ANIMALS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SAW
ANIMALS ROBERT SCOTT SAW
TEACHER’S GUIDE
GRADES
2-4
INTRODUCTION
The Age of Exploration may seem long past
and old news to some. The world has been
explored by sea and by land. It has been
viewed from deep in the oceans and from high
above by manned and unmanned spacecraft.
What is left to learn about these explorations?
Each of the books by Sandra Markle, Animals
Christopher Columbus Saw and Animals
Robert Scott Saw, may simply seem like a
look back at a famous exploration, and a list
of animals that were seen and sometimes
brought back. As the author herself states
in a “Note to Parents and Teachers” at the
beginning of each book, they are much more
than that.
The books in the Explorers series take young
readers back in time to share explorations
that had a major impact on people’s view of
the world. Kids will investigate why and how
the explorers made their journeys and learn
about animals they discovered along the way.
They’ll find out how some animals affected the
outcome of the journey, helping explorers find
their way, causing key events to happen, or
helping the explorers survive. Young readers
will also learn that, because of the explorers’
journeys, animals were introduced to places
they’d never lived before, sometimes with
dramatic results.
Young readers will discover who these
explorers were and be able to trace their
famous routes, whether to the New World
or to explore the great southern continent,
Antarctica. With beautiful illustrations and
engaging text, our children will become
explorers themselves. At every point in
the journey they are introduced to both
commonplace and exotic animals that were
just as much a part of Columbus’s and
Scott’s journeys as the lands they explored.
Our children and students will learn about
the world in which they live by looking at
the animals that were as much a part of
Earth’s mysteries as were the lands that were
discovered and explored.
This teacher’s guide to the books Animals
Christopher Columbus Saw and Animals
Robert Scott Saw will help teachers explore the
books as resources for activities in science,
math, language arts, social studies, and art.
Because the books follow the same pattern,
the activities can be used with either one or
both tours of the famous explorations. Many
of the activities in this guide can be integrated
into multiple disciplines and many areas of
exploration. With the exciting illustrations and
incredible attention to detail, these books can
be used as a starting point into the very nature
of discovery and science.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE CONTAINS:
Pre-Planned Activities for Students
1. Science
2. Social Studies
3. Language Arts/Art
A QUICK GUIDE TO HOW THESE ACTIVITIES MEET
THE FOLLOWING EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS:
SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD C
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES
NATIONAL STANDARDS
STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
NATIONAL ART STANDARDS
1 SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
From Silk to Butterflies
Animals Christopher Columbus Saw introduces Christopher
Columbus’s famous “discovery” of the New World with
a discussion of silk and silkworms. Many children will
not have any background knowledge of insects and
insect life cycles. This is a wonderful place to familiarize
students with the concept of metamorphosis and animal
life cycles. There are many Internet resources that can
help students learn about the stages that insects go
through as they mature from egg to caterpillar (worms),
to pupa or cocoon, to the adult stage of the insect.
Teachers can introduce insect metamorphosis with many
Internet teaching tools. One notable resource is the
University of Kansas–sponsored Monarch Watch (http://
www.monarchwatch.org/). Monarch Watch is a nonprofit educational outreach program that engages citizen
scientists in real-life large-scale research projects. As their
Web site explains, “This program produces real data that
relates to a serious conservation issue. Monarch Watch
gets children of all ages involved in science.” The Web
site provides an incredible amount of information on the
biology and conservation of monarch butterflies and insect
life cycles as well as monarch butterfly migration. Children
can use the Monarch Watch program as a resource for
science projects and group research. The site encourages
children to showcase their research or school projects as
they involve them in real science with the monarch tagging
program. Students can use this resource as a springboard
as they investigate such questions as:
s What is the preferred sugar concentration of nectars used
by monarchs?
s If given a choice of colors associated with feeding dishes,
will monarchs show a preference for a particular color?
s How much leaf tissue (in weight) does a monarch larva
consume through all of its larval stages?
s Since male monarchs are larger and heavier than
females, do male larvae eat more leaf tissue?
s What is the ground speed of a migrating monarch in the
absence of wind?
s How does wing beat frequency change with wind speed
and direction?
s How do monarchs use thermals (rising masses of warm
air) to reduce the energetic cost of flight?
(FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN)
s Do monarchs have a color preference?
s Do monarchs prefer nectar with a specific sugar
concentration?
s Can monarchs “remember” or learn a color, nectar type,
or dish location?
In addition, teachers can have their students use
other Web resources to investigate how other insects
have been “tamed” and used by humans. For
example, spider silk has been used for weaving very
strong, very light armored clothing (http://news.
nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0114_050114_
tv_spider.html or http://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2007/04/070405094039.htm).
Students can investigate how we have “harnessed” honeybees for the production of an important food item or how
they are used to pollinate our fruit trees and other crops.
Teachers can create simple Internet searches or webquests for their students to investigate how humans have
used many different insect species throughout history.
Birds on the Wing
Observation of birds along the journey as well as
discovering new species of birds in new lands was common
to both Robert Scott and to Christopher Columbus.
Teachers can have students focus on birds, bird behaviors,
and bird migration while reading both of Sandra Markle’s
books. Columbus’s men saw birds at sea and thought
they were approaching land. Scott’s crew knew they were
approaching the “Great Southern Continent” when they
spotted birds that they were not familiar with. Students
will learn about the great variety of birds found at the
far reaches of the globe as they read these books. Bird
migration is fascinating to young and old alike and provides
a very interesting way to extend the use of the books. The
dynamic resources that are available on natural history
Web sites will provide a wealth of information about
worldwide bird migration.
For example, the Smithsonian Institution and the
National Zoological Park runs The Migratory Bird
Center. This program is highlighted on their Web site:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/
MigratoryBirds
The Migratory Bird Center Web site includes a number of online activities for classroom teachers to use. It also highlights
a very special program called Bridging the Americas/Unidos
por las Aves. This is a project described as “a cross-cultural
environmental education program that links elementary
school classes in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.,
with classes in Latin America and the Caribbean through an
exchange of art work and letters that focus on Neotropical
migratory birds. This group of birds consists of over 300 species that breed in the United States and Canada and spend
the winter months in Latin America and the Caribbean, thus
symbolizing the connections that exist between countries in
the Western Hemisphere.” Although only a few states currently participate in this project, their Web site can be used
as a model for other teachers in other states to connect with
students and teachers in other countries in order to compare and discuss birds that migrate across the Americas or
between America and other countries in the world.
A very simple way to study bird migration in the classroom
involves tracking migration routes on classroom maps
and globes from bird migration data that is easily found
in reference books and many Web resources. Students
can be divided into groups with each group researching
one particular species of migratory bird. Each group can
investigate the bird species, determine its migration route,
and show this migration path on the wall map with different
colors of yarn. They can use pushpins or tape to secure the
yarn to the spot on the map representing the summering
grounds and then the other end of the yarn to the wintering
destination for their bird species. The students can create
an informational data card with the bird species, the
scientific name, the species’ usual migration calendar, foods
they utilize, and how long the migration actually takes. This
activity can even be integrated into social studies (because
of the map work), mathematics (by having students
calculate migration speeds, distances traveled, etc.), and
language arts (if the students are asked to create a “bird’s
journal”). The journal would be a fictional account of the
migration journey as seen by the traveling bird itself. As a
final activity or possibly as a way to introduce this project,
teachers can show their class the major motion picture
Winged Migration, which is easily obtained at the local
library or video rental. The companion Web site for Winged
Migration (http://www.sonyclassics.com/wingedmigration/
index_flash.html) is itself a worthwhile classroom resource,
including interactive migration routes, a video introduction
to migration, and many useful migration Web links.
Other excellent resources for learning about bird
migration:
Smithsonian Bird Migration - Bird Migration Patterns:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/
MigratoryBirds/Education/
ARCTIC TERNS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
by National Geographic
“The arctic tern is an amazing migratory bird, traveling
over 22,000 miles in a year from the Arctic to the Antarctic
and back again. Students will map this bird’s migration
route and consider why it wants to migrate so far. They will
conclude by writing paragraphs describing the arctic tern’s
migration route and explaining how they think it knows
when it’s time to migrate.”
