r k , and t h e r e

w a s n ' t m u c h to do.

E x c e p t w a i t

for the

n e x t a d v e n t u r e .

Walter

i ke

Water Molecule

31



lollowlip Idea s for

"Walter t h e W a t e r M . ole c n le

C o r r e l a t i n g M a p s a n d D i a g r a m s

•••Science skills: Observation; Communication; Prediction;

Inference

•••Materials: The Water Cycle worksheet (page 37);

photocopies of each of the following: an outline map of the

world , an out l ine map of the United States, an out l ine

map of your city, an outline of the human body;

pen or pencil and paper

A f te r s t u d en t s co m p le t e T h e Wate r Cy c l e w o r k s h ee t , a s k t h em to c r ea t e s ev e r a l

d iagrams de ta i l ing ind iv idual s teps in the water cyc le . Fo l lowing are a f ew examples :

• U s i n g a w o r l d m a p , s t u d e n t s t r a c e g l ob a l w e a t h e r p a t t e r n s ; j e t s t r e a m s ; a n d

th e p a th o f w a t e r f r o m th e s ea t o a c lo u d t o an aq u i f e r o r o th e r w a t e r s o u r c e ,

an d b ack t o t h e s ea . E n co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o u s e an aq u i f e r o u t s i d e o f t h e

U n i t e d S t a t e s . T h e s t u d e n t s t r a c e g l o b a l w e a t h e r p a t t e r n s , e m p h a s i z i n g

lo ca l w ea th e r a n d t h e p a th w a t e r t ak e s fr o m th e s ea t o a c lo u d , t o an aq u i f e r ,

t o t h e i r h o m e an d b ack t o t h e s ea .

• Us ing a na t io na l map , s tu den ts t r ace loca l we athe r pa t te rns and the pa th of wa ter

f rom th e ocean (w hich wou ld appe ar at the edge of th e ma p) ; to the clouds; to t he

r iver , lake, or aquifer that provides dr inking water for their ci ty ; to their ci ty

(sometimes the water source is qui te far f rom the ci ty) ; and back to the sea.

• W i th a m ap o f t h e i r c it y , s t u d e n t s m a p t h e i r lo ca l w a t e r s u p p ly . H av e

s t u d e n t s d r a w a l i n e f r o m t h e t r e a t m e n t p l a n t t o t h e i r h o m e , r e a l i z i n g t h a t

m o s t w a t e r d i s t r i b u t i o n p i p e s f o l l o w s t r e e t s . S t u d e n t s c r e a t e a d i a g r a m o f

t h e i r h o u s e a n d t h e n m a p t h e i r h o m e ' s p l u m b i n g . E n c o u r a g e s t u d e n t s t o

d ep i c t t h e p ip es an d o u t l e t s b o th o u t s i d e an d i n s id e t h e h o u s e . O u td o o r

p l u m b i n g m i g h t i n c l u d e t h e w a t e r m e t e r , s p i g o t s , a n d a s p r i n k l e r s y s t e m .

A l s o ,

b e s u r e s t u d e n t s i n c l u d e t h e w a s t e w a t e r p l u m b i n g , s h o w i n g h o w w a t e r

r e t u r n s t o t h e s e w e r s y s t e m .

• W i t h a d i a g r a m o f t h e b o dy , s t u d e n t s m a p t h e c i r c u l a t o r y s y s t e m , s h o w i n g

th e fl ow o f b lo o d b e tw een t h e h ea r t an d l u n g s a s w e l l a s t o o th e r p a r t s o f t h e

b o d y . E n co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o u s e d i f f e r en t co lo r s o r a r r o w s t o i n d i ca t e t h e

f low of b lood to and f rom the lungs . (Sugges t ion : A i r l eav ing the lungs i s

oxygenated , so i t i s o f ten dep ic ted in r ed ; b lood tha t has "made i t s r o u n d s "

i s dep le ted o f oxygen , so i t i s o f ten dep ic ted in b lue . )

A f t e r t h e s e m a p s a n d d i a g r a m s a r e c r e a t e d , s t u d e n t s c o l l a t e a n d c o m p a r e

th em . T h i s p r o v id es a b as i s f o r a d i s cu s s io n o f m ac r o v e r s u s m ic r o s y s t em s .

n

Wa l t e r t k e Wa t e r M M e cu le



T h e C i r c u la r S t o r y t e l l i n g G a m e

•••Science skill: Communication

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper

This ac t iv i ty i s descr ibed in de ta i l on pages 1 9 - 2 1 . S t u d e n t s w o r k i n s m a l l

g ro up s to f i r s t t e l l an d the n wr i te the i r own ve r s io ns of th e w at er cyc le s to ry . A f ter

w o r k i n g i n s m a l l g r o u p s , a s k s t u d e n t s t o w o r k i n d e p e n d e n t l y o n t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l

ve r s io n o f th e s to ry .

H o w M u c h o f M e

I s W a t e r ?

•••Science skills: Metric Measurement; Prediction

•••Materials: Bathroom scale; How Much of Me Is Water?

worksheet (page 34); buckets; water; sand or hair ,

leather, and bones; pen or pencil and paper

A s a s i m p l e m a t h e x e r c i s e , s t u d e n t s w e i g h t h e m s e l v e s a n d t h e n c o m p u t e h o w

m u ch o f t h e i r w e ig h t i s w a t e r an d h o w m u ch i s s o l i d . T o ca l cu l a t e t h e i r w a t e r

w e ig h t , s t u d en t s m u l t i p ly t h e i r b o d y w e ig h t b y . 6 0 . T o ca l cu l a t e t h e i r s o l i d w e ig h t ,

s t u d e n t s m u l t i p l y t h e i r b o d y w e i g h t b y . 4 0 . ( H u m a n s a r e a b o u t 6 0 p e r c e n t w a t e r

b y w e ig h t , 7 5 p e r cen t b y v o lu m e . )

S t u d e n t s t h e n c a l c u l a t e a p p r o x i m a t e l y h o w m a n y g a l l o n s o f w a t e r t h e i r b o d i e s

co n t a in b y d iv id in g t h e i r w a t e r w e ig h t b y 8 . ( Wate r w e ig h s ab o u t 8 . 3 4 p o u n d s p e r

ga l lon . )

E ach b o d y co n t a in s v a r y in g d eg r ees o f f a t , m u s c l e , an d b o n e , s o s t u d en t s

s h o u ld b e ad v i s ed t h a t t h e i r ca l cu l a t i o n w i l l g iv e t h em o n ly a r o u g h e s t im a te .

T o m ak e t h i s ex e r c i s e m o r e d r am a t i c , c r ea t e a g r ap h i c d i s p l ay . L in e u p f o u r

b u ck e t s a t t h e f r o n t o f t h e c l a s s r o o m . F i l l o n e b u ck e t w i th b l each ed b o n es , h a i r ,

and lea ther . (Sand o r d i r t w i l l work f ine i f th i s seems too macabre . ) F i l l the o ther

t h r e e b u c k e t s w i t h w a t e r .

A s a s im p le t r an s i t i o n a l ac t i v i t y , b r a in s to r m w i th t h e c l a s s a l i s t o f l i v in g

th in g s t h a t co n t a in w a t e r . E ach s t u d en t ch o o s es o n e o b j ec t an d f i n d s o u t h o w m u ch

o f i t i s w a t e r . E a c h s t u d e n t p r o d u c e s a s i m p l e g r a p h t h a t d e m o n s t r a t e s t h a t t h e

o b j ec t i s s o m u ch w a te r an d s o m u ch s o l i d . Fo r ex am p le , an e l ep h an t i s 7 0 p e r cen t

w a te r , an e a r t h w o r m i s 8 0 p e r c en t , a j o n q u i l i s 6 5 p e r cen t , an d a ca r r o t i s 90

p e r c e n t .

lollow-Up

Ideas i o r Walter

Ike Water

Molecule

33



H o w M u c h o f M e Is W a t e r ?

I weigh pound

You are 60% water by weight .

To find out how m uch of you is wa ter , m ult iply your w eight by .60*, l ike this :

pounds.

Th e w ate r in me weighs pou nds .

igh

x .60

A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds

To find out how many gal lons of water are in you, divide the weight of the

water in you by 8.34, l ike this:

The water in me weighs

My Body contains

pounds .

•5- 8.34 pounds per gallon

gallons of water!

*You are 60 percent water by weight, 75 percent by volume.

From


Copyright © 1997. Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.

u

Walter

th e

Water

M.oh cule



H o w M u c h o f T h i s

I s W a t e r ?

•••Science skills: M etric M ea su rem en t; Classification;

Communicat ion; Ident ify Variables; Design

Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Fr es h an d dried foods, such as jerky , ba na na s,

apples, carro ts , onions, green bean s, and blueberr ies; pen

or pencil and paper; metric scales

Stu d en t s m eas u r e t h e am o u n t o f w a t e r i n v a r i o u s f o o d s . T h i s i s d o n e a s an

e x p e r i m e n t d e s i g n e d b y t h e s t u d e n t s .

Beg in b y d i s cu s s in g d eh y d r a t i o n . Sh o w s tu d en t s s ev e r a l ex am p les o f d r i ed

f o od s , s u ch a s j e r k y o r f r u i t l e a th e r . T h e n d i s cu s s ch a r a c t e r i s t i c s t h a t w i ll h e lp t h e

s tu d en t s p r ed i c t t h e w a t e r co n t en t o f each t y p e o f f r u i t l e a th e r . Fo r ex am p le , i f a

f r u i t i s m o i s t o r j u i cy , i t p r o b a b ly h a s a h ig h e r w a t e r co n t e n t t h a n a f ru i t t h a t i s

d ry o r hard .

Wo r k in g i n d iv id u a l l y o r i n s m a l l g r o u p s , s t u d en t s ch o o s e o n e o r m o r e f o o d

i t em s . A f t e r w e ig h in g t h e fo od i t em , s t u d e n t s p r ed i c t w h a t p e r ce n t a g e o f t h e f o od

i t e m i s w a t e r . T h e s t u d e n t s r e c o r d t h a t p e r c e n t a g e , t h e n m u l t i p l y t h e w e i g h t of t h e

f oo d i t em b y t h e p e r c en t ag e f i g u r e t o ca l cu l a t e t h e w a t e r w e ig h t o f t h a t f o od i t em .

( E x a m p le : If a s l ice o f b a n a n a w e ig h s 20 g r a m s , an d t h e s t u d e n t s p r ed i c t t h a t 2 0

p e r cen t o f t h a t w e ig h t i s w a t e r , t h en t h e ca l cu l a t i o n i s : 2 0 g r am s x . 2 0 = 4 g r am s . )

I f you have access to an oven a t schoo l , dehydra te the food by sp read ing i t in

a th in layer on a bak ing shee t and bak ing i t a t 200 degrees o r lower un t i l d ry . I f

y o u d o n o t h av e acces s t o an o v en a t s ch o o l , e i t h e r a s k s t u d en t s t o d eh y d r a t e t h e

f ru i t a t home or do i t fo r them. Or , check your l ib rary fo r p lans to cons t ruc t a s imple

s o l a r d e h y d r a t o r .

S t u d e n t s w e i g h t h e d e h y d r a t e d f o o d i t e m s a n d c o m p a r e t h e a c t u a l w e i g h t t o

th e i r e s t im a t e . T h i s can b e ex p r es s ed i n b a r g r ap h s o r p i e g r ap h s .

Jollow-Up Idea s io r Walter ike Water M.olecule

35



E v a p o r a t i o n

•••Science skills: Metric Measurement; Prediction; Design

Invest iga t ions

•••Materials: Glass jars; water; salt; food coloring; a flower

or leafy branch; microscope; slide showing stomata;

ba romete r ; t he rmomete r ; hyg romete r

S t u d e n t s e x p e r i m e n t w i t h e v a p o r a t i o n .

Co l l ec t ab o u t o n e d o zen g l a s s j a r s o f u n i f o r m s h a p e . I n c lu d e o n e j a r w i th an

e s p e c i al l y w i d e m o u t h a n d o n e w i t h a n a r r o w m o u t h . T h e j a r s m u s t h o l d a b o u t V2

l i t e r o f water .

P o u r 5 0 0 mL o f w a t e r i n to each j a r . M ar k t h e w a t e r l ev e l i n each j a r .

P l ac e o n e j a r i n a s u n n y p l ace . Sea l t h e o th e r j a r an d s e t i t a s i d e . T h e s e tw o

ja r s a r e y o u r co n t r o l g r o u p . T h e f i r s t i s t h e s t an d a r d f o r co m p ar in g t h e s p eed o f

e v a p o r a t i o n f r o m t h e v a r i o u s j a r s . T h e s e a l e d j a r s h o w s h o w m u c h w a t e r y o u s t a r t e d

w i th .

T h e r e s t o f t h e j a r s a r e u s ed t o t e s t a w id e r an g e o f i n f l u en ces u p o n ev a p o r a t i o n :

• Add a tab les po on o f sa l t to one ja r .

• P la ce one ja r in a coo l , da rk co rne r .

• Add b lack dye o r da rk food co lo r in g to an o t he r j a r .

• Us e one ja r w i th a very wide m ou th and one ja r w i th a very nar r ow m ou th .

• Pla ce a f resh f lower in one jar . Th is wil l m ea su re the ef fects of eva po tran sp irat ion

as well as evapo ra t ion . To he lp exp la in the concep t of eva po t ra nsp i r a t ion , ob ta in

a s l ide o f s toma and a l low s tuden ts to examine i t under a microscope .

In add i t ion to a l te r ing th e wate r in the ja r , cons ider ou ts ide in f luences on evapora

t i o n . Fo r ex am p le , s t u d en t s ch a r t t h e t em p er a tu r e , b a r o m e t r i c p r e s s u r e , an d r e l a t i v e

h u m id i t y each d ay t o m o n i to r t h e i r e f f ec t s o n ev ap o r a t i o n . ( T h es e n u m b er s a r e

eas i l y o b t a in e d f r o m th e d a i ly n e w s p a p e r i f y o u d o n o t h av e t h e t o o l s t o m ea s u r e

th em y o u r s e l f . )

W h a t a r e s o m e o t h e r o p t i o n s ? A l l o w s t u d e n t s t o s u g g e s t r e s e a r c h p r o p o s a l s .

E a c h d a y , s t u d e n t s m a r k t h e w a t e r l e ve l i n e a c h j a r a n d m a k e a c o r r e s p o n d i n g

m ar k i n a j o u r n a l o r o n a ch a r t t h e y d es ig n . S t u d en t s p r ed i c t w h ich j a r w il l em p ty

f i r st , s ec o n d , . . . l a s t . A f t e r t h ey co l lec t t h e d a t a t h ey i n t e r p r e t t h e r e s u l t s an d w r i t e

a b r i e f r ep o r t em p h as i z in g w h ich v a r i ab l e s h ad t h e g r ea t e s t e f f ec t o n t h e r a t e o f

e v a p o r a t i o n .

36

Wa lter tke

Water

M.olecule



The Water Cycle

U s e a p en o r p en c i l to t r ac e t h e p o s s ib le r o u t e s o f W al t e r t h r o u g h t h e w a t e r

cy c l e . Rem em b er , t h e b as i c s t ep s a r e :

• ev ap o r a t i o n , w h en w a te r b eco m es a i r ;

• co n d en s a t i o n , w h e n t h e w a t e r d r o p s co m e to g e th e r t o f o r m d ew , c lo u d s , o r

fog; and

• p re c ip i ta t io n , whe n w at er fa l ls as snow , s lee t , ha i l o r r a in .

U s e t h e p i c tu r e b e lo w an d t h e s t o r y o f " Wal t e r t h e Wate r M o lecu l e" a s a

s t a r t in g po in t fo r yo ur own ver s io n of th e s to ry o f th e wa te r cyc le . You cou ld s ta r t

in a l ake , ocean , o r r iver , r i se in to the a i r ( evapora t ion) , fo rm a c loud ( condensa

t i o n ) ,

f loa t over the land , and f a l l as s lee t , snow or r a in (p rec ip i ta t ion) . F low

th r o u g h a r i v e r , p l an t s , an im a l s , an d i n to a h u m an , t h en b ack i n to t h e a i r , a c l o u d ,

an d i n to t h e o cean . T h e m o r e d e t a i l s y o u ad d , t h e b e t t e r y o u r s t o r y w i l l b e .

From


Copyright © 1997 Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.

Mlow-Up Ideas ior Walter the Water .Molecule 37






Ike Web

JILOLI^ c? be tiwrtlu/^ &4 wm meat

Wen d e l l Be r r y , f r o m " Pr ay e r A f t e r E a t i n g "

in The Country of Marriage



From Learning from the Land. Copyright © 1997. Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.



Comments t o t h e t e a ch e

ART, THIS STORY WAS CREAT

in response to chi ldren at a summer camp complaining about

mosquitoes. I would tease them, saying, "Do you l ike l istening to the

birds sing? Do you like eating the fish we catch? Then you better feed

the mosquitoes, because they feed the birds and f ish!" This evolved

into a story that celebrates al l the creatures of a wetland ecosystem. I t

is about the food web and our place in it .

When you tel l this story, adapt the part iculars to f i t your l i fe

experience. Most storytel lers automatical ly adapt exist ing stories in

this way. It is l ike tailoring a suit; i t feels more comfortable if i t fi ts

you. Name and describe your favori te f ishing hole. Change the species

of the bird, frog, and fish to animals that l ive in your ecosystem. Mos

quitoes and dragonfl ies are found in most parts of North America, but

the heron could be an egret, the bullfrog could be a leopard frog, and

the bass could become a tarpon. If you never went to camp or worked

at one, you could change the setting to a river, farm pond, or lake you

have visited. Lars could become one of your children or your father or

uncle—he is the person you most l ike to go fishing with.

If you have never gone

fishing—fake

i t ! There is enough detai l in

this story to be convincing. If that feels uncomfortable, you could say

you heard the story from an avid angler , and you could change the

first-person pronouns to third-person pronouns. But this story works best

told in the first person . The m ost im por tant goal of this tale is to m ake

personal and tangible the abstract concept of the food web. In all honesty,

if you have ever been bitten by a mosquito or eaten a fish, then you are

a character in this tale!

•••

CAMIL n^aux th& &£&im . . .

Ike Web

41

Ii



Ihe

W eb

A h i s s t o r y t ak es p l ace a t a cam p

M ich ig an ca l l ed Cam p N io b e . T h e w o r d

niobe

i s Greek fo r wi l low. The lake a t tha t

c a m p w a s s u r r o u n d e d b y b e a u t i f u l w e e p

in g w il l o w t r e e s , so y o u can s ee w h e r e t h e

cam p g o t i t s n am e . So m e th in g i s g o in g o n

a t C a m p N i o b e , s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s v e r y

obv io us . As a m a t t e r o f f ac t , i t ' s so obv ious

th a t n o o n e ev en n o t i ce s . Bu t i t ' s v e r y

s p ec i a l . By l i s t en in g t o t h i s s t o r y , m ay b e

you can f igure ou t what i s go ing on .

Lik e a j igsa w pu zzle or a qui l t , th is

s to ry i s made up o f many smal l p ieces . A t

f i r s t the p ieces don ' t seem to go toge ther ,

bu t if you l is ten careful ly y ou wil l f ind th e

pieces f it perfectly. Your job is to try to f it

them together , to f ind the mys tery tha t i s

r igh t before yo ur eyes . How do the se p ieces

g o t o g e th e r ?

Here's the first piece:

I n o n e o f t h e cab in s a t

C a m p N i o b e , i n t h e r a f t e r s

above my bed , o f a l l p laces ,

there l ived a family of raccoons.

If y o u k n o w an y th in g ab o u t r ac -

coons , you know they make a

te r r ib le mess . Gosh , i t r ea l ly

smel led in there! The cab in was

t h e r a c c o o n f a m i l y ' s w i n t e r

h o m e , b u t d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r

they moved out to a hol low log

b eh in d t h e cab in ; t h a t w as t h e i r s u m m er

h o m e . T h e n , d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r , t h e

cab in b ecam e th e cam p er s ' h o m e . T h a t

cab in was l ike a t ime-share condo!

I w as a co u n s e lo r a t Cam p N io b e . I

h a d s t u d i e d w i t h s e v e r a l N a t i v e A m e r i c a n

e ld e r s w h o t au g h t m e ab o u t w i ld ed ib l e s

an d h e r b a l r em ed ie s . N o w , o n e y ea r , I

came to Camp Niobe ear ly , before any o f

th e cam p e r s a r r i v e d . M y jo b w as t o c l ean

o u t a l l t h e cab in s , b u t I r ea l l y cam e b e

cause I wan ted to see how wel l I would do

if I ju s t l ived off th e la nd . I wa s al l on my

42

own, ou t in the wi lds o f Mich igan , w i th

only myself to rely on.

I b r o u g h t v e r y l i t t l e f o od t o t h e

camp—just

s o m e b r o w n r i c e a n d s o m e

s eed s . I s p r o u t ed s o m e o f t h e

seeds—have

y o u ev e r ea t en sprouts?—and I p l a n t e d

th e r e s t o f t h e s eed s i n a g a r d en . I g a th

ered wi ld g reens f rom the f ie lds . I wen t

f i s h in g f o r d in n e r an d u s u a l l y cau g h t a

n ice bass o r perch o r b lueg i l l . To go wi th

th a t , I w o u ld d ig u p ca t t a i l r o o t s . T h a t ' s

r i g h t . C a t t a i l r o o t s , if y o u c o o k t h e m

r ig h t , a r e a l i t t l e b i t l i k e p o t a to es .

I found p len ty to ea t . Somet imes I

cau gh t f rogs and a te the i r l egs . You a re

p r o b ab ly s ay in g

"Yuck "

Bu t have you ever

had f rog legs? Don ' t knock i t un t i l you t ry

i t ! The y are de l ic ious . Some peop le say the y

h better than chicken if

ou saute them in a little but-

ter and gar l ic . I found wild gar-

l growing at Camp Niobe.

A n d t h a t w a s n ' t a l l . O n e

f ie ld was f i l l ed wi th dandel i -

o n s . E a r ly i n t h e s p r in g , d an d e -

l ion g reens a re qu i te de l ic ious ;

f

l a te r in the year they become

bi t te r . I ga thered wi ld g reens

and made a de l ic ious sa lad wi th

flowers for f lavor and color.

Now this is a good t ime to

b r i n g u p a n i m p o r t a n t p o i n t : I c o u l d

gather wi ld foods because I had s tud ied

w i th an ex p e r t w h o t au g h t m e w h a t w as

safe to ea t . Many wi ld p lan ts a re po ison

ous .

So, i f you decide to t ry th is out , don ' t

j u s t s t a r t g r ab b in g an y o ld w eed s an d ea t

i n g t h em , b ecau s e y o u m ig h t ea t s o m e

th ing po isonous . Go wi th an exper t . Know

what you ' r e look ing fo r .

Af ter I made my d inner , I would s i t

o n a p i cn i c t ab l e r i g h t o u t s i d e t h e d in in g

h a l l . Be f o r e m e w as t h e m ead o w w h er e I

h a d j u s t g a t h e r e d m y g r e e n s . W h i l e I w a s

Ike

We b



ea t ing my d inner o f f rog legs o r f i sh and

s a l ad an d r o o t s , a f am i ly o f g r o u n d h o g s

would come to p lay in the f ie ld . There was

a b i g m a m a g r o u n d h o g w i t h h e r t h r e e

b ab i e s , r o l l i n g an d w r es t l i n g an d p l ay in g .

E v e r y n i g h t t h e y e n t e r t a i n e d m e w h i l e I

a t e m y d in n e r .

As I had learned f rom the e lder s , i f

y o u w a l k w i t h o u t m a k i n g a n y s o u n d , t h e n

you can ge t r ea l ly c lose to wi ld an imals . I

h a d p r a c t i c e d w a l k i n g w i t h o u t m a k i n g a

sound , and I cou ld ge t very c lose to these

g r o u n d h o g s . If t h e m o t h e r g r o u n d h o g

looked a t me, I would f r eeze . Bu t as soon

as s h e l o o k ed aw ay , I w o u ld t ak e an o th e r

s t e p .

I n tha t way I cou ld ge t c lose , w i th in

about 30 feet or so . I f I got too close, the

m a m a g r o u n d h o g w o u l d s t a r e a t m e , a n d

I w o u ld f r eeze . I f m am a g r o u n d h o g l o o k ed

a w a y , I m i g h t t r y t a k i n g a n o t h e r s t e p , b u t

i f I g o t t o o c lo s e— " Wh ew ! " t h a t m am a

g r o u n d h o g w o u l d w h i s t l e . T h e b a b i e s

w o u l d d i s a p p e a r i n t o t h e i r h o l e , a n d

m a m a w o u l d s t a n d g u a r d a t t h e e n t r a n c e .

Racco o n s , g r een s , r o o t s , f r o g l eg s ,

a n d g r o u n d h o g s . W e a l r e a d y h a v e f i v e

p ieces o f th i s s to ry . L ike I sa id , i t ' s l ike a

j igsaw puzzle . Your job i s to f igure ou t

h o w th e p i eces g o t o g e th e r .

Here's another piece:

One of my favor i te th ings to do a t

Camp Niobe was f i sh ing . I loved to go

f i s h in g ea r l y i n t h e m o r n in g an d l a t e i n

th e ev en in g . I f y o u k n o w an y th in g ab o u t

f i s h in g , y o u k n o w th a t s u n r i s e an d s u n s e t

a r e t h e b es t t im es t o b e o n t h e w a t e r . I

k n ew th a t an d s o d id L a r s , t h e cam p ' s

m a i n t e n a n c e m a n .

A f t e r t h e cam p o p en ed f o r t h e s u m

m e r , I w a s n o t a l o n e . S o m e t i m e s L a r s

w o k e m e u p a t 4 o ' c l o ck i n t h e m o r n in g .

L a r s w o u ld t i p to e i n to t h e cab in , w h e r e

s o m e b o y s an d I w e r e s l eep in g . L a r s w o u ld

w h i s p e r , " Co m e o n ! G e t u p ! Co m e o n ! "

I would a lways say , "Get ou t o f here ,

L a r s !

I wan t to s leep!"

B u t L a r s k n e w

b e t t e r . I d id n ' t r ea l l y

w a n t t o s l e e p ; I

w a n t e d t o f i s h . S o

L a r s w o u ld k eep w h i s -

p e r i n g u n t i l I w a s

awake , "No , no! You

said you wanted to go.

Come on , l e t ' s go . "

Quiet ly , so as not

t o w ak e t h e cam p er s

who share d th e cabin , I

would grab my tackle

box and fishing pole.

Then Lars and I would

tiptoe out of the cabin.

Screeeech—of c o u r s e

the door squeaked!

" L a r s ,

y o u 'v e g o t

t o o i l t h a t d o o r , " I

would tease . Lar s was

t h e m a i n t e n a n c e m a n ,

after all .

O n e e a r l y m o r n

ing , the c louds were

s o t h i ck y o u co u ld n ' t

s ee t h e s t a r s o r t h e

m o o n . L a r s a n d I

c l im b ed i n to t h e b o a t

a n d s t a r t e d r o w i n g .

T h e l a k e w a s b e a u t i

ful , w i th w eep in g w i l

l o w t r ee s l i n in g t h e

shore and fog r i s ing

of f the water .

F o g r i s e s o f f

lakes in the la te sum

mer and fal l , but not

s o m u c h d u r i n g t h e

spr ing . Do you know

w h y ? L e t ' s t h i n k

ab o u t t h i s . Wh en y o u

s e t a co ld g l a s s o f

water ou ts ide on a ho t

d a y , w h a t h a p p e n s ?

T h e o u t s i d e o f t h e

glass gets wet , r ight?

I s t h a t w a t e r l eak in g

Ike Web

43



out o f th e g lass? No , no! I t ' s m ois tu re f rom

the a i r t ry ing to warm up the co ld g lass .

The a i r i s warm; the water i s co ld . That

action—moisture i n t h e w ar m a i r t r y in g

to w ar m u p t h e co ld g l a s s h ap p en s w h en

u n eq u a l f o r ces ac t o n o n e an o th e r , t r y in g

to r ea ch eq u i l i b r i u m . I t i s p a r t of t h e n a tu

r a l p r o c e s s of t h e r m a l d y n a m i c s .

N o w , h e r e ' s s o m e t h i n g i n t e r e s t i n g :

Even as the warm a i r i s t ry ing to warm up

the cold water in the glass , the cold water in

the g lass i s t ry ing to warm up the a i r . The

water does tha t by evapora t ing .

Th ink o f the lake as a huge g lass o f

w a te r . Bu t t h i s w a t e r i s w a r m . E v e r y d ay

th e sun bea ts down on th e wate r and s lowly ,

over the cour se o f a long , ho t summer , the

l ak e w ar m s u p . T h en i n l a t e s u m m er , t h e

nights cool of f . On some mornings the air is

q u i t e ch il l y . W h en t h a t

h ap p en s , t h e l ak e , b e in g

w a r m e r t h a n t h e a i r ,

g ives of f moisture to t ry

to w ar m u p t h e a i r . T h a t

ev ap o r a t i o n m ak es f o g .

Back t o o u r f o g g y

m o r n i n g . T h e f o g — m o i s

t u r e r i s i n g o f f t h e

l a k e —

w a s s o t h i c k I c o u l d

h a r d l y s e e L a r s i n t h e

back o f the boat . The fog

w as s o t h i ck , I co u ld n ' t

r ea l l y s ee w h er e I w as r o w in g .

S u d d e n l y , caw caw caw A g r e a t

b lu e h e r o n t o o k f l i g h t r i g h t n ex t t o t h e

b o a t ! I t s w in g s b ea t o v e r o u r h ead s , an d

i t s f ee t dang led in our f aces as i t d i sap

peared in to the fog .

W h a t d o y o u k n o w ab o u t t h e g r ea t

b lu e h e r o n ? I t ' s o n e o f m y f av o r i t e b i r d s .

G r ea t b lu e h e r o n s s t an d ab o u t f o u r o r f i v e

fee t t a l l . They have long , th in legs and a

long , sk inny neck and a long , ye l low beak .

T h e i r w i n g s a r e l o n g e r t h a n m y a r m s .

I f y o u ' v e n e v e r s e e n a g r e a t b l u e

h e r o n h u n t , y o u ' v e m i s s e d a p r e t t y s i g h t .

T h ey f o ld t h e i r w in g s b ack a s t h ey w ad e

th r o u g h t h e s h a l l o w w a te r l o o k in g f o r f i s h

or f rogs . They move g racefu l ly , l ike ba l le

r i n a s .

T h ey m o v e s l o w ly , s t an d in g o n o n e

l eg , m o v in g i t f o r w ar d , s t an d in g o n t h e

o th e r l eg . So m e t im es , if y o u s t a r e a t a

g r ea t b lu e h e r o n w h i l e i t i s h u n t i n g , y o u

w i l l n o t ev en s ee i t m o v e . T h a t ' s h o w

s lo w ly t h ey m o v e . O f co u r s e , t h a t ' s t h e

po in t : They move so s lowly tha t the f rogs

an d f i s h d o n ' t s ee t h em co m in g .

J u s t a s t h e g r ea t b lu e h e r o n s t a lk e d i t s

p r ey , I s o m e t im es s t a lk ed t h e g r ea t b lu e

h e r o n . I d id n ' t w an t t o ea t t h e bird—I j u s t

wanted to watch i t f ish! I would swim out

across the lake l ike a f rog or an al l igator ,

wi th ju s t m y nose an d eyes ou t o f th e w ate r .

Th at w ay , I cou ld ge t c lose to the g re a t b lu e

he ron , ju s t a few ya rds aw ay . Moving s lowly

and quiet ly , I would get as close as I dared

to t h e b i r d ' s s h a r p , p o in t ed b eak . O n e t im e ,

when I was s ta lk ing a heron , I saw the b i rd

f reeze and s ta re a t the water . S lowly i t

pu l led i t s head back , cocked i t s neck , and

splashl I n to the wa ter i t d ipped i t s be ak a nd

brought up a f i sh .

Whether i t ca tches a f rog o r a f i sh ,

t h e g r e a t b l u e h e r o n h a s a n u n u s u a l w a y

of ea t ing . I t tu rns the f rog o r f i sh a round

in i t s long , sk inny beak and swal lows i t

h ead f i r s t . Wh y d o es t h e h e r o n d o t h a t ?

Wh y d o es n ' t i t s w a l lo w i t s p r ey b ack w ar d

o r s i d ew ay s ? I t n ev e r d id ; t h e h e r o n a l

w a y s t u r n e d i t s p r e y a r o u n d a n d s w a l

lowed i t headf i r s t .

L e t ' s f o r m u l a t e a h y p o t h e s i s . D o y o u

k n o w w h a t a h y p o th es i s i s ? I t ' s an ed u

ca t e d g u es s . A c tu a l l y , i t ' s j u s t a g u e s s

b as ed o n t h e f ac t s a t h an d . Wh a t d o y o u

t h i n k ? W h a t ' s y o u r g u e s s ? W h y d o y o u

t h i n k t h e h e r o n s w a l l o w s i t s p r e y head

f ir s t? T a k e a m o m e n t a n d t h i n k a b o u t t h e

fac t s .

W h a t d o y o u k n o w a b o u t h e r o n s a n d

f i s h ? [ D i s c u s s t h i s w i t h s t u d e n t s . A s k

th em to m ak e a l i s t o f r e l ev an t f ac t s an d

f o r m u l a t e a h y p o t h e s i s w i t h a p a r t n e r .

G iv e t h em a m in u t e , t h en ca l l o n a f ew

s t u d e n t s t o s h a r e

t h e i r h y p o t h e s e s . ]

M y h y p o t h e s i s

i s , if t h e h e r o n

t r i e d t o s w a l l o w

the f i sh ta i l f i r s t ,

the f ins would open

44

Ike

We b



up and the f i sh would ge t s tuck in the

h e r o n ' s lo n g , s k i n n y t h r o a t . I f t h e h e r o n

t r i e d t o s w a l l o w t h e f i s h s i d e w a y s , i t

w o u l d n ' t f i t . B u t w h e n t h e h e r o n t u r n s

th e f i s h a r o u n d an d s w a l lo w s i t h ead f i r s t ,

then the f ins c lose and the f i sh s l ides r igh t

d o w n th e h e r o n ' s l o n g , s k in n y n eck . I t s

n eck i s s o t h in t h a t s o m e t im es y o u can s ee

th e o u t l i n e o f t h e f i s h a s t h e h e r o n s w a l

lows it .

Fo g , f i s h , f r o g s , h e r o n . Fo u r m o r e

pieces of the s tory . You probably haven ' t

f igured out how th es e pieces f it to ge th er ye t .

Bu t l i s ten c lose ly ; they do .

Here's another piece of the story:

O n e h o t s u m m e r day—one o f those

days when the sun i s l ike a ba l l o f

fire—I

was hang ing ou t on the dock . I t was so ho t

I w as s w ea t i n g , j u s t s i t t i n g s t i l l . So o n m y

mind f loated off l ike a l i t t le cloud in an

o therwise b lue sky . Do you l ike to

d ay

d r e am ? A s m y m in d d r i f t ed , I l o o k ed d o w n

in to t h e w a t e r o n t h e r i g h t s i d e o f t h e

d o c k . S o m e t h i n g w a s s p l a s h i n g a r o u n d

d o w n t h e r e .

Now, the le f t s ide o f the dock was the

s w i m m i n g a r e a . Y e a r s a g o , s o m e o n e h a d

d u g o u t t h e l ak e b o t t o m to m ak e i t d eep

for swimming . But on the r igh t s ide o f the

d o ck t h e w a t e r w as v e r y s h a l l o w . I t w as

co v e r ed w i th l i l y p ad s an d d u ck w eed an d

c a t t a i l s . T h a t ' s w h e r e I s a w s o m e t h i n g

s p l a s h in g a r o u n d . Wh en I l o o k ed c lo s e r I

n o t i ced t h a t s o m e th in g w as a d r ag o n f ly

n y m p h , s q u i g g l i n g i n t h e s w a m p y w a t e r .

D o y o u k n o w w h a t a d r a g o n f l y

n y m p h i s? I t ' s a n i m m a t u r e d r a g o n f ly . D o

you know what i t looks l ike? I t looks l ike

th e Cr ea tu r e f r o m th e B lack L ag o o n . I t ' s

b l ack an d s l im y , w i th h u g e m o u th p a r t s .

As I watched , the d ragonf ly nymph

crawled up the s ide of a cat tai l . As i t d id ,

the back o f i t s she l l c r acked . To my amaze

m e n t , t h a t u g ly c r e a t u r e of t h e s w a m p

cl imbed ou t o f i t s she l l and became a beau

t i ful cr ea tu re of th e air .

Have you ever seen a d ragonf ly? The

l a r g e o n e s t h a t a r e t u r q u o i s e b l u e o r

Ike

We b

g r e e n ? T h e y h a v e f o u r w i n g s t h a t s t r e t c h

o u t . Y o u can s ee t h r o u g h t h e w in g s , ex

cep t f o r t h e b l ack l ace t h a t h o ld s t h em

t o g e t h e r . W h e n t h e y h o l d t h o s e w i n g s j u s t

r i g h t i n t h e s u n , t h ey ca s t a r a in b o w o f

co lo r s . R ig h t b e f o r e m y ey es , t h i s d r ag o n

f ly came out of i ts shel l , and f lu id f i l led i ts

w in g s .

That ' s ano ther p iece o f the s to ry . I s i t

s ta r t in g to come toge the r? Ju s t w ai t , it w il l .

Here is the final piece of the story:

O n e s u m m er n ig h t , I w as o u t i n t h e

ear ly evening—about sunset—doing a l i t t le

f ishing. You know, sunr ise and sunset are

th e be st t im es to go f ishing. B ut if yo u ev er

go ou t on the water in the ear ly even ing ,

you know i t ' s the bes t t ime fo r someth ing

e l s e , t o o : Bzzz M o s q u i t o e s e v e r y w h e r e !

Ugh! Ow! Slap! Bzzz! There goes one wi th

a pint

of my blood! Bzzz! Flyin g

s low!

Bzzz !!

I t ' s bel ly big and red with my blood! Bzzz!

T h a t ' s w h a t I w a s d o i n g , s l a p p i n g

an d s c r a t ch in g . A n d t h en , a s I w as w a t ch

ing a mosqu i to make o f f w i th a p in t o f my

blood . . . snatchl A b ig d r ag o n f ly g r ab b ed

th a t m o s q u i to r i g h t o u t o f t h e a i r . A huge

d r a g o n f l y . B z z z ! W i t h f o u r b i g w i n g s .

B z z z ! F l y i n g a r o u n d , e a t i n g h u n d r e d s o f

m o s q u i to es . Bzzz !

D id y o u k n o w d r ag o n f l i e s ea t m o s q u i

t o e s ,

deer f l i es ,

horseflies—all

k inds o f b i t

ing insec t s? Let ' s hear i t fo r d ragonf l ies !

H ip - h ip - h o o r ay ! T h ey a r e t h e f a l co n s o f

the insec t wor ld . They are one o f my fa

v o r i t e b u g s ! H o w ab o u t y o u ?

Bu t d r ag o n f l i e s d o m o r e t h an j u s t ea t

m o s q u i t o e s . S o m e t i m e s o n e d r a g o n f l y

m e e t s a n o t h e r o n e . A n d t h e y s t a r t t a l k i n g

a b o u t p o e t r y a n d S h a k e s p e a r e . A n d t h e y

f ee l a s p a r k t h a t b u r s t s i n to a p as s io n a t e

45



f lame. And they beg in f ly ing to

g e t h e r , o n e d r ag o n f ly t o u c h in g

i t s t a i l to the back o f the o ther as

they f ly along.

Then one dragonf ly f l ies of f

by i tself and lands on a l i ly pad.

I t p u s h e s i t s t a i l u n d e r w a t e r a n d

beg ins to lay eggs . One egg and

one egg i s two . Two and two are

f o u r . Fo u r an d f o u r a r e e ig h t .

He lp me ou t he re i f you can . E igh t a nd

eigh t a re . . . s ix tee n . S ix teen a nd s ix t een

a r e t h i r t y - t w o . T h i r t y - t w o a n d t h i r t y - t w o

are? S ix ty - four , r igh t ! And s ix ty - four and

s i x t y - fo u r ? O n e h u n d r e d a n d t w e n t y -

e ig h t . A n d t h en co m es 2 5 6 an d 5 1 2 an d

1,024.

I a m g o i n g t h r o u g h t h i s m a t h t o

g iv e y o u an i d ea w h a t a h u g e n u m b er

1,000 real ly is .

One dragonf ly lays more than 1 ,000

eggs .

Not a l l o f them surv ive , bu t many o f

th em d o . T h ey b eco m e n y m p h s , o r l a r v ae .

One day , they b reak ou t o f the i r she l l s and

b e c o m e dragonflies—just l ike the one tha t

crawled up on the ca t ta i l nex t to the dock

wh ere I wa s da yd rea m ing on a very ho t da y .

All insects go through changes cal led

metamorphos is . Some do a comple te meta

morphos is , making a d ramat ic change f rom

egg to la rva to pupa to adu l t . O ther s make

mo re g radua l change s from egg to nym ph to

larger nym ph to adu l t . Bu t i t ' s no t on ly bugs

tha t change as they g row. Al l l iv ing th ings

g o t h r o u g h t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s . Y o u ! Y o u

s t a r t ed o u t a s an eg g i n s id e y o u r m o th e r ' s

w o m b . A n d t h en y o u w er e b o r n a s a cu t e

l i t t l e l a r v a , I m ean b ab y . A n d t h en y o u

grew to be an ug ly pupa , o r ado lescen t .

So m ed ay , y o u ' l l s p r o u t w in g s an d b eco m e

an ad u l t , a s s o m e o f u s a l r ead y h av e .

Bu t l e t ' s g e t b ack t o t h e s t o r y . T h e r e

I w as , j u s t ab o u t s u n s e t , b e in g ea t en a l i v e

b y m o s q u i to es w h e n . . . snatch A d r a g o n

f ly a te a mosqu i to tha t was fu l l o f my

b l o o d . T h e d r a g o n f l y h a d n o s o o n e r

g r a b b e d t h a t m o s q u i t o t h a n . . .

fwumppl

A b ig b u l l f r o g w h ip p ed o u t i t s t o n g u e an d

swal lowed the d ragonf ly whole . I t was a

h - u - u - u - g - e b u l l f r o g . T h e k in d t h a t s i n g s

l a t e a t n ig h t d o w n b y t h e l ak e .

B u r r u m p h ! B u r r u m p h !

The f rog l ives in two wor lds .

H e s w im s i n d a r k p o o l s an d l eap s

ab o u t u p o n t h e l an d . H e s i n g s t o

th e m o o n , h o p in g an o th e r f r o g

wi l l hear h i s song , bu t mos t ly

s ing ing because i t f ee l s good in

h i s t h r o a t , i n h i s b u lg in g t h r o a t .

W h en h e is b o r ed o r h u n g r y , h e

ca t ch es l i t t l e b u g s w i th h i s s t i ck y t o n g u e .

H e i s m o s t h a p p y s i t t i n g i n t h e c o o l ,

m u d d y , s h a l l o w w a t e r , s m e l l i n g t h e

w a r m , m u d d y n i g h t a i r , a n d s i n g i n g b e

cause i t f ee l s good in h i s th roa t , in h i s

b u u u l l l g i n g t h r o a t .

A f t e r t h e b u l l f r o g cau g h t t h e

d r a g o n

f ly , i t began to swim across the lake . Imag

in e t h a t y o u a r e t h e r e n o w . T h e l ak e i s a s

s m o o th a s g l a s s an d a s b l ack a s i n k . Re

f lec ted in the water you can see a l l the

s t a r s .

T h e r e ' s o n e s t a r i n t h e cu p o f t h e

q u a r t e r m o o n . T h e l i t t l e b i t o f m o o n l ig h t

i s s h i m m e r i n g o n t h e w a t e r . T h e o n l y r i p

p l e s a r e m ad e b y t h e b u l l f r o g s w im m in g .

