Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is conservation? Think about the problems that come when people fail to protect natural resources. What happens? Do you think people have a moral obligation to help endangered species?

Teaching Suggestion: The novel's protagonist, Roy, has recently moved to Florida and discovers, through his new friendship with Mullet, a nest of burrowing owls on a construction site. The owls are a protected species in Florida, but the construction company ignores their presence. Mullet attempts to thwart construction through petty vandalism. Reviewing terms like environmentalism, conservation, and endangered species before reading and discussing why conservation is important may be beneficial.

• This article describes conservation and its importance in society.
• This article explains what an endangered species is, why we protect them, and the qualifications that make species endangered.

Short Activity

Identify protected species in your state and explore endangered species around the world. Use reputable resources to investigate these questions:

• What are the endangered species in your state?
• Why are the species considered endangered?
• How can people take small steps to protect endangered species?