Animal News 4.29.15

• Snake lovers congregate at Illinois' "Snake Road" for the yearly snake migration (Mashable)
• "Monster" great white takes Australian surfer's leg (UPI)
• International groups assessing the needs of animals in post-earthquake Nepal (International Business Times)
• Russian woman arrested for attempting to smuggle 108 exotic animals—in one suitcase (One Green Planet)
• WTO: Don't trust "dolphin-safe" tuna labels (Forbes)
• Take this job and shove it: Barbie quits her SeaWorld gig (Huffington Post)

Reflection 7: Sing Like a Bird—Examing Animal-Themed Music

Since the earliest days of music, animals have been a consistent theme for musicians. Whether it was to honor an animal god or pay tribute to the beauty of nature, the early human cultures understood animals made powerful subjects for music. In the pop and rock era, animals continue to be a mainstay. For example, our first infatuation is lovingly referred to as “Puppy Love,” meanwhile we can overcome any obstacle if we have the “Eye of the Tiger.” We even enlist animals when teaching young kids basic skills. For this final reflection, examine the animal motifs of two popular songs. In your analysis, consider the rationale for using that particular animal, as well as the outcome. Is the animal used to good effect? For instance, why liken sexuality to a predatory animal (e.g. “Hungry Like the Wolf”) or a delicate insect (e.g. “Butterfly”)? From children's songs to Hip Hop, you may write about any two animal-related songs you like.

Below are websites that categorize many animal-themed songs:

• Songs with Animals in the Title (Songfacts)
• Songs about Animals (Wikipedia)
• Popular Songs with Animals in the Title (Alaska Jim's Music Charts) 
• Animal Song Titles (Who Sang that Song?) 

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length (no works cited page required)

Due: Week of 5.4

Week 15: The African Elephant

Once numbering in the millions, there are estimated to be less than a million AFRICAN ELEPHANTS today

Week 15: The African Elephant - Week of Mo 4.27
Class: Writing workshop; Multimedia presentations
Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PAGE 3; BRING 2 COPIES); REFLECTION 7

Upcoming:

Week 16: The Great White Shark - Week of Mo 5.4

Class: Writing workshop; Multimedia presentations

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PAGE 6; BRING 1 COPY)

Animal News 4.22.15

• You can now search for the Loch Ness Monster using Google Street View (LiveScience)
• New "Kermit" species found in Costa Rica (CBS News)
• Nine-year-old Russian girl savaged by circus lion being taken out for a walk by trainer (Daily Mail)
• Thai officials seize a four ton of ivory stash (Reuters)
• SeaWorld launches media campaign to fight charges it mistreats its whales (Wall Street Journal)
• Video captures woman applying make up to her pet monkey (Daily Mail)

Reflection 6: Donate Now—Choosing an Animal Charity

For this reflection, you will be given a (virtual) $1,000 and tasked with donating all of it to an animal-centered charity. Who you give you money to, and how much, is up to you. However, you must provide a rationale for how you've donated your money. In other words, why did you give where you did? Are you more concerned with domestic animal issues, such as animal shelter adoptions? Or, perhaps you prefer to hlp international issues, such as elephant habitat restoration. You may spend your money in one lump sum or divide it as you see fit.

Below is a list of some of the largest animal charities in the country and world. You may choose from charities on or off this list:

• Anti-Fur Society
• WWF
• Endangered Species International
• Cetacean Alliance
• Marine Animal Rescue
• Best Friends Animal Society
• PeTA
• Greenpeace
• Animal Spay/Neuter International
• ASPCA
• One World Wildlife
• Wildlife Conservation Fund

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length

Due: Week of 4.20

Week 14: The Crested Black Macaque

Native to Indonesia, the BLACK CRESTED MACAQUE is highly endangered

Week 14: The Crested Black Macaque - Week of Mo 4.20
Class: Writing workshop; Multimedia presentations
Due: RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE; REFLECTION 6

Upcoming:

Week 15: The African Elephant - Week of Mo 4.27
Class: Writing workshop; Multimedia presentations
Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PAGE 3; BRING 2 COPIES); REFLECTION 7

