Close Encounters with Deadly Dangers: Riveting Reads and Classroom Ideas

The sounds of an anaconda slithering along the steamy jungle floor in search of prey; a lion's breath rippling through the dry savannah grass as it crouches, waiting to spring; the frantic thrashing of a seal pup's tail as it recoils from the vicious attack of a tiger shark-these are part of the natural drama of the animal world and daily events when deadly predators come face to face with their prey. This book includes 15 exciting tales that are packed with accurate scientific information. Students will thrill to the dramatic, spine-tingling accounts of natural predators in the wild. As they read the stories, they will learn about many of the world's ecosystems from tropical rain forests to the Arctic tundra, from African watering holes to the Pacific reef, from Siberian forests to the Midwest prairie. Each story is followed by suggestions for research and other activities. References on predators and ecosystems are also listed.