S p l a s h ! U p c o m e s a b a s s ! A l a r g e m o u t h

b a s s s w a l l o w s t h e b u l l f r o g w h o l e . T h e

bass swims o f f to the bo t tom of the lake ,

r e s t i n g an d d ig es t i n g t h e b u l l f r o g .

T h a t w as i t f o r t h a t n ig h t .

A few d ay s l a t e r , L a r s t h e m a in t e

n an ce m an s a id , " Fo x , h o w 'd y o u l i k e t o

do a l i t t l e f i sh ing?"

I said , "What k ind o f a ques t ion i s

t h a t ? O f co u r s e I d o . W h y d o n ' t w e t r y t h e

w e s t en d o f t h e l ak e t o n ig h t ? We h av en ' t

f i shed there fo r a whi le . "

L a r s s a i d , " S u r e , w h y n o t ? Y o u ' r e

r o w i n g . "

So t h a t ev en in g , w e w en t o u t o n t h e

l ak e ag a in . I m ag in e y o u a r e s i t t i n g i n a

b o a t i n t h e m id d l e o f a l ak e a t s u n s e t . Ca n

y o u s ee t h e s u n s e t t i n g ? T h e c lo u d s a r e

o r an g e , p u r p l e , p in k , m ag en t a . I t l o o k s

l ike the sky i s on f i r e . In the g lass - smooth

ref lec t io n o f th e w at er you can see th e s un

se t in to

itself.

I rowed across th i s l ake o f f i r e un t i l

w e n e a r e d t h e f a r s h o r e . T h e w a t e r n e a r

46

Ike

We b



t h e f a r s h o r e w as ch o k ed w i th w eed s :

d u ck w eed , l i l y p ad s , an d ca t t a i l s . Bu t I

no t iced a spo t as b ig a round as a basket

b a l l h o o p w h e r e t h e w a t e r w a s c l e a r .

T h e r e w er e n o w eed s t h e r e . I s a id , " L a r s ,

I ' l l b e t y o u t h e r e ' s s o m e th in g b ig h id in g

u n d e r t h e r e . "

Lar s r ep l ied , "So what i f there i s?

You can ' t cas t in to tha t l i t t l e spo t f rom

h e r e . "

I sa id , "Watch!" I t i ed on my favor i te

lure—a j o i n t e d R a p a l l a , h a n d - c a r v e d o u t

o f b a l s am w o o d an d p a in t ed t o l o o k j u s t

l ike a minnow. I t has a l i t t l e swive l in the

midd le o f i t s back , and when you cas t i t ,

i t f loa t s on top o f the water and when you

wigg le i t , i t swims l ike a wounded min

n o w . T h a t ' s g o o d . I f y o u k n o w an y t h in g

a b o u t p r e d a t o r - p r e y r e l a t i o n s h i p s , y o u

k n o w th a t p r e d a to r s a lw ay s g o f or t h e

w eak o r w o u n d ed p r ey . Bas s , i n p a r t i cu

l a r , d o n ' t ch as e t h e i r p r ey . T h ey h id e an d

wai t to pounce on th e ir food!

So I t i ed on the lu re and s ta red a t

t h a t s p o t o f c l ea r w a t e r , co n ce n t r a t i n g ,

m ed i t a t i n g : I t h in k I can , I t h in k I can , I

th ink I can , I know I can , I know I can , I

k n o w I c a n . B z z z z z , s p l a s h ! T h e l u r e

landed r igh t on the f a r edge o f the c i r c le

of clear water . I can! I can!

M y f a t h e r , w h o t a u g h t m e e v e r y t h i n g

I know abou t f i sh ing a lways sa id , "Now,

w h en y o u ' r e ca s t i n g a s u r f ace p lu g , y o u

want to let your lure s i t s t i l l for a while .

You want the f i sh to ge t used to see ing i t

so the y do n ' t th in k i t ju s t f e ll ou t of the

s k y . " Wh en m y lu r e l an d ed , i t s en t o u t

g en t l e r i p p l e s . I w a i t ed f o r t h e co n cen t r i c

c i r c l e s t o d i s ap p ea r . Wh en t h e w a t e r w as

as smooth as g lass , I r ee led in the s lack o f

my f i sh ing l ine . I e lbow ed La r s , say ing , " I f

t h e r e ' s a b ig o n e d o w n th e r e , I 'm g o in g t o

ca tch i t . "

Ca r e f u l l y I w ig g l ed t h e l u r e s o i t

s w a m l ik e a w o u n d e d m i n n o w . N o t h i n g

h ap p en ed . N o w th e l u r e w as r i g h t i n t h e

midd le o f tha t c i r c le o f c lear water . The

f i sh would have to b i te the lu re whi le i t

was in the c lear water ; once the lu re go t

tang led in the weeds , i t was a l l over .

O n ce m o r e I w a i t ed u n t i l a l l t h e co n

cen t r i c c i r c l e s d i s ap p ea r ed . A s I r ee l ed i n

the s lack , I knew i t was now or never . I

w ig g l ed t h e l u r e ag a in , m ak in g i t s w im

l i k e a w o u n d e d m i n n o w . N o t h i n g h a p

p en ed . T h e l u r e w as i n t h e w eed s b y n o w ,

an d I k n ew I w as n ' t g o in g t o ca t ch an y

th in g . D i s ap p o in t ed , I s t a r t ed t o r ee l i n

t h e

lure—and

splashl A b a s s t o o k i t .

S o m e t i m e s t h e y w a i t u n t i l t h a t t h i r d

t i me .

I set the hook hard. The f ish dove off

to the le f t and t r i ed to tang le the l ine in

th e w eed s . Bu t I k ep t t en s io n o n t h e l i n e .

I was reel ing i t in when . . . splashl T h a t

f i sh exp loded ou t o f the water . Have you

ever seen a f i sh dance across the su r face

of a lake? I t is t ry ing to spi t out the hook.

I w o u ld n ' t l e t i t . I k ep t t h e t en s io n o n t h e

l ine and reeled i t in .

I pu l led up the f i sh , worked my f in

ger s in under i t s g i l l s . Wow! I had never

cau g h t a l a r g em o u th b as s s o b ig . I t w as

ab o u t 2 0 i n ch es l o n g an d w e ig h ed ab o u t 5

pounds . I t s mouth was so b ig I cou ld f i t

m y f i s t i n w i th o u t t o u ch in g o n e o f t h e

r a z o r - s h a r p t e e t h .

Now, usua l ly i f you ca tch a b ig f i sh ,

i t ' s a good th ing to le t i t go . That he lps to

k e e p a h e a l t h y b a l a n c e b e t w e e n p r e d a t o r

an d p r ey . Bu t I h ad n ' t h ad an y d in n e r . I n

th i s case , I was a p reda to r , too .

So I took the f i sh and rowed back

across the lake . I took the f i sh up to the

p i cn i c t ab l e o u t s i d e t h e d in in g h a l l .

D o y o u k n o w w h a t deja vu is? It is

w h e n y o u a r e s o m e p l a c e , d o i n g s o m e

th ing , and you f ee l l ike you 've done i t

before . I sa t on the p icn ic tab le and looked

out across the f ie ld . Ear l ie r in the sum

m e r , I h a d w a t c h e d a m a m a g r o u n d h o g

a n d t h r e e l i t t l e g r o u n d h o g s w r e s t l i n g a n d

p l ay in g ; n o w I s aw a co u n s e lo r an d t h r ee

c a m p e r s r o l l i n g a n d w r e s t l i n g a n d p l a y

in g . T h e co u n s e lo r b l ew a w h i s t l e . So m e

o f t h e cam p er s o r t h e g r o u n d h o g s o r w h a t

ever , wen t o f f to the i r hole—I m e a n , t h e i r

cab in .

Ike Web

47



M y c a m p e r s g a t h e r e d a r o u n d t h e p i c

n i c t a b l e . " W h a t ' d y o u c a t c h ? W h a t ' d y o u

c a t c h ? "

I showed them the f i sh . Imagine wi th

m e .

See how th e top of th e f ish is da rk gre en

and b lack , and the bo t tom i s whi te? That i s

perfect camouf lage for the f ish 's habi tat .

Im agin e th a t you are f loa t ing on th e su r face

of a lake, looking down. What do you see?

Green weeds and b lack mud . The top o f the

f ish is dark green with black spots . Now

im ag in e y o u a r e s w im m in g a lo n g t h e b o t

tom of th e lake and you look up th r ou gh th e

w a te r . W h a t d o y o u s ee? T h e s u n s p a r k l i n g

and the clouds. Light colors . The bel ly of

the f i sh i s whi te . In i t s env i ronment , i t has

per fec t camouf lage .

N o w im ag in e h o w a f i s h b r ea th es .

When i t s mouth i s c losed , the g i l l s open .

W h en i t s g il l s a r e c lo s ed , t h e m o u th o p e n s .

You 've a l l seen f i sh l ips , r igh t? [Demon

s t r a t e . ] T h a t ' s h o w a f i s h b r e a t h e s . I t

b r e a t h e s w a t e r a n d p u m p s t h a t w a t e r

across i t s g i l l s .

E v e r y o n e , t a k e a d e e p b r e a t h . W e

p u m p a i r i n to o u r l u n g s ; f i s h p u m p w a te r

ac r o s s t h e i r g i l l s , an d t h a t ' s h o w a f i s h

b r e a t h e s .

Now, le t ' s t ake a look a t the be l ly .

I m ag in e cu t t i n g t h e f i s h o p en . T h e f i s h ' s

be l ly is fu ll . Le t ' s see w ha t i t a t e . W e ' l l cu t

t h e s t o m ach o p en an d . . .

a-hal

a bul l f rog!

T h e r e i s a b u l l f r o g i n t h e s t o m ach o f t h a t

f ish!

W h a t do y o u t h in k m ig h t b e i n t h e

s to m ach o f t h a t f r o g ? A d r ag o n f ly ? A n d

w h a t d o y o u t h in k m ig h t b e i n t h e s t o m

ach o f t h a t d r ag o n f ly ? A m o s q u i to ? A mos

quito?

A n d I t h o u g h t a b o u t t h e m o s q u i t o

t h a t h a d b i t t e n m e j u s t t h e o t h e r d a y .

Bzzz! Bzzz! S lap!

I ca l l t h i s s t o r y " T h e Web " f o r t h e

web of l i f e tha t t i es us a l l toge ther . Now

do you see how a l l the p ieces f i t toge ther?

W h a t a b o u t t h e g r e a t b l u e h e r o n ? T h e

r a c c o o n ? W h a t a b o u t t h e g r o u n d h o g ? H o w

do these th ings t i e in to the web o f l i f e?

The web, the web of al l l i fe .

48

Ike

We b



lollow-Up Ideas

f o r

Zhe WeV

A d v e n t u r e s i n t h e W e b o f

Life

•••Science skills: Observation; Classification;

Communicat ion; Predict ion; Inference;

Ident ify Variables; Formulate Hypotheses;

Re-order, Analyze, and Draw Conclusions; Design

Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Adventures in the Web of Life worksheet

(page 51) ; Explo r ing New En viro nm ents wo rksheet (page

52);

crayons or markers; pen or pencil and paper; access

to l ibrary research mater ia ls

Bef o r e p as s in g o u t t h e A d v en tu r e s i n t h e Web o f L i f e w o r k s h ee t , d i s cu s s t h e

aq u a t i c f o o d w eb i l l u s t r a t ed i n t h i s s t o r y . Y o u m ay w an t t o r a i s e i s s u es r e l a t ed t o

d i s r u p t i o n s i n t h e fo od w eb : W h a t i f y o u e l im in a t ed t h e l a r g e m o u th b as s o r t h e

l a r g e p r ed a to r s f ro m t h e l ak e? W h a t if y o u p o i s o n ed t h e l ak e w i th p es t i c i d es , an d

a d ragonf ly a te 100 po isoned mosqu i toes , a f rog a te 10 d ragonf l ies , a f i sh a te 5 f rogs

and 5 d ragonf l ies , and you a te 3 f i sh? You would ea t 16 ,500 par t ic les o f pes t ic ide

([100 x 10 x 5] + [100 x 5] ) x 3 = 16,500. This process is cal led biological

m ag n i f i ca t i o n ; i t ex p l a in s w h y t h e p es t i c i d e D D T d ec im a ted b a ld eag l e s d u r in g t h e

1 9 6 0 s . W h a t a r e o t h e r t h r e a t s t o t h e b a l a n c e i n n a t u r e ? W h a t h a p p e n s w h e n a n

a l i en p l an t i s i n t r o d u ced , an d i t s v ig o r o u s g r o w th d ec r eas es t h e s u n l i g h t an d

n u t r i en t s av a i l ab l e f o r n a t i v e p l an t s ? Wh a t can w e d o t o p r o t ec t o r p r o m o te t h e

b a l an ce o f eco s y s t em s ? S t a t e d ep a r tm en t s o f f i s h an d w i ld l i f e m o n i to r t h e f i s h

p o p u la t i o n s o f m an y p u b l i c an d p r iv a t e p o n d s an d l ak es . L ik e f i s h , m an y i n s ec t s

( i n c lu d in g t h e i r n y m p h s ) a r e i n d i ca to r s p ec i e s ; b y k eep in g an ey e o n t h e i n d i ca to r

spec ies you can d i scover p rob lems before they exp lode . What e l se can we do to

p r o t e c t e c o s y s t e m s ?

A f t e r p as s in g o u t t h e w o r k s h ee t , a l l o w s tu d en t s t im e t o w o r k

in d iv id u a l l y o r i n s m a l l g r o u p s , d r aw in g t h e l i n e s t h a t co n n ec t p r ed a to r

to p r ey . A l lo w s tu d en t s t o s h a r e t h e i r w eb s a s an o p p o r tu n i t y t o l ea r n

f r o m e a c h o t h e r a n d t o l e a r n a b o u t e a c h o t h e r ' s u n u s u a l e a t i n g h a b i t s .

H av e y o u ev e r ea t en a g r o u n d h o g ?

N o w p a s s o u t t h e E x p l o r i n g N e w E n v i r o n m e n t s w o r k

s h e e t . U s i n g t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s o n t h e w o r k s h e e t , c h a l l e n g e

s t u d e n t s t o c h o s e a n e n v i r o n m e n t t h e y k n o w s o m e t h i n g

ab o u t . A s k t h em to l i s t an d t h en d r aw s ev e r a l o f t h e

p l a n t s a n d a n i m a l s t h a t li ve i n t h a t e n v i r o n m e n t .

U s i n g a w r i t i n g p r o c e s s a p p r o a c h , g u i d e s t u d e n t s

th r o u g h t h e co n s t r u c t i o n o f a n ew v e r s io n o f " T h e

Mlow-Up Ideas

io r

Ike

We b 49



W e b . " T h ey co u ld f i r s t w r i t e o n e o r tw o d es c r ip t i v e s en t en ces ab o u t each ch a r ac t e r ,

f o l l o w ed b y tw o o r t h r ee s en t en ces ab o u t t h e s e t t i n g o r h ab i t a t . S tu d en t s co u ld

m ak e a s t o r y m ap o r o u t l i n e of t h e i r p lo t s . T h es e r o u g h n o t e s co u ld t h e n b e

r ew r i t t en i n to s t o r y f o r m . Wi th ca r e f u l r ew r i t i n g an d s o m e l i b r a r y r e s ea r ch ,

s tuden ts cou ld po l i sh a f ina l d raf t .

T h es e s t o r i e s co u ld t h en b e i l l u s t r a t ed an d co l l ec t ed i n to an th o lo g i e s b as ed o n

t h e e n v i r o n m e n t s d e s c r i b e d , f o r e x a m p l e , S t o r i e s f r o m t h e T u n d r a o r S t o r i e s f ro

the Rain Forest.

S tu d e n t s co u ld p r ac t i ce an d t h en p e r f o r m th e i r s t o r i e s f or t h e i r

c l a s s o r o th e r c l a s s e s . Sev e r a l s t u d en t s w h o ch o s e t h e s am e eco s y s t em co u ld

co m b in e t h e i r s t o r i e s an d d ev e lo p a s k i t b a s ed o n t h e i r co m b in ed s t o r y . Sm a l l

g roups cou ld a l so develop a food web d iagram to d i sp lay on a bu l le t in board a long

w i th t h e i r s t o r i e s .

50

Ike

We b



A d v e n t u r e s i n t h e W eb o f L ife

Draw the food web, connecting animals to their sources of food. What eats

what? Remember that many predators eat more than one kind of prey, and many

animals are prey for more than one kind of predator!

From



Mlow-Up Ueas io r "the Web

51



E x p l o r i n g N e w E n v i r o n m e n t s

Imagine th at you are in a par t icu lar e nvironm ent : a ra in fores t, de ser t , pra i r ie ,

grass lands , coral reef, taiga or boreal forest , tundra, ci ty park, or another environ

ment you think of . List the plants and animals that l ive there. Draw a picture of

each plant and animal in the l is t . Now think about who eats whom. Write a s tory

about this food web in this environment. Put yourself in the s tory. What might you

eat? What might eat you?

Tel l your s tory to a par tner and then l i s ten to your par tner ' s s tory. Rewri te ,

edit , and type your s tory to share with your class .

'Pt<tot&

and Animate

Write your list here.

Draw your plants and animals here .

From Learning from the Land. Copyright © 1997 Brian

"Fox"

Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.

52

Ike

We b

D r a w i n g s



M a k i n g a F o o d W e b

•••Science skills: Observation; Classification; Prediction;

Inference; Identify Variables

•••Materials: Ball of str ing; index cards; markers;

t ape , clothes pins or safety pins

With a b a l l o f s t r i n g an d s o m e in d ex ca r d s , s t u d en t s c r ea t e a f o o d w eb i n t h e

c l a s s r o o m .

T o c o m p l e t e t h i s a c t i v i t y , s t u d e n t s m u s t u n d e r s t a n d n o t o n l y p r e d a t o r - p r e y

re la t ionsh ips bu t a l so the cyc le o f l i f e . I f you have no t a l r eady per fo rmed "The

Bal lad o f Rus ty and Nancy" fo r your c lass , t ake a f ew moments to exp la in l i f e cyc les ,

i n c lu d in g t h e f ac t t h a t w h en an im a l s d i e t h ey r o t an d r e tu r n t o t h e s o i l , w h ich i s

t h e s o u r ce o f n u t r i en t s f o r p l an t s . T h u s , ev en p l an t s b e lo n g t o t h e f o o d w eb .

I n ad d i t i o n , b e f o r e y o u b eg in t h i s ex e r c i s e , y o u m ig h t i n t r o d u ce t h e t e r m s

carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, a n d detritivore. ( D e t r i t i v o r e s a r e ca r r i o n ea t e r s . )

Co u n t o u t en o u g h i n d ex ca r d s t o p r o v id e o n e t o each s t u d en t i n t h e c l a s s . O n

each i n d ex ca r d w r i t e t h e n am e o r p as t e a p i c tu r e o f a p l an t o r an im a l . Be s u r e t o

in c lu d e a g o o d b a l an ce o f f o o d p l an t s an d an im a l s , p r ed a to r s an d p r ey .

T o do t h e ac t i v i t y w i th t h e w h o le c l a s s , c r ea t e o n e s e t of ca r d s w i th p l an t s an d

an im a l s f ro m a s i n g l e eco s y s t em . T o d o t h i s w i th s ev e r a l s m a l l g r o u p s , m ak e s ev e r a l

se t s o f cards , each se t devo ted to a d i f f e ren t ecosys tem, such as r a in fo res t , savanna ,

t u n d r a , w e t l a n d s , a n d s o f o r t h .

U s in g t ap e , c l o th es p in s o r s a f e ty p in s , a t t ach o n e ca r d t o t h e b ack o f each

s tu d en t . D o n o t a l l o w th e s t u d en t t o s ee t h e ca r d . T h en t e l l t h e s t u d en t s t o f i g u r e

o u t w h a t k in d o f an im a l o r p l an t t h ey a r e b y a s k in g each o th e r y es - o r - n o q u es t i o n s .

Ques t ions cou ld r e fer to s ize and co lo r o r to hab i ta t and d ie t . For example , Am I

brown? Am I b igger than a ca t? Am I a carn ivore? Do I l ive in water?

( Y o u m ay n eed t o m o d e l t h e q u es t i o n - an d - an s w er p r o ces s f o r y o u r c l a s s . H av e

a s t u d en t a t t ach o n e ca r d t o y o u r b ack , t h en t u r n y o u r b ack t o t h e s t u d en t s t o s h o w

th em w h a t is o n t h e ca r d . A s k q u es t i o n s of t h e s t u d en t s u n t i l y o u f i g u re o u t w h a t

i s o n t h e ca r d . T h i s g am e p r o v id es an ex ce l l en t o p p o r tu n i t y t o p r ac t i ce d ed u c t i v e

th in k in g an d c l a s s i f i ca t i o n s k i l l s . )

Wh en t h e s t u d en t s h av e f i g u r ed o u t w h ich an im a l o r p l an t t h ey a r e , r em o v e

the i r card and have them s i t in a c i r c le wi th the i r cards on the f loor in f ron t o f

t h em , s o ev e r y o n e can s ee w h o i s w h a t k in d o f an im a l o r p l an t .

Mlow-Up Ideas for Che WeV

53



T o b eg in c r e a t i n g t h e w eb of l if e, t ak e t h e b a l l of s t r i n g . H o ld in g o n to t h e en d

o f t h e s t r i n g , t o s s t h e b a l l t o a s t u d en t w h o i s p o r t r ay in g a p l an t o r an im a l t h a t i s

y o u r p r e d a t o r o r p r e y . R e m e m b e r t h a t p l a n t s d e r i v e n o u r i s h m e n t f r o m s o i l , w h i c h

in c lu d es t h e r em a in s o f d ecay ed an im a l s .

S t u d e n t s c o n t i n u e t o s s i n g t h e s t r i n g t o o n e a n o t h e r . S t u d e n t s m a y c a t c h t h e

b a l l o f s t r i n g m o r e t h an o n ce : So m e an im a l s ea t m an y t y p es o f p r ey , an d s o m e a r e

p r ey f o r m an y t y p es o f p r ed a to r s .

W h e n ev e r y s t u d e n t i s h o ld in g o n to a p i ece o f t h e s t r i n g , s t a r t a d i s c u s s io n

ab o u t t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f p es t i c i d e s i n to t h e en v i r o n m en t . A s p a r t of t h e d i s cu s s io n ,

i n i t i a t e a d r am a t i c en a c tm en t of t h e e ff ec t of p es t i c i d es o n t h e en v i r o n m en t . Fo r

e x a m p l e , a s k " W h a t h a p p e n s w h e n s o m e o n e s p r a y s f o r m o s q u i t o e s ? " I n r e s p o n s e ,

t h e s t u d e n t p o r t r a y i n g t h e m o s q u i t o f a l l s o v e r a n d p l a y s d e a d . T h e n e v e r y s t u d e n t

w h o i s co n n ec t ed b y t h e w eb d i r ec t l y t o t h e m o s q u i to f a l l s o v e r an d p l ay s d ead .

T h en ev e r y s t u d en t w h o i s co n n ec t ed t o a s t u d en t w h o i s co n n ec t ed t o t h e m o s q u i to

fa l l s over and p lays dead . In th i s way , s tuden ts see the " r ipp le e f f ec t" o f env i ron

m en ta l ch an g e an d b io lo g i ca l m ag n i f i ca t i o n .

W h e r e A r e t h e P r e d a t o r s ?

•••Science skills: Communication; Identify Variables;


Invest iga t ions

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; quality typographical

maps of your region; l ibrary research mater ia ls

A s a c l a s s b r a in s to r m a l i s t o f p r ed a to r s t h a t l i v e o r h av e l i v ed i n y o u r a r ea .

A s k s t u d en t s t o d i s r eg a r d ex t i n c t an im a l s i n t h i s ac t i v i t y . Y o u m ay w an t t o ex p l a in

t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n e x t i n c t i o n a n d e x t i r p a t e d m e g a f a u n a . E x t i n c t i o n m e a n s a l l

o f t h e a n i m a l s of t h a t t y p e a r e d e a d . E x t i r p a t e d m e g a f a u n a m e a n s t h a t s o m e l a r g e

an im a l s m ay h av e b een e l im in a t ed f r o m a r eg io n b ecau s e o f t h e b u i l d in g o f c i t i e s

an d f a r m s , o r t h e e l im in a t i o n of t h e i r h a b i t a t . T h e s e an im a l s a r e n o t e x t i n c t ,

b ecau s e t h ey s t i l l l i v e i n o th e r a r ea s .

Wi th t h es e co n cep t s i n m in d , s p l i t t h e l i s t i n to tw o ca t eg o r i e s : p r ed a to r s t h a t

s t i l l l i v e i n y o u r r eg io n an d t h o s e t h a t a r e ex t i r p a t ed . A d d m o r e p r ed a to r s t o each

l i s t a s s t u d e n t s m e n t i o n t h e m .

A s k s t u d en t s t o ch o o s e o n e p r ed a to r f r o m e i t h e r l i s t an d r e s ea r ch i t s n eed s ;

t h e r ea s o n s i t b ecam e ex t i r p a t ed o r f ac to r s t h a t t h r ea t en i t w i th ex t i r p a t i o n ; f o o d

s o u r c e s ; h a b i t a t ; r a n g e ; r e p r o d u c t i o n r a t e ; a n d c u r r e n t p o p u l a t i o n . O b v i o u s l y , t h i s

r eq u i r e s m o r e i n - d e p th r e s ea r ch t h a n s o m e o f t h e o th e r p r o j ec t s i n t h i s b o o k .

F o r t u n a t e l y , m a n y m e g a f a u n a a r e t h e s u b je c t s of e x t e n s i v e r e s e a r c h ; t h a t m a k e s

d ig g in g u p f ac t s ab o u t t h em eas i e r t h an i t m ay a t f i r s t ap p ea r . Co n s u l t w i th y o u r

s ch o o l l i b r a r i an t o f i n d s o u r ces o f i n f o r m a t io n .

C h a l l e n g e s t u d e n t s t o d e s i g n a t h e o r e t i c a l s t u d y t h a t a n s w e r s o n e o f t w o

q u es t i o n s : If t h e p r ed a to r s t i l l l i v e s i n y o u r r eg io n , w h a t can b e d o n e t o p r o t ec t an d

p r o m o t e i t s h a b i t a t t o e n s u r e a t h r i v i n g p o p u l a t i o n ? I f t h e p r e d a t o r i s e x t i r p a t e d ,

w h a t w o u l d b e r e q u i r e d t o r e i n t r o d u c e t h e s p e c i e s t o t h e a r e a i n v i a b l e n u m b e r s ?

O b v io u s ly , t h i s i s a t h eo r e t i ca l s t u d y , b ecau s e w i th o u t m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s an d y ea r s

of hard work , th i s k ind o f p ro jec t would be nex t to imposs ib le . (But i t i s be ing done! )

54

Ike

We b



A t t h i s p o in t y o u m a y w an t t o

h igh l igh t a success s to ry , l ike the

r e in t r o d u c t i o n o f w o lv es t o Y e l

l o w s t o n e N a t i o n a l P a r k o r t h e s u c

c e s s f u l b r e e d i n g o f p e r e g r i n e

fa lcons in many major c i t i es . In

I l l i n o i s , t h e b a ld eag l e p o p u l a t i o n

has gone f rom a lmos t 0 (30 year s

a g o ) t o m o r e t h a n 2 , 0 0 0 b i r d s

s ig h t ed i n t h e w in t e r o f 1 9 9 7 ! T h e

popula t ion rose f rom 1 ,733 eag les

in the 1996 win ter coun t to 2 ,459

in t h e 1 9 9 7 w in t e r co u n t ! Co n tac t

y o u r s t a t e ' s d e p a r t m e n t o f n a t u r a l

r esources fo r a loca l success s to ry .

S t u d en t r ep o r t s s h o u ld i n c lu d e t h r ee l ay e r s of m ap s co lo r- co d ed t o h ig h l i g h t

c u r r e n t c o n d i t i o n s a s w e l l a s b o t h s h o r t - t e r m a n d l o n g - t e r m h a b i t a t r e s t o r a t i o n s .

T h es e m ap s s h o u ld an s w er t h e f o l l o w in g q u es t i o n s : Wh a t k in d o f r an g e i s n eed ed ?

W h a t t y p es o f p l an t i n g o r s t r e am s id e r e s to r a t i o n n e ed s t o b e d o n e? If t h e r e s to r a

t ion ef fo r t s a re e f f ec tive , w ha t w i l l th e p lace look l ike in 10 ye ar s ? In 30 year s?

H av e s t u d en t s d ev e lo p g r ap h s t h a t r e f l ec t t h e i r s p ec i e s ' p o p u l a t i o n g r o w th ,

t a k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t b o t h t h e ag e of m a t u r i t y a n d r e p r o d u c t i o n r a t e s . A s k s t u d e n t s

to d r aw tw o l i n es o n each g r ap h , o n e t h a t r e f l ec t s i d ea l co n d i t i o n s ( b as ed o n t h e

s i m p l e m a t h o f m u l t i p l y i n g b i r t h r a t e s b y t h e n u m b e r o f y e a r s ) , a n d o n e t h a t

r e f l ec t s d ea th r a t e s , p e r d i t i o n , l i f e s p an s , an d o th e r p r o b l em s t h a t a r e d i f f i cu l t t o

fo recas t .

S t u d en t s co u ld d r a f t l eg i s l a t i o n t o a l l o ca t e f u n d in g a n d t h e u s e of p u b l i c l an d s ,

o r t h ey co u ld d ev e lo p a co m m u n i ty o u t r each p r o g r am , i n c lu d in g a s e r i e s o f l ec tu r e s

o r s l i d e s h o w s o r 2 - m i n u t e p u b l i c s e r v i c e a n n o u n c e m e n t s t h a t t h e y w r i t e a n d

p r o d u ce i n o r d e r t o g a r n e r t h e s u p p o r t o f l o ca l l an d o w n er s f o r r e in t r o d u c in g

ex t i r p a t ed s p ec i e s o r f o r p r o t ec t i n g s p ec i e s i n d an g e r o f ex t i r p a t i o n .

W o r k i n g in s m a l l g r o u p s s t u d e n t s c o u l d p e r f o r m t h e i n i t ia l r e s e a r c h , a n d t h e n

eac h s tu de n t cou ld choose one aspec t o f th e p ro jec t fo r h i s o r he r r e po r t . On e

s tu d en t co u ld f o cu s o n t h e m ap s , an o th e r co u ld t ack l e t h e p o p u l a t i o n ch a r t s , a t h i r d

s tu d en t co u ld d r a f t l eg i s l a t i o n an d w o r k u p a b u d g e t , an d a f o u r th co u ld c r ea t e a

p l an f o r t h e p u b l i c aw ar en es s p r o g r am .

A d m i t t ed ly , t h i s s o u n d s l i k e a h u g e ch a l l en g e . Bu t s t u d en t s a r e d o in g i t .

S t u d e n t g r o u p s i n W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e a r e w o r k i n g t o r e s t o r e s a l m o n t o r i v e r s .

S t u d en t s a r e i n v o lv ed in s u p p o r t i n g t h e r e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f w o lv es t o Y e l lo w s to n e ,

i n m o n i t o r i n g t h e t r i b u t a r i e s o f t h e I l l in o i s R i v e r t o h e l p m a n a g e t h e r e i n t r o d u c t i o n

o f r i v e r o t t e r s , an d i n r a i s i n g p u b l i c aw ar en es s ab o u t t h e m an a t ee i n F lo r id a .

T h es e r e s ea r ch p r o j ec t s co u ld l ead t o p o s i t i v e p u b l i c s u p p o r t an d m o n u m en ta l

r e s u l t s .

rtollowllp Idea s for "Che

Web 55



W h e r e H a v e A l l t h e P r e d a t o r s G o n e ?

•••Science skills: Communication; Prediction; Inference;

Identify Variables; Formulate Hypotheses; Re-order,

Analyze, and Draw Conclusions; Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; quality topographical

maps of your region; library research materials; audio

t apes ,

v ideotapes, and associated equipment

H e l p s t u d e n t s u n d e r s t a n d t h e r o l e of p r e d a t o r s i n t h e fo od w e b a n d u n d e r s t a n d

th a t m an y p l an t s an d an im a l s a r e ad v e r s e ly a f f ec t ed b y t h e e l im in a t i o n o f an y

spec ies .

Discuss ex t inc t ion and the e f f ec t o f loss o f p reda to r s on an ecosys tem or food

w e b . Beg in b y d i s cu s s in g h o w ch an g es i n h ab i t a t c an cau s e l a r g e p r ed a to r s t o

b e c o m e e x t i n c t . W h a t h a p p e n s t h e n ? A s k l e a d i n g q u e s t i o n s t o h e l p s t u d e n t s d e d u c e

t h a t w i t h o u t p r e d a t o r s , t h e p o p u l a t i o n of t h e p r e y e x p a n d s u n t i l t h e e c o s y s t e m ' s

f o o d w eb can n o t s u s t a in i t . T h en t h e p r ey s t a r v es , an d i t s p o p u l a t i o n c r a s h es . Wh a t

h a p p e n s t h e n ?

W h e r e D o e s O u r F o o d C o m e F r o m ?

•••Science skills: Observation; Classification; Inference

•••Materials: Food labels; pen or pencil and paper;

access to l ibrary research mater ia ls

M ost fo lks do n ' t know w he re the i r food com es f rom. If you ar e w ha t you ea t ,

b u t y o u d o n ' t k n o w w h er e o r h o w y o u r fo od w as g r o w n , h o w can y o u ex p ec t t o k n o w

w h a t y o u a r e m ad e o f ? H o w can y o u u n d e r s t an d y o u r r o l e i n t h e w eb o f l i f e?

Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o r ead f o o d l ab e l s . A r e t h e f o o d s t h ey ea t l o ca l l y g r o w n ?

( Pr o d u ce i s g en e r a l l y m ar k ed w i th an i d en t i f y in g l ab e l , o r s t u d en t s can a s k t h e

p r o d u ce m an ag e r a t t h e i r g r o ce r y s t o r e w h e r e t h e p r o d u ce co m es f r o m . ) M an y

can n ed f o od s a r e l ab e l ed w i t h " P r o d u c t o f . " H a v e s t u d en t s l i s t a l l t h e

c o u n t r i e s t h a t c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e i r d i e t .

Have s tuden ts l i s t the i r f avor i te foods , then choose one food f rom the l i s t and

l i s t al l o f t h e i n g r e d i e n t s i n t h a t f oo d.

A s k s t u d e n t s t o ch o o s e t h e m a jo r i n g r ed i en t o f t h e i r f av o r i t e f oo d . U s in g a

d i a g r a m m a t i c f l o w c h a r t , h a v e s t u d e n t s t r a c e t h a t i n g r e d i e n t t o t h e s t o r e , t h e

w ar eh o u s e , t h e p r o ces s in g p l an t , t h e g r a in e l ev a to r , t h e t r u ck , t h e f i e l d , an d a l l t h e

way back to the so i l .

U s in g t h e ch a r t a s a g u id e , s t u d en t s w r i t e a s t o r y t h a t b eg in s a t t h e i r d in n e r

p l a t e an d m o v es b ack t h r o u g h t im e , o r s t a r t s w i th t h e s eed an d en d s o n t h e i r d in n e r

p l a t e . T h e f i g u r e o n p ag e 5 7 s h o w s t h e p r o g r es s io n f o r t h i s ac t i v i t y .

56

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We b



T h e S t o r y o f N a c h o s

My favorite food: Na choS

I n g r e d i e n t s :

• ch ip s : co rn , sa l t , l ime , wa ter , o il

• t o m a t o e s

• b lac k o l ives : o l ives , sa l t , w at er

• g r een o n io n s

• ch ee s e : m i lk , r en n e t , s a l t , an n a to co lo r in g

O u t l i n e f o r t h e

Chips

sec t ion o f

"The

S to r y o f N ach o s "

• p l a n t i n g

• m a t u r in g co r n , m a i ze , m y th i c im ag e of y o u n g g i r l w i t h b lo n d h a i r , o ld

w o m a n b e a r i n g f r u i t

• p ick er , so r t i ng corn f rom s i lage

• t r u ck t o e l ev a to r

• ba rg e to mi l l

• f ac to ry , sa l t , wat er , l ime, o il in va t , f ri ed , d r ied , an d p ack ag ed

• t r u ck t o w a r eh o u s e t o s t o r e

• s h o p p i n g , h u n g r y , a r r a n g e o n p l a t e w i t h o t h e r i n g r e

d i e n t s , m i c r o w a v e

• Eat

Par ag r ap h t o s t a r t t h e Ch ip s s ec t i o n o f "The S to ry o f Nachos"

On a warm spring morning in Illinois, a farmer

drove his tractor across a

field.

As he drove, his planter

pierced the Earth and inserted corn seeds.

3ollow-Hp

I d e a s i o r

Ike Web

57



T a k e Y o u r S t u d e n t s F i s h i n g

•••Science skills: Appreciation; Observation; Metric

Measurement; Classification; Identify Variables;

Formulate Hypotheses; Re-order , Analyze,

and Draw Conclusions; Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Hook s, line, poles, bait, tac kle, scale, pen or pe nc il

and graph paper

T h er e i s n o b e t t e r w ay t o i n v o lv e s t u d en t s i n t h e d i r ec t s t u d y o f an aq u a t i c

eco s y s t em t h a n t o p u t t h e m in t h e m id d l e o f t h e fo od w eb ! A t m o s t s ch o o l s y o u w i l l

f in d a t le a s t a f ew p a r e n t s w h o a r e av id an g l e r s an d w i ll en th u s i a s t i ca l l y s h a r e t h e i r

p as s io n f o r f i s h in g . A r r an g e s p ec i a l w eek en d o u t i n g s w i th t h es e p a r en t s . T h i s i s

b es t d o n e in s m a l l g r o u p s of ab o u t t h r e e s t u d e n t s p e r ad u l t . A s k t h e an g l e r s t o

e i t h e r l o an s t u d en t s f i s h in g g ea r o r h e lp t h em m ak e can e f i s h in g p o l e s .

A l s o ,

m a n y s t a t e s h a v e a s p e c ia l b r a n c h of t h e d e p a r t m e n t of n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s

o r f i s h an d g am e m an ag em en t t h a t w i l l b e eag e r t o h e lp y o u t ak e y o u r s t u d en t s

f i sh ing .

C a t c h i n g f i s h i s a n e x c e l l e n t l e a r n i n g o p p o r t u n i t y a n d e n c o u r a g e s s t u d e n t s '

j o y i n a n d a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d . T o d e e p e n s t u d e n t s ' a p p r e c i a t i o n a n d

k n o w led g e , t r y s o m e o f t h e f o l l o w in g ac t i v i t i e s :

• De s ign s tu d i es to t e s t the e ff icacy o f va r io us types of ba i t .

• I d en t i f y t h e v a r io u s t y p e s o f f is h cau g h t an d c r ea t e a ch a r t t h a t s h o w s w h a t t y p es

o f f is h each s t u d e n t cau g h t .

• W e ig h t h e f is h an d c r ea t e a ch a r t t h a t s h o w s t h e co m b in e d w e ig h t of a l l t h e f is h

c a u g h t .

• C r ea t e a g r a p h t h a t co m p ar e s t h e n u m b e r o f f is h cau g h t t o t h e i r t o t a l w e ig h t i n

k i l o g r a m s .

• D is sec t a f ew of th e fi sh . I f s t ud en ts ca ug h t var iou s typ es of f i sh , d i s se c t one f i sh

o f e a c h t y p e a n d c o m p a r e t h e i r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s .

• D i s cu s s t h e catch-and-release e t h i c m en t io n ed a t t h e en d o f " T h e Web , " an d

en co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o t h in k ab o u t w h y i t i s u s e f u l o r i s t h e r i g h t t h in g t o d o .

• H av e a f ish fry!

58 Ike

We b



Ike

R at t lesn ake Zkat lam ed

a

Boy

A tall Science

t a l e

Gteoer a day ftajueji hut that c? do - tnynelf

the honor to eomwuine until mate of

nature f<i oai'iext <f&vwL& .

G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n C a r v e r , f r o m

George Washington Carver



From





Comments to the teacher

A L T H O U G H

THIS IS A TALL TAL

tell it straight, as if even the most fantastic detail was a plain, everyday

thing. If you sense that your credibility is waning, play with your audi

ence. I often use phrases like, "I know this is hard to believe, but. . . . "

Then I state a credible scientific fact, such as, "Snakes are territorial

and have been known to travel miles to return to their

turf.

How

many of you know the story of The Incredible Journey? If two dogs and

a cat can travel 200 miles, don't you think a snake could travel 30?"

Use body language and vocal expression to dramatize the story,

but keep it subtle. Part of the fun of a tall tale is suspending disbelief,

allowing yourself to be fooled into thinking the fiction is fact. Later,

students can sort the fact from the fiction. But in the telling, let it all

be true

If you start with the truth, people believe you. To help them sus

pend their disbelief, stretch the truth oh, so gently. To make it work

for you, consider rewriting that part of the story to reflect your own

childhood experiences. Adapt the story to use one of your relatives

who lived on a farm in a part of the country that has rattlesnakes. If

you do not have such a relative, use my uncle as if he were yours. If

this is uncomfortable, tell this story in the third person. Pick a name

for the main character, and tell the story about that person. Consider

using a girl's name for the main character. Just because the character

is a crack shot doesn't mean it has to be a boy As you practice the

story, be sure to change all of the first-person pronouns (I, me, mine)

to third person (he, him, his or she, her, hers).

This can be a long or short story, depending on

how much time you have to tell it. I have often told

45-minute versions of this story with a great deal of

detail about my childhood and several tangents

that covered intriguing facts about snakes. I have

also told 10-minute versions of the story that fol

lowed the core events. If time is short, cut several

scenes or issues, such as shooting the bittern or

Ike

Rattlesnake

Ikat

lam ed a Boy

61



frogs,

the toxic waste in the swamp, petting the snake, the snake in

the house, the snake in the bed, or leaving the snake in the woods. But

be aware that each time you eliminate a scene, you lose an opportunity

to inject humor and intriguing science facts, so cut carefully.

Note: To add an audib le e lement to the s tory , make a ra t t lesnake

sound whenever the word rattlesnake comes up in th e story. To mak e

the sound, rapidly drum your tongue against the roof of your mouth:

t-d-d-d-l. Or shak e a baby ra t t le or ja r with seve ral be an s in it . After a

few repet i t ions, your students wil l ant icipate the sound and join in .

And now the story

62

Ike Rattlesnake Ikat l a m e d

a

Boy



the Rattlesnake that tamed

a Bou:

A lull Science t a l e

U n e of t h e w a y s i n w h i c h s c i e

w o r k s is t h r o u g h c o n t r a s t a n d c o m p a r i

s o n , d i s ce r n in g t h i s f r o m th a t , m y th f r o m

fac t , usefu l f rom de s t r uc t iv e . As you l i s ten

to t h i s s t o r y , co m p ar e an d co n t r a s t c i t y

an d co u n t r y , n a tu r a l an d a r t i f i c i a l . Wh a t

i s good and bad in each?

Also l is ten for fact and f ict ion. Tal l

t a l e s s t r e t ch t h e t r u th s o f a r i t b eco m es

fan tas t ic . Bu t t a l l t a les can s t i l l t e l l you

t h e t r u t h a b o u t t h i n g s . C a n y o u s e p a r a t e

th e face from f ic t ion in th i s s to ry? Ca n you

f in d t h e t r u th t h a t l i e s b e n e a t h i t a l l?

F in a l l y , t h i s i s a l s o a s t o r y ab o u t

s n a k es . A s y o u l i s t en , t h in k ab o u t w h a t

y o u k n o w ab o u t s n ak es . W h a t d o y o u b e

l ie v e a b o u t t h e m ? W h a t m y t h s a b o u t

s n ak es h av e y o u b e l i ev ed a t o n e t im e o r

a n o t h e r ?

Wh en I w as n in e y ea r s o ld m y u n c l e

in v i t ed m e t o s p en d t h e s u m m er o n h i s

f a r m i n T e n n e s s e e . W h a t a d r e a m c o m e

t r u e :

A w h o le s u m m er f a r aw ay f ro m th e

no ise and smel l s o f the c i ty .

In the c i ty , I had a backyard tha t was

30 feet by 40 feet—about Vn of an ac re. A t

m y u n c l e ' s f a r m , I w o u ld h av e m o r e t h an

1 , 5 0 0 ac r e s t o p l ay o n . H e r e ' s h o w i t

w o r k ed : M y u n c l e o w n ed 3 5 0 ac r e s . T h e

n e ig h b o r t o t h e ea s t o w n ed 7 0 0 ac r e s , t h e

n e ig h b o r t o t h e n o r th o w n ed 4 0 0 ac r e s ,

an d t h e n e ig h b o r t o t h e w es t o w n ed 2 5 0

a c r e s . D o a l i t t l e m a th w i th m e : 3 5 0 + 700

+ 400 + 250 = how many? 1700 acres !

T h a t w a s m y b a c k y a r d !

M y u n c l e g r ew s o y b ea n s an d co r n an d

hay . He a l so had 180 cows . Can you be

l i ev e t h a t ? H e h ad a h u g e d a i r y o p e r a t i o n ,

w i t h e l e c t r i c m i l k e r s a n d e n o r m o u s r e

f r i g e r a t i o n t an k s . T h ey d r o v e t h e m i lk

a r o u n d i n s t a i n l e s s s t e e l t a n k e r t r u c k s .

Mos t peop le on ly see mi lk in p las t ic jugs

f ro m th e s t o r e , b u t t h a t s u m m er I g o t t o

see the whole p rocess , f rom cow to super

m a r k e t .

T h e o n ly t h in g t h a t b o th e r ed m e w as

my fear of snakes. I love snakes now—and

soon you ' l l see

why—but

before I went to

the farm, I was af raid of them. I was espe

cially afraid of (t-d-d-d-d-l) r a t t l e s n a k e s .

Wh en I w as o u t an d ab o u t , I a lw ay s

k ep t m y ey es an d ea r s o p en f o r s n ak es .

O n e d ay w h en I w as w a lk in g a lo n g t h e

ed g e o f t h e w o o d s , w h e r e t h e w o o d s m ee t

t h e p a s t u r e , t-d-d-d-d-l, I h e a r d a r a t t l e

s n ak e . I f r o ze . H av e y o u ev e r b een s o

a f r a id t h a t y o u w an t t o s c r eam b u t n o th

ing comes ou t? Have you ever been so

a f r a id t h a t y o u w an t t o r u n b u t y o u a r e

f r o zen w i th f ea r ? T h a t ' s h o w I w as .

Wi thou t moving my fee t o r body , I

t u r n ed m y h ead t o l o o k a r o u n d . A b o u t 2 0

f ee t aw ay , t h e r e w as t h a t r a t t l e s n ak e . I t

w as h i s s i n g an d s h a k in g i t s t a i l . I t w as t h e

s t r an g es t t h in g I ' d ev e r s een . L e t m e t e l l

y o u w h a t I s a w : T h e s n a k e w a s s a n d

w ich ed b e tw een tw o r o ck s . T h e r o ck o n

to p p in n ed t h e s n ak e s o i t co u ld n ' t g e t

aw ay . Bu t t h e s n ak e w as s t i l l a l i v e an d

d id n ' t s eem to b e h u r t . I t c e r t a in ly w as n ' t

t o o h u r t t o r a t t l e ! T-d-d-d-d-l.

L e t ' s s t o p t o t h in k ab o u t t h i s . H o w

d i d t h e s n a k e g e t i n t o t h a t p r e d i c a m e n t ?

W h a t d o y o u t h in k ? T h i s i s a s c ien ce s t o r y ;

Ike

Rattlesnake

Ikat

l a m e d

a

Boy

63



f o r m u l a t e a h y p o t h e s i s , a n e d u c a t e d

g u e s s .

W h a t d o y o u k n o w ab o u t s n ak es ?

W h a t d o y o u k n o w a b o u t t h e s i t u a t i o n ?

U s i n g t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n , m a k e a g u e s s .

[ G iv e s t u d en t s t im e t o d i s cu s s t h i s

w i t h a p a r t n e r . T h e n , s a y i n g s o m e t h i n g

l ike ,

"Let 's h ea r s o m e of y o u r h y p o th e

ses ,"

ca l l on a f ew s tuden ts . In o f fer ing

f eed b ack o n t h e i r h y p o th es es , f o cu s m o r e

o n a f f i r m i n g t h e i r l o gi c a n d r e a s o n i n g

t h a n o n t h e c o r r e c t a n s w e r . ]

I d o n ' t k n o w f o r s u r e h o w th e s n ak e

g o t s t u c k , b u t h e r e ' s m y h y p o t h e s i s :

S n a k e s a r e n o c t u r n a l , r i g h t ? T h e y c o m e

o u t a t n ig h t an d s l eep d u r in g t h e d ay . A r e

y o u n o c t u r n a l o r d i u r n a l ? R i g h t , d i u r n a l .

Y o u co m e o u t d u r in g t h e d ay an d s l eep a t

n i g h t . T h a t m a k e s y o u d i u r n a l .

Sn ak es a r e a l s o co ld - b lo o d ed , r i g h t ?

T h e y c a n n o t m a k e t h e i r o w n h e a t , s o t h e y

are a lways look ing fo r a warm p lace . Are

y o u c o l d - b l o o d e d o r w a r m - b l o o d e d ?

W a r m - b l o o d e d , r i g h t . M a y b e t h e s n a k e

w as s l eep in g o n a s u n n y r o ck . A n d m ay b e

a cow walked by f a r ther up on the h i l l . The

cow s tepped on a rock , and the rock ro l led

d o w n an d l an d ed g en t l y o n t h e s l eep in g

s n a k e .

I s th i s l ike your idea? Maybe you are

r i g h t an d I am w r o n g , m ay b e I am r i g h t

an d y o u a r e w r o n g . We ' l l n ev e r k n o w f o r

s u re .

What we do know i s tha t snake was

stuc k, a nd so was I . W ha t wa s I going to do?

I couldn ' t jus t leave i t there. I was af raid of

snakes in general , but I fel t sor ry for th is

one. I felt l ike I had to help it in spite of my

fear . What was I going to do? What would

you do i f you were in my shoes?

I t h o u g h t an d t h o u g h t , an d t h en I

looked around me and had an idea . I wen t

into the woods and found a long s t ick . Sta nd

ing as far away as I could, I used the stick

l ike a crowbar to pry the rock off the snake.

Th e sna ke wa s loose! !! I t s l i th ere d

o u t f r o m u n d e r n e a t h t h e r o c k . I t s e e m e d

to be okay , bu t I have to say I d idn ' t go up

c lo s e t o l o o k . T h e s n ak e s q u i r m ed s o m e ,

an d t h en i t s t a r t ed t o co m e to w ar d m e .

Did I t e l l you I was a f r a id o f snakes?

" G o o d - b y e , n i ce h e lp i n g y o u , " I c a l l ed

over my shou lder as I took o f f . I walked as

fas t as I cou ld , bu t the snake fo l lowed

r i g h t b e h i n d . I s t a r t e d r u n n i n g . I r a n a s

fast as I could , but i t s t i l l came af ter me!

After a while I s tar ted to get t i red. I

s lowed down, bu t ke p t on wa lk ing f as t. Th e

s n ak e cam e u p b eh in d m e . I t w as t h en I

no t iced tha t the snake never came too c lose

to me. I t a lways s tay ed ju s t o u t o f r eac h , a s

i f to p rove tha t i t d id no t wan t to hur t me.

I l o o k e d o v e r m y

shoulder a t i t . Why

w o u ld t h a t s n ak e b e

J f o l l o w i n g m e l i k e

i^ry&Sx

s t o r y . S o m e t i m e s

t h e y g i v e u s a n

s w e r s t o o u r q u e s t i o n s . D o y o u k n o w th e

s to r y of t h e m o u s e an d t h e l io n w i th t h e

th o r n i n i t s p aw ? Wh en I s aw th a t s n ak e

f o l l o w in g m e , i t m ad e m e t h in k o f t h a t

s t o r y . M y i m a g i n a t i o n w e n t w i l d .

Wo u ld n ' t i t b e g r ea t t o h av e a p e t r a t t l e

s n a k e ?

G r a d u a l l y , I s t o p p e d w o r r y i n g a b o u t

th e s n ak e . I t n ev e r cam e c lo s e en o u g h t o

b i te me. My fear wen t away , and I k ind o f

hoped the snake would fo l low me a l l the

w a y h o m e .

A n d i t d id ! W h e n I r ea ch e d t h e f a r m ,

m y u n c l e w as o u t s i d e . I w a lk ed r i g h t u p t o

h im , w i th t h a t s n ak e f o l l o w in g b eh in d m e ,

and I sa id ,

"Sir,

i f some wi ld an imal fo l

l o w e d m e h o m e a n d w a n t e d t o b e m y

f r iend , cou ld I keep i t as a pe t?"

" S u r e , if t h a t ' s w h a t y o u w a n t . " J u s t

t h e n h e n o t i c e d t h e r a t t l e s n a k e . H e

p u s h e d m e o u t o f t h e w ay an d r a i s ed h i s

ax to chop off i ts head.

I j u m p e d i n to h i s w ay . " N o , n o , p l e a s e

d o n ' t h u r t i t . T h a t ' s m y p e t . "

M y u n c l e s h o o k h i s h ea d . " I k n ew y o u

w er e c r azy , b u t I d id n ' t k n o w h o w c r azy .

Wel l , I sa id i t was okay and I ' l l s t and by

64


a

Boy



my word . But i f i t causes any t roub le , i t

w i l l have to go . " My uncle a lways kep t h i s

w o r d , e v e n w h e n h e w a s n ' t h a p p y a b o u t

it .

I m us t adm i t I wa s a f r a id a t f i r s t t h a t

t h e s n ak e m ig h t b i t e m e , b u t i t n ev e r d id .

I f t h e t r u th b e t o ld , t h a t s n ak e w as a g o o d

p e t b ecau s e i t a t e t h e r a t s an d m ice u n d e r

n ea th t h e h o u s e an d a r o u n d t h e b a r n . M y

uncle l iked th is a lo t . I f you have ever l ived

on a f a rm, you know tha t no mat te r how

clean your house is , you are going to have

r a t s an d m ice . T h ey a r e a t t r a c t e d t o an im a l

feed.

I k n e w s o m e t h i n g a b o u t a n i m a l f e e d :

One o f my chores was to f eed the ch ickens .

The ru le on the f a rm was , no one cou ld ea t

u n t i l t h e an im a l s w er e f ed . So ea r l y ev e r y

morn ing I would go ou t to f eed the ch ick

ens ,

an d ev e r y m o r n in g s o m e o f t h e i r f o od

w o u ld b e

missing—until

t h a t r a t t l e s n a k e

m o v ed i n . Wh e th e r t h e s n ak e a t e a l l o f t h e

m ice o r w h e th e r i t s s cen t an d p r e s en ce

scared them away , I am no t su re . A l l I

k n o w i s t h e f o o d s t o p p ed d i s ap p ea r in g ,

a n d m y u n c l e w a s h a p p y a b o u t t h a t .

I wil l never forget the f i r s t t ime I

t o u ch e d t h a t s n ak e . H av e y o u ev e r t o u ch ed

a s n ak e? So m e p eo p l e t h in k s n ak es a r e

sl imy. I once th ou gh t so , too, b ut i f you hav e

ever touched a snake , you know they are

not s l imy at al l .

Th i s is how I cam e to tou ch th e sn ake :

The snake a lways s lep t in the sun on the

f ron t s teps o f th e hou se . Re m em ber , sna kes

are noctu rna l and co ld -b looded . They l ike

to s leep in the sun.

One day, I sat on the f ront s teps next

to th e sna ke . I t d id no t wa ke up . I sa t the re

fo r the longes t t ime, work ing up my cour

age.

I rea ch ed . . . b ut I co ul dn ' t do it . I had

never touched a snake before . I r eached

dow n . . . bu t I cou ldn ' t do i t . Fina l ly , I

screwed up my courage . I r eac hed dow n an d

oooh! I t wasn ' t a t a l l what I expected; i t was

coo l , and smooth l ike lea ther .

S-s-s-s-th-th! T he s na ke wo ke up. S-s-s-s-

th-th. I t l iked the touch of my warm-blooded

sk in . I t c r awled up my hand . I t wrapped

a r o u n d m y a r m a n d w e n t i n s i d e m y

sleeve! I ts head poked out of my collar

b eh in d m y h ead an d t h en w en t d o w n th e

other shoulder and out the other s leeve. I

was r eady to scream, bu t then I thought ,

" Co o l , a s n ak es k in co l l a r ! " I t d id f ee l

g rea t , l ike a back rub o r shou lder mas

sage .

I f you th ink abou t i t , snakes a re one

long s t r ing of powerful muscles wrapped

a r o u n d a b a c k b o n e . N o w o n d e r it f e lt

good.

Af ter tha t I s ta r ted p ick ing up the

s n ak e w h en ev e r I w an t ed t o .

I wil l never forget the f i r s t t ime I

b r o u g h t t h e s n ak e i n to t h e h o u s e . We w er e

s i t t i n g a r o u n d t h e k i t c h e n t a b l e o n e

night—eating

f r i ed ch icken , mashed po ta

toes and g ravy , co l la rd g reens , and corn on

t h e

cob—when

m y u n c l e to ld m y au n t ab o u t

th e s n ak e ea t i n g t h e m ice i n t h e b a r n .

She sa id , "Why, you ough t to b r ing

tha t snake in here . I saw a mouse in the

k i t ch en j u s t t h e o th e r d ay . " I d id n ' t k n o w

she was jus t jok ing .

I h ad s een t h a t m o u s e myself. I t had a

ho le beh ind the r e f r igera to r . I t would crawl

up th rough the wal l and ea t our cerea l ,

cook ies , and cracker s in the cupboard . The

n ex t d ay , w h en m y au n t w en t t o t h e g r o

cery s to re , I dec ided to he lp ou t . I wen t

o u t s id e an d g o t t h e s n ak e an d b r o u g h t i t

i n to t h e k i t ch en .

R ig h t aw ay , t h e s n ak e s t a r t ed t o s t i ck

o u t i t s t o n g u e . S - s - s - s - th - t h . D o y o u k n o w

w h y s n ak es s t i ck o u t t h e i r t o n g u es ? O n e

r e a s o n i s , s n a k e s u s e t h e i r t o n g u e t o

s m e l l . H o w m an y n o s t r i l s d o y o u h av e?

Two,

r i g h t ? So d o es a s n ak e . Bu t a s n ak e

h a s a s e c r e t a d v a n t a g e . H e r e ' s h o w i t

w o r k s : A s n a k e s t i c k s o u t i t s f o r k e d

to n g u e t o p i ck u p s cen t p a r t i c l e s i n t h e

a i r . T h en i t p u t s i t s t o n g u e b ack i n i t s

mouth . So f a r , so good , r igh t? But ge t th i s :

T h en t h e s n ak e p o k es t h e tw o en d s o f i t s

t o n g u e i n to i t s nostrils—from t h e inside

of its mouth. I n t h i s w ay s n a k e s can s m e l l

Ike

Rattlesnake

Ikat

l a m e d a Boy

65



t h in g s t h a t y o u an d I can n o t . I t " t a s t e s "

i t s e n v i r o n m e n t .

Sn ak es d o h av e an i n c r ed ib l e s en s e o f

s m e l l . R i g h t a w a y , m y s n a k e s m e l l e d

w h e r e t h a t m o u s e h a d b e e n . I t h e a d e d

s t r a ig h t f o r t h e r e f r i g e r a to r , t h en c r aw led

u p i n to t h e w a l l . Y o u co u ld h ea r t h e s n a k e

h e a d i n g u p t h r o u g h t h e w a l l o v e r t o w a r d

t h e c u p b o a r d , f o l l o w i n g t h e r o u t e t h e

m o u s e t o o k .

J u s t t h e n m y a u n t c a m e h o m e . S h e

s e t t h e g r o ce r y b ag s o n t h e co u n t e r . Sh e

p u t t h e m i lk i n t h e r e f r i g e r a to r . Sh e w en t

to pu t the cook ies in the cup— A-a-a-h \

Sh e a lm os t los t he r cook ies , i f you kno w

w h a t I m e a n .

W e l l , t h e m o u s e d i s a p p e a r e d . W h e t h

er the snake a te i t o r the smel l o f the

snake scared i t away , I 'm no t su re . A l l I

know i s tha t we d id no t see any more mice

in t h e k i t ch en .

A f t e r t h a t , t h e s n ak e cam e in to t h e

house on a r egu lar bas i s . I w i l l never fo r

ge t the f i r s t t ime i t c r awled in to bed wi th

m e. I t w as ea r l y m o r n in g , an d t h e s n ak e

m u s t h av e f i n i s h ed h u n t i n g f o r t h e n ig h t .

I was s t i l l s leep ing when i t c r awled in to

m y b ed an d cu r l ed u p a r o u n d m y f ee t . A t

f i r s t i t t i ck l ed , an d I t h o u g h t I w as d r eam

in g . T h en i t s t a r t ed s q u eez in g , an d I w o k e

u p .

Boy , was I scared!

I lay perfectly sti l l . I th ou gh t if I moved ,

the snake would bi te me and I would die.

N o w I k n o w th a t m o s t s n ak eb i t e s a r e n o t

dead ly . I f a l a rge snake b i tes a smal l per

s o n n ea r t h e h ea r t , w a t ch o u t . Bu t i f a

snake b i tes you on the hand o r the foo t ,

you won ' t d ie . Your hand o r foo t w i l l swel l

up l ike a foo tba l l , bu t you won ' t d ie .

F ina l ly , I go t up the courage to s lowly

r em o v e t h e s n ak e . I t d id n ' t b i t e m e ; i t

d id n ' t s eem to m in d a t a ll . A f t e r t h a t , t h e

snake s lep t by my fee t p re t ty o f ten . He

k ep t m y f ee t w a r m , an d I w a r m ed h i s co ld

body . I t never b i t me and I never b i t i t .

As th e su m m er d rew to a c lose , I began

to wor ry abou t the snake . I cou ldn ' t t ake i t

back to Toledo—that's no life for a snake.

Final ly , I decided i f i t was t ime for me to

go home, the snake shou ld go home, too .

The next day I went for a long walk,

and the snake went wi th me. I sa t down in

th e m id d l e o f a h u g e m ead o w . T h e s n ak e

cur led up next to me and fel l as leep in the

sun . I wai te d to be su re th e sna ke was sou nd

as l eep , t h en I q u i e t l y s n eak ed aw ay . Wh en

I was some dis tance of f , I s tar ted to run. I

r an a l l the way to the f a rm, th ink ing , "Ha,

ha! I r ea l ly t r i cked th a t sn ake ! I t w i ll nev er

f ind i t ' s way back now!"

But I was a l so sad to th ink I 'd never

s ee t h e s n ak e ag a in . H e w as m y b es t f r i en d

f r o m t h e s u m m e r . T h i n k i n g a b o u t a l l t h e

f u n w e h ad , I c l im b ed t h e p o r ch

s t e p s —

a n d w h o do y o u t h i n k w a s t h e r e ? T h a t

s n a k e m u s t h a v e k n o w n a s h o r t c u t , b e

cause i t go t home before I d id !

T h a t n ig h t I t o ld m y u n c l e w h a t I h ad

done . He sa id , "You had a good idea , bu t

y o u w e r e n ' t t h i n k i n g b i g e n o u g h . B u t

y o u ' r e r i g h t , y o u a r e l eav in g s o o n , an d w e

can ' t k eep t h e s n ak e a f t e r y o u ' r e g o n e .

L e t ' s g i v e i t a n o t h e r t r y t o m o r r o w . "

I d idn ' t l ike the idea , bu t I had to

ag r ee , m y u n c l e w as r i g h t . T h e n ex t d ay

w e p ack ed a p i cn i c l u n ch i n a b as k e t . We

p u t t h e s n ak e i n to t h e b ack s ea t o f t h e ca r ,

and we d rove o f f . We drove fo r more than

an h o u r . T h e n w e h a d a p i cn i c l u n ch . A f t e r

l u n ch , w e p l ay ed s o m e g am es , an d t h en w e

cur led up as if we we re go ing to ta k e a na p .

T h e s n ak e cu r l ed u p an d w en t t o s l eep . We

g o t u p q u i e t l y an d c l im b ed i n to t h e ca r .

We d id n ' t s l am th e d o o r b ecau s e w e d id n ' t

w a n t t o w a k e u p t h e s n a k e .

I t was the saddes t r ide o f my whole

l i fe .

H a s y o u r b e s t f ri e n d e v e r m o v e d

aw ay ? H av e y o u ev e r h ad t o m o v e aw ay

f r o m y o u r b es t f r i en d ? Can y o u r em em b er

o r im ag in e h o w th a t f e l t ? T h a t ' s h o w I

felt.

I c r ied a l l the way back to the f a rm.

M y u n c l e w a s a s m a r t m a n ; h e k n e w t h a t

s o m e t im es y o u j u s t h av e t o c r y . Wh en w e

g o t b ack t o t h e f a r m , I w en t s t r a ig h t t o

bed and cr ied mysel f to s leep .

66


a

Boy



I n t h e m o r n in g I f e l t b e t t e r . I t h o u g h t

abou t the good t imes we had go ing fo r

w a lk s i n t h e w o o d s , t h e s n ak e c r aw l in g

in to m y b ed , an d t h a t f i r s t t im e I b r o u g h t

th e s n ak e i n to t h e h o u s e , w h en i t s ca r ed

m y a u n t .

I fel t a l i t t le sad, but I knew the snake

was bet ter of f in the woods. Not only did I

f ee l be t te r , I was hungry , too . Remember , I

had gone to bed wi thou t supper . Bu t you

know the ru le : No one ea t s un t i l the an i

mals are fed. So I went outs ide to feed the

ch i ck en s . . . an d t r i p p ed o v e r s o m e th in g o n

th e porch . Now w ha t do you suppose th a t

was?

Rig h t ! T h e s n ak e . Wo w ! I co u ld h a r d

ly be l ieve i t ! I wa s so ha pp y I wh oop ed an d

h o l l e r ed .

M y a u n t a n d u n c l e c a m e r u n n i n g t o

s ee w h a t w as w r o n g . M y u n c l e t o o k o n e

lo o k a t t h a t s n ak e an d s a id , " I f t h a t s n ak e

is go ing to t r ave l tha t f a r to l ive in th i s

house , i t can l ive here fo rever . I ' l l t ake

care o f i t when you go back to To ledo ."

Wel l , t h e s n a k e an d I h ad a g r e a t t im e

o u r l a s t w e e k t o g e t h e r . B u t d o n ' t t h i n k

th a t ' s t h e en d o f t h e s t o r y .

T h e r e ' s s o m e t h i n g I f o rg o t t o t e l l

you . As you know, tha t was my f i r s t pe t

r a t t l e s n a k e . W h e n y o u h a v e a p e t d o g y o u

can t r a in i t t o s c r a t ch o n t h e d o o r w h en i t

wan ts to go ou ts ide , to ro l l over , o r g ive

you a paw, o r no t to wet on the carpe t .

Wel l , I had never had a pe t snake before ,

and I d idn ' t know how to t r a in i t . So , i t

p i ck ed u p a b ad h a b i t . I w i s h I h ad t r a in e d

i t b e t t e r , b u t I d id n ' t k n o w h o w .

T h e s n ak e h ad a b ad h ab i t o f ch as in g

c a r s . Do you be l ieve me? No? Wel l , I don ' t

ex p ec t y o u t o b e l i ev e t h a t t h e s n ak e w o u ld

ch as e ca r s . A l l r i g h t , t h e s n a k e w as n ' t

really

ch as in g ca r s . Bu t t h e d o g s w o u ld

ch as e t h e ca r s an d t h e s n ak e w o u ld ch as e

the dogs , so i t looked l ike the snake was

ch as in g t h e ca r s . I t w as ac tu a l l y q u i t e

funny i f you cou ld p ic tu re i t . B u t th e e nd

w as i n ev i t ab l e .

O n e d ay I cam e o u t o n to t h e p o r ch ,

a n d t h e s n a k e w a s n ' t t h e r e . I l o o k e d

a r o u n d t h e y a r d . I t w a s n ' t t h e r e , e i t h e r .

T h en I l o o k ed a r o u n d t h e h o u s e . I t w as n ' t

t h e r e , e i t h e r . U s u a l l y , t h e s n ak e s t ay ed o n

the porch o r in the yard , because i t l iked

to s leep in the sun . Bu t today i t was no

where to be found . I knew i t s bad hab i t ,

an d I h ad a s i n k in g f ee l i n g t h a t t h e i n ev i

tab le end had f ina l ly come.

I w en t o u t t h r o u g h t h e g a t e an d d o w n

the d i r t d r ive to the road . I looked down

the road , bu t I d idn ' t see i t . Then I looked

u p t h e r o ad , b u t I d id n ' t s ee i t t h e r e ,

e i t h e r . T h en I s aw i t , s q u as h ed f l a t i n t h e

midd le o f the road . I t was chas ing a car

an d i t g o t r u n o v e r an d i t w as l y in g

sq ua sh ed f la t , ju s t ly ing f la t ou t , ju s t ly ing

th e r e , li k e I ' v e b een l y in g t o y o u t h e w h o le

t i me .

Ike Rattlesnake Zk at lam ed a Boy 67



Mlow-Up Ideas for

the

Ra ttlesnake

Zhal

l a m e d

a Boy"

D i s c e r n i n g t h e F a c t s


Inference; Formulate Hypotheses; Re-order ,

Analyze, and Draw Conclusions; Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Copies of the story "The Rattlesnake

T ha t Tam ed a Boy"; chalk boa rd or overh ead; pen or pencil

and paper ; reference works about snakes

Studen ts wi l l so r t f ac t f rom f ic t ion .

O n e o f t h e m o s t im p o r t an t em p h as es o f m o d e r n s c i en ce i s l e a r n in g t o t e l l t h e

d i f f e rence be tween f ac t and f ic t ion o r what i s f a l se . A tall t a l e p r o v id es p l en ty o f

p r ac t i ce i n t h i s s k i l l a r ea . T h i s t a l e co n t a in s m u ch u s e f u l i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t t h e

e n v i r o n m e n t i n g e n e r a l a n d a b o u t s n a k e s i n p a r t i c u l a r .

I n i t i a t e a d i s cu s s io n ab o u t f act v e r s u s w h a t is f a ls e . D e f in e t h e d i f f e ren ce

b e tw ee n fac t an d t r u t h , an d b e tw ee n w h a t is f a ls e an d l i e s. A s k s t u d en t s t o n am e

s o m e w ay s s c i en t i s t s d i s co v e r f ac t s an d s o m e w ay s t h ey d i s co v e r e r r o r s . M en t io n

s o m e s c i en ti f i c d i s co v e r i e s t h a t l a t e r p r o v ed t o b e i n

error—or

w e r e o u t r i g h t h o a x e s .

Af ter a genera l d i scuss ion o f f ac t s and what i s f a l se , nar row the focus to snakes .

M a k e s e v e r a l c o p ie s of t h e s t o r y " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t T a m e d a B o y ." O n t h e

c h a l k b o a r d o r o v e r h e a d , m a k e a c h a r t w i t h t h r e e c o l u m n s . L a b e l t h e c o l u m n s F a c t ,

F a l s e , a n d D o N o t K n o w . S t a r t i n g a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t

Tamed a Boy ," f ind b i t s o f information—or misinformation— that f i t each ca tegory .

A f t e r a f ew ex am p les , h av e s t u d en t s w o r k w i th a p a r t n e r , i n s m a l l g r o u p s , o r a s a

c lass to comb the r es t o f the s to ry fo r more i t ems to f i t in each ca tegory .

S tu d en t s m ay d i s ag r ee o r s im p ly n o t k n o w w h e th e r ce r t a in b i t s o f i n f o r m a t io n

are fact or false. These pieces of information go in the Do Not Know column. I f you

h av e r e f e r en ce m a te r i a l s i n t h e c l a s s r o o m , s t u d e n t s r e s ea r ch t h es e i s s u es o n t h e s p o t .

I f you do no t have access to r esearch mater ia l s in the c lass room, ass ign each i t em in

th e D o N o t K n o w co lu m n to a d i f f e r en t s t u d en t . T h e s t u d en t s r e s ea r ch t h e i t em s i n

th e l i b r a r y an d r e p o r t b ack t o t h e c l a s s a t a l a t e r t im e . T h e r e s ea r ch e r s s h o u ld r ep o r t

not only their f indings, but also how they found and ver if ied the answer .

T h i s ac t i v i t y i n v o lv es h ig h e r - l ev e l t h in k in g s k i l l s , s u ch a s i n f e r en ce , d ed u c t i v e

t h i n k i n g , a n d c o n t r a s t a n d c o m p a r i s o n . S t u d e n t s e v a l u a t e t h e r e l i a b i l i t y o f i n f o r

m a t i o n s o u r c e s a n d q u e s t i o n t h i n g s t h a t a p p e a r t o b e p a t e n t l y o b v i o u s . T h e y a r e

a s k e d w h e t h e r t h e t h i n g s t h e y a s s u m e t o b e t r u e a r e a c t u a l l y b a s e d o n f a c t .

I t i s i m p o r t a n t t o e m p h a s i z e d u r i n g t h e s e d i s c u s s i o n s t h a t o p i n i o n s a r e v a l i d

o n ly i f t h ey a r e b as ed o n f ac t s , n o t o n h ea r s ay o r c i r cu m s tan t i a l ev id en ce . ( A

d i s cu s s io n o f t h e s c i en t i f i c ev id en ce i n a r ecen t n a t i o n a l co u r t ca s e m ay b e u s e f u l

h e r e . ) A s k s t u d e n t s t o d e f e n d t h e i r a n s w e r s w i t h t h e s i m p l e q u e s t i o n s , W h y d o y o u

th in k t h i s is t r u e? o r H o w d o y o u k n o w ?

6tf

Ike Ratt le snake Ikat

la m e d a B o y



T h e

Liar's

G a m e

•••Science skills: Classification; Communication;

Prediction; Inference; Identify Variables; Re-order,

Analyze, and Draw Conclusions


Stu d en t s d i s ce r n f ac t f r o m f a l s eh o o d .

A p o p u la r fo lk g am e is t h e l i a r ' s co n t e s t . S tu d e n t s w r i t e a l i s t o f t h r e e " f ac t s "

ab o u t t h em s e lv es . T w o o f t h e f ac t s a r e i n d eed t r u e , b u t o n e i s n o t . T o s t a r t t h e

g am e o n e s t u d en t r ead s t h e l i s t a l o u d t o t h e c l a s s . T h e s t u d en t s t r y t o i d en t i f y

which i t em in the l i s t i s a l i e . The s tuden t who p icks ou t the l i e goes nex t .

F o l l o w i n g i s a n e x a m p l e , u s i n g t h e i n f o r m a t i o n p r e s e n t e d i n " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e

T h a t T am ed a Bo y . " I n p r ep a r a t i o n f o r t h e g am e , r ead t h e l i s t t o t h e c l a s s an d a s k

s tu d en t s t o i d en t i f y w h ich i t em i s f a l s e .

• M y w h o le f am i ly s p e n t t h e s u m m er o n m y u n c l e ' s f a r m in T e n n es s ee . ( Fa l s e )

• A f t e r t h e s n ak e b i t m e , w e b ec am e fr i en d s . ( Fa l s e )

• T h e r e w er e few er m ice o n t h e f a r m a f t e r m y p e t r a t t l e s n a k e a r r i v e d . ( T r u e )

T he Scientific T wist

To g ive the game a sc ien t i f ic tw is t , ask s tuden ts to l i s t two fac t s and one er ro r

o r f a l s eh o o d ab o u t a s p ec i f i c t y p e o f p l an t o r an im a l t h a t co r r e l a t e s w i th t h e

c u r r i c u l u m . F o r e x a m p l e , a c l a s s s t u d y i n g a c e r t a i n e c o s y s t e m m i g h t b e r e s t r i c t e d

to p l an t s an d an im a l s i n t h a t eco s y s t em . A c l a s s s t u d y in g a ce r t a i n p h y l u m o r c l a s s

o f p l an t s o r an im a l s co u ld b e r e s t r i c t ed t o s p ec i e s f r o m th a t c l a s s , s u ch a s r ep t i l e s .

T o p r ep a r e f o r t h i s ac t i v i t y , r ead t h e f o l l o w in g b i t s o f i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t r a t t l e

snakes to the c lass . Ask s tuden ts to iden t i fy the " fac t" tha t i s no t a f ac t .

• R a t t l e s n a k e s lay eg g s . ( Fa l s e . A l l r a t t l e s n ak es g ive l iv e b i r t h . )

• Y o u c a n e s t i m a t e a r a t t l e s n a k e ' s a g e b y c o u n t i n g i t s r a t t l e s .

( T r u e , t h o u g h n o t ex ac t . )

• R a t t l e s n a k e s h i b e r n a t e i n t h e w i n t e r . ( T r u e )

T o e x p a n d t h i s a c t i v i t y , s t u d e n t s a s k t h e i r p a r e n t s a n d g r a n d p a r e n t s t o t e l l

t h em ab o u t f ac t s o r a s s u m p t io n s t h a t h av e b een p r o v en o r d i s p r o v en i n t h e i r

l i f e t im e . K eep i n m in d t h a t o n e of t h e g o a l s i s t o fo ol t h e l i s t en e r . T r i ck y s t a t em en t s

w i t h u n e x p e c t e d a n s w e r s a r e o k a y . O n e e x a m p l e i s :

• A I D S i s a d i s eas e t h a t o r i g in a t e d w i th ch im p s o r m o n k ey s . ( D o n ' t k n o w )

• You can ge t AID S i f you come ne ar som eon e wi th the d i sea se . (F a lse)

• O n ly h o m o s e x u a l s can g e t A I D S. (Fa l s e )

A t t h i s p o in t , y o u m a y w an t t o d i s cu s s f ac ts an d m y th s ab o u t A I D S , s p ec if ica l ly ,

an d t h e m y th s t h a t h av e b een p r o v en f a l s e .

MlowUp Ide as fo r Ike

Ra ttlesnake

Ikat

l a m e d a

B o y

69



B r i n g a S n a k e t o S c h o o l


Communica t ion

•••Materials: Friendly snake, herpetologist

S n a k e s a r e m a l i g n e d , a n d t h e r e is m u c h m i s i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e m . T o

c o m b a t t h e s e m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s , b r i n g o n e o r m o r e s n a k e s i n t o y o u r c l a s s r o o m .

M o s t n a t u r e c e n t e r s a n d z o o s h a v e s n a k e h a n d l e r s w h o w i l l b r i n g s n a k e s t o s h o w

y o u r c l a s s . M o s t s n a k e h a n d l e r s a r e w e l l p r e p a r e d t o a n s w e r s t u d e n t s q u e s t i o n s

an d t o en t i ce t h em w i th u n u s u a l an d ex o t i c i n f o r m a t io n . So m e p e t s t o r e s m ay b e

wi l l ing to le t you bor row one o f the i r snakes . Or , ask the pe t s to re to pu t you in

to u ch w i th a l o ca l h e r p e to lo g i s t w h o w o u ld b e eag e r t o t e l l y o u r s t u d en t s t h e t r u th

ab o u t t h e s e h e lp f u l r ep t i l e s . Wi th a s n ak e i n h an d , s t u d en t s a r e l i k e ly t o o v e r co m e

th e i r f ea r s an d t o r e t a in i n t r i g u in g f ac t s ab o u t t h e s e r ep t i l e s an d t h e i r r o l e i n t h e

e n v i r o n m e n t .

Sn ak es m ak e i n t r i g u in g c l a s s r o o m p e t s . I t i s e s p ec i a l l y ex c i t i n g t o w a t ch t h em

s w a l lo w th e i r p r ey . A s w i th an y c l a s s r o o m an im a l , s n ak es o f f e r m an y l ea r n in g

o p p o r t u n i t i e s . S t u d e n t s c a n r e s e a r c h t h e i r d i e t , w e i g h t g a i n , s l e e p i n g h a b i t s , a n d

o t h e r b e h a v i o r s .

T e l l i n g T a l e s

Tall

a n d T r u e


Predict ion; Inference

•••Materials: Telling Tales Tall and True worksheet ;

anthologies of tall tales; pen or pencil and paper

I n i t i a t e a d i s c u s s i o n a b o u t w h a t s e t s tall t a l e s ap a r t f ro m o th e r k in d s o f s t o r i e s .

E n c o u r a g e s t u d e n t s t o t h i n k a b o u t t h e s t y l e a n d c o n t e n t o f tall t a les , as wel l as

t h e i r o r i g i n a n d p u r p o s e . A s k s t u d e n t s t o c o m p a r e " T h e R a t t l e s n a k e T h a t T a m e d

a Boy" to o ther s to r ies o r books they have r ead r ecen t ly . How are they a l ike? How

ar e t h ey d i f f e r en t ? Wh a t m ak es o n e a tall t a l e an d an o th e r m er e ly a s t o r y ?

Read o r t e l l s ev e r a l t a l l t a l e s t o t h e c l a s s . ( O r , ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o r e s ea r ch

an d r eh ea r s e t a l l t a l e s t o p r e s en t t o t h e c l a s s . ) Ch o o s e tall t a l e s t h a t a r e s u i t a b l e

fo r your a rea . (Every r eg ion o f the coun t ry has i t s own se t o f

tall

t a l e s . I n s t a t e s

w h e r e l u m b e r i n g i s b i g b u s i n e s s , t a l e s of P a u l B u n y a n a b o u n d . I n t h e s o u t h w e s t ,

m a n y cuentos, o r H i spa n ic fo lk s to r ies , a r e t a l l t a les . ) Ask s t ud en ts to iden t i fy som e

o f t h e ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s t h o s e t a l l t a l e s h av e i n co m m o n . E x p lo r e w h y t a l l t a l e s cam e

in to b e in g : Wh a t p u r p o s e d o t h ey s e r v e?

E n co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o i d en t i f y t h e tw o t y p es o f tall t a l e s : t h o s e t h a t s t a r t w i t h

a l i e t h a t g r o w s b i g g e r , a n d t h o s e t h a t s t a r t w i t h t h e t r u t h a n d t h e n s t r e t c h i t u n t i l

i t b r e a k s . T h e n d i s t r i b u t e t h e w o r k s h e e t T e l l i n g T a l e s T a l l a n d T r u e . A l l o w

s t u d e n t s t o w r i t e t h e i r o w n tall t a l e s .

70

Ike

Rattlesnake

tkat

lamed

a

Boy



T e l l i n g T a l e s Tall a n d T r u e

There a re two k inds o f t a l l t a les : some beg in wi th a l i e and on ly ge t b igger ;

o th e r s s t a r t w i th t h e t r u th an d s l o w ly s t r e t ch i t u n t i l i t b r eak s . T r y w r i t i n g o n e o f

each . Which do you l ike bes t?

Starting with a L ie

Tall

t a l e s t h a t s t a r t w i th a l i e a r e s t o r i e s ab o u t p eo p l e w h o a r e n o t r ea l , l i k e

Pau l Bu n y an an d Peco s B i l l . Ch eck y o u r l i b r a r y t o f i n d s t o r i e s an d b io g r ap h i e s

a b o u t t h e s e c h a r a c t e r s , a n d c o m p a r e t h e m . A l t h o u g h s o m e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s a r e

r ea l p eo p l e , m u ch o f w h a t i s w r i t t en ab o u t t h em i s f an t a s y .

T o w r i t e a t a l l t a l e t h a t b eg in s w i th a l i e , s t a r t w i th a ch a r ac t e r w h o can

p e r f o r m a m a z i n g f e a ts . T h e c h a r a c t e r c a n b e a p e r s o n o r a n a n i m a l . ( T h e r e a r e tall

t a l e s ab o u t Bab e , Pau l Bu n y an ' s b ig b lu e o x ! )

T h e n c r e a t e t h e o u t l i n e :

• W r i t e tw o o r t h r e e s en t en ce s ab o u t t h e ch a r ac t e r . P r o v id e a p h y s i ca l d e s c r i p

t ion and descr ibe what k ind o f per son he o r she i s .

• W r i t e tw o s en t e n ce s d es c r i b in g t h e s e t t i n g of t h e s t o r y .

• W r i t e o n e s en t en ce d es c r i b in g a f an t a s t i c p r o b l em .

• W r i t e tw o s en t e n ce s d es c r i b in g h o w o r d in a r y p eo p l e t r y to s o lv e t h e p r o b l em

and fai l .

• W r i t e t w o s e n t e n c e s d e s c r i b i n g h o w y o u r c h a r a c t e r s a v e s t h e d a y u s i n g

spec ia l ab i l i t i es .

U s e t h es e s en t en ces a s an o u t l i n e f o r c r ea t i n g y o u r o w n tall t a l e . R e s h a p e t h e s e

s en t en ce s i n to a s t o r y . T e l l y o u r s t o r y to a p a r t n e r , a n d l i s t en a s y o u r p a r t n e r t e l l s

h i s o r her s to ry . Rewr i te , r ev ise , and ed i t your s to ry . Te l l your s to ry to your c lass .

From



Mlow-Up Ideas tor Ike

Rattlesnake

tkat

la m e d

a

B o y

71

There is t ruth in ever y syory

though no t every s tory is t rue



Starting with the Truth

Tall t a l e s t h a t s t a r t w i th a g r a i n of t r u th a r e f un t o t e l l b ec au s e y o u g e t t o

w a tch t h e au d i en ce g e t t an g l ed i n y o u r n e t o f lies—but they s t i l l be l ieve the s to ry .

T h es e a r e t h e h a r d es t s t o r i e s t o w r i t e b ec au s e it i s d i ff icu lt t o ea r n t h e t r u s t o f y o u r

l i s t e n e r s a n d t h e n m a i n t a i n t h a t t r u s t a s y o u s t r e t c h t h e t r u t h t o i t s b r e a k i n g p o i n t .

I t h e lp s t o s t a r t w i th a t r u e ev en t t h a t is v e r y b e l i ev ab l e y e t s o m ew h a t u n u s u a l .

T h in k b ack t o s o m e am az in g t h in g t h a t r ea l l y d id h ap p en t o y o u . C lo s e y o u r ey es

an d r e l i v e i t i n y o u r m em o r y . U s e a l l o f y o u r s en s es t o m ak e t h e m em o r y co m e to

l ife.

Wr i t e s ev e r a l s en t en ces d es c r i b in g t h e ev en t , t h e p eo p l e , an d t h e s e t t i n g .

How can you s t r e tch tha t b i t o f t ru th in to a tall t a le? S tar t w i th l i t t l e th ings :

Exaggera te the numbers , t a lk abou t be l ievab le th ings tha t could—but d i d n o t— h ap p en .

Keep add ing exaggera t ion and f a l se de ta i l , l i t t l e by l i t t l e . By the t ime you ge t to the

end o f th e s to ry , you can r ea l ly pour i t on . Add in fo rma t ion th a t i s bare ly poss ib le bu t

co u ld s t i l l h ap p en . T h a t ' s t h e

trick—it

ha s to be ju s t bare ly poss ib le . F ina l ly , wra p u p

w i th t h in g s t h a t a r e im p o s s ib l e .

End wi th a l ine l ike " I t was ly ing there l ike I have been ly ing to you the whole

t i m e . "

o r "S he wa s ya nk in g on my leg , ju s t l ike I am p u l l i ng you r leg no w. " If you

g r ad u a l l y b r i n g y o u r l i s t en e r s a lo n g , t h ey w i l l t ak e y o u r s t o r y h o o k , l i n e , an d

s in k e r !

Tel l your s to ry to your c lass ; see them bel ieve you .

