Lesson plan based on Mosaic Floor
Research and illustrate the natural habitats and evolution of giraffes and other animals imported into ancient Rome.
Skills and Focus: Earth Sciences
Subject Area: Science
Thematic Connection: Animals, Geography
Grade Level: Middle School
Time Needed: 60 minutes
Objectives
• Understand the natural habitat of giraffes and other animals.
Instructional Materials Needed
Story: What Animal Is This?
Online Resources:
• Hunting African species on a Roman mosaic from Piazza Armerina, Sicily: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/tour/boar/Art14.GIF
• Lincoln Park Zoo Animal Species Data Sheet: Giraffe:
Large sheets of construction paper to draw maps and make animals
Wall—size world map
Activity
Step 1: Have students watch the story, What Animal Is This? Pose the following questions:
• What animals are shown in the story?
• Where do they come from?
Have students draw a map of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and draw the animals that come from each region in their proper places.
Step 2: Have students research the natural habitats for each of these animals and report their findings.
Step 3: Direct the class to read Pliny, Natural History VIII.69 on giraffes. Several Roman authors thought that giraffes were a hybrid of leopards and camels. Ask students the following questions:
• What features of the animal does this theory help to explain?
• What is wrong with this theory?
Goals
This activity meets Illinois State Goal 12: Have a working knowledge of the fundamental concepts and principles of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences and their connections.
From: Pliny the Elder, Natural History VIII.69
The Ethiopians give the name of nabun to one (animal) that has a neck like a horse, feet and legs like an ox, and a head like a camel, and is of a ruddy color picked out with white spots, owing to which it is called a camelopardalis; it was first seen at Rome at the games in the circus given by Caesar when dictator. From this it has subsequently been recognized to be more remarkable for appearance than for ferocity, and consequently it has received the name of ovis ferae (wild sheep).
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