How to Save an Animal Species
Learning Sequence
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Introduction
This activity is designed to empower students with the freedom to explore environmental conservation through the lens of elephant life.
By engaging in interactive activities and personal research, students are encouraged to independently identify an endangered animal they feel connected to. This autonomy supports their intrinsic motivation to learn and act. Teachers are facilitators, guiding the discovery process and nurturing students’ choices, fostering a sense of responsibility and a deep understanding of biodiversity and conservation.
Prepare yourselves for an enlightening journey as we set off to explore the majestic world of elephants, giants of the animal kingdom. Through an engaging video, we will dive deep into the life of an elephant, witnessing their habits, challenges, and the profound bond they share with their habitat.
As our journey unfolds, we will navigate through a series of thought-provoking activities designed to deepen our understanding of elephants and their role in the ecosystem. With each step, we’ll gather essential knowledge and insights that will empower us to make a difference.
But our adventure doesn’t end here. Taking inspiration from the elephants, each of us will embark on a personal quest to identify an endangered animal. With passion and creativity, we will craft a plan aimed at raising awareness and sparking action to safeguard our chosen species.
Join us on this extraordinary expedition as we learn not just about the elephants and other endangered animals, but also discover the power each of us holds to contribute to the preservation of our planet’s precious wildlife. Together, let’s inspire change and make a lasting impact!
Weekly Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/Vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Read and Discuss - Weekly Comprehension
This activity engages students in reading comprehension and verbal communication by discussing Asian elephants. Initially, students explore discussion questions to stimulate conversation, enhancing understanding.
They then clarify key vocabulary through dialogue, emphasizing collaborative learning. This oral phase precedes written responses, fostering deeper comprehension and expressive skills.
Take a moment to look at the task card all about Asian elephants.
First up – Check out the discussion questions we’ve got ready for you. Spend a bit of time chatting about these questions before we dive into the next part. No need to write anything down just yet, this part is all about talking and thinking.
After you’ve had a good discussion, let’s get curious about some interesting facts related to Asian elephants. See if you can share your favourite with your partnerr. Don’t worry about writing anything down, just talk it through.
Right now, your job is just to discuss and think about what you’ve learned. In the next activity, that’s when you’ll get to write down your thoughts and answers.
So, go ahead, start the conversation with your partner or the class, and see what interesting ideas everyone has about Asian elephants. Remember, this is all about learning together and having fun with it!
Writing Your Answers
This activity is designed to enhance students’ written understanding and their ability to answer questions in full sentences. It encourages the use of new vocabulary acquired from various sources, including flashcards, videos, and a comprehension activity.
By asking students to document their responses to 12 questions, the task reinforces the integration of new language into their written work, promoting deeper comprehension and the development of coherent, full-sentence answers.
Using the task card provided, document your answers in the table given. Aim to incorporate all the new words you have learned from the vocabulary flashcard, the video you watched, and the comprehension activity you have just completed.
Write full sentences to answer the questions, and see if you can complete all 12 questions provided.
Choose Your Endangered Animal
This activity involves students exploring a booklet on endangered animals, fostering choice by allowing them to select an animal they’re passionate about saving. It emphasizes collaboration, as students are encouraged to team up with peers who have chosen the same animal, leveraging the principle that working together amplifies their impact.
This task not only educates on biodiversity but also instills teamwork and critical thinking as they develop a conservation plan, making learning interactive and impactful.
In our next project, we’re going to dive into a booklet filled with stories about endangered animals from all over the world. These animals are in trouble, and their numbers are getting really low, which means they need our help to survive.
Your mission is to read through the booklet and learn about these animals and the challenges they face. Then, you’ll pick one animal that you feel strongly about and later you’ll come up with a plan on how we can help protect it from extinction. Think about what makes this animal special and why it’s important to save it.
Remember, choosing your animal is a big decision, so take your time to think about it. Once you’ve made your choice, see if there are any classmates who’ve chosen the same animal. Working together can make your plan even stronger because many hands make light work!
This is a chance to do something truly inspiring and make a difference in the world. Let’s get started and see how we can help save these incredible creatures.
Design A Poster - Let’s Spread the Word
This project combines digital and graphic design techniques with research and persuasive language to create awareness posters about endangered animals.
Students will follow a template, applying these skills to effectively communicate their message. They’ll learn to harness the power of visuals and words to advocate for conservation, honing their ability to influence public opinion and spark change through well-crafted design and informed, compelling narratives.
Imagine you’re a detective, but instead of solving mysteries, you’re on a mission to save animals! I’ve made a poster about protecting turtles to show you how we can spread the word to help our animal friends. Now, it’s your turn.
Choose Your Animal: Think about the animal you picked from our booklet. Hold onto why you chose it—because it’s going to be the star of your poster!
Use the Template: I’ll give you a template that’s like a treasure map. It has clues on how to make your poster both beautiful and powerful. Your job is to follow these clues to create your own masterpiece.
Be Creative: Just like drawing your favourite superhero or designing a castle, put your heart into this poster. Use colours, words, and pictures to tell everyone why your animal is amazing and needs our help.
