Lesson Plan - Bear Cub Rescue

Watch the Video
Before reading, watch the video “What You Need to Know About Bears.” Discuss: How many of these eight bear species have you heard of before? Which of the species would you like to learn more about? Explain.

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• predators
• rely
• independent

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about why humans had to help this bear cub.

1. Why did Baby Bear’s caretakers pretend to be black bears?
Baby Bear’s caretakers pretended to be black bears because they did not want him to learn to rely on humans. They knew that one day, the cub would return to the wild. He needed to learn to live among other bears.
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2. Which fact in “All About Black Bears” do you think is most interesting? Why?
Answers will vary.
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3. According to “A Helping Hand” on pages 4-5, why did caretakers put trees and pieces of wood in Baby Bear’s room?
Caretakers put trees and pieces of wood in Baby Bear’s room so the cub could practice climbing.
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FEATURED SKILL: Reading a Diagram
Use the skill builder “A Bear’s Life” to explore the life cycle of a black bear. Discuss: What similarities do you see between a bear’s life and a human’s life?
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