From



72

Ik e Rattlesnake

Zkat lamed

a

Boy



Counsel

o i

Crows

3Ce

told

me

horn a

friend of hut

onee

heavel

a

whole ihy

full of

itan when &lte

WOJL

aeoen.

cJlnd later on

when,

ahe uxan eiylity

tlu*ee &lie heard a eaetui hloomhui in the

darh.

Byrd Bay lor , f rom

The Other Way to Listen



/

From Learning from the Land. Copyright © 1997 Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas Press. (800) 237-6124.



Comments

to t h e le a t h e r

T H I S STORY EXPLORES SEVERAL IMPORTANT IDEA

W hat can w e l ea r n f r om t he behav i o r and w i s dom o f o t he r s pec i e s ?

H ow i s t he i n t e l l i gence o f an i ma l s d i f f e r en t f r om t he i n t e l l i gence o f

h u m a n s ? W h a t c a n w e l e a r n fr o m t h e e x p l a n a t i o n s of t h e n a t u r a l

w or l d g i ven by N a t i ve A mer i can e l de r s ?

T h i s s t o r y a s s u m e s t h a t a n i m a l s a r e i n t e l l i g e n t and t h a t v a r i o u s

cu l t u r e s have d i f f e r en t bu t equa l l y va l i d pe r s pec t i ve s on na t u r e and

s c i ence . I t a s s um es t h a t t h e t r a d i t i on a l fo l k t a l e s o f m an y cu l t u r e s

e m b o d y w i s d o m a b o u t o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h n a t u r e , a n d i t a l s o a s

s umes t ha t an i ma l s have i n t e l l i gence , d i f f e r en t f r om ou r s , w h i ch a l

l ow s t hem t o f l ou r i s h . W i t h t he s e a s s umpt i ons i n p l ace , t he co r e

qu es t i o n i s: W ha t can w e l ea r n fr om va r i o us cu l t u r e s and o t h e r s pe

c ie s? A l t h o u g h t h i s s t o r y i s a n t h r o p o m o r p h i c , t h a t t e c h n i q u e is u s e d t o

cha l l enge t he l i s t ene r t o be open t o t he w i s dom o f o t he r s pec i e s . •••

c^huL naw the ita^

Counsel

o i

Crows

75

T



Counsel

of

Crows

v J n e s u n n y d ay , j u s t b e f o re t h e s u

mer so l s t i ce , I he lped a f r iend o f mine who

w e n t o n a v i s i o n q u e s t . N o w , a v i s ion

q u es t i s a ce r em o n y f o r N a t i v e A m er i can

b o y s a n d g i r l s , y o u n g m e n a n d y o u n g

w o m en , t o h e lp t h em g a in a d eep e r s en s e

o f t h em s e lv es , t o f i g u r e o u t w h o t h ey a r e ,

w h a t t h e i r g i f t s o r s t r en g th s a r e , an d w h a t

t h ey can co n t r i b u t e t o t h e i r t r i b e . A v i s i o n

q u es t can a l s o b e p e r f o r m ed

w h e n y o u f a c e a n i m p o r t a n t

t r an s i t i o n i n l i f e , f o r ex am

ple,

f r o m t een ag e r t o ad u l t ,

o r f r o m a d u l t

t o

e l d e r .

T h o u g h t h e c e r e m o n y dif

f e r s a m o n g N a t i v e A m e r i

can t r i b e s , g en e r a l l y y o u g o

off alone for four days and

f o u r n ig h t s w i th n o f o o d .

Y o u f a s t a n d y o u r e m a i n

a l o n e , so y o u c a n b e c o m e

closer to the sp i r i t s o f na

t u r e , t o t h e C r e a t o r . Y o u

w a tch f or a s i g n o r a co m m u n i ca t i o n f ro m

th e n a tu r a l w o r ld . Y o u c r y f o r

a

v i s ion .

Y o u t r y t o an s w er q u es t i o n s l i k e Wh o am

I? Why am

I

h e r e ? a n d W h a t c a n

I

do to

m ak e t h e w o r ld a b e t t e r p l ace?

W el l , a yo un g f r iend o f m ine ask ed m e

if I would tend f i re for h im. To tend f i re is

t o b e h i s a s s i s t an t an d h i s co ach . Wh en h e

went of f on a h i l l by himself, I s t ay ed a t

the f i r e to make su re tha t he was safe . I f

h e h ad an y p r o b l em s , I w o u ld b e t h e r e 2 4

h o u r s

a

day to he l p h im ou t . A lso , w he n

he came of f the h i l l , a f te r h i s v i s ion ques t ,

p a r t o f m y d u ty w as t o h e lp h im to u n d e r

s t an d h i s v i s i o n an d t o a s s i s t h im in m ak

i n g h i s d r e a m s c o m e t r u e .

W hi le I wa s s i t t in g by the f ir e , a N at ive

A m er i can e ld e r , G r an d f a th e r War r en , cam e

to vis i t . He is a C h o c t a w / C h i c k a s a w e l d e r

an d f r i en d o f t h e y o u n g m an o n t h e h i l l .

G r a n d f a t h e r W a r r e n c a m e a n d c a m p e d

out wi th me fo r a coup le o f days .

R ig h t aw ay h e b eg an t o a s k m e a l l

k inds o f ques t ions , l ike , Why d id you do

th i s t h a t w ay ? Wh y d id y o u d o t h a t t h i s

way? I thought he was tes t ing me, to see i f

I was up fo r th e cha l len ge th a t f aced us . B u t

he sa id he was no t . He sa id he ques t ioned

me because my way o f do ing th ings was

d i f f e ren t f rom h is and he wanted to under

s tand me be t te r . Af ter we had bu i l t a foun

d a t i o n o f t r u s t , G r a n d f a th e r

War r en b eg an t o t e l l s t o r i e s

ab o u t h i s y o u th an d t r a in

i n g . Wh i l e h e w as s h a r in g

s t o r i e s —

Caw, caw,

caw —we

h e a r d

a

flock

of crows f ly out of the forest.

T h i s w a s

a

h u g e f l o c k o f

c r o w s . H av e y o u s een

a

flock of

c r o w s f l y ? I s n ' t

i t

b e a u t i f u l t h e

w ay o n e c r o w tu r n s , an d a l l t h e

o t h e r c r o w s t u r n a t t h e s a m e t i m e ?

T h ey n ev e r r u n i n to each o th e r . A s

i f they f ly wi th one mind , one body .

The crows f lew out of the for

e s t w h e r e m y f r i en d w as cam p in g .

Grand

f a t h e r W a r r e n a n d

I

w a t c h e d t h e m t o s e e

i f they would g ive us a h in t as to what was

go ing on in the fo res t .

Can y o u im ag in e b e in g a c r o w ? C lo s e

y o u r ey es an d im ag in e t h a t y o u a r e a c r o w .

I m a g i n e t h a t y o u a r e c o v e r e d w i t h f e a t h

ers , b l ack f ea th e r s . Y o u h av e y e l l o w f ee t

a n d a y e l lo w b eak . O p en y o u r ey es an d

s t r e t c h o u t y o u r w i n g s . D o n ' t b u m p i n t o

an y b o d y ! I m ag in e y o u a r e f l y in g . Fee l t h e

w i n d i n y o u r f ea th e r s a s y o u l if t a n d

curve . Fee l the wind as you l i f t up in to the

sky , as you curve in to the fo res t . As you

l an d o n

a

t r e e b r an ch , g r a b i t w i th y o u r

fee t and fo ld your wings back .

T h a t ' s w h a t I d id w h i l e I w a t ch ed t h e

crows f ly . I i m a g i n e d t h a t I l an d ed i n t h e

t r ee w i th t h e c r o w s . T h e c r o w s l o o k ed a t

me as i f to say , "What a re you do ing here?

Y o u ' r e n o t a c r o w . " W el l , I h a v e l e a r n e d

w h en t o b e q u i e t an d l i s t en .

I

w a s q u i e t .

76

Counsel o i Cro ws

O



One of the c rows sa id , "Caw, caw,

caw ! Y o u tw o - l eg g ed c r e a t u r e s t h in k y o u

k n o w e v e r y t h i n g . B u t y o u c o u l d l e a r n

m u ch f r o m th e o th e r an im a l s , f r o m th e

winged , f rom the four - legged , f rom the

creepy crawl ies . I f you had ear s to l i s ten

an d eyes to see . Caw , caw! You cou ld lea rn

m u ch f r o m a c r o w . "

T h en a y o u n g e r c r o w , a b ab y c r o w ,

ch imed in . "Caw! In our f lock we watch

o u t f o r each o th e r . We ca r e f o r ev e r y

y o u n g c r o w . O n ce , an o w l a t t ack ed m e i n

my nes t . The owl t r i ed to ea t me! But the

crows ganged up on tha t owl . One owl

cou ld ea t one crow, bu t when 10 crows

a t t ack ed , t h ey ch as ed t h e o w l aw ay . Caw ,

caw, caw! They saved my l i f e . Do you

w atc h ou t fo r yo ur f r iends? Do you he lp

o n e a n o t h e r ? "

T h e n a n o t h e r y o u n g c r o w s p o k e .

"Caw. You look a t me and you see b lack .

You look only at what is obvious. Look past

the su r face , look ins ide to what i s t rue .

Have you ever seen a crow feather? Hold a

crow fea ther up to the sun l igh t , and you

wil l see a rainbow of colors . Blue and green

and purp le . Look beyond the obv ious and

you wil l see the rainbow! Caw!"

T h o s e c r o w s r ea l l y ch a l l en g ed m e t o

th in k . A s I s a t u p t h e r e i n t h e t r ee w i th

t h e m , I b e g a n t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e m b e t t e r ,

a n d I b e g a n t o r e m e m b e r o t h e r t h i n g s I

h ad l ea r n ed ab o u t c r o w s .

Do you know Aesop ' s f ab les? Aesop

to ld many fab les abou t c rows . One o f my

favor i te f ab les i s abou t the c row and the

p i t ch e r o f w a t e r . O n ce t h e r e w as a p i t ch e r

th a t w as h a l f f i l l ed w i th w a t e r . A lo n g

cam e a c r o w w h o w as v e r y t h i r s t y . Bu t t h e

p i t c h e r h ad a v e r y n a r r o w n eck , an d t h e

crow cou ld no t ge t her head down far

e n o u g h i n t o t h e p i t c h e r t o d r i n k t h e

w a t e r . N o w , s o m e p e o p l e m i g h t h a v e

g iven up , bu t no t th i s c row! The crow used

h e r b r a in t o s o lv e t h e p r o b l em . Sh e f o u n d

s o m e p eb b l e s an d d r o p p ed t h em in t h e

p i t ch e r u n t i l t h e w a t e r r o s e t o t h e r im o f

th e p i t ch e r . T h en s h e d r an k h e r f i l l .

Yes, I r em em b e r ed t h o s e o ld f ab l e s o f

A es o p ' s , an d h e w as r i g h t . C r o w s a r e v e r y

s m a r t . A s I w a t c h e d t h e m i n t h e t r e e ,

t a l k i n g a m o n g t h e m s e l v e s , I r e m e m b e r e d

r ead in g a r ep o r t ab o u t a s c i en t i s t w h o

s tu d i e d c r o w s t o s ee if t h e y co u ld co m m u

n i ca t e . H e f o u n d t h a t c r o w s can l ea r n a

v a r i e ty o f h u m an s y m b o l s , t h e y can c o u n t ,

an d t h ey a r e ex ce l l en t p r o b l em s o lv e r s . I

h a d t o c h u c k l e a t t h e t h o u g h t t h a t t h e

b i r d s c o u l d u n d e r s t a n d t h e s c i e n t i s t ' s l a n

g u a g e , b u t h e c o u l d n o t u n d e r s t a n d

t h e i r s !

I l i s tened carefu l ly to the c rows

n e a r b y . I c o u ld u n d e r s t a n d t h e m w h e n

th ey s p o k e . Bu t t h en , I w as s i t t i n g i n t h e i r

t r e e ,

an d I f e l t a s t h o u g h t h ey w er e t r a in

ing me!

B y h u m a n s t a n d a r d s t h a t s c i e n t is t

cons idered crows in te l l igen t . Bu t h i s t es t s

d id no t even beg in to measure the in te l l i

g e n c e t h e y n e e d t o s u r v i v e . H e n e v e r

l ea r n ed h o w th ey m ig r a t e u s in g t h e s t a r s ,

how the i r se r ies o f squawks and caws con

v ey m ean in g , h o w th ey b an d t o g e th e r i n

f locks with respect for elders and compas

s ion for the i r you ng . The re was m uc h abo u t

t h e c r o w s ' w o r l d t h e s c i e n t i s t c o u l d n ' t

measure o r quan t i fy !

Wel l , I g o t t o t h in k in g s o h a r d ab o u t

th i s tha t I fo rgo t where I was s i t t ing . I

s t a r t ed t o s l i p o f f b a l an ce o n m y b r an ch

w i th o u t ev en n o t i c in g . J u s t b e f o r e I l o s t

my ba lance and f e l l , a c row n ipped me on

th e s ea t t o w ak e m e u p .

"Caw!" it called. "Look at this one, fall

ing out of a t ree! And th ey cal l us bird bra ins!

That shou ld be cons idered a compl iment . "

T h e n t h e o l d e s t c r o w s p o k e . H e r

f ea th e r s h ad b eg u n t o t u r n w h i t e , s o y o u

cou ld te l l she was very o ld . She sa id ,

" Caw , caw . T h e Sh aw n ee , w h o l i v ed i n

th i s va l ley before you were here , they te l l

a s t o r y ab o u t t h e b eg in n in g o f t h e w o r ld .

W h e n t h e w o r l d w a s n e w , C r e a t o r m a d e

th e w o r ld w i th h e r ev e r y t h o u g h t . Sh e

t h o u g h t a b o u t t h e s u n , a n d t h e s u n w a s

m a d e . S h e t h o u g h t a b o u t t h e m o o n , a n d

t h e m o o n w a s m a d e . "

Counsel

o i

Cro ws

77



The o ld c row looked r igh t a t me. "You

m i g h t t h i n k t h a t ' s s t r a n g e , b u t t h i n k

a b o u t s o m e t h i n g y o u h a v e m a d e . D i d y o u

f i r s t im a g in e i t ? W h a tev e r y o u can im ag

in e y o u can c r ea t e . Caw .

" Bu t C r ea to r h ad t o b e ca r e f u l , b e

cau s e i f C r ea to r t h o u g h t an ev i l t h o u g h t ,

t h en ev i l w o u ld b e m ad e .

" O n e d ay , C r ea to r s p en t t h e w h o le

d ay m ak in g c r eep y c r aw l i e s . Sh e w o r k ed

f r o m s u n u p u n t i l s u n d o w n , m a k i n g t h e

m o s t am az in g v a r i e ty o f i n s ec t s an d s p i

d e r s , w i th an a s to u n d in g v a r i e ty o f co lo r s

a n d s h a p e s . A f t e r c r e a t i n g a l l t h o s e

c r e e p i e c rawl i e s , C

o r w a s t i r e d . B e c a u s e

she was so tired, Creato

t h o u g h t s . T h e n a n e v i l

^t h o u g h t e n t e r e d h e r

mind . Oh no! Ev i l was

made , ev i l was le t loose in the wor ld ! She

t r ied to s top i t , bu t i t was too la te .

" B u t E v i l w a s n o t a c o m p l e t e

t h o u g h t ; E v i l w a s m a d e w i t h o u t a h e a d .

So Evi l wen t look ing fo r a head . Ev i l saw

a n a t u r a l s p r i n g w h e r e w a t e r c a m e g u r

g l ing ou t o f the rocks . Ev i l no t iced tha t

t h e an im a l s cam e th e r e t o d r i n k . E v i l h id

in t h e b u s h es an d w a i t ed . A lo n g cam e a

h u g e d ee r , w i th 1 4 p o in t s i n i t s h u g e an t

l e r s . E v i l t h o u g h t , A h , t h a t ' s t h e h e a d I

w a n t ! E v i l h id i n am b u s h . Bu t E v i l d id n o t

co u n t o n t h e c r o w s i t t i n g i n a t r ee n ea r b y .

Wh en t h e d ee r b en t o v e r t o d r i n k , t h e

c r o w s a w w h a t w a s c o m i n g . T h e c r o w

cal led ou t , Caw, caw, caw

" T h e d e e r j u m p e d , E v i l f el l i n to t h e

water—splash —and

t h e d ee r r an aw ay .

As i t r an , the deer waved i t s whi te t a i l to

w a r n t h e o t h e r d e e r .

" T h a t i s w h y , t o t h i s d ay , t h e Sh aw -

nee do no t go in to the fo res t w i thou t a

crow fea ther o r ha i r f rom the whi te t a i l o f

a d ee r s ew n in to t h e i r c l o th es o r b r a id ed

in to the i r ha i r to ward o f f Ev i l . To th i s

day , Ev i l i s ou t there look ing fo r a head .

A n d t o t h i s d ay t h e c r o w i s t h e g u a r d i an

of the fo res t . Caw, caw."

T h en t h e f i r s t c r o w ch im ed i n ag a in .

" Caw , caw , caw ! Y o u tw o - l eg g ed c r ea tu r e s

th in k y o u k n o w ev e r y th in g . If y o u h a d

ear s to l i s ten and eyes to see , you cou ld

l ea r n m u c h fr o m th e c r e a t u r e s of t h e f o r

es t . Caw!"

Then the c rows took o f f in f l igh t .

T h e y w e r e so b e a u t i f u l , t w i s t i n g a n d t u r n

in g , t h e i r f ea th e r s r e f l ec t i n g t h e co lo r s o f

t h e r a in b o w . Bu t I w a s a l i t t l e b i t n e r v o u s ,

le f t in the t r ee in the fo res t a l l by

myself.

T h a t t a l k a b o u t E v i l m a d e m e n e r v o u s ,

an d I w i s h ed I h ad j u s t o n e f ea th e r f r o m

one o f those c rows .

T h en t h e o ld c r o w c i r c l ed r o u n d an d

cam e b ack t o l an d o n t h e b r an ch ab o v e m e .

"You do no t have to wor ry , " she sa id .

" U n le s s y o u t h in k ev i l t h o u g h t s , ev i l c an

n o t h u r t y o u . Be ca r e f u l w h a t y o u t h in k . "

T he n she took off, a nd on e o f he r f e a th er s

f loa ted down. As i t f loa ted pas t me, I

caugh t i t and p inned i t to my cap . A l l the

w ay b ack t o t h e cam p f i r e , I t h o u g h t ab o u t

w h a t t h e c r o w s h ad s a id , ab o u t b e in g ca r e

f u l w h a t y o u t h in k , an d ab o u t t ak in g ca r e

of each o ther .

I f e l t honored to s i t among a counci l

of crows.

T h a t w as m y v i s i o n . I c am e to t h e

forest to tend f i re for my f r iend, and I

w e n t a w a y w i t h a n e w u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f

th e v a r i e t i e s o f w i s d o m o n o u r p l an e t . A s

f o r m y f r i en d , h e h ad an i n v ig o r a t i n g ex

p e r i en ce , b u t w h a t h i s v i s i o n w as I can n o t

t e l l . T h a t i s an o th e r s t o r y , t h a t i s h i s t a l e

to tel l .

78

Counsel

o i

Crows

awas not careful eith her



JoUoiv-llp Ideas

for

Counsel

o i

Crows

P o r q u e ( W h a t - F o r ) S t o r i e s :

F o l k t a l e s a s a S o u r c e o f S c i e n t i f i c W i s d o m

•••Science skills: Communication; Inference;

Formula te Hypotheses

•••Materials: One or more books of porque stories

to read aloud; pen or pencil and paper

" Co u n s e l o f C r o w s " r a i s e s an im p o r t an t q u es t i o n ab o u t t h e w i s d o m o f o th e r

cu l t u r e s , w h ich ea r l y s c i en t i s t s d i s m i s s ed a s s u p e r s t i t i o n . If y o u lo o k b e n e a th t h e

s u r f ace o f t r ad i t i o n a l f o lk t a l e s , y o u w i l l f i n d a v as t am o u n t o f i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t

th e ec o s y s t em s of i n d ig en o u s p eo p l e s . I n a s im p le p o r q u e s t o r y y o u can l ea r n w h ic h

p l a n t s a n d a n i m a l s l i v e i n a n a r e a , l e a r n a b o u t p r e d a t o r - p r e y r e l a t i o n s h i p s , a n d

l ea r n ab o u t t h e h a b i t a t s an d h ab i t s of l o ca l an im a l s . U s u a l l y , t h i s i n f o r m a t io n i s

n o t t h e p o in t o f t h e p o r q u e s t o r y ; t h e p o in t i s t o h ig h l i g h t h u m an f o ib l e s an d

c o n c e r n s . B u t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n i s t h e r e , n e v e r t h e l e s s .

M a n y n a t i v e c u l t u r e s t h e w o r l d o v e r h a v e a c o m p l e x u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f h e r b a l

m ed ic in es , f r u i t i n g s ch ed u l e s , an im a l b eh av io r , s o l a r an d l u n a r ca l en d a r s , r a i n

cy c l e s , an d o th e r im p o r t an t i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t t h e i r p a r t i n t h e n a tu r a l cy c l e .

I n d ig en o u s p eo p l e s t r i v e t o l i v e h u m b ly w i th in t h e n a tu r a l cy c l e , r a t h e r t h an

im p o s e t h e i r o r d e r o n t h in g s . S in ce t h e b eg in n in g o f

t i m e ,

h u m a n s h a v e u s e d s t o r i e s

an d m y th s t o ex p l a in t h e i r w o r ld , t o an s w er t h e w h o , w h a t , w h en , w h y , w h e r e , an d

how of ex is tence . Seen in th i s l igh t , as a way to exp la in the na tu ra l wor ld , sc ience

co u ld b e co n s id e r ed t h e m y th o lo g y of t h e m o d er n w o r ld .

Read a loud o r te l l a few of you r f avor ite porq ue s to r ies . Th ere a re ma ny wond er fu l

examples o f th i s type o f s to ry in cu l tu res th roughout the wor ld , inc lud ing :

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in

People's

E ars, A West African Tale. By Leo Di l lon a nd

Diane Di l lon . New York : Puf f in Books , 1975 .

" T h e E l e p h a n t ' s C h i l d . " I n Just So Stories b y Ru d y a r d K ip l i n g . N ew Y o r k :

Vik ing , 1993 .

" T h e D o g s H o ld an E l ec t i o n . " A S io u x s t o r y t o ld b y L am e D ee r an d r eco r d ed

( in p r i n t ) b y R ich a r d E r d o es an d A l f o n s o O r t i z . N ew Y o r k : Pan th eo n

Books , 1984 .

A f t e r t e l l i n g t h e s t o r i e s , a s k s t u d en t s t o t u r n t o a p a r t n e r an d d i s cu s s w h e th e r

th e s t o r y i s t r u e , o r w h ich p a r t s a r e t r u e an d w h ich a r e n o t . Wh y o r w h y n o t ? A s a

c las s ,

d i s cu s s t h e s c i en t i f i c r ea s o n s w h y ch ip m u n k s h av e s t r i p es o r e l ep h an t s h av e

lo n g t r u n k s o r w h y m o s q u i to es b u zz i n p eo p l e ' s ea r s .

3ollow-Up

I d e a s i o r

"Counsel of Cro ws

79



H av e s t u d en t s w o r k i n d iv id u a l l y o r i n s m a l l g r o u p s t o w r i t e t h e i r o w n p o r q u e

s to r i e s . So m e p o s s ib l e t o p i c s i n c lu d e :

• H o w d i d p o r c u p i n e s g e t t h e i r

s p in es ?

• Ho w d id b i rd s ge t th e i r w ings?

• W hy do g i r a f f es have long neck s?

• W h y d o b e av e r s h av e w id e t a i l s ?

• W h y d o h u m a n s s t a n d u p r i g h t ?

A l l o w s t u d e n t s t o i l l u s t r a t e t h e i r

s t o r i e s a n d p e r f o r m t h e m i n s m a l l

g roups o r fo r the c lass .

A f t e r w r i t i n g t h e i r s t o r i e s , a l l o w s tu d en t s t o r e s ea r ch t h e s c i en t i f i c ex p l an a t i o n

for the i r top ic .

A n i m a l W i s d o m


Inference; Re-order, Analyze, and Draw Conclusions;

Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; access to l ibrary

research mater ia ls , including science books, science

journals , computers, CDs, v ideotapes and VCR,

the In te rne t

A s k s tu d en t s t o ch o s e t h e i r f av o r i t e an im a l an d w r i t e i t s n am e a t t h e t o p o f a

p i ece o f p ap e r . A s k t h em to b r a in s to r m o n p ap e r a l i s t o f f ac t s ab o u t t h e an im a l .

T o s t im u la t e t h e i r i d eas , co n d u c t t h i s p r i o r - k n o w led g e q u i z . H o w b ig i s i t ? Wh a t

co lo r ( s ) is i t ? W ha t s ize is i t ? W ha t i s i t s shap e? Doe s i t hav e fu r, f ea th er s , o r sca les?

Wh a t d o es i t e a t ? Wh a t ea t s i t ? Wh er e d o es i t l i v e? Wh a t p l an t s an d an im a l s s h a r e

i t s h o m e r an g e? Wh a t d o es i t d o ? W h a t a r e i t s s t r e n g th s ? A s k t h es e q u e s t i o n s i n

r a p i d - f i r e s u c c e s s i o n . I n s t r u c t s t u d e n t s t o a n s w e r a s m a n y a s t h e y c a n w i t h s h o r t

p h r a s es o r s i n g l e w o r d s an d t h en t o g o b ack an d f i l l i n t h e d e t a i l s .

F i n a l l y , h a v e s t u d e n t s m a k e a l i st of q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e a n i m a l . C h a l l e n g e

s t u d e n t s t o c r e a t e t h o u g h t f u l q u e s t i o n s , s u c h a s W h a t d o e s t h i s a n i m a l s y m b o l i z e

f o r t h e p eo p l e w h o k n o w i t b e s t ? Wh a t s c i en t i f i c i n f o r m a t io n can I l e a r n f r o m th i s

f o lk m a te r i a l ?

Wi th t h es e n o t e s i n h an d , ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o d es ig n t h e i r o w n p l an f o r

an s w er in g t h e i r q u es t i o n s . T h ey co u ld g o t o t h e l i b r a r y ; t h ey co u ld u s e b o o k s ,

s c i en t i f i c j o u r n a l s , CD s , v id eo s , t h e I n t e r n e t , o r an y o th e r s o u r ce . T h ey co u ld ca l l

o r v i s i t a zo o o r n a t u r a l h i s t o r y m u s e u m to s ee t h e c r e a tu r e o r t o co n s u l t a zo o lo g i s t .

They cou ld look fo r fo lk ta les abou t the an imal o r s tudy the fo lk a r t o f var ious

c u l t u r e s t o a n s w e r t h e i r q u e s t i o n s .

D e p e n d in g o n t h e g r ad e lev e l an d r e s ea r ch ab i l i t i e s of y o u r s t u d en t s , y o u m ay

as k t h em to l i s t 5 , 1 0 , o r 2 5 u n u s u a l f ac t s ab o u t t h e i r an im a l .

Counsel of Crows



A f te r t h e r e s ea r ch i s co m p le t e , i n v i t e t h e s t u d en t s t o u s e w h a t t h ey h av e

l ea r n ed t o w r i t e a s t o r y , p o em , o r s o n g m o d e l ed a f t e r " Co u n s e l o f C r o w s . " T h ey

c o u l d b e g i n w i t h a d r e a m l i k e e n c o u n t e r w i t h t h e c r e a t u r e , e x p l o r e t h e h a b i t s a n d

l i fe s ty le of t h e c r e a tu r e , an d en d w i th an em p h a s i s o n t h e an im a l ' s r o le i n n a tu r e .

T h e u n d e r cu r r en t o r t h em e o f t h e i r s t o r i e s i s t h e l e s s o n s w e co u ld l ea r n i f o n ly w e

co u ld o p en o u r m in d s t o t h e w i s d o m o f o th e r c r ea tu r e s .

L i s t e n i n g t o t h e V o ic e o f N a t u r e

•••Science skills: Observation; Communication; Prediction;

Inference; Formulate Hypotheses; Re-order , Analyze,

and Draw Conclusions

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper, access to a quiet

ou tdoor env i ronment

N at iv e cu l t u r e s a r o u n d t h e w o r ld p l ace a h ig h v a lu e o n l ea r n in g t o l i s t en t o

th e v o i ces o f t h e w i ld w o r ld . Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o s p en d t im e q u i e t l y l i s t en in g t o

th e s o u n d s o f n a tu r e . T h i s ac t i v i t y can b e m ad e m o r e o r l e s s ch a l l en g in g b y a s k in g

q u es t i o n s t h a t g iv e t h e ex e r c i s e a p a r t i cu l a r f o cu s .

Y o u co u ld b eg in b y a s k in g s t u d en t s t o s i t q u i e t l y i n a c i r c l e f o r o n e m in u t e .

A s k t h e m t o s i l e n t l y c o u n t h o w m a n y s o u n d s t h e y h e a r . T h e n d i s c u s s t h e n u m b e r

o f s o u n d s an d h e lp s t u d en t s t o d i s ce r n t h e ca l l s o f v a r i o u s b i r d s o r t o t e l l t h e

d i f f e r en ce b e tw een t h e s o u n d o f w in d i n a p in e t r ee an d w in d i n an o ak t r ee .

Ask s tuden ts to f ind a qu ie t p lace where they can s i t s i l en t ly fo r th ree to f ive

m in u t e s . A s t h ey s i t an d l i s t en t o t h e v a r i e ty o f s o u n d s , t h ey a s k t h em s e lv es Wh a t

i s one idea I cou ld learn f rom natu re?

F in a l l y , a l l o w s tu d en t s t o s i t a l o n e an d s i l en t l y i n a q u i e t n a tu r a l en v i r o n m en t

w i th a j o u r n a l . A s k t h em to r eco r d t h e i r o b s e r v a t i o n s w i th an y o f t h e f o l lo w in g

q u e s t i o n s i n m i n d :

• W ha t do I see , he ar , sm el l , no t ice?

• W h a t i s h a p p en in g h e r e an d w h y d o es i t h a p p en t h a t w ay ?

• Bas ed o n w h a t I s ee , h e a r , s m e l l , n o t i ce , w h a t d o I t h in k w i l l h a p p en n ex t ?

• W ha t d id th i s p lace look l ike 100 ye ar s ago?

• W ha t wil l i t look l ike 100 ye ar s f rom now ?

• W h a t can I l e a r n ab o u t b e in g a b e t t e r p e r s o n fr o m th e p l an t s an d an im a l s

a r o u n d m e ?

I t m ay b e h e lp f u l t o d o t h i s ac t i v i t y i n s ev e r a l s e s s io n s , a s k in g s t u d en t s t o

ref lec t on one o r two ques t ions per sess ion .

S t u d en t s m a y w eav e n o t e s fr o m th e i r j o u r n a l s i n to a p o em o r s h o r t s t o r y .

Mlow-Up Ideas ior "Counsel oi Crows"

81



N a t i v e A m e r i c a n T a l e s

P la c i n g S t o r i e s i n T h e i r R e g i o n s

•••Science skills: Observation; Classification

•••Materials: Books of Native American tales; Native

American Tales worksheet ; pen or penci l and paper

T e l l s ev e r a l N a t i v e A m er i can t a l e s t o t h e c l a s s . T h en h an d o u t t h e N a t iv e

A m er i can T a l e s w o r k s h ee t an d a l l o w s tu d en t s t o w o r k i n d iv id u a l l y t o co m p le t e i t .

Student Storytelling

•••Science skills: Communication; Inference

•••Materials: Books of Native American tales

S t u d e n t s w o r k i n d e p e n d e n t l y o n t h i s p r o j e c t t o r e s e a r c h , l e a r n , p r a c t i c e , a n d

t e l l a N a t i v e A m er i can t a l e t o t h e i r c l a s s m a te s .

T e l l s t u d en t s t o f i n d o u t w h ich N a t iv e A m er i can t r i b e s l i v e i n y o u r p a r t o f t h e

co u n t r y . A s k t h e s ch o o l l i b r a r y m ed ia s p ec i a l i s t t o d o a b o o k t a lk o n N a t iv e

A m er i can t a l e s , an d i n s t r u c t s t u d en t s t o ch o o s e a t a l e f r o m a l o ca l t r i b e . E n co u r ag e

s tu d en t s t o t r y t o s ee t h e r eg io n a s i t w as w h en t h e s t o r y t o o k p l ace .

Rem in d s t u d en t s o f h o w to p r ep a r e t o t e l l a s t o r y . ( See i n s t r u c t i o n s i n i n t r o

d u c t i o n . ) T e l l t h em to f i r s t r ead t h e s t o r y s ev e r a l t im es u n t i l t h ey t h in k t h ey k n o w

i t w e l l . T h en a s k t h em : H o w m ig h t y o u ch an g e y o u r v o i ce w h i l e t e l l i n g i t o u t l o u d ?

H o w m ig h t y o u u s e y o u r b o d y if y o u w er e t o t e l l i t s i l en t l y ? E n co u r a g e s t u d e n t s t o

c lo s e t h e i r ey es an d

see

t h e s t o r y i n t h e i r i m a g i n a t i o n . R e m i n d t h e m t o u s e t h e i r

v o i ce , b o d y , an d im ag in a t i o n t o g e th e r t o tell, n o t r ead , t h e s t o r y .

W o r k i n g i n d e p e n d e n t l y , a l l o w s t u d e n t s t o p r a c t i c e t e l l i n g t h e s t o r y t o t h e m

s e lv es i n f r o n t o f a m i r r o r ; t o t h e i r p a r en t s , t h e i r friends—even the i r go ld f i sh , i f

t h e y h a v e o n e ! I m p r e s s u p o n t h e m t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f p r a c t i c e , p r a c t i c e , practice.

D o n o t p r e s s s t u d e n t s t o t e l l t h e i r s t o r y t o t h e c l a s s . A l low th e m a m p le t im e

to p r e p a r e t h e i r s t o r y , an d a s k t h em to n o t i fy y o u w h e n t h ey a r e r ead y s o y o u can

schedu le a t ime fo r them to te l l the i r s to ry to the c lass .

i

81

Counsel

o i

Crows



N a t i v e A m e r i c a n T a l e s

Use this map to f ind the places where the stories you heard took place. Put a

star on the map in these areas. Create a key to color code the lakes, r ivers ,

mountains , deser ts , grass lands , and fores ts .

Each region of the c oun try has a different env ironm ent. W here would you l ike

to l ive? What plants and animals would l ive there with you? What could you learn

from the plants and animals that would help you survive? What would you eat?

What would you make your home or clothing out of? What would you do for fun?

What problems might you face?

Imagine that you and your family l ived in a certain part of the country before

any Europeans arr ived. Write a s tory about an excit ing or troublesome day. Build

this into a s tory as if i t really happened. Revise, rewrite, edit , and type your s tory

to share with your class .

From



3ollow-Up Ideas io r "Counsel o i Crows

83






A

Mitjht

o n

th e

E un t

3t IJL t/ie sd&vij ef all Ufa

tltat IA k&lu anil LA ge&d te

tell.

Black E lk , f rom

Black Elk Speaks



From





Comments

t o t h e le a t h e r

T H I S STORY IS ACTUALLY TWO VIGNETT

t h a t e x p l o r e p r e d a t o r - p r e y r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d b a c k y a r d w i l d l i f e . T h e

t heme unde r l y i ng bo t h s t o r i e s i s t ha t you do no t have t o t r ave l t o t he

A m azo n j un g l e o r t h e A f r ican s av an na t o f ind mag n i f i cen t w i l d li f e.

E ven i n t he mos t u r ban o f env i r onmen t s you can f i nd exc i t i ng and

s ca r y c r ea t u r e s t ha t have no t been f u l l y unde r s t ood o r s t ud i ed .

"A N i gh t on t he H un t " i s p r e s en t ed a s one s t o r y . Y ou cou l d ea s i l y

te l l i t tha t way , o r t e l l one v igne t t e a t the beg inn ing of a un i t and t e l l

t he o t he r v i gne t t e l a t e r i n t he un i t t o g i ve s t uden t s a s econd exampl e

of w i ld l i f e in the i r own backyard .

Y ou may no t i ce t ha t t he pa r t o f t he s t o r y abou t t he ow l i s s i mi l a r

to the s tory of the owl in "The B a l l ad o f R us t y and N ancy . " T ha t s t o r y

g ives an overv iew; th i s s to ry focuses on one ep i sode to make a d i f f e r

en t po i n t .

The owl v igne t t e in th i s s to ry can be used as an example of a s to ry

i n w h i ch p i c t og r aphs a r e u s ed a s a w r i t i ng s t r a t egy t o t e ach s c i ence r e

s ea r ch s k i l l s . ( Fo r mor e i n f o r m a t i on on t h i s a s pec t of t h e s t o r y , s ee

page 94. )

T he v i gne t t e abou t t he s p i de r i s ba s ed on bo t h f i e l d r e s ea r ch and

l i b r a r y r e s ea r ch . T h e ac t i v i t y a t t h e end o f t h i s s t o r y enco u r a ges bo t h .

L i k e s o m e o t h e r s t o r i e s , " A N i g h t o n t h e H u n t " m e n t i o n s s o m e

gory de ta i l s about w i ld l i f e surv iva l . P lease r ead the s to ry carefu l ly to

be s u r e i t i s app r op r i a t e f o r you r s t uden t s . R emember , you a r e f r ee t o

o m i t ,

downplay—or

play

up—any

d e t a i l s o r s cenes t h a t you t h i n k w i l l

e n h a n c e y o u r le s s o n a n d y o u r s t u d e n t s ' e n j o y m e n t o f t h e s t o r y . •••

C&ILCL

lfl&U%

U^LtL &t&vir

A JVigflit

o n t h e

Hunt

87

T



A Mvjkt o n th e Hunt

he great horned owl is one of the

m ost e f fic ien t hu n t e r s in Am er ica . Th is

type o f owl i s found th roughout the Amer i

cas,

f r o m n o r th e r n Can ad a t o T i e r r a d e l

Fuego a t the t ip o f Sou th Amer ica .

The g rea t horned owl l ives in fo res t s ,

p r a i r i e s , m o u n ta in s , an d c i t i e s . I t s w in g s

are more than f ive f ee t

long—longer

t h a n

y o u r a r m s . Y o u m ig h t t h in k t h a t an o w l

w i th s u ch l o n g w in g s w o u ld h av e t r o u b l e

m an eu v e r in g i n t h e f o r e s t . N o t a t a l l . I n

sp i te o f i t s long , long wings , the g rea t

h o r n e d o w l s o a r s t h r o u g h t h e t r e e s . D od g

in g l e f t an d r i g h t , s t r e t ch in g i t s w in g s

s t r a ig h t u p an d d o w n , i t m o v es am o n g t h e

h u g e t r ee s i n t h e f o r e s t .

A g r e a t h o r n e d o w l h as s p ec i a l f ea th

er s on the f ron t o f i t s w ings tha t s l i ce the

a i r . Y o u m ay h av e h ea r d o th e r k in d s o f

b i rds f lap the i r w ings , bu t you wi l l never

hear a g rea t horned owl f lap i t s w ings .

Those spec ia l f ea ther s on the f ron t o f i t s

wings ac t l ike s i l encer s , so i t can f ly wi th

o u t m ak in g a s o u n d . I t c an s n eak u p o n i t s

p rey , f ly ing s i l en t ly th rough the fo res t a t

n ig h t .

Grea t horned owls f ly on s i l en t w ings

u n d e r t h e m o o n , h u n t i n g f o r m ice , f o r

s n a k e s , f o r s q u i r r e l s , f o r s k u n k s . Y e s ,

t h ey ea t s k u n k s , b ecau s e o w l s d o n o t h av e

a sense o f smel l . I f a skunk sprays the owl ,

i t does no t no t ice . I t ' s a l l meat to h im. But

i t s f avor i te food i s mice . On an average

n ig h t , a g r e a t h o r n ed o w l m ay ea t 1 5 t o 3 0

m ice .

T h e g r e a t h o r n e d o w l s i n g s o u t ,

a

W hoo-oo-wh oo , whoo , whoo , whoo ,

whoo ."

Have you t r ied the ca l l o f the g rea t horned

owl? L is ten f i r s t , i t ' s one- two- th ree , one-

two,

one- two: "whoo-oo-whoo , whoo-whoo ,

whoo-whoo ." Now you t ry i t . "Whoo-oo-

whoo , whoo-whoo , whoo-whoo ."

Grea t horned owls have b ig eyes so

they can see in the dark . Bu t s igh t i s no t

t h e i r m o s t im p o r t an t s en s e . P r im a r i l y , t h ey

use their ears . Way off in

t h e d i s t a n c e , t h e g r e a t

h o r n e d ow l h e a r s t h i s

s o u n d : S q u e a k , s q u e a k . I t

h e a r s a m o u s e s q u e a k i n g

m o r e t h a n 1 00 y a r d s a w a y .

T h a t ' s h o w g r e a t h o r n e d

o w ls l o ca t e t h e i r

prey—by

u s i n g t h e i r e a r s . T h e n

they f ly in c lose . Wi th those la rge eyes

th ey s ee i n t h e d a r k . T h e o w l ' s ea r s an d

eyes a re an incred ib le pa i r o f too ls to use

in t h e h u n t . A n d l e t ' s n o t f o r g e t t h o s e

t a lo n s . T h e g r ea t h o r n ed o w l ' s t a l o n s a r e

s h a r p a s n eed l e s an d a s p o w er f u l a s c l aw s .

Fa r aw ay , t h e o w l h ea r s t h i s s o u n d :

Sq u eak , s q u eak . I t h ea r s a m o u s e . T h e o w l

ju m p s f r o m i t s b r an ch , s t r e t ch es i t s l o n g

w in g s , an d b eg in s f l y in g s i l en t l y t h r o u g h

the fo res t .

For just a second, close your eyes and

imagine you are a mouse . Imagine you have

l i t t l e paws , a l i t t l e t a i l , and l i t t l e whisker s .

Open your eyes . The l i t t l e mouse i s ea t ing

lit t le seeds, l i t t le bits of . . . snatch] F r o m

out o f nowhere the owl swoops down. Wi th

i t s r a z o r - s h a r p t a l o n s i t p i c k s u p t h a t

mo use . Gue ss wha t th a t owl is go ing to hav e

for supper?

Y o u m ig h t t h in k t h a t ' s p r e t t y s ad f o r

t h e m o u s e , b u t t h i n k a b o u t i t a n o t h e r

way . Maybe i t ' s no t so sad . You see , tha t

m o u s e b ecam e p a r t o f t h e o w l . T h e o w l

c o u l d f l y t h r o u g h t h e f o r e s t w i t h t h e

s t r en g th i t g o t f r o m ea t i n g t h e m o u s e .

Because o f the mouse the owl cou ld l ive .

Th e t r u th i s , i f you a re look ing fo r

ad v en tu r e , y o u d o n ' t h av e t o g o t o S ib e r i a

to s tudy t iger s , you don ' t have to go to

A u s t r a l i a t o s t u d y t h e g r e a t w h i t e s h a r k .

T h e r e i s p l e n t y o f a d v e n t u r e a n d e x c i t e

m e n t in y o u r o w n n e i g h b o r h o o d .

88

A Night on

th e

Hunt

T



M o s t p eo p l e d o n o t w a lk a r o u n d t h e i r

n e ig h b o r h o o d a t f o u r o ' c l o ck i n t h e m o r n

ing . I f they d id , they migh t hear owls

ca l l ing . I f they learned the ca l l o f the owl ,

they migh t be ab le to ca l l one in c loser so

they cou ld see i t . Owls l ive in the parks

an d w i ld l an d s i n an d a r o u n d t h e c i t y .

T h e y h u n t in y o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d .

W i l d l i f e a d v e n t u r e s a r e h a p p e n i n g i n

y o u r p a r t o f t h e w o r ld , w h e r ev e r y o u l i v e .

