GLE-Based Lesson Book
GRADES 6-8
1
Table of Contents
6th grade English-Language Arts……………………………………3
6th grade Social Studies……………………………………………22
6th grade Mathematics……………………………………………..28
6th grade Science…………………………………………………..34
7th grade English-Language Arts…………………………………..41
7th grade Social Studies…………………………………………....48
7th grade Mathematics……………………………………………..52
7th grade Science…………………………………………………..56
8th grade English-Language Arts………………………………….65
8th grade Social Studies…………………………………………....74
8th grade Mathematics……………………………………………..83
8th grade Science…………………………………………………..87
Answer Key……………………………………………………….95
2
English-Language Arts
Grade 6
3
GLEs : (ELA-3-M2: 25, 26)
6th grade English-Language Arts
Directions: Read each paragraph and answer the questions below it.
1.) Alligators belong the Order Reptilia other reptiles include the snakes, lizards, and
2.) turtles. Alligatoes are also members of the family Crocodylidae. Crocodylidae includes all
3.)crocodiles, caimans and alligators. Some of the ways in which crokkodiles differ from
4.) alligators are as follows? First, crocodiles have a more narrow snout than alligators do.
5.) Second, crocodiles are strictly tropical and live only in places that have warm weather year
6.) round, whereas alligators are sub-tropical and inhabit areas with hot summers and mild
7.) winters. Third crocodiles are more aggressive than alligators are. There are only two kinds of
8.) alligators: the American alligator Alligator missippiensis and the Chinese alligator alligator
9.) sireninsis. The American alligator inhabits the southeastern United States, whereas the
10.) Chinese alligator inhabits one small area of China. Caimans are very similar to alligators but
11.) are smaller and inhabit central and South America.
1.) What kind of error is there in line #1
a. capitalization
b. spelling
c. run-on sentence
d. punctuation
2.) What kind of error is there in line # 10?
a. no error
b. punctuation
c. spelling
d. capitalization
3.) What kind of error is there in line # 7?
a. spelling
b. grammar
c. punctuation
d. run-on sentence
4.) The most likely purpose of this paragraph is to:
a. expound on the life cycle of alligators
b. present some general facts about members of the family crocodylidae
c. persuade the audience that crocodylians are beautiful creatures
4
5.) The scientific name for the American Alligator is:
a. Alligator sirenensis
b. Alligator americanis
c. Alligator missippiensis
d. Alligator elegans
6.) Caimans are:
a. smaller than alligators and inhabit South America.
b. larger than alligators and inhabit Africa.
c. larger than alligators and inhabit South America.
d. smaller than alligators and inhabit Africa
7.) One way that crocodiles differ from alligators is that crocodiles:
a. have longer tails than alligators.
b. have more narrow snouts than alligators.
c. are strictly tropical.
d. Both b and c.
8.) True or False: Alligators are more aggressive than crocodiles.
9.) True or False: The American Alligator inhabits southeast Asia.
10.) True of False: There are only two kinds of alligators.
11.) True or False: Alligators are reptiles.
5
1.) Beavers are known for their dam buildingg activity along streams and creeks. By
2.) building the dams that they do, they provide an open water habitat for fish and other
3.) organisms. However, this same activity can also cause problems for people. For
4.) example, for people who have small streams that run through their property a beaver
5.) dam can flood a lawn. A beaver can also clog up a drane culvert, causing a ditch to
6.) overflow. In addition to making dams out of mud and branches, beavers will also
7.) make dens in the side of stream or pond banks If a beaver decides to make a den in
8.) the side of the dam of a cattle pond, the dam can burst, flooding the land below it and
9.) potentially endangering property and life below it. The person who owns the cattle
10.) pond will also have to rebuild they pond. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to
11.) remedy this problem. one way is to contact a licensed trapper. Another solution is to
12.) trap the beaver yourself.
1.) What kind of error is there in line #1?
a. spelling
b. run-on sentence
c. grammar
d. no error
2.) What kind of error is there in line # 10?
a. capitalization
b. grammar
c. punctuation
d. no error
3.) What kind of error is there in line #11?
a. punctuation
b. capitalization
c. spelling
d. run-on sentence
4.) Which two other lines contain errors?
a. lines 2 and 3
b. lines 2 and 7
c. lines 5 and 7
d. lines 3 and 7
5.) The most likely purpose is to:
a. expound on the benefits of beaver trapping
b. inform the audience of some of the problems that beavers cause
6
c. explore the life history of beavers
6.) One place that a beaver will make a den is:
a. in an abandoned vehicle
b. in the bank of a pond
c. inside of a cave
d. in the top of a tree
7.) If a beaver makes a den in the dam of a cow pond:
a. the dam could break, causing flooding downstream of the pond.
b. the dam could be made stronger by this action of the beaver.
c. do not worry; this will not cause a problem.
d. it will drink up all of the pond’s water.
8.) Beavers are known for:
a. their strictly carnivorous diet.
b. their dam building activities along streams and creeks.
c. their manners.
d. the white stripes on their backs.
9.) True or False: Beavers pose no threat to drain culverts.
10.) True of False: A pond created by a beaver dam can provide habitat for fish and other
aquatic life.
11.) True or False: One solution to alleviating a beaver problem is to lure a beaver out of its den
with cheese.
7
1.) A bobcat is larger than a typical domestic cat, but smaller than a puma.
2.) They are found throughout the swamps and forests of Louisiana and make
3.) their dens in thick undergrowth. The average large sise for a bobcat is
4.) about 76 cm long with a weight of 20 lbs. The fur is a light yellow to red
5.) brown and is mottled with small dark spots about 2 cm in diameter. The
6.) underside of the fur be white and the spots on the underside of the fur are
7.) darker than the ones on the top side of the animal. The tail can be over 15
8.) cm long and typically has a very dark tip. Bobcats, like other animals, are
9.) opportunistic feeders and will eat animals such as rabbits, mice, and even
10.) small deer. As adults, bobcats arr rarely prey, but the young are prey for
11.) animalz such as hawks, eagles, and coyotes.
1.) The intention of this passage is most likely to:
a. describe
b. inform
c. tell a story
d. instruct
2.) Which lines in the passage contain errors?
a. 1, 3, &4
b. 3, 10, & 11
c. 9, 10, & 11
d. 7, 9, &10
3.) What kind of error is there in line #2?
a. spelling
b. grammar
c. punctuation
d. no error
4.) According to the passage, adult bobcats:
a. are prey for deer
b. lose their spots
c. will eat rabbits
d. grow long tails
8
5.) Where bobcats live is discussed in lines:
a. 2 & 3
b. 5 & 7
c. 7 & 8
d. 8 & 10
6.) Young bobcats are prey for:
a. hawks
b. coyotes
c. eagles
d. all of the above
7.) A bobcat is:
a. smaller than a puma
b. larger than a typical domestic cat
c. eats vegetation
d. a & b
8.) True or False: The average large size for a bobcat is 76 cm long with a weight of 20 lbs.
9.) True or False: The tip of a bobcat’s tail is white.
10.) True of False: Bobcats make dams like beavers.
11.) True or False: Bobcats avoid swamps.
12.) True or False: The fur of a bobcat is yellow to red brown on top and white on the
underside.
9
1.) Wyle e. Coyote was a well known character on Warner
2.) Brothers’ Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner Show, a cartoon serees from
3.) the mid to late 20th century. This coyote stood on it’s hind legs like a
4.) human being while always plotting schemes at a drawing board for
5.) catching the elusive roadrunner. In reality, coyotes walk on all four
6.) legs the way dogs do and eat a wide variety of items including rabbits,
7.) plants, birds, and even carrion (dead animals). Like Wyle E. Coyote,
8.) coyotes like deserts, but due to human clearing of forested land, this
9.) once primarily western animal has made its way eastward all the way
10.) to florida. Occasionally, a coyote can be found in urban areas,
11.) looking for easily obtained food items, such as trash, dog food, and
12.) even small pets.
