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The River Classroom |
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“THE
FLORIDA BLACK BEAR CURRICULUM GUIDE” (Sponsored by the Defenders of
Wildlife, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) INTRODUCTION Welcome to the fascinating world of the Florida black
bear ! Chances are neither
you nor your students have ever seen a Florida black bear in the wild. In
fact, many Floridians don’t realize that bears even live in Florida. And
if actions aren’t taken soon to protect these magnificent animals and
the habitats in which they live, Florida’s bear may soon be lost.
Florida black bears numbered around 12,000 and were found in south
Georgia, south Alabama and throughout Florida from the western Panhandle
to the Keys. Today, about 1,500 bears remain in Florida. This curriculum
is designed to help you and your students explore Florida black bear
ecology and natural history, investigate the ecological importance of our
state’s largest land mammal and determine positive and negative ways
people can and do influence the Florida black bears’ survival. WHAT GRADE LEVELS DOES THIS CURRICULUM TARGET? The childhood years are crucial in the development of
both a solid accurate knowledge base and positive attitudes toward
wildlife and the environments in which they live. ..Research evidence
indicates many of the biological and ecological principles addressed in
this curriculum shouldn’t be addressed until students are in the upper
elementary grades. In addition, the vast majority of subject skills used
to complete these lessons, especially reading, writing, and math skills,
usually aren’t taught or reinforced until grades 3 or 4. Although these lessons could easily be adapted and
used in high school classes, this guide was designed to target upper
elementary and middle school students whose attitudes towards wildlife and
other environmental topics are more amenable to change via instruction and
exposure.…Each lesson has been correlated to both the elementary and
middle school Sunshine State standards for each subject addressed in each
lesson. Generally, teachers can approach instruction from one
of two major perspectives: They can function as directors who convey
information to their students or they can act as facilitators who help
their students discover information on their own. This curriculum guide was designed especially for
people who are not Florida black bear experts. Every lesson contains a
thorough background information section summarizing the most recent
research related to Florida black bears. Answers to all discussion
questions and student activity sheet items are provided for you as part of
each lesson plan. Pre- and
post-test scores on evaluation ‘instruments’ will help you document
actual changes in the content knowledge and attitudes of each student in
your class. They can be used to document the impact of the curriculum on
your class as a whole. LESSON
SUMMARIES Lesson 1: What Makes a Bear a Bear? Lesson 2: The World of Bears Lesson 3: Bear Dilemmas Lesson 4: It’s a Bear’s Life Lesson 5: The Black Bear Necessities Lesson 6: Bear Barriers Lesson 7: Tracking Bears Lesson 8: Bear Neighbors Lesson 9: Population Problems Lesson 10: Oh
Where, Oh Where is the Florida Black Bear?
SUMMARY This is an exceptional curriculum guide which
contains work sheets, color posters, animal cards and maps. Educators must
attend workshops to learn how to properly use the guide in their
classrooms. For information on workshop availability around the state, or
for more information, contact: Judy Gillan Director, Conservation Education Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 850-921-4484 FAX 850-488-1961 |
