1a. What made the report of the wildlife biologist so infuriating to the narrator and his group?
2a. When did the Canyon park shops display the little book about Brighty? When did they remove it from the shops?
3a. What enabled the Fund for Animals to pay Dave Ericsson for his roping services?
1b. How might the payment for the shooting have influenced the biologist's report?
2b. What might be the reasoning behind whether to display the book?
3b. In what way do you think people responded to the ad that was placed in Parade?
4a. The Park people placed many obstacles in the path of the rescuers. Make a list of these obstacles.
4b. Why would the Park people want to stop the rescuers? What might the Park people be trying to protect?
5a. Do you agree with Cleveland Amory that the extremely high cost of saving the 577 burros was as important or even more important than saving other animals in trouble? Explain.
5b. How might the goals of the rescuers of the burros in this excerpt and those of other animal activities be different? How might they be similar? How might full, clear, and respectful communication help improve such situations?
Anecdote. In your opinion, which anecdote in Ranch of Dreams is the most effective and what is the point being made?
Aim. What do you believe is Cleveland Amory's primary aim in Ranch of Dreams? Referring to your tally of examples in your chart, support your answer with evidence from the text.
1. Pretend you are a Grand Canyon tourist who saw one of the rescues. Write a postcard about it to one of your best friends.
2. Imagine you are narrator Cleveland Amory. Write a notice to Canyon park tourists that explains what the rescue work is all about.
3. Pretend you are one of the helicopter pilots. Write a descriptive paragraph about flying one of the burros to the top of the Canyon.
Antonyms. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. Find an antonym (or near antonym) for each of the following adjectives, or description words, from Ranch of Dreams. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to check your answers or to help lead you to the answers.
Example obvious: subtle
1. detest
2. prominent
3. incidental
4. adamant
5. solemn
6. dignify
7. infuriate
8. finite
9. enable
10. nominal
Contractions. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.26, "Using Contractions." Then rewrite the following sentences, forming contractions when possible.
1. I am not going to the party.
2. Dee could not think of a reason for going.
3. Marvin can not use the car.
4. Is not that Alice?
5. Do not throw glass in with the garbage.
6. She will join us at noon.
7. Paul is not going to make the team.
8. They are at the video arcade.
9. I should have practiced longer.
10. You are coming, too, are not you?
Group Research Project: Form small groups to research the Black Beauty Ranch. You may want to access the ranch's Internet site at: http://www.blackbeautyranch.org or check for articles in the library. Find out as much as you can about what animals are there (and what their names are), what their environments are like, how injured animals are cared for, which animals are friends, what some of their habits and behaviors are like, and where the burros are kept. Determine a special assignment for each group member, such as: draw a detailed map or diagram of the ranch with identifying labels, make a list of all the animals (include definitions of ones not familiar), find pictures to illustrate each type of animal, classify the animals (mammal, bird, fish, reptile, or amphibian), form a list of questions and suggestions about the ranch and its operation. Assemble the completed assignments into one report and present it to the class. If you wish, send a class letter or e-mail to the ranch, reporting some of your thoughts and feelings about it. Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Internet sources:
Books and other print sources:
Notes:
Looking at Slogans. The slogan "Animals have rights, too" has helped make animal rights a huge issue worldwide. Explore as many media as possible for examples that champion the rights of animals. Remember to check sources such as song lyrics, T-shirts, paintings, photographs, billboards, and comics as well as newspapers, magazines, TV shows, and movies. Make a chart of your findings using the following headings: Media Source, Date, General Description, Animal Rights Message. Display all the charts together in the classroom and see the variety of coverage. Use the following chart to record your findings.
