Using NewsHour Extra Worksheets

Overview: NewsHour Extra worksheets can help students follow along and identify key points in NewsHour science broadcast pieces.

Warm Up: Introduce the topic of the broadcast piece and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Hand out the worksheet and have students answer the questions as they watch the NewsHour segment.

Need a DVD of the science segment?: Write to science@newshour.org.

Story: Bald Eagle Removed from Endangered Species List, 6/28/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june07/eagle_06-28.html

Worksheet Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Where was the ceremony to remove the bald eagle from the endangered species list held?

The ceremony was held at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

2. How many nesting pairs of bald eagles were there in the United States in 1963? How many are there today?

There were about 400 pairs in 1963, today there are more than 10,000.

3. What actions has the government taken over the past 70 years to try to protect the eagles?

In 1940, the government prohibited trapping, shooting or poisoning the birds. In 1973, it banned the use of the pesticide DDT, which had been causing the birds to lay thin-shelled eggs. The government also put the eagles on the endangered species list, which helped protect its habitat.

4. Why does removing the bald eagle from the endangered species list worry eagle researcher Frank Isaacs?

Isaacs worries that delisting the eagle will open its habitat to more development and damage, possibly putting it in danger again.

5. Why has it been easier to bring back the bald eagle than it has been to bring back some other endangered species, such as the spotted owl?

Because the eagle is our national symbol and is well-known and loved, it is easier to convince people that it should be protected and pass laws to do so.

For more NewsHour Science Reports, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/science.

For more science lesson plans and worksheets, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/science.