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Wolves: Fact and Fiction
A Web Quest
Wolf Song
That
lilting lonely song of the Wolf
Bemoaning injustices
of time…
By: Stormy
In this Web Quest you will read facts and fiction about wolves.
You will do research to learn about wolves. The research you do
will reveal the challenges imposed by man and nature that the wolves in
the wild have faced and continue to face. You will be asked to do math
problem solving in the context of real life situations. Another
task that you complete will be to read The Call of the Wild or
White Fang. Each compelling story by Jack London will take you
on an adventure in the Arctic wilderness where you will experience the
excitement and thrills of unknown travels. Also, you will role-play and
become the author Jack London and write an alternate adventure within
the context of your choice novel.
Understanding by Design:
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
Students will understand that there are many challenges imposed by man
and nature on creatures in the wild.
Students will understand that the decisions and actions of man have diverse
effects on animal survival.
Students will understand that there is an important individual role each
person has in protecting and preserving the balance in our natural ecosystems.
The students will understand that the common values we share that embrace
protecting and preserving the balance of our natural ecosystems transcend
time.
Students will understand the realism of the challenges imposed by man
and nature on the animal characters in the literary works The Call
of the Wild and White Fang.
Students will understand that literature provides the opportunity to experience
vicariously the thrill of the unknown and unavailable travels.
Statistical analysis
and data reveal information about real life by telling a story.
Collecting data
helps scientists to analyze information to make predictions and informed
decisions.
Statistics and
data are used to support a particular point of view.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What challenges and risks do all wolves face in their natural habitat?
How does the wolf adapt to the challenges and risks?
How does human intervention affect the wolves on the Endangered Species
List?
In what ways can you help in protecting and preserving the balance of
our natural ecosystems?
How does the main character prevail over others?
What effect does the author’s realism have on your understanding
of the story?
How do the actions of the human characters make you feel?
What lessons about life does this literary work teach?
Knowledge & Skills -
Students will know and be able to do…
Locate and read information pertaining to wolves on teacher selected sites
on the internet
Work with data in context of real world situations
Evaluate the data that will be collected during research on teacher selected
sites on the internet
Analyze the data collection
Convert the statistics to graphs
Use technology to construct a statistical representation in a graph format
Analyze Jack London’s development of the main character in The
Call of the Wild or White Fang
Connect the author’s characterization to the types of real wolf
behavior based on research
Explain and relate wolf behaviors to the events in the novel
Evaluate the realism in the novel
Analyze thematic options
Assessments – Evidence of understanding
- Read and solve word-problems
- Formulate and solve original word problems
- Read tables and charts
- Make tables and charts
- Interpret data
- Construct graphs
- Write responses to open-ended questions
- Answer literal, interpretive, and evaluative reading comprehension questions
- Write a narrative that is another adventure for the main character within
the context of The Call of the Wild or White Fang
- Write a narrative that reflects all the elements of the short story
- Write a narrative that models Jack London’s realism and descriptive
language
Students will read the article “Gray Wolf” by Marshall Cavendish
from the reference book Endangered Wildlife of the World that gives factual
information about the wolf such as: habitat, physical characteristics,
pack behavior and the challenges that wolves face in the wild.
Students will take an electronic field trip at Yellowstone Windows Into
Wonderland and answer questions based on the information contained in
the web site.
Students will use the interactive program Yellowstone Wolf Tracker: Tracking
the Wild Gray Wolves of Yellowstone National for background information.
Students will solve word problems in the context of real world situations.
Students will answer questions on worksheets developed based on the information
on teacher selected web sites.
Students will read Wolf Song by Stormy for a poetic perspective
on the challenges that wolves have faced and continue to face.
Students will search teacher selected web sites to read biographical information
about Jack London.
Students will search a teacher selected web site to read a critical analysis
of The Call of the Wild or White Fang.
Students will read a choice novel The Call of theWild or White
Fang
Students will write a narrative that is another adventure for the main
character within the context of The Call of the Wild or White
Fang.
Students will write a narrative that reflects all the elements of the
short story.
Students will write a narrative that models Jack London’s realism
and descriptive writing.
