Fortey, Richard. Life. Vintage Books, New York, 1997.
This well-written and very interesting history of life on earth for the past 4 billion years provides insights into why and how living things developed into consumers to acquire the energy they need to survive.

Halliday, Tim. Animal Behavior. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1994.
This attractive book uses photographs and text to provide information on the varying behaviors of animals. Includes chapters on herbivores and carnivores.

Hickman, Cleveland, Allan Larson and Larry Roberts. Integrated Principles of Zoology. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1996.
This is another college textbook and another good source of information on animals.

Top

Teacher Reference Videos
Attenborough, Sir David. Trials of Life (Video series), Turner Home Entertainment, 1995.
This is the most famous work of heralded nature documentary filmmaker Sir David Attenborough. This series shows the various behaviors animals have adapted in order to survive, including much on feeding.  Though the entire series may be too advanced for elementary students, it is a wonderful resource for teachers.

Teacher Reference Websites
Animal Planet 
http://animal.discovery.com
This site contains information and interactive games on a variety of animals.

National Wildlife Federation
www.nwf.org/
This site contains information on this conservation society as well as conservation issues and education programs. Includes a kid's page.

Wildlife Web
www.selu.com/bio/wildlife/
This site inks to a variety of animal related websites with sites dedicated to research, conservation, education and information.

Student Reference Books
Bennett, Paul. Nature's Secrets: Catching A Meal. Thomson Learning, New York, 1994.
Uses photographs and simple text to show the variety of different adaptations animals have developed to help them catch their prey.

Brooks, Bruce. Predator! Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 1991.
A more in-depth look at how animals get the food they need that uses photographs and text.

Cleave, Andrew. Hunters. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, Austin, Texas, 1995.
Uses illustrations and simple text to show the variety of different adaptations animals have developed to help them catch their prey.

Eyewitness Science: Ecology, Dorling Kindersley, New York, 1993.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach the readers about ecology, communities and the interactions of plants and animals. Includes information on food chains and producers and consumers.

Kitchen, Bert. When Hunger Calls. Candlewick Press, Cambridge Press , Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1994.
This beautifully illustrated book shows how twelve different animals are able to capture their prey. Includes explanatory text.

Student Fiction Books
Adams, Richard. Watership Down. Morrow, William & Co., 1975.
Though this book is a fantasy (it is about a group of talking rabbits) it is very realistic in its portrayal of the struggles of rabbits with finding food and avoiding predators. It is a long and is questionable if it is written at a fifth grade level (or so I'm told) but it is an excellent book.

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Philomel Books, New York, 1969.
Though this book is a little too basic just to be read to these grade levels, it has applications for cross-curricular extensions (see the Assessment page of this activity).

Curricula
Aquatic Project WILD
Aquatic Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on aquatic wildlife and ecosystems. The activities cover a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

Project WILD
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

Field Trip Sites
Animals
Going out in a natural area is not always a guarantee of seeing animals. Certain places in South Carolina, though, are well known for their abundance of birds. Birds are very useful for discussing animal adaptations. Students can observe and discuss differences in body size and shape, as well as beaks, wings and feet, and consider how they are used to find food. Below are some sites where birds are plentiful.

• Huntington Beach State Park
  This state park, located just south of Myrtle Beach, is known as one of the best bird watching sites along the east coast. With its marshes, maritime forest and beach, the park offers education programs that will foster understanding of the interdependence of natural communities. For more information call (843) 838-2011 or click on: www.southcarolinaparks.com/.
  
  
• Santee National Wildlife Refuge
  Located on the shore of Lake Marion near Summerton, this refuge contains a diversity of habitats, and songbirds, wading birds, raptors and migrating waterfowl can all be seen here. Besides preserving natural habitats, the reserve also contains historical landmarks such as the Santee Indian Mound. An interpretive visitor center is open all year round from Tuesday through Sunday. For information on visiting call (803) 478-2217 or e-mail r4rwl_sc.snt@mail.fws.gov.
  
  
• ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge
  Located south of Charleston on the coast, more than half of this refuge is salt marsh, and it is a good place to see the wading birds that are common to this habitat. At the right time of year, migrating songbirds are also common here. Though the refuge does not offer any structured programs, school groups are welcome to visit the refuge and use it for self-guided exploration. The refuge is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. For information on visiting call (843) 889-3084 or e-mail r4rw_sc.abs@fws.gov.
  
  
• Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
  Located on the southernmost point of South Carolina, this refuge is used by organisms not found anywhere else in the state. Almost 300 species of birds can be found here. The refuge is open to the public seven days a week, and if arrangements are made in advance, volunteers can lead school groups on guided tours. For more information call (912) 652-4415.