Infusion of Literacy into the Science Curriculum
Book Information:
Title:
Author:
Publisher:
Copyright Year
ISBN #:
Summary:
Availability:
Can We Save The Tiger
Martin Jenkins
Candlewick Press
2011
978-0763649098
From big, beautiful tigers to the lowly partula snail, the
stunning illustrations in this album of endangered species
accompany a familiar message: Human actions change the
world in ways that affect many other species. Jenkins
addresses readers directly, beginning by describing some
extinct animals, but, unusually, he goes on to offer positive
examples of once-threatened animals that have now
recovered. He points out the complexity of conservation
problems in the face of human needs. Close-up, highly
detailed oil-and-pencil illustrations by an exceptionally talented
natural-history illustrator bring 28 different animals right into
readers' laps. The oversized volume, with its generous white
space and varied typefaces, can easily be shared with a group
as well. Along with the conversational narrative introduction,
each animal is identified with its Latin name and other
important facts. At the end, suggestions for further Web
research and a concept index is illustrated with a picture of a
rare orchid, reminding readers that the problem is not limited
to the animal world.
Arlington Central Library; Amazon for purchase
How can the book content be infused into the science curriculum?
Grade Level
Strands
K-2
Life Processes, Living Systems, Earth Patterns, Cycles and
Change
Kindergarten
Life Processes
K.6
The student will investigate and understand the
differences between living organisms and nonliving objects. Key
concepts include
a) all things can be classified as living or nonliving; and
b) living organisms have certain characteristics that distinguish
them from nonliving objects including growth, movement,
response to the environment, having offspring, and the need for
food, air, and water.
K.7
The student will investigate and understand basic
needs and life processes of plants and animals. Key concepts
include
a) animals need adequate food, water, shelter, air, and space
to survive;
d) offspring of plants and animals are similar but not identical
to their parents or to one another.
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
K.9
The student will investigate and understand that
there are simple repeating patterns in his/her daily life. Key
concepts include
c) animal and plant growth
Grade 1
Life Processes
1.5
The student will investigate and understand that
animals, including humans, have basic needs and
certain distinguishing characteristics. Key concepts
include
a) basic needs include adequate air, food, water,
shelter, and space (habitat);
b) animals, including humans, have many different
physical characteristics; and
c) animals can be classified according to a variety of
characteristics.
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
1.7
The student will investigate and understand weather
and seasonal changes. Key concepts include
Grade 2
a) changes in temperature, light, and precipitation
affect plants and animals, including humans
Life Processes
2.4
The student will investigate and understand that
plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they
mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles;
Living Systems
2.5
The student will investigate and understand that
living things are part of a system. Key concepts include
a) living organisms are interdependent with their living and
nonliving surroundings;
b) an animal’s habitat includes adequate food, water, shelter or
cover, and space;
c) habitats change over time due to many influences;
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
2.7
The student will investigate and understand that
weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their
surroundings. Key concepts include
a) effects of weather and seasonal changes on the growth and
behavior of living things; and
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Sample Activities:
Grade K
Crafts: Meeting the Bengal Tiger
Read the book Can We Save the Tiger
This craft lesson will introduce students to the Bengal tiger and tell them
some interesting facts about this fascinating, endangered animal. They will
develop craft skills as well as comprehension and speech skills in making a
craft tiger.
The Bengal tiger is a magnificent, regal animal found on the Indian
subcontinent. The national animal of India, it was once found across the
length and breadth of the country. Now it is endangered and is restricted to
protected wildlife sanctuaries.
Long the subject of folktales and songs, tigers have fascinated children and
adults alike for centuries. Most studdents will love hearing about them. In
this p craft tiger lesson plan, we will learn about the Bengal tiger and will
make a craft tiger from cardboard and paper.
Materials
Toilet roll tube or any cardboard tube
Thin cardboard
Thin craft paper
Colors - gouache, water-color or markers
Glue
Scissors
Photographs of tigers
Googly eyes
Directions
Take a cardboard tube. This will be the tiger's body. Paint it in orange or
orange-yellow. If you want a white tiger, you can paint it white. Let the paint
dry and then paint on the tiger stripes in black or a very dark brown. Refer
to photographs of tigers to see how the stripes are formed. The tiger's belly
will be white.
If the cardboard tube is around 6 inches long, make the tiger's legs around
2.5 inches tall. To make the legs, cut a cardboard strip of 1 by 2.5 inches
and fold it lengthwise into three folds. Join the open lengths together with
glue so the cardboard strip now stands in a triangular tube form. Make
three more legs this way. Let the glue dry and then color them with the
same color used for the tiger body and add the tiger stripes. Then glue the
tiger legs to the tiger body.
Now make the tiger head by cutting a cardboard circle. Make the circle
larger than the tube hole. Cut two small circles and stick them on the larger
circle to make the tiger's ears. When seen from the front you should see
the ears only as half-circles.
Stick the google eyes on the large circle to make the tiger's eyes. Paint in
the tiger's features. Again, refer to tiger photographs to see how a tiger's
face looks like. Once the face is painted, stick the back of the circle to the
hole rim of the tiger body tube.
Cut a smaller cardboard circle approximately the same size as the tube
rim, paint it in tiger color and stripes and glue it to close the other end of
the tube.
Make the tiger's tail by tight-rolling thin craft paper. Color it orange or
yellow-orange and paint black rings at the end. Glue one end of the tail to
the tiger's behind.
Stand up the tiger and add a bit more paint here and there if required. Your
preschool craft tiger is ready to roar.
Activities
Tell the preschoolers about the Bengal tiger. You might talk about:
Where does the Bengal tiger live? On the Indian subcontinent - this
includes India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
In what kinds of habitats do Bengal tigers live? In tropical and subtropical
rain forests, deciduous forests, scrub forests, mangroves and grasslands.
