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! |
I Have a Dream
Martin Luther King is probably best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech and the Civil Rights Movement, so why am I writing about him on an environmental blog?
Because I agree with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder when he said: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in addition to his many other achievements, helped ‘plant the seeds’ for what would become our nation’s now-thriving ‘environmental justice movement.’”
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
OUTSIDE: Celebrate Urban Birds
When he was reflecting on the eventuality of his own death, Dr. King said he didn’t want his eulogy to focus on the Nobel Prize or the other high honors he was awarded. “I’d like somebody to mention that day [at his eulogy] that Martin Luther King tried to give his life serving others…”
How might you and your students serve your community? One way is by participating in a citizen science project called Celebrate Urban Birds. When your class joins the project, you will get all the materials you need to observe 16 target species of birds and report your findings. The data your students compile will help scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Despite its name, Celebrate Urban Birds isn’t just for city kids. The target birds are found in habitats all over North America. However, one goal of the project is to bring citizen science to communities of color—the very same communities Dr. King served.
OUTSIDE: An Alphabet of Ideas
Not only is it Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but it also happens to be the beginning of a new year—a time when many people make resolutions about improving their own lives and the lives of others.
One of the best things you can do to help your students improve their lives is help them get outside!
Visit the National Wildlife Federation website for 26 activities that will get kids outside. There’s one idea for each letter of the alphabet: “A” is for “Animal Homes” and “B” is for “Bugs at Night.” Find out what “Z” is!
Do a new activity every two weeks for a year-long connection with nature. Many of them can be adapted for both home and school.