1.) What is one likely purpose of the above passage?
a. to compare and contrast
b. to warn
c. to encourage the audience to watch cartoons
d. to instruct
2.) Which lines contain errors in capitalization?
a. 1 & 10
b.11 & 12
c. 10 & 11
d. 1 & 2
3.) What kind of error is present in line # 3?
a. capitalization
b. grammar
c. punctuation
d. no error
4.) Which lines contain an example of a simile?
a. 11 & 12
b. 3 & 4
c. 3 & 12
d. 7 & 8
10
5.) Carrion refers to:
a. something that is carried
b. any food item
c. nursing young
d. dead animals
6.) What is an example of a human activity that has helped to enable coyotes to migrate
eastward?
a. logging
b. fishing
c. flying
d. cooking
7.) Which of the following subjects is not addressed in the passage?
a. how coyotes rear their young
b. the difference between a fictitious coyote and a real one
c. coyote migration
d. what coyotes eat
8.) True or False: Wyle E. Coyote walked on all four legs.
9.) True or False: Coyotes are omnivorous.
10.) True or False: Coyotes have not yet migrated all the way to Florida.
11.) True or False: Wyle E. Coyote is an accurate representation of a real coyote.
11
1.) The nutria, Myocastor coypus, is a large rat-like rodent that was
2.) introduced to Louisiana from South America in the 1930s for it’s fur.
3.) Originally, the nutria was restricted to Avery Island, but due to a
4.) hurricane, several of them escaped. Since then, they have made their way
5.) to many parts of the United States. Even as far away as Maryland. Their
6.) habit of eating virtually all aquatic vegetation, including roots, has
7.) destroyed many acres of wetlands. In fact a large percentage of
8.) Louisiana’s coastal erosion can be attributed to nutria eat-outs of marsh.
9.) They have caused such a problem for the state that there is a bounty for
10.) nutria that are caught or killed south of Interstate 10. A loss of coastal
11.) marsh can lead to increased coastal erosion during hurricanes. This not
12.) only has a negative impact on the animals that live in the marsh, but this
13.) can also negatively impact the communities of the sea bottom. When a
14.) marsh is gone, the mud in which it’s vegetation was rooted washes out to
15.) sea, smothering habitat such as oyster reefs. The fur that a nutria can
16.) provide has hardly been worth the ecological cost to Louisiana!
1.) The purpose of this passage is most likely to:
a. emphasize in an explanatory manner that the decision to introduce nutria to Louisiana
led to the destruction of many of the state’s wetlands
b. inspire the audience to hate nutria
c. persuade the audience to invest in nutria furs
d. inspire the audience to care about the seafood industry
2.) In which line is there a sentence fragment?
a. 1
b. 9
c. 16
d. 5
3.) What would be the easiest way to remedy the problem in question #2?
a. delete a sentence
b. combine a sentence and the sentence fragment
c. rewrite the passage
d. change the subject of the sentence
4.) Which line contains an exclamation?
a.16
b.14
12
c.12
5.) What change(s) should be made in line #2?
a. delete the apostrophe in “it’s”
b. change “it’s” to “it is”
c. change nothing
d. change “1930s” to “1930’s”
6.) What other line has the same problem as line#2?
a. 1
b. 14
c. 9
d. 11
7.) What reasonable inference could be drawn from lines #9 and #10?
a. people who live south of Interstate 10 value nutria pelts more than people who live
north of the interstate
b. nutria have damaged more marshes south of Interstate 10
c. there are more marshes south of Interstate 10 and therefore the potential for ecological
damage from nutria is greater
d. both b and c
8.) Which of the following could be induced from the passage?
a. introducing a non native species into an ecosystem can have far reaching negative
consequences
b. people should simply let pets such as pythons go loose in and around their
communities when they become tired of taking care of them
c. nutria could provide a valuable economic asset to Louisiana
d. all of the above
9.) A nutria is a:
a.
b.
c.
d.
rodent
lagomorph
feline
canine
10.) True or False: Introducing nutria into Louisiana has had all positive consequences.
11.) True or False: Wetland animals benefit from nutria infestation.
13
1.) The gray fox is native to North America is widespread in
2.) Louisiana, most of the United States, as well as Mexico. The only
3.) part of Louisiana that it does not inhabit is the coastal planes. It
4.) prefers to live in a mixture of pasture and forested land, making its
5.) den in places such as hollowed out tree trunks and burrows. A gray
6.) fox is smaller than a red fox, spanning a length of up to 114 cm
7.) and a weight of up to 12 lbs. The color of the coat is gray on the
8.) top, darkening into an almost black stripe in the center of the back.
9.) The under side of the coat is mostly an orange to reddish tan color
10.) with some white on the jaw, throat, and abdomen. This fox mates
11.) with the same partner for life and breeds from January to May. It
12.) has only one litter a year and has 3-4 pups per litter. It eats a wide
13.) variety of foods including mice, insects, birds, berries and acorns.
14.) It is active mostly at night (nocturnal).
1.) The author’s most likely purpose in the above passage is to:
a. briefly introduce and discuss a topic
b. persuade the audience to take a particular position on an issue
c. none of the above
d. a and b
2.) In line # 1, what should be done to make the sentence correct?
a. add a comma between the words “America” and “is”
b. add the word “and” between the words “America” and “is”
c. capitalize the first letters in the words “gray” and “fox”
d. no corrections are necessary
3.) What should be done to lines #13 and #14?
a. they should be left as is
b. one line should be deleted
c. they should be combined
d. some of the examples of food in line 13 should be eliminated
4.) Which of the following is true?
a. gray foxes are native to Europe
b. gray foxes are strictly carnivorous
c. gray foxes mate with multiple partners
d. gray foxes breed from January to May
14
5.) Gray foxes:
a. have 3-4 pups per litter
b. eat both mice and berries
c. can grow up to 114 cm long
d. all of the above
6.) Which of the following is false?
a. gray foxes are omnivorous
b. gray foxes do not live on the coastal plain of Louisiana
c. gray foxes are not found in Mexico
d. gray foxes den in hollowed out tree trunks
7.) True or False: Gray foxes have a coat that is entirely gray.
8.) True or False: The fur on the back of a gray fox is darkest on the sides, and fades into an
almost white stripe in the center of the back.
9.) True or False: Gray foxes prefer to live on land that is completely covered in forest.
10.) True or False: Gray foxes have only one litter per year.
11.) True or False: A gray fox has a white tip on its tail.
15
1.) Muskrats are found throughout the southern portion of
2.) Louisiana beginning below Avoyelles parish. They inhabit
3.) coastal marshes, lakes, bayous and streams and make dens
4.) like beaver dens. They build their dens in one of the
5.) following ways: one is to burrow into the bank of a stream
6.) and another is to build a nest out of vegetation and mud.
7.) Unlike beavers however, the tail of a muskrat is vertically
8.) flat and the weight of an average adult is only about two lbs
9.) (beavers can get up to 33 lbs). The length of an adult is
10.) usually about 56 cm with almost half of that length being in
11.) the tail. Like beavers, muskrats also have webbin’ on their
12.) hind feet and sharp incisors that are used for digging up
13.) stems and roots. Male Muskrats have musk glands on their
14.) lower abdomen. While primarily eating live vegetation,
15.) muskrats will also eat mussels, fish, insecks, and snails.