How do its color and stripes help it with camouflage in its habitat? They
help the tiger to meld with grasses and tree shadows.
What does it eat? The Bengal tiger is a carnivorous animal. It hunts other
animals like deer, buffalo, boars, hares, birds, etc.
Does the Bengal tiger live with its family or alone? The Bengal tiger, in the
wild, is a solitary animal. It is territorial and does not like other tigers to
intrude on its chosen territory.
How many cubs does it have? The Bengal tiger can have two to five cubs
generally. They live with their mother until they are about 1.5 years old, by
which time they are grown enough to go off on their own.
How big and heavy is a Bengal tiger? Bengal tigers can measure around
240-310 cm in length and can weigh up to 235 kg. Since preschoolers
won't understand these numbers, it's a good idea to show an object of
comparative size and length and say, "That's how big a tiger is."
What kind of a noise does a Bengal tiger make? The Bengal tiger roars
and so loudly it can be heard at least two miles away.
Who is a Bengal tiger related to? The Bengal tiger is related to domestic
cats, lions, panthers and leopards.
Extension Activities
Take the preschoolers to a zoo to see a real Bengal tiger. You might ask
the tiger caretaker at the zoo, if he or she has the time, to talk to the
preschoolers about the tiger. Where it came from, how old it is, what it likes
or dislikes, what it does daily, what it eats and so on.
Look at photographs of tigers.
Grade 3
The Tiger in Indian History
AIM: To help the children understand that through Indian history, the
tiger has been associated with beauty, power and strength in the
subcontinent.
OBJECTIVE: To provide children with a feel of the shifting fortunes of
tigers and how they have now come perilously close to the brink of
extinction.
INTRO: Discuss the national symbols of the country expanding on
why the tiger was chosen as India’s national animal.
CONTENT: The Indus Valley Civilisation 3,200-1600 B.C: Though
largely agricultural the Harappans lived at a time when the Indus Valley
was thick with forests. This fact is confirmed by their many seals, which
depicted rhinos, elephants and tigers.
254 B.C: Although the exact dates of Asoka’s life are a matter of dispute
among scholars, he was born around 304 B.C. and became the third
king of the Mauryan dynasty in 254 B.C. after the death of his father,
Bindusara. His given name was Asoka but he assumed the title
Devanampiya Piyadasi which means “Beloved-of-the-Gods, He Who
Looks On With Affection.” During his reign, the state had a responsibility
not just to protect and promote the welfare of its people but also its
wildlife. Hunting certain species of wild animals was banned, forest and
wildlife reserves were established and cruelty to domestic and wild
animals was prohibited.
The Moghul Period 1526-1857: The attachment of the Moghuls to
nature stemmed largely from their ‘scientific’ interest. Most of the great
Moghul emperors were keen naturalists who were known for their
detailed observations of fauna and flora and their love of the hunt.
Tipu Sultan 1750-1799: Totally fascinated by the tiger, Tipu Sultan
dressed his men in tiger jackets and decorated his personal possessions
with tiger designs and stripes. He used to say that he would like to live
two days like a tiger, rather than 200 years like a lamb! He was born in
Devanhalli, Karnataka. His father, Hyder Ali, appointed himself as the
Muslim ruler of Mysore around 1761. From his childhood Tipu travelled
with his father on military campaigns, fighting in the First and Second
History Lesson Plan
Mysore Wars. Tipu Sultan became the ruler of Mysore when his father
died in 1782.
The British Rule: The tiger was almost wiped out thanks to shikar. Indian
royals competed with the British to kill tigers, adding to its trauma.
1947: After Independence, thousands of Indians began to exercise their
‘right’ to shoot tigers, which was earlier a privilege enjoyed only by the
British or Royalty. This brought the tiger to the very brink of extinction.
1969: The tiger was listed as a species in grave danger.
1970: Tiger shikar was totally banned.
1972: On April 10, a representative of the World Wildlife Fund, Guy
Mountfort met the Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi to ask for help
to save the tiger. She became the tiger’s greatest defender.
1973: Project Tiger was launched, with Kailash Sankhala as its first
Director. Initially, nine ‘Reserves’ were chosen. Today we have 27
Reserves.
1990: After being recognised as the world’s most successful nature
conservation project for almost two decades, Project Tiger floundered,
as it lost political support after Mrs. Gandhi’s death.
2000: The tiger is still in crisis. One tiger continues to be killed each day.
2001: Kids for Tigers, the Sanctuary Britannia Tiger Programme is
launched.The tiger wins one million new young friends.
METHODOLOGY:
List the various qualities associated with the tiger.
How many tigers are left in India (around 2,000)?
Why is India called the ‘land of the tiger’?
Use the time line to make a chart of the history of the tiger, starting
with the tiger in mythology (mentioned in the Vedas, Mahabharata
and Ramayana).
Indus Valley civilisation depicted in seals and terracotta figures.
Asoka and his understanding of living close to Nature
History Lesson Plan
Moghul Emperors and their love for nature.
Tipu Sultan and his fascination for the tiger.
How the British and their brand of fascination led to the decimation
of tigers – 30,000 at the turn of the century, 2,000+ today.
The tiger is declared India’s national animal.
Project Tiger is launched.
Re-emphasise how the tiger represents the safety of all of
natural India.
List highlights of Kids for Tigers and how kids can make a difference.
BLACKBOARD: Write down the url www.kidsfortigers.orgm Draw
a tiger time-line. Ask kids to turn the timeline into an illustrated project.
EVALUATION: Why do you think the Tiger played such a significant
role through Indian history? m Why are conditions for the tiger so
different today?
ACTIVITIES:
Make a colourful Tiger Timeline Chart for the Tiger Notice Board.
History Lesson Plan