Books and learning activities for younger (years 2–4) and older (years 5–8) readers

Getting Started

Learning for life

• Every living thing has a right to have its needs respected and protected.
• All living things depend on the environment around them for survival.
• Humans are ultimately responsible for the state of the environment and its protection for the future.
• Environments change over time and these changes can be caused by nature or humans.
• Changes, whether natural or artificial, can affect whole systems and the environment both for better and for worse.
• Many spaces and species are threatened because of human impact on the environment.
• We all need to respect and take responsibility for the places in our community.
• We have a responsibility to care for and protect our environment for the future.
• Our beliefs and actions are intertwined with the society and culture in which we live.
• Different groups may have differing beliefs and values about the environment, which may cause conflict between these groups.
• There are international agencies which promote environmental protection.
• I can have both a positive and negative impact on the environment.
• Through knowledge and understanding, I can make responsible choices to meet my needs and still promote the protection of the environment.
• The beliefs I have and the actions I take can influence others.
• I may only be one child but I can make a difference.

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Overview

Moon Bear Rescue tells the story of Star, a young Moon Bear (so-called because of the golden crescents on their chests) lured away from his mother and captured by the bear farmers who intend to 'milk' him daily for his bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Luck is with Star on this day, however, and what could have been a tragic story, becomes one of hope, as the work of just one of the bear rescue centres in Asia is highlighted.

Sadly though, Star's happy-ending story is one of a minority. In investigating the issues behind this story, students will be confronted by disturbing images and information. However, if we are to rectify this situation, we must acknowledge that it exists. It is recommended that teachers preview and perhaps pre-select those websites most suitable for their students' needs and ages.

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Author profile

Kim Dale is well-known throughout Australia for her sensitive stories about conserving wildlife and the illustrations which accompany them. She is driven by her 'passion for the health of the planet and its inhabitants'.

She believes that humans and animals are entitled to the same rights for survival. For her, the animals come first and her books are just a means of spreading her message. Her concern for the plight and welfare of the creatures of this planet have also inspired What Am I?, Eyes in the Dark, Bush Babies and Little Tawny. Both Eyes in the Dark and Bush Babies have been nominated for CBCA Awards.

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Useful websites

• Animals Asia Foundation
• Animals Asia For the Kids
• China Bear Rescue
• Chengdu Rescue Centre
• A New Phase for China's Moon Bears
• Moon Bear Press
• Luang Prabang Rescue Centre
• BBC Wildfacts – Moon Bear
• Asiatic Black Bear
• Asiatic Black bears
• PETAKIDS.com
• Party for Animals Worldwide
• Alternatives to the Use of Endangered Species in Chinese Medicine
• Asian Animal Protection Network
• WWF – Traditional Chinese Medicines FAQs

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Focus questions

Before reading the book

• From the cover of the book, what do you expect this book to be about?
• What do you know about Moon Bears?
• Why are these bears known as Moon Bears?
• How do the dedication and the information on the front endpaper set up the story for you?
• Even though milking Moon Bears is a centuries-old tradition, Star's story didn't start till 1993 when Jill Robinson first saw the bears. Why has it taken so long for us to find out about the situation?
• Why do you think Kim Dale has used the picture-book format to write about this issue?
• How does knowing that the author's royalties (about $3 per book) will be donated to Animals Asia, influence your prediction about the content of the story, or the mindset you bring to it?

During reading the book

• Why has the author made the setting of the book in a cave 'in the mountains of Asia' rather than a more specific place?
• How is a bear cub dependent on its mother?
• How long is a bear cub dependent on its mother? How does this compare with humans?
• Where is Star's father?
• Why are the bears apparently nocturnal?
• Why would Star be frightened because a frog jumped on his head?
• Why is play so important for babies of any species?
• What could have been the smell that tempted Star into trouble?
• What do you think has happened to him?
• Is there any way his mother could have warned him of the dangers in the same way humans warn their children?
• If a bear has emotions, what would Star's mother's be?
• How do the illustrations show her anxiety?
• How was Star trapped?
• Who trapped him?
• Why was he trapped?
• Why does the author say, 'This little black bear cub would never know freedom in the wild again'?
• What emotions does this statement stir in you?
• How do the statement and the illustration set you up for the rest of the story?
• Do you have a feeling of hope or despair?
• Why was Star lucky that he stumbled into Chengdu in his flight of fear?
• Why is it that Moon Bears are considered so valuable that the sale of one could bring a Chengdu villager a lot of money?
• Why does the author not elaborate on this in the text of the story?
• Why did the villagers decide to save Star, rather than sell him?
• How did the villagers give Star a second chance?
• Why was the healing of Star's spirit a greater challenge than the healing of the wound in his stomach?
• What had Star learned as a result of his capture?
• Why was confinement at the rescue centre better than confinement on a bear farm?
• How could Star learn to trust humans when he was confined to a cage rather than being in the wild? Why should he?
• What do you think his future would be like?
• How did his bed in the secret garden help his healing?
• How did Star show that his spirit had healed?
• Why was Star's relationship with Ashley so important in his rehabilitation?
• Why was Star so hesitant about stepping out of the den?
• What would star and Ashley's future be?

After reading the book

• Was the story what you expected?
• How does Kim Dale's style of writing touch your emotions?
• Is this a more effective way of getting the message across than just a narration of facts?
• Kim Dale's concern for the plight of the Moon Bear was made explicit at the beginning so consider:
  • Has she achieved her purpose?
  • Do the facts interfere with the story being told?
  • Is this a story about the characters or their message?
  • How did contextual factors influence how you interpreted the message?
  • Is this a reasonable way to shape young readers' ideas and opinions? Why?
• How do you think the world's attention on China through the recent earthquake and the Beijing Olympics could help the plight of the Moon Bears?
• Have you been inspired to find out more about the fate of Moon Bears or to take up the case of another creature?