Remember, your poster is like a superhero signal in the sky—it’s calling for everyone to come and help save the animals.
Can’t wait to see your incredible posters and how you’re going to help make the world a better place for our animal friends!
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The Food Chain - It’s all Connected
This activity introduces students to food webs, enhancing their understanding of ecological connections. They’ll label a sample diagram, discuss it with peers, and independently apply this knowledge by creating habitats. This fosters comprehension and promotes independent, impactful learning in environmental stewardship.
While it may seem impossible to save some of the world’s biggest and oldest creatures, it is not as difficult as you might think.
You see, everything in the natural world is connected, and if we build a solid foundation, then the animals at the top of the food chain will have enough food to eat and habitats to live in, ensuring that everything will have what they need.
In preparation for a talk on building your very own habitat, we are first going to learn about food webs and discuss how everything is connected.
Take a look at the sample food web opposite, read the instructions, and label the diagram before discussing the questions about the image with your classmates or peers.
Once you have a solid understanding of how food webs work, it will then be time for you to go and build your very own habitat and change the world right from your back garden or school playground.
Completing Your Mission
This activity congratulates students on finishing a conservation course and invites them to answer 10 questions to receive a certificate. It acknowledges their hard work and impact on global leaders, celebrating their contributions towards saving an endangered species.
Congratulations on completing this course to save an endangered species. I can’t believe how much hard work you have put into this challenge. The world is better now that you have shared your ideas and concerns with the most powerful people on the planet.
You have made a difference and now it is time to jump over the final hurdle to collect your well-deserved certificate.
Click the button below, answer 10 simple questions and collect your personal certificate to celebrate all of your efforts.
Insect Hunt - Conducting a Survey
This hands-on activity involves students exploring their environment to study insects. They should safely inspect under leaves and in the soil while supervised, ensuring they handle all creatures and their habitats gently. Encourage them to record their findings and note any expected but absent insects.
Following this, they’ll construct habitats to attract these missing insects, blending scientific inquiry with environmental stewardship. Always stress the importance of careful handling to protect both the students and the insects.
Whenever scientists or biologists want to find out specific information about animals or insects, they must first conduct research to ensure that their predictions are correct. This week, you are going to do the same thing.
Use the task card opposite as an example and take a 30-minute walk around your school playground, your back garden, or even on your way home from school.
Your objective is to look under leaves, rummage in the dirt, and look under plant pots to see how many insects you can find and count their numbers. Remember not to disturb them, Put everything back where you found it and just observe them and count.
Make a note of how many insects you find, but more importantly, note which insect you expected to find but didn’t see. (You can see these on my example with a big red circle)
Your next task will be to create a habitat for that insect and hopefully see it visit your school garden, home, or window ledge.
Let’s get hunting!
Create a New Habitat - Let’s Grow
This activity empowers students to choose an insect that was absent during their exploration, then design and create a suitable habitat for it.
By planting attractants and observing resultant changes, students exercise autonomy in their learning, defining success on their own terms. This project not only fosters independence and critical thinking but also instills a sense of responsibility towards ecosystem conservation, aligning with principles that support self-directed, impactful education.
Once you have identified the insect that was absent during your research, it’s time to create a habitat for that very insect, hoping to attract it to your local community.
That’s right, you are going to create a habitat.
Your objective will be to plant something that attracts this insect, carefully nurture it, and then, once it’s grown, wait for the insect to arrive and make it a safe place for the new insect to thrive and survive.
Remember, the food chain starts with the smallest and simplest creatures. Through this activity, you are laying the foundation for a sustainable world, supporting the survival of even the top predators that are nearing extinction.
Choose carefully, work hard, and get ready to change the world.
Follow the instructions on the task card opposite and let’s save the world, one insect at a time.
Taking Action - How Many Can you Achieve?
This project centers on self-directed, real-world learning, challenging students to complete a series of tasks aimed at raising awareness for animal conservation, with no set deadline. It’s an opportunity for them to engage deeply and meaningfully with environmental issues, driven by their motivation to ensure the safety of their chosen animal for the future.
The success of this initiative hinges on their ability to apply knowledge, think creatively, and act with autonomy, making their reward the impactful contribution to preserving biodiversity
Your role as the educator is to allow the children to work through these together. Do not tell them what to do, but be their guide as they come up with wonderful ways of attempting to achieve them.
You’ve chosen an animal to champion, and now it’s time to take action. Your next step involves a task card listing 13 activities aimed at raising awareness about the importance of protecting animal diversity.
These aren’t just school projects; they’re real-world actions designed to educate and influence those around you on conservation issues.
Your goal is to complete all 13 tasks, leveraging this opportunity to make a tangible impact. This initiative will challenge you to think creatively and critically about how we can all contribute to the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity.
You can work on these as an individual, as a group or even as a whole school. Your objective is to complete all 13, spreading the word about your endangered animal.
There’s no time limit on these tasks but remember, for the animals we are focussing on. Time is running out!
Let’s make a difference together.