1.) One of the author’s purposes in the above passage is most likely to be:
a. discuss the damage that muskrats can do to levees
b. compare and contrast muskrats with beavers
c. recall an incident with a particular muskrat
d. all of the above
2.) What error is present in line #2?
a. punctuation
b. capitalization
c. spelling
d. grammar
3.) A better way to write part of the sentence in lines #3 and #4 would be:
a. make dens to like beavers make dens
b. make dens that are similar to beaver dens
c. make dens like beavers do
d. make dens like their copying beavers
4.) In line #11, which word is incorrect?
a. “like”
b. “have”
c. “webbin’”
d. “on”
16
5.) In line #15, which word is misspelled?
a. “mussels”
b. “fish”
c. “insecks”
d. “snails”
6.) What is one thing that muskrats have in common with beavers?
a. a vertically flattened tail
b. weight
c. kinds of dens
d. a and c
7.) Which of the following is true?
a. muskrats have no webbing on their feet
b. muskrats have a horizontally flattened tail
c. muskrats inhabit bayous
d. muskrats weigh more than beavers
8.) Which of the following is false?
a. almost half of the length of an adult muskrat is tail length
b. muskrats eat vegetation only
c. muskrats have musk glands on their chins
d. b and c
9.) Something that a muskrat will eat is:
a. a snail
b. a snake
c. another muskrat
d. a hatchling alligator
10.) True or False: Muskrats live in south Louisiana
11.) True or False: Muskrats build dens out of gravel
12.) True or False: Female muskrats, not males, have musk glands.
17
What Do All Of Those Bars Mean?
(ELA-5-M4: 46)
(ELA-5-M5: 47)
(ELA-5-M6: 48)
6th grade English-Language Arts
Look at the two graphs( the bar graphs showing alligator decrease and then increase
through time, as well as the charts) Write a paragraph explaining what the graph is
depicting concerning alligator populations through time. Next, research factors that led to
the decrease in alligator populations. Then, research the factors that led to a subsequent
increase in alligator populations. Write a brief composition about all of these factors and
how these factors interacted with each other. Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
18
Let’s Discuss It
(ELA-4-M6: 40)
6th grade English-Language Arts
Have the class divide into groups of four to six students each. Next, have each group
research an issue concerning furbearers and/ or alligators. As a panel, each group of
students should discuss what is the best solution to a particular problem. Then, present
the solution to the class. Why is the solution that your panel chose the best one? Use
factual evidence to support your argument. Be sure and cite your sources. Your solution
can be a pre-existing one or one that you create.
Grading Rubric:
Class participation: 10%
Sources cited in argument: 10%
Active listening: 10%
Logic used to argue: 30%
Inclusion of factual evidence: 40%
19
Journal Connection
(ELA-1-M3: 6)
(ELA-7-M1: 11)
6th grade English-Language Arts
Look up an article in a LDWF journal that discusses issues relating to alligators,
furbearers, or coastal issues. First, read the abstract of the journal and develop inferences
and questions that you want the author to answer. After reading the article, what
questions do you still have? What issues, concerns, etc do you believe that the author
could cover more thoroughly? Did you have any inferences that this article discredited or
confirmed?
Next, either reflect on you own experiences with Louisiana furbearers and/ or alligators
or interview someone who does have such experience. Be sure to ask the same questions
of yourself or the interviewee that you asked of the journal article that you read. How
does your experience or theirs compare/ contrast with what the article said. Do any
experiences confirm anything that you read. Do any experiences contradict what you
read? Explain. If there was a contradiction, does this discredit the journal article? Or do
you think that journal articles are restricted by the writers’ direct and indirect
experiences?
Based on the article that you read and your/ your interviewee’s experiences, what might
be some possible solutions to some of the problems that the article addresses? Do you
think that there is only one solution or multiple solutions? Why? Explain the reasoning
and evidence that led you to your conclusion.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
20
A Crawling Vocabulary Lesson
GLEs: (ELA-1-M1:1, 2, 3)
6th Grade English-Language Arts
Pick a furbearer or an alligator and read three articles about it. For your sources use: 1.) a
book, 2.) a journal, 3.) an internet source. First, skim each article and list the words that
you do not know. Next, read the article and try to use context clues to figure out what
these words mean. On a sheet of paper, write down what you think each word means. If
you cannot figure out what the word means, simply write “I don’t know” next to the
word. After completing this, look up the words in a dictionary to find out their meanings.
On a second sheet of paper, write their dictionary definitions. Now compare your
definitions to the dictionary definitions. How close were your definitions of the words to
their correct meanings? Study the definitions from the dictionary of the words that you
wrote down and learn them. Read a fourth article on the animal that you selected. Did the
words that you learned make reading this article easier? Why or why not? Finally, pick
three of the new words and figure out what language(s) their roots came from. Did any of
the articles that you read contain abbreviations or acronyms that you did not know? If so,
find out what they stand for.
21
Social Studies
Grade 6
22
What Do You Want For That Hide?
(G-1D-M3: 10)
6th grade Social Studies
Using the following graphs (pie graphs from LFAAC website) along with research, answer
the following questions:
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
Why do some countries receive more of our alligator skins than other countries do?
To which countries do most of our alligator hides go to be processed?
Which countries do the most processing of alligator hides?
Which countries buy the most processed hides?
Which countries buy the most raw hides?
What are the biggest selling products made from alligator hides?
Who is the largest recipient of these products?
Which countries buy the largest quantity of alligator meat?
What other kinds of crocodylians are sold in the same fashion as alligators are?
What kinds of things do you think would cause the price of alligator products to increase?
How about decrease? In answering this question, consider the things that alligators depend
on: i.e. wetlands, food, etc. What about fashion trends? Were alligator products ever more in
style than they are now? What do you think that the future holds for alligator based
industries? Would you be willing to invest in alligator products? If so, about how much ( in
percents) of your wealth? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
23
Down in the Deltas
(H-1C-M3: 28)
6th grade Social Studies
Compare the settlement of Louisiana’s Mississippi delta with the settlement of the Nile
delta in Egypt. How are these settlements similar? How are they different? Compare
crops grown in the Mississippi delta in Louisiana with those of the Nile delta in Egypt.
What is similar? What is different? What kinds of animals live in the Nile delta?
Compare them to the animals that live in the Mississippi delta. How are they the same?
How are they different? For each deltaic civilization, which animals did they depend on
most? In this way, how are the two civilizations alike and different? Be sure to cite
sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
24
Native Hardware
(H-1C-M1: 23)
6th grade Social Studies
What tools did the natives of the Louisiana coastal marsh use to obtain pelts and meat
from alligators and furbearers? Were these tools made by the natives, or did the natives
simply use found objects as tools? Were any of the tools that these peoples used traded or
did the marsh provide everything that they needed? Explain. Citing specific examples,
name some of these tools and explain how they were used for hunting, fleshing of pelts,
etc. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
25
The Wet, The Wild, And The Boggy
(G-1D-M2: 9)
6th grade Social Studies
How did the Native Americans adapt to living in Louisiana’s coastal marshes? How did
they cope with weather extremes, insects, need for food and water, etc.? What were their
primary food sources? Which furbearers did they eat? Which ones did they make
garments out of? What other articles were made from both furbearers and alligators?
Explain. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
26
Fair Trade
(G-1C-M6: 7)
6th grade Social Studies
How did the indigenous peoples of the Louisiana Purchase benefit from furbearer trade
with other natives throughout North America? Consider which from each region of the
Louisiana Purchase had more or fewer furbearers at their disposal. What items were
furbearer pelts traded for? How did these items benefit the various native cultures of the
Louisiana Purchase? In addition, discuss how other natives of North America benefited
from Louisiana Purchase pelts. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
27
Mathematics
Grade 6
28
Lengthy Guesses
(M-2-M: 21)
(G-1-M: 21)
6th grade Mathematics
1.) Estimate the length of a grown alligator in meters.
