LESSON TITLE: Springs of Life

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three to four 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

In this video-enhanced lesson, students will explore Florida’s springs using video segments from the NATURE film “Springs Eternal: Florida’s Fountain of Youth” and related activities and discussions. Students will learn about how the springs are formed and will explore the Florida springs ecosystem, with particular focus on the manatees, fish, birds and alligators that live there. Students will also learn about red tide and its threat to the life in the springs. At the end of the lesson, students will conduct research and give a presentation about one species that lives in and/or around the springs.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Video Clips

NATURE: “Springs Eternal: Florida’s Fountain of Youth

1. “Florida’s Springs”

2. “Life in Florida’s Springs”

3. “Red Tide”

4. “Life in the water supply”

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web Sites

Resources about Florida’s springs and the species living in and around them:

• Florida’s Springs: Protecting Nature’s Gems

This Web site contains information, photographs and educational resources about Florida’s springs. The following section is used in this lesson:

• Life in a Spring

This section includes information and photographs about the different plants and animals living in and around Florida’s springs.

• Web World Wonders/ Ecosystems: List of Organisms in the River and Springs Ecosystem

This site provides detailed information and photographs of species living in and around Florida’s rivers and springs.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Species

This site contains “Wildlife Fact Sheets,” which include information about a variety of species, including the American Alligator and the West Indian Manatee who live in the springs.

• University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies

This site contains information about eelgrass, as well as information and bird sounds of species including the Great Blue Heron and Osprey, which could be helpful for student research during this lesson.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards, Grades 5-8

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Populations and Ecosystems

• A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem.
• Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganisms are producers-they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
• For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis. That energy then passes from organism to organism in food webs.

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Content Standard F

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

· Natural Hazards

o       Human activities also can induce hazards through resource acquisition, urban growth, land-use decisions, and waste disposal. Such activities can accelerate many natural changes.

· Risks and Benefits

o       Students should understand the risks associated with natural hazards (fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), with chemical hazards (pollutants in air, water, soil, and food), with biological hazards (pollen, viruses, bacterial, and parasites), social hazards (occupational safety and transportation), and with personal hazards (smoking, dieting, and drinking).

MATERIALS:

For each student:

• “Life in Florida’s Springs Fact Sheet” (RTF) (PDF)

For each group of 3-5 students:

• 1 copy of the “Life in Florida’s Springs: Producer/Consumer Game.”(RTF) (PDF)
  (See the “Prep for Teachers” section for details.)

For the class:

• Producer/Consumer Pyramid (PDF)

• Books, reference materials and/or Internet access to conduct research about life in Florida’s springs.
• A large sheet of paper or board and something with which to write.
• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system (to play video clips either downloaded or streaming from the Web).

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Explain what springs are and how they are formed;
• Describe at least 3 different species living in the Florida springs ecosystem, naming why they live in the springs, what they eat and how they get their food;
• Explain why the Florida springs ecosystem is an inverted food pyramid;
• Define “producer” and “consumer”;
• Accurately sort organisms into producers and primary, secondary and tertiary consumers;
• Name types of organisms that function as decomposers and explain the role that decomposers play in the ecosystem;
• Describe how organisms can survive in watery, underground caves without sunlight;
• Define “red tide,” how it is caused, and what danger it poses to manatees;
• Describe one species from the Florida springs ecosystem in detail, including what it eats, factors that pose a danger to its survival, and where it lives during different times of the year.

PREP FOR TEACHERS:

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Make one copy of the “Life in Florida’s Springs Fact Sheet” for each student.

Make 1 copy of the “Life in Florida’s Springs: Producer/ Consumer Game” for each group of 3-5 students, including the cards and the chart. Cut up the cards for each group, making sure that each group gets a complete set of 15 Cards. (Each card should feature the name of one species.) Each group should also have one Producer/ Consumer Game Chart (not cut up).

Load the “Producer/Consumer Pyramid” onto a screen that can be seen by the class, or recreate it on a classroom board.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES.

These brief video segments can be used alone or in combination, to introduce a topic or to spark discussion among your students. The video segments can be adapted for any grade level. Stream the video segments from the playlist below, or scroll to the bottom of the page to find downloadable QuickTime versions of the videos. These videos are also used in the lesson plan Springs of Life (grades 5-8).

Excerpts from the NATURE episode, “Springs Eternal: Florida’s Fountain of Youth”

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Video Clips

1. Florida’s Springs:

An introduction to Florida’s springs and how they are formed.

2. Life in Florida’s Springs:

A close up look at life in the warm Florida springs and the various predators supported by the abundant life.

3. Red Tide:

An introduction to red tide and the danger it poses.

