Critical Literacy Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Wolf Management Programs

Critical Literacy

Objectives	Students will be able to… ·         Develop an informed perspective of wolf management based on research. ·         Identify goals and considerations for wolf management programs. ·         Review existing wolf management legislation to determine its effectiveness. ·         Propose revisions to existing legislation to improve outcome.
Essential Questions	For Students: ·         What factors that must be considered in making decisions that affect wolves? ·         Does your research support the laws that control wolf populations? ·         What concerns do you have about current wolf management? ·         What is the role/responsibility of individuals and the community in developing wildlife management programs? For Educators: ·         How are effective wildlife management programs developed? ·         How is ineffective or unjustified legislation reviewed and improved?
Standards	OBio.2.1 Analyze the interdependence of living organisms within their environments. Bio.2.1.2 Analyze the survival and reproductive success of organisms in terms of behavioral, structural, and reproductive adaptations. Bio.2.1.3 Explain various ways organisms interact with each other (including predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism) and with their environments resulting in stability within ecosystems.
Materials	·         Internet access ·         Book: Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat ·         Article: Never Cry Wolf: Science, Sentiment, and the Literary Rehabilitation of Canis Lupus, a critical review of Never Cry Wolf, by Karen Jones ·         Minnesota state wolf management website: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/wolves/mgmt.html ·         Biologist reports: Livestock depradation by wolves, by Michael Francis, US Bureau of Reclamation  http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=wolfrecovery Do Wolf Tracks and Few Deer in Your Hunting Area Mean What You Think They Mean? By Glenn D. DelGuidice, Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/animals/mammals/wolves/delguidice_wolf_article.pdf   ·         Montana House bill 73:  http://openstates.org/mt/bills/2013/HB73/documents/MTD00005735/ ·         News report about House Bill 73: http://missoulian.com/news/local/legislature-gives-quick-ok-to-expanded-montana-wolf-hunt/article_dd73cd48-7170-11e2-a980-0019bb2963f4.html
Procedure	Never Cry Wolf is an autobiographical account of Farley Mowat’s experiences as a Canadian Wildlife Services biologist where he was assigned to investigate the role of the Arctic wolf in declining caribou populations. Mowat lived closely alongside a wolf pack and his studies disproved multiple misconceptions about wolf behavior and were instrumental in changing the public image of the wolf from a savage killer to an intelligent, social animal with an ecologically beneficial role in the food chain which is necessary for preserving the health of caribou herd.  However, the book has generated considerable and legitimate criticism from many researchers and authorities in the science and wildlife management community. Mowat himself declares that he “never lets facts interfere with the truth,” and so it is the responsibility of the reader to develop an informed opinion about wolves and wolf management by researching the relevant issues. Students will develop an informed perspective on wolf management using their interpretation of Mowat’s book to initiate their own research, and they will ultimately have a better understanding of effective wolf management options in order to help promote effective laws and policy. Procedure: Students will individually read the critical review of Never Cry Wolf to identify the expected scientifically controversial material and then work in groups to objectively read, interpret and evaluate Mowat’s book. Working in approximately eight groups of three students each, each group will be assigned three chapters of the book. Each group will analyze their assigned chapters for possible inconsistencies with factual research. Students will develop charts for the described incidents wolf behavior in each chapter using the prompt: “Does the account of this incident seem plausible?” One column of the chart will itemize incidents that students believe warrant researching and the other column will report the results of their investigation with references cited. Students can use internet or library resources for this comparison. Students will develop conclusions about their assigned chapters and write a brief summary of how their perspective of wolves has evolved to reflect both the book’s sentimental and conservational tone along with factual information either supporting or contradicting the book’s content. Each group will verbally share their chart and conclusions with the class. Interrogate multiple viewpoints by role playing to defend an assigned point of view:                                                               i.      Each group will be randomly assigned a special interest (i.e. conservationist and hunter/rancher) to represent in order to argue their point of view (each of 3 conservationist groups will be matched to 3 opposing hunter/rancher groups). Students will develop their arguments using the provided biologists’ reports and the Minnesota state wildlife management website.                                                               ii.      Based on their research, each group will prepare a short statement defending their position, and will ask (and answer) at least two questions posed by the opposing group they have been matched with. This effectively generates 3 debate teams arguing both sides of the wolf management issue. Disrupt the commonplace by reviewing existing wolf management legislation and suggesting improvements:                                                               i.      Each group will review either the provided wolf management bill (Montana house bill 73) or a bill or policy of their choice and evaluate the proposed legislation for effectiveness based on their previous research and knowledge of wolf behavior. The Montana house bill 73 has been summarized in the provided news report.                                                             ii.      Based on the provided biologists’ reports as well as their own research about wolf behavior, each group will develop suggestions for how to improve the bill that are consistent with research findings.                                                           iii.      The groups will pool their suggestions and a collaborative bill revision will be drafted as a class effort.                                                            iv.      As an exit slip, each student will write a short summary of the class revisions, along with the cited references that they used.                                                              v.      The revised class draft and summaries can be submitted to the state representatives sponsoring the bill. Focus on sociopolitical issues:  Students will be asked to review actual legislation and biological reports, in order to revise existing wolf management laws and develop informed and effective programs. Take action and promote change:  Students are asked to submit their suggestions regarding existing laws to persuade legislators to make necessary revisions.
Assessment	·         Group chart of wolf behavior that is consistent/inconsistent with research ·         Role playing position statements and question/answers from opposing groups ·         Group suggestions for bill revisions ·         Exit slip: individual student summary of all groups’ bill revisions
Modifications	Visual:  Group wolf behavior chart can be posted in the classroom and bill revision suggestions can be written on a white board. Audio:  Students are expected to discuss the book chapters and bill/revisions, and role playing the interest groups will involve a verbal debate process. Kinesthetic:  Students can be encouraged to be physically expressive and move around (using hand motions for emphasis, etc.) when defending their assigned role as conservationists, hunter/ranchers. English Language Learners: Students will work in small groups throughout the lesson, and students will be encouraged to support ESL peers. Elements of the lesson that are challenging for ESL students can be facilitated with support resources (such as providing a news report summarizing a complex legal bill).
Reflection	Strengths: Students are expected to find the lesson engaging and meaningful because it involves both compelling reading/subject material and because they will be involved in a real-world process of legislative bill revision that can actually make a difference in wildlife program administration and wolf management. Students will derive empowerment and feelings of accomplishment from developing expertise in a research area with real-life implications. Areas of improvement and how to modify: Students might find it challenging to defend a position that they are not naturally inclined to defend in the role playing exercise. However, it is expected that students will become more comfortable with this process after doing research and finding legitimate data that supports both sides of the issue. Students might find reviewing a legal bill difficult, even after reading a news report summarizing the bill. The teacher may facilitate this process by breaking the bill down into manageable parts and explaining each part to the class before the groups work on their bill revisions.