GRADE: Sixth

CONTENT STANDARD: Environmental Science

CONTENT TOPIC: Man's Effect on the Earth

CONCEPT: Some living things have become extinct and others are endangered.

CONTENT OBJECTIVES: 65402.00 To understand why some living things have become extinct or endangered

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will:

2.01 tell the meaning of extinct and endangered.
2.02 relate orally the reasons that some animals have become extinct or endangered.

Communicating orally, describing, listening, interpreting pictures, drawing conclusions

I. Extinct defined
II. Endangered defined
III. Ways to protect endangered species
IV. Game activities from Project Wild

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Science In Society

TN GOAL:

To enable students to demonstrate attitudes toward science in solving problems and making personal decisions About issues affecting the individual, society, and the environment.

4.2 PERSONAL NEEDS - The application of science may be used to change the quality of life for the individual.

4.2a - Any individual can participate in and contribute to the process of science.

BENCHMARKS: People control science and technology and are responsible for its effects.

TIME REQUIRED: 30 MINUTES

MATERIALS:

Project Wild Handbook

We know that many animals such as dinosaurs no longer live on the earth. We say they are extinct. There are some animals that are seldom seen they are very rare. An example of this is the bald eagle. We say that these animals are endangered. Can you name an endangered or extinct animal? (pause) If you can, raise your hand. (seek responses from individuals)

(You can list by EXTINCT or ENDANGERED animals the students describe. You can also show prepared pictures of other extinct animals such as passenger pigeon, saber-toothed tiger, etc. and endangered animals such as leopards, certain birds, etc. Then list reasons why certain animals become extinct such as lack of food, climate change, loss of habitat, society attitudes and killing for profit.)

(Lesson "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" from Project Wild Handbook, p. 135. (C 1983, 1985)Western Regional Environmental Council. Reprinted with permission from Project WILD.)

1.01 identify and describe some causes for extinction of animal species.
1.02 define "threatened," "rare," and "endangered" as applied to wildlife.
1.03 name threatened and endangered animals living in their area.

Analysis, classification, discussion, listing, and synthesis

Students become familiar with classification of animals, conduct research and make a master list of threatened and endangered animals locally and/or nationally, including factors affecting the animals condition.

Some sources report that worldwide, since 1600, about 300 species of wildlife have become extinct, either directly or indirectly as a result of human activities. In 1980, the U. S. Department of Interior listed 276 plants and animals in the United States as being endangered. Some experts predict a loss of species (plant and animal) to increase from one species per year worldwide to 100 species per year by the end of this century. Although extinction is a natural process, excessive and intensive human activities in the environment have caused a dramatic increase in its rate. Loss of habitat as a result of human activity is considered to be the most pervasive cause of species extermination.

Generally accepted definitions of the terms to be used in this activity are:

Endangered - species in immediate danger of extinction.

Critically Endangered - species will not survive without direct human intervention.

Threatened - species present in its range, but threatened because of a decline in numbers.

Rare - species not presently in danger, but of concern because of low numbers.

Some species were always rare because of the position in the food chain or due to habitat preference.
Extinct - complete disappearance of a species.

Peripheral - scarce in area because it is fringe or marginal habitat.

A list of the U. S. "Endangered Species" is available from:

Director, Office of Endangered Species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Department of Interior
Washington, D. C. 20204

State, province, and federal listings of endangered, threatened and rare species may vary because areas encompass different habitat conditions within their boundaries. An animal or plant may have been lost within one state's boundaries, but may be abundant in another, and therefore not considered threatened. The U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 gives the U.S. government power to protect endangered species, under the auspices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The major purpose of this activity is to provide students with a working knowledge of the terminology and factors affecting potential elimination of wildlife species.

This activity can be modified to include plant as well as animal species.

Information from state and federal agencies about threatened and endangered animals, poster-making materials, and writing materials.

1. Contact you state or province wildlife agency. Ask for a list of animals in your state or province that are classified endangered, critically endangered, threatened, rare, extinct, and peripheral. Ask, too, for information regarding the reasons for these classifications. For older students and those wanting more depth: Write to the U.S. Department of Interior regarding any comparable information available at the national level. (See Background for address.) Also contact local chapters of conservation organizations (e.g. National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife) for additional information they might have about species and habitats for which there is concern in your area.

2. Review and discuss with the students the definitions of threatened, endangered, rare, extinct, and peripheral-as used in wildlife conservation, as well as in a dictionary. Understand that words defined in a standard dictionary may have additional legal connotations. Ask each student or group of students to select an animal to learn more about.

3. Ask one or more students to take the information accumulated from the wildlife agencies and private conservation groups and come up with a master list of the animals according the category in which they can be classified, the classification both locally and nationally, and the principal factors affecting the animals OR divide the students into teams so they can all participate in constructing this chart; e.g., one team classifying mammals, another reptiles, birds, fish, insects, etc.

4. Make copies of this information for all the students. Discuss the findings. What seem to be the most prevalent factors affecting the animals: e.g., habitat loss, pollution, and impact from introduced species?

1. Make a poster display showing the principal reasons for endangerment and the animals that are endangered in those ways. Poster displays could be made separately for both state and national endangered species.

2. Have a school-wide contest in which students create posters honoring endangered species-from plants to wildlife.

3. Write a short essay, poem, or song about plants and animals facing extinction. What are these organisms "worth?" What are we humans losing?

4. Find out what is being done concerning the endangered plants and animals in your state or province; at the national level; at the international and worldwide levels. What can each of us as individuals do?

5. Each student can pick an endangered animal to find out more about. What will be the consequences of the disappearance of this species? What are the trade-off involved? What alternatives are available? What contributions does the animal make ecologically? Economically? Medicinally? Aesthetically? Intrinsically? Pool and discuss all the student's findings.

6. Explore the possibility that extinction can apply to 'human' cultural forms; e. g., traditional languages, native peoples.

7. Explore the concept of "unendangered" species. What animals appear not to be endangered at all at this time?

Arrange the following terms in a list so that they progress from the least amount of danger to a species to the greatest amount: endangered, rare, threatened, extinct, critically endangered.

Describe two - reasons for possible concern when animal species become extinct. Who decides what species are endangered or threatened and how do they decide? (Describe principal causes for extinction.)

Animals become extinct (No more) or endangered (Very scarce) because of changes to their environment. Man can cause the extinction or help the endangered. Everyone should try to preserve our wildlife heritage for the next generation. Tell your neighbor one animal that is extinct and one that is endangered. (pause, then summarize)

(Have students bring to school some pictures of extinct or endangered species. Make a bulletin board.)

 The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here. 

mfield@utm.edu and annetter@utm.edu