Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant: The Web of Life

All animals require similar things to live: food, water, shelter, and clean air. The things they eat and the places they live can be very different, though. Using Dr. Wynn-Grant’s website https://www.raewynngrant.com/ as a launching point, divide students into three groups and assign them one of the following animals that Dr. Wynn-Grant has done research on: grizzly bears in Yellowstone, black bears in Nevada, or lions in Kenya. On a large sheet of paper, have students create a poster showing what each animal eats, the kind of environment they live in, what the climate is like there, etc.

For younger students, have them compare the animals between the different posters: how are they the same? How are they different?

For older students, construct a food web for each of their assigned animals/ environments. Ask: where do humans fit in on this food web? Where do they compete or conflict with the large carnivores in their area? Brainstorm some ways that these interactions can be made safer.