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Bears of the World

Author:	Victor Watkins and John Callaghan
Language:	English
Objectives:	The resource was produced in 2003 to support the 'Liberty' campaign for bears. The aim of this campaign was to reverse the appalling catalogue of cruelty and exploitation of one of the world�s best-loved animals. Animal welfare learning outcomes could include: 1. Generating an awareness of the work of WSPA in protecting bears from cruelty and exploitation. 2. Increasing knowledge and understanding of the welfare needs of individual bear species. 3. Developing an understanding of the threats to the welfare of bears. 4. Enabling empathy towards bears through an understanding of their lives, needs and threats to their welfare. 5. Increasing awareness of how to be 'Bear Safe'. There are no learning objectives included in this resource. It is up to the teacher to decide.
Type of Resource:	Chart/Diagram/Poster, Fact Sheets
Target Age Level:	Primary education 5 -11, Secondary education 12-16
Concepts/Issues:	Animals in captivity
Curricular Area:	Personal & Social Education, Literacy, Science general, Biology, PSHE/Citizenship education, Geography
Learning Style:	Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Visual/spatial, Affective/emotional/intuitive, Practical
Description:	This interactive resource provides information in fact sheets, diagrams and a poster about the natural lives of the world�s eight bear species. The material explores the threats they face, and highlights the ways in which humans can help safeguard their habitats and welfare. The resource could be discretely integrated into one lesson or could provide the basis for a scheme of work over a number of weeks. Students can work independently, in pairs or in small groups. The information is presented in an accessible/easy-to-understand way. Primary schools cannot use this resource under the curricular area Biology because, most of the time, it is not studied as a subject in its own right before the age of 12. However, some of the information contained within this resource could be of some use in Environmental Studies or Geography from age nine.
Contents:	The fact pack consists of 8 sheets on the individual bear species: 1. American Black Bear. 2. Asiatic Black Bear. 3. Brown Bear. 4. Giant Panda. 5. Polar Bear. 6. Sloth Bear. 7. Spectacled Bear. 8. Sun Bear. There are also fact sheets on: 1. General information on bears. 2. Threats to Bears. 3. Bear Safe Information. 4. The Work of WSPA. 5. Bear questions/topics. There is a large full-colour poster - Bears of The World which could be displayed in class.
Purchasing Info:	WSPA
Resource Publisher or Supplier:	WSPA
Contact:	Education Unit 89 Albert Embankment London, UK SE1 7TP http://www.wspa-international.org/ +44 20 75875000 education@wspa-international.org
Detailed Information:	KEY CONCEPTS INCLUDED AND ILLUSTRATED: 1. Welfare needs of the eight bear species. 2. Threats to the survival and welfare of bears. 3. The role of WSPA and international collaboration in protecting bears. 4. Personal responsibility in contributing to the welfare of bears. MAIN ACTIVITY It is left up to the teacher as to how the resource is used. It could be integrated into debate, role play, persuasive writing, critical thinking, developing posters/leaflets, enabling students to give in-class presentations on a particular welfare issue. The sheet Bear Facts - Bear Questions provides activities ideas aimed at: 1. Empathy raising - where students imagine themselves as a dancing bear, a bear in a bear bile cage or in a circus or zoo. 2. Developing critical thinking - through participation in a role play of a TV/radio discussion on the subject of bear farming. 3. Facilitating creativity and design to develop a bear safe poster which could be used to inform the public or those on holiday in a bear country. 4. Developing persuasive/factual writing skills involving writing an account of bear farming (for bear bile) and the illegal trade in bear products. 5. Enabling analytical thinking by identifying the main welfare concerns for bears kept in captivity in zoos and circuses. This fact sheet also includes questions for students - but not answers. WHAT YOU NEED There are no specific requirements, but the teacher may wish to ensure that poster making resources are available to students (paper, felt tip pens, paints and crayons). The teacher may also want to provide paper or card to enable role play scenarios to be written out. ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING No guidance is given for teachers. Assessment could include evaluation of the question/answers from the fact sheet provided, observation of in-class role play/discussion/debate or development of a personal student portfolio containing persuasive writing work, posters and other evidence of learning. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES Although there are no extension activities explicitly provided, students may wish to identify their own personal action points from what they have learned. ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION This resource is also available in Thai.

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