The answer to the clues may be found at the bottom of this column.
Teachers and Parents: Enter to win an entire set of Dawn’s nature books of one title for your home or classroom. It's fun and easy!
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Just read the clues below. They describe an aspect of nature—a plant, animal, mineral, habitat, or natural process. |
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When you're ready to make your guess about who or what I am, click ENTER NOW. |
Who Am I?
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Clue 1: I'm a member of the "dog family." |
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Clue 2: I live throughout North America in deserts, prairies, forests, and even in towns and cities. |
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Clue 3: You might hear me howling at night to communicate with my pack. |
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Clue 4: Don't let me trick you—I am NOT a wolf. |
Do you think you know who I am? ENTER NOW.
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Entries should be submitted no later than noon on Friday. |
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If you guessed correctly, you’re automatically entered into the monthly drawing for a set of nature books from Dawn Publications. |
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A contest winner will be announced at the end of September. |
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Throughout the school year, clues for a new Who Am I are posted no later than Sunday night, so you can use them with your class on Monday morning.Good luck! |
Appreciating Turkeys
Turkey is usually the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals. The question is, “What role did it serve in the ‘first thanksgiving’ in 1621? According to historians, the answer is, “While there’s no question that a harvest meal was held in Plymouth Colony, there’s no direct evidence that a turkey made the menu. The one surviving document that mentions this feast suggests that the bird on the table (or probably many birds) was likely goose or duck.”
Turkeys are certainly an important of our current Thanksgiving celebration and, more importantly, of our environment. These unusual birds have made a successful comeback due to conservation efforts throughout the U.S. Find out more at Audubon Magazine.
If there was ever a perfect children’s book for this season it’s Gobble, Gobble. The main character, Jenny, is a young backyard naturalist who follows a flock of “funny-looking birds with big strong feet”—Wild Turkeys! She learns about these amazing birds and your students can learn about them, too, through rhyme and illustrations.
INSIDE: Thankful Thoughts
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here are lots of cool facts about turkeys. Read some of these to your students to give them a new appreciation for this amazing bird. Afterwards, invite your students to create a collage (as in Gobble, Gobble) to illustrate an aspect of nature they’re especially thankful for—a tree, flower, river, or maybe even a turkey!
Get collage ideas (and LOTS more) in this activities packet.
OUTSIDE: The Flour Trick
All kids can be like Jenny discovering tracks when they use the “Flour Trick.” It’s a great activity for parents to do with children at home over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Near your home, sift flour onto the ground where you suspect animals pass by. Scatter seeds (or appropriate food for the animals in your community) on and around the flour-dusted area. Come back the next day to see if any animals have visited. Are there tracks? Can you identify them? What story do they tell?
More Facts and Fun with Thanksgiving
History books often focus on the Pilgrim story and omit Wampanoag history. Find out more about the indigenous people at the first Thanksgiving at the Boston Children’s Museum.
Learning about nature is often the first step in appreciating nature. Visit the Dawn Publications website for inspiring nature books. There are many books on sale right now!