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Activities

Responding to text

Moon Bear basics

Individuals Small groups

This book appears on the 2008 Premier's Reading Challenge lists for primary students in Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. Prepare a presentation that introduces the Moon Bear to these students using PowerPoint (Windows), KeyNote (Mac) or similar software. Consider what they would need to know to understand the story including:

• physical appearance
• location
• habitat
• diet
• behaviour
• reproduction
• threats
• conservation status
• other interesting information

Contact your local primary school and offer your presentation to the teacher librarian there.

Writing with feeling

Individuals Small groups Class

Kim Dale wrote this book with a very specific purpose:

• What is that purpose?
• Who is the target audience for the text? Why?
• Why are you reading it?
• What knowledge do you need to have or obtain in order to understand the story well?
• What does the author want you to know, understand, value and do as a result of reading it?
• What values and attitudes does she assume that you already hold?
• Did she achieve her goals?
• Whose views are emphasised or excluded in the text?
• How would a Moon Bear farmer respond to it?
• Although this is a work of fiction, how does it construct a version of reality?
• What is real in the text?
• What can we learn about Kim Dale from reading this text?

Many people with particular passions write fiction stories in order to spread their message more widely. Find other examples of this in your library and determine:

• common themes
• common formats
• common target audiences
• the success of the author's intention

Discuss:

• Is this a fair way to spread a message?
• Should young children have their opinions shaped in this way?
• When does passion cross the line to propaganda?
• How can you identify an author's bias in a work of fiction?
• If you had the opportunity, what passion or purpose would you write about?
• Is it possible to write a piece of fiction without letting your own opinions and values influence your work?

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Themes for Education for Sustainability

A different perspective

Individuals

How would the text be different if it were told by:

• a Moon Bear farmer?
• one of the villagers who could make a lot of money by selling Star to a bear farm?
• a Chinese doctor using the bile extracted as part of a patient's treatment?

Rewrite the story from one of these perspectives.

Imagine you are a journalist sent to report on the plight of the Moon Bears and the work of rescue centres like that at Chengdu.

• What questions would you want/need to ask?

Write your report.

People versus animals

Individuals Small groups Class

Debate the issue: 'People's needs always supersede animals' rights'.

The actions of one

Individuals Small groups

The plight of the Moon Bears became public knowledge in the western world because of the actions of Jill Robinson. Use the information on the front endpaper of the book and on her website www.animalsasia.org/ to create a timeline of how she has brought worldwide attention to this issue. Plot your timeline at one of these sites:

• Classroom Tools
• XTimeline
• Dipity
• or use the timeline template.

Include the publication of Moon Bear Rescue and any other significant developments such as the establishment of the Luang Prabang Rescue Centre in Laos. See www.bearlao.com/luang.htm

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Research themes

Compensation

Individuals Small groups

The trade in Moon Bear bile is very lucrative. It is reported that bear bile can sell for US$10 per teaspoon and, as much as $18,000 for a whole gall bladder on the black market. How could the bear farmers be persuaded to stop doing what they do, especially when the concept of bear farms was actually established by the Chinese Government in the 1980s to save the Moon Bear from extinction at the hands of poachers and trappers?

• Do you think the bear farmers believe that what they are doing is wrong?
• Is this a cultural issue?
• Why is the practice anathema to those in the western world?
• What sort of pressure or inducement would ensure that the bear farmers abandoned their practices?
• How would they be reimbursed for what they would lose?
• Who would fund this reimbursement?

Other difficult issues pitting trade, environmental and health concerns against each other, occur in:

• Afghanistan and other parts of Asia where farmers grow opium poppies which ultimately supply the heroin trade
• Borneo, where rainforest habitat is destroyed to plant lucrative palm oil trees.

Identify one of these issues and develop a webquest to explore it and develop a possible solution.

A webquest focuses on a controversial issue that needs to be solved. There are a number of perspectives from which the issue can be viewed and these are investigated by having the participants take on the roles of the key protagonists. They need to be able to step aside from their personal beliefs and construct and argue a point of view based on knowledge gleaned from pre-selected websites or print resources. Participants also need to be able to listen to the other sides of the debate, and then negotiate a consensus for all.

Construct your webquest using the 30-day free trial guide and templates at www.web-and-flow.com/

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Assessment

Assessment tasks are dependent on the teacher's identified outcomes of the unit, the tasks selected, and the evidence that teachers determine to be acceptable for the age group.

Changes in values and attitudes evolve over time as our expertise and experience grows and so cannot be measured. However, by exposing students to activities such as these we start them on their journey of awareness of the wider world, particularly if we give them the opportunity and time to reflect on their learning.

Express yourself

On the back endpaper of the book are poems written by the students of Christchurch Grammar School, Melbourne in response to their learning about the plight of the Moon Bears. Construct your own poem reflecting your feelings. Publish it on your class blog.

Celebrity messages

Often, famous people use their celebrity status to endorse a particular project or cause that they have a passion for. They know that being a celebrity will get the media attention that a regular person will not.

View the advertisement made about Moon Bears by Olivia Newton John at www.moonbears.co.uk/~Celebrity_Support/9.htm Also view the other messages by other celebrities on the site.

Now read about other animals that are used in traditional Chinese medicine at http://advocacy.britannica.com/

Select one of these animals, or another that you know about, and research why it is used and the conditions it is subjected to.

Create your own video advertisement to develop awareness of its plight and urge its protection.

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

In writing these activities, the author had some difficult decisions to make about what was appropriate for students to know and what might be too confronting or disturbing. Should she omit some websites, censor them or attach a warning?

• What would you have done?

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