4. Life in the Water Supply:

A close look at life in a town’s water supply and it’s energy source.

Excerpts from the NATURE episode “Kilauea: Mountain of Fire”

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Video Clips

1) Volcanic Views

Describes many aspects of volcanic activity.

2) Lava Landscapes

How volcanic activity affects the surrounding land.

3) Stormy Seas

What happens when lava flows meet the ocean.

(Click here for a printer friendly version of this lesson.)

LESSON TITLE: Vibrant Volcanoes

GRADE LEVEL: 2 – 4

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Earth Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: 1-2 class periods

OVERVIEW:

This lesson will introduce elementary students to the fiery and explosive nature of volcanoes, using segments from the NATURE film, “Kilauea: Mountain of Fire.” Students will get to know different features of volcanoes and volcanic activity: what volcanoes are like, where they are found, how and why they erupt, and what happens after an eruption. Students will begin by learning key terms about the earth’s structure and plate tectonics, and followed by a hands-on demonstration of plate tectonics. Students will then view video clips to provide an overview of volcanic activity and the effects on the surrounding landscape. As a culminating activity, students will explore the locations of volcanoes around the world.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

NATURE: Kilauea: Mountain of Fire, selected segments

Video Clips

1) Volcanic Views

2) Lava Landscapes

3) Steamy Seas

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

National Geographic Decade Volcanoes

This map highlights sixteen volcanoes that have been designated as Decade Volcanoes, due to both their potential activity and proximity to populated areas.  There are photos of each volcano on the map, as well as information and statistics about its activity.

WorldAtlas Ring of Fire

This map shows the series of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that are known as the “Ring of Fire.”  More than half of the world’s active volcanoes are in this region, which coincides with the edges of tectonic plates.

Volcano Cross-Section

This image shows the basic components of a volcano.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards, Grades K – 4

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962

Content Standard B:

PROPERTIES OF OBJECTS AND MATERIALS

• Materials can exist in different states-solid, liquid, and gas. Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.

LIGHT, HEAT, ELECTRICITY, AND MAGNETISM

• Heat can be produced in many ways, such as burning, rubbing, or mixing one substance with another. Heat can move from one object to another by conduction.

Content Standard D

PROPERTIES OF EARTH MATERIALS

• Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere. The varied materials have different physical and chemical properties, which make them useful in different ways, for example, as building materials, as sources of fuel, or for growing the plants we use as food. Earth materials provide many of the resources that humans use.

CHANGES IN THE EARTH AND SKY

• The surface of the earth changes. Some changes are due to slow processes, such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Content Standard F

CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTS

• Environments are the space, conditions, and factors that affect an individual’s and a population’s ability to survive and their quality of life.
• Changes in environments can be natural or influenced by humans. Some changes are good, some are bad, and some are neither good nor bad. Pollution is a change in the environment that can influence the health, survival, or activities of organisms, including humans.
• Some environmental changes occur slowly, and others occur rapidly. Students should understand the different consequences of changing environments in small increments over long periods as compared with changing environments in large increments over short periods.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• Volcanic Vocabulary Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Lava Landscapes Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

For each group of 3-4 students:

• Medium-cooked egg (boiled for 5 – 8 minutes, depending on the size of the egg)
• Paper towels

For the class:

• Volcanic Vocabulary Terms and Definitions Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Lava Landscapes Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• World Map
• Computer with internet access
• Chart paper, chalkboard, or whiteboard
• Raw egg (optional)
• Push pins or small sticky notes

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• Recognize key characteristics of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions
• Define vocabulary terms relating to volcanoes and volcanic activity
• Understand how volcanic eruptions change the Earth’s surface
• Identify locations of volcanoes around the world

PREP FOR THE TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Make copies of the student organizers for each student in the class.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Prepare chart paper or chalkboard/whiteboard by writing the vocabulary terms from the Introductory Activity: Crust, Mantle, Magma, Lava, Plates.  Leave enough room to write the definitions as you cover them in the lesson.

Prepare medium-cooked eggs for the Introductory Activity.  These eggs should be boiled for approximately 5 – 8 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs, and should be thoroughly cooled before distributing to students.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lessons/vibrant-volcanoes/lesson-overview/5159/feed/ 1 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lessons/endangered-relationships/lesson-overview/4696/ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lessons/endangered-relationships/lesson-overview/4696/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 06:37:18 +0000 eva glaser http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/?p=4696 (Click here for a printer-friendly version of this lesson)

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science/Environmental Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: 1-2 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

This lesson uses video segments from the NATURE film “Crash: A Tale of Two Species” to explore the interrelationship between the horseshoe crab and a small migratory bird called the red knot. Both species are in decline, and the red knot’s future, in particular, depends on the horseshoe crab making a comeback in the waters of the Delaware Bay.

