This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Join us for this fun 6th- to 8th-grade science course exploring our feline friends! Learn about where domestic cats came from, different cats around the world, common and exotic breeds, and some anatomy and genetics.
Total number of class meetings: 12
Duration of each class: 45 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 8th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Life Science. For a full year credit, follow with Megafauna.
Description
Let’s study the surprising natural history of the Family Felidae! Cats are hunters, and notoriously difficult to domesticate. So how did we end up with these small predators in our homes? We’ll study big and not-so-big cats from around the world as we try to understand the fearsome and fluffy feline.
Outline
Class 1: Introduction: what is a cat? (Anatomy 1)
Class 2: Fossil cats: an evolutionary overview
Class 3: European cats
Class 4: Asian cats
Class 5: South American cats
Class 6: North American cats
Class 7: African cats (Anatomy 2)
Class 8: Island species: small wild cats
Class 9: The domestic cat (Anatomy 3)
Class 10: Common breeds
Class 11: Exotic breeds
Class 12: Recent breeds, and Genetics of color
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: Two books to be purchased: The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives by Turner and Anton, ISBN 13: 978-0231102292 (https://amzn.to/3uTNkRg) and Cats: The Breeds, History, and Folklore of the Domestic Cat, ISBN 13: 978-1640308763 (https://amzn.to/3gPe2lN)
Homework: Weekly quizzes, assigned reading. Students are welcome and encouraged to share their photos of felines and tales of tigers.
