Christine Conrad

PICT-O-GRAM

Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers
Author: Robert M. Sapolsky

Summary of the book:
Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers is a guide to stress, stress- related diseases and coping, by
neuroendocrinologist Robert M. Sapolsky. The book looks at stress through animals and how
they cope with stress related events. For an animal, Sapolsky writes that, Stress is generally
episodic, i.e., running away from a lion, whereas humans are susceptible to chronic stress
(relationships, work, school, etc.). The book describes how animals are less likely to develop
chronic diseases because their stressors are short lived. They either escape from the lion or
they die. They are less susceptible to ulcers, hypertension, and decreased neurogenesis. Dr.
Sapolsky explains how being stressed for just a few continuous days will increase your
chance of the common cold. The book talks about how stress effects bowl movements, the
female reproductive system, growth hormones, testosterone and the loss of erections,
miscarriage, and even cancer. Robert talks about his research on glucocorticoids on the
human body versus glucocorticoids on the animal body. Glucocorticoids are beneficial to
animals attempting to escape their predators, but is damaging to humans over a period of
time.

Grade Level: 11-12
th
grades
Reading Strategy: Predict-O-Gram

Description:
Predict-O-Gram is an anticipation guide. Anticipating content is an intentional time in your
lesson plan to generate student interest in, and build background knowledge for, content to
be studied. Predict-O-Gram is a way to highlight language from the text as a way to create
questions and make predictions prior to reading. For example, as the Instructor, you will
read a portion of the text and then provide students with a list of words that will appear in
the subsequent pages. The students then predict what they think will occur or what they will
learn.
Source: Tools for Teaching Content Literacy by: Janet Allen. Page
Blachowicz, C.L.Z. 1986. Making Connections: Alternatives to the Vocabulary
Notebook. Journal of Reading 29 (2): 643-649.

Modifications: May be done in groups or individually
Thematic Units, Topics, or Literature Units: This book could be used for a unit that
focuses on stress management in Physical Education, as well as Anatomy & Physiology or
health related class. The activity could be used for textbooks as well.


Chapter 1, Paragraph 1:

Its two o clock in the morning and youre lying in bed. You have something immensely
important and challenging to do that next daya critical meeting, a presentation, an exam.
You have to get a decent nights rest, but youre still wide-awake. You try different strategies
for relaxingtake deep breaths, try to imagine restful mountain scenerybut instead you
keep thinking that unless you fall asleep in the next minute, your career is finished. Thus you
lie there, more tense by the second.

Words/Phrases in upcoming pages:

Biology family relationships acute physical crisis

Half-starved lion emergency

Manifestations metabolic demands savanna baboon

Centuries ago physiological homeostasis

Scarlet fever revolutionary advances heart disease

Emotional turmoil stress hippos

Worry deadlines money worries

Relationships sustained physical stress


Your Predictions:

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