Students will first be introduced to the horseshoe crab via a video segment, learning that the species’ longevity (350 million years) makes the horseshoe crab a “living fossil,” an anomaly in terms of the Earth’s species. They will view several other video segments to explore the interconnectedness between the horseshoe crab and the red knot, following the videos with a discussion of the reasons for the decline of each species. Students will fill out an exit ticket to assess their comprehension of these concepts. An optional additional video segment can be used to explore how humans have come to depend on horseshoe crabs as well (their blood, which evolved to have primitive antibacterial properties, is used to test intravenous drugs for contamination).

As a culminating activity, students will use an interactive online map to research endangered species in the region of the United States where they live. They will discuss the environmental changes that have led to the species’ decline (often of human origin) and will discuss the strategies being employed to prevent their extinction.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Video

NATURE: Crash: A Tale of Two Species (selected segments):

Clip 1: “The Living Fossil”

The horseshoe crab has survived for 350 million years.

Clip 2: “Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots”

Horseshoe crabs are an essential source of nutrition for migrating birds.

Clip 3: “Protecting the Horseshoe Crab”

Measures have been undertaken to protect the horseshoe crab.

Clip 4: “Horseshoe Crabs and Humans”

The horseshoe crab has immense value to humans for its uses in medical technology.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Sierra Club Endangered Species Map

This interactive map provides information on key endangered species, including efforts currently being undertaken to protect them, in different regions of the United States.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
  • Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

o        Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on the earth no longer exist.

As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

• The Interdependence of Organisms
  • Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years.
  • Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.
  • Human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected.

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Content Standard F

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Populations, Resources, and Environments
• When an area becomes overpopulated, the environment will become degraded due to the increased use of resources.
• Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from region to region and from country to country.

Materials

For each student:

• Endangered Relationships Exit Ticket (PDF) (RTF)

For each group of 3-4 students:

• One computer with broadband internet access

For the class:

• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Describe characteristics of the horseshoe crab;
• Specify how “living fossils” like the horseshoe crab differ from most other species;
• Understand that over 99% of all species that have ever existed on earth are extinct;
• Name specific factors that can lead to species endangerment and extinction;
• List several strategies that can be undertaken by humans to protect endangered species;
• Provide at least one example of species interconnectedness: how the population decline of one species adversely affects another species.

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print and cut out a copy of the “Endangered Relationships Exit Ticket” for each student.

Next: Proceed to Activites

Excerpts from the NATURE episode “CRASH: A Tale of Two Species”

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1: “The Living Fossil”

The horseshoe crab has survived for 350 million years.

Clip 2: “Horseshoe Crabs and Redknots”

Horseshoe crabs are an essential source of nutrition for migrating birds.

Clip 3: Protecting the Horseshoe crab

Measures have been undertaken to protect the horseshoe crab.

Clip 4: Horseshoe Crabs and Humans

The horseshoe crab has immense value to humans for its uses in medical technology.

The loneliest animals are the last of their kind on the planet. Concerned scientists have collected members of various endangered species, and have launched captive breeding programs, with the hope of returning new offspring to the wild. This program celebrates the persistence and resourcefulness of scientists who strive to bring rare species back from the brink of extinction.

This guide helps students focus on endangered animals that are facing the possibility of extinction, and explore the ways people are trying to protect them. This guide includes teacher’s pages and student activity masters that can be used with the program.

The Teacher’s Guide supplement includes an additional activity, designed to show that habitat destruction can contribute to species extinction.

Please photocopy the pages and hand them out to students in class.

Download as PDF:

• Download The Loneliest Animals Teacher’s Guide
• Download the Teacher’s Guide supplement

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: One to two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

During this video-enhanced lesson, students will watch video segments from the NATURE film “The Secret World of Sharks and Rays” and learn about adaptations that have helped sharks and rays survive. Students will explore similarities and differences between sharks, rays and other fish. They will watch segments that provide information about physical features and behaviors that have helped sharks and rays survive, with specific attention paid to the angel, wobbegong and saw sharks and the electric, sting and manta rays. Students will work in small groups to research a specific type of shark or ray and share their findings with the class. Students will discover that different types of sharks and rays have different temperaments and diets and that some of the largest sharks and rays are the most gentle.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Video

Clip 1

Fish, Sharks and Rays: A comparison of fish, sharks and rays.

Clip 2

A Close Look at Sharks: A close look at angel, wobbegong and saw sharks and their survival techniques.

Clip 3

A Close Look at Rays: A close look at electric, sting and manta rays and their survival techniques.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History

This site features a rich variety of information, games and photographs of a variety of fish, including sharks and rays. The following sections are recommended for this lesson:

• Sharks- This section features information, games and photographs of sharks.
• Biological Profiles- This section provides photographs and detailed information about specific sharks and rays, as well as other fish.

