Week 11: The Polar Bear

Found only in the Arctic, POLAR BEARS' habitat is increasingly threatened due to climate change

Week 11: The Polar Bear - Week of Mo 3.30*
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

*No class: 3.31 (Sec. 13)

Upcoming:

Week 12: The Mustang - Week of Mo 4.6

Class: Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Wordiness: Exercises”

Due: PERSUASIVE ESSAY (ANNOTATED)

 

Animal News 3.28.15

• Who is responsible for the pink hens on the loose in Portland? (Huffington Post)
• Empty-handed: for first in 30 years, Japanese whaling ships return from Antarctic waters with no whale kills (Yahoo! News)
• Scientists successfully splice mammoth DNA into that of a living elephant (KTVI-TV)
• New shape-shifting frog species discovered (Cleavland Plain Dealer)
• Pakistani lioness gives birth to five healthy cubs (Yahoo! News)
• Massacre: 30 elephants killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Huffington Post)

Week 10: The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat

Unlike other species, MEXICAN FREE-TAILED BATS are not currently threatened

Week 10: The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat - Week of Mo 3.23
NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK

Upcoming:

Week 11: The Polar Bear - Week of Mo 3.30
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Aniaml News 3.20.15

• Why we still don't understand whale songs (io9)
• Man stays in Fukushima to care for abandoned animals (Metro UK)
• Couple's romantic date ruined after encountering a swarm of urban rats (Daily Mirror)
• Mexico seeks homes for thousands of circus animals affected by circus animal ban (ecorazzi)
• Want to help tag a tiger? There's an app for that (BBC News)
• Was the fish you just ate caught by slaves? (Gawker)

Week 9: The Lace Monitor

THE LACE MONITOR feeds upon birds(and bird eggs), insects, reptiles, small mammals and carrion

Week 9: The Lace Monitor - Week of Mo 3.16
Read: WILD—Nine: The Lions of Zion – Epilogue: Alone on the Hill”
Class: Lecture—“The Fundamentals of Rhetoric”

Upcoming:
Week 9: The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat - Week of Mo 3.23
NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK

Reflection 4: The Truth is Out There—Exploring Famous Cryptids

Cryptozoology is the study of animals that may or may not exist. Technically, it might be the search for a long unseen species of rabbit, or as-of-yet unclassified deer. However, what places cryptozoology squarely in the realm of pseudosciences for many scientists is its pursuit of several spectacular creatures. These "cryptids" range from alleged lake monsters in North America (Ogopogo, Champ, etc.)  to man-like apes in Australia (Yowies) to bipedal river monsters in Japan (Kappas). Many of these animals are truly unbelievable, and if real, would rewrite biology books. Yet, regardless of how sensational some cryptids would have to be to exist, many people, believe—or want to believe. For this reflection examine three famous cryptids from the list below. Highlight two that you believe are at least plausible and one that you are certain does not exist. In your discussion, consider what the appeal is of these creatures. For example, why do these legends, some of whom are centuries old, persist?

Choose three from the list below:

• The Ningen
• El Chupacabra
• The Jersey Devil 
• Sasquatch (Bigfoot, Yeti, Yeren, Yowie, Almas, etc.)
• Cadborosaurus
• The Loch Ness Monster 
• The Mothman 
• Mokèlé-mbèmbé
• Champ
• Navajo Skinwalkers
• Mongolian Death Worm
• Kappa 
• The Michigan Dogman
• Ogopogo

Required:

• MLA Style
• Two full pages in length 

Due: Week of Mo 3.16

Animal News 3.13.15

• Eagle equipped with camera soars from the world's tallest building (Daily Mail)
• Whale lands on Mexican tourist boat, killing Canadian woman (Yahho! News Canada)
• Dog, rescued from an illegal Vietnamese meat market, has now bonded with Scottish family's autistic son (Daily Mirror)
• Alligator makes itself at home on a Florida golf course (SBNation)
• Fans can't get enough of Grumpy Cat at SXSW (Yahoo! News)
• British man shares his bedroom with 32 rescued reptiles (Daily Mail)

Editorial Essay: The Captive Animals Debate

Should wild animals be kept in captivity?

That question has been debated for years. This is a highly nuanced dispute, but, generally speaking, captivity proponents argue that captive wild animals offer the public their only opportunity to see exotic beasts. While, opponents maintain that wild environments cannot be properly replicated in captivity, and, thus, animals suffer. What do you think about the issue of animal captivity? Where is the issue black and white in your view, and where is it less clear? For example, are the captive animals of zoos the same as those of circuses? Should we make a distinction between those animals used for display and those used for entertainment?

For your in-class editorial this week (the week of March 9th), have ready three sources (including one from a contrary position). You may choose whatever sources you like. However, be sure that they come from legitimate sources on the subject (e.g. circus associations, wildlife preservation groups.  

Remember, an editorial expresses an opinion on a current issue. It may take a formal or informal tone, but its primary goal is always to persuade readers. Because editorials were born in newspapers, they are traditionally succinct in form and can often carry the "voice" of the author.

Below are a series of recent editorials from around the country.

• "Abolish marriage. For everyone. Problem solved." (San Francisco Chronicle) 
• "Oscars’ Winning Messages Uplift and Save Lives" (Dallas Morning News) 
• "Shaming the Ant-Vaxxers" (Calgary Sun)
• "Walmart's Visible Hand" (New York Times)

Week 8: The European Robin

The European Robin is known throughout Europe and N. Africa for its distinctive songs

Week 8: The European Robin - Week of Mo 3.9 Read: WILD—Five: Ecological Meltdown – Eight: Valley of Fear” Class: EDITORIAL ESSAY*; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Assessing Sources”
Due: REFLECTION 4

*Have three outside sources ready to use during your in-class essay

Upcoming:

Week 9: The Lace Monitor - Week of Mo 3.16
Read: WILD—Nine: The Lions of Zion – Epilogue: Alone on the Hill”
Class: Lecture—“The Fundamentals of Rhetoric”

Animal News 3.3.15

• DEA agent testimony: Utah wildlife with "cultivate a taste" for marijuana if drug is legalized (Washington Post)
• Study: Dogs knows when a person is dying (New York Daily News)
• New compositions cater to cats, not humans(Popular Science)
• Menu for Zimbabwe's president includes baby elephant (Washington Post)
• New Chinese survey says wild panda numbers are way up (National Geographic)
• Snake vs. spider: See who wins (Uproxx)

Week 7: The Mountain Gorilla

Less than 700 Mountain Gorillas remain in their native habitats of central Africa

Week 7: The Mountain Gorilla - Week of Mo 3.02
Read: WILD—Prologue: The Grizzly in the Room – Four: The Killer Whale
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Easy Fixes: Ten Grammar Rules to Know”
Due: REFLECTION 3; EVALUATION ESSAY (DRAFT 3—WITH 2-3 WORDS CUT FROM EACH SENTENCE; ATTACH DRAFTS 1 AND 2 TO BACK)

Upcoming:

Week 8: The European Robin - Week of Mo 3.9
Read: WILD—Five: Ecological Meltdown – Eight: Valley of Fear”
Class: EDITORIAL ESSAY*; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Assessing Sources”
Due: REFLECTION 4

*Have three outside sources ready to use during your in-class essay