Ronald J. Jakubowski
City animals are often taken for granted. Both teachers and children alike feel that the woods are the only place to learn about wildlife. While the woods would make a more suitable wildlife classroom, it is not the only wildlife classroom. Inner city animals are abundant and thriving in habitats very close to city dwellers. While it is very difficult for many children to get into the woods to study wildlife, it is easy to do in the city. The gray squirrel, the house sparrow, the starling, and the pigeon are all good examples of animals who have adapted to a city environment yet maintain a wildlife status. These four animals of the city will be the main focus of this unit. Each animal has peculiarities that lend themselves to being of great interest to most fifth and sixth grade Science students. The unit could be five weeks long and take place at any time of the year since these animals are year round residents of New Haven. Or it could be an ongoing unit which studies changes in behavior, habitats and physical appearances of the animals over an extended period. The latter would utilize charts and graphs to record differences and/or similarities throughout the year.
The objectives of this unit are:
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1. to observe animal behavior in natural environments;
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2. to familiarize children with animal observation and data gathering techniques;
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3. to draw conclusions and make assumptions from data gathered during observations;
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4. to create in children an awareness of animal life in their environment;
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5. to sensitize children to the needs of animals that live in the city.
