Based on the Bestselling Novel by Carl Hiaasen

1 Educator sGuideBased on the Bestselling Novel by carl HiaasenPublished by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children s (ISBN: 0-375-82183-3) Paperback (ISBN: 0-375-82916-4)Partner ONE: Mullet Fingers Meets Henry David Thoreau ..5 ACTIVITY TWO: Make Your Voice Heard! ..6 ACTIVITY THREE: What Caused the Changes? ..7 ACTIVITY FOUR: Wildlife Where You FIVE: Hands-On Habitat ..9 ACTIVITY SIX:The Burrowing Owls of Hoot: The Story Behind the Story ..10 ACTIVITY SEVEN: Scholastic Presents A Chat With carl Hiaasen ..12 Especially for are proud to introduce our filmadaptation of Hoot, a comicecological detective story about kidslearning what it means to take a s central characters, Roy Eberhardtand Mullet Fingers, march to a differentdrummer than their peers. They see thevalue in protecting nature and could beviewed as modern-day, junior versions ofHenry David Thoreau, a famous writerand name of our company is derived fromour admiration of Henry David Thoreauand our affection for the special placewhere he once made his home, on theshore of Walden Pond in Concord, beautiful setting first inspired HenryDavid Thoreau to write about nature s rolein building character and about the valueof marching to a different drummer.

2 Just as characters in Hoottake their stand in support of wildlife and habitatpreservation, Walden Media has likewisetaken a stand in support of literacy byproducing faithful film adaptations ofchildren s literature and supportingeducational programs and materialsaimed at inspiring audiences to read andfind out more about the great literatureon which our films are Based . For Hoot, we have partnered specially with the National Wildlife Federation tohighlight its educational programs that re-connect young people with wildlifeand natural habitats. It is our belief thatthe hilarious antics of Roy Eberhardt and Mullet Fingers will prove to be aninspiration and a means for continuing a discussion (and a drumbeat) first startedby Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond,a long time Granat & Micheal FlahertyCo-FoundersWalden Media, LLCT able of ContentsTHIS guide WAS DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED BY:Walden Media, LLC294 Washington Street/7th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 Register at to get the latest news about Walden Mediamovies, educational materials, free educator screenings, and events.

3 Bybecoming a member, you can participate on our online message boards todiscuss and share tips and lesson plans for using films in your Media loves to hear from our teachers. Please log on now and join us!ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI mage of Henry David Thoreau and drawing of his cabin courtesy of theWalden Woods Project/Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods, Concord, MA. We are grateful for material about burrowing owls adapted from the Fall 2002issue of EcoFlorida, used with permission of the author, Miranda Malone. We thank the people at Bonnet House Museum and Gardens for theirassistance and helpful information, and for the use of these photos: AerialPhotograph of Bonnet House, 1940, courtesy of Bonnet House Museum Aerial Photograph of Bonnet House, 1988, 1988 John Burrowing Owl population graphic: Bowen, P. J., 2000, Demographic,Distribution, and Metapopulation Analyses of the Burrowing Owl(Athenecunicularia) in Florida, thesis, University of Central Florida, owl content provided by Audubon of Florida and Center for Birds of Prey Education TO USE THIS GUIDEA ctivities in this guide target grades 6-8, are interdisciplinary, and complywith national content and education standards for Language Arts, Science,Social Studies, and Character Education.

4 Each activity features adaptations forstudents who require additional literacy support and for whom English is asecond language. Additional Hootlessons are available online at content in this guide was reviewed by: Cate Sanazaro, 7th grade Communication Arts Cuba Middle School, Cuba, MOMary Lewandoski, 6th-8th grade Environmental Science Frost Environmental Science Academy, Grand Rapids, MINicole Rom, Educator National Wildlife FederationGreat Lakes Natural Resource Center, Ann Arbor, MI MMVI NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS, MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDT hree middle-schoolers take on greedy land developers and corrupt politicians in the mysteryadventure Hoot. Based on carl Hiaasen s Newbery Honor book, Hootrevolves around a Montana boy who moves to Florida and unearths a disturbing threat to a local population of endangered owls. Determined to protect his new environment, the boy and his friends fight to prevent the adults from making a big mistake.

5 Packed with surprising plot twists, quirky characters, and offbeat humor, Hootis a classic story that s fun for all ages. Hootis written and directed by Wil Shriner (Frasier, Becker) and produced by Frank Marshall (Seabiscuit, Signs) and Jimmy Buffett, and features original music from producer Jimmy Buffett. Walden Media has partnered with New Line Cinema and the Kennedy/Marshall Company to produce a faithful feature adaptation of the book. The film stars Logan Lerman as Roy Eberhardt, Luke Wilson as Officer Delinko, Brie Larson as Beatrice Leep, Cody Linley as Mullet Fingers, and introduces Eric Phillips as Dana activities in this guide may be reproduced for educational purposes only. Hootbook artwork used by permission of Random House Children s Books. Text 2006 Walden Media, LLC. Walden Media and its logo are registered trademarks of Walden Media, LLC. All other trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.

