Norway Rat
rattus norvegicus 

"Over the centuries many animals have been put on trial for their misdemeanors. The animal trials of the Middle Ages produced their own Perry Mason*-- a French lawyer, Bartholome Chassenee, who established a reputation for the ingenious defense of his 'clients'. In 1521 he was appointed to defend the rats which had destroyed a crop of barley. When they failed to show up for the trial (which must have been a fairly common occurrence), he successfully pleaded that the summons was invalid because it had not been served on all the rats in the district." -- From The Book of Beasts, John May and Michael Marten, The Viking Press: NY, 1982.

 *Perry Mason: created by lawyer and writer Erle Stanley Gardner, this fictional lawyer gained popularity through an American television series of the same name in the 1950's.

Return to Table of Contents

Teacher's Guide

Lesson Objectives:
                -   to participate in Hartford's effor to eliminate rats
                -   to develop skills in working together successfully with other
                -   to develop community problem solving strategies
                -   to develop skills in thinking logically
                -   to use English to talk about solving problems
                -   to help students develop a textual visual map for solving problems

Multiple Intelligences Developed in this Lesson:
                -   Linguistic
                -   Logical/Mathematical
                -   Interpersonal
                -   Intrapersonal
                -   Visual/Spatial

Procedure:
-  Ask the students what they know about rats.

-  Distribute a Norway Rat lesson packet to each student.  A lesson packet includes a title page, a content outline, a group problem solving activity* and a student feedback form.  Have the students complete the left side of the feedback form.

-  Read the quote on the title page to the students.

-  Have the students take turns reading the outline.   Using the glossary, define any unfamiliar vocabulary for the students.  Answer any questions the students may have.

-  Direct the students to turn to the "What should I do?" page in their packets.  Read the problem aloud to the students.   Read aloud the parts of the chart to the students.  Divide students into groups of 3, 4, or 5 depending on class size.  Direct each group to appoint a reader, a secretary and a spokesperson.  Once each group has completed its chart, have the groups share their results with the rest of the class.  Give the students the option of acting out the problem.

-  Direct the students to complete the right side of the feedback form.  Collect the forms.  Using the facts on these forms for dictation would be an excellent additional use of these forms.

*The group problem solving lessons in this manual have a multiple intelligence focus and are adapted from a unit on social responsibility in A Guidebook for Applying MI Theory in the Second Language Classroom by Maryann Christison, Ph.D., Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers, 1999.

  
Content Outline

To report rat sightings or rat droppings in Hartford:

Department of Licenses and Inspection
Rodent Control
City of Hartford
550 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 522-4888 ext. 6396

Diane Jorsey
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Waste-Pesticides
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
(860) 424-3369

For scrap metal and bulky waste curbside collection:

Public Works Yard
Department of Public Works
40 Jennings Road
Hartford, CT
(860) 543-8750

For excess scrap metal and bulky waste drop off:

Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA)
Hartford Landfill
180 Liebert Road (off Jennings Road)
Hartford, CT
(860) 278-8626

For abandoned cars and single family nuisance violations:

State Health Department
(860) 547-1426 ext. 7172

"What should I do?"

Directions: Read through the problem carefully. Select a reader, a writer, and a speaker within your group. Complete the chart. Share your group's recommendation with the rest of the class.

Your city has launched an aggressive anti-rat campaign. Your landlords, Rob, Joe, Susan and Wendy love to cook and use lots of canned goods and plastic bottles.  They recycle their cans and bottles in the recycling bin, but you have noticed that they don't rinse them. The recycling bin smells, and you think the food left on the cans and bottles will attract rats. In fact, you recall seeing a rat in the driveway just last night. What should you do?

Identify the problem in your own words: