Provides (1) background information on the many ways birds keep fit and are adapted to survive; (2) student activities on this topic; and (3) ready-to-copy materials (a game, worksheet, and coloring pages). Each activity includes an objective, recommended age level(s), subject area(s), list of materials needed, and procedures. (JN)

Provides: (1) background information on ways people affect deserts and ways deserts affect people; (2) student activities on this topic; and (3) ready-to-copy materials (culture match worksheet and causes worksheet). Each activity includes objective(s), recommended age level(s), subject area(s), list of materials needed, and procedures. (DH)

Reviews early theoretical and research literature on handedness and places it within the larger context of the nature-nurture controversy. Discussion focuses on Baldwin's study of the development of hand preference in infants in relation to the recapitulation theory, mental development ("dynamogenesis"), and speech development.…

Provides a brief biography of Thornton Burgess, author of 70 books and over 15,000 children's nature stories that appeared daily in newspapers for 36 years. Discusses the renewed interest in Burgess's stories, the moral values they express, and the establishment in his honor of Laughing Brook and Greenbriar Nature Centers. (JHZ)

Presents a simulation game that can be incorporated into physical education classes for intermediate and junior high school students. The lesson, titled "The Capture Game," focuses on the problems of capture, transportation, and captivity of wild animals. Background information, teacher preparation suggestions, student activity and…

Examines the diversity of life in the oceans and ways in which teachers can explore ocean habitats with their students without leaving the classroom. Topic areas considered include: restricted habitats, people and marine habitats, pollution, incidental kills, and the commercial and recreational uses of marine waters. (JN)

Describes an approach in which junior high school students prepare a sound/slide presentation that focuses on some animal issue. The approach is designed to make them more aware of the problems encountered by animals and to help them develop their ability to process information and to work together. (JN)

A game is used to study population control factors on a wolf pack and to explore human competition with these animals. A game board and chance cards to be photocopied for use in the classroom are provided. (DH)

Describes a teaching unit on endangered species that helps students understand factors that cause species to become endangered, identify how personal attitudes and values impact solutions to the problem, and explore some alternatives for positive action. A list of ways to improve the situation for endangered species is provided. (BC)

Discusses reasons for the success of insects, considering their size, reproductive ability, development, and adaptability. Also discusses various types of insect "homes" (such as galls and paper nests). (JN)

Discusses evidence suggesting that the earliest land plants (small simple forms in damp areas during the Silurian period) preceeded the earliest land animals (including such small arthropods as millipedes and mites). Close animal-plant interactions occurred at the onset with more complex terrestrial ecosystems developing by the Devonian. (DH)

Outlines activities of Animal Olympics Day held each spring by Staten Island Zoo. Events blend recreation and education into opportunities for children to "think and act like animals." A turtle obstacle course, human-sized nest building, and smelling to recognize items are examples of contests. Includes suggestions for starting similar…

Discusses conflicting theories that explain how and why bombardment by comets spells periodic disaster for life on earth. Dislodgment of comets occurs from a vast cloud that envelops the solar system by gravitational forces of either a companion star of the sun or a dust cloud. (BC)

A class activity is described involving a panel discussion of the role of dogs in French culture and related issues of public administration such as animal protection laws. Panel members' roles (public officials, veterinarians, etc.), audience roles (dog owner, father of a bitten child, etc.), and followup activities are outlined. (MSE)

Investigates memory capacity in rats for information about spatial location and provides information about some of the characteristics of the storage process used in this memory. (Author/RK)