Study The Rabbit

European Rabbit.

       The  rabbit  is  a  small  rodent  of  the  family  Leporidae - the  same  family  to which  the  hare  belongs.  The  short  fore  legs  have  five  toes  or  digits,  while  on the  long  hind  legs  there  are  only  four.  It  is  smaller  than  the  hare,  and  has shorter  ears  and  hind  legs.  Rabbits  are  so  prolific  that  they  may  become  a pest  as  they  have  in  Australia.  Hares  and  rabbits  differ  from  squirrels, beavers  rats,  mice,  and  other  members  of  the  rodent  family,  in  having  an extra,  though  useless,  pair  of  cutting-teeth  in  the  upper  jaw.   

Required for Compare/Contrast Observation: A live pet rabbit and cat for comparison to each other in the classroom. 

• The first meeting of a cat and rabbit by The Fluffiest

Method of Student Observation:

• Compare and contrast the fur, tail and legs of a cat to a rabbit.
• The rabbits legs are adapted for leaping, on the account of the unequal lengths of their legs. Rabbits cannot walk well.
• Compare the claws of a cat to the rabbit. The claws of a rabbit are not sharp because these are not protected in the way that the claws on a cat are.
• Compare the ears of the cat to the rabbit.
• Observe that the eyes on either side of the head allow a rabbit to see behind its self without turning its head.
• Contrast the teeth of the cat; and note that there are no sharp conical teeth like those of the flesh-eating mammals.
• Show that the rabbit's teeth are not adapted for tearing, but for biting and mastication. The rabbit does not bolt its food like the cat.
  

How to Grade Study Notes For Student Journals: Every student will need a journal to write in weekly for this online nature study series. Teacher will assign the weekly content in advance.

• Make sure the facts are: written in complete sentences, the first word of each sentence capitalized, and a period should be included at the end of each sentence.
• Spell check your vocabulary and write the words correctly.
• Dress up your journal entries with student clip art, drawings of your own in color or in black and white.
• Student may also include photographs of their own taking for extra credit.

Look for the following facts about rabbits inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Structure of a rabbit. It's fur is soft  and  thick. It's tail is short. It's legs in front are short and it's hind legs are long and powerful.
• The rabbit's feet have distinct toes, which are provided with claws; but the claws are not retractile.
• Rabbit's ears are long and can be moved to collect sound from different points of origin.
• Rabbits eyes are very prominent and located at the sides of it's head.
• Rabbits front teeth are sharp for cutting and biting. Their back teeth are for grinding.
• The habits of rabbits include frequent cleaning of it's fur and biting food with front teeth, chewing food with the back.
• Sometimes people eat rabbit or save it's fur for clothing, particularly in the past. 
  

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

1. Rabbits versus Cats: Which pet is better? by Sincerely, Cinnabun
2. Meet the giant Flemish rabbits by Jeff the Nature Guy
3. Cocoa Puff has the best family by The Dodo 

The Art Lessons associated with rabbits from my Easter blog may be completed for this assignment are linked to below. Remember the important features of a rabbit when working on the projects. The eyes are located on the sides of the head, rabbits have long ears at the top of their heads and their front legs are shorter than their back ones.

• Stencil rabbits eating clover and then color  - for 3rd through 4th grades
  
• Positive and negative bunnies - paper cutting project and poem about Binny and Bunny - for 1rts through 2nd grades
• Doodle a design that includes a rabbit . . . - for 5th and 6th graders
• Draw a bunny step-by-step - for first through 3rd grade
  

Extended Learning Content: 

• Animal Intelligence - article
  
• Craft a rabbit ring toss game
• Cottontail Rabbits - article

Free Student Clip Art: Clip art may be printed from a home computer, a classroom computer or from a computer at a library and/or a local printing service provider. This may be done from multiple locations as needed because our education blog is online and available to the general public.

Anatomy of a rabbit: skull, teeth, tail, legs, eyes and ears.