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Black Bear Information
Literature
1. The Complete Tracker: The Tracks, Signs, and Habits of North American Wildlife. McDougall, L. MJF Books, 1997.
McDougall provides a complete look at the natural history of the major North American mammals. For each animal, including the bear, McDougall touches on field identification by sight and tracks, scat, breeding, social structure, habitat, and feeding habits.
2. Owls Aren't Wise and Bats Aren't Blind. Shedd, W. Harmony Books, 2000.
Shedd's book attempts to correct society's misconceptions about North America's wildlife. The section on bears addresses the denning, social structure, breeding habits, habitat, and communication.
3. Minnesota's Natural Heritage: An Ecological Perspective. Tester, J. University of Minnesota Press, 1995.
Tester's book highlights nearly every aspect of Minnesota's natural resources, including black bears. Tester discusses black bear biology as it relates to black bears in Minnesota.
4. The Black Bear Handbook. State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, 1999.
This handbook is intended to be a resource for black bear hunters in Minnesota, and is a part of the Advanced Hunter Education curriculum. The handbook addresses bears in Minnesota, specifically their biology and how to effectively hunt them.
5. Project WILD.Project WILD, Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1986.
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary environmental and conservation education program for educators of kindergarten through high school age youth. Project WILD contains many excellent lesson plans devoted to the study of bears.
6. The Bear Connection
Excellent resource that spans more than science.
7. Bears: Imagination and Reality
This source provides a description of an educational black bear exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Video
1. All American Bear. NOVA
ASIN: 6204468717
Focuses on the black bear's hibernation, habitat, mating and eating patterns and general characteristics.
2. The World of the Wily Black Bear.
Focuses on black bear natural history, misconceptions, and interactions with humans.
Internet Sites
1. "The Bear Facts" J.J. Whistler Bear Society
http://www.bearsmart.com/bearFacts/
A great site that will provide the reader with basic knowledge about the black bear. It also contains a wonderful photo gallery of bears.
2. "Black Bear" North American Bear Center
http://www.bear.org/Black/BB_Home.html
This is a wonderful website that contains everything a person needs to know about black bears including bear facts, signs, sounds, bear den cams, populations, bear articles, books, and stories.
3. "Comprehensive Black Bear History" American Bear Association
http://www.americanbear.org/bearinfo2.htm
Although parts of this site are under construction, it contains useful information on black bear anatomy, taxonomy, habitat, and senses.
4. "Learning about Black Bears" Bear With Us
http://www.bearwithus.org/learn.htm
This website contains useful information about black bear characteristics, hibernation, and mother and cub interaction.
5. "The typical year for black bears in Northern Minnesota" North American Bear Center
http://www.bear.org/Black/Articles/Typical_Year_for_Black_Bears_MN.html
Read this if you are interested in tracking a typical black bear, month-by-month, for a year.
6. "Black Bears" Bear-Tracks
http://www.bear-tracker.com/bear.html
This site provides diagrams of bear tracks, a brief description of the natural history of the black bear, short videos of black bears and even a link to hear a bear roar.
7. "Black Bears" Minnesota DNR
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/bears/index.html
The DNR provides the reader with general information on the black bear, including information on learning to live with bears and bear hunting.
8. "Conflict Yellowstone Wolves"
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/projects/MT&R/ConflictYellowstoneWolf.htm
This is an excellent inquiry-based learning project that challenges students to solve the hotly debated topic of reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone National Park.
9. "Bear Center"
http://www.bear.org/home page.html
This site includes bear pages, slide shows, kids, area, and research updates.
10. "The Bear Den"
http://www.bearden.org/Index.html
Excellent site that has sounds from the den, information about bear species, and a fun and games link.
11. "American Black Bear"
http://www.bearbiology.com/bbdesc.html
Check this site out to learn about different species of bear, including the black bear.
12. "Bears"
http://www.edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/bears.html
This site provides links to many useful bear websites.
13. "Black bears of Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary"
http://wildlifewatcher.com/mw/shute.phtml
The Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Orr, Minnesota. This site provides bear information, pictures, locations, and possible field trip opportunities.
Eyes on Wildlife Curriculum Outline