Wildlife and Globalization

Overview: In this unit, we want to explore the historical and social significance of animals as cultural symbols in various countries around the world, as well as the impact that humans have made on the population and natural habitats of these animals.

Objectives:
1. Explore the use of animals in cultures around the world as symbols of certain beliefs, ideas, and attributes.
2. Examine the connection between the endangered alligator and its cultural significance in China, as well as the human causes behind the dwindling numbers of these animals, by reading and discussing "Rare Alligator Is Threatened As China Feeds Its People."
3. Investigate the ways in which animals have been used as traditional symbols in cultures around the world; analyze the current status of these animals in their native habitats.
4. Create a "Revered Animals Around the World" exhibit to display research findings both artistically and textually.

1.  We will read and discuss "Rare Alligator Is Threatened As China Feeds Its People," answering the following questions:

Related Article
Rare Alligator Is Threatened as China Feeds Its People
By CAROL KAESUK YOON

(Go to Article.)

a. What do dragons represent in traditional Chinese culture?


b. Why are alligators associated with dragons?


c. How many Chinese alligators are thought to exist, according to researchers?


d. What is the natural habitat of the Chinese alligator?


e. How has this habitat changed over the years?


f. How does the cultivation of rice played a role in the lives of the alligators?


g. Where are the alligators thriving?


h. What would researchers and zoologists like to do with the alligators in captivity?


i. Why might this be difficult, according to the article?


j. What were some challenges researchers faced while trying to document the number of these alligators in the wild?


k. Why do some people object to the possibility of reintroducing alligators to nature?


l. According to the article, how have alligators in nature suffered "accidental" deaths?


m. Where can the only other species of alligator in the world be found?


n. What is the life span of the Chinese alligator?


o. How do Chinese mythological representations of dragons differ from Western ones?


p. Why do some Chinese consider alligator meat beneficial?


q. From which sources do support and funding for the endangered alligators come?


r. In addition to the alligator, which other endangered species in China are receiving attention and government funds?


s. According to the article, what is necessary for the reintroduction of Chinese alligators to the wild to take place?

Choose a human-wildlife conflict to study in detail from any prairie habitat in the world (prairies in other parts of the world may be referred to as grasslands, savannah, pampas, plains, or steppe). The following sites will help them choose, as well as begin their research.

National Geographic: Animals and Nature Guide
National Geographic News: Black-Footed Ferrets Making a Comeback Through Artificial Insemination
ABC News: Reduced Wolf Protection Pleases Ranchers
The American Trickster: Learning to Live with Coyotes
Defenders of Wildlife: Wildlife at Risk
Humane Solutions to Wildlife Conflicts
MSPCA: About Human-Wildlife Conflict (see icons of specific animals across the bottom of the page)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS: Trends and Management of Wolf-Livestock Conflicts in Minnesota

Once you have chosen a conflict,  research on the Web and/or in the library to learn as much as you can about it. Encourage them to contact organizations that support both sides of the conflict to learn more. They should be able to answer at least the following questions:

bulletWhat is the animal's range?
bulletWhat does it prey upon, and what preys upon it?
bulletIn what ways does it affect other populations (wildlife and human)?
bulletHow did the conflict(s) evolve?
bulletWhat is being done to solve the conflict?
bulletWho are the main groups involved in the conflict?
bulletWhat are the main arguments of the groups on each side of the conflict?
bullet
Each group use a blank outline map from the Xpeditions atlas to show the area of the world where the conflict they have chosen is taking place.

Each group will create a presentation about the conflict it studied. The presentation could be multimedia-based, if resources are available (e.g., a Web site or a PowerPoint slide show); an oral report with a visual component, such as photographs or illustrations; or any other creative way they feel they can demonstrate what they have learned.

 
Have the groups take turns sharing their presentations with class and ask each other questions.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have each student write a position paper as if they planned to send it to a legislator or government official. Students should explain what they have learned and how they feel about the conflict they studied in their small group. The paper should include at least one possible solution to the conflict, stumbling blocks to this possible solution, and how to address them. Ask students to try to include information they learned from other groups presentations, especially situations where a conflict has been successfully addressed.
Extending the Lesson:

 

 

Extension Activities:  We may do one or more of these depending on time
1. According to the article, researchers have had difficulty in the past getting attention in China regarding the endangered alligator. Research the past fifty years of government in China and create a timeline or classroom poster highlighting the relationship between nature and politics in China.

2. Write a comparative study of Western (European) and Eastern (Asian) notions of the mythical dragon. How did this creature come to exist in two separate cultural traditions? Illustrate your study with images, literature and other portrayals of the dragon in each tradition.

3. Create a glossary of endangered and extinct animals. Make sure to note each species' habitat of origin and date of extinction or status of endangerment, and a picture or photo of the animal.

4. Using one of the animal tales or folklore researched in class as an example, create your own "modern" animal tale featuring the creature of your choice.

 

Interdisciplinary Connections:  Choose one of these
Civics- Using the contemporary example of Alaskan wildlife refuge legislation, stage a debate about the preservation of nature at all costs versus the use of land for its natural resources.

Current Events- Choose a currently-threatened ecosystem and create a brochure to inform others of actions they can take to help preserve it. Some examples might include rainforests or wetlands.

Economics- How much money is allocated to saving endangered species each year? Make a pie chart representing funds from private donors, nonprofit foundations, the federal government, and other sources.

Science- Conduct zoological research on the world's two species of alligator (the American and the Chinese) and make a comparative chart. How do the species differ? How are they alike?