L e t m e t e l l y o u a n o t h e r a d v e n t u r e ,

o n e t h a t h a p p e n e d r i g h t i n s i d e m y h o u s e .

I w as s i t t i n g a t m y co m p u te r i n m y

b as em en t . A s I w as w o r k in g , I h ea r d t h i s

s t r an g e s o u n d : t i ck , t i ck . I w o n d e r ed w h a t

w as m ak in g t h a t s o u n d . I t h o u g h t a t f i r s t

t h a t m ay b e i t w as t h e c lo ck m ak in g t h a t

t i ck in g s o u n d .

I go t up f rom my desk to exp lo re the

n o i s e . I w a l k e d t o w a r d t h e s o u n d . I t

w as n ' t co m in g f r o m th e c lo ck , i t w as co m

in g f r o m u n d e r a t ab l e . U s in g m y ea r s , I

was ab le to fo l low the sound and f ind the

s o u r ce o f t h i s s t r an g e n o i s e . I l o o k ed u n

d e r n e a t h t h e t a b l e . T h e t i c k i n g s o u n d w a s

co m in g f ro m t h e r e .

I g o t d o w n o n m y h an d s an d k n ees t o

t a k e a b e t t e r l o o k . I t w a s d a r k u n d e r

th e r e , s o I r an an d g r ab b ed a f l a s h l i g h t . I

cam e b ack an d p u t t h e s p o t l i g h t o n a h u g e

sp ider . I t was a wol f spider—one of the

b i g , h a i r y o n e s . T h i s w o l f s p i d e r h a d

w r ap p ed a w eb a r o u n d an i n s ec t . I co u ld

t e l l s o m e k in d o f b ee t l e w as t r ap p e d i n

th a t w eb , b u t i t w as s o en t i r e ly co v e r ed

w i th t h e w eb t h a t I

c o u l d n o t t e l l w h a t

k ind o f bee t le i t was .

| b e e t l e w a s m a k i n g

e r e ' s w h a t w a s

h a p p e n i n g : T h e w o l f

s p i d e r w o u l d w r a p

th e b ee t l e u p i n t h e

w e b , b u t t h e b e e t l e

w o u l d b r e a k t h e w e b . T h a t

w a s t h e t i c k i n g s o u n d I

heard . I t was so r t o f l ike a

c r i ck e t r u b b in g i t s l eg s t o -

g e t h e r . T h e w o l f s p i d e r

w o u l d w r a p u p t h e b e e t l e

a n d tick, t h e b e e t l e w o u l d

b r e ak t h e w eb . T h e w o lf s p i -

d e r w o u ld w r ap i t u p an d

tick, t h e b e e t l e w o u l d b r e a k t h e w e b . T h e

wol f sp ider would wrap i t up and tick, t h e

b ee t l e w o u ld b r ea k t h e w eb . T h i s j u s t k e p t

go ing on and on .

F i n a l l y , t h e s p i d e r w i s e d u p a n d

s topped th e s il ly gam e. I t b i t the bee t le and

in jec ted po ison in to i t . Then i t wrapped up

the bee t le in i t s web aga in .

Tick,

t h e b ee t l e

broke the web . The sp ider wrapped i t up

a n d tick, the bee t le b roke the web aga in .

The sp ider wrapped i t up and tick, . . .

A g a in t h e s p id e r b i t t h e b ee t l e . A g a in

i t w r a p p e d u p t h e b e e t l e . Tick . . . w r a p p e d

it up and . . . tick. T h e t i ck s cam e s lo w er

a n d s l o w e r . T h e s p i d e r b i t t h e b e e t l e

ag a in , an d t h e t i ck s b ecam e w eak e r . F i

n a l l y , t h e b ee t l e co u ld n ' t b r eak t h e w eb .

T h e s p id e r w r ap p ed u p t h e b ee t l e s o

well you could not see i t a t a l l . I t was l ike

a mummy in a cocoon , i t was so thor

o u g h ly w r ap p ed . T h en t h e s p id e r b i t it o n e

las t t ime. You cou ld see the sp ider ' s f angs ;

t h ey w er e h u g e co m p ar ed t o t h e b ee t l e .

I w as s o i n t r i g u ed b y t h i s ad v en tu r e

th a t I we n t to th e l ib rary an d found a coup le

of books on sp ider s . I began to r ead abou t

spiders and their poisons. Dif ferent types of

sp ider s have d i f f e ren t types o f po isons .

Som e sp ider s have two k ind s of po ison . T he

f i rs t po ison k il l s th e v ic t im 's nerves . Ne rves

are l ike a wi r in g sys tem in you r body . Wh en

you want to move your f inger , an e lec t r ica l

o r chemica l pu lse , bo th a t d i f f e ren t junc

t u r e s , goes f rom your b ra in , down your

sp ina l co rd , down your a rm , in to you r h an d ,

and your f inger moves . Nerves make up the

wir ing sys tem tha t t e l l the muscle to move .

W hen you k il l an inse c t ' s nerve s , i t becom es

p a r a ly zed .

A Night on the Hunt

89



T h e o th e r k in d o f

poison is l ike an acid , i t

d i s so lves the in -

s ides o f t he b u g .

A l l of t h e i n -

s ides o f the bug

bec om e a s t i cky goo , so th e sp ider can com e

back later , inser t i ts fangs and l ike a s t raw,

sluuurrrrp, suck i t up , l ike a bu g mil ksh ake !

Next , I began to do a l i t t l e sc ien t i f ic

s tu d y . I w en t a r o u n d m y h o u s e l o o k in g f o r

s p id e r s an d i n s ec t s . I k n o w an d y o u k n o w

th a t n o m a t t e r h o w c l ean y o u r h o u s e i s ,

i n s ec t s m o v e i n to a l l av a i l ab l e s p aces . A c

tu a l l y , s p id e r s a r e g r ea t b u g s t o h av e i n

y o u r h o u s e , b ec au s e if y o u h av e s p id e r s

a r o u n d , y o u d o n o t h a v e a s m a n y m o s q u i

t o e s , o r o th e r k in d s o f b u g s . T h e s p id e r s

keep them in check . I f you have lo t s o f

sp ider s , i f you f ind sp ider webs in your

h o u s e , t h a t ' s a g o o d t h in g . Y o u m ay n o t

t h i n k so , a n d y o u r p a r e n t s m i g h t n o t

th ink so , bu t be l ieve me, i t i s .

I b eg an t o g o a r o u n d m y h o u s e an d

look fo r d i f f e ren t k inds o f sp ider s . I found

s o m e t h a t m a k e w e b s t o t r a p t h e i r p r e y

a n d o t h e r s t h a t s t a l k , l i k e t i g e r s , a n d

p o u n c e u p o n t h e i r v i c ti m s . W h e r e t h e r e i s

water , l ike a l ake o r r iver , you wi l l f ind

lo t s o f bugs , and where there a re lo t s o f

b u g s ,

you wi l l f ind lo t s o f p reda to r s . I

found lo t s o f sp ider s . I found 15 d i f f e ren t

s p ec i e s o f s p id e r s i n an d a r o u n d m y h o u s e .

One morn ing , I wen t ou t on my back

porch and saw a web tha t was th ree f ee t

across . I t was the web o f a garden sp ider .

Th is k ind o f sp ider g row s to be th re e inche s

long , w i th a beau t i fu l pa t te rn o f ye l low,

b lack , and whi te on i t s back . Ins ide my

h o u s e I f o u n d l i t t l e j u m p in g

sp ider s . Have you seen those?

T h e y a r e b l a c k a n d w h i t e ,

and they hobb le a round l ike

l i t t l e c r a b s . G a r d e n s p i d e r s

m a k e w e b s t o c a t c h t h e i r

p r e y , b u t j u m p i n g s p i d e r s a r e

.90

m o r e l i k e t i g e r s . J u m p i n g s p i d e r s s t a l k

th e i r p r ey . T h ey m o v e v e r y s l o w ly , an d

w h en t h ey g e t c l o s e t o t h e i r p r ey , t h ey

pounce on i t . They ca tch i t . They b i te i t .

T h e y p a r a l y z e i t . A n d y o u k n o w w h a t h a p

p e n s n ex t . T h ey in j ec t t h e i r p r ey w i th ac id

to d i sso lve i t s ins ides and tu rn i t in to a

milkshake. Sluuurrrrp

S e v e r a l t i m e s I l o o k e d u n d e r t h e

chai r in my of f ice and found add i t iona l

m u m m if i ed i n s ec t s . A f t e r I w as s u r e t h e

sp ider had moved on to a new loca t ion ,

b ecau s e I d id n o t w an t t o d i s t u r b i t , I

p lu ck ed s ev e r a l o f t h e d ig es t ed b u g s f r om

i ts web . I carefu l ly pu l led apar t the co

c o o n s . I h a d s o m e t r o u b l e i d e n t i f y i n g

s o m e of t h e i n s e c t s . T h e r e w e r e t h r e e

h o u s e f l i e s an d tw o s m a l l w o o d r o ach es

tha t I cou ld iden t i fy fo r su re .

The wol f sp ider d id me a b ig f avor by

ca t ch in g t h o s e an n o y in g b u g s . A n d i t a l s o

t a u g h t m e

something—that

I d o n ' t h av e

to t r av e l h a l f w ay a r o u n d t h e p l an e t t o s ee

w o n d r o u s w i l d l i f e . E x c i t i n g a d v e n t u r e s

a r e h a p p e n i n g r i g h t i n m y h o m e !

P r e d a t o r s h u n t i n o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d s

every day . I f you were to go ou t a t sunse t

o r s u n r i s e , y o u m ig h t f i n d o w l s h u n t i n g .

But you don ' t have to go ou ts ide to f ind

h u n t e r s : S o m e p r e d a t o r s a n d t h e i r p r e y

a r e l i v in g r i g h t i n y o u r h o u s e . H av e y o u

s p e n t t i m e w a t c h i n g t h e s p i d e r b e h i n d

your couch? Have you seen foxes o r r ac

c o o n s i n y o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d ? C o y o t e s ?

H a w k s o r o w l s ? H a v e y o u s e e n r o b i n s

h u n t f o r w o r m s ? D id y o u k n o w th ey u s e

th e i r f ee t t o f ee l t h e v ib r a t i o n s a w o r m

m a k e s a s i t m o v e s u n d e r g r o u n d ? O v e r t h e

nex t f ew days o r weeks

k eep y o u r ey es an d ea r s

open . Watch fo r w i ld l i f e

t h a t h a s a d a p t e d t o t h e

c i t y . Y o u m i g h t f i n d

m o r e e x c i t e m e n t t h a n

y o u t h in k !

A Night on th e H un t



•Follow-Up

Idea s lot

"Jl M g h t o n th e

Hunt"

Guessing-Game P o e m s

•••Science skills: Communication; Classification; Inference;

Identify Variables

•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; research materials,

including encyclopedias of animal behavior and

CD-ROMs

Challenge stu de nts to exercise higher-level thin kin g skil ls and resea rch anim al

behavior by writ ing poems that describe the behavior of a part icular animal but do

not name the creature. Ask students to choose an animal, preferably one that l ives

in their ecosystem. Ask them to research the animal in the l ibrary and then make

a l is t of the things the animal does, that is , i ts behavior. Students use this l is t of

words to wr i te a br ief poem tha t descr ibes the anim al ' s behavior . Remind s tud en ts

to avoid naming the animal in the poem.

Stu den ts can read thei r poems to one ano ther and le t thei r l i s ten ers guess wha t

animal is being described. Another way to use these poems is to create a guessing-

game bullet in board. Have the students fold a piece of paper in half. Tell them to

write their poem on the front of the paper and draw a picture of the animal on the

ins ide. Han g the shee ts on the bul le t in board so tha t s tu den ts can read the poem s.

Students try to guess what animal is being described, and then peek at the

il lustrat ion to verify their guess.

Following is an exam ple of a guessing-game poem:

A Midnight Visitor

Bandi t creeping through the night

Click, click, click, I flick the light

She scurries off, climbs up the tree

Near the roof she looks down at me

Her eyes reflect the flashlight beam

She hisses, shrieks, her teeth they gleam

I close the door, turn off the light

She scurries off into the night

1

•

Mlow-Up Ideas

io r

A Myht

o n t h e Hunt"

91



W r i t in g a n d T e l l in g t h e S t o r y o f

Wildlife

•••Science skills: Communication; Observation; Inference;


•••Materials: Pen or pencil and paper; nature video that

focuses on one animal species; VCR and television;

All upon a Sidewalk

by Je an Craighead George

T o h e lp s t u d en t s l ea r n w i ld l i f e r e s ea r ch s k i l l s an d t o im p r o v e t h e i r c r ea t i v e

w r i t i n g s k i l l s , s t u d en t s o b s e r v e an an im a l i n a v id eo , t h en u s e w h a t t h ey h av e

l ea r n ed t o w r i t e a s t o r y . Beg in w i th an o r a l r ead in g of All upon a Sidewalk b y J e a n

Cra ighead George o r a s to ry tha t you wr i te abou t a day in the l i f e o f a f e roc ious

b ea s t . T e l l t h e c l a s s t h a t y o u a r e a l l g o in g t o w r i t e a s t o r y t o g e t h e r . A s a c l a s s , w a t ch

a N a t io n a l G eo g r ap h i c o r Wi ld A m er i ca v id eo t h a t f o cu s es o n o n e an im a l . A s k t h e

c l a s s t o t ak e n o t e s ab o u t t h e an im a l ' s p h y s i ca l ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s ; h ab i t a t ; f o o d s u p p ly ;

p r e d a t o r s ; d e f e n s e s ; m o d e o f l o c o m o t i o n ; a n d u n i q u e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , s u c h a s m o l t

i n g , m ig r a t i o n , o r h ib e r n a t i o n . E v e r y f i v e m in u t e s o r s o , s t o p t h e v id eo s o t h a t y o u

a n d t h e s t u d e n t s c a n t a k e n o t e s . Y o u m a y w a n t t o m o d e l n o t e t a k i n g d u r i n g t h e

f i r s t b r eak b y w r i t i n g y o u r n o t e s o n t h e b o a r d .

A f t e r w a t ch in g t h e v id eo , g u id e t h e c l a s s a s i t co n s t r u c t s a s t o r y ab o u t t h e

an im a l . Ca l l t h e s t o r y " A D ay i n t h e L if e o f . " H e lp s t u d e n t s t r a n s l a t e fac t s

an d i d eas f r o m th e i r n o t e s i n to p o e t i c s en t en ces w i th d es c r i p t i v e w o r d s an d ac t i o n

v e r b s . E n co u r ag e o ld e r s t u d en t s t o w o r k w i th f i r s t - p e r s o n n a r r a t i o n ; a w e l l - d ev e l

o p ed s e t t i n g ; ch a r ac t e r d ev e lo p m en t ; an d co n f l i c t , c l im ax , an d r e s o lu t i o n . E n co u r

ag e s t u d en t s t o im ag in e b e in g t h e c r ea tu r e , t o p r e s en t t h e f ac t s f r o m i t s p o in t o f

v iew, and to speak in i t s vo ice . Work ing as a whole c lass , c r ea te a rough d raf t on

t h e c h a l k b o a r d o r o v e r h e a d .

As a c lass , r ev iew th e s to ry , look ing fo r ways to add co lo r, suspe nse , o r i m po r ta n t

de ta i l s . Encourage s tuden ts to r ev iew the i r no tes and o f fer sugges t ions fo r de ta i l s to

be added to the s to ry . Cu t ou t o r tone down f lowery sen tences and r ear range para

g raphs , model ing the a r t o f r ewr i t ing , r e f in ing , and ed i t ing . Double-check spe l l ing ,

p u n c tu a t i o n , s u b j ec t - v e r b ag r eem en t , an d o th e r g r am m at i ca l d e t a i l s .

F i n a l l y , t e l l s t u d e n t s t h e i r s t o r y ! W h e n y o u a d d d r a m a t i c i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n d

s o u n d e f fec t s, t h e v i t a l i t y o f an o r a l p r e s e n t a t i o n w i ll m ak e s t u d e n t s b e am w i th t h e

success o f a s to ry wel l wr i t t en .

92

A N i g h t o n t h e

Hunt



W i l d A n i m a l O b s e r v a t i o n

•••Science skills: Communication; Observation; Prediction;

Inference; Ident ify Variables; Formulate Hypotheses;


Invest igat ions

•••Materials: Wild Adventures in Your Backyard worksheet

(pages 95-96), pen or pencil and paper

T o g iv e s t u d en t s f i e l d ex p e r i en ce a s w i ld l i f e r e s ea r ch e r s , i n s t r u c t t h em to

o b s e r v e a wild an im a l in t h e i r n e ig h b o r h o o d . T h e w i ld an im a l co u ld b e an an t , a

s q u i r r e l , a b i r d a t t h e f eed e r , o r a s p id e r i n t h e b as em en t . ( Pe t s a r e n o t w i ld

an im a l s . ) Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o t ak e ca r e f u l n o t e s w i th a t im e l o g , a s i f t h ey w er e

w i ld l i f e r e s ea r ch e r s . T e l l s t u d en t s t o f o cu s o n t h e an im a l ' s p h y s i ca l ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s ;

h ab i t a t ; f o o d s u p p ly ; p r ed a to r s ; d e f en s es ; m o d e o f l o co m o t io n ; an d u n iq u e ch a r ac

t e r i s t i c s , s u c h a s m o l t i n g , m i g r a t i o n , o r h i b e r n a t i o n .

A f t e r s t u d e n t s c o m p l e t e t h e i r r e s e a r c h , c o a c h

t h e m t h r o u g h t h e p ro c e s s of w r i t i n g s to r i e s a b o u t t h e

a n i m a l . H a v e s t u d e n t s i l l u s t r a t e t h e i r s t o r i e s a n d

m a k e t h e m i n t o b o o k s . S t u d e n t s w h o d i s l i k e w r i t i n g

in any fo rm may warm to th i s p ro jec t . In a s imi la r

p r o j ec t , o n e s t u d en t w h o h a t ed t o write—he even

refused to wr i te h i s fu l l name—filled s ev e r a l p ag es

w i th a s t o r y ab o u t a t i g e r o n t h e h u n t ! ( H i s r e s ea r ch

was a combinat ion o f zoo v i s i t s and v ideo . )

S a y I t w i t h P i c t o g r a p h s

•••Science skill: Communication


Wri t ing can be d i f f icu l t fo r those who do no t have a f i rm grasp o f phonet ic

l an g u ag e . A f t e r t h ey h av e f o u n d a s y m b o l i c r ep r e s en t a t i o n f o r t h e i r i d eas ( i n t h e

f o rm o f p i c t o g r a p h s ) a n d h a v e c o m m u n i c a t e d t h e i r s t o r y v e r b a l l y , w r i t i n g b e c o m e s

eas ier .

A s k s t u d en t s t o c r ea t e t h e i r s t o r y f i r s t a s a s e r i e s o f s eq u en t i a l p i c tu r e s . T h i s

h e lp s t h em to c r ea t e w e l l - o r d e r ed s t o r i e s t h a t f o l l o w a n a tu r a l p r o g r e s s io n f r o m

b eg in n in g t o en d . I t a l s o h e lp s t h em to f i n d w o r d s t o u s e i n t e l l i n g t h e i r s t o r y .

W i t h t h e p i c t o g r a p h s c o m p l e t e d a n d a r r a n g e d i n t h e p r o p e r o r d e r , a s k t h e

s tu d en t s t o s ay a lo u d w h a t i s h ap p en in g i n each p i c tu r e . T h i s w i l l h e lp t h em b r id g e

t h e g a p b e t w e e n t h e s p o k e n a n d w r i t t e n w o r d . F i n a l l y , a s k t h e s t u d e n t s t o p u t t h e i r

s t o r i e s i n to w o r d s o n p ap e r . ( T h e au th o r ' s p i c t o g r a p h fo r " A N i g h t o n t h e H u n t "

ap p ea r s o n p ag e 9 4 . )

\

x

3ol\ow-Hp

I d e a s

tor A

N i g h t o n th e

Hunt"

S3



A p i ct o g r a p h ve r s io n o f A N ig h t o n t h e Hunt.

94

A

Mght

o n th e

Hunt



W i l d A d v e n t u r e s i n Y o u r B a c k y a r d

Yc

U C AN B E A W I L D L I F E R E S E A R C H E R !

In your ne ighborhood , maybe even in your home, a re hundreds o f w i ld

an im als l iv ing am azin g , dang erou s , and cur ious l ives th a t we know very

l i t t l e abou t . When you carefu l ly observe these an imals , they

w i l l r ev ea l t o y o u t h e i r h ab i t s an d ad v en tu r e s .

Animal , hab i ta t , and behav ior a re the e le

ments of any good research project . The animal

you choose is the character , the habi tat is the

se t t ing , and the an imal ' s behav ior i s the p lo t .

Do some field research. Study the wildlife in

your home or neighborhood and turn i ts act ions in to an exci t ing s tory . Use th is

shee t to organ ize yo ur rese arc h. Wri te your no tes in a jou rna l or on the back of th i s

sheet of paper .

Be s u r e t o ch o o s e an an im a l t h a t y o u can ea s i ly o b s e r v e a lm o s t an y d ay . A b i r d

a t y o u r f eed e r , an an t i n y o u r b ac k y a r d , a s q u i r r e l i n a p a r k n e a r b y a r e j u s t s o m e

o f t h e m an y p o s s ib i l i t i e s .

My an imal i s a

C h a r a c t e r :

O bse rve you r an i m al fo r a f ew day s . Fo l low i t if you ne ed to , b u t

d o n ' t i n t e r f e r e w i th i t .

W r i t e a d e t a i l e d d es c r i p t i o n of w h a t y o u r an im a l l o o k s l i k e , h o w i t m o v es , w h a t

i t d o es , an d an y o th e r i n t e r e s t i n g ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s .

S e t t i n g : T h e s eco n d s t ep i n y o u r r e s ea r ch i s t o s p en d s o m e t im e i n t h e

a n i m a l ' s e n v i r o n m e n t o r

habitat.

J o t d o w n s o m e n o t e s ab o u t i t s h o m e . W h a t t y p es

o f p l an t s an d an im a l s s h a r e i t s n e ig h b o r h o o d ? I s t h e r e a c r eek o r r i v e r o r an y

u n u s u a l r o ck o r l an d f o r m s n ea r b y ? W r i t e a d e t a i l ed d es c r i p t i o n o f y o u r a n im a l ' s

h a b i t a t o r h o m e .


Mlow-lty Ideas

for

J

N ig h t

on the Hunt

95



P l o t : S c h e d u l e r e g u l a r t i m e s t o s i t q u i e t l y a n d u n o b t r u s i v e l y i n t h e a n i m a l ' s

h ab i t a t . Wa tch t h e an im a l v e r y ca r e f u l l y . A s k y o u r s e l f q u es t i o n s l i k e : Wh a t d o es i t

ea t? What migh t ea t i t ? Where wi l l i t h ide? Where does i t s leep? What does i t do in

b ad w ea th e r ? D o es i t h av e b ab i e s ? Wh a t m a te r i a l s d o es i t u s e t o b u i l d i t s h o m e?

M ak e u p s o m e q u es t i o n s of y o u r o w n an d t h en o b s e r v e y o u r an im a l f or

a n s w e r s . T h e b a s i c q u e s t i o n i s : H o w d o e s t h i s a n i m a l i n t e r a c t w i t h i t s e n v i r o n m e n t ?

N o t e e v e r y t h i n g t h a t y o u r a n i m a l d o e s , a n d t h e n m a k e a n e d u c a t e d g u e s s o r

h y p o th e s i s ab o u t w h a t y o u t h in k i t w i ll d o n ex t . W a tch ca r e f u l l y t o s ee if y o u r g u e s s

w as accu r a t e . O b s e r v e y o u r an im a l a t l e a s t f i f t een m in u t e s a d ay f o r s ev en d ay s .

Be ca r e f u l n o t t o d i s t u r b i t s d a i l y h ab i t s . A lw ay s t ak e ca r e f u l n o t e s , r eco r d in g t h e

t i m e ,

t h e d a t e , t h e w e a t h e r a n d a n y o t h e r p e r t i n e n t i n f o r m a t i o n . Y o u m a y a l s o w i s h

t o s u p p l e m e n t y o u r o b s e r v a t i o n s w i t h i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t h e l i b r a r y .

T h e S t o r y : U s e y o u r n o t e s t o w r i t e an ex c i t i n g s t o r y ab o u t y o u r an im a l . Y o u

m ay w i s h t o b eg in w i th a d es c r i p t i o n o f t h e s e t t i n g o r ch a r ac t e r , p lu n g e i n to a

p r o b l em th e an im a l f aces , b u i l d t en s io n , an d t h en t e l l h o w th e an im a l r e s o lv es t h e

p r o b l e m .

F r o m

Learning from the

Land. Cop yr igh t © 1997 Br i a n " Fox " E l l i s . T e a c he r I de a s P r e s s . (800) 237- 6124 .

A Night on

th e

H unt



Ike Sa lm o n .Jo urn ey

Garth Hihhr is t

1/Oe head n& uutinebi but our ouui.

J e a n d e l a F o n t a i n e ,

f rom Fables






Comments to t h e le a t h e r

T H I S IS THE ONLY STOR

in th i s co l l ec t ion tha t I d id no t have a hand in wr i t ing . I use i t f i r s t

an d f o r em os t b eca us e i t i s an exce l l en t p i ece o f w r i t i n g and beau t i f u l l y

exp r e s s e s many o f t he s ame goa l s t ha t I s t r i ve f o r i n my s t o r i e s .

G a r t h and I me t a t an env i r onmen t a l educa t i on con f e r ence a dozen

ye ar s ago . We we re on para l l e l pa ths , s t ruggl ing to g ive vo ice to th e

crea tures o f the ear th and sky , to move away f rom the Romant ic idea of

us ing na ture as a metaphor fo r human fee l ings . We were seek ing a way to

a l low the au then t ic vo ice of na ture to share i t s w isdom. Our goa l was to

a l low our wr i t ing to move away f rom an imals as human- l ike charac te r s

in to a r ea lm where the w isdom of o ther c rea tures i s r espec ted . We d i s

cussed ways to b r i ng sc ience theo ry to life and to g ro un d en vi ro nm en ta l

ac t iv i sm in hard sc ience . I shared wi th h im my s tory "The W eb . "

Together we d i scussed "Wal te r the Water Molecu le . " Severa l year s l a t e r

he sen t me a copy of "The Sa lmon ' s Journey . " Wi th h i s permiss ion , I

share h i s s to ry about the migra t ion of the Pac i f i c sa lmon.

Al though th i s s to ry i s an thropomorphic in tha t i t g ives the sa lmon

hum an- l i ke f ee l ings , t hou gh t s , and d r eam s , t he goa l, w h i ch I t h i n k G ar t h

ach ieves , i s to see the wor ld th rough the

salmon's

eyes . Because we do

no t fu lly un de r s t a nd t he i n t e r i o r p r oces se s , t hou gh t s , and comm un i ca

t ions of an im als , we a re l imi ted in how we can wr i t e ab ou t them . G ar t h

uses a sophis t i ca ted nar ra tor ' s vo ice , an omnisc ien t in te rna l consc ious

ness , to express the mys te ry of ins t inc t . He as s igns human fee l ings and

thoughts in an e f for t to show poss ib le r easons for the sa lmon ' s behavior .

W hen I t e l l t h i s s t o r y I am r emi nded o f t he t r ad i t i ona l t a l e o f t he

s a l mon boy w ho f a l l s i n t o t he r i ve r and becomes a s a l mon . A f t e r l i v i ng

w i t h h i s r e l a t i ve s unde r t he s ea , he comes back t o t he r i ve r t o be

caugh t by a f i s he r man f r om h i s v i l l age . T he v i l l age e l de r he l p s t he f am

i l y t o r e t u r n t he i r s on t o h i s human f o r m. N ow a man , he has a deepe r

u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e salmon's l i f e . I n bo t h t he t r ad i t i ona l t a l e and t he

fo l lowing s to ry there i s a p rofound respec t fo r a l l be ings . • • •

CAMIL ifi&u% tfa& &£aw£ . . .

Zhe Salmon 's

Journey

99



T.\\i\ Salmon's Journey

l \ t t h e ed g e o f a m o u n t a in s t r e

t i n y w av es of w a t e r l ap p ed ag a in s t a s an d y

b an k . O u t i n t h e s t r eam , n o t f a r f r o m th e

b a n k , u n d e r t h e c l e a r w a t e r a n d b e n e a t h

the sand , a f ew inches down, 100 r ed eggs

l ay t o g e th e r i n a d a r k n es t . A l l w in t e r

l o n g , t h e s an d h ad s h i e ld ed t h em f r o m th e

i ce an d s n o w th a t h ad co v e r ed t h e s t r eam .

T h e w a t e r w a s w a r m e r n o w ; t h e i c e

h ad m e l t ed . A n eg g w as s t i r r i n g . I n s id e

the egg , a t iny f i sh sensed tha t l i f e was

b e g i n n i n g . T h e h a l f - i n c h l o n g s a l m o n

th r a s h ed i n s id e i t s s l i p p e r y egg p r i s o n u n

t i l f i n a l l y t h e w a l l s t h a t t r ap p ed i t b u r s t

o p en . T h e n ew b o r n f o u g h t h e r w ay u p

th rough the sand . Soon she found her se l f

swimming f r ee in the c lear water . A huge

t r o u t l u n g ed t o w ar d h e r , i t s m o u th o p en

l i k e a r e d s u c k i n g c a v e . T h e n e w b o r n

s a lm o n d i s ap p ea r ed b eh in d a h u g e , g n a r l ed

roo t g rowing a long the bank . She wai ted

t h e r e u n t i l s h e s e n s e d t h e d a n g e r h a d

passed , and then swam back ou t in to the

pool . Before long several o ther t iny f ish

s h a r ed t h e w a t e r . So o n t h e r e w er e d o zen s ,

t h en h u n d r ed s o f f l a s h es i n t h e w a t e r , a l l

j u s t h a t ch ed , t i n y s li v e r s o f l i g h t , d a r t i n g

t h i s w a y a n d t h a t i n t h e s t r e a m t h a t w a s

to b e t h e i r h o m e f o r t h e n ex t f ew m o n th s .

T h e n e w b o r n s a l m o n c o n t i n u a l l y

d r ew w a te r i n to h e r m o u th an d p as s ed i t

over her g i l l s , d rawing the l i f e -g iv ing oxy

gen ou t o f the water and in to her body .

Sh e a t e t h e f o o d t h e s t r eam b r o u g h t h e r ,

b i t s o f d r i f t ing insec t s and t iny f loa t ing

p l an t s . T h e r i v e r g av e

her l i f e and she g rew.

D u r i n g t h e d a y s t h a t

r

fol lowed, she s tayed in

^he s h a l l o w s , i n t h e

Ica lm, sh immer ing poo ls

|along the edge of the

swift-f lowing stream, or

in the ta l l g rasses and th ick r eeds tha t g rew

in t h e w a t e r a l o n g t h e b an k s . Wh en l a r g e

f i sh appeared , she h id beh ind the huge ,

gnar led roo t .

O u t in t h e m a in cu r r en t of t h e s t r ea m ,

th e d eep w a t e r s w e l led an d t u m b led . I n s id e

the young f ish , a quiet voice said , "Stay

back , s tay back ." The sa lmon obeyed the

vo ice . As the days passed , the ha tch l ing

con t inued to f eed , and she g rew. Her body

w as s t r eam l in ed an d s l eek . Sh e m o v ed h e r

t a i l an d f i n s p r ec i s e ly , g u id in g h e r s e l f

a m o n g t h e r e e d s a n d r o o t s or b e t w e e n t h e

s h i n i n g b o d i e s o f t h e y o u n g f is h t h a t

s h a r ed t h e p o o l w i th h e r .

O n e d ay , t h e q u i e t v o i ce i n s id e t h e

s a l m o n s a i d , " S w i m i n t o t h e c u r r e n t ,

s w i m i n t o t h e c u r r e n t . " T h e s a l m o n h e s i

ta ted , fo r she had never l e f t the qu ie t poo l .

Bu t t h e v o i ce w as i n s i s t en t , s o s h e s w am

in to t h e cu r r en t an d l e t i t c a r r y h e r s t r o n g

b o d y d o w n s t r e a m . A s s h e s w a m , t h e

s t r e a m t u m b l e d h e r d o w n r a p i d s a n d

th r ew h e r o v e r w a t e r f a l l s , b u t h e r t o u g h

s a lm o n s k in s l i d ea s i l y o v e r t h e r o ck s . Sh e

s w am an d a l l o w ed h e r s e l f t o b e ca r r i ed b y

th e w a t e r . Sh e i g n o r ed t h e d eep , g r een

p o o l s i n t h e ed d i e s t h a t w o u ld h av e g iv en

her safe ty and r es t . Ins ide her , the vo ice

k ep t s ay in g , "Swim w i t h t h e c u r r e n t . "

Th e qu ie t voice was a lways ta lk ing . Th e

quiet voice talked in feel ings and pictures

tha t d r i f ted th rough her mind . She a lways

obeyed the voice. I t was a par t of her .

So m e t im es , s h e d r eam e d . Sh e d r eam ed

of swimming in a great , deep pool that had

no bo t tom and no banks . There was on ly

water , water everywhere .

A s s h e t r a v e l e d d o w n s t r e a m , t h e

s t r eam g r ew w id e r an d d eep e r , an d o th e r

s t r eams f lowed in to i t , swel l ing i t w i th

f r e s h , c l ea r w a t e r . O n e d ay t h e s t r eam

f lo w ed i n to a r i v e r . N o w th e y o u n g s a lm o n

100

t h e Salmon 's Journey



s w am in r o l l i n g , d eep w a t e r s t h a t f l o w ed

s m o o th ly an d q u i ck ly a lo n g .

A t fi r s t a l o n g h e r j o u r n e y , t h e y o u n g

s a lm o n h ad h ea r d o n ly t h e t r i ck l e o f t h e

s h a l l o w , f a s t - r u n n in g w a t e r o v e r p eb b l e s

a n d s t o n e s a n d t h e w h o o s h o f w a t e r

t h r o u g h r o o t s a n d r e e d s . T h e n s h e h a d

heard the s i l ence o f the deep f lowing r iver ,

w a s h i n g s m o o t h l y o v e r t h e r o u n d s t o n e s

on the bo t tom. But now a new sound f i l l ed

th e w a t e r . T h e s o u n d s t a r t ed a s a w h i s p e r ,

bu t i t g rew louder and louder . I t was l ike

th e r o a r in g o f r ap id s , b u t i t t h r o b b ed an d

p u l s ed . T h e r o a r in g g r ew u n t i l i t f il led t h e

w a t e r a r o u n d h e r l i k e a h u g e h e a r t ,

p o u n d i n g , p o u n d i n g , l o u d e r , c r a s h i n g .

Fea r f l a s h ed t h r o u g h h e r , b u t t h e v o i ce

sa id , "Go on ." Now the roar ing was a l l

a r o u n d . T h e w a t e r h e a v e d a n d t u m b l e d .

I t c r a s h ed an d s w e l l ed . T h e w a t e r w as

d a r k an d f i l l ed w i th s an d . T h e w a t e r w as

v as t . T h e y o u n g s a lm o n co u ld s ee n o b o t

t o m . T h e r e w as o n ly w a t e r , w a t e r ev e r y

w h e r e . A n d t h e n , s h e r e m e m b e r e d . T h e

d r eam . Y es , t h i s w as l i k e t h e d r eam . T h i s

p l ace w as en d l e s s , g r een , an d s h in in g l i k e

th e d r eam h ad b een . Sh e f e l t a t h o m e h e r e

in th i s p lace . I t was new, bu t somehow i t

was f ami l ia r .

T h e s a lm o n f o r g o t t h e cu r r en t , an d

she fo rgo t the r iver . She gave her se l f to

the ocean . The vo ice was qu ie t . "Yes , " i t

w h i s p e r ed . " Y es . "

T h e r e w er e w h a l e s h e r e i n t h e o cean ,

an d s ea l s , an d o th e r f i s h . T h e s a lm o n w as

a l e r t . Sh e s en s ed d an g e r . Y e t i t s eem ed

r i g h t t h a t t h e s e t h i n g s w e r e h e r e . T h e y

were a par t o f th i s p lace .

O t h e r

salmon—many others—had

t u m b led d o w n th e r i v e r , t o o . T h e q u i e t

v o i c e w i t h i n t h e y o u n g s a l m o n s a i d ,

" S w i m w i t h t h e o t h e r s , s t a y c l o s e t o

th em . " Sh e o b ey ed t h e v o i ce an d m o v ed t o

b e w i th t h em . T h ey s w am l i k e a s h in in g

c lo u d , s h i f t i n g s h ap e an d d i r ec t i o n , b u t

t h ey w er e a lw ay s f l o w in g t o g e th e r . M o v

i n g w i t h t h e o t h e r s , t h e y o u n g s a l m o n

so ug ht food o r ju s t d r i f ted . Se a ls wou ld

dar t in and swal low f i sh r igh t bes ide her ,

bu t she f led qu ick ly and was never caugh t .

T h e l i g h t cam e each d ay , an d t h en

th e d a r k n es s . D ay t o n ig h t , an d n ig h t t o

d ay , d ay t o n ig h t , an d n ig h t t o d ay . So m e

t im es t h e s a lm o n f l o w ed w i th t h e o cean

cu r r e n t s , r i v e r s of t h e s ea . T h ey f o ll o w ed

t h e

food—smaller

f i s h , s h r im p , an d

je l ly

f i s h . T h e s a lm o n l e t t h e cu r r en t ca r r y

them for weeks un t i l the qu ie t vo ice sa id ,

" N o f a r t h e r . S w i m b a c k . " T h e y n e v e r

q u es t i o n ed t h e q u i e t v o i ce . I t w as a p a r t

o f t h em . I t t o ld t h em h o w to b e s a lm o n .

T h e m o n t h s p a s s e d , a n d a y e a r

p a s s e d , a n d t h e n t w o y e a r s . T h e y o u n g

s a lm o n s en s ed i t w as n o w t im e f o r s o m e

t h i n g i m p o r t a n t t o h a p p e n . I n t h i s v a s t

o cean o f s o u n d s an d s m e l l s , t h e y o u n g

s a l m o n r e m e m b e r e d a s m e l l , a n o d o r t h a t

r e m i n d e d h e r of h e r b e g i n n i n g s .

T h e s a lm o n h ad g r o w n l a r g e n o w . I n

th e l a s t f ew m o n th s , eg g s h ad b eg u n t o

grow wi th in her , swel l ing her be l ly . Soon

she would lay the eggs . Bu t she would no t

l ay t h em o u t h e r e i n t h e v as t o cean . O n ce

m o r e t h e s a l m o n b e g a n t o d r e a m . S h e

d r e am ed o f b e in g h u r l ed a n d t o s s ed i n t h e

s an d y w av es . I n h e r d r eam , s h e h ea r d t h e

c r a s h in g o f t h e w av es , t h e p o u n d in g o n

t h e s h o r e . T h e v o i c e i n s i d e h e r s a i d ,

" Sw im , s w im to t h e w av es . " T h e s a lm o n

s w am to t h e ea s t an d a l i t t l e t o t h e n o r th ,

too.

Th e vo ice to ld her i t wa s th e r igh t way

to go . Yes , there i t was . She cou ld hear i t

n o w , t h e t h u n d e r i n g c r a s h o f t h e w a v e s .

S h e s w a m i n t o t h e s a n d y w a t e r . T h o u

s an d s of s a lm o n s u r r o u n d ed h e r , a l l h eav

ing in the waves .

" Y e s , "

said the voice, "Go on, go on."

T h e s a lm o n s w am o n . A w ay o p en ed

th r o u g h t h e s an d . N o w th e r e w as f r e s h

w a t e r , s w e e t c l e a r w a t e r . T h e s a l m o n

s w am in to i t . Sh e s aw th e b o t t o m , t h e

r o c k s , t h e b a n k s . T h e s w e e t , f l o w i n g

w a t e r . Y e s , s h e r e m e m b e r e d .

" Y e s , " s a id t h e v o i ce . " Pu s h n o w .

P u s h a g a i n s t t h e w a t e r . Y o u m u s t s w i m

a g a i n s t t h e w a t e r . "

A n d s o t h e s a l m o n s w a m . S h e

d r eam ed a s s h e s w am . Sh e d r eam ed o f t h e

ca lm p o o l w h e r e h e r l i f e h ad s t a r t ed . Sh e

dreamed of s t i l l water a t the edge o f the

Ihe Salmon's Journeg

101



f l o w in g cu r r e n t . Sh e d r e am ed of t h e s an d y

b o t to m , t h e r eed s an d t h e g r a s s e s i n t h e

sand , the p lace she had come f rom. And

she f e l t the eggs wi th in her .

" G o th e r e , " s a id t h e v o i ce . " Sw im . "

A n d w i th t h e d r eam in h e r m in d , s h e

s w a m .

M an y s t r eam s f l o w ed i n to t h e r i v e r .

T h e r i v e r g r e w c o o l e r a n d t h e s a l m o n

s m e l l e d s t r a n g e , n e w s c e n t s . A t t h e m o u t h

o f each n ew s t r eam , s o m e s a lm o n w o u ld

l eav e t h e f l o w in g r i v e r an d en t e r t h e n ew

w ate r . Bu t t h e v o i ce i n s id e t h e f em a le

sa id , "No , s tay in the r iver . "

H er b o d y b eg an t o ch an g e . I t g r ew

pink , and then r ed , as r ed as the egg she

h ad h a t ch ed f r o m . Bu t s h e d id n ' t n o t i ce

t h i s .

Sh e o n ly s w am , p u s h ed ag a in s t t h e

w a t e r . H u n d r e d s of s h i n i n g , w r i t h i n g

s a l m o n s w a m a r o u n d h e r , p u s h i n g t h e i r

w a y u p s t r e a m , s l i d i n g t o g e t h e r o v e r t h e

r o c k s , t h r o u g h t h e c l e a r w a t e r , d r e a m i n g

of t h e i r b e g i n n i n g p l a c e , s w i m m i n g

a g a i n s t t h e c u r r e n t . I n s i d e t h e s a l m o n

w as h e r d r eam , a p i c tu r e f l o a t i n g i n h e r

m i n d : t h e s t r e a m , t h e s t i l l w a t e r , t h e

s a n d y b o t t o m , t h e r e e d s a n d g r a s s e s .

"Find i t , " sa id the vo ice . "Find i t ! "

A f t e r m an y d ay s , t h e r e w as a s u d d en

s m e l l t h a t s en t a s h o ck t h r o u g h h e r w h o le

b o d y . " Fo l l o w i t ! Fo l l o w i t , " c r i ed t h e

v o i ce . Sh e l eap t t o w ar d t h e s cen t o f t h e

n e w w a t e r . S h e e n t e r e d t h e s t r e a m c h a n

nel .

I t was he r s t r e a m . T h e w a t e r w a s

s h a l l o w e r , n a r r o w e r . " Y e s , " s a i d t h e

vo ice , "Yes , swim, swim!"