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/
lessons/09/gk2/migrationterns.html
Additional Science Activities
1a
Food Web Studies
The books in Sandra Markle’s Explorers series lend
themselves to studies about food webs in specific habitats.
For example, in Animals Christopher Columbus Saw,
readers are introduced to the Sargasso Sea. This mysterious
collection of seaweed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
creates a very unusual, very unique habitat of floating plants
and specialized animal interactions. Students can use the
information provided in the written text as well as in the
illustrations to create a Sargasso Sea food web. This can
be drawn by individual students or as a classroom group
activity on a poster or bulletin board. Students can add to
the information from the book by using the Internet or other
text resources. As an extension to this activity, students can
create food webs of organisms in their own local or backyard
habitats. These local food webs can then be compared and
contrasted with the Sargasso Sea food web. From Animals
Robert Scott Saw, students can create food webs from the
Antarctic and compare them to local habitats as well as
habitats described in the Christopher Columbus adventure.
NATIONAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
CONTENT STANDARD C: As a result of their classroom activities, all
students should develop understanding of:
DIVERSITY AND ADAPTATIONS OF ORGANISMS
s-ILLIONSOFSPECIESOFANIMALSPLANTSANDMICROORGANISMSAREALIVE
today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity
among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal
structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence
of common ancestry.
s"IOLOGICALEVOLUTIONACCOUNTSFORTHEDIVERSITYOFSPECIESDEVELOPED
through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire
many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation,
which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populaTIONS"IOLOGICALADAPTATIONSINCLUDECHANGESINSTRUCTURESBEHAVIORS
or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a
particular environment.
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the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its
survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are
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or environmental stimulus. A behavioral response requires coordination
and communication at many levels, including cells, organ systems, and
Cold Climate Adaptations
A major theme in Animals Robert Scott Saw involves the
extreme weather conditions that Robert Scott and his crew
faced as they encountered the “Great Southern Continent.”
Of course the animals that Scott brought on his explorations
faced the same harsh conditions. Students can study the
adaptations that Scott’s work animals had or were provided.
They can compare these animal adaptations to animals that
make Antarctica their home. Students can investigate how
the native animals withstand the very cold temperatures and
large amounts of snow and ice. How do the animals survive
the long winters? What adaptations provide insulation for the
animals? Students can then compare artificial “adaptations”
that the explorers had to have to survive the conditions. How
were the work animals protected from the weather? How
are modern cold climate explorers protected? How have we
made use of these “adaptations” for our own protection?
Students can even test modern materials for insulation
capabilities. They can compare new materials with some of
the materials used by Scott, his men, and their animals.
WHOLEORGANISMS"EHAVIORALRESPONSEISASETOFACTIONSDETERMINEDIN
PARTBYHEREDITYANDINPARTFROMEXPERIENCE
s!NORGANISMSBEHAVIOREVOLVESTHROUGHADAPTATIONTOITSENVIRONment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to
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1b
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS
STANDARD #1: How to use maps and other geographic representations,
tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from
a spatial perspective.
2 SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITIES
Where in the World Were They?
Both Animals Christopher Columbus Saw and Animals
Robert Scott Saw are based on famous explorations of the
world. Readers are introduced to adventures that helped to
make an unknown world more familiar. With modern tools
like GPS (global positioning systems), Internet resources,
and information-rich Internet mapping tools like Google
Maps and Google Earth, today’s students are able to
“travel” throughout the world with the click of a mouse or by
switching on a GPS system. We can now easily travel along
with Christopher Columbus or Robert Scott and explore Earth
as their adventures are described in books such as these.
Prior to actually investigating the places that Scott or
Columbus visited, it may be helpful for students to explore
the Earth itself. They can use paper maps or actual globes
to get a better feeling for where Scott started or where
Columbus sailed. In fact, it is helpful for students to
investigate the concepts of latitude and longitude on these
tools. Have your students find their own home or community
on a map or globe. What is the latitude? The longitude? What
was the latitude/longitude of Columbus’s first landfall in the
New World? In fact, you can have the students lay out the
route followed by both Scott and Columbus as described
in these books. What were key latitude/longitude points on
their journeys? These can be marked on a classroom map,
and then pictures of animals described by the author can be
pasted or taped along the routes.
