The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk PDF Author: Jan Thornhill
Publisher: Groundwood Books Ltd
ISBN: 1554989922
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 46

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Book Description
For hundreds of thousands of years, Great Auks thrived. And then they were gone ... For hundreds of thousands of years Great Auks thrived in the icy seas of the North Atlantic, bobbing on the waves, diving for fish and struggling up onto rocky shores to mate and hatch their fluffy chicks. But by 1844, not a single one of these magnificent birds was alive. In this stunningly illustrated non-fiction picture book, award-winning author and illustrator Jan Thornhill tells the tragic story of these birds that “weighed as much as a sack of potatoes and stood as tall as a preteen’s waist.” Their demise came about in part because of their anatomy. They could swim swiftly underwater, but their small wings meant they couldn’t fly and their feet were so far back on their bodies, they couldn’t walk very well. Still the birds managed to escape their predators much of the time ... until humans became seafarers. Great Auks were pursued first by Vikings, then by Inuit, Beothuk and finally European hunters. Their numbers rapidly dwindled. They became collectors’ items — their skins were stuffed for museums, to be displayed along with their beautiful eggs. (There are some amazing stories about these stuffed auks — one was stolen from a German museum during WWII by Russian soldiers; another was flown to Iceland and given a red-carpet welcome at the airport.) Although undeniably tragic, the final demise of the Great Auk led to the birth of the conservation movement. Laws were eventually passed to prevent the killing of birds during the nesting season, and similar laws were later extended to other wildlife species. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk PDF Author: Jan Thornhill
Publisher: Groundwood Books Ltd
ISBN: 1554989922
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 46

Get Book

Book Description
For hundreds of thousands of years, Great Auks thrived. And then they were gone ... For hundreds of thousands of years Great Auks thrived in the icy seas of the North Atlantic, bobbing on the waves, diving for fish and struggling up onto rocky shores to mate and hatch their fluffy chicks. But by 1844, not a single one of these magnificent birds was alive. In this stunningly illustrated non-fiction picture book, award-winning author and illustrator Jan Thornhill tells the tragic story of these birds that “weighed as much as a sack of potatoes and stood as tall as a preteen’s waist.” Their demise came about in part because of their anatomy. They could swim swiftly underwater, but their small wings meant they couldn’t fly and their feet were so far back on their bodies, they couldn’t walk very well. Still the birds managed to escape their predators much of the time ... until humans became seafarers. Great Auks were pursued first by Vikings, then by Inuit, Beothuk and finally European hunters. Their numbers rapidly dwindled. They became collectors’ items — their skins were stuffed for museums, to be displayed along with their beautiful eggs. (There are some amazing stories about these stuffed auks — one was stolen from a German museum during WWII by Russian soldiers; another was flown to Iceland and given a red-carpet welcome at the airport.) Although undeniably tragic, the final demise of the Great Auk led to the birth of the conservation movement. Laws were eventually passed to prevent the killing of birds during the nesting season, and similar laws were later extended to other wildlife species. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

The Great Auk

The Great Auk PDF Author: Errol Fuller
Publisher: Bunker Hill Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 9781593730031
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Book Description
A seabird whose extinction was entirely the work of humankind, the last two recorded great auk's were killed on June 3, 1844. This book pays homage to this incredible species.

An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It

An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It PDF Author: Jessie Greengrass
Publisher: JM Originals
ISBN: 1473610869
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
WINNER OF THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE 2016 SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES/PFD YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2016 'Greengrass is undoubtedly that rare thing, a genuinely new and assured voice in prose. Her work is precise, properly moving, quirky and heartfelt' A. L. Kennedy The twelve stories in this startling collection range over centuries and across the world. There are stories about those who are lonely, or estranged, or out of time. There are hauntings, both literal and metaphorical; and acts of cruelty and neglect but also of penance. Some stories concern themselves with the present, and the mundane circumstances in which people find themselves: a woman who feels stuck in her life imagines herself in different jobs - as a lighthouse keeper in Wales, or as a guard against polar bears in a research station in the Arctic. Some stories concern themselves with the past: a sixteenth-century alchemist and doctor, whose arrogance blinds him to people's dissatisfaction with their lives until he experiences it himself. Finally, in the title story, a sailor gives his account - violent, occasionally funny and certainly tragic - of the decline of the Great Auk.

