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Dear New York State Teachers,
In an effort to teach New Yorkers about living in bear country and reducing conflicts between people and bears, NYSDEC has partnered with Untamed Science and state wildlife agencies in New Jersey, Arkansas, and Florida to produce the "Understanding Black Bears" curriculum and black bear education website blackbearinfo.com.
We encourage you to take advantage of this fun and engaging resource! Teach your students to appreciate wild black bears, and to be safe in bear country. The website blackbearinfo.com provides a vibrant assortment of free multimedia resources for educators and students. All NY classroom teachers, home-school groups, and other educators may use these resources on:
• black bear natural history
• bear behavior
• population management
• living in bear country
With 29 lessons for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, the self-contained computer program is full of puzzles, computer games, special bear movies, quizzes, and interactive learning activities. You will find a wide variety of options to match the needs of your students. A 'Teacher Quickstart Overview' and 'Correlations to the Common Core' make it easy to use the "Understanding Black Bears" curriculum in your classroom.
Additionally, check out the Living with New York Black Bears DVD, available in school and public libraries throughout New York, and upon request from DEC. The 60-minute DVD combines more than six years of black bear footage from across North America with expert interviews and guidance from wildlife management professionals. 
The number of conflicts between bears and people is increasing every year. These educational resources present information regarding the biology of black bears, human-bear encounters and conflicts, and black bear management, in a way that is easy to understand and fun to learn about!
For more information, visit DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/94707.html. You can also contact DEC’s Bureau of Wildlife via email at wildlife@dec.ny.gov or call them at 518-402-8883.
Encourage your students and their families to observe and appreciate black bears, while keeping their backyards safe, and the bears wild!
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