Animals Useful to Man

Ages 9 to 10 · Grade 5 · winter study

Winter Study — Animals Useful to Man

Teachers' References: All volumes describing animal life

Suggested Lists of Useful Animals

Mammals: Furbearers, wool-producers.

Used for food.

Useful by preying on harmful forms.

Domesticated as beasts of burden; dairy and food animals.

Birds: Seed scatterers.

Destroyers of harmful insects; weed seeds; harmful rodents.

Domesticated groups.

Used for food--flesh and eggs.

Useful for feathers, as eider duck, geese, etc.

The millinery trade in plumage.

Trained Birds: pets, hunters, carriers.

Frogs and Toads: Destroyers of harmful insects.

Scavengers of stagnant water.

Frogs as human food.

Reptiles: Destroyers of harmful rodents and insects.

Turtles, as food; furnish tortoise shell.

Fishes: as food; produce isinglass and glue.

Mollusks: as food--oysters, etc.; mother-of-pearl--for buttons, etc.; pearls; cuttle bone; ambergris; inks and dyes; money--wampum, etc.

Insects: Fertilize flowers, setting seed; produce silk of commerce, honey, was, dyes, ink, etc.; destroy harmful insects.

A valuable part of these studies is the gathering of illustrative materials for a school or home collection. For instance, a series showing life history of the silk worm moth, with a series of silk, from cocoon to manufactured fabric. The first can be obtained by breeding the insects; the second by application, or a visit, to some silk factory. An idea of the classification of the animal groups is conveyed by their proper ranking in these lessons, from higher to lower orders of life.