Outlining: The Badger Menace
PART 1: On these pages are sentences taken from an “A+” paper regarding human/badger relations. Your job is to sift through the information and form a proper outline from the sentences given byidentifyingwhich sentences are main ideas and which are support and then placing the proper Roman numerals, letters, or numbers in the spaces provided before the sentences.Also, if the sentence needs to be indented further than the previous line, indicate that such is the case by writing an arrow (>) next to the Roman numeral, letter, or number in the space.
THESIS STATEMENT: The badger, though often cuddly and often thought of (in years past) as an excellent choice for a family pet, is actually quite vicious when cornered or verbally insulted. Steps must be taken to curb the badger problem by instituting government programs, teaching our children about proper behavior toward our domestic badger population, and stopping the flow of badgers coming across the U.S. borders from Canada.
_____ The badger can be cuddly.
_____ In an interview with Sherri Finkleton, she states, “My husband and I cuddle daily with our pet badger Rex.”
_____ The World Almanac says that badgers, when shampooed regularly, have a soft coat that can comfortably be hugged or squeezed.
_____ The badger was once thought of as an excellent family pet.
_____ A census report shows that in 1920, 65% of the U.S. population owned, or wanted to own a badger as a pet
_____ I polled several people at Golden Brook retirement center, and many of them agreed that they all knew somebody that owned a domesticated badger as late as the 1950’s. I also polled some elementary school students and none of the kids knew anybody with a pet badger.
_____ A badger is vicious when cornered
_____ Dave Marsh, a research scientist at Yale, wrote in “Mammal Monthly” that mammals such as badgers, squirrels and whales can attack a human when they see that they have no means of escape. The whales, he said, are harder to research since there aren’t many corners in the ocean in which to, well… corner them.
_____ Action News 9 (you know, the area’s news leader) did a story about a man who hunted badgers until his eyes were poked out by a badger that he had trapped in an old barn.
_____ Badgers also cannot tolerate abusive or offensive verbal taunting
_____ Badgers, according to Wikipedia, have small brains that make them less open-minded about “colorful” or derogatory comments
_____ An article in National Geographic states that Badgers have super-sensitive hearing that can be bothered by an angry verbal tone from up to a mile away.
_____ Sight-seers at Badger Safari are cautioned to speak kindly, even to each other, when within the walls of the park.
_____ Government programs must help to solve the ongoing crisis of human-badger tensions that can lead to injuries and hurt feelings
_____ The Department of Natural Resources, according to USA Today, has so far almost completely ignored the growing risk of increasing badger hostility toward humans.
_____ The President could, and should, dedicate several minutes of his State of the Union speech to the badger menace.
_____ The National Guard can be brought in to guard homes that stand near known badger holes, habitats, or hang outs.
_____ I interviewed a friend that is in the National Guard and he said that they have a lot of time that they waste that could be used to stand guard or build walls around the homes of suspicious woodland creatures.
_____ Jerry, my neighbor, said that the training people receive in boot camp can be applied equally well to enemy combatants and small furry animals.
_____ Parents should be teaching their children about proper etiquette when confronted by a badger.
_____ A pamphlet from the National Council of Concerned and Overprotective Citizens suggests that special family counsels be called and dedicated to instruction about such topics as what to say when a badger chews on your wallet, what to do when a badger cuts you off when riding your bike, and how to manage a badger while attending kindergarten.
_____ Readers Digest said, “Children need to know that badgers are often involved in illicit activity, such as gambling and laundering drug money for the Russian mafia. Who will teach them if their primary caregiver does not? This knowledge will scare them away from parks and wooded areas after dark.”
_____ Jerry (still my neighbor), in a personal interview through his front door, said that the frightening tales told by his grandmother (or “Nanna”) kept him not only away from recreational areas and forests, but also the supermarkets and anywhere where any sort of living thing might be. He credits his being alive today to her advice to him as a youngster.
_____ We must stop the flow of illegal badgers from Canada into our great country.
According to Mustelidae Monthly, millions of badgers (as well as otters, weasels, and polecats) are flooding our country’s major northern cities.
_____ Detroit mayor Johnny Dimkins cited a major increase in badger and weasel sightings in the past three years.
_____ A very large, razor-barbed fence along the border would keep these beasts at bay, says United in Unity, a national organization promoting human oneness and animal cruelty.
CONCLUSION: As has been proven, while once seen as a fabulous alternative to the family dog or cat, the badger is not as tame as one might suspect. There are several steps that must be taken before we are, Animal Farm-like, destroyed by the very animals that we once took into our homes and hearts. If we harness the power of the government, gain knowledge in our houses, and secure our country’s northern border, there is no reason why we can live lives that aren’t badgered by these unwanted and dangerous pests.
PART 2: Write an effective attention-getter for this essay (in three to five lines):