Winter 2002

This issue of Puddler focuses on how human culture reflects our beliefs and feelings about animals and their behavior. For example, our everyday language is filled with sayings related to animals, such as “blind as a bat.” Comparing people and even products to animals is a common way to describe our own behavior and to evoke certain emotions. Written stories are also filled with animal characters that symbolize basic behaviors and ideas.

 

Special Feature: “Animal-isms”
It's common for people to describe human behavior in terms of how it compares to animal behavior. A person might be called a “dirty rat” or a “snake in the grass”. People seem to have basic, universal feelings about certain animals and their behavior—despite the fact that often, the animals themselves don't exhibit these behaviors in reality. We can find plenty of “animal-isms,” or sayings related to animals and their behavior, in our everyday speech.

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More About... “Turtle Races With Beaver”
Animals in literature are often used as symbols for basic ideas and behaviors. Turtle Races with Beaver is a Native American story that proves quick thinking can lead to victory even when the odds are stacked against you.

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K-3 activity

4-6 activity