Animal News 4.15.15

• Forget the black swan, here is the black flamingo (NBC News)
• Alligator avails itself of the family pet for dinner (International Business Times)
• Her are the states that kill the most animals (24/7 Wall Street)
• Meet Radamenes, Poland's amazing nurse cat (One Green Planet)
• British woman cured of her phobia of snakes on live TV (Daily Mail)
• Don't have a cow: Cow-less milk and cheese is here (Wired)

Week 13: The Grizzly Bear

The GRIZZLY BEAR can be found in Canada and the northwestern United States

Week 13: The Grizzly Bear - Week of Mo 4.13 Class: Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Constructing a Research Paper: A How-To”
Due: RESEARCH PAPER THESIS; REFLECTION 5

Upcoming:

Week 14: The Crested Black Macaque - Week of Mo 4.20

Class: Writing workshop; Multimedia presentations

Due: RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE; REFLECTION 6

 

Reflection 5: Life on the Wild Side—A Look at Animal Documentaries

Documentaries, non-fiction films document some aspect of reality, have been a part of cinema from the earliest days. And early documentarians quickly turned to nature for inspiration. In those days, filmmakers thought nothing of "staging" some of nature's most dramatic scenes, such as releasing prey near a predator in order to film the catch and kill. In today's animal documentaries, staging is frowned upon. Instead, contemporary filmmakers seek to find the drama in the animals' everyday situations. Contemporary documentarians also use use their cameras to highlight a particular situation, such as a pending extinction, or illegal activity. Fortunately for today's audiences, there is a plethora of animal documentaries at our disposal. For this reflection, watch 1-2 feature-length animal documentary from film or TV.

When watching, consider:

• What is the intent of the film?
• What do you know about the subject as a result of watching?
• How is the subject approached? 
• Does the filmmaker have an agenda in filming this subject?
• What was the overall impact of the film?

Note: Several animal documentaries can be found from pay streaming services (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, iTunes); however, a great many can also be found for free on sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo.

Required:

• MLA Style
• Two full pages in length 

Due: Week of Mo 4.13

Animal News 3.8.15

• When manatees (don't) attack! (YouTube)
• Goldfish dumped into a Colorado lake a devastating a delicate ecosystem (ABC News)
• Woman stopped from taking her Bengal tiger cub into Walt Disney World (Daily Mirror)
• TED 2015 presentation: Chimps should have the same rights as humans (International Business Times)
• Pets are the new kids in NYC custody battles (New York Post)
• Texas man offers to clear his neighbor's homes of snakes for free (WHOU-TV)

Week 12: The Mustang

After their introduction by Spanish explorers, MUSTANGS were quickly adopted by several native American tribes

Week 12: The Mustang - Week of Mo 4.6
Class: Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Wordiness: Exercises”

Due: PERSUASIVE ESSAY (ANNOTATED)

Upcoming:

Week 13: The Grizzly Bear - Week of Mo 4.13
Class: Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Constructing a Research Paper: A How-To”
Due: RESEARCH PAPER THESIS; REFLECTION 5

Persuasive Essay: Where the Wild Things Were

As William Stolzenburg illustrates in Where the Wild Things Were, when predators are removed from an ecosystem, things go awry. In fact, it is the delicate environs in which these predators existed that pay the price for the loss of these “keystone species.” For example, the removal of wolves from Yellowstone National Park resulted in an ecological disaster as elk quickly overran the park. In a concise persuasive essay, argue in favor of the reintroduction of predator species into their native environments. Consider why must this be achieved, and what are the consequences of failing to do so? 

When crafting your argument, tailor it to persuade an audience that might:

• Regrettably share land with an apex predator
• Believe the needs of humans supersede those of any other animal

Cite only from Where the Wild Things Were to support your thesis. This essay will be submitted annotated. Details will be explained in class.

Requirements:

• Three full pages
• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• Works cited page 
• Annotations

Due: Week of  4.6.15

Animal News 4.2.15

• Why rabbits make terrible Easter gifts (WHNT-TV)
• Animal rights activists allegedly set fire to Oklahoma Zoo, kill eight animals (Daily Mirror)
• New Illinois proposal allows dogs in courtrooms to comfort child victims (Chicago Tribune) 
• Sand boa numbers on the decline in India (The Hindu) 
• Human birth control byproducts in the water affecting fish populations (Washington Post) 
• The slap: A Thai money gets touchy with a female tourist (Daily Mail)