Putting Primates In The Classroom
Instructional Slide Set from the Wisconsin Primate Research Center
by Lesleigh Luttrell, Raymond Hamel, and Laura McMahon
The Primates, a three-part slide set that appeals to young people’s interest in monkeys, apes and the environment, is being made available for teachers to use in their classrooms. Drawing on the library and resources of the Wisconsin Primate Research Center, this set introduces the topics of primate behavior, primate conservation, primate taxonomy, and field work. Accurate and accessible, each part contains 72 slides with accompanying annotated script, suggestions for classroom activities, bibliographies and other supporting materials. The set is also easily adaptable for use in introductory classes at the undergraduate level, and can be used for staff training in zoological gardens and primate facilities. The three parts are:
Behavior of Social Animals examines the social lives of primates (including humans). Topics covered include the interactions of infants with their mothers; the kinds of social groups in which primates live; how primates communicate; friendly and unfriendly behavior; and how infants become part of a social group. Examples are drawn from more than 20 species of primates.
Conservation of Endangered Species explores how primates use their habitat, and how threats to the habitat have caused most primate species to become threatened or endangered. Two conservation projects which successfully incorporate education, benefits for the local population, and habitat preservation, are examined in detail.
Taxonomic Classification introduces the common features that characterize the Order Primates. Included in the set are photos of members of each major group of primates: Prosimians (8 species), New World monkeys (12 species), Old World monkeys (14 species), and Apes (6 species). Maps and graphics illustrate the geographic distribution and classification of each group.
NOTE: The Primates was developed through a grant from the Center for Biology Education, UW-Madison and with additional support from the American Society of Primatologists. WRPRC programs are supported by grant number RR00167, Regional Primate Centers Program, National Center for Research Resources, the National Institutes of Health. Due to copyright restrictions, The Primates is not currently available for sale.