The material in this unit is designed to provide upper elementary students with information and experiences to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the variety of animals living today. Unit goals include fostering a better understanding of animals' roles in nature, developing observational skills, facilitating understanding of man's influence on animals, and helping students develop positive attitudes toward animals. Topics include animal biology, effect of climate on animals, zoo animals and endangered species. Evaluation instruments are provided for both cognitive and affective objectives through the use of written pretests and posttests developed for this unit. Appendices provide various teaching aids such as animal diagrams and descriptions, stories and poetry about various animal characteristics, available appropriate slide-tape narrations and films, climate maps and field trip related information. (MLB)