Instructional Resources Needed:
Math worksheets
Data
Reading Word Problems: Strategies for CAPT Math Test Questions (handout)
Novels: The Call of the Wild and White Fang
Study guide questions for novels
Interdisciplinary Connections
MATH:
Gain background information about the gray wolf such as: habitat, pack
behavior and the challenges that wolves face in the wild by reading the
Article ”Gray Wolf,” and by researching the following web
sites.
· Take an electronic field trip at Yellowstone Windows Into Wonderland-Part
I-Wolf Ecology and answer questions based on the information on the web
site.
· Take an electronic field trip at Yellowstone Windows Into
Wonderland-Part II-Reintroducing an Endangered Species and answer questions
based on the information on the web site.
· Compare the statistics from Part II-Reintroducing an Endangered
Species to the statistics given in Ralph Maughan’s data on Yellowstone
Wolf Mortalities 1995-2003 to answer the math worksheet.
Monitoring wolf populations is an important step in wolf management.
Yellowstone monitors their wolves using radio-collars. Live trapping
and tracking using aerial surveys are the most accurate ways to monitor
wolf population and movement.
· Select the interactive web site The Wolf Tracker's Winter
Study-Wolf Research in Yellowstone, for background information to answer
the questions on the worksheet Monitoring Wolf Population.
· For additional information go to the following sites: Ralph
Maughan-The Future of the Yellowstone Country Wolf Populations and Wisconsin-Wolf
Management Strategies.
Hunters voiced a concern about the drastic reduction of wild game they
believed that wolves would be consuming once reintroduced into Yellowstone.
Investigate what wolves eat and the impact it has on the Yellowstone ecosystem.
· Select Rocky Mountain Recovery -Annual Report 2002 (scroll
down 1/3 of the page to Research in Yellowstone National Park –
Composition of Wolf Kills) to complete the table on the worksheet titled
What Do Wolves Eat?
· For additional information on the subject read Yellowstone
After Wolves
The Endangered Species Act requires that suitable habitat conditions and
an appropriate prey population be maintained in order to ensure that the
endangered species are protected and preserved. The standards of the Rocky
Mountain gray wolf recovery plan and wolf introduction environmental impact
statement has a recovery goal of 10 breeding pairs per area for three
years. Investigate wolf populations.
· Select Northern Rocky Mountain Statistics-Table 4a to complete
the percent of increase table on the Wolf Population worksheet. Compare
your calculations to data found by Ralph Vaughan-The Future of the Yellowstone
Population.
Ranchers voiced a concern about the potential threat to their livestock
by the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone. Investigate the
statistics that show the accuracy of predictions made in the Environmental
Impact Statement formulated by the U. S. government.
· Select Northern Rocky Mountain Statistics-Table 5a
to complete tables and questions on the worksheet Depredation of Livestock.
· For additional information read Wolf Depredation
Control in Minnesota and Rocky Mountain Recovery -Annual Report 2002 (scroll
down 1/5 of the page to Translocated Wolves and 1/3 down the page to Livestock
Depredation and Management)
Construct an original story problem that integrates the wolf statistics
available at the following web sites.
· Select Wolf Facts
· Select More Facts on the Gray Wolf
LANGUAGE ARTS:
You will read The Call of the Wild or White Fang. Each
compelling story by Jack London will take you on a realistic adventure
in the Arctic wilderness where you will experience the excitement and
challenges that nature imposes on man and animals. Also, you will
role-play and become the author Jack London and write an alternate adventure
within the context of your choice novel. You will be able to make real
connections to the main characters in your choice novel based on all the
research on wolves that you have completed in math class.
Learn about Jack London, the author of The Call of the Wild and
White Fang.
· Select Jack London-his life and books and Who
was...Jack London
· Select An Abbreviated Chronology of Jack London
Before you select your choice novel by Jack London: The Call of the
Wild or White Fang read the poem The Lone Wolf.
· Select A Critic's View of The Call of the
Wild and White Fang
Make a choice as to the literary work that you will read independently.
Read actively
Use the questions on the study guide provided in class to help you
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