Food passed by , bu t she d id no t no t ice

i t . She had no t ea ten fo r days . She would

n ev e r ea t ag a in . " Sw im , " s a id t h e v o i ce ,

" S w i m ! " A n d t h e s a l m o n s w a m . T h e

s t r eam g r ew s t eep an d f a s t . Sh e b ea t h e r

t a i l a g a i n s t t h e r a c i n g c u r r e n t . T h e w a t e r

r u s h e d b y h e r . T h r u s t i n g , l a s h i n g h e r t a i l

ag a in s t t h e w a t e r , f o r c in g h e r w ay u p

s t r e a m , b e t w e e n t h e r o c k s , u n d e r t h e l og s ,

t h r o u g h t h e m a z e s o f s t i c k s . T h e r e w e r e

m an y f i s h a r o u n d h e r . Sh e p a id n o a t t en

t i o n t o t h em . " Sw im ! " s a id t h e v o i ce . T h e

r o c k s g r e w l a r g e r . T h e s t r e a m c h a n n e l

g r ew s t eep e r s t i l l . T h e w a t e r f o am ed an d

s p r a y e d a n d h e a v e d . " P u s h ! " s a i d t h e

v o ic e , " P u s h u p w a r d . "

T h e s t r e a m r o a r e d a r o u n d h e r . T h e

w a t e r p o u r e d d o w n o v e r h i g h , j a g g e d

r o ck s . T h e p o o l l ay h ig h ab o v e . Sa lm o n

s h o t i n to t h e a i r f r o m th e w a t e r l i k e b u l

l e t s . M an y fe ll b ack . T h e w a t e r an d t h e a i r

w e r e f ul l of t h e g l i m m e r i n g b o d i e s o f

s a lm o n . M an y s a lm o n , m a le an d f em a le ,

lunged in to the a i r on ly to f a l l back . They

l eap ed an d l eap ed ag a in u n t i l t h ey c l ea r ed

t h e f a l l s . S h e h e s i t a t e d . " J u m p u p ! "

s h o u t e d t h e v o i ce . Sh e d o v e t o t h e b o t t o m ,

t h r a s h e d h e r t a i l , f l e w u p t h r o u g h t h e

water and sho t in to the a i r . Up she f lew.

She h i t the rock . She f e l l back . "Again! "

c r i ed t h e v o i ce . " J u m p ag a in ! "

A g a in s h e d o v e t o t h e b o t t o m , d eep e r

n o w , t h r a s h e d f u r i o u s l y a g a i n s t t h e f o a m

i n g w a t e r , sp e d t h r o u g h t h e w a t e r , b r o k e

th e s u r f ace an d ex p lo d ed i n to t h e a i r .

A g a i n s h e s m a s h e d i n t o t h e r o c k , t u m b l e d

d o w n i t an d s l ap p ed i n to t h e w a t e r . T h e

e g g s i n s i d e h e r w e r e s t r o n g . " A g a i n ! "

s h r i ek ed t h e v o i ce . " A g a in ! A g a in ! " O n ce

m o r e s h e d o v e , c i r c l ed t h e b o t t o m , g a th

e r e d s p e e d , t h r a s h i n g h e r t a i l w i t h e n o r

m o u s f o r ce , s p ed u p w ar d s , s t r eak ed i n to

th e a i r , f l ew , h ig h e r , h ig h e r , h ig h e r t h i s

t i m e .

Sh e s p l a s h ed i n to t h e p o o l ab o v e t h e

rock . "Yes , " sa id the vo ice . "Now, go on . "

T h e w a t e r s t r e a m e d d o w n t h r o u g h

s t eep g o r g es . A g a in an d ag a in s h e l eap t

t h e r o ck s , l e ap t t h e l o g s , f o u g h t t h e r ag in g

w a t e r . A g a i n a n d a g a i n s h e f e l l b a c k ,

b r u i s i n g a n d t e a r i n g h e r e x h a u s t e d b o d y .

H er b o d y w as cu t an d s h e b l ed i n to t h e

water . Her ta i l was to rn , a f in was ha l f

r i p p ed o u t , b u t s h e s w am o n . Sh e s w am

b ecau s e t h e v o i ce s a id , " Sw im . "

N o w th e s t r eam l ev e l ed , g r ew q u i

e t e r , s l o w er , an d t h e s a lm o n s en s ed an

en d in g . T h e s t r eam s m e l l ed l i k e r eed s ,

l i k e g r a s s e s . " W a t c h , " s a i d t h e v o i c e .

" W a t c h c a r e f u l l y . " T h e b o t t o m g r e w

s an d y . T h e d r eam f l o o d ed h e r m in d . T h e

s p o t . T h e s p o t . W h e r e i s t h e s p o t ? " N o , n o t

y e t , n o t h e r e , " s a i d t h e v o i c e . " S w i m .

S w i m . " T h e s a l m o n s w a m s l o w l y a n d

p a in f u l l y . A n d t h en s h e s aw i t . T h e r e w as

102

th e Salmon 's Journey



th e roo t , th e h id ing p lac e . "Yes! Yes! " sa id

the vo ice .

Now a new dream f looded her mind .

Another f i sh . A male . "Find a mate , " sa id

th e voice . "You mu s t f ind one . " Th e s a lmo n

lo o k ed an d h e w as t h e r e , s w im m in g n ea r

her . The f emale f anned the sandy bo t tom

with her t a i l , ho l lowing ou t a nes t . She

forced the shining red eggs f rom her body,

the eggs she had car r ied wi th in her to th i s

spo t fo r th i s moment . They se t t l ed in to

th e i r s an d y n es t .

T h e m a le m o v ed o v e r t h e eg g s . H i s

body quivered. The seed of l i fe lef t h im

an d d r i f t ed t h r o u g h t h e w a t e r o v e r t h e

e ggs .

T h ey w o u ld g r o w . T h e m a le s w am

of f , and the f emale sa lmon moved back

over the eggs she had la id . She f anned the

b o t t o m , co v e r in g t h e eg g s w i th s an d .

Now she l i s tened for the vo ice . "R es t , "

it said. "Drif t ."

The sa lmon le t the water car ry her .

Th ere w as no d re am , and th e vo ice was s t i l l .

She d r i f ted in the water . Her s t r eng th was

gone. She could no longer swim. She let

t h e w a t e r ca r r y h e r . Wav es w as h ed t h e

sa lmon up on to the beach . She lay there

gasp ing fo r b rea th .

" I t is o v e r , " w h i s p e r e d t h e v o i c e .

"Res t . " An eag le came. The las t o f the

salmon's s t r eng th , the eag le took fo r itself.

The sa lmon 's l i f e had ended . Or had i t ?

The eggs she had laid res ted safe in the

d a r k n e s s u n d e r t h e w a t e r , b e n e a t h t h e

sand . Br igh t , sh in ing r ed eggs r es ted there ,

p ro tec ted f rom the snow tha t f e l l in the

m o n th s t h a t f o l l o w ed . T im e p as s ed an d

s p r in g cam e . T h e s n o w m e l t ed . T h e i ce

b r o k e , an d t h e w a t e r g r ew w ar m er . Be

ne a th t he sand a n egg beg an to s t i r . I t

sensed that l i fe was about to begin . The t iny

f ish inside wiggled and lashed against the

s l ippery egg wal l jus t as her m oth er ha d . Th e

egg bur s t , the young sa lmon s t rugg led up

th rough the sand in to the c lear water o f the

pool . The l i fe of the salmon would cont inue.

th e Salmon 's Journey

103



3ollow-Up Ideas f o r

t h e S n lm o n s Jo n r n e i j

M i g r a t i o n R o u t e M a p S t u d y


Predict ion; Inference

•••Materials: Floor plan of the school; road map of the

neighborhood; pen or pencil and paper; large map

of North America and South America; embroidery thread

in various colors; push pins in various colors

H e l p s t u d e n t s b u il d a c o n c e p t u a l fr a m e w o r k t o u n d e r s t a n d t h i s s to r y b y a s k i n g

t h e m t o d i s c u s s t h e i r d ai ly , w e e k l y , o r a n n u a l m i g r a t i o n p a t t e r n s . R e m i n d s t u d e n t s

t h a t m i g r a t i o n m e a n s m o v i n g fr om o n e p l a c e t o a n o t h e r r e g u l a r l y a n d p e r i o d ic a l l y .

I t d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t e v e r y t i m e y o u g o s o m e w h e r e y o u a r e m i g r a t i n g . W h e n t h e y

d i s c u s s t h e i r m i g r a t i o n p a t t e r n s , e n c o u r a g e t h e m t o d i f f e r e n t i a t e b e t w e e n t h e i r

m o v e m e n t s t h a t a r e m i g r a t o r y a n d t h o s e t h a t a r e s i m p l y t r a v e l .

W i th a d i a g r a m of t h e s ch o o l f lo o r p l an i n h an d o r o n t h e o v e r h ead p r o j ec to r ,

l e a d a d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e s t u d e n t s ' d a i l y m i g r a t i o n pa t te rn—to l u n c h , t o t h e

r e s t r o o m , o u td o o r s f o r r eces s , an d s o f o r t h . A s k s t u d en t s t o d i s cu s s w h y t h ey g o t o

each a r ea i n s t ead o f d o in g ev e r y th in g i n t h e i r h o m e r o o m .

A l s o a s k s t u d en t s t o d i s cu s s t h e i r w eek ly m ig r a t i o n p a t t e r n s t o t h e g y m , t o a r t

c las s , t o t h e m u s i c r o o m , an d s o f o r t h . A g a in , a s k f o r t h e r ea s o n s t h es e t r i p s a r e

m a d e .

T h r o u g h o u t t h e s e d i s c u s s i o n s c o m p a r e t h e s t u d e n t s ' m i g r a t i o n s t o a n i m a l

m i g r a t i o n s . F o r e x a m p l e : W i l d e b e e s t m i g r a t e t o t h e s a v a n n a d u r i n g t h e r a i n y

s e a s o n , w h e n t h e r a i n s p r o v i d e m o i s t u r e f o r a b u n d a n t g r a s s ; s t u d e n t s m i g r a t e t o

t h e d r i n k i n g f o u n t a i n i n t h e h a l l w a y b e c a u s e t h e r e i s n o d r i n k i n g f o u n t a i n i n t h e

c l a s s r o o m .

W i t h a d e t a i l e d r o a d m a p of t h e c o m m u n i t y i n h a n d , a s k s t u d e n t s t o c h a r t t h e i r

m ig r a t i o n p a t t e r n s f o r o n e d ay o r o n e w eek . A f t e r t h e t im e p e r io d i s u p , a s k t h e

s tu d en t s t o d i s cu s s t h e r o u t e s t h ey t o o k t o s ch o o l . D id t h ey t ak e t h e s am e r o u t e

ev e r y t im e? D id t h ey f o l l o w th a t r o u t e ( o r r o u t e s ) r eg u l a r l y an d p e r io d i ca l l y ? H av e

s t u d e n t s d e s c r i b e o t h e r t r i p s t h e y m a d e a n d w h y t h o s e t r i p s w e r e m a d e . A s k

s t u d e n t s t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h o s e t r i p s w e r e m i g r a t o r y o r j u s t t r a v e l . F o r

ex am p le , a s t u d en t w h o g o es t o t h e a l l e r g i s t f o r a s h o t ev e r y w eek i s m ig r a t i n g ; a

s tu d en t w h o w en t t o s ee a f r i en d o n e d ay s im p ly t r av e l ed .

T h es e d i s cu s s io n s w o r k b es t i f s t u d en t s f i r s t s h o w th e i r m ap t o a p a r t n e r s o

ev e r y o n e g e t s a ch an ce t o s h a r e w i th s o m eo n e b e f o r e a f ew s tu d en t s a r e a s k ed t o

s h a r e w i th t h e en t i r e c l a s s .

A g a in , t h e s e d i s cu s s io n s co u ld b e l aced w i th ex am p les f r o m th e an im a l k in g

d o m . F o r e x a m p l e , i n t h e a u t u m n a s t u d e n t g o e s t o a d e p a r t m e n t s t o r e t o p u r c h a s e

a n ew w in t e r co a t . I n t h e au tu m n ca r ib o u m ig r a t e t o t h e b o r ea l f o r e s t t o e s cap e t h e

h a r s h w in d s t h a t b lo w o f f t h e o p en t u n d r a .

104

Ihe

Salmon's

]ouxne\i



With a l a r g e m ap o f N o r th A m er i ca an d So u th A m er i ca o n t h e b u l l e t i n b o a r d ,

i n t r o d u c e t h e m i g r a t i o n p a t t e r n s o f v a r i o u s a n i m a l s . U s i n g v a r i o u s c o l o r s o f

em b r o id e r y t h r e ad an d p u s h p in s , m ar k t h e r o u t e s of s ev e r a l s p ec i e s o f b i r d s , f i s h,

an d m am m al s . (A l i s t o f an im a l s u s e f u l fo r t h i s ac t i v i t y ap p ea r s o n t h e A n im a l

M ig r a t i o n s w o r k s h ee t , p ag es 1 0 7 - 1 0 8 . )

W r i t i n g a M i g r a t i o n S t o r y

•••Science skills: Observation; Communication; Inference;

Design Invest igat ions

•••Materials: An ima l M igratio ns wo rksh eet (pages 107-108);

pen or penci l and paper ; research mater ia ls

" T h e S a l m o n ' s J o u r n e y " p r o v i d e s b o t h s c i e n t i f i c a n d e m p a t h i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g

of the l i f e cyc le o f the Pac i f ic sa lmon . One o f the more impor tan t concep ts in t ro

d u ced i n t h i s s t o r y i s m ig r a t i o n .

Wr i t i n g i n a s im i l a r s t y l e , s t u d en t s co u ld w r i t e a s t o r y ab o u t an o th e r an im a l ' s

l ife.

G iv e each s t u d en t an A n im a l M ig r a t i o n s w o r k s h ee t . A l lo w each s t u d en t t o

ch o o s e an an im a l t o r e s ea r ch an d w r i t e ab o u t .

D ep en d in g o n t h e i r g r ad e l ev e l an d p r io r ex p e r i en ce , s t u d en t s m ay n eed m o r e

o r l e s s a s s i s t an ce w i th o r p r e t each in g ab o u t l i b r a r y r e s ea r ch s k i l l s , t ak in g n o t e s ,

an d d ev e lo p in g f o o tn o t e s . T h e r e i s an ev e r - g r o w in g n u m b er o f s c i en ce b o o k s f o r

s t u d e n t s , a s w e l l a s s o m e r a t h e r i n n o v a t i v e i n t e r a c t i v e C D - R O M s . E n c o u r a g e o l d e r

s tu d en t s t o ex p lo r e t h e l a t e s t r e s ea r ch t h r o u g h s c i en t i f i c j o u r n a l s av a i l ab l e o n t h e

Wo r ld Wid e Web o r a t t h e r e f e r en ce d ep a r tm en t o f a l o ca l u n iv e r s i t y l i b r a r y .

E x p lo r i n g P o i n t o f V i e w

Co n s id e r ch a l l en g in g s t u d en t s t o ex p e r im en t w i th p o in t o f v i ew . I n t h e i n t r o

d u c t i o n t o t h e a s s ig n m en t , t e ach o r r ev i ew p o in t o f v i ew .

S to r i e s ab o u t an im a l s w o r k b es t i n f i r s t p e r s o n a s t h e an im a l , o r i n t h i r d

p e r s o n , a s a n o m n i s c i e n t n a r r a t o r . O n e of t h e s t r e n g t h s o f G a r t h G i l c h r i s t ' s s t o r y

i s t h a t t h e o m n i s c i en t n a r r a to r i s aw ar e o f t h e i n t e r i o r v o i ce o f t h e s a lm o n . T h i s i s

a d i f f icu l t vo ice to c rea te , ye t he mas ter fu l ly main ta ins i t .

A t s o m e p o i n t , a s s t u d e n t s a r e r e w r i t i n g t h e i r s t o r i e s , c h a l l e n g e t h e s t u d e n t s

to ch o o s e o n e l en g th y p a r ag r ap h an d r ew r i t e i t u s in g a d i f f e r en t p o in t o f v i ew .

Co m p ar e an d co n t r a s t t h e tw o p o in t s o f v i ew , i n c lu d in g t h e i r s t r e n g th s an d

weaknesses . For example , in a f i r s t -per son po in t o f v iew ( i . e . , in the an imal ' s vo ice) ,

i t i s h a r d e r t o p a in t t h e b ig p i c tu r e o r p r o v id e s c i en t i f i c b ack g r o u n d w i th o u t

r e s o r t i n g t o a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m . O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e o m n i s c i e n t , t h i r d - p e r s o n

n a r r a to r m ay m i s s s o m e o f t h e i n t e r n a l p r o ces s es an d f ee li n g s of t h e c r ea tu r e .

A n th r o p o m o r p h i s m i s o n e o f t h e s t i ck i e s t i s s u es i n

w r i t i n g a b o u t a n i m a l s . C h a l l e n g e s t u d e n t s t o s t a y w i t h i n

th e r ea lm o f w h a t s c i en ce k n o w s a s f ac t w h i l e w r i t i n g

th e i r s t o r i e s . A n im a l s a r e n o t h u m an s , an d w e d o n o t

k n o w ex ac t l y w h y t h ey d o t h in g s o r h o w th ey t h in k o r

fee l . G ive s tuden ts room for some empathy and encourage

•tollowttp Ideas tor "Che Salmon's Journey"

105



them to a t tempt to see the wor ld f rom the an imal ' s per spec t ive . The i s sue o f

an th ropomorph ism can be a very in fo rmat ive po in t o f d i scuss ion and can p rov ide

ser ious exerc i ses in r ewr i t ing . You may want to wr i te the word on the cha lkboard and

d iscuss i t s mean ing ( i . e . , an th ropo = human , as in an th ropo logy ; morph = change , as

in m e tam o r p h o s i s ) .

E m p h a s i z e t o s t u d e n t s t h a t i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o m a i n t a i n a c o n s i s t e n t p o i n t o f

v i e w t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t o r y . B e s u r e t o c o a c h t h e m t h r o u g h o u t t h e w r i t i n g a n d

r ew r i t i n g p r o ces s t o b e s u r e t h a t t h ey co n s i s t en t l y u s e o n e p o in t o f v i ew .

Grading the Story

T h e s to r y co u ld b e g r ad ed b o th a s a s c i en ce r ep o r t an d a s a l an g u ag e a r t s

a s s i g n m e n t . A s a s c i e n c e r e p o r t , t h e s t o r y m u s t b e a c c u r a t e , w i t h e n d n o t e s r e f e r

e n c i n g t h e s o u r c e s of i n f o r m a t i o n . C h a l l e n g e t h e m t o m e a s u r e t h e n u m b e r of m i l e s

a n d k i l o m e t e r s t h e a n i m a l t r a v e l s . C r e d i t s t u d e n t s f o r d e s c r i b i n g t h e m i g r a t i o n

r o u t e i n d e t a i l , n o t j u s t A to Z, b u t a l s o p o in t s B , C , . . . X , an d Y . Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s

to ex p lo r e t h e r ea s o n s w h y t h e i r ch o s en an im a l m ig r a t e s , h o w i t n av ig a t e s f r o m o n e

p o in t t o an o t h e r , an y t r i a l s o r t r i b u l a t i o n s t h e an i m a l faces o n i t s j o u r n e y , an d t h e

e f f ec t o f h u m an s , b o th p o s i t i v e an d n eg a t i v e , o n t h i s j o u r n ey .

T h e l an g u a g e a r t s p o r t i o n of t h e g r ad e co u ld em p h a s i ze t h e co n s t r u c t i o n o f an

in t e r e s t i n g s t o r y , w i th a d y n am ic b eg in n in g , c l im ac t i c m id d l e , an d c l ea r r e s o lu t i o n .

Co n s id e r g iv in g s t u d en t s tw o l an g u ag e a r t s g r ad es , o n e f o r t h e m ech an i c s o f

s p e l l i n g an d g r am m ar , an d o n e f o r s t y l i s t i c i s s u es , s u ch a s s en t en ce s t r u c tu r e ,

t r an s i t i o n s an d f l o w , d r am a , an d o r ig in a l i t y .

C los i n g t h e A ct i vi t y

W h e n s t u d e n t s c o m p l e t e t h e i r s t o r i e s , h a v e t h e m u s e h e a v y t h r e a d a n d p u s h

p in s t o ch a r t t h e i r an im a l ' s m ig r a t i o n p a t t e r n o n a m ap of t h e A m er i ca s ( s ee

p r ev io u s ac t i v i t y ) . A s k s t u d en t s t o t e l l t h e i r s t o r y t o t h e c l a s s . O r , h av e s t u d en t s

i l l u s t r a t e t h e i r s t o r i e s . T h e n h e l p s t u d e n t s t o m a k e t h e i r o w n p i c t u r e b o o k s , o r

collect all students' stories into an anthology of student writings entitled Journey

Tales: Migrations of American Wildlife.

106

Ih e Salmon's Journey



A n i m a l M i g r a t i o n M a p

Some anim als are year- round res idents of thei r ha bi ta t ; o thers a re there for

only a season or two. Use this m ap to m ark th e mig rat ion ro ute s of some an im als.

Use different colors of crayons or markers to draw a line for each animal. Create

a simple key by coloring each animal 's name with the same color you use on the

map.

From

Learning from the

Land.


jol iowUp Ideas

to r

"the S a l m o n 's Journey"

107



A n i m a l M i g r a t i o n s

Fo l lo w in g i s a l i s t o f s o m e N o r th A m er i can an im a l s t h a t m ig r a t e . Wh en y o u

a r e w o r k in g w i th t h e m ap , y o u m ay ch o o s e an an im a l t h a t i s n o t l i s t ed h e r e . J u s t

be su re to choose a spec i f ic an imal and a spec i f ic p lace on the map , l ike a Rid ley ' s

s ea t u r t l e o n t h e G u l f Co as t o f cen t r a l M ex ico , o r a K en tu ck y w ar b l e r t h a t n e s t s

a lo n g t h e Sc io to R iv e r i n s o u th e r n O h io . T h e g en e r a l i n f o r m a t io n g iv en h e r e w i l l

s t i m u l a t e y o u r r e s e a r c h , b u t i t w o n ' t a n s w e r a l l of y o u r q u e s t i o n s .

• W a l l ey e , p i ck e r e l , n o r th e r n p ik e , an d

w h i t e b a s s m i g r a t e f r o m t h e G r e a t

L a k e s i n t o t h e i r t r i b u t a r i e s ( r i v e r s )

ev e r y s p r in g t o s p aw n .

• S e a t u r t l e s m i g r a t e t o r e m o t e b e a c h e s

a lo n g t h e F lo r id a an d M ex ico co as t s

to lay the i r eggs .

• Wood ducks th a t spend the i r sum me rs

on the I l linois River spend their win ters

in the bayous of Louis iana and Arkansas .

• Ba ld eag l e s t h a t s p en d t h e i r s u m m er s

in cen t r a l Can ad a s p en d t h e i r w in t e r s

a long the upper Miss i ss ipp i River .

E ag l e s t h a t s p en d t h e i r s u m m er s a lo n g

the Alaskan coas t may spend the i r w in

t e r s a l o n g t h e Was h in g to n co as t .

• S o m e s a n d p i p e r s a n d o t h e r w a d i n g

b i r d s m ig r a t e a l l t h e w ay f r o m th e

n o r t h e r n t u n d r a o f C a n a d a to T i e r r a

d e l Fu eg o a t t h e t i p o f So u th A m er i ca !

• G r a y w h a l e s w i n t e r i n t h e i r ca lv in g

g r o u n d s i n Ba j a M ex ico an d s u m m er

of f the coas t o f nor thern Cal i fo rn ia ,

O r eg o n , an d Was h in g to n , a s w e l l a s

s o u t h e r n C a n a d a .

• War b l e r s f r o m th e f o r e s t s o f M a in e ,

N e w Y o r k , P e n n s y l v a n i a , V i r g i n i a ,

a n d N o r t h C a r o l i n a s p e n d t h e i r w i n

te r s in the t rop ica l r a in fo res t s o f

Co s t a R ica an d Br az i l .

• M o n ar c h b u t t e r f l i e s fly 1,000-2,000

m i les f r o m th e cen t r a l an d ea s t e r n

U n i t ed S t a t e s t o t h e f o r e s t s o f cen t r a l

Mexico!

• R o c k y M o u n t a i n e l k m i g r a t e t o t h e

m o u n t a i n r i d g e s i n t h e s u m m e r i n

search o f food and down in to the va l

l ey s i n t h e w in t e r t o e s cap e ex t r em e

co ld an d h a r s h w in d s .

• Th e b lack b r an d t , a type of goose , mi

g ra tes 3 ,000 mi les nons top over the Pa

c i f ic Ocean f rom the Aleu t ian I s lands

to the coast of Baja Mexico.

• R a t t l e s n a k e s i n T e x a s a n d o t h e r p a r t s

o f t h e s o u th w es t m ig r a t e t o a s p ec i f i c

c a v e i n t h e i r r e g i o n , w h e r e h u n d r e d s

of s n a k e s h i b e r n a t e t o g e t h e r . I n t h e

spr ing they sp read ou t to f i l l the su r

r o u n d i n g c o u n t r y s i d e .

• E u r o p ea n ee ls h a t c h off t h e co as t of

F lo r id a . O v e r t h e co u r s e o f t h r ee

y ea r s t h ey u s e t h e A t l an t i c G u l f

S t r e a m t o m a k e t h e i r w a y t o t h e

s t r ea m s o f E u r o p e . A f t e r t h ey g r o w

i n t o a d u l t s t h e y m a k e t h e j o u r n e y

b a c k t o N o r t h A m e r i c a t o s p a w n .

• Ca r ib o u m ig r a t e i n to t h e b o r e a l f o r e s t

of n o r t h e r n C a n a d a in t h e a u t u m n t o

es cap e t h e h a r s h w in d s b lo w in g o f f

t h e o p en t u n d r a o f t h e A r c t i c C i r c l e .

• E a c h f al l F e r r u g i n o u s h a w k s m i g r a t e

d o w n th e s p in e o f t h e A p p a l ach i an

M o u n t a i n s f r o m C a n a d a a n d t h e

n o r t h e a s t e r n U n i t e d S t a t e s i n t o M e x

i co t o s p en d t h e w in t e r .

F r o m

Learning from the

Land.

Co pyr igh t © 1997 Br i a n " Fox " E l l i s . T e a c he r I de a s P r e s s . ( 800) 237- 6 124 .

108

th e

Salmon's Journe



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The Dispersion of Seeds

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Comments to the le a t h

T H I S IS A STORY OF THE SEASON

In part , the story is about the ways in which plants and animals adapt

to or are affected by change s in climate. Before telling th e story it m ay be

helpful to talk about ways in which people change clothes, eating habits,

and th erm os tats in an effort to adapt to changes in the ir own climate.

This story is also about life cycles, conception, birth, maturation and

death. Notice that there are a tree, a plant, an insect, an amphibian, a

bird, and both large and small mammals in the story. After telling the

story, discuss the l i fe stages of these creatures.

To involve the audience, use sound effects and audience participation

as you tell the story. For example, invite your listen ers to m ake wind

noises whenever you mention the wind, or ask them to make honking

noises when you say the word geese. Teach your listeners what noises to

ma ke and wh at the ir cues will be. Then, as you tell the story, use a ha nd

signal to remind yo ur listeners to make th e sound effects a t the right

t ime. •

enfold ift&m th& &£awf

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the $eed

111

T



t h e

A n t u m n

l \ t e a r d r o p s h a p e d s e e d p o d c r a c

o p en i n t h e w in d . T h e m i lk w eed s ca t t e r s

i t s s e e d . P a r a c h u t e s c a t c h t h e b r e e z e .

Some seeds f a l l c lose by . O ther s a re car

r i ed a m i l e o r m o r e aw ay . A s t h ey s e t t l e

o n t h e E a r th , t h ey a r e co v e r ed i n b l an k e t s

of r ed , o range , ye l low, and b rown. Autumn

leaves bury the seeds .

H o n k , h o n k , h o n k . I n l o n g V's t h e

g ees e f l y s o u th f o r t h e w in t e r . Wh en t h ey

f ly to ge the r , the f ron t o f th e V fo rm at io n

s l ices the a i r to make f ly ing eas ie r fo r

t h o s e co m in g b eh in d . T h e l ead g o o s e a l s o

crea tes a wave o f a i r w i th the f lapp ing o f

i t s w ings . Th is wave o f a i r , o r cu r ren t ,

he lps to l i f t and lower the wings o f the

geese beh ind . So the geese a t the back o f

th e V a r e p u l l ed a lo n g o n cu r r en t s o f a i r

by the geese in the f ron t o f the l ine . When

the lead goose g rows t i r ed , i t s l ips back to

r e s t , an d an o th e r g o o s e t ak es t h e l ead .

T a k i n g t u r n s a l l t h e w a y , t h e g e e s e m a k e

the i r way sou th . By day , they fo l low land

m ar k s an d a r e g u id ed b y t h e an g l e o f t h e

s u n . By n ig h t , t h ey a r e g u id ed b y t h e

m o o n a n d s t a r s .

I n t h e a u t u m n , m o n a r c h b u t t e r f l i e s

g a th e r t o f o rm h u g e c lo u d s o f o r a n g e an d

b l ack . T h e c lo u d s g r o w an d g r o w as m o r e

b u t t e r f l i e s j o in t h em , an d t h en t h e c lo u d s

m er g e i n to l o n g , t r a i l i n g r i v e r s o f f l u t t e r

i n g w i n g s . T o g e t h e r t h e s e w i n g e d c r e a

t u r e s f l y s o u th f o r t h e w in t e r . Wh en t h ey

r e s t o n a t r e e , t h e t r ee i s t r an s f o r m ed i n to

a l iv ing mosaic o f o range and b lack , a

dazz l ing f eas t fo r the eyes . These f r ag i le

112

S e e d

c r ea tu r e s f l y m o r e t h an 1 , 0 0 0 m i l e s t o t h e

f i r fo res t s o f cen t r a l Mexico .

A h u g e b l ack b ea r , b ig w i t h t h e f r u i t s

o f summer , f a t f rom the f a l l harves t o f

n u t s ,

beg ins look ing fo r a p lace to s leep .

I n t h e o p en p r a i r i e t h e r e a r e f ew cav es .

M a y b e t h e b e a r c u r l s u p u n d e r a c l u s t e r

o f o ak s o r c l im b s d o w n a c r eek b an k ,

w h er e s h e f i n d s a cav e ca r v ed b y t h e m o v

in g w a t e r .

T h e f r o g b u r r o w s i n t h e m u d a t t h e

bo t tom of a pond . I t s body s lows down. I t

s t o p s b r e a t h i n g . I t s h e a r t a l m o s t s t o p s

b ea t i n g . T h i s i s t r u e h ib e r n a t i o n . I f y o u

were to f ind a f rog in the midd le o f w in ter ,

you would th ink i t was dead . I f you he ld i t

i n y o u r h a n d s , t h e h e a t f ro m y o u r h a n d s

w o u ld w ar m th e f r o g an d i t w o u ld s eem to

come to l i fe , s lowly.

Af ter the work o f a season i s done ,

af te r the acorns have f a l len , the leaves o f

t h e o ak ch an g e co lo r . T h ey s eem to ca t ch

f i r e a s t h ey b eco m e b r i l l i an t r ed , b r i g h t

o r a n g e , b r o n z e a n d y e l l o w . T h e w i n d s

b lo w , an d t h e o ak t r ee d r o p s i t s l e av es .

T h e f o x s q u i r r e l g a th e r s aco r n s . I t

ea t s i t s f il l an d bu r ie s th e r es t o f th e n u ts

i n t h e g r o u n d . A ll t h r o u g h t h e a u t u m n t h e

s q u i r r e l ea t s a s m an y n u t s a s i t c an an d

puts some as ide fo r w in ter when food i s

h a r d t o f i n d . T h e s q u i r r e l a l s o g a th e r s t h e

f a l l i n g l eav es an d m ak es a n es t i n t h e

c r o t ch o f t h e t r ee t o k ee p i t w a r m w h e n

the co ld winds b low.

th e

Seed



W i n t e r

T h e n o r t h w i n d s h o w l a n d s n o w b e

g ins to f a l l . The seeds o f the mi lkweed are

b u r i ed i n a b l an k e t o f w h i t e . T h ey l i e

t h r o u g h t h e l o n g w i n t e r , w a i t i n g fo r

s p r in g .

As the snow fa l l s on the mi lkweed ,

t h e g e e s e a r e h a v i n g a p a r t y u n d e r t h e

w a r m M e x i c a n s u n .

L i k e t r u e k i n g s a n d q u e e n s , t h e m o n -

a r ch s w in t e r i n t h e t r o p i c s o f M ex ico .

T h e y s i p n e c t a r f ro m t r o p i c a l f l o w e r s

w h i l e t h e n o r t h b r a c e s f o r a n o t h e r s t o r m .

As the snow fa l l s , as

t h e p o n d t u r n s t o i ce , t h e

f ro g h i b e r n a t e s s a f el y ,

s n u g l y , u n d e r t h e m u d .

In her cave o r snug

s p o t , t h e b ea r en t e r s a

deep s leep . Bear s do no t

e n t e r a c o m p l e t e h i b e r

n a t i o n , t h e y s t i r o c c a

s ional ly in the dep ths o f

w i n t e r . I n t h e s e c o n d

w e e k o f J a n u a r y , b e a r s t h r o u g h o u t t h i s

l an d aw ak e t o g iv e b i r t h . Cu b s a r e b o r n .

T h e m o th e r l i ck s t h em c l ean an d g o es

b ack t o s l eep . Y o u m ay t h in k t h a t b ig

b ea r s w o u ld h av e b ig b ab i e s , b u t a b ea r

cub cou ld fi t in th e pa lm of yo ur ha nd . T he

n e w b o r n c u b s c r a w l u p t h e i r m o t h e r ' s

be l ly and d r ink her mi lk . The f ru i t s o f

s u m m e r t h a t w e r e c o n v e r t e d t o f a t a r e

o n c e m o r e t r a n s f o r m e d , t h i s t i m e i n t o

m o t h e r ' s m i l k .

T h r o u g h o u t t h e w i n t e r , w h i l e t h e i r

m o th e r i s s l eep in g , t h e cu b s d r i n k an d

s l e e p ,

s l eep an d d r in k .

S p r i n g

A w a r m s o u t h e a s t e r n b r e e z e b e g i n s

to b low, and the snow beg ins to mel t .

Sp r in g r a in s s t a r t t o f a l l . T h e m i lk w eed

s eed s w e l l s , s o ak in g i n t h e m o i s tu r e . A

t in y s p r o u t p u s h es d o w n , d eep d o w n , i n to

th e E a r th . T h e r o o t s b eg in t o r each o u t ,

T h r o u g h t h e w i n t e r t h e o a k t r e e

s t a n d s d o r m a n t . I t s b r a n c h e s a r e l a d e n

w i th s n o w an d r a t t l ed b y t h e w in d s . Bu t

if you look closely at an oak in winter , i f

y o u l o o k 1 0 t im es m o r e c lo s e ly a t t h e

b r a n c h e s , y o u w i l l s ee t h e t i p s o f

b u d s ,

an d

ins ide the buds you wi l l f ind t iny leaves

formed in the f a l l , wai t ing fo r sp r ing .

T h e f o x s q u i r r e l d o es n o t h ib e r n a t e .

Wh en t h e w ea th e r i s v e r y co ld , t h e s q u i r

rel may s leep for f ive or s ix days. Could

you imagine s leep ing fo r f ive o r s ix days?

W h e n t h e f o x s q u i r r e l

w a k e s u p , i t h a s o n e

th in g o n i t s m in d : Fo o d !

D o y o u t h in k s q u i r -

r e l s c a n r e m e m b e r

w h er e t h ey b u r i ed a l l o f

t h e i r a c o r n s ? D o y o u

t h i n k s q u i r r e l s c a n e v e n

r e m e m b e r w h e r e t h e y

b u r i e d some o f t h o s e

acorns? Not a t a l l . So

h o w d o t h ey f i n d t h e i r n u t s ? T h ey u s e

th e i r s en s e o f s m e l l . A s q u i r r e l c an s m e l l

t h r o u g h s ix i n ch es o f s n o w , t h r ee i n ch es

o f l eav es , an d t h r ee i n ch es o f dirt—up t o

one foot of matter—to f ind an acorn . On

th e co ld es t d ay s , t h e s q u i r r e l m ay ad d

m o r e l eav es t o i t s n e s t b e f o r e cu r l i n g u p

f o r an o th e r l o n g s l eep .

Wak in g , ea t i n g , s l eep in g . O v e r an d

o v e r t h e s q u i r r e l w ak es , s n i f f s a r o u n d ,

d ig s u p h id d en t r ea s u r e s , e a t s , an d g o es

b ack t o s l eep , w a i t i n g f or t h e w ar m b r ea th

of sp r ing .

d r i n k i n g i n m o i s t u r e a n d m i n e r a l s . T h e

l e a v e s p u s h u p t h r o u g h t h e s o i l , t h r o u g h

the c lu t te r o f d r ied s ta lks and o ld leaves ,

r each in g f o r t h e w ar m th an d l i g h t o f t h e

s u n . T h r o u g h o u t t h e s p r i n g t h e l i t t l e

p l a n t s t r e t c h e s u p t o w a r d t h e s u n .

.Spring

113



A s the d ay s g r o w lo n g e r and the sun

r e t u r n s to t h i s l a n d , so do the g ees e . H av e

y o u h e a r d

the

g e e s e h e r a l d i n g

the

r e t u r n

o f s p r i n g ? H o n k , h o n k , h o n k . C a n a d a

g e e s e , w h i c h m a t e for l i fe , bui ld a n e s t .

T h e f em a le l ay s eg g s , and b o t h m o t h e r

a n d f a t h e r t a k e t u r n s k e e p i n g t h e m w a r m .

B o t h m o t h e r

and

f a t h e r t ak e t u r n s f eed

i n g t h e i r y o u n g and p r o t e c t i n g t h e m f ro m

t h e d a n g e r s of t h i s w o r ld .

T h e m o n a r c h b u t t e r f l i e s a l s o r e t u r n

n o r t h . T h o u g h one m o n a r c h m a k e s the

j o u r n e y s o u t h ,

it

t a k e s

two or

t h r e e g e n

e r a t i o n s

to

m a k e

the

t r i p

n o r t h . In e a r l y M a r c h the

b u t t e r f l i e s t h a t f l ew s o u th

b e g i n the j o u r n e y n o r t h .

W h e n

the

m i l k w e e d

of the

s o u t h e r n s t a t e s b e g i n to

s p r o u t , t h e s e b u t t e r f l i e s

s t o p to lay eg g s . T h e i r off

s p r i n g h a t c h , eat m i l k w e e d

l e a v e s , m e t a m o r p h o s i z e i n t o a d u l t s ,

and

c o n t i n u e

the

j o u r n e y . W h e n

the

m i l k w e e d

o f t h e cen t r a l s t a t e s b eg in to s p r o u t , t h e s e

b u t t e r f l i e s s t o p to lay eg g s . T h es e grand

c h i l d r e n h a t c h , eat m i l k w e e d l e a v e s ,

m e t a m o r p h o s i z e i n t o a d u l t s ,

and

c o n t i n u e

t h e j o u r n e y . It is the g r a n d c h i l d r e n of the

b u t t e r f l i e s t h a t h e a d e d s o u t h who r e t u r n

to the n o r t h e r n p r a i r ie in the l a t e s p r i n g ,

j u s t as the m i lk w e ed u n f u r l t h e i r l e av es .

T h e m o n a r c h s

lay

the i r eggs

on the

y o u n g m i lk w eed l eav es .

The

eggs ha tch .

T h e y o u n g ca t e r p i l l a r s eat the l eaves . As

t h e y eat t h ey g r o w . As the y g row they shed

th e i r s k in . T h ey eat, they g row, an d t h ey

shed.

M i lk w eed l eav es a re p o i s o n o u s to mos t

c r e a t u r e s , but the m o n a r c h c a t e r p i l l a r is

i m m u n e . In fact, the po ison ac tua l ly wo rks

to he lp it After it e a t s the m i lk w eed , the

p lan t ' s p o i s o n is ins ide the m o n a r c h c a t e r

p i l l a r

(and

l a t e r

the

b u t t e r f l y ) .

If a

c r e a t u r e

a t e

the

m o n a r c h

it

would a l so

eat the

poi

son . The c r ea tu re wou ld becom e very s ick

an d v o m i t , o r it could die. Any c r e a t u r e t h a t

su rv ived it w o u ld n ev e r eat a n o t h e r m o n

a r ch ca t e r p i l l a r

or

b u t t e r f l y !

T h e b ea r s co m e out of t h e i r den and

look for food. The m o t h e r has e a t e n n o t h i n g

f o r t h r ee m o n th s

or

m o r e .

She

b e g i n s

to

t e a c h

her

c u b s w h a t

to eat, how to

h u n t

and

g a t h e r . W h a t do you th in k be ar s ea t? If you

s a id m ea t , you m i g h t be su rp r i sed . Black

b ea r s u s u a l l y eat f r u i t s , r o o t s , n u t s , and

insec t s . Occas ional ly they migh t ca tch

a

m o u s e or c h i p m u n k . Or, if the y f ind a f resh

ca r cas s , t h ey m ig h t eat s o m e m e a t . As om -

n ivores they wi l l eat a n y t h i n g t h a t t a s t e s

good, but m o s t l y t h ey eat p l a n t m a t e r i a l .

W i t h

the

s p r i n g t h a w

the

f rog beg ins

to s t i r .

It

s w i m s

to the to p of the

p o n d

and

g u l p s its f i r s t b r e a t h as l i f e beg ins anew!

W h e n you h e a r the f r o g s s i n g in g , you

k n o w t h a t s p r i n g is t r u l y h e r e .

The f rogs

are

s i n g i n g

to

f ind

a

m a t e .

T h e f e m a l e e x u d e s a s t r i n g of s l imy eggs

t h a t the m a l e t h en f e r t i l i z e s . T h i s c l u m p

of je l ly , fi ll ed wi t h t in y b lac k do ts , h ide s

in the m u r k y w a t e r .

If

you

looked c lose ly

at

t h o s e t i n y

b l ack d o t s ,

100

t im es m o r e c lo s e ly ,

you

w o u l d see the s t a g e s of

ev o lu t i o n b e f o r e y o u r

very eyes . Ins ide one

egg, from

a

s ing le ce l l ,

sp l i t in two and s p l i t

a g a i n , c o m e s f o u r

cel ls , e igh t ce l l s . . . 16 . . . 32 . . . 64 . . .

128 . . . 1,012 . . . 1 6 , 0 0 0 . . . 3 8 4 , 0 0 0 . . .

m o r e t h a n

1

mi l l io n ce l l s fo rm f rom th os e

f i r s t

two

c e l ls ! Ce l l s s p ec i a l i ze , ch an g e

in to m u s c l e s , s k in , g i l l s , n e r v es . A b r a i n

forms .

Y o u w en t t h r o u g h t h es e s am e ch an g es

i n s id e y o u r m o t h e r ' s w o m b . You we re once

an egg . Then

you

looked l ike

a

w o r m . T h e n

you grew gi l ls , a s p in e , a b r a i n . You k ep t

g r o w i n g an d c h a n g i n g u n t i l you b e c a m e

fu l ly human .

T h e t a d p o l e f o r m s i n s i d e the egg.

W h e n

it is

r e a d y

it

b r e a k s

out of the

s l imy

g e l a t i n

and

b e g i n s

to

s w i m a r o u n d .

A s the wor ld bur s t s in to l i f e , the sap

r i ses in the a n c i e n t oak. Buds fo rm and

f lowers bur s t fo r th . Oak f lowers are l ike

h u m an f l o w er s ,

the

ma le f lower

and

f emale

114

the eed



f l o w er a r e s ep a r a t e . T h a t ' s u n u s u a l f o r a

f lower . I f you cut open a tu l ip , you wil l

f ind the p i s t i l ( tha t ' s the f emale par t ) and

t h e s t a m e n ( t h e m a l e p a r t ) t o g e t h e r i n t h e

same b lossom. Mos t f lowers a re l ike tha t .

I t m ak es i t e a s i e r f o r t h em to r ep r o d u ce .

Bu t w i th o ak f l o w er s , t h e m a le p a r t an d

th e f em a le p a r t a r e s ep a r a t e . So h o w d o

o ak f l o w er s g e t t o g e th e r ? T h ey u s e t h e

w in d . T h e w in d ca r r i e s t h e p o l l en f r o m

the male f lower to the f emale f lower . The

po l len f e r t i l i zes the ovu le ( egg) , and an

acorn gets i ts s tar t in l i fe .

