While working in Chinle Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation, I was approached by members of the tribe to write about a sacred lizard and to create a comprehensive curriculum that contains Language, Science and Biology, with important Navajo Culture. This is a culturally sensitive curriculum about the Short Horned Lizard of Arizona that is considered to be a sacred animal know to the tribe for centuries. Ancient peoples of Arizona, such as the Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon revered this lizard for its astonishing abilities as well as the Tarahumara people of Mexico who call it the Virgin's Little Bull. Not only interesting, this curriculum is full of cultural information as well as role playing for the children, biology, science, language arts in English with added Navajo language for cultural importance. Contains printable worksheets. 62 pages. Bulk discounts available.

It was 1994 and my family and I were living in Chinle, a town at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona. We'd been there a little over 4 years at that point. It was a Tuesday morning and I was helping out the vet, which I did every week. She drove a mobile unit from Gallup, New Mexico, to spay and neuter dogs and cats. I encouraged boys and girls and their families to bring their pets in to see the vet when she was available. I did this by visiting classrooms during the week and talking about the proper health and welfare of their pets. It was always amazing to see kids actually bring their pets in dragging their parents along! That particular day, it was late afternoon when a Navajo woman and her 3 children came in with their cat. She was unaware of the danger. We all were, that is, until I unwrapped the blanket and saw the cat. I still have chills that run down my spine when I remember the buboes. It was a life altering moment for me and it can happen ANYWHERE.

Developed in 1993 during a Hantavirus outbreak in the Four Corners area of the Southwest, this curriculum was originally written to help educate. Children who live in rural areas and help to gather food need to understand the dangers of this life threatening disease and how to remain safe. Curriculum deals specifically with precautionary issues as well as Pulmonary Hantavirus Syndrome. Along with safety, Hantavirus Outbreak! also enables teachers to teach thematically across all curriculum. Good for early primary school to High School level with teacher innovation. Ideas and different formats are provided. Creative animal based curriculum which includes Navajo culture with Aboriginal language added to enhance development and creativity in all children. The activities help parents and educators provide opportunities for children to practice language skills, math, reading comprehension, science, and health. 1st place winner of the prestigious ASBA "Golden Bell Award," for new and innovative K-8 curriculum.

Pet Ownership - Are You Ready? asks important questions about the responsibility of pet ownership. Dogs on the Navajo Reservation are seen wandering about, starving and sometimes sick. Why is this allowed to happen? Who is responsible? What exactly is a pet? Culturally, how is the dog viewed? Can these problems be overcome? These are some of the questions asked in this animal based curriculum which is part of the RUFF Program, Reservations Unwanted Four-Footed Friends. Students examine different social issues and asked what they could do. Responsibility is discussed as well as health issues and diseases that can be spread from unhealthy dogs and cats. Questions such as; what makes a good pet? What is not a good pet? How important is it to vaccinate a pet? How important is safety for humans and pets? These questions are asked and used as prompts to encourage cooperative thinking. Along with problem solving skills this is a great way to teach social studies and the ability to bring a change in attitude.

The Indian's Pony is part of the RUFF curriculum Susan Fadler developed in the 1990s. It focuses on the plight of the Mustang. RUFF was organized to establish homes for unwanted neglected animals on the Navajo Reservation. She began taking rescued animals into classrooms to help teach the children about animal behavior, care and health but soon found out using an animal helped extrapolate expressions of emotions which would otherwise be harbored or unexpressed by the child. It also incorporated self-esteem where all else had failed. Using a natural catalyst, puppies and kittens, to teach responsible behavior proved to be extremely effective. Teachers began requesting materials to help teach history, geography, culture, and language. The curriculum was nominated by teachers and administrators in 1996 and went on to win the 1st place Golden Bell award from the ASBA as the best new curriculum that year.

R.U.F.F. is an acronym that stands for Reservations' Unwanted Four-Footed Friends started by Susan Fadler in the early 1990s. Organized for establishing homes for the unwanted and neglected animals on the Navajo Reservation, Susan began taking rescued animals into classrooms to help teach the children about animal behavior, care and health. She soon found out that using an animal helped extrapolate expressions of emotions which would otherwise be harbored or unexpressed by the child. It also incorporated self-esteem where all else had failed. Using a natural catalyst, puppies and kittens, to teach responsible behavior proved to be extremely effective. Teachers began requesting materials to help teach history, geography, culture, and language. The Wilson Foundation was instrumental in providing the necessary funding to get Susan's curriculum written. It was nominated by teachers and administrators in 1996 and went on to win the 1st place Golden Bell award from the ASBA as a best new curriculum that year.

The Amazing Cat Family is an Animal Based Curriculum of the RUFF Program. The book is 133 pages and takes a comprehensive look at the entire cat family with emphasis on cultural use, science, biology, history, genetics and geography. Each species is noted with Navajo names. R.U.F.F. is an acronym that stands for Reservations' Unwanted Four-Footed Friends organized for establishing homes for the unwanted and neglected animals on the Navajo Reservation. Rescued animals went into classrooms to help teach the children about animal behavior, care and health, but the animals ended up helping the kids by extrapolating expressions of emotions which would otherwise be harbored or unexpressed by the child. It incorporated self-esteem where all else had failed. Using a natural catalyst, puppies and kittens, to teach responsible behavior proved to be extremely effective. Teacher nominated, this curriculum won 1st place Golden Bell Award from the ASBA as the best new innovative curriculum in 1996. www.ruffprogram.com

Animal Body Language is part of the R.U.F.F. Program, innovative animal based teaching. This curriculum was developed after children were bitten by dogs running around Chinle. One little boy ended up with a scar from the top of his forehead angled down to his chin. He had crawled under a trailer and tried to pet a dog and was savagely bitten in the face. This small boy had his life forever changed from this horrible incident. Something had to be in the schools to help the children understand more about dog behavior to avoid incidents like this. This curriculum is complete and has thematic unit tie-ins in social studies, language, behavior, safety issues, reading, art, writing and drama. There are suggested student activities that involve games, quizzes, animal behavior board set-up ideas, journal and creative writing. Animals helped extrapolate expressions of emotions and incorporated self-esteem where all else had failed. It teaches responsible behavior that proved extremely effective. www.ruffprogram.com

R.U.F.F. is an acronym that stands for Reservations' Unwanted Four-Footed Friends and started by Susan Fadler in the early 1990s. Organized for establishing homes for the unwanted and neglected animals on the Navajo Reservation, Susan began taking rescued animals into classrooms to help teach the children about animal behavior, care and health. She soon found out that using an animal helped extrapolate expressions of emotions which would otherwise be harbored or unexpressed by the child. It also incorporated self-esteem where all else had failed. Using a natural catalyst, puppies and kittens, to teach responsible behavior proved to be extremely effective. Teachers began requesting materials to help teach history, geography, culture, and language. The Wilson Foundation was instrumental in providing the necessary funding to get Susan's curriculum written. It was nominated by teachers and administrators in 1996 and went on to win the 1st place Golden Bell award from the ASBA as a best new curriculum that year.