This activity can even be incorporated into mathematics
lessons. The journeys can be measured in miles and
kilometers by using the maps and the specific latitude/
longitude points. The entire system of navigation incorporates
a simple mathematical matrix. Matrices in math can be
compared to the grid of latitude and longitude that is found
on maps and globes.
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of discovery and science.
program. By using this modern technology, our students
can make their own journeys of discovery. They can pick a
destination they want to “explore,” plot a route, and discuss
the geography they see and explain what animals they might
GENERAL OVERVIEW
see if they were to take this journey. They can present their
exploration to the class with posters, bulletin boards, or even
THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE CONTAINS:
with a computer presentation of their journey.
Pre-Planned Activities for Students
2
SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS
1. Science
FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES:
2.NATIONAL
SocialCOUNCIL
Studies
3.TIME,
Language
Arts/Art
CONTINUITY,
AND CHANGE
s(UMANBEINGSSEEKTOUNDERSTANDTHEIRHISTORICALROOTSANDTOLOCATE
themselves in time. Knowing how to read and reconstruct the past
allows one to develop a historical perspective.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENT
A QUICK GUIDE TO HOW THESE ACTIVITIES MEET
THE FOLLOWING EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS:
s4HESTUDYOFPEOPLEPLACESANDHUMANENVIRONMENTINTERACTIONS
assists students as they create their spatial views and geographic
perspectives of the world beyond their personal locations.
SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD C
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NATIONAL
STANDARDS
societies and the frequent tension between national interest and global
STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
priorities.
NATIONAL ART STANDARDS
3 LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES
Journaling Around the World
The great explorers were communicators. They risked their
lives to make discoveries and to bring information back.
One common tool that was a part of these journeys was the
journal. We have learned about Columbus’s adventures as
well as the discoveries of Scott and his men because of the
information found as a result of journaling. This is a perfect
way to utilize the books by Sandra Markle into the Language
Arts curriculum. Students can be instructed to start a daily
journal or to keep a journal during a personal trip or vacation.
In addition, teachers can instruct students to use the online
mapping tools or Google Earth to invent a Web-based trip
and create a journal of travels for this virtual exploration. They
can research each stop on their journey and create a journal
entry as though they had made their own observations.
The art of observation, research, and journaling would be
combined with creative writing. The travel journals can even
be illustrated as many of the famous explorers’ journals were.
This would integrate social studies and art with language arts.
The journals could be added to a classroom blog or used to
create podcasts and shared with the rest of the class.
An arts extension of the journaling activity involves having
students research famous historical explorer/illustrators like
Scott’s Dr. Edward A. Wilson, American John Muir, Swedish
explorer/botanist/illustrator Carl Linnaeus or John James
Audubon. The art of illustrating a journal is as important to
communication and history as the journal itself.
3a STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
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(e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandra Markle is a former elementary school science
teacher, a nationally known science education
consultant, and the author of many award-winning
books for children. Animals Robert Scott Saw was
inspired by her own experiences in Antarctica.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THIS GUIDE
This guide was prepared by Richard Benz, educational
consultant.
For more activities and information visit:
www.chroniclekids.com
different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with
different audiences for a variety of purposes.
s3TUDENTSUSEAVARIETYOFTECHNOLOGICALANDINFORMATIONRESOURCES
(e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and
synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
To request information on the author’s availability for
events or to request promotional materials, please e-mail:
[email protected]
s3TUDENTSUSESPOKENWRITTENANDVISUALLANGUAGETOACCOMPLISH
THEIROWNPURPOSESEGFORLEARNINGENJOYMENTPERSUASIONANDTHE
EXCHANGEOFINFORMATION
3b NATIONAL ART STANDARDS
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COMING SOON IN THE
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ANIMALS CHARLES DARWIN SAW
and processes.
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matter, symbols, and ideas.
ANIMALS MARCO POLO SAW