A l l tha t new l i f e i s t empt ing fo r a

s t a r v in g s q u i r r e l . W h en t h e w ea th e r b eg in s

Summer

A sou thern b reeze b lows , and sp r ing

spins to su m m er . T he gosl ings lose the ir fuzz

and begin to grow fl ight feathers . T he ad ul ts

molt , dropp ing thei r o ld feath ers so the y can

grow new ones. The geese prepare for their

long f l ight back to their winter home.

The ho t sun showers i t s l igh t upon the

young mi lkweed . The leaves soak up the

sunl ight and conver t i t to food; soon, the

p lan t p roduces f lowers . T iny buds push up

and open, releasing their r ich f ragrance, at

t r ac t ing bu t te r f l i es and bees—and h u m a n s .

A m o n a r c h b u t t e r f l y v i s i ts t h e p i n k -

an d - w h i t e b lo s s o m to s i p t h e s w ee t n ec t a r ,

an en t i c in g t r ea t . T h e b u t t e r f l y h as p o l l en

on i ts feet f rom other f lowers i t has vis

i ted . Look closely at i ts feet , 1 ,000 t imes

more c lose ly , and you wi l l see t iny g ra ins

of po l len l ike cock lebur s wi th Velcro g r ip -

p e r s .

T h ey g r ab o n to t h e p i s t i l , t h e f em a le

pa r t of th e f lower , and bu r ro w deep in t o

i t s b a s e . T h e p o l l en j o in s w i th t h e o v a r y

and a t iny seed i s made .

Before the bu t te r f ly leaves , i t s f ee t

s l ip in to a l i t t l e t r ap on the s ide o f the

f lower . There i t p icks up more po l len to

t ak e t o t h e n ex t m i lk w eed . T h e b u t t e r f l y

ge ts the sweet , s t i cky nec tar as i t per

f o r m s t h i s a l l - im p o r t an t t a s k .

T h i s ad u l t b u t t e r f l y m ay a l s o l ay t i n y

eg g s o n t h e u n d e r s id e o f t h e m i lk w eed ' s

to warm up , the squ i r r e l comes ou t o f i t s

deep s leep. I t beg ins to eat th e bud s of

t r ees ,

th e eggs of

b i rd s ,

and baby b i rds . The squ i r

r e l c leans ou t he r nes t to ma ke room for he r

own bab ies , which she mus t p ro tec t f rom

larger enemies . Baby squir rels are so small

you could hold severa l in one ha nd . They are

bl ind and helpless at b ir th , completely de

p en d e n t o n t h e i r p a r en t s . M o th e r ' s m i lk an d

care help them to grow into f rol icking pups.

leaves . In abou t 10 days the eggs wi l l

h a t ch i n to t i n y b l ack , y e l l o w , an d w h i t e

ca t e r p i l l a r s . L ik e g en e r a t i o n s b e f o r e , t h e

ca terp i l l a r ea t s , g rows , and sheds . I t w i l l

c rack i t s o ld sk in and crawl ou t , shedd ing

12 t imes before i t i s r eady to metamorpho

s ize . When i t i s r eady , i t a t t aches i t s back

end to a tw ig and hangs ups ide down. I t

does not spin a protect ive cocoon; instead i t

spl i ts i ts skin and rol ls i t back, exposing a

wr igg l ing emera ld g reen sack known as a

chrysal is . Using par ts of i ts o ld self i t d is

solves what i t used to be to make i tself new!

After sev eral days, th e wal ls of th e c hry sal is

becom e t r an sp ar en t . I f you look c lose ly you

can s ee t h e c r u m p led b l ack an d o r an g e

wings . The chrysa l i s c racks open , and the

new adu l t emerges . I t pumps f lu id in to i t s

wings and f l ies away to repeat the cycle.

Th ree o r four gen era t ion s of bu t te r f l i es l ive

an d d i e i n a p r a i r i e s u m m er .

Al l summer long , the bear s fo rage fo r

food . They ea t s t r awber r ies in the ear ly

s u m m er ; b l ack b e r r i e s i n t h e m id d l e of s u m

mer ; b lueber r ies in l a te summer ; and wi ld

grapes , p lums , acorns , and h ickory nu ts in

t h e e a r l y a u t u m n . T h e y e a t a n t s f r o m

ea r th e n m o u n d s an d t e r m i t e s f ro m in f e st ed

logs whenever they can f ind them.

T h r o u g h t h e w ar m s u m m er t h e f r o g

con t inue s to evo lve . Th e tadpo le , a f i sh l ike

S u m m e r

115



swimmer, sprouts legs. I ts tai l dissolves

a n d d i s a p p e a r s . T h e f r o g b e g i n s t o

brea the ai r and leaps about upon the land.

L i ke a s t i cky w h i p , i t s l ong t ongue

snatches insects from the air .

The leaves of the oak tree make food

to feed the tree and its acorns. Like food

factories , they convert the energy of sun

l ight into nutr ients the t ree can use. The

l i t t le acorns grow plumper and plumper .

By late summer, they are fat and brown,

full of the nutr ients they need to s tart

another smal l oak—or feed a squirrel.

Scur ry ing f rom branch to b ranch ,

leaping from tree to tree, playing tag as

they race around the t runk, the young

squi r re l s r ace th rough summer . The i r

meals depend on the cycle of seeds, fruits,

and nuts . Maple, cherry, mulberry, ash,

crabapple , oak, hickory, and

walnut—

each of these trees feed the young squir

r e l s .

And, the young squir rels help to

disperse the seeds.

The leaves of the milkweed continue

to harvest the sunlight and convert i t to

food. The seed pod is formed. The seeds

cont inue to grow, and a parachute begins

to form. Each seed is given the food it

needs to begin life.

Autumn winds blow down f rom the

nor thwes t .

Young frogs swim to the bottom of

the pond and burrow under the mud.

Th e bea rs begin looking for a place to

sleep. During their f irs t winter , the nearly

grown cubs will s leep with their mother.

Next winter they will have to f ind a place

of their own.

Leaves fal l . The days grow shorter ,

s ignaling the geese i t ' s t im e to hea d sou th.

They fly day and night in long Vs, filling

the air with their cr ies . Honk, honk, honk.

They herald the return of winter .

The monarch bu t t e r f l i es ga ther in

clouds of orange and black for the long

migrat ion south.

The fal l harvest fat tens young squir

rels as they prepare for winter .

A teard rop -shap ed seedpod c racks

open in the wind. The milkweed scatters

i t s s eed . Parachutes ca tch the breeze .

Some seeds fall close by. Others are car

r ied a mile or more away. As they sett le

on the E ar th , they are covered in blan kets

o f r e d , o r a n g e , y e l l o w , a n d b r o w n .

Autumn leaves bury the seeds .

And this s tory begins again!

116

t h e S e e d



5ollow-Up

Ideas

ior

Zh e Seet t

S e a s o n a l P o e t r y w i t h S c i e n t i f i c A c c u r a c y


Communicat ion; Inference; Ident ify Variables;


•••Materials: Write Your Own Story of the Seasons

worksheet (page 121); pens or pencils

U s e t h e w o r k s h e e t t o h e lp s t u d en t s p r o ces s t h e w e a l t h of i n f o r m a t io n i n t h i s

s to ry . A l low s tuden ts to f i l l in the char t as a c lass , in smal l coopera t ive g roups , w i th

a p a r tn e r , o r i n d iv id u a l l y . T o h e lp t h em g e t s t a r t ed , i t m ay b e u s e f u l t o m o d e l t h e

process by f i l l ing in one row and one co lumn as a c lass .

A f t e r f i l l i n g i n t h e ch a r t , en co u r ag e s t u d en t s t o w r i t e p o em s o r s t o r i e s ab o u t

th e s eas o n s .

M o v i n g B e y o n d The S e e d "


Communica t ion ; Re-Order, Analyze, and Draw

Conclusions

•••Materials: Write Your Own Story of the Seasons

worksheet (page 121); pens or pencils; resources to help

with the research

Co n s t r u c t ch a r t s t o r eco r d i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t p l an t s an d an im a l s f r o m a w id e

r a n g e o f e n v i r o n m e n t s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . R e m i n d s t u d e n t s t h a t s o m e r e g i o n s d o

n o t h av e f o u r d i s t i n c t s ea s o n s . H av e t h e c l a s s d i s cu s s t h e v a r io u s s eas o n s i n o th e r

p a r t s o f t h e w o r ld : m o n s o o n s eas o n , w e t an d d r y s eas o n s , h u r r i c an e s eas o n , an d s o

f o r th . H av e t h em co n s t r u c t t h e i r ch a r t s t o r e f l ec t t h e s eas o n s t h a t ac tu a l l y ex i s t i n

t h e r e g i o n u n d e r s t u d y . T h e n h a v e t h e m r e s e a r c h h o w p l a n t s a n d a n i m a l s a d a p t t o

th es e c l im a t i c ch an g es an d h o w th e i r l i f e cy c l e p r o g r e s s e s t h r o u g h a y ea r .

To de lve in to th i s ac t iv i ty more deep ly , have s tuden ts choose a spec i f ic p lace

o n t h e p l an e t . U s in g r e f e r en ce b o o k s , a t l a s s o f tw ar e , o r t h e I n t e r n e t , h av e t h em

c o l l e c t w e a t h e r m a p s , p r e c i p i t a t i o n p a t t e r n s , m o n t h l y m e a n t e m p e r a t u r e s , a n d

o th e r i n f o r m a t io n ab o u t c l im a t e . T h en a s k t h e s t u d en t s t o l i s t s ev e r a l p l an t an d

a n i m a l s p e c i e s t h a t d o m i n a t e t h e r e g i o n . N o t i c e t h a t "The Seed " i n c lu d es a t r ee , a

p l a n t , an i n s ec t , an am p h ib i an , a b i r d , a l a r g e an im a l , an d a s m a l l m am m al . H av e

s tu d e n t s s e lec t a v a r i e ty of p l a n t s an d an im a l s n a t i v e t o t h e r eg io n u n d e r s t u d y an d

r es ea r ch an d w r i t e ab o u t h o w th ey ad ap t t o t h e s eas o n s an d h o w th e i r l i v e s p r o g r e s s

th r o u g h a cy c l e o f s ea s o n s .

Mlow-Up Ideas

io r

k

%he Seed

117



T r a c k in g t h e S e a s o n s

•••Science skills: Observation; Metric Measurement;

Communicat ion; Predict ion; Ident ifying Variables

•••Materials: A one-year calendar w ith large squ ares to wri te in;

pens or pencils

Fin d o r c r e a t e a ca l e n d a r w i th l a r g e s q u a r e s s o y o u an d t h e s t u d en t s can r eco r d

in f o r m a t io n ab o u t each d ay o f t h e y ea r . M ea s u r e an d r eco r d d a i l y h ig h an d l o w

t e m p e r a t u r e s i n C e l s i u s a n d F a h r e n h e i t . R e c o r d o n t h e c a l e n d a r t h e d a y t h e f i r s t

r o b in o f s p r i n g ap p e a r s , t h e d a t e o f t h e l a s t fr o s t o f s p r i n g ( t h e s t a r t o f t h e g r o w in g

season) , the f i r s t f ros t o f f a l l ( the end o f the g rowing season) , the f i r s t da te someone

in t h e c l a s s h as a m o s q u i to b i t e , t h e d ay t h e m ap le s t u r n r ed , t h e f i r s t s n o w f a l l , t h e

day the c lass pe t has bab ies , and so fo r th . Th is fo lk wisdom cou ld be woven in to

an y n u m b er o f s t o r i e s .

I f t h e ca l en d a r l en d s i t s e l f t o u s e y ea r a f t e r y ea r , s t u d en t s i n l a t e r y ea r s can

co m p ar e t h e d a t e s o n w h ic h ce r t a in ev e n t s , li k e t h e f ir s t s n o w f a l l, o ccu r . T h e y co u ld

th en w a t ch t h e w ea th e r an d p r ed i c t w h en i t w i l l o ccu r t h i s y ea r .

G r o w i n g a P r a i r i e

•••Science skills: Observation; Prediction

•••Materials: Pie plates for each student; paper towels;

stapler and staples; pens or pencils; scissors; seeds of

native plants or grasses (available from local greenhouses

or through mail order); spray bottle f i l led with water

M a n y p a r t s o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s w e r e o n c e c o v e r ed w i t h n a t i v e p l a n t s a n d

grasses—and

t h ey can b e co v e r ed ag a in , w h en each s t u d en t g r o w s a m in i - s t a t e

g a r d e n o f n a t i v e p l a n t s .

H a v e s t u d e n t s r e s e a r c h p l a n t s a n d g r a s s e s n a t i v e t o y o u r s t a t e . T h e n h e l p t h e m

f in d a p l ace w h er e t h e s eed s can b e p u r ch as ed . O b ta in ab o u t V4 po un d o f seed pe r

s t u d e n t .

G ive each s tuden t a p ie p la te o r a deep p las t ic p la te as wel l as 7 -10 paper

to w e l s .

S t u d e n t s s t a c k t h e p a p e r t o w e l s n e a t l y , t h e n s t a p l e t h e c o r n e r s t o h o l d t h e m

in p l ace . O n t h e t o p p a p e r t o w e l , s t u d en t s d r a w o r t r ac e an o u t l i n e of t h e s t a t e .

118

Ihe Seed



U s in g s c i s s o r s t h ey cu t a l o n g t h e o u t l i n e , cu t t i n g t h r o u g h a l l o f t h e p ap e r t o w e l s

a t once . They shou ld be le f t w i th a s tack o f paper towels cu t ou t in the shape o f the

s t a t e .

K eep in g t h e p ap e r t o w e l s i n a n ea t s t ack , p l ace t h em in t h e

p i e p l a t e . Sp r ay l i b e r a l l y w i th w a t e r u n t i l t h ey a r e s o ak ed . Co v e r

th e p ap e r t o w e l s w i th s eed s o f n a t i v e p l an t s an d g r a s s e s . ( Sp r in k l e

th e s eed s o n to t h e t o w e l s . ) K eep t h e s eed s moist—this m a y m e a n

s p r ay in g t h em w i th w a t e r s ev e r a l t im es a d ay . K eep t h em in t h e

d a r k u n t i l t h ey g e r m in a t e . I n 7 - 1 0 d ay s , t h e g r a s s w i l l s p r o u t . I n

2 - 3 w eek s m o v e t h em to a w in d o w s i l l . Y o u r s t a t e w i l l o n ce ag a in

b e co v e r ed i n n a t i v e p l an t s !

S tu d en t s co u ld k eep a d a i l y l o g o f o b s e r v a t i o n s . T h ey co u ld

p r ed i c t w h en t h e s eed s w i l l s p r o u t .

To f ind ou t what you can do to r ea l ly b r ing the na t ive p lan ts

b ack t o y o u r s t a t e , co n t ac t a l o cal en v i r o n m en ta l ac t i o n co m m i t t ee

S o r t i n g S e e d s

•••Science skills: Classification; Re-O rder, Analyze, and

Draw Conclusions

•••Materials: Various types of seeds and beans

(pumpkin seeds, popcorn, sunflower seeds, peas,

peanuts, whole cumin, acorns, cor iander , whole nutmeg,

navy beans, kidney beans, and so forth); bowls or cups;

graph paper and pencils; glue

For th i s s imple exerc i se , co l lec t a w ide var ie ty o f seeds and beans . You can

p u r ch as e m an y k in d s o f b e an s an d s eed s i n a g r o ce r y s t o r e . Y o u ' l l fi n d an ev en

l a r g e r v a r i e ty o f b e an s an d s eed s in a h e a l t h f o od s t o r e . M o s t h a r d w ar e s t o r e s an d

n u r s e r i e s h av e o ld s eed s t o ck t h a t y o u m ay b e ab l e t o b u y a t a d i s co u n t . Fe ed s t o r e s

are a good source o f bu lk b i rd food . The parks and f ie lds in your a rea a re p robab ly

f i l l ed w i th w i ld g r a s s e s , d an d e l i o n s , m i lk w eed , an d o th e r p l an t s w h o s e s eed s can

be eas i ly co l lec ted . I f you l ike , you can ga ther the seeds yourself. Or , ask your

s tu d en t s t o h e lp y o u .

Mix a l l o f the seeds toge ther in a l a rge bowl . G ive each s tuden t o r each

co o p e r a t i v e g r o u p a cu p o f m ix ed s eed s . A s k t h em to s o r t t h e s eed s i n an y w ay t h a t

m ak es s en s e t o t h em . T o en co u r ag e c r ea t i v e t h in k in g an d p r o b l em s o lv in g , l e t t h e

s tu d en t s co m e u p w i th t h e i r o w n c l a s s i f i ca t i o n s y s t em s .

A f t e r 1 0 - 2 0 m in u t e s , c a l l t h e c l a s s t o g e th e r t o d i s cu s s t h e c l a s s i f i ca t i o n

s y s t e m s t h e y d e v is e d a n d t h e s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s of t h o s e s y s t e m s . D i s c u s s

s o m e o f t h e s t an d a r d ch a r ac t e r i s t i c s s c i en t i s t s u s e i n c l a s s i f y in g t h in g s , s u ch a s

d i s p e r s a l s t r a t e g i e s ( w i n d b o r n e , w a t e r b o r n e , f o o d b o r n e , b u r r s ) ; p l a n t t y p e s

( g r a s s e s , s h r u b s , t r ee s , v in es ) ; an d d i co t ( l i k e p ean u t s ) v e r s u s m o n o co t ( l i k e co r n ) .

T h en a s k s t u d en t s t o r ec l a s s i f y t h e i r s eed s b as ed o n t h e s t an d a r d s c i en t i f i c m e th o d .

H a v e t h em g lu e t h e i r s eed g r o u p s o n to s e p a r a t e p ieces o f p ap e r , t h e n p r o d u c e a

char t o r g raph to show the number o f each type o f seed in the i r co l lec t ion .

Mlow-Up Ideas

for

Tlie Seed"

119



A r t I d e a s

"The Seed" lends i tself to a wide range of art projects .* Students could

• crea te a dioram a of an oak sava nna p rair ie or othe r ecosystem, inc ludin g

seasonal changes and animals and plants in various phases of l ife.

• pa int a seasonal mu ral on large sheets of bu tch er pap er.

• draw th e life stages of va riou s an im als from egg to ad ult .

• crea te a scu lptu re of a tree w ith each of the four seasons repr ese nte d on a

different branch.

• brin g in a wide variety of seeds and create a mosaic by gluing the seed s to a

piece of cardboard.

• i l lu stra te th e poem or s tory they write using the Write Your Own Story of

the Seasons worksheet (page 121).

*These

a r t i de a s c a n be use d w i th m a ny o f t he s t o r i e s i n t h i s book .

120

Z he Se e d



Write Your Own Story of the Seasons

N a m e

A f t e r l i s t en in g

to "The

Se ed ," f i ll

in the

ch a r t b e lo w . F i r s t , l i s t

all

of the c h a r a c t e r s in the c o l u m n on the lef t . Then f il l in the r o w s w i th

i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t w h a t e a c h c h a r a c t e r d o e s in e ach s eas o n . Use e v e n t s

d e s c r i b e d in the s t o r y , or use o t h e r e v e n t s t h a t you k n o w a b o u t t h a t

a r e not in the s t o r y .

U s i n g the ch a r t , p i ck one c h a r a c t e r and w r i t e a b o u t w h a t t h a t

c h a r a c t e r d o e s in e a c h s e a s o n . Or, p ick one s e a s o n and w r i t e a b o u t

w h a t all the c h a r a c t e r s do d u r i n g t h a t s e a s o n . ( H i n t : If you ch o o s e a

c h a r a c t e r to w r i t e ab o u t , l o o k ac r o s s t he c h a r t at w h a t you h a v e w r i t t e n

a b o u t t h a t c h a r a c t e r

in

e a c h

of

th e four se aso ns . I f you choo se

a

s ea s o n

t o w r i t e a b o u t ,

go

d o w n

the

c o l u m n

to

f ind

out

w h a t e a c h

of the

c h a r a c t e r s d oe s in t h a t s e a s o n . The s h o r t p h r a s e s you w r i t e in e a c h box

cou ld a l so be u s e d to w r i t e a poem. )

C h a r a c t e r s

F a l l

W i n t e r S p r i n g S u m m e r

From Learning from

the Land.

Copyright

© 1997

Brian "P ox" Ellis. Teach er Ideas Pr ess.

(800)

237-6124.

Tolloir-Ui) Idea s ior Z h e

S e e d






Bare Stone

let tree v&ota evaek

pjarhlwq, LOIL

J o h n W r i g h t ,

from Earth Prayers



From





Comments to t h e le a t h e r

T H I S STORY MOVES FROM PERSONAL EXPERIEN

t o geo l og i c t i me . B o r r ow i ng f r om t he w r i t i ng o f A l do L eopo l d , my goa l

w as t o beg i n " t h i nk i ng l i ke a moun t a i n , " t o s ee each pa r t o f t he ecos ys

tem as a par t o f a b igger p ic ture tha t has ex i s ted for mi l l ions o f year s .

H i k i ng up t he t r a i l i s a l i t e r a l and me t apho r i c expe r i ence , a l e av i ng o f

t h e m u n d a n e w o r l d a n d a n e n t e r i n g of t h e a l l e g o ri c a l g a r d e n . L i k e a

good h i ke , t he s t o r y r amb l e s a s i t cove r s a l o t o f g r ound . T he ma i n

t heme o f t he s t o r y i s t he s ucces s i ona l s t ages i n t he g r adua l co l on i za

t i on o f ba r e s t o ne . T h e goa l i s t o cha ng e l i s t en e r s ' p e r ce p t i o ns o f t he

n a t u r a l w o r l d .

A ga i n , i t i s e a s y t o adap t t h i s s t o r y t o you r pe r s ona l expe r i ence .

I f you have eve r been h i k i ng i n t he h i l l s o r moun t a i n s , you have

probably seen a t r ee s imi la r to the one in th i s s to ry . I f i t i s eas ie r fo r

you t o change t he s t o r y t o t h i r d pe r s on , t hen change a l l t he pe r s ona l

p r onouns t o he o r s he .

I nv i t e t he aud i ence t o s i ng a w i nd chan t , "S hoeee , A h , O h , E eee , "

e v e r y t i m e y o u m e n t i o n t h e w i n d a n d r a i n . E v e r y t i m e y o u s a y

bare

stone,

s t om p t w o t i m es and s ome aud i enc e m em be r s w i l l j o i n i n . I f

s ho r t on t i me , t he t angen t s dea l i ng w i t h t he P ac i f i c R i ng o f F i r e o r

M i s s A l gae can be ea s i l y de l e t ed w i t hou t much l o s s . Fee l encou r aged

to tell t h i s s t o r y .

•••

c^hui n&w

th e

&t&wf . . •

Bare Stone

125



Bare

Stone

JL l ike to h ik e. Do a ny of you l ike

h ike? Where do you l ike to go? Do you

have a f avor i te h ik ing t r a i l? [Al low s tu

d e n t s t o a n s w e r y o u r q u e s t i o n s , t h e n g o

o n w i th t h e s t o r y . ]

One o f my favor i te h ikes i s in Nor th

Car o l i n a , u p t o t h e t o p o f Ba r e S to n e

M o u n ta in . T h e t r a i l i s 3 m i l e s l o n g , an d

you cl imb 3,000 feet to get to the top.

T h a t ' s a s t eep t r a i l ! Bu t t h e v iew fr o m th e

to p m ak es i t a l l w o r th w h i l e .

One day a f ew year s ago , I dec ided to

t ak e a g r o u p o f y o u n g f ri en d s w i th m e . We

m et a t t h e t r a i l h ead ea r l y i n t h e m o r n in g ,

before i t was too ho t , and we s ta r ted up

th e t r a i l .

N o w , I h av e t h r ee r u l e s ab o u t h ik in g .

R u l e n u m b e r o n e : N o c o m p l a i n i n g . I t

b r i n g s ev e r y b o d y d o w n . Ru le n u m b er tw o :

E v e r y o n e m u s t h e lp each o th e r . If y o u a r e

h av in g t r o u b l e g e t t i n g o v e r a f a l l en l o g o r

c l im b in g u p a s t ee p r o ck , do y o u t h i n k t h e

p e r s o n b e h i n d y o u m i g h t b e h a v i n g a h a r d

t i m e ? T u r n a n d l e n d t h e m a h a n d . I t

m ak es t h e t r i p ea s i e r an d m o r e f u n . Ru l e

n u m b e r t h r e e : T h i s i s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t

one.

You mus t have a good t ime. Do you

w a n t t o h av e a go o d t im e ? D o y o u t h in k

you can do i t ? Let ' s go!

The t r a i l i s r ea l ly s teep , espec ia l ly

the f i r s t par t . We ge t o f f to a good s ta r t ,

b u t p r e t t y s o o n w e w er e a l l p r e t t y t i r ed .

[ Pa n to m im e th i s . ] I t w as n ' t l o n g b e f o r e I

h e a r d , " I ' m t i r e d , " " I ' m h u n g r y , " " I h a v e

to g o t o t h e b a th r o o m . " I co u ld u n d e r

s t a n d w h y t h e y w e r e c o m p l a i n i n g : T h a t

t r a i l i s t o u g h ! Bu t I k n ew s o m e th in g m y

y o u n g f r i en d s d id n ' t . I t o ld t h em , " I f y o u

can m ak e i t j u s t a l i t t l e b i t f a r t h e r I k n o w

a per fec t p lace to r es t , and when we ge t

there we ' l l have a snack and I ' l l t e l l you a

s to ry . " I 'm no t su re i f i t was the s to ry o r

t h e s n ack , b u t ev e r y o n e c l im b ed a l i t t l e b i t

f as te r .

We s o o n cam e to a p e r f ec t r e s t i n g

p l ace a lo n g t h e t r a i l . E v e r y b o d y w h o h ik es

to t h e t o p o f Ba r e S to n e M o u n ta in s t o p s

a t t h i s s p ot , w h e r e a h u g e C a n a d i a n H e m

lo ck t r ee g r o w s r i g h t i n t h e m id d l e o f t h e

t r a i l . T h e r o o t s g r o w o u t o v e r a h u g e r o ck ,

an d y o u s t ep o n t h e r o o t s l i k e s t a i r s g o in g

u p t h e m o u n t a i n . T h e t r e e l e a n s t o o n e

s i de ,

and a l l o f i t s b ranches po in t in the

same d i r ec t ion , because i t has l ived i t s l i f e

i n t h e f i e r ce w in d s o f t h i s m o u n ta in . Y o u

can s i t on those roo ts and r es t in the shade

of tha t t r ee . And as I to ld you , everybody

w h o h ik es t h i s t r a i l s t o p s u n d e r t h i s t r ee .

Y o u m ig h t b e w o n d e r in g , " Wh a t i s a

C a n a d i a n H e m l o c k d o i n g i n N o r t h C a r o

l i n a ? " T h in k ab o u t t h i s . Sev e r a l t im es i n

t h e p a s t h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d y e a r s , g l a c i e r s

h a v e p u s h e d d o w n a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a .

G lac i e r s a r e h u g e s h ee t s o f i ce ; i n s o m e

p laces t h ey w er e o n e m i l e t h i ck . T h e g l a

c i e r s m o v ed d o w n f r o m H u d s o n Bay i n

Can ad a . So m e cam e d o w n a lm o s t a s f a r a s

th e O h io R iv e r . A s t h e g l ac i e r s m o v ed ,

t h e y p u s h ed a l l o f t h e co ld - w e a th e r p l an t s

i n f r o n t o f t h e m . W h e n t h e g l ac i e r s r e

t r e a t e d , m o s t of t h e c o l d - w e a t h e r p l a n t s

in warm reg ions d ied . Bu t on the tops o f

m o u n t a i n s , w h e r e i t ' s c o l d , t h e c o l d -

w e a t h e r p l a n t s s u r v i v e d . T h a t ' s w h y , o n

t h e t o p s of t h e t a l l e s t m o u n t a i n s , y o u ' l l

f i n d b a l s am f i r , Can ad i an H em lo ck , an d

al l k inds o f f lowers and g rasses you would

n o t u s u a l l y f i n d s o f a r s o u th . A n d t h a t ' s

h o w a C a n a d i a n H e m l o c k c a m e t o b e

g r o w in g i n t h e m id d l e o f t h e t r a i l .

A l l o f t h e h ik e r s w er e s o o n s i t t i n g

u n d e r n e a t h t h a t t r e e . E a c h of m y y o u n g

f r i en d s w as s i t t i n g o n a r o o t , w a i t i n g f o r

the s to ry to beg in . Close your eyes fo r a

m o m e n t a n d i m a g i n e t h a t y o u a r e s i t t i n g

on a rock o r a roo t on the s ide o f a moun

t a in . Can y o u im ag in e t h e t ex tu r e s o f r o o t ,

r o c k , a n d s of t m o s s u n d e r n e a t h y o u ?

126

Bare Stone



There i s a so f t b reeze b lowing , and you

h ea r a Ca r o l i n a Wr en o f f i n t h e d i s t an ce .

[Whis t le . ] Can you smel l the f r esh scen t

o f ba l sam in the a i r ? Open your eyes and

l i s te n as i f you ar e t he re .

T h e r e w as a m o m en t o f ab s o lu t e s i

l en ce . I n t h a t p au s e , I h ea r d t h e r o ck s

r u m b l i n g b e h i n d m e , t h e w i n d h u m m i n g

in t h e t r ee s , an d r i g h t a t t h a t m o m en t t h e

t r ee began to te l l me i t s s to ry .

T a k e a m o m e n t t o t h i n k a b o u t t h e

m o u n t a i n s o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a . T a k e a m o

m e n t t o r e m e m b e r . R e m e m b e r a t i m e

about one b i l l ion year s ago . I f you th ink

h a r d en o u g h y o u m ig h t b e ab l e t o ! ( T h e

m in e r a l s y o u a r e m ad e o f w er e t h e r e ! )

R e m e m b e r a t i m e w h e n t h e c o n t i n e n t s of

t h e E a r t h w e r e s w i m m i n g a r o u n d . S w i m

m i n g ? T h a t ' s r i g h t !

T h e n a t i v e p eo p l e o f N o r th A m er i ca

k n o w th a t t h i s co n t i n en t o n ce w as an i s

l an d s w im m in g i n t h e s w i r l o f o cean an d

s k y . M an y t r i b es o f N o r th A m er i ca t e l l a

s t o r y ab o u t a t u r t l e t h a t ca r r i e s t h e w o r ld

on i t s back . Th is i s the i r s to ry : The wor ld

w as o n ce w a t e r ; t h e r e w as n o l an d . T h e

tu r t l e s w am d o w n to t h e b o t t o m o f t h e

o cean an d b r o u g h t u p m u d to m ak e l an d .

You can see the tu r t l e i f you look a t a map

o f N o r th A m er i ca . F lo r i d a an d Ba j a M ex

ico are i t s h ind legs . Cen t ra l Amer ica i s i t s

l o n g , cu r v ed t a i l . T h e l an d b y H u d s o n Bay

and Alaska are i t s f ron t l egs . Okay , so

C a n a d a a n d t h e A r c t i c m a k e a s t r a n g e l y

shaped head , bu t overa l l , doesn ' t i t look

l i k e a t u r t l e? N a t iv e p eo p l e k n ew th i s b e

f o r e t h e r e w er e s a t e l l i t e s an d s p ace s h ip s

an d ae r i a l m ap s . T h e t u r t l e i s a g o o d im

ag e fo r N o r th A m er i ca . D o y o u k n o w w h y ?

S lo w ly , l i k e a t u r t l e , N o r th A m er i ca i s

s w im m in g . I t m o v es a co u p l e i n ch es a

y ea r .

A l l o f t h e co n t i n e n t s a r e s w im m in g .

I f y o u t ak e t h e co n t i n en t s o f t h i s w o r ld

an d cu t t h em o u t an d p i ece t h em to g e th e r ,

they f i t toge ther l ike a puzz le . The f i t i s

no t exac t , bu t i t ' s very c lose . A t one t ime

a l l t h e co n t i n en t s s w am to g e th e r t o f o r m

o n e s u p e r - c o n t i n e n t c a l l e d P a n g a e a .

Have you ever heard o f the Pac i f ic

R in g o f F i r e? A lo n g t h e w es t e r n co as t s o f

the Amer icas i s a s t r ing o f f au l t s and vo l

c a n o e s . M o u n t S t . H e l e n s a n d M o u n t

R a i n i e r a r e v o l c a n o e s i n O r e g o n a n d

W a s h i n g t o n . M o u n t P i n a t u b o i s a v o l c a n o

i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s . A ll a r o u n d t h e p e r i m e

ter of the Pacif ic Ocean you wil l f ind vol

can o es , b ecau s e t h e p l a t e o f l an d u n d e r

t h e P a c i f i c O c e a n i s s p l i t t i n g i n t w o .

T h a t ' s r i g h t , t h e r e ' s a c r a c k i n t h e E a r t h !

L av a s eep s u p f r o m th e c r ack n ea r H aw a i i

an d h as f o r m ed t h a t s t r i n g o f i s l an d s .

T h i n k a b o u t t h i s : If t h e c o n t i n e n t s

an d t h e l an d p l a t e s a r e m o v in g apart on

o n e s i d e o f t h e E a r th , t h ey m u s t b e b u m p

in g u p ag a in s t each o th e r s o m e w h er e e l s e ,

r i g h t ? R ig h t ! I n an o th e r p a r t o f t h e w o r ld ,

t h e s u b co n t in en t o f I n d i a i s c r a s h in g i n to

E u r as i a . A s t h es e tw o l an d m as s es co l l i d e ,

t h e l an d is p u s h e d u p t o f o rm m o u n ta in s .

T h a t i s h o w th e H im a lay as , t h e t a l l e s t

m o u n ta in s i n t h e w o r ld , w e r e f o r m ed . K 2

a n d M o u n t E v e r e s t , t w o m o u n t a i n s i n t h e

H i m a l a y a s , a r e still g row ing! Som e say

th a t K 2 i s g r o w in g f a s t e r t h an M o u n t E v

e r e s t an d i t i s n o w th e t a l l e s t m o u n ta in i n

the wor ld . K2 i s g rowing abou t 2 inches a

y e a r . I t ' s h a r d t o m e a s u r e a m o u n t a i n ' s

growth—it grows so s lowly, and even as i t

g r o w s , w in d an d r a in w ea r i t d o w n .

L e t ' s g e t b ack t o N o r th A m e r i ca , T u r

t l e I s l an d . T w o h u n d r e d m i l l io n y e a r s ag o ,

g i ve o r t a k e a fe w h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d

y e a r s ,

E u r o p e a n d A f r i c a c r a s h e d i n t o

N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d S o u t h A m e r i c a . W e

k n o w th i s b ecau s e t h e r o ck i n t h e A m er i

cas a re the same k ind o f rock found in

n o r t h e r n E u r o p e a n d S c o t l a n d .

Wh en o n e co n t i n en t c r a s h es i n to t h e

o th e r o n e , o n e i s g r o u n d u n d e r n ea th an d

the o ther one heaves up . S tones as b ig as a

h o u s e w er e p u s h ed tw o m i l e s u p t o w ar d s

th e s ta r s and la id ba re . Exposed to th e w ind

and the r a in , the s tones a re worn down.

These huge rocks bake in the sun , s lowly

expanding; then they cool in the long, cold

n ig h t s , sl ow ly co n t r ac t i n g . C r ack ! E x p an d

in g i n t h e h e a t an d co n t r ac t i n g i n co ld, t h e

Bare Stone

127



r o ck s c r ack . O v e r t h e co u r s e o f t h e h o t

s u m m e r , ro c k s e x p a n d ; y o u c o u ld m e a s u r e

th e i r g r o w th if y o u h ad a h u g e m ic r o m e

t e r . O n co ld w in t e r n ig h t s u n d e r t h e i ce

an d s n o w , t h e r o ck s co n t r ac t . C r ack ! H av e

y o u ev e r d r o p p ed an i ce cu b e i n to b o i l i n g

w a te r ? Wh a t d o es i t d o ? I t c r ack s ! H av e

you ever poured ho t t ea in to a co ld g lass?

I t s h a t t e r s i n y o u r h a n d . W e l l, t h a t ' s w h a t

t h i s r o ck w as d o in g . C r ack , c r ack ! O v e r

m a n y y e a r s , c r a c k s o p e n e d u p a n d s m a l l

b i t s o f sand co l lec ted in those c racks .

Wh o o s h ! A s o f t b r eeze b l ew , an d t h e

smal l seed o r spore o f a moss o r l i chen

lo d g ed i n t h e c r ack . W i th a l i t t l e m o i s tu r e ,

t h e s p o r e w o u ld s p r o u t .

Do you know the s to ry o f l i chen? Miss

A lg ae m e t M is t e r Fu n g i an d t h ey t o o k a

l i ch en t o each o th e r . T o g e th e r a lg ae an d

f u n g u s m ak e l i ch en .

L ichens g row incred ib ly s lowly . How

slowly do they g row? There was once a

sc ien t i s t who s tud ied l i chen when he was a

co l lege s tuden t . As par t o f h i s s to ry , he

m ea sur ed sam ples o f var io us spec ies o f rock

l i ch en t o ch a r t t h e i r g r o w th . Wh en h e w as

8 0 y ea r s o ld , h e r em eas u r ed t h o s e s am e

samples o f

lichen—and

d i scovered they had

only grown a couple of inches! Anyway,

l ichen g r ip the Bare S tone . Woo-eesh! The

wind and the r a in t ry to wash them of f .

Woo-eesh! You may w an t to ho ld on to your

chai r , because the wind and the r a in may

try to wash you off also!

L ichens secre te a l i t t l e ac id , which

etches a ho le in to the rock . Th is he lps the

l i ch en h o ld o n w h en t h e w in d an d r a in t r y

to wash it off.

Whoosh! A sof t b reeze b lew a smal l

seed o r spore o f moss . Moss sp rou ted in

the b i t o f so i l made by the l i chen . The

m o s s s en t l i t t l e s p r o u t s i n a l l d i r ec t i o n s .

Ro o t s r each ed i n to t h e c r ack s , h o ld in g o n

w h en t h e w in d an d t h e r a in t r i ed t o b lo w

th em o f f . Wo o - ees h ! E ach s p r in g t h e ca r

p e t o f m o s s g r ew a l i t t l e w id e r . E ach

a u t u m n i t d i e d b a c k a n d d e c a y e d , m a k i n g

s o il . O v e r h u n d r ed s o f y e a r s , a q u a r t e r o f

an inch o f so i l fo rmed . On what was once

b a r e s t o n e a c o m m u n i t y b e g a n t o g r o w .

T h e r e w e r e m i c r o b i o l o g i c a l o r g a n i s m s s o

s m a l l y o u w o u ld n eed a m ic r o s co p e t o s ee

t h e m m o v e i n b y t h e t h o u s a n d s . M i l l i o n s

of these o rgan isms can l ive in a cub ic foo t

o f good so i l . P i l l bugs , so i l mi tes , and mi l

l i p e d e s m o v e d i n .

H a v e y o u e v e r c a u g h t

a p i l l b u g , t h e k i n d

t h a t r o l l s up into a b a l l

w h e n y o u c a t c h t h e m ?

T o g e t h e r t h e s e c r e a t u r e s , h e l d o n , W o o -

ees h ! , w h en t h e w in d an d t h e r a in t r i ed t o

blow th e m off.

Wh o o s h ! A s o f t b r eeze b l ew th e s eed

or spore o f a f e rn . In the mois tu re he ld by

t h e m o s s , i n t h e s m a l l b i t o f s o i l , i t

s p r o u t s . H a v e y o u s e e n t h e f i d d l e h e a d

f e r n p u s h u p t h r o u g h t h e e a r t h i n t h e

s p r i n g , u n c u r l i n g i t s l o n g leaf, l i f t ing i t s

f r o n d s t o t h e s u n ? E ach s p r in g i t r ep ea t ed

t h i s d a n c e , g r o w i n g l a r g e r , s t u r d i e r , w i t h

r o o t s s i n k in g i n to t h e s o i l , i n to t h e c r ack s

in t h e r o ck . Wh y ? T o h o ld o n w h en t h e

wind and the r a in t ry to push i t o f f . Each

f a l l t h e f e r n d i ed b ack , ad d in g n u t r i en t s

t o t h e s o i l . O v e r t h e co u r s e o f a h u n d r ed

year s maybe ano ther inch o f so i l fo rms .

G r as s es b eg an t o s p r o u t , t h en w o o d s o r r e l

an d l i li e s. T h e co m m u n i ty g r ew . W h er e y o u

once had bare s tone , a v i l l age g rew. Hun

dreds o f insec t s , dozens o f ear thworms . A

mouse moved in and bu i l t a nes t under the

shade and safety of the fern . The mouse

gathered d ry moss and g rass to bu i ld i t s

home. She nur sed her newborn o f f sp r ing .

She scou ted abou t fo r seeds . Maybe she

found the cone o f a Canad ian Hemlock and

carr ied i t back to her nest . One of the seeds

sl ipped out in to the soi l. In the m ois tu re an d

so i l made by f e rns and mosses , the seed

began to sprout , very s lowly at f i r s t . In 10

ye ar s i t g rew ju s t one foo t. I t s roo ts r ea ch ed

in to an d a r o u n d t h e r o ck t o h o ld o n — Wo o -

eesh —when t h e w in d an d t h e r a in t r i ed t o

wash it off! But i t held on. In 30 or 40 years

i t was as tall a s y o u a r e . A ll o f i t s b r an ch es

g r ew in t h e s am e d i r e c t i o n b e cau s e i t li v ed

i t s w h o le l i f e i n f i e r ce m o u n ta in w in d s .

128

Bare Stone



After 100 or 200 years it is only 20 or 30

feet tal l , but i ts roots have grown thick.

They wrap around this rock . . . for you to

sit upon . . . to l is ten to this s tory.

Whoosh! And maybe a l ight breeze

blows the seed or spore of a moss or liche n

in the crack where root meets rock, and

this s tory begins again.

Bare Stone

129



lo llo w-Uy Id ea s ior

Bare

Stone

A W a lk T h r o u g h S u c c e s s i o n a l S t a g e s


Classification; Prediction; Inference; Identifying

Variables; Formulat ing Hypotheses; Re-order ,

Analyze, and Draw Conclusions

•••Materials: Field guide to wildflowers, graph paper,

clipboard, pens or pencils, small box, modeling clay,

small p lants or model plants

S t u d e n t s " w a l k t h r o u g h t i m e . "

Find an abandoned f ie ld a long a fo res t edge o r meadow. Choose a f ie ld tha t has

n o t b een m o w ed in s ev e r a l y ea r s . S t a r t i n g i n t h e m id d l e o f t h e f i e l d , s l o w ly w a lk

to w ar d t h e f o re s t . Pay ca r e f u l a t t e n t i o n t o t h e v a r i e t i e s of p l an t s y o u s ee . Ch a l l e n g e

s tu d en t s t o l o o k ca r e f u l l y f o r g r ad u a l d i f f e r en ces i n t h e p l an t s . Wa lk t h r o u g h t h e

f i e ld a s eco n d t im e , p o in t i n g o u t t h e ch an g es f r o m an n u a l s t o p e r en n i a l s , t o s h r u b s

an d s c r u b f o r e s t, t o m a t u r e f o re s t p l an t s . T h en r ev e r s e y o u r d i r ec t i o n . A s y o u w a lk

f r o m th e f o r e s t i n to t h e m ead o w , o b s e r v e h o w o n e p l an t p r eced es an o th e r , p r ep a r

ing the so i l and cas t ing shade fo r the less sun- to leran t ones . Us ing a f ie ld gu ide to

w i ld f l o w er s , h av e s t u d e n t s i d en t if y t h e v a r io u s s p ec i e s o f p l a n t s t h e y fi n d , t h e n

ch a r t t h e i r f i n d s o n g r ap h p ap e r . U s in g t h e i r f i n d in g s , h av e s t u d en t s p r ed i c t w h a t

th e f ie ld wi ll look l ike in 5 ye ar s , 25 ye ar s , an d 100 ye ar s . D is cus s wh at p ar t o f th e

f ie ld an d f o r e s t h a s t h e r i ch es t d iv e r s i t y of p l a n t s an d w h y . Po in t o u t t h a t , g iv en

t i m e ,

t h e d o m in a n t p l a n t s of a r eg io n w il l g r ad u a l l y m ar c h o u t o f t h e i r s a n c tu a r i e s

in to any f ie ld tha t i s l e f t open to them.