Whooping Crane

Whooping Crane PDF Author: Susan H. Gray
Publisher: Cherry Lake
ISBN: 1602791694
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Book Description
The whooping crane is a unique bird found only in North America and known for its whooping call great height for a bird. Readers will learn about the whooping crane's fight for survival as hunters killed them for their beautiful feathers and humans drained their wetland habitats to build houses.

Golden Lion Tamarin

Golden Lion Tamarin PDF Author: Barbara A. Somervill
Publisher: Cherry Lake
ISBN: 1602791678
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Book Description
The small golden lion tamarin is known for its brownish-red mane, long tail, and territorial nature. Readers will learn about these creatures and how destruction of their coastal forest habitat almost led to their extinction. Find out how zoos and conservationists have collaborated to save the golden lion tamarin.

Threat to the Spotted Owl

Threat to the Spotted Owl PDF Author: Carol Parenzan Smalley
Publisher: Mitchell Lane
ISBN: 1545749809
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
In the ancient forests of North America lives a nocturnal hunterthe spotted owl. With its keen eyesight and hearing, it listens and watches for prey. From western Canada to Mexico, and in the states between these two countries, wildlife biologists are observing and counting spotted owls. Once abundant in number, this flying predators days on earth may be limited if changes arent made. In this book, read about out how this owl lives, what threats it faces, and what scientists and activists are doing to help it. Then find out what you can do to help save this threatened bird.

The Long, Long Journey

The Long, Long Journey PDF Author: Sandra Markle
Publisher: Millbrook Press ™
ISBN: 1467742872
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Crackle! Crackle! Crunch! What's hatching from that egg? It's a young bar-tailed godwit. She will spend the summer in Alaska learning to fly, find her own food, and escape from scary predators. Her long, long journey begins in October when she flies to New Zealand. This 7,000-mile flight is the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. Follow along on her amazing voyage!

The Great Auk

The Great Auk PDF Author: Errol Fuller
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN:
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description
Its strange and mysterious story is told in the pages of this book through more than 400 illustrations, bringing together almost every known archival image of the species, dramatic photographs of the lonely islands it once inhabited, artists' renderings of the bird, and intriguing pictures of the many fascinating characters who became involved in the Great Auk's tragic story."--BOOK JACKET.

Conservation Canines

Conservation Canines PDF Author: Isabelle Groc
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
ISBN: 1459821629
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
Key Selling Points The book examines how dogs are chosen and trained for conservation work and details the kind of work they do all over the world, in Africa, Italy, Portugal, France, Australia, Haida Gwaii and the United States. The author is a highly respected photojournalist, filmmaker and the author of Gone is Gone: Wildlife Under Threat and Sea Otters: A Survival Story, which are also part of the Orca Wild series. Isabelle Groc's stunning photos of working dogs give the book a hands-on feel. For fans of the TV show Dogs With Jobs—but for the environment! Includes a foreword by award-winning actor, director, producer and author Anjelica Huston.

Threat to Ancient Egyptian Treasures

Threat to Ancient Egyptian Treasures PDF Author: Jim Whiting
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1612287565
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
Ancient Egypt has always fascinated people. Pyramids from that civilization still tower hundreds of feet into the air. Museums featuring mummies attract large crowds. Countless numbers of tourists flock to Egypt to view historical sites that date back thousands of years. These historical sites are in danger today. Some of the reasons are natural. For example, sandstorms rip across the desert, acting like sandpaper on the stone monuments. Others, such as air pollution and flooding, are the result of human activity. People have also broken into the ancient sites and stolen the treasures inside. Many people are concerned about losing these ancient treasures. Find out what they are doing to stamp out the dangers that threaten the priceless reminders of Egypt’s glorious past.