Animal Magazine Project

You are a zoologist working at the local zoo in a large city. You have just received a new animal to display. Your job is to research information about the animal and your report will be published into a magazine to help other zoologists learn more about it. Many zoologists visiting the zoo have never worked with this animal before and so your magazine must be very informative. You need to include all of the information listed below. Your magazine should be organized similar to the outline below with at least 10 pages and no more than 15. Your boss wants the magazine ready by ______.

1.  Cover page – include title, your name, period, data published, and a picture of the animal

2.  Table of contents

3.  General information about animal

  1. The animal’s common and scientific names.
  2. When it was first discovered and by whom.
  3. Classification – all levels (K, P, C, O, F, G, S).
  4. Origin – history or evolution of the animal – how long has it been in existence?

4.  Description of animal

  1. Size (weight, length), color patterns, etc.
  2. What and how much it eats.

5.  Where it lives

  1. Distribution map with key for all symbols used
  2. Habitat – geography, climate, biome, materials used/needed, etc

6.  Mating information

  1. Season – time of year
  2. Mate for life or form season to season
  3. Mating rituals
  4. How many offspring per cycle
  5. Who raises the young

7.  Development information

  1. How long does it live from birth to death
  2. How long it spends with the parents before leaving them
  3. Migration patterns

8.  Role in the ecosystem/food chain

  1. Predator/prey or other symbiotic relationship
  2. Draw a food web of at least 8 organisms (3 producers, 2 primary consumers, 2 secondary consumers, and 1 tertiary consumer) – one must be your animal

9. Is it endangered or threatened? Why?

  1. How many are left in the world?
  2. What is being done to conserve it?

10.  Properly formatted citations – include citations for pictures and diagrams

A.  You must include at least five pictures of the animal spaced throughout the magazine including the cover page – cannot be cartoons!

B.  You may include for extra credit - Games/puzzles – word scrambles, crosswords, word searched, etc.

  1. Use words found in your magazine
  2. Answer key must be included in back of magazine

Your magazine must be professional looking, meaning your information needs to be typed as well as eye catching. Puzzles can be hand drawn with the aid of a ruler if necessary. Magazine can be in gray scale if you do not have access to a color printer. You should place your report in a cover or folder because it may be too thick to staple together neatly. Your grade will be determined based on completion of the above criteria, cohesiveness (does it all make sense and flow together), spelling and grammar, and overall neatness. It is worth 100 points.