Wild Ponies of Assateague Island

A wild pony on Assateague Island during the wintertime.

 

Young students have a rapt fascination with ponies. This presentation builds on that fascination to teach about the ecology of Assateague Island. The presentation is interactive and driven by a series of questions and answers. Presentations are only done at the classroom level so that each and every student is able to get involved.

The presentation is for first through fifth grade classes. While the content is varied according the age and ability of the students, we discuss and learn about the following in the presentations:

  • Where the island is located
  • What a barrier island is
  • The types of wildlife on the island
  • Predator/Prey relationships
  • What can happen if an animal has no predators
  • What extinction is
  • What it means to be an Endangered Species
  • What are the predators of the ponies
  • How islands are created
  • How barrier islands are moving, and what holds part of the island in place
  • How the ponies live
  • What the ponies eat
  • Where the ponies live on the island
  • What ponies do when they are hot
  • What ponies do during the cold winter
  • How the ponies populations are controlled
  • What and When is Pony Penning Day
  • How the ponies are cared for
  • Where the ponies are taken to during Pony Penning Day
  • Who gets some of the ponies
  • How the student might be able to get a pony on Pony Penning Day

    • Also each class receives a free book from Marguerite Henry's Horseshoe Library . These are wonderful fiction books that take place on Assateague Island and near by Chincoteague Island. After the presentation is over these books provide a chance for the class to continue to read fun fiction stories that take place on the islands that they have just learned about.

    The presentation is roughly divided into three parts:

  • Assateague Island and the animals that live on it
  • How the ponies live on the island through out the year
  • Pony Penning Day

    • I love talking to kids and we have a lot of fun in these presentations, but due to travel and work arrangements I can't always fit in all requests for presentations. If you are interested in a presentation for classes in your school please send me a request with the dates that you are interested in and the number of classes. The cost per presentations is lowered if I'm able to make more than one presentation per trip.