C o m p a r i n g S p o r e s a n d S e e d s


Classification

•^•Materials: A collection of seeds and spores, graph

paper, clipboard, pens or pencils, envelopes

I n p r ep a r a t i o n f o r t h i s s t u d y , g a th e r s eed s an d s p o r e s f r o m a n a tu r a l a r ea .

A v o id co l l ec t i n g s eed s an d s p o r e s f r o m en d an g e r ed p l an t s . Be s u r e t o t ak e l e s s t h an

1 0 p e r cen t o f t h e av a i l ab l e s u p p ly o f s eed s an d s p o r e s t o en s u r e t h a t t h e r e a r e

s u f f i c i en t n u m b er s f o r n a tu r a l r ep r o d u c t i o n . P l ace s p o r e s f r o m m o s s es an d f e r n s

in o n e s e t o f en v e lo p es an d s eed s f ro m g r a s s e s an d t r e e s i n an o t h e r s e t of en v e lo p es .

G iv e each s t u d en t o r co o p e r a t i v e g r o u p a s e t o f en v e lo p es . A s k t h em to l ab e l

each en v e lo p e w i th a b r i e f d es c r i p t i o n o f w h a t t h ey t h in k i t co n t a in s . A p p r o ach t h i s

a s y o u w o u ld a g u e s s in g g am e , g iv in g each g r o u p t im e t o co m e to an ag r ee m en t an d

to d eb a t e t h e w o r d in g o f t h e i r d e s c r i p t i o n s .

130

B a r e S t o n e



A s a c l a s s d i s cu s s w h a t each en v e lo p e co n t a in s . E x p l a in w h a t a s p o r e i s . A l s o

ex p l a in t h e d i f f e r en ces b e tw een f l o w er in g an d n o n f lo w er in g p l an t s . U s in g a V en n

d iag r am , a l l o w each g r o u p t o d i s cu s s w ay s i n w h ich s p o r e s an d s eed s a r e a l i k e an d

d i f f e r en t . Co n t in u e t h i s d i s cu s s io n a s a c l a s s . E x p l a in t h e ev o lu t i o n o f f l o w er in g

an d n o n f lo w er in g p l an t s i n g eo lo g i c t im e . U s in g t h e f r am ew o r k o f " Bar e S to n e , "

a s k s t u d e n t s t o s o r t t h e i r s p o r e s an d s eed s t o s h o w w h ich w o u ld co m e f i rs t , s eco n d ,

t h i r d , e t c . , i n co lo n i z in g b a r e s t o n e .

B a r e P a v e m e n t


Classif icat ion; Communicat ion; Predict ion; Inference;

Ident ifying Variables; Formulat ing Hypotheses;


•••Materials: Field guide to plants, graph paper, clipboard,

pens or pencils

Ch a l l en g e s t u d en t s t o w r i t e a s t o r y ab o u t t h e s u cces s io n a l s t ag es o f co lo n i za

t i o n o f an ab an d o n ed p a r k in g l o t. Co n d u c t fi el d r e s ea r ch t o p r o v id e a s c i en t if i c b as i s

for th e i r s to r ie s . I f you l ive in an u rb an a rea , exp lo re severa l lo t s an d com pa re an d

con t ras t the p lan ts tha t l ive in each lo t . Us ing a f ie ld gu ide to wi ld p lan ts , have

s tu d e n t s id en t i f y t h e v a r io u s s p ec i e s o f p l a n t s an d ch a r t t h e i r f i n d in g s o n g r ap h

p a p e r . B a s e d o n t h e i r o b s e r v a t i o n s , h a v e s t u d e n t s e s t i m a t e h o w l o n g e a c h l o t h a s

b e e n a b a n d o n e d .

T ak in g t h i s i n to t h e r ea lm o f s c i en ce f i c t i o n , s t u d en t s co u ld w r i t e f u tu r i s t i c

s t o r i e s ab o u t t h e r e - g r ee n in g of A m er i ca n c i t i e s . W h ich h e r o i c p l an t s w o u ld b e t h e

m a in ch a r ac t e r s , t h e co lo n i ze r s ? Wh ich an im a l s w o u ld b e co co n s p i r a to r s , s eed

d i s p e r s a l ag en t s ? Wh ich v i l l a i n o u s an im a l s w o u ld r e s i s t t h e ch an g e? Wh a t i s t h e

co n f l i c t an d h o w w o u ld t h ey b u i l d s u s p en s e? H av e s t u d en t s ed i t t h e i r s t o r i e s an d

te l l them to the c lass . Th is cou ld be fo l lowed by a d i scuss ion o f how we can work

to m ak e a g r een e r w o r ld .

Sollow-Hp

I d e a s i o r

Bare S t o n e

131






Scien ce a n d Stor y te lling Bibliog ra ph y

T he f o l l ow i ng b i b l i og r aphy w as compi l ed by J udy S i m a , a p r o f e s s i ona l

s t o r y

t e l l e r and ch i l d r en ' s l i b r a r i an w ho l i ve s i n S ou t h f i e l d , M i ch i gan . A s a s choo l

l i b r a r i an , J udy has a w i de r epe r t o i r e o f t a l e s , and i n r ecen t yea r s s he has w or ked

ex t ens i ve l y w i t h t eache r s t o u s e c l a s s i c f o l k t a l e s t o i n t r oduce i n t e r ac t i ve s c i ence

e x p e r i m e n t s . H e r e m p h a s i s i s o n s t o r i e s a n d c h i l d r e n ' s b o o k s t h a t a r e r e a d i l y

ava i l ab l e and s c i ence expe r i men t s t ha t a r e i nexpens i ve and ea s i l y managed i n a

c l a s s r oom s e t t i ng . T o J udy ' s s e l ec t i ons I have added a f ew o f my f avo r i t e books

o f na t u r a l h i s t o r y e s s ays , books abou t peop l e w ho have made a d i f f e r ence , and

books exp l a i n i ng eco l og i ca l concep t s .

Storiftellitui Collections uml

Activi t ies

Bauer, Carolyn Feller . Handbook for Storytellers. New York: H. W. W ilson, 1993.

Brody, Ed, ed. Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories of Peace, Justice and Environment.

Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publ. , 1992.

Brusca, Mar ia Cr is t ina.

When Jaguars Ate the Moo n and O ther Stories About Animals

and Plants of the Americas.

New York: H en ry Ho lt, 1995.

Caduto, Michael J . , and Joseph Bruchac.

Keepers of the Animals.

Golden, CO: Fu lcrum ,

1992.

. Keepers of the Earth. Golden, CO: Fu lcrum , 1991.

. Keepers of the Night. Golden, CO: Fu lcrum , 1994.

Climo, Shirley. Someon e Saw a Spider: S pider Facts and Folktales. New York: Th om as

Y. Crowell, 1985.

Cohn, Amy.

From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury o f Am erican Folklore and Folksongs.

New York: Scholastic, 1993.

Dailey, Sheila.

Putting the World in a Nutshell: The Art of the Formula Tale.

New York:

H. W. Wilson, 1994.

DeSpain, Pleasant . Eleven Nature Tales: A Multicultural Journey. Litt le Rock, AR:

August House, 1996.

.

Eleven Turtle Tales: Adventure Tales from Around the World. Little Rock, AR:

August House, 1994.

.

Thirty-Three M ulticultural Tales to Tell.

Lit t le Rock, AR: Au gust H ouse, 1993.

Storytelling

Collections

a n d

Activi t ies

133



. Twenty-Two Splendid Tales to Tell. L i t t l e Rock , AR: Augus t House . Vol . 1 , 1993 ;

Vol. 2, 1994.

Folk Tales from Around the World. A u s t i n , T X : S t eck V au g h n , 1 9 9 0 . ( T i t l e s : Tales of

Wonder; Trickery; Humorous Tales; Animal Tales; Tales of the Wise and Foolish;

Tales of the Heart; Justice; Nature; Challenge.)

Gail, Judy, and Linda A. Houlding. Day of the Moon Shadow: Tales with Ancient Answers

to Scientific Questions. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1995.

G e o r g e , J e a n C r a i g h e a d . Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad and 38 Other Wild Recipes.

N ew Y o r k : H ar p e r Co l l i n s , 1 9 9 5 .

G r e a v e s , N i c k . When Hippo Was Hairy. H a u p p a u g e , N Y : B a r r o n ' s E d u c a t i o n a l S e r i e s ,

1988.

. When Lion Could Fly and Other Tales from Africa. H a u p p a u g e , N Y : B a r r o n ' s

E d u c a t i o n a l S e r i e s , 1 9 9 3 .

Hamilton, Martha, and Mitch Wei ss. Children Tell Stor ies. Katonah, NY: Richard

O w en s , 1 9 9 0 .

H a m i l t o n , V i r g i n i a . When Birds Could Talk and Bats Could Sing. N e w Y o r k : B lu e Sk y

P r e s s ,

1996 .

H av i l an d , V i r g in ia . Favorite Fairy Tales. New York : Beech Tree Books . (Ser ies wi th vo lum es

d ev o t ed t o F r a n ce , E n g l an d , G er m an y , I n d i a , I re l an d , Sw ed en , Po l an d , Ru s s i a , Sp a in ,

Czech o s lo v ak i a , J ap an , I t a l y , N o r w ay , D en m ar k , G r eece , an d Sco t l an d . )

Hol t , Dav id , and Bi l l Mooney . Ready to Tell Tales. L i t t l e Ro ck, A R: A u g u s t H o u s e , 1 9 9 4 .

Livo, Lauren. Of B ugs and Beasts: Fact, Folklore, and Activities. Englewood, CO:

T e a c h e r I d e a s P r e s s , 1 9 9 5 .

L i vo ,

Norma J . , an d San d r a A . R ie t z . Storytelling Activities. E n g l e w o o d , C O : L i b r a r i e s

U n l i m i t e d , 1 9 8 7 .

N a t i o n a l S t o r y t e l l i n g A s s o c i a t i o n . Tales as Tools: The Power of Story in the Classroom.

J o n e s b o r o u g h , T N : N a t i o n a l S t o r y t e l l i n g P r e s s , 1 9 9 4 .

N e l s o n , P a t . Magic M inutes: Quick Read-Alouds for Every Day. E n g l e w o o d , C O : L i b r a r

i e s U n l im i t ed , 1 9 9 3 .

P e l l o w s k i , A n n e .

Hidden Stories in Plants.

N ew Y o r k : M acm i l l an , 1 9 9 0 .

S h a n n o n , G e o r g e .

More Stories to Solve.

N ew Y o r k : G r een w i l l o w , 1 9 8 9 .

. Stories to Solve. N ew Y o r k : G r een w i l l o w , 1 9 8 5 .

S i e r r a , J u d y , a n d R o b e r t K a m i n s k i . Twice upon a Tale: Stories to Tell, Retell, A ct Out

and Write About. New York : H . W. W i lson , 1989 .

Y o l e n , J a n e . Favorite Folktales from Around the World. N e w Y o r k : P a n t h e o n B o o k s ,

1986.

134

Science an d Story telling Bibl iog rap hy



Science Boohs

Allen, Dorthea. Science Demonstrations for the Elementary Classroom. Newburyport,

M A : P a r k e r , 1 9 8 8 .

A l l i s o n , L in d a , an d D av id K a t z . Gee Wizl N ew Y o r k : B r o w n Pap e r Sch o o l Bo o k , 1 9 8 3 .

Beck l e r , V i r g in i a .

Storytime Science.

H o p ew e l l , N J : So u r ces , 1 9 8 6 .

C a s s id y , J o h n . The Unbelievable Bubble Book. Pa lo A l to , CA : K lu t z P r e s s , 1 9 8 7 .

C h u r c h i l l , R i c h a r d E . Amazing Science Experiments with Everyday Materials. N ew Y o r k :

S t e r l i n g , 1 9 9 1 .

Cobb , V ick i . Bet Y ou C an, Bet Y ou Can 't. New York : Avon , 1980 , 198 3 .

. Science Experiments You Can Eat. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.

C o r n e l l , J o s e p h B h a r a t . Sharing Nature with Children. N e v ad a C i ty , CA : D a w n Pu b l i

ca t ions , 1979 .

F a v e r t y , R i c h a r d . Professor Bubbles Official Bubble Handbook . N ew Y o r k :

Greenleaf,

1981.

Haven, Kendall. Marvels of Science: 50 Fascinating 5-Minute Reads. Englewood, CO:

L i b r a r i e s U n l i m i t e d , 1 9 9 4 .

H e r b e r t , D o n . Mr.

Wizard's

400 Experiments in Science. Be r g en , N J : Bo o k L ab , 1 9 6 8 .

K e n d a , M a r g a r e t . Science Wizardry for Kids. H a u p p a u g e , N Y : B a r r o n ' s E d u c a t i o n a l

Ser ies , 1992 .

K o b r in , Bev e r ly .

Eyeopener How to Choose and Use Children's Books About Real People,

Places and Things. N ew Y o r k : T r u m p e t C lu b , 1 9 8 8 .

L a d i z i n s k y , E r i c , a n d D i a n n e O ' Q u i n n B u r k e . Magic Science. L o s A n g e l e s : L o w e l l H o u s e

J u v en i l e , 1 9 9 2 .

M c G l a t h e r y , G l e n . T o n s o f S c i e n t i f ic a l l y P r o v o c a t i v e , S o c i a l ly A c c e p t a b l e T h i n g s t o D o

with Balloons Under the Guise of Teaching Science. E n g l e w o o d , C O : T e a c h e r I d e a s

P r e s s ,

1 9 9 1 .

Seed, John, et al. Thinking Like a Mountain. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers,

1988.

Sh af f e r , Ca r o ly n , an d E r i ca F i e ld e r . City Safaris. San F r a n c i s c o : S i e r r a C lu b Bo o k s ,

1987.

T h o m p s o n , C . E . G l o w i n t h e D a r k C o n s t e l l a t i o n s . N e w Y o r k : G r o s s e t & D u n l a p , 1 9 8 9 .

W a l p o l e , B r e n d a . 1 7 5 S c i e n ce E x p e r i m e n t s t o A m u s e a n d A m a z e Y o u r F r i e n d s . N e w Y o r k :

R a n d o m H o u s e , 1 9 8 8 .

Z u b r o w s k i , B e r n i e . Children's Museum Activity Book: Bubbles. Bo s to n : L i t t l e , B r o w n ,

1979.

Science Boohs

135



Environmental isssin

Beebe, William, ed. The Book of Naturalists. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,

1988.

D e n n i s , J e r r y . It's Raining Frogs and Fishes. N e w Y o r k : H a r p e r P e r e n n i a l , 1 99 2 .

D i l l a r d , A n n ie .

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

N ew Y o r k : B an t a m Bo o k s , 1 9 7 4 .

H a l p e r n , D a n i e l , e d . O n N a t u r e . S a n F r a n c i s c o : N o r t h P o i n t P r e s s , 1 9 8 7 .

Leopold , A ldo . A Sand County Almanac. N ew Y o r k : Ba l l an t i n e Bo o k s , 1 9 7 0 .

L o p e z , B a r r y H o l s t u n . River Notes, Dance of the Herons. New York : Avon Boo ks , 1979 .

M u i r , J o h n . The Wild Muir. Y o s e m i t e , CA : T h e Y o s e m i t e A s s o c i a t i o n , 1 9 9 4 .

O l s o n , S ig u r d . Songs of the North. N ew Y o r k : Pe n g u in Bo o k s , 1 9 8 7 .

S u z u k i , D a v i d , a n d P e t e r K n u d t s o n . Wisdom of the Elders. N e w Y o r k : B a n t a m B o o k s ,

1992.

T h o r e a u , H e n r y D a v i d . Walden. N ew Y o r k : Ra n d o m H o u s e , 1 9 3 7 .

Wal l ace , D av id Ra in s . The Klamath Knot. San F r an c i s co : S i e r r a C lu b Bo o k s , 1 9 8 3 .

Victnre Boohs nm

Children's Booh

T h e f o l l o w i n g c h i l d r e n ' s p i c t u r e b o o k s a r e e a s i l y a d a p t e d f o r s t o r y t e l l i n g .

T h e y a r e a l s o w o n d e r f u l f o r r e a d i n g a l o u d o r t o u s e i n p r o v i d i n g b a c k g r o u n d

i n f o r m a t i o n , o p p o r t u n i t i e s f or f o l lo w - u p d i s c u s s i o n s , o r a s t h e b a s i s f or s c i e n c e

e x p e r i m e n t s .

A n i m a l s

A a r d e m a , V e r n a . Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. N ew Y o r k : D ia l P r e s s , 1 9 7 5 .

A r n e a c h , L l o y d . The Animal's Ballgame. Ch i cag o : Ch i ld r en ' s P r e s s , 1 9 9 2 .

A r n o s k y , J i m .

Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places.

N e w Y o r k : B r a d b u r y P r e s s ,

1990.

.

Crikleroot's 25 Fish Every Child Should Know . N e w Y o r k : B r a d b u r y P r e s s , 1 9 9 3 .

. Deer at the Brook . N ew Y o r k : M u lb e r r y P r e s s , 1 9 8 6 .

. Raccoons and Ripe C orn. N ew Y o r k : M u lb e r r y P r e s s , 1 9 8 7 .

Bay lo r , By r d . Hawk , I'm Your Brother. N ew Y o r k : Ch a r l e s Sc r ib n e r ' s So n s , 1 9 7 6 .

B o n n e r s , S u s a n . A Penguin Year. New York : Del l , 1981 .

136

Science an d Story tel ling Bibliog raph y



Bruchac, Joseph. "Tur t le Makes War on Man." In From Sea to Shining Sea. New York:

Scholastic, 1993.

Bryan, Ashley. The Cat's Purr. New York: Atheneum, 1985.

Cannon, Janel l .

Stellaluna.

New York: H arc ou rt Brace Jovano vich, 1993.

Carle, Eric.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

New York: Collins, 1979.

Freschet , Berniece.

Bear Mouse.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973.

Gibbons, G ail. The Milk Makers. New York: Aladdin Books, 1985.

Pelham, David. Sam's Sandwich. New York: Du tton, 1990.

Rosen, Michael . How the Animals Got Their Colors. New York : Ha rco ur t Brace

Jovanovich, 1992.

Ryder , Joanne.

The Snail's Spell.

New York: Puffin Books, 1988.

Yolen,

J a n e .

Owl Moon.

New York: Philomel, 1987.

A s t r o n o m y

Dayrel l , Elphins tone. Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,

1968.

Gallant , Roy A. The C onstellations: How They C ame to Be. Lancas ter , PA: Four Winds

Press ,

1979.

Oughton , J e r r i e .

How the Stars Fell into the Sky.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992.

Shet ter ly , Susan Hand.

Raven's Light.

New York: Athen eum , 1991.

Taylor , Harr ie t Peck.

Coyote Places the Stars.

New York: Bradbury Press, 1993.

B u o y a n c y , W a t e r D i s p l a c e m e n t ,

P r o b l e m S o l v i n g

Allen, Pame la. Mr. Archimede's Bath. New York: Loth rop, Lee & Sh eph erd, 1980.

.

Who Sank the Boat?

New York: Coward McCann, 1982.

Haviland, Virginia. "Why the Sea Is Salt ." In

Favorite Stories Told in Norway.

Boston:

Lit t le, Brown, 1989.

Schimmel , Nancy. "The Ra inha t . " In Just Enough to Make a Story. Berkley, CT: Sister 's

Choice, 1987.

Zemach, Harve. Salt. New York: Farrar , 1965.

Picture Boohs and

Children's Boohs

137



C h e m i c a l C h a n g e , P h y s i c a l C h a n g e , R e c y c l i n g

A s c h , F r a n k .

Bread and Honey.

N e w Y o r k : P u t n a m , 1 9 8 1 .

B r o w n , M a r c i a . Stone Soup. N ew Y o r k : Ch a r l e s Sc r ib n e r ' s So n s , 1 9 4 7 .

G i l m a n ,

P h o e b e . Something from Nothing. N ew Y o r k : Sch o l a s t i c , 1 9 9 2 .

K a s a , K e i k o .

The Pig's Picnic.

N e w Y o r k : P u t n a m , 1 9 88 .

McDermott, G e r a l d . The Stonecutter. New York : V ik ing , 1979 .

San f i e ld , S t ev e . Bit by Bit. N ew Y o r k : Ph i l o m e l , 1 9 9 5 .

E c o l o g i c a l C o n c e p t s , N a t u r a l H i s t o r y

Ban g , M o l ly . Chattanooga Sludge. N ew Y o r k : H ar co u r t B r ace J o v an o v ich , 1 9 9 6 .

Bay lo r , By r d . If You Are a Hunter of Fossils. New York : A la dd in Bo oks , 1980 .

. The Other Way to Listen.

N ew Y o r k : Ch a r l e s Sc r ib n e r ' s So n s , 1 9 7 8 .

C h e r r y , L y n n e . The Great Kapok Tree. N e w Y o r k : H a r c o u r t B r a c e J o v a n o v i c h , 1 9 9 0 .

D e C o u t r e O r i e , S a n d r a . Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? N ew Y o r k : W alk e r , 1 9 9 5 .

D e e d y , Carmon A g r a . Agatha's Feather B ed. A t l a n t a , GA : P e a c h t r e e P u b l i s h e r s , 1 9 9 1 .

F r a s i e r , D e b r a .

On the Day You Were Born.

N e w Y o r k : H a r c o u r t B r a c e J o v a n o v i c h , 1 9 9 1 .

L e r n e r , C a r o l . Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. N ew Y o r k : W i l l iam M o r r o w , 1 9 8 0 .

M a d d e r n , E r i c . Earth Story. N e w Y o r k : B a r r o n ' s E d u c a t i o n a l S e r i e s , 1 9 8 8 .

R e e d - J o n e s , C a r o l .

The Tree in the Ancient Forest.

N e v ad a C i ty , CA : D a w n Pu b l i c a t i o n s ,

1995.

R o h m a n n , E r i c . Time Flies. New York : Cro wn , 1994 .

R o m a n o v a , N a t a l i a . Once There Was a Tree. N ew Y o r k : D ia l Bo o k s f o r Y o u n g Read e r s ,

1985.

Ryder, Joanne. Earthdance. New York: Henry Holt, 1996.

P e o p l e W h o M a k e a D i f f e r e n c e

Casler, Le igh. The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn. New York: Philomel, 1994.

Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. New York: Puffin Books, 1985.

G ei s e l , T h eo d o r e ( D r . Seu s s ) . The Lorax. N e w Y o r k : R a n d o m H o u s e , 1 9 7 1 .

G i o n o , J e a n .

The Man Who Planted Trees.

Ch e l s ea , V T : Ch e l s ea G r ee n Pu b l i s h in g , 1 9 8 5 .

L a s k y , K a t h r y n . She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her

Head

N ew Y o r k : H y p e r io n , 1 9 9 5 .

N o v ak , D av id . Johnny Appleseed and the Bears. S t . P e t e r s b u r g , F L : R i v e r b a n k P r e s s ,

1995.

138

Science an d Storytelling Bibliogra phy



P l a n t s

D e m i . Empty Pot. New York : Hol t , 1992 .

Haviland, Virg inia. "Little Red Hen and the Grain of Wheat." In Fairy Tale Treasury.

N ew Y o r k : Co w ar d M cCan n , 1 9 6 6 .

K r u s s , R u t h . The Carrot Seed. N ew Y o r k : H ar p e r & Ro w , 1 9 4 5 .

S c h r a m , P e n i n n a h , a n d R a c h a y l D a v i s . " T h e A p p l e T r e e ' s D i s c o v e r y . " I n

Chosen Tales:

Stories Told by Jewish Storytellers. N ew Y o r k : J a s o n A r o n s o n , 1 9 9 5 .

S t e v e n s , J a n e t . Tops and Bottoms. N ew Y o r k : H ar co u r t B r ace J o v a n o v ich , 1 9 9 5 .

Tols toy , A lexei . The Great Big Enormous Turnip. N ew Y o r k : P an th eo n Bo o k s , 1 9 7 5 .

U d r y , J a n i c e . A Tree Is Nice. New York : H ar pe r & Row, 1956 .

Vieira, Linda. The Ever-Living Tree. New York: Walker, 1994.

Picture Boohs and Children's Boohs

139






Index

a c t i v i t i e s . See also A r t a c t i v i t i e s

e m b e d d e d i n s t o r i e s , 7,

10 -11 ,

4 4 , 64

e n v i r o n m e n t , 2 2 -2 3

h a n d s - o n , xx , xx i

a ir , 14

A l a s k a , 15

a l g a e , b l u e - g r e e n , 15

a n a l y z e , xxv , xxvi i i, 1 3 , 19, 4 9 , 5 6 , 6 8 , 6 9 , 80-

8 1 , 9 2 , 9 3 ,

1 17 , 119 , 130 , 1 3 1

a n i m a l b e h a v i o r , 9 1

a n i m a l i n t e l l i g e n c e , xx i i , 7 5 , 7 6 -7 8 , 8 0 -8 1

a n t h r o p o c e n t r i s m , xxi i , 99

a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m , xxi i, xxi i i , 9 9 , 1 05 -108

a q u a t i c h a b i t a t , 4 1 - 4 8 , 4 9

aqui fe r , 30

a r t a c t i v i t i e s , 120

a t o m s , 5, 6

A u s t r a l i a A b o r i g i n e s ' j o u r n e y t a l e s , ix

a u t o m o b i l e s , 22

a u t u m n , 1 1 2-1 3

b e a r s , 11 2-16

B i g B a n g t h e o r y , 6, 14

b i o l o g ic a l m a g n i f i c a t i o n , 4 9

b l a c k h o l e s , 6

b r e a t h i n g , 14, 2 9 , 4 8

b u t t e r f l i e s , 12 , 11 2-1 6

c a l c i u m , 5, 30

c a m o u f l a g e , n a t u r a l , 4 8

C a n a d a , 8, 126

C a n a d i a n h e m l o c k , 1 26 , 1 28-29

c i r c u l a r s t o r y t e l l i n g g a m e ,

1 9-2 1 ,

3 3

c i t i z e n s h i p .

See

Soc ia l ac t ion

c lass i f ica t ion , xxv , xxvi , 2 1 , 3 5 , 4 9 , 5 3 , 6 9 ,

70, 8 2 , 9 1 , 1 0 4 -1 0 5 , 11 7 , 119 , 130 , 1 31

c louds , 29

c o l o n i z a t i o n .

See

S u c c e s s i o n a l s t a g e s o f

c o l o n i z a t i o n

c o m m u n i c a t i o n , x xv , xxvi i, 19, 2 1 , 2 2 , 3 2 , 3 3 ,

3 5 ,

4 9 , 5 6 , 6 8 , 6 9 , 70 , 79 , 8 0 -8 1 , 8 2 , 9 1 ,

92, 9 3 , 1 0 4 -1 0 5 , 1 0 5 - 1 0 8 , 117 , 1 18 , 13 1

c o m p a r a t i v e a n a l y s i s , 13

c o n d e n s a t i o n , 2 7 , 3 0 , 37

c o n c l u s i o n s , d r a w i n g , xxv , xxvi i i , 19 , 4 9 , 5 6 ,

68 ,

6 9 ,

8 0 -8 1 ,

9 2 , 9 3 , 11 7 , 119 , 130 ,

1 31

c o n s u m e r i s m , 17

c o n t i n e n t a l d r i f t , 7 , 14 , 1 5 , 127

c r e a t i v e w r i t i n g . Se e W r i t i n g

c r i t i c a l - t h i n k i n g s k i l l s , xv , 6 8 , 9 1

c r o w s , 7 5 , 76 -7 8

c u l t u r a l b i o g e o g r a p h y , xx i i

d a t a , o r g a n i z i n g , xxv , xxvi i i , 19 , 4 9 , 5 6 , 6 8 ,

69,

8 0 -8 1 ,

9 2 , 9 3 , 1 17 , 119, 130 , 1 31

d e c o m p o s i t i o n , 11

deer , 12-1 3

d e h y d r a t i o n , 35

dew, 30

d i a g r a m s , 32

d o l p h i n s , xxi i

d r a g o n f l i e s , 45 -4 6

a s p r e d a t o r s , 4 5

e c h o l o c a t i o n , 2 8

ecology, xv

e c o s y s t e m s , 4 1 , 4 9 , 12 5

e l e c t r o n s , 5 , 14

e n v i r o n m e n t

car ing for , 2 2 -2 3

e n v i r o n m e n t a l p e r s i s t e n c e , 3 , 17 -18 .

See also

Life cycles

e n v i r o n m e n t a l t o x i n s , 17 -18

e v a p o r a t i o n , 2 7 , 2 9 , 3 1 , 3 6 , 3 7 , 44

e v a p o t r a n s p i r a t i o n , 30

e x p e r i e n t i a l e d u c a t i o n , xx

e x p e r i m e n t s , xx

as s to r ies a re to ld , xx

e x t i n c t i o n , 5 4 , 55

e x t i r p a t i o n , 54

fac t and f ic t ion , d i scern ing , 6 3 , 6 8 -6 9

flies,

11

fables , xxi i

fall, 1 12 -1 3

fe rns , 14, 15

fe r rous ox ide , 7

f ie ld t r ips , xv

fish, 4 1 , 4 2 , 4 3 , 4 7 , 4 8 . See also S a l m o n

f i sh ing , 4 1 , 4 2 , 4 5 , 4 6 -4 7 , 5 8

fog, 4 3-4 4

fo lk wisdom, xi

fo lk ta les , xx i i, 7 9 , 127

food, origin of, 56 -5 7

food web, 4 1 -4 8 , 4 9 , 5 1 , 5 2 , 5 3 , 55

fores t s , 8

Index

141



f o x s q u i r r e l s , 1 12-16

frogs, 4 2 , 4 6 , 4 8 , 112-16

g a l a x i e s , s p i r a l , 6

g e e s e , 112-1 6

geo log ica l t ime , xv , 7, 1 2 5 , 126-29

g l a c i a l e r r a t i c s , 8

g l a c i e r s , 7, 126

G o n d w a n a l a n d , 7

"G o o d , W i l d , Sacred" ( G a r y S n y d e r ) , ix

g r a d i n g s t u d e n t w o r k , 106

g r e a t b l u e h e r o n , xx i , 4 4

g r e a t h o r n e d o w l , 8 8

h a b i t a t s , 5 5

r e s t o r i n g , 5 4 -5 5

h i b e r n a t i o n , 11 3

h u m a n

c i r c u l a t o r y s y s t e m , 3 1 , 32

w a t e r c o n t e n t ( a s p e r c e n t a g e o f b o d y

w e i g h t ) , 3 3 -3 4

h y p o t h e s e s , f o r m u l a t i n g , xxv , xxvi i i , 4 4 , 4 9 ,

56 , 6 4 , 6 8 , 7 9 , 8 1 , 9 3 , 130 , 13 1

ice ages, 7, 8, 126

i n f e r e n c e s , m a k i n g , x x v , xxvi i , 19 , 3 2 , 4 9 , 5 3 ,

56 , 6 8 , 6 9 , 70 , 7 9 ,

8 0 -8 1 ,

8 2 , 9 1 , 9 2 , 9 3 ,

1 0 4 -1 0 5 ,

1 0 5 -1 0 8 , 1 1 7 , 130 , 1 3 1

i n s t i n c t , 9 9 , 1 0 0 -1 0 3

i n v e s t i g a t i o n s , d e s i g n i n g , xxv , xxvi i i , 2 2 , 3 5 ,

36 , 5 6 , 6 8 ,

8 0 -8 1 ,

9 3 , 10 5 -10 8

i ron , 3 , 5 , 7-14

j e t s t r e a m s , 14 , 2 9

j u n k m a i l , 2 1 -22

K l a m a t h , ix

L a u r a s i a , 7

Learning Science Process Skills,

xxiv

L i a r ' s G a m e , t h e , 69

l i chen , 128

life cycles, 8 -1 3 , 5 3 , 1 0 0 -1 0 3 ,

111 ,

117

m a p s , ix , 3 2 , 1 0 4 -10 5

m e t a m o r p h o s i s , 4 6 , 1 1 4 , 115-1 6

m e t r i c m e a s u r e m e n t , xxv , xxvi , 2 1 , 3 3 , 3 5 ,

36 , 1 1 8 , 130 , 1 3 1

m i g r a t i o n , 8, 1 0 0 - 1 0 3 , 1 0 4 - 1 0 5 , 1 0 5 -1 0 8 , 112-

16

m i l k w e e d , 11 2 -1 6

M i l k y W a y g a l a x y , 5 , 6

m o n a r c h b u t t e r f l i e s , 11 2-16

m o s q u i t o e s , 4 1 , 4 5

m o s s e s , 14

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s , ix , 12 -13 , 7 5 , 7 6 , 7 7 -7 8 ,

82 , 8 3 , 127

n a t u r a l h i s t o r y , xx

n a t u r e

apprec ia t ion of , 8 1

cycles of, 5 , 8 -1 3 , 19

wisdom of , xx i i

Nava jo , ix

n e u t r o n s t a r s , 6

n e u t r o n s , 5

n i t r o g e n , 3 , 14-18

o b s e r v a t i o n , xxi i i , xxv , x x v i , 19 , 2 2 , 3 2 , 4 9 ,

53 , 56 , 6 8 , 70 ,

8 0 -8 1 ,

8 2 , 9 2 , 9 3 , 1 0 5 -

108, 117 , 1 1 8 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 1

oil, 14-16

format ion of , 14-16

p e t r o l e u m p r o d u c t s , 1 6 -1 8 , 22

owls ,

xx ,

10-11 ,

8 7 .

See also

G r e a t h o r n e d o w l

P a n g a e a , 14

p a r r o t s , xxii

p e s t i c i d e s , 4 9

p e t r o l e u m p r o d u c t s . Se e Oil

p h o t o s y n t h e s i s , 9

p i c t o g r a p h s , 8 7 , 9 3 -9 4

p l a n t s , 15 .

See also

P h o t o s y n t h e s i s , S t o m a

c o n s e q u e n c e s o f i n v a s i v e p l a n t s , 4 9

r e p r o d u c t i o n , 9

t r a n s p i r a t i o n , 14

p l a s t i c , 16-18

p l a t e t e c t o n i c s , xv

p o e t r y , 8 1 , 9 1 , 1 1 7 , 1 2 1

po in t o f v iew, 1 0 5-1 08

po l len , 9

p o r q u e ( w h a t - f o r ) s t o r i e s , 7 9-80

p r e c i p i t a t i o n , 2 7 , 37

p r e d a t o r - p r e y r e l a t i o n s h i p s , 4 5 , 4 6 , 4 7 , 4 8 ,

49 , 5 1 , 5 2 , 8 7 ,

p r e d a t o r s , 4 5 , 5 4 , 5 5 , 90

p r e y , 5 6 , 90

p r e d i c t i o n , xxv , xxvi i , 3 2 , 3 3 , 3 6 , 4 9 , 5 3 , 5 6 ,

69 , 70 , 8 1 , 9 3 , 1 0 4 -1 0 5 , 1 1 8 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 1

p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g s k i l l s , xv

p r o t o n s , 5, 14

r a i n , 29 -30

r a t t l e s n a k e s , xxi , 6 1 -6 2 , 6 3 -6 7

sense of smel l , 6 5

recyc l ing , 9, 2 1

r e p r o d u c t i o n

b e a r s , 113

b u t t e r f l i e s , 114

d r a g o n f l i e s , 4 6

frogs,

114

142

I n d e x



p l a n t s , 9, 1 1 4 -1 5 , 1 3 0 -3 1

s a l m o n , 1 0 2 -1 0 3

r e s e a r c h , xx , x x i, xx i i i, 5 0 , 5 4 -5 5 , 8 0 , 8 2 , 9 1 ,

92 , 9 3 , 9 5 -9 6 , 1 0 5 , 117

rocks , 7, 8, 1 2 7 -2 8 .

See also

G l a c i a l e r r a t i c s

r u s t , 7

s a l m o n , 9 9 ,

sc ience sk i l l s , xv , x x , xxiv , xxv (fig. 1) , xxvi -

xxviii (fig. 2)

s e a s o n s ,

111 ,

1 17 , 118

seeds , 112 , 1 1 3 , 1 16 , 11 8 , 119 , 120 , 1 28 , 130-

3 1

s n a k e s , 6 3 , 70

S n y d e r , G a r y , ix

soc ia l ac t ion , 2 2 -2 3 , 5 4 -5 5

so i l fo rmat ion , 128

s o l a r s y s t e m s , 5-6

sound e f fec t s , xv i i i, x ix ,

111 ,

125

s p i d e r s , 8 7 , 9 0 . See also Wol f sp ider

p o i s o n o u s , 89 -90

s p o r e s , 14, 1 2 8 , 1 3 0 -3 1

squ id , 28 -29

s q u i r r e l s , 9 -10 , 112-1 6

s p r i n g , 1 13-15

s t a l k i n g ( a n i m a l s ) , 4 3

s t o m a , 14, 30

s t o r y t e l l i n g , xv .

See also

C i r c u l a r s t o r y t e l

l i n g g a m e ; C r e a t i v e w r i t i n g

a c t i v i t i e s ,

1 9 -21 ,

3 3 , 5 0 , 7 0 -7 2 , 8 2 -8 3 , 9 2 ,

106,

13 1

a d a p t i n g s t o r i e s , x v i, 3-4, 2 7 , 4 1 , 6 1 , 125

e m b e d d i n g e x p e r i m e n t s i n s t o r i e s , xx -xxi .

See also H a n d s - o n a c t i v i t i e s

i n t e g r a t e d w i t h c r e a t i v e w r i t i n g , xv

i n v o l v i n g t h e a u d i e n c e , xvi i i

s t u d e n t s a n d , xx i i i , 82

t ips for , xv i-xx

s t u d e n t w o r k , g r a d i n g , 106

s u c c e s s i o n a l s t a g e s o f c o l o n i z a t i o n , 1 2 8 -2 9 ,

130,

1 31

s u m m e r , 115-16

s u p e r c o n t i n e n t s , 7

s u p e r n o v a s , 6

s y m b i o s i s , 15

ta l l t a les , 6 1 , 6 3 -6 7 , 7 0 , 71 -7 2

w r i t i n g , 71-72

t h e r m a l d y n a m i c s , 4 4

t r a s h .

Se e

W a s t e

t r e e s , xx i i, 3 0 , 1 12 -16

U n i t e d S t a t e s

M i d w e s t , 8

v a r i a b l e s , i d e n t i f y i n g , x xv , xxvi i, 2 2 , 3 5 , 4 9 ,

53 ,

5 6 , 6 9 , 9 1 , 9 3 , 1 17 , 11 8 , 130 ,

131

w a s t e , 18 , 19 . See also J u n k m a i l

r e d u c i n g , 2 1

w a t e r , 2 8-37

w a t e r c y c l e , 2 7 , 2 8 -3 7

w e a t h e r , 3 2 , 117

w e t l a n d s , 4 1

w h a l e s , 28 -2 9

w h o l e l a n g u a g e , xv

w i l d l i f e , b a c k y a r d a n d u r b a n , 8 7 , 8 8 -8 9 , 9 2 ,

93 ,

9 5 -9 6 .

See also

Spec i f ic an imals

wol f sp ider , 8 9 -9 0

w r i t i n g , xv, xx, x x i,

2 0 -2 1 ,

4 9 -5 0 , 5 2 , 5 6 -5 7 ,

71-72 , 9 2 , 9 3 , 1 0 5 -1 0 8 , 117 , 1 3 1

c o m b i n i n g w r i t i n g a n d t e l l i n g , 2 0

w r i t i n g a c r o s s t h e c u r r i c u l u m , xv

I n dex

143






About th e Author

Br ian "Fox" E l l i s i s a p rofes

s i o n a l s t o r y t e l l e r a n d a u t h o r w h o

has t ou r ed t he w or l d co l l ec t i ng

and t e l l ing s to r i es s ince 1982 .

E l l i s h a s t a u g h t t h i r d a n d

four th grade at an inner-ci ty Catho

l ic school and seventh and eighth

grade at a suburban publ ic school .

He has also pi loted a year- long pro

gram as th e Storytel ler in Res idence

for the Char lot te , Nor th Carol ina,

schools . While in Char lot te , "Fox"

produced a series of television pro

gram s en t i t l ed Fox Tales. The ser ies

was geared toward ear ly e lem entary

classroom s wi th the goal of integ rat

i ng t he cu r r i cu l um t h r ough mu l

t icul tural folktales .

Ell is is a frequent speaker at

teacher training conferences, encour

aging edu cators to use storytell ing as

a tool for teaching creat ive wri t ing

across the c ur r i c u lu m . He is a r egu

la r con t r ibu tor to a var ie ty o f edu

ca t ion and ecology jou rna l s , and he

has p r oduced f ou r aud i o t apes o f

or ig ina l and t r ad i t iona l t a l es .

E l l i s h a s t e n y e a r s ' e x p e r i e n c e a s a s u m m e r c a m p c o u n s e l o r a n d n a t u r a l i s t

and has l ed w i l de r nes s exped i t i ons f o r you t h . H e coo r d i na t ed t he s c i ence educa

t i o n p r o g r a m f or t h e C i n c i n n a t i M u s e u m of N a t u r a l H i s t o r y , w h e r e h e a ls o

c o n d u c t e d o u t r e a c h p r o g r a m s d e s i g n e d t o b r i n g h a n d s - o n s c i e n c e i n t o t h e c l a s s

r oom. C ur r en t l y he s pends h i s s ummer s on t he I l l i no i s R i ve r a s t he R i ve r l o r i an

f o r a M a r k T w a i n - e r a p a d d l e w h e e l b o a t , t h e Spirit ofPeoria. H is ne x t p ro je c t i s

w o r k i n g w i t h a t e a m o f e n v i r o n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s t o r a i s e a w a r e n e s s a b o u t

i s s u e s r e l a t e d t o c l e a n w a t e r i n A m e r i c a ' s h e a r t l a n d .

W hen he i s n ' t w r i t i ng o r r e s ea r ch i ng h i s nex t s t o r y , E l l i s en j oys h i k i ng ,

canoe i ng , f i s h i ng , and campi ng w i t h h i s w i f e , t w i n daugh t e r s , and beag l e .

About the Author

145






from Te a ch e r Id e a s Pr e ss

A S E NS E O F P L AC E : Teach ing Ch i ld ren About t he E nv i ronment w i t h P ic t u re Bo oks

Daniel A. Kriesberg

Introduce students to the wonders of nature in their own neighborhoods through simple

activities and quality children's literature. Students will build a sense of place as they use

their f ive senses to explore nature, human history, and our impacts on the environment.

Easy-to- incorporate ideas enliven subject areas across the curr iculum. Grades K-6.

xxvii 145p. 8 6x paper ISBN

1-56308-565-8

N A T U R E A T Y O U R D O O R S T E P : R e a l W o r l d I n v e s t i g a t io n s f or P r i m a r y S t u d e n t s

Carole G. Basile Fred Collins Jennifer Gillespie-Malone

Share the wonder of nature with young learners while building their scientific knowledge

and skills Enga ging activities guide learning about birds, hab itats, biodive rsity, and other

topics into the study of all major areas of ecology. Students can perform the simple

projects right in their own backyards (or school yard)

Grades

K -3 .

xxvi

161p.

8

1

/

2

x11

paper ISBN

1-56308-455-4

N A T U R E P U Z Z L E R S : T h i n k i n g A c ti v i ti e s f r o m t h e N a t u r a l W o r l d

Lawrence E.

Hi

man

Bring a litt le intrigue into the classroom with these puzzling anecdotes from the real world

of nature. Writ ten to encourage cr it ical- thinking and problem-solving skil ls, they serve as

springboards to act iv it ies across the curriculum—from act ive discussions to research

Documents

Brian ''Fox'' Ellis-Learning From the Land_ Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities (1997)(1)