FUR, FEATHERS & MORE FULFILLS ADVANCEMENT REQUIREMENTS Tigers in The Wild 4 identify 3 different things (bird, plant, animals) Tigers in the Wild 6 Find 2 different plants and 2 different trees Tigers in the Wild 7 Learn about 2 animals (2 facts each) Tigers Backyard Jungle 2 Point out 2 birds Wolf: Call of the Wild 3 Identify 4 different animals Wolf: Paws on the Path -- 6 (name 2 bugs, 2 birds, 2 animals) Bear: Fur/Feathers 1 Identify 6 things that indicate wildlife nearby Bear: Fur/Feathers 2 Name animal extinct in last 100 years and 1 currently endangered explain why Bear: Fur/Feathers 5 Use magnifying glass to examine plant (will do this with a leaf rubbing) Webelos Walkabout Identify poisonous insects/plants/animals MATERIALS REQUIRED Printed materials included Fresh leaves for leaf rubbing Paper/crayons LEADER NOTES MOST of the above requirements were designed to be accomplished OUTDOORS, ideally on a hike. However, that may be impractical for many of our groups. IF YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE, do so. If you are stuck in a classroom, then use the materials here as best you can to bring this subject to life. 1
Match the Track! Draw a line from the picture to the matching track. SQUIRREL RACCOON COYOTE GREAT HORNED OWL DEER 2
GATHERING (5 minutes) FUR, FEATHERS and MORE Meeting Plan As Scouts enter, give them a worksheet and a crayon and ask them to identify which critter made the tracks on the path. OPENING (4 minutes): Flag Ceremony/Pledge of Allegiance/Scout Oath and Law (consider dispensing with a formal flag ceremony and simply to the Pledge/Oath/Law standing in place to save time) Scout Law POINT OF THE WEEK: KIND. A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing. INTRODUCTION 3 minutes Today we are going to learn about the wonderful world just outside our doors by talking about some of the animals, plants, birds and bugs you may find there. We see many of these critters all the time and don t even really think about them. 3
LEADER NOTES Again, if there is any grassy area nearby or a park, maybe you can go outside. But if you can t, work with these games to teach the material and have some fun. Basically, they need to identify To the extent any of your Scout attend Chill-o-ree or Fish-n-Fun day, we hope to have a hike scheduled where these idenfications can be real-time Also, to the extent you have other resources (library books, plastic models, stamps with tracks, etc.), you can use those to enhance the learning. The game below is just one way to make book learning seem more fun than a typical teacher lecture, and it gets the kids involved and needing to pay attention to help their team score points. It s important to not let it get too competitive, and to make sure the YOUNGER scouts get a chance to play, therefore, I ve divided the cards into two piles one for younger Scouts and one for older. Anyone can answer the question, but have them pick from the age-appropriate stack to READ the question. Some children, especially young readers get very nervous to be asked to read aloud help them if they seem hesitant. There are 10 orange (younger) and 10 blue (older) cards. If you have more than 20 scouts, some won t get a change to read a card. If you have less, you can have some scouts read again. WHO AM I? CRITTER ID GAME (25 min.) Scouts The best way to identify the plants and animals in the wild is to go outside and see them in their natural environment. BUT, an owl sleeps during the day, and coyotes don t just wait on the sidewalk for us to walk by. So instead we are going to play a game to help us learn about some plants, animals and bugs who live near us. We are going to divide up into teams. Let s count off to. (NOTE: You need 2 teams but if you have lots of kids, you can have more. You can divide as you wish but get some of each age group on each time. If you play by dens, the Tigers won t stand a chance against the Webelos!). Pull your chairs together (or sit on the floor, together) and face the front. I will be the ultimate referee and judge! When I call on you, come up and pick a card question card to read to the class. Once you read it, the other team (s) try to answer. YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HAND no shouting out! If you get the answer correct, you get a point for your team. Winning team gets a big cheer! 4
Holes in leaves are a clue of WHAT? You find me most in the hot summer GRASS. I like to HOP but I have wings and can fly. 5
LEAVES OF THREE, LET ME BE! What am I? Blue is my FAVORITE COLOR! I think I m pretty, don t you? 6
I am a friendly bug. Humans like me to live in their garden as I eat other bugs that like to eat their plants. No one likes to get stung by me! 7
PEE UUUU!!!! I stink. Avoid me or I might give you a good dose of a nasty smelling perfume! I am a very good thief. I like to raid your camp by night that s why I wear a mask! 8
If you see me in the dirt, you ll know a critter has passed by recently. Maybe you can even tell who I am! I am the STATE TREE OF TEXAS. Most people like a pie made with my nuts. 9
I am VERY poisonous and can make you sick with fever and chills, vomiting, muscle and joint pain. BE SURE TO SEE A DOCTOR if you get bit by me! What can of spider am I? When I am unhappy and ready to strike, I rattle my tail to give you some warning. 10
Walking in the woods, I can climb on board for a free ride. Be sure to check your clothes and skin for me. I can cause some diseases, like Lyme Disease. WHO AM I? I have two names, and one is COTTON MOUTH. I live in or near the water. I am best avoided as I am poisonous. 11