2.) Estimate the area of a grown beaver’s tail in in2.
3.) Estimate the area of the top of a grown alligator’s head in ft2.
4.) Estimate the length of a coyote pup in inches.
5.) Estimate the length of an otter in meters.
6.) Estimate the area of a large alligator nest in m2.
7.) Estimate the length of an alligator egg in cm2
8.) Estimate the length of a raccoon’s ear in inches. In cm.
9.) Estimate the length of a nutria’s longest whisker in cm. In mm.
10.) Estimate the length of a muskrat’s tail in mm.
29
Venn To The Rescue
(D-3-M: 33)
6th grade Mathematics
1.) Make a Venn diagram in order to represent the following concept: All beavers are
rodents, but not all rodents are beavers.
2.) Make a Venn diagram in order to represent the following concept: Nutria eat marsh
vegetation, muskrats eat both marsh vegetation and snails.
3.) Make a Venn diagram in order to represent the following concept: All beavers are
herbivores, all alligators are carnivores.
4.) Make a Venn diagram in order to represent the following concept: Out of 9 furbearers, 3
furbearers are rodents, 5 furbearers are omnivores, 1 furbearer is both an omnivore and a
rodent.
5.) Based on your answer for #4, how many furbearers are omnivores?
6.) Based on your answer for #4, how many furbearers are rodents?
7.) Based on your answer for #4, how many rodents are non-omnivorous?
30
Translation Of Expressions
(A-1-M: 15)
(A-1-M: 15)
(A-3-M: 15)
(A-5-M: 15)
6th grade Mathematics
Directions: for #s 1-4, translate each verbal expression into an algebraic equation. For #s
5-9, translate each algebraic equation into a verbal expression.
1.) The number of alligators that we saw at the zoo was twice the number of muskrats
that we saw.
2.) The number of nutrias in that marsh is four times the number of muskrats.
3.) While hunting, we saw nine times as many raccoons as we saw bobcats. The number
of skunks that we saw was the same as the number of raccoons that we saw.
4.) We saw only one third the number of muskrats while we were hunting as we did
coyotes. The number of coyotes that we saw was the same as the number of raccoons.
5.) X = Y
6.) 4Z = 9
7.) 11/2X = 3Y + 4Z
8.) 5N – 3 = 2L – 1
31
Positive And Negative Situations
(N-3-M: 8)
(N-5-M: 8)
6th grade Mathematics
Directions: express the italicized clauses in the following statements using both positive
and negative numbers. Include the units with your answers when appropriate.
1.) The water in the beaver pond dropped three feet this week.
2.) Since a beaver dammed up the creek, the water in it has risen five feet.
3.) Louisiana lost 1,000 acres of coastal marsh this year.
4.) The fox population in our area has dropped by five percent in the last year.
5.) One and a half feet of water has evaporated from the lake this summer.
6.) I saw five bobcats last week and an additional two bobcats this week which makes a
total of seven bobcats that I have seen so far.
7.) In 2005, the alligator population of the coastal marsh dropped by seven and a half
percent, but in 2006, the population rebounded by four percent. What was the net
decrease in the population from 2005 to 2006?
32
Lengthy Animals
(N-5-M: 9)
6th grade Mathematics
1.) Two alligators live in a pond. One alligator is 10.5 ft long and the other alligator is
11.3 ft long. What is their combined length?
2.) One beaver is 1.9 ft long and another is 2.3 ft long. What is the difference in their
lengths?
3.) An alligator is an adult at 6 ft long. A sub-adult alligator that is currently that is
currently 2 and ¾ ft long will have to grow a certain additional length before it is an
adult. What will this length be?
4.) A female coyote gives birth 3 pups. Their combined lengths are 3 ft long. If one pup
is 1and 1/6 ft long, and the other pup is 11/12 ft long, how long is the third pup?
5.) What is the combined length of 7 alligator hatchlings of the following lengths: 7.5 in,
1.0 ft, .5 ft, 8.0 in, 9.5 in, 1.2 ft in feet? In inches?
6.) What is the combined length of 4 otters of the following lengths: 3.4 ft, 4 and ½ in,
1.0 m, 1.5 m in feet? In meters?
33
Science
Grade 6
34
What Do You Think?
6th grade Science
GLEs: (SI-M-B5: 37)
Make an inference about the following situation:
1.) A child who normally loves to fish in a nearby creek notices that lately he is not
seeing as many fish as he normally does. One day when walking along the creek, he
notices some scat that seems to contain mostly fish scales. Later that afternoon, he sees
an otter playing in the creek. What do you think is eating the fish?
2.) A woman complains that something has cut down a mulberry tree in her yard. When
she looks at the stump, she notices that it is sharpened like a pencil. What do you think
brought the tree down?
3.) A man notices that every morning his trashcans are laying on their sides. Later that
evening, he hears something making a crunching sound near his dog’s food bowl. His
dog is in his house. What might be causing this mischief?
4.) A family hears some rummaging in their trash one night. They look over to the curb
where the trashcans are located and look around. Finally, in the tree above where the
trashcans are they see a skinny rat-like tail slowly disappear up into the tree foliage.
5.) A man driving along a country road late one night notices something that seemed to
run in a flash across his path. The object appeared to be bright red and somewhat slender
and dog-like in appearance. What do you think he saw?
6.) Deep in the woods one night, a hunter hears a distant howling. Some of the sounds of
the howling seem to be a “yip…yip….yip.” What do you think he hears?
7.) One night while on a camping trip, a group of teenagers spot what seems to be a
medium sized dog near their cabin. As they approach it, its color seems to be gray.
Finally, the animal becomes frightened and runs up a tree! What do you think that this
animal is?
8.) Early one morning, a woman is in her garden pruning rose bushes. She looks over to
the wooded lot at the edge of her yard. She notices what appears to be a cat, but with part
of its tail missing. What is it?
9.) One day while walking along the edge of his cow pond, a farmer notices a large hole
in the dam. He looks at it for a moment, and suddenly a large creature that resembles a
35
beaver emerges. Unlike a beaver, the tail of this animal resembles that of a rat. What do
you think it is?
36
Answer Me This!
(SI-M-A1: 3)
6th grade Science
Answer the following questions using three of the following: the internet, journals,
periodicals, experts, documentaries, your experience, or encyclopedias. After answering each
question, briefly paraphrase what each source said for your answer.
1.) What is the average size of a beaver dam?
2.) How long do beavers live and do female beavers live for the same length of time as
male beavers?
3.) How many young are there in the litter of a beaver and how many litters do they have
per year?
4.) What diseases are beavers prone to carry?
5.) How many years do the incisors of a beaver keep growing?
Next, compare your answers with those of your classmates. Were everyone’s answers the
same? Of the answers that differed, which question seemed to have an answer that differed
the most? How might this be resolved?
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
37
Technical Management
(SE-M-A8: 47)
6th grade Science
Research the various ways that Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries uses
technology for the management of furbearers and alligators. What kinds of equipment are
used in managing animals such as otters, minks, and alligators? Do they use radio collars,
implanted chips, or both? List and describe some of them. What technologies are cuttingedge, and which ones have been used for decades? Discuss. Why are some very old
technologies, such as traps, still used today? Discuss. Is LDW&F looking to develop any
new technologies for the future? If so, what are these technologies and what issues are
they being developed in response to? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography
page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
38
Dental Check
(SI-M-A1: 1)
(SI-M-A1: 3)
6th grade Science
Materials: alligator tooth, modeling clay, reference material
Examine the alligator tooth and note characteristics such as texture, shape, and color.
