Pistes d'exploration

Use a graphic organizer to list animals that live in your neighbourhood. As you read, add pertinent information. Use the index to help you refer to relevant pages.

Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast urban versus wild animals.

Is urban wildlife beneficial or detrimental? List some reasons for both arguments and lead a discussion with your class.

Select one of the featured “city critters.” Write a day-in-the-life diary entry, incorporating information from the text.

Take a picture walk and discuss interesting photographs with a partner. Consider the name of the animal, where it might normally dwell and what challenges it faces

Search for interesting information and write Did you know? cards to exchange with peers.

Choose a wild animal that can be found in your area. Use the index to find information about the animal. Read the relevant text and write a short informational article on the animal for the school newspaper.

Exploring the World of Raccoons

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , animal adaptations , animal behaviour , animals , city life , habitats , illustrations (photographs) , structures and features

Commentaire descriptif

Upbeat conversational language takes advanced readers on a tour of wildlife found on our piers, among high rises and under front porches. “Like it or not, certain kinds of wildlife have decided to call North American cities home, too. And there’s nothing we humans can do about it.” It’s not all raccoons and pigeons, either. Whales share the urban waterways of cities such as Seattle and Victoria. In Florida communities, alligators take dips in swimming pools. Mammals such as foxes, coyotes, deer and seals, as well as a broad range of birds, fish, reptiles and insects are addressed in nine fairly lengthy chapters. Sidebars address issues such as measuring animal intelligence, animal adaptation and human response to invasive species. (Sometimes we eat them.) And while the message celebrates these versatile animals, the book also reflects on extinct and endangered species and how to protect the wildlife among us. Quality photography and information-rich captions complete this thoughtful and interesting book. Back material includes a glossary, resources and an index. This is an excellent resource for life science students who wish to pursue their own research projects in urban settings—and good reading for the rest of us city slickers.