RED ON YELLOW, KILL A FELLOW. RED ON BLACK, FRIEND OF JACK. If you see a red, yellow and black snake, I could be harmless. BUT if red isn t touching yellow, I am THIS POISONOUS snake. I am another type of poisonous spider. I am black with a bright red hourglass on my back. 12
No, this trail was NOT made by chalk. Instead, a slimy critter was wandering here. WHO AM I? HINT: I rhyme with trail! Every living thing needs to eliminate solid waste from their body. For animals in the wild, we call it, and can use this evidence to figure out what animal was there. 13
Believe it or not, the MALE of this species is the colorful red. The female is mostly brown. I am not a very pretty tree, and I have LONG thorns. I live in the hot, dry climates like TEXAS! 14
LEADER AD LIBS for WHO AM I? Critter ID game. You probably know all this, but as a team gets a correct answer you can use that moment to reinforce a learning point. Such as those listed below. Just read through these before the meeting and you ll be ready to go. POISON IVY: Long sleeves and long pants help you avoid poison ivy if walking in the woods, The oil of the plant has the poison, and it lingers on your skin. SO WASH RIGHT AWAY and don t touch other parts of your body if exposed. That s how the rash spreads even days after you touch the plant. SPIDER BITES (brown recluse) Spider bites can be very painful. It s best to see a doctor if you have any sort of suspicious bite. RATTLESNAKE If you can hear me or see me, just back off slowly and walk around giving me a lot of space. COTTONMOUTH/WATER MOCASSIN These can be found in Texas. SCAT (animal poop) Expect some giggles. But animal tracker can tell which animal passed by and how recently be examining their SCAT. Other clues of nearby wildlife: Birds with nest building material in their beak, or holes in the ground! But don t go sticking your hand down that hole. Something that BITES may live there. Mesquite Tree Grows easily in west Texas on little water due to a dual root system. But ranchers don t like it. Native Americans considered it the TREE OF LIFE. 15
LEARNING ACTIVITIES --- LEAF RUBBING You will need to go leaf picking before the meeting. Try to get a variety, and they need to be pretty fresh. Dry leaves will just crumble. This activity should go quickly. 7 minutes TOPS. Give each Scout a variety of leaves 3 5, depending on size. Demonstrate how to arrange the leaves under a sheet of paper, and then holding the paper in place (or use a bit of tape), rub with a crayon sideways. Over the leave. The impression should come through and show the veins and other details in the leaf. As the Scouts are doing this you can comment on how plants have a structure inside, just like we do, to care water and nutrients through the plant. You can also point out that if they look carefully at leaves OUTSIDE in nature, they could see small bugs, bug bites (holes), and dew. They can use this leaf rubbing as a present for Mom or their teacher 16
GOING, GOING, GONE extinction happens TODAY- -- (5 mins). Leader: Can someone tell me what happened to the dinosaurs? That s right, they became extinct. Extinct means that all of that species has died. And without any left to be mom and dad, there can be no more. EVER. All dinosaurs are extinct. Often we think of extinct when we think about species that lived millions of years ago. But even today, different species of animals, insects and plants become extinct every year. ONE animal that has become extinct in the last 100 years is the CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY BEAR. Even though we still have some grizzly bears today, the CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY BEAR was a separate species as it grew up to 8 feet high and could weigh up to two thousand pounds. Does anyone know what happened to the California Grizzly Bear? (solicit answers) Well, humans happened. When gold was discovered in California in the 1800 s, California s human population grew dramatically, and humans shot and poisoned the bears to protect their livestock. The last California Grizzly Bear was shot in 1922. Today, there are lots of animals, insects and plants that are endangered.. That means they aren t extinct yet, but there are not many left and they are IN DANGER of becoming extinct. Some examples in North America are: Red Wolf Kemp s Ridley Sea Turtle (smallest of the world s sea turtles) California Condor (a REALLY big bird, with a 9.5 foot wingspan). Giant Sea Bass Pygmy Raccoon 17
Let s talk about the California Condor: With its nine-and-a-half-foot wingspan, deep black feathers and bare pink head, the California condor is quite a sight. Before settlers rushed into California in the mid-19th century, the condors soared peacefully through the skies. But then people starting shooting them and stealing their eggs. Birds that weren t killed outright often died of lead poisoning from eating bullet fragments in the carcasses they scavenged. In 1985, when only 22 birds survived, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service captured the last nine in the wild and placed them in a breeding program. Seven years later, condors from that program were reintroduced into California, and that program has since been expanded to two more release sites in that state as well as sites in Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. About 150 birds have been released into the wild, and with normal breeding the population now numbers more than 300 birds. This story shows there is HOPE for endangered species. We can help them to survive. The lesson for us is to be kind to the wildlife with whom we share our world. Be aware of the impact on them of what you do. Don t pollute the water or leave trash they can eat and get sick. 18