Animal and Plant Lessons

Animal and Plant Lessons:

We are told in Torah that we are to rule over the animals and plants. This means that we are to care for them. We are to care for this earth that YHWH has created. In this lesson you will learn how to care more for the animals, plants, and earth itself as YHWH has instructed us.

Genesis 1:24-31 24 And YHWH said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:
livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
25 YHWH made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And YHWH saw that it was good.
26 Then YHWH said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So YHWH created man in his own image, in the image of YHWH he created him; male and female he created them.
28 YHWH blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then YHWH said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 YHWH saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.

Exodus 20:10-11 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Almighty your YHWH. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
11 For in six days the Almighty made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Almighty blessed the Sabbath day and made it righteous.

Leviticus 25:3-7 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.
4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the Almighty. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.
6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you--for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you,
7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

Leviticus 26:33-35 33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
34 Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
35 All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.

Look through Torah and write down other places where YHWH is giving rest to the people, animals, and plants. Write down the chapters and verses where you found the information.

What are the plants in your neighborhood?

What are the animals in your neighborhood?

Animal Alert:

This is an ANIMAL in our neighborhood that is endangered.3

Animal's name:_____________________________ Animal's Picture below:

Description:_______________________________

________________________________________

Problem with animal:____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Solution:______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Reported By:__________________________________________________________________________

WILDLIFE WARNING:

This is a plant in our neighborhood that is endangered.

Plant's name:_______________________ Plant's picture below:__________________

Description:_______________________________

________________________________________

Problem with plant:_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Solution:______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Reported By:__________________________________________________________________________

Naturalist Notebook:

Cut out each of the paragraphs below. Tape or glue each paragraph to a page and then draw a picture to go along with each paragraph. Include additional blank animal and plant blank pages so the children can add to their booklet, writing down their observations or drawing pictures of what they see in their own backyards. Compile all the sheets, add a cover, punch two holes in the pages, and join them together with a piece of green yarn. A naturalist notebook!

Weeds are wonder plants! They grow just about anywhere! Weeds grow in the grass, in flowerbeds, and in the cracks of the sidewalk. Find and draw an interesting weed that lives in your neighborhood.

Flowers are amazing! A flower has many parts. Each part has a different job. One job is to attract bees or butterflies to pollinate the plant. Another job is to make the fruit with the seed for next year's flower. Draw a pretty neighborhood flower.

Trees are great neighbors! They give us shade and beauty. Trees have different kinds of leaves, flowers, nuts, and cones. Draw your favorite neighborhood tree.

Bugs are everywhere! Some crawl along. Some dig into the ground. Many hide in the bushes. Most fly from plant to plant. Look around. Find and draw some insects that live in your neighbor.

A bird works very hard just being a bird. Imagine what it would be like to flap your arms all day, just stopping for a little while to eat. Draw some birds that live in your neighborhood.

Animals are our neighbors! Squirrels scurry all day collecting nuts. Rabbits come out at dusk to eat newly planted flowers. Moles and gophers make homes underground in your yard. Draw an animal that lives in your neighborhood.

Give children a collection bag to fill with weeds and encourage them to pick thinner, more delicate samples that can be easily pressed. Turn the weeds into beautiful pictures or cards.

1. Fold a large sheet of paper in half and have children write their name on the paper.

2. Position the weeds on half of the paper, making sure that no plant edges are touching. Fold the other half over the plants.

3. Place the paper inside a heavy book and pile books on top. Allow the plants to dry for several days.

4. Using Q-tips and glue, permanently attach the pressed weeds to the front of another art paper to create a picture or to a folded page to make a card.

National Wildlife Week:

National wildlife week is from April 16-22, 2001; the week that leads up to the 31st. annual Earth Day on 4-22-01. The week is to educate people about our wildlife neighbors. The theme is "Nature in Your Neighborhood." Each day of this special week will focus on a different region of our country with its unique flora and fauna. It will also spotlight endangered animals in each region.

NWF's Web site: http://nwf.org for activities and information to help you celebrate National Wildlife week. Find downloadable activity sheets for each region, regional endangered animal highlights, information on legislation to preserve and protect wildlife, and interactive student games. A great help!

News flash!

Millions of species of plants and animals live on Earth, but the number is diminishing at an alarming rate. Some careless people threaten wildlife with increasing pollution and encroachment of natural habitats. Encourage children to learn more about endangered species through wildlife books, magazines, and Web sites. Ask them to choose on endangered plant or animal to research, then write a report and draw a picture on the "Animal Alert!" and "Wildlife Warning!" reproducible pages. www.nesarc.org/tstmain.htm Find the National Endangered Species List for each state.

www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html Wildlife Service Endangered Home Page features state and regional species status, a photo gallery, and a kids corner.

www.endangeredspecie.com/map.htm Click on the U.S. map to find out what animals in a specific state are endangered.

www.schoolworld.asn.au/species/reports.html This SchoolWorld Internet Education/Endangered Species Project list reports created by kids around the world.

www.thewildones.org Here you'll find loads of information about a variety of endangered animals. You can also e-mail a question to a scientist, zoo employee, or conservation professional.

www.animalpicturesearchive.com This site offers a long list of images of animals worldwide, including some animated images, clip art, and sound clips.

Vocabulary Words:

Look up each word in the dictionary and write its meaning.

animal, plant, rest, endangered, species, conservation, encroachment, preserve, protect, neighbors, wildlife, Naturalist, Sabbaths, rule, habitat

1.) Put your vocabulary words in alphabetical order.

2.) Write a sentence with each word.

3.) Write a paper about what you have learned.

4.) Make a collage of what you have learned. Cut out pictures of plants and animals from magazines and situate them on construction paper with a title. Show wildlife in their natural habitat.

Crossword Puzzle: http://school.discovery.com/puzzles4/mneale2/html/28219xaynk.html

Word Search:

animal, plant, rest, endangered, species, conservation, encroachment, preserve, protect, neighbors, wildlife, Naturalist, Sabbaths, rule, habitat

Scrambled Words:

http://school.discovery.com/worksheets4/mneale2/9837999187251exe-s.html

Fill in the Blanks: Choose from your vocabulary words to fill in the blanks below.

The _____ and _____ listed on the web sites are _____ _____. _____ are helping with _____ in different neighborhoods to _____ and _____ our _____ _____. The _____ of some people in a natural _____ are harming animals and plants. We are to _____ over animals and plants which means we are to care for them. This also means to give them _____ on the _____ also.

Take a short Quiz:

http://school.discovery.com/quizzes4/mneale2/AnimalPlantQuiz.html