At the present time, Minnesota does not have a State Mammal. We are currently one of only 4 states that do not recognize an animal as their State Mammal. With all of the research, educational and wild Black Bears Minnesota has in their great outdoors; why not honor the Black Bear with the title, Minnesota's State Mammal.
My first graders have had an amazing year studying the black bears from the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota. I would love for them to be able to recognize the bears that have taught them so much, by bestowing this honor upon all Black Bears in Minnesota.
As part of our Social Studies curriculum, we talk about community, our own first grade classroom community, the community of our city and our state. We discuss how we all play an important and much needed part in each of these different communities.
Since the beginning of September, my first grade class has been following the lives of the black bears at the North American Bear Center in Ely, MN.
While studying the bears and integrating them into all areas of our curriculum, we discovered that Minnesota has a State Bird, State Flower, State Song, but no State Mammal. Minnesota is one of only four states that currently do not have a State Mammal.
Since my first graders are a valuable and much needed part of the state of Minnesota's community, they decided they should be the ones to rally for the Black Bear becoming Minnesota's State Mammal.
These 7 year olds now know more "accurate" information about black bears than do most adults, so who better to introduce to the state of Minnesota their new State Mammal, the Black Bear, than Dana Coleman's First Grade Class of Andover Elementary, Andover, Minnesota.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Hopefully, you will be able to help us honor Minnesota's Black Bears.