With the modeling clay, make a patty about two inches thick and press the pointed end of
the tooth into the center of the top of the patty. What is the shape of the impression that
was made? Using the reference material, find a picture of an alligator in which the teeth
are exposed. Are all of the teeth of an alligator shaped different or more or less the same?
Based on your investigation with the modeling clay, as well as the picture, which of the
following functions do alligator teeth most likely serve: Chewing? Slicing? Gripping?
Hint: consider feeding behaviors such as the death roll. Look again at the teeth in the
alligator picture. Now look at the alligator tooth that you have. Is there any difference
between your tooth and the ones in the picture? Hint: what structure can you see on your
alligator tooth that is not visible in the picture? Why do you think that this structure is so
long?
39
A Sticky Situation
(SI-M-A2: 4)
(SI-M-A2: 5)
6th grade Science
Design an experiment that could be used to see whether beavers have preferences as to
which kinds of mud should be used to build a dam or den. Consider sediment
composition: for example, more clay versus more silt. How might you go about setting up
this experiment. Consider what will be used as your control. Also, what kinds of
independent, controlled, and dependant variables will you use? Will there be any specific
equipment necessary for carrying out this experiment? If so, what?
40
English-Language Arts
Grade 7
41
Management Advice
(ELA-2M-1: 16)
7th grade English-Language Arts
Research the management strategies used by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries for furbearers and alligators and think of some additional management
strategies that they might try for any number of specific animals or issues. Be sure to
explain the reasons behind the strategies that you have chosen. Use research if necessary.
In your letter, be sure to include a topic sentence, relevant details, and a conclusion. Be
sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
42
Selling Furs
(ELA-4-M4: 35)
7th grade English-Language Arts
In order to try and persuade the retail industry to sell real fur ( taken from Louisiana
furbearers), develop your own presentation. Research things such as the sustainability of
furbearers and the pollution that results from the production of artificial fur, and use the
facts that you find to support the argument that you pose. Consider using visuals such as
graphs and charts to help explain the sustainability of these resources. Be sure to cite
sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
43
Gator Grease
(ELA-4-M4: 35)
7th grade English-Language Arts
Design a persuasive presentation aimed at oil companies in the interest of supplementing
petroleum with alligator oil. Use research based facts to support your argument. You can
also use diagrams and graphs as necessary (ie. to explain the percentage of gasoline that
could be replaced with an alligator oil product). Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
44
Who Were Your Ancestors?
(ELA-5-M3: 43)
(ELA-5-M4: 44)
(ELA-5-M5: 45)
7th grade English-Language Arts
Pick a furbearer or choose alligators and do a report on the evolutionary history of that
animal. Be sure to consider fossil evidence, as well as the modern relatives of the animal
that you chose. Has any research been done within the past five years on the evolution of
this animal? If so, what are the latest findings? How many millions of years does this
animal’s lineage go back in time? What were some of the other animals that lived on the
earth at the time during which this lineage began? From the appearance of this lineage up
to now, how many other mammals (furbearers) or reptiles (alligators) have appeared?
Describe a few of them in brief. Is there any debate taking place over the classification of
this animal today? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
45
Name Your Price
(ELA-4-M1: 28, 29)
(ELA-4-M3: 32)
(ELA-4-M5: 31)
(ELA-4-M6: 38)
7th grade English-Language Arts
Do in-class panel discussions about what approaches might be effective in persuading
local retailers to invest in real Louisiana furs. Be sure to research the following: public
perception of the fur industry, benefits of using real furs as opposed to creating fake ones,
supply of real furs versus projected demand, benefits to population control of animals
from which the furs are taken, benefits to habitat by having furbearers as an economic
asset, etc. Each panel should then decide on the best approach and present that approach
to the rest of the class in an oral presentation. Props such as graphs and bullet points
would be appropriate. In the oral reporting, be sure and cite sources.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
46
Furry Epidemic
(ELA-5-M3: 43)
(ELA-5-M4: 44)
(ELA-5-M5: 45)
7th grade English-Language Arts
Pick a furbearer and do report on various diseases that they can carry. Can the furbearer
that you chose carry diseases that are contagious to humans? If so, list and describe them
in brief. In your descriptions, include how the diseases affect the animal itself. What steps
are being taken to control these diseases and how effective are these steps? Be sure to cite
sources and include a bibliography page.
47
Social Studies
Grade 7
48
Historical Furbearers
(E-1B-M6: 42)
7th grade Social Studies
Which furbearer pelts from the Louisiana Purchase were traded with Europe and other
areas around the world? Which pelts were traded the most? The least? What was the
primary function of these pelts? How did the United States benefit from that trade. How
about Europe and other parts of the world? What id the status of Louisiana’s fur trade
today? Are the same kinds of pelts traded as were traded in the 18th and 19th centuries?
How much money is made by Louisiana’s fur trade today versus the 18th and 19th
centuries? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
49
“Encroachment”
(G-1C-M3:5)
7th grade Social Studies
How have Louisiana wetlands been affected by urbanization and settlement? What
percent of Louisiana’s marshes have been drained? Has this mostly happened around
large cities such as New Orleans or has it been widespread throughout the state? How has
wildlife coped with such encroachment? What kinds of encroachment have taken place in
rural areas? Consider crawfish and rice farming, as well as cotton and sugar plantations.
Also, consider conflicts between people and animals such as beavers, raccoons, coyotes,
and alligators. Have their been any positive consequences for any animals due to these
encroachments? Explain. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
50
“Canal Cutting”
(H-1B-M10:66)
7th grade Social Studies
Research the digging of rig canals and other oil and gas related activities in the Louisiana
coastal marsh. How did this industry affect the health and structure of the coastal marsh?
How did the various furbearers and alligators respond to these changes? How did their
response affect the fur and alligator industries? Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
51
Mathematics
Grade 7
52
IF/Then
(D-3-M: 35)
7th grade Mathematics
Directions: Evaluate the following “if/then” statements. If the statement is sound
logically, write an “S” next to it. If it is faulty, write an “F” next to it and explain why it
is faulty.
1.) If your yard floods, then a beaver must have dammed up a nearby ditch.
2.) Alligators have from 60 to 80 teeth in their mouths.
3.) A beaver has a flat tail.
4.) If you set foot into a Louisiana swamp, your foot will be chewed off.
5.) A bobcat has a black spot on the end of its tail.
6.) A raccoon has black stripes on its tail.
7.) If you see a red fox, then you will have no rodent problems.
53
If/ Then
(D-3-M: 35)
7th grade Mathematics
Directions: Evaluate the following “if/then” statements. If the statement is sound
logically, write an “S” next to it. If it is faulty, write an “F” next to it and explain why it
is faulty.
1.) If an alligator is in your yard, then it will attack you.
2.) If a beaver does not chew, then its teeth could grow into the roof of its mouth.
3.) If a crawfish farmer’s traps are ransacked, then an otter is in the area.
4.) If an otter’s scat contains fish scales, then the otter ate fish.
5.) If a bobcat pounces at its prey, then it will catch it.
6.) If a raccoon bites you, then you will contract rabies.
7.) If you see a gray fox, then you are looking at a fox that is native to the U.S.
54
Diagram It
(D-3-M: 34)
7th grade Mathematics
1.) Draw a Venn diagram to represent the following concept: Alligators, beavers, and
nutrias are all used for their pelts. The pelts of nutria and beavers have fur, whereas
alligator pelts have no fur.
2.) Draw a Venn diagram to represent the following concept: All 80 teeth of an alligator
are cone shaped, four of the teeth of a bobcat are cone shaped, and four of the teeth of a
coyote are cone shaped. (Bobcats and coyotes and coyotes also have molars and incisors.)
3.) Draw a Venn diagram to represent the following concept: Raccoons, foxes, and
bobcats all have claws.
4.) Draw a Venn diagram to represent the following concept: Alligators are reptiles,
while otters and muskrats are mammals.
5.) Draw a Venn diagram to represent the following concept: Out of a group of 21
raccoons, nine prefer to eat fish, five prefer to eat melon rinds, three prefer to eat both
fish and melon rinds, and four prefer to eat both fish and nuts.
6.) Based on your answer for #5, how many raccoons prefer to eat fish?
7.) Based on your answer for #5, how many raccoons prefer to eat melon rinds?
8.) Based on your answer for #5, how many raccoons prefer to eat either fish or nuts, or
both?
9.) Based on your answer for #5, how many raccoons prefer to eat only fish or only
melon rinds?
10.) Based on your answer for #5, how many raccoons prefer to eat only nuts?
55
Science
Grade 7
56
Beavers Galore
(LS-M-C4:29)
7th grade Science
A parish has outlawed the trapping of beavers. Some of the streams in this parish contain
a mussel known as the Louisiana Pearlshell. This mussel is endangered and inhabits
flowing, sand bottomed streams. Already, beavers have dammed some sections of these
streams, making these sections uninhabitable for the mussel. With trapping outlawed,
how might Louisiana Pearlshell populations be affected? Discuss it as a class.
Within this parish lies a small town. The townspeople approved of the beaver trapping
because the trapping helped to keep the beaver populations under control. Before beaver
trapping had become common in the town, residents had problems with beavers plugging
drain culverts and burrowing into the dams of cow ponds. How could the outlawing of
beaver trapping affect various infrastructures in the town? Discuss it as a class.
Research instances in Louisiana where the preservation of one species has infringed on
the ability of another species to survive, as well as where such preservation has caused
conflicts with man. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 60%
Class discussion participation: 10%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
57
Structure Versus Behavior
(LS-M-D1:30)
7th grade Science
Research three furbearers of your choice and examine both their behavior and body
structure. For example, consider the head and teeth of a beaver. Consider the ways in
which a beaver uses its teeth and how it chews. How does this behavior relate to the
structure of the beaver’s head? Among the furbearers that you chose, is there a pattern of
behavior in relationship to a particular structure? Explain. Be sure cite sources and
include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
58
Nutria Mayham
( LS-M-D1:31)
7th grade Science
How has the introduction of the nutria impacted Louisiana’s coastal marsh? Research the
dietary habits of nutria. How have their dietary habits influenced their ability to destroy
the coastal marsh? Why were the nutria originally brought to Louisiana? Was the impact
on the marsh worth the benefit(s) that the nutria brought to Louisiana? Consider other
non-native species. What are the impacts of other introduced species such as fire ants and
the zebra mussel? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
59
“Will The Gators Make It?”
( LS-M-D2:34)
7th grade Science
What environmental factors affect the survival of populations of the American Alligator?
Consider alligator habits such as nesting, temperature, habitat, and food sources. What
environmental factors are the greatest threats to alligators? Which ones are the greatest
allies? Are any man-made factors advantageous to the alligator? If so, which ones? Be
sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
60
“Gator Days”
(LS-M-D2:32)
7th grade Science
Research various Louisiana swamps and Marshes and see what long and short-term
changes are occurring in them. How are alligators affected by these changes by these
changes? Consider temperature’s effect on the sex of developing alligator offspring..
Consider also the relationship of water level to nesting. Be sure to cite sources and
include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
61
“Marsh Analysis”
(LS-M-C4:28)
7th grade Science
Analyze a particular area or section of a Louisiana coastal marsh. Consider using the
internet and/ or working with an agency such as LDWF in order to obtain information
about your chosen area. Describe the different habitats within the area that you chose.
What kinds of animals inhabit the various habitats within the marsh? Look up the term
“niche.” Within the fields of biology and ecology, what does this term mean? For each
animal in the section of marsh that you are studying, what niche does it inhabit? Be sure
to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
62
“Watery Web”
(SE-M-A7:41)
(LS-M-C2:24)
7th grade Science
Looking back at “Marsh Analysis,” analyze energy transfer among organisms of a
particular habitat. How many different animals does energy (in the form of nutrients) pass
through before reaching the alligator? How about the nutria? Note the two categories of
animals: producers and consumers. How have changes such as subsidence affected food
webs in the coastal marsh? Which consumers are most affected by the major changes in
the coastal marsh? Which producers are most affected? How would the removal of the
muskrat and the otter affect the foodweb? How about the removal of the nutria? How
about the loss of the alligator? Finally, analyze the nitrogen cycle of a habitat in the
marsh and draw diagrams for both the food web and the nitrogen cycle of that habitat. Be
sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
63
“Gator Limitations”
(SE-M-A2:37)
7th grade Science
Within the Louisiana coastal marsh, what are the major limiting factors on the alligator
population? List these major factors and analyze each one of them. How does each factor
operate specifically on the population? Which factor affects the population the most?
How about the least? Which factors are natural and which ones are man-made? Are
limiting factors good, bad, or both? Explain. Should any limiting factors be eliminated? If
so, which one(s)? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
64
English-Language Arts
Grade 8
65
Alligator Impressions
(ELA-3-M2: 23)
(ELA-3-M3: 24)
(ELA-3-M4: 25)
(ELA-3-M5: 26, 27)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write a paragraph about your impressions of alligators. What interests you about them?
Are you afraid of them? Why or why not? Have you ever seen an alligator in real life?
Where did you see it/ them? Are your impressions of alligators based on fact or fiction?
How do you think your perceptions compare with reality? Do some research to find this
out.
66
Bobcat Impressions
(ELA-3-M2: 23)
(ELA-3-M3: 24)
(ELA-3-M4: 25)
(ELA-3-M5: 26, 27)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write an essay about your impressions of bobcats. What interests you about them? Are
you afraid of them? Why or why not? Have you ever seen a bobcat? If so, when? Are
your impressions based on facts or fiction? How do your perceptions compare with
reality? Do some research to find this out. Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography.
67
Coyote Impressions
(ELA-3-M2: 23)
(ELA-3-M3: 24)
(ELA-3-M4: 25)
(ELA-3-M5: 26, 27)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write an essay about your impressions of coyotes. What interests you about them? Are
you afraid of them? Why or why not? Have you ever seen a coyote? If so, when? Are
your impressions based on facts or fiction? How do your perceptions compare with
reality? Do some research to find this out. Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography.
68
Nutria Impressions
(ELA-3-M2: 23)
(ELA-3-M3: 24)
(ELA-3-M4: 25)
(ELA-3-M5: 26, 27)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write an essay about your impressions of nutrias. What interests you about them? Why or
why not? Have you ever seen a nutria? If so, when? Are your impressions based on facts
or fiction? How do your perceptions compare with reality? Do some research to find this
out. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography.
69
Beaver Impressions
(ELA-3-M2: 23)
(ELA-3-M3: 24)
(ELA-3-M4: 25)
(ELA-3-M5: 26, 27)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write an essay about your impressions of beavers. What interests you about them? Why
or why not? Have you ever seen a beaver? If so, when? Are your impressions based on
facts or fiction? How do your perceptions compare with reality? Do some research to find
this out. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography.
70
Nutria Tasting
(ELA-2-M6: 22)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Write a persuasive letter to a restaurant chain explaining why they should develop some
recipes using nutria meat. This has been tries before, so before beginning this letter, see
what strategies have already been used. Then, develop some new strategies that might be
more effective in making nutria meat more appealing. Consider researching things such
as possible health benefits to consuming this meat, and include such facts in your letter.
