Aug. 17, 2005: Monkeys

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Make a set of monkey trading cards. Use 3-by-5 cards, or cut paper into small squares. Draw a picture of a monkey on the front. Write facts about the monkey on the back. You can draw pictures of monkeys doing different activities.

2. Use pictures or words from the newspaper to make a poster about monkeys. Draw a monkey in the center of the poster. Then paste newspaper pictures or words from the newspaper around your drawing. Include (a) items that monkeys eat, (b) objects monkeys would like to play on, (c) a place where monkeys might like to live, and (d) things that are a danger to monkeys.

3. Use a Venn diagram to show the differences between monkeys and apes. Draw two large circles that overlap. In one circle, write information that applies only to monkeys. In the other circle, write information that applies only to apes. In the middle overlapping section, write information that applies to both monkeys and apes.

4. List five monkey behaviors that demonstrate their intelligence. Write several sentences explaining why you think monkeys are intelligent.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about a specific kind of monkey. Select one of the monkeys discussed in today¹s Mini Page. Use these questions to guide your research:

• What is the name of the monkey?
• In what part of the world does this monkey live?
• What kind of habitat does the monkey live in?
• What does the monkey eat?
• What is the social life of the monkey?
• How many monkeys of this species are on the planet?
• Is it endangered or not?
• What elements threaten the monkey?
  
  

This week's standards:

• Students understand the characteristics of animals. (Science: Life Science)
• Students understand the interaction of animals and the environment. (Science: Life Science)
  
  (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi