School Mascot Study Wolves Unit Objectives: 1.

Understand how one object can symbolize different concepts in different cultures and within the same culture over time. 2. Think critically about the effects human beings have on the environment. 3. Think critically about the ecosystem and the affects of a missing link 4. Understand the geographical importance for animal habitats 5. Understand that cost for the up keep of large hunting animals Unit Materials: Books and other resources on wolves Posters and other pictures of wolves Art supplies (paper, markers, scissors, construction paper, pencils, erasers, rulers) 1. Unit Outline Language Arts o Read Native American myths and European folktales that feature wolves and compare the presentation of wolves across cultures (are they considered evil? Benevolent? etc.) Read The Story of Hungry Wolf, a Native American Legend Read The Boy Who Cried Wolf, European story o Why is the wolf such a powerful symbol in so many countries? o Read White Fang by Jack London (Fiction novel) Social Studies and History o Study the history of wolves o Study the mythology of the wolf from multiple perspectives Hindu, Turkic, Roman, Finnish, Japanese, Nordic, Native American o Study the geography that the wolf lives in o Study interactions between humans and wolves How are humans pushing wolves off their native land How humans have hunted wolves for furs How humans have hunted wolves to near extinction Field Trips o Visit local zoo (or natural science museum) for presentation on the wolves o School raises money to adopt a wolf Science o Study the wolfs place in the North American ecosystem - its role as a carnivore and how its disappearance has affected the environment o The effects on Yellowstone National Park with the reintroduction of the wolf

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View Animal Planets special: Weird, True, and Freaky: Hypertrichocis The Real Wolf Man and discuss the science behind it View Animal Planets special: Living with the Wolf Man Discuss science behind how he was accepted into the pack (psychology of the animal and of the man) Explanations of differences between the wolf mind and the mind of the domestic dog Explore the different types of wolves and their differing natural habitats. Calculate statistics of the average wolf (average size, average speed, average amount of food consumed per week). How much would it cost to keep a wolf as a pet? The average amount of food The amount of space the animal would need Discuss the importance of numbers to wolves Hunting in packs, with larger numbers, outweighs hunting alone Design a new school logo involving wolves T-shirt designing contest for students

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2. Essential Questions: Essential Question 1: (Language Arts) What is a symbol or representation? How are wolves represented cross-culturally and why are they used as a powerful symbol for many organizations? Essential Question 2: (History) What is the importance of looking at something through multiple perspectives? How do we see a relation/difference between beliefs about wolves and what do these differences signify? Essential Question 3: (Science) What is the place of a wolf in the North American ecosystem? How does its disappearance affect the environment? How would the reappearance improve the environment? Essential Question 4: (Math) What are the average weight, food intake, and pack size for wolves to survive properly? What is the cost to care for a wolf? Essential Question 5: (Arts) How do different logos and representations go about being designed? Skills

Assessments

Understanding a symbol Understanding representation Understanding culture through symbols, myths, and stories

Identifying wolves in Native American and other early mythology Have students identify reoccurring themes of wolves Have students write their own myths based on reoccurring theme

Research Reading Skills Writing Skills Oral presentation

3. Skills and Assessments based on Essential Questions: Essential Questions 1: (Language Arts) What is a symbol or representation? How are wolves represented cross-culturally and why are they used as a powerful symbol for many organizations?

Essential Question 2: (History) What is the importance of looking at something through multiple perspectives? How do we see a relation/difference between beliefs about wolves and what do these differences signify? Skills Assessment

Analyzing through multiple perspectives Analyzing different cultures myths and beliefs (analyzing foreign material) Comparing and contrasting varying perspectives

Describe how humans have interacted with wolves throughout history Identify wolves habitats on maps Research Reading Skills Writing Skills Create a Venn Diagram with two of the mentioned cultures

Essential Question 3: (Science) What is the place of the wolf in the Native American ecosystem? How does the disappearance affect the environment? How does it improve the environment?

Skills

Assessment

Analyze how the ecosystem works as a whole and the importance of a dominant predator How humans affect the ecosystem of wild life How the reintroduction of the wolves benefited Yellowstone

Oral presentation on ecosystems in which wolves are found Research Creating charts or diagrams

Essential Question 4: (Math) What are the average weight, food intake, and pack size for wolves to survive properly? What is the cost to care for a wolf?

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Assessments

Assessing the importance of numbers in nature Calculate statistics and averages

Create a My pet wolf project where they budget food and other necessities for their pet Complete a worksheet on averages related to wolves: average size, average speed, average amount of food consumed per week

Essential Question 5: (Arts) How do different logos and representations go about being designed? Skills Assessments

Explore the elements of a logo - what makes it attractive (color, line, size, style)? Artistic skills

Design new logos including the mascot Participation in T-shirt design contest for a school-wide event such as Field Day or a football game (not really an assessment, but a fun participation incentive)