71
Beaver Issues
(ELA-2-M1: 15)
(ELA-2-M1: 16)
8th grade English-Language Arts
A small country town is having problems with beavers causing damage to infrastructure.
For example, drainage ditches are being stopped up, cattle watering pond dams are being
burrowed into, and property is being flooded due to dammed up streams. Many people in
the town want these beavers to be trapped, but other people worry about the rights of the
beavers. As the mayor of the town, what plan of action do you wish to take? Write an
essay detailing the plan that you implement. Explain the reasons behind your decision. If
you do research for this essay, be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
72
Advertising Critique And Creation
(ELA-2-M6:22)
8th grade English-Language Arts
Research some Louisiana furbearer and/ or alligator products and evaluate their
advertisements. Are the advertisements too visually noisy? Do they convince you to buy
the product? How dependant are they on the use of models to promote their product?
Does it appear that the focus of the advertisement(s) is on the model or the product? Do
these advertisements seem to appeal most to your aesthetic sense? Conservation? Style?
Other? Now pick an alligator or furbearer product and design an advertisement for it.
Consider your target audience. As a class, critique each other’s advertisements and try to
come to a consensus as to the best general advertising approach. Do research into your
advertising to support your consensus.
Grading Rubric:
Creativity: 25%
Originality: 25%
Effectiveness at reaching target audience: 25%
Grammar: 5%
Punctuation: 5%
Class participation: 15%
73
Social Studies
Grade 8
74
Field Trip Fun!
(G1-B-M3:8)
8th grade Social Studies
Take a field trip to the coastal marsh of Louisiana. Some suggested places are:
Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Grand Isle, or Port Fourchon. Examine environmental
aspects such as the open water to marsh ratio and/ or open water to dry land ratio. Ask
local people or do internet and/ or library based research about what the area was like 20,
30,40 and 50 years ago. Research what factors have contributed to this change. Present
your results in a dissertation format and be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography
page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
75
My, How You Have Changed!
(G-1B-M3:7)
8th grade Social Studies
Based on your results for “Field Trip Fun,” why has the area that you saw on the field trip
changed the way that it has? How has this change affected the people living in this
region? How have the local industries such as crawfish and sugar cane harvesting been
affected? How have the local furbearer and alligator populations been influenced by these
changes? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
76
The Coastal Marsh: Who Used It?
(G-1B-M4: 9)
8th grade Social Studies
Examine the history of the use of Louisiana’s coastal marsh. How did the Native
Americans’ use of the marsh compare with that of the Cajun culture? Did the Native
Americans have both an extrinsic and an intrinsic interest in coastal marsh and coastal
prairie? What were these interests? How about the interests of the Cajuns? Compare and
contrast the Cajun and Native American interests in these ecosystems. How did each
group’s use of these environments affect their perceptions of them? Be sure to cite
sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
77
Change For The Worse?
(G-1D-M1:14)
8th grade Social Studies
How has the construction of rig canals affected the coastal marsh? How have the levees
along the Mississippi River affected the sedimentary nourishment of the Mississippi
River Delta and the Louisiana Coastal Plain? How have these changes affected animals
such as the alligator and the otter? Also, how has the productivity of fisheries such as
those based on shrimp and oysters been affected? How have the different marsh grasses
changed? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page?
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cites in text: 10%
78
Animal Distribution
(G-1D-M3: 16)
8th grade Social Studies
How does the terrain of Louisiana affect the distribution of the American Alligator, otter,
and mink? How do the distributions of these animals compare and contrast? Where does
the most overlap in these animals’ distribution occur? Examine the distribution of the
food items that these animals depend on for survival and decide whether these animals
are more in influenced by food or terrain as to where they live. Do their food items and
terrain even occur in different places at all? How will sea level rise eventually affect
these animals? Which of these animals will suffer the most from sea level rise? Be sure to
cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
79
Urgent! Urgent!
(G-1D-M4: 17)
8th grade Social Studies
The issue of coastal erosion is one of the most urgent issues concerning Louisiana today.
Research the causes of coastal erosion and consider things such as sea level rise and the
activities of the nutria. Come up with some possible solutions to this problem. Have a
guest speaker from the USGS, GCCA, or other agency come to your school and present
some coastal erosion solutions to the class. Compare/ contrast your solutions to theirs.
Take a field trip to a site where coastal erosion is obvious and, as a class, talk about
possible solutions that could be implemented for the area that you visit. Be sure to cite
sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
80
Alligator Harvesting
(E-1A-M2: 43)
8th grade Social Studies
Research and examine how alligator harvest quotas are determined by LDWF. What is
the relationship between the number of alligator nests in the coastal marsh and the quota
of alligators allowed for harvest? Also, how much money is invested into alligator
regulation by the federal and state governments? How much revenue do federal and state
governments earn through the purchase of alligator products as well as the licensing of
alligator harvests and alligator processing? Explain why this does or does not make sound
economic sense. Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
81
Furbearers And Alligators In History
(H-1D-M4:79)
8th grade Social Studies
How has the harvest and use of furbearers shaped the history of Louisiana? How about
the harvest of alligators? How have these harvests related to other events in the history of
the state? Do furbearer and alligator issues continue to shape Louisiana today? If so,
how? Consider nuisance animals, conservation, and ecology. How do the citizens of
modern Louisiana view these animals as compared with their ancestors? How might these
animals shape Louisiana’s future? How might Louisiana’s future effect the future of these
animals? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
82
Mathematics
Grade 8
83
What’s The Pattern?
(P-1-M: 46)
(P-4-M: 46)
8th grade Mathematics
Directions: for the following statements, state whether the example given is a linear/
arithmetic numerical pattern or an exponential/ geometric numerical pattern and why.
1.) Alligators lay 15-60 eggs per clutch.
2.) Alligators shed teeth throughout their lives.
3.) The beaver population of a small town has increased five-fold over the last two
years.
4.) The water in that beaver pond has been rising by a foot each day.
5.) Each week, an otter reduces the number of crawfish in a pond by eating them.
6.) Over three generations, the opossum population of a state park has increased sixfold.
7.) A beaver in my yard keeps felling trees.
8.) Last year, there were four raccoons living near that dumpster, this year, there are
twelve.
9.) A local trapper seems to be catching about two minks a day.
10.) A muskrat had only one more young in its litter this year than it had in its litter last
year.
84
Gator Mean, Median and Mode
(D-1-E)
(D-2-M)
8th grade Mathematics
Louisiana Ranching Program
Year
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Number
Collected
2,903
18,041
64,887
181,819
293,412
198,089
164,892
155,891
266,408
314,371
279,237
377,636
280,870
382,611
279,217
354,636
354,523
357,757
396,069
Number
Hatched
1,985
13,782
50,394
137,323
231,434
165,054
133,463
123,666
223,011
261,428
233,076
321,641
240,118
332,428
236,313
294,405
304,448
307,805
349,311
Alligators
Returned to Wild
none
none
1,680
7,078
6,088
44,405
35,531
28,512
21,633
20,749
40,919
48,171
36,733
44,169
39,559
48,288
32,716
50,417
47,431
Total
4,723,269
3,961,085
554,079
Calculate the mean, median and mode for the above three columns of information.
85
Hatching Percentages
(N-8-M)
(N-5-M)
8th grade Mathematics
Using the table on the previous page, calculate the percentage of eggs hatched out of eggs
collected for years 1990-1995.
