Beauty and the Beak
Written by Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp

Publisher’s Summary:
Meet Beauty, the bald eagle that made world news when she was injured, rescued and received a 3D-printed prosthetic beak. Follow Beauty’s brave and inspiring story as she grows up in the wild, is rescued after being illegally shot, and receives a new beak specially engineered by a human team including a raptor biologist, engineer and dentist. Learn more about how bald eagles as a species came back from near extinction, and about nationwide efforts to conserve this American symbol.

Primary Source Pairing:
Through the good work at Birds of Prey Northwest raptor center, Beauty the eagle survived a life-threatening injury. This behind-the-scenes look at Beauty’s struggle is interesting and inspiring. For this primary source pairing, invite students to closely study a photograph of a bald eagle. Additional resources below provide lesson extension opportunities. Finally, use this book as a kick off to a 3D printing unit in your library.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What is the physical setting?
• What’s happening in the image?
• Make a connection to this image and something you read in Beauty and the Beak.

Additional Resources:
Bald Eagle: National Geographic Kids
Beauty and the Beak Educational Guide: http://www.deborahleerose.com/beauty-and-the-beak
Beauty and the Beak video created by Birds of Prey Northwest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy_-VjOR_Jo
Birds of Prey Northwest website: https://www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org/
What Is 3D Printing and How Does It Work? | Mashable Explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0Z6LplaMU

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in Kachemak Bay, Alaska: photographed by Helmy oved, Wikimedia Commons