“Can Animals Think?”
Please do the following:
• Finish Zaroff’s characterization chart.
• Staple the plot questions and the characterization
charts together (plot questions on top, please!)
• Turn them in.
• Read the magazine article “Can Animals Think?” found
on pages 27-29. As you read, think about the evidence
the author uses to support his position.
• In your notebook on a clean sheet of paper, do the
following:
• Reading Check questions on top of page 30
• Test Practice Questions in the middle of page 30.
Can animals think?
Now, watch the following video clips. For each video
clip, write a 2 – 3 sentence impression. In other
words, describe what you think about the video.
This will be handed in with the final copy of the
paragraph.
1. CNN http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/videos/cananimals-think-like-humans
2. Funniest home videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6PsyIbhHQ8
3. Koko and Kitten
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTUG8MPmGg
4. Koko and Robin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs0fy0Rs8PM
5. Animal Intelligence clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GpIZQ239Ls
Writing Assignment
• Write one 12 sentence paragraph that answers the
following question:
• Do you believe that animals are able to reason and
think or do you think that animals simply learn
through repetition and reward, or both? Use
personal examples, information from the reading,
and information from the video clips to back up your
opinion.
Brainstorming
1. First state your opinion on the top of your page. “I do (or
do not) think …”
2. Next, from the reading, the video clips, and perhaps even
from personal experience, brainstorm pieces of evidence
that back up your claim. It might look like this:
3. You need 3 reasons that explain why you believe as you
do.
Writing your paragraph:
1. Sentence 1: Topic sentence
In the article “Can Animals Think?”, the author makes a
compelling argument that some animals have the capacity to
reason and feel.
OR
By studying animal behavior, scientists have observed creative
thinking, a sign of advanced intelligence in some animals.
OR
Despite the fact that scientists have studied animal behavior for
years, there is no conclusive evidence that animals can think and
reason.
Writing your paragraph
2. Sentence 2: Elaboration sentence
• Next, elaborate:
• This is true because. . .
OR
• Many animals are smarter than people give them
credit for.
OR
• Even though it appears at times that animals do
think, most of what they exhibit are examples of
learned behavior.
Writing your paragraph
Sentences 3, 4, and 5
• These three sentences mark your first claim, bit of evidence,
and analysis.
• Sentence 3: Now introduce your first argument, something
like this: In the “All Ball” video, Koko the gorilla had built a
strong bond with the kitten.
• Be sure to cite this information by using parenthesis at the end of
the sentence (“Koko and Kitten”).
• Sentence 4: Now, give your evidence: When she found out All
Ball was killed, Koko reacted by…
• Sentence 5: Next try some analysis—explain what the
evidence proves.
• Koko’s reaction was interesting because…
• It seems that Koko was displaying true emotion. If Koko
were just an unthinking, unreasoning animal she…
Writing your paragraph
Sentences 6, 7, and 8
• These sentences mark the second claim, evidence, and
analysis of your paragraph.
• Sentence 6: Introduce your next piece of evidence with a
claim.
• An even more compelling bit of evidence that some
animals can think was Orky’s intriguing behavior at the
sight of the its baby in trouble.
• Sentence 7: Give your evidence and remember to cite it:
• Orky created. . . (Linden 28).
• Sentence 8: Analyze – what does this piece of evidence
mean?
• Orky shows that. . . .
Writing your paragraph
Sentences 9, 10, and 11
• These sentences mark the third claim, evidence, and
analysis of your paragraph.
• Sentence 9: Introduce the next piece of evidence with
claim 3.
• A final way animals prove they can reason. . .
• Sentence 10: Give your evidence and remember to cite
it.
• In the video, the bird. . .(Animal Intelligence Clips)
• Sentence 11: Analysis—what does the evidence mean?
• The bird illustrates that he is intelligent and can
reason because. . .
Writing your paragraph
Sentence 12: Concluding sentence
• This sentence summarizes your entire paragraph.
• It is for these reasons that I think. . .
Finishing your essay
• Any time you use information from a source, you need to
cite it and document its place of origin. This is called a
Works Cited.
• Purdue OWL is a great resource; you may use online tools as
long as you understand the different pieces that are
required in a Works Cited entry.
• The following slide has the Works Cited entries for this
writing assignment.
• If you found other information outside of class, you will
need to create a Works Cited entry for that source as well.
• All Works Cited entries should be alphabetized according to
the first letter of each entry.
• Only put the entries of the sources you cited in your Works
Cited.
Works Cited
Use the following Works Cited for this paragraph:
Animal Intelligence Clips. Dir. Doiden. Animal Intelligence
Clips. YouTube, 28 May 2011. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
Funniest Home Videos. Dir. 10000turtles. Funniest Home
Videos. YouTube, 19 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
Koko and Kitten. Dir. Kokoflix. Koko and Kitten. YouTube,
03 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
Linden, Eugene. ""Can Animals Think?"" Elements of
Literature. Ed. John H. Layden. 3rd ed. Orlando: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 2005. 27-29. Print.
Mother Nature Network. Mother Nature Network. CNN,
n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.