86
Science
Grade 8
87
Observing and Inferring
(SI-M-A7:21)
8th grade Science
Take a field trip to a Louisiana state park and observe one or more of the following
wildlife: American Alligator, beaver, otter, mink, or any other furbearer. Write down
your observations for the animal(s) that you have chosen. When you arrive back in the
classroom, make inferences based on your observations. Research the animal(s) and see if
your inferences and observations what scientists have observed and inferred. Be sure to
cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
88
Hatchling Watch
(SI-M-3: 7)
(SI-M-A4: 10)
(SI-M-A7: 22)
(SI-M-A8: 24)
8th grade Science
Observe a hatchling alligator in a tank with a platform, such as one normally used for
turtles, for a specified period of time such as week, month, etc. Observe when and how it
eats, spends its time, when it is most active, whether it stays in or out of the water most of
the time, etc. Describe what you see in a daily journal and come up with tentative
explanations for your observations. Follow up your observations with research into
alligator behavior and write about what scientists have discovered in relation to the
behaviors that are exhibited by the hatchling. Be sure to cite sources and include a
bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources sited in the text: 10%
89
Emotion or Logic?
(SI-M-A6: 18)
8th grade Science
Read an article or several articles by PETA or another ideologically similar group and
note their convictions. Analyze the statements that are made concerning their convictions
and look for supportive evidence. Is there any? Next, read articles from a trapping
magazine and examine their claims. What, if any, is their supporting evidence? Examine
your own feelings about the fur and alligator industries. Can you back them up with
supporting evidence? Based on the evidence provided, which group has a stronger
argument for their position? Re-examine your own feelings. Do you think that the
personification of animals in storybooks and cartoons has shaped your feelings? Do you
think that fictitious portrayals of animals in entertainment reflects the ways that animals
think? Research alligators and/ or a furbearer and see what investigations have been done
in regards to the intelligence of that animal. Does this research evidence support the
personified actions of animals in cartoons and books? How has working on this
assignment affected your feelings? Have your feelings about animals changed or stayed
the same? Why or why not? Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
90
Paleo-Gators
(ESS-M-B1:31)
8th grade Science
Do one of the following: Take a field trip to a museum, have a paleontologist speak to
your class, or using the internet; discuss the evolution of crocodylians. How have
crocodylians changed over time? What features of these animals have changed the most?
What features have changed the least? When did crocodylians first appear on earth? What
other animals appeared when they did? When did alligatorines appear? How about
Gavials? Did ancient crocodylians live in the same environments as modern
crocodylians? Which ones did and which ones did not? Pick out a particular crocodylian
that is extinct and research it further. Compare and contrast it with a modern crocodilian.
Be sure to cite sources and include a bibliography page.
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 70%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
91
Inferences about Teeth
(SI-M-A5:16)
8th grade Science
Materials (per group):
Alligator tooth
Coyote canine
Coyote molar
Beaver incisor
Beaver molar
Optional materials:
Alligator skull
Coyote skull
Beaver skull
Divide the class into groups with no more than five students per group. For each group,
make sure that they have one of each of the teeth listed above. First, have the students list
the animals that they think that each tooth belongs to. Have the students then make some
inferences as to how the different teeth are used ie: chewing, tearing, etc. Tell them that
the five teeth belong to only three animals. Ask the students which four teeth would be
paired together and which tooth would be by itself. Next, have the students pair together
the appropriate teeth and then list the animals that the teeth came from. Then tell the class
the appropriate teeth pairing and the animals that the teeth correctly go with. It might be a
good idea to show the class pictures of the animals while doing this. Finally, either using
actual skulls or the internet, show the class where the teeth fit into the different skulls.
Second, have the students make inferences about how these different animals eat by
looking at the teeth and the skull dentition. Make note of muscle attachment sites as well.
Ask the students to consider what these animals eat, how they swallow, etc. from any
prior knowledge that they have. Next, confirm whether or not the students are correct.
Finally, go online and look up other animals such as otter, muskrat, and nutria and see
what they eat. Do different kinds of teeth and dentition seem to correlate with different
kinds of foods? Explain.
92
Grading Rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 60%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Bibliography page: 10%
Sources cited in text: 10%
Participation/ contribution to group: 10%
93
Teeth and Strength
(SI-M-A1:1)
8th grade Science
Refer back to the “Inferences about Teeth” exercise, which of the teeth that you worked
with do you think are the strongest? Which tooth would hold up to the most resistance
during a bite? How might you test each tooth to see which one can take the most bite
pressure? Consider the direction that the tooth faces when biting. Also, consider how far
out of the skull a particular tooth protrudes. Use diagrams, and plan some experiments.
Write procedures for setting up and conducting these experiments.
Grading rubric:
Content/ sufficiently addressing the points stated above: 50%
Grammar and punctuation: 10%
Straightforwardness of procedures: 20%
Logical design for experiments: 20%
94
Answer Key
6th grade English
Passage Exercises
1.) c
2.) a
3.) c
4.) b
5.) c
6.) a
7.) d
8.) False
9.) False
10.) True
11.) True
1.) a
2.) b
3.) b
4.) c
5.) b
6.) b
7.) a
8.) b
9.) False
10.) True
11.) False
1.) a
2.) b
3.) d
4.) c
5.) a
6.) d
7.) d
8.) True
9.) False
10.) False
11.) False
12.) True
95
!.) a
2.) a
3.) c
4.) b
5.) a
6.) a
7.) a
8.) False
9.) True
10.) False
11.) False
1.) a
2.) d
3.) a
4.) a
5.) a
6.) b
7.) d
8.) a
9.) a
10.) False
11.) False
1.) a
2.) b
3.) c
4.) d
5.) d
6.) c
7.) False
8.) False
9.) False
10.) True
11.) False
1.) b
2.) b
3.) b
4.) c
5.) c
6.) c
7.) b
8.) d
9.) a
10.) True
96
11.) False
12.) False
6th grade Mathematics
“Venn To The Rescue”
1.)
2.)
97
3.)
4.)
98
5.) 6
6.) 4
7.) 3
“Translation Of Expressions”
1.) A=2M
2.) N=4M
3.) R=9B, S=R
4.) C=R, M=(1/3)C
5.) X equals Y
6.) Four times Z equals 9.
7.) Eleven and one-half times X equals three times Y plus four times Z.
8.) Five times N minus three equals two times L minus one.
“Positive And Negative Situations”
1.) –3ft
2.) +5ft
3.) –1000 acres
4.) –5%
5.) –1 ½ ft
6.) 5bobcats + 2bobcats =7bobcats
7.) –7 ½% +4% =-3 ½ %
“Lengthy Animals”
1.) 21.8ft
2.) .4ft
3.) 4.5ft
4.) .92ft
5.) 57.4 inches, 4.78 feet
6.) 16.1 feet, 4.9 meters
7th grade Mathematics
“If/Then”
1.) F Not necessarily.
2.) S
3.) S
4.) F This probably would not be the case.
5.) S
6.) S
7.) F Not necessarily.
99
“If/Then”
1.) F Not necessarily.
2.) S
3.) F No evidence of the presence of an otter is mentioned.
4.) S
5.) F Not necessarily.
6.) F Not necessarily.
7.) S
“Diagram It”
1.)
100
2.)
3.)
101
4.)
102
5.)
6.) 16
7.) 8
8.) 21
9.) 14
10.) 0
8th grade Mathematics
“What’s The Pattern?”
1.) l/a
2.) l/a
3.) e/g
4.) l/a
5.) l/a
6.) e/g
7.) l/a
8.) e/g
9.) l/a
10.) e/g
103
“Gator Mean, Median, and Mode”
Mean for # collected: 232,177.17
Mean for # hatched: 189,676
Median for # collected: 232,248.5
Median for # hatched: 194,032.5
Modes: none
“Hatchling Percentages”
1990: 78.9%
1991: 83.3%
1992: 80.9%
1993: 79.3%
1994: 83.7%
1995: 83.2%
104