6 All rights reserved. SEEHOOTWITH YOUR STUDENTS! CALL 1-866-454-HOOT FOR GROUP TICKET SALES MMVI NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS, MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED3 NATIONAL WILDLIFEFEDERATIONThe National Wildlife Federation(NWF), the largest grassroots conservation group in America, is dedicated to keeping peopleconnected to nature. This job is getting tougher. Recentresearch shows that the average spends over six hours indoorswith electronic media each do not spend nearlyenough time outdoors to stayhealthy and develop emotional and physical connections to nature. The NWF is committed to getting all children and families playing,learning, and caring for naturewhere they live. As the educationpartner for Hoot, NWF is providingopportunities to get studentsoutdoors discovering wildlife andcreating habitat projects. Check out the April 2006 issue ofRanger Rickmagazine for a behind-the-scenes tour of the movie Hoot, a poster about burrowing owls, and more ideas for enjoying naturein your neighborhood.

7 Visit themagazine at learn about easy steps you can take to protect habitats for birds and other wildlife, visit SCHOLASTICS cholastic Corporation (NASDAQ:SCHL) is the world s largest publisherand distributor of children s booksand a leader in educationaltechnology. Scholastic creates qualityeducational and entertainingmaterials and products for use inschool and at home, includingchildren s books, magazines,technology- Based products, teachermaterials, television programming,film, videos and February 2006, start exploringHootin Flashlight Readers, s free virtual readingclub that brings together acommunity of booklovers. Youngreaders can create a membershipcard and enjoy full access to behind-the-scenes interviews and moderatedauthor chats as well as excitinggames and activities Based on thebook. Members can even leaveinstant messages for other readers,and parents can use the discussionquestions to further the excitementof reading.

8 Flashlight Readers alsoprovides classroom learningopportunities with a comprehensiveTeacher s guide featuring lessonsand activities that support national in December 2005,Flashlight Readersbrings to lifeBecause of Winn-Dixieby KateDiCamillo, Holesby Louis Sachar,Esperanza Risingby Pam Mu ozRyan, Chasing Vermeer by BlueBailliett, and coming soon, Hootby carl more information aboutFlashlight Readers, visit the site at: CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREYThe Audubon Center for Birds ofPrey is an urban environmentalnature center that works to promotea stewardship ethic for Florida s birdsof prey and their habitats throughwildlife rehabilitation, practicalresearch, and interactive in 1979, the Centerserves the largest volume of injuredand orphaned eagles, owls, falcons,hawks, and kites east of theMississippi River, assessing andtreating more than 12,600 birdssince its inception, including close to 900 eagles.

9 The center offerseducation programs to diversegroups of all ages, including civicgroups, clubs, after-school programs,home school groups, and countyschools of all grades interested inlearning about birds of prey,Florida s natural history, andAudubon s conservation efforts. For additional information, call 407-644-0190 or RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN S BOOKSRead the Bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning book. For more activities and informationabout carl Hiaasen s Novel Hootand other books published byRandom House Children s Books, REsOURCEsWalden Media is proud to work with organizations that care as much about children as we do. Here are some of Walden Media s content partners in support of our release of Hoot. 4 SEEHOOTWITH YOUR STUDENTS!CALL 1-866-454-HOOT FOR GROUP TICKET SALES INFORMATION. MMVI NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS, MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS TURNRoy s mother advises him, You re going to be facedwith situations where the line isn t clear between what sright and what s wrong.

10 Your heart will tell you to doone thing, and your brain will tell you to do somethingdifferent. In the end, all that s left is to look at bothsides and go with your best judgment. How does thisadvice relate to Mullet Fingers s actions? To Thoreau squestions about what he calls unjust laws ? Discuss these questions with a partner. ACTIVITY ONEH enry David Thoreau s writings stressed his belief that contact with nature can help us form values that then guide our actions. Read the statements fromThoreau s writing anddiscuss their meanings. Then compare what youthink Thoreau had to saywith Mullet Fingers s actionsand statements in Hoot. For background information,a short biography, andquotes and excerpts from his famous works suchas Walden, please go mullet fingersMullet Fingers spendsmost of his free time in thewoods and swamps, andeventually goes to live there toget away from his mother and the threatof being sent away to a military school.