Kidzone Fun Facts for Kids: Sharks

This Web site features a variety of photographs, activities and facts about sharks.

National Geographic: Sharks
This Web site features many photos and facts about sharks, which can be used in this lesson.

Seaworld: Sharks and Rays

This site contains a variety of facts, photographs and diagrams of sharks and rays.

STANDARDS:

National Science Education Standards, Grades 5-8

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Regulation and behavior
  • Behavior is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental stimulus. A behavioral response requires coordination and communication at many levels, including cells, organ systems, and whole organisms. Behavioral response is a set of actions determined in part by heredity and in part from experience.
  • An organism’s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species’ evolutionary history.
• Populations and ecosystems

• Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganisms are producers-they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
  • Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.

• Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

MATERIALS

For each group of 2-3 students:

• Books, reference materials and/or computers to conduct research on sharks and rays.

For the class:

• A large sheet of paper or board and something with which to write.
• A photograph of a bull shark and a photograph of a whale shark. (See “Prep for Teachers” section for details.)
• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system (to play video clips either downloaded or streaming from the Web).

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• Discuss similarities and differences between sharks, rays and other fish;
• Describe physical features and characteristics that have helped sharks survive, with specifics about angel, wobbegong and saw sharks;
• Provide details of physical features and characteristics that have helped rays survive, with specifics about electric, sting and manta rays;
• Explain that there are many different types of sharks and rays, with varied skills, physical features, temperaments and diets;
• Explain that some sharks and rays are harmful to humans, while others are not and provide specific examples of harmful and gentle species;
• Discuss that sometimes the largest species can be the most gentle;
• Provide detailed information about one species of shark or ray.

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out one photo of a whale shark and one photo of a bull shark to show the class. Make sure that the image of the whale shark is about 3 times larger than the bull shark. See the “Web sites” section above for a list of sites with shark photos.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1

Fish, Sharks and Rays

Clip 2

A Close Look at Sharks

Clip 3

A Close Look at Rays

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

The loneliest animals are the last of their kind on the planet. Scientists warn that up to 100 species a day are being pushed toward extinction. Sadly, many of these creatures are endangered because of human actions. Nature: The Loneliest Animals profiles a variety of captive breeding programs, designed to bolster these dwindling animal populations.

Using segments from this program and other Web resources, students will discuss different ways that animal species become extinct, and analyze how human actions can positively and negatively influence a species’ population. Students will also discuss the benefits and challenges of helping an endangered species through captive breeding, and will prepare “news segments” for the class to present research on endangered species.

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• Compare and discuss different causes of extinction;
• Name several currently highly endangered species, and describe how people are trying to bring them back from the brink of extinction;
• Research an endangered species, and present information from online, print, and broadcast resources in an oral report.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Video:

NATURE, The Loneliest Animals, selected segments

Clip 1: Yangtze giant soft shell turtle

Clip 2: Sumatran rhinoceros

Clip 3: Lemurs

Clip 4: Black-Footed Ferret

Clip 5: Imperiled Lives

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle (China)

Asian Turtle Conservation Network: Rafetus Swinhoei

Fact page on the endangered soft-shell turtle

China’s Turtles: Emblems of a Crisis (New York Times)

Article about the Chinese breeding effort for Rafetus Swinhoei

Sumatran Rhinoceros (Sumatra, Indonesia)

International Rhino Foundation:

Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary

[NOTE: page features graphic photo of two rhinos mating.]

Information about Sumatran Rhinos from the Indonesian sanctuary

Sumatran Rhino

General information about the endangered Sumatran Rhino

News from the Field – International Rhino Foundation Blog

Latest news in Rhino research

Lemurs (Madagascar); including Golden-Crowned Sifaka

Duke University Lemur Center

Information on the many species of lemur at the Duke University Center, including the endangered Golden-Crowned Sifaka

Black-Footed Ferret (United States)

Prairie Wildlife Research

Black-footed ferret conservation information

STANDARDS:

National Science Education Standards

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
  • Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

o        Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on the earth no longer exist.

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Content Standard F

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Populations, Resources, and Environments
  • When an area becomes overpopulated, the environment will become degraded due to the increased use of resources.
  • Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from region to region and from country to country.

MATERIALS:

For the class:

• One computer with Internet access and audiovisual projection system, for screening video segments
• “Last of their Kind” Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• [Optional - toothpicks, stopwatch, and flour, for the Extinction Simulation extension activity - see the "Loneliest Animals Extinction Simulation" (PDF)

For each group of 2-3 students:

• Computer with Internet access

For each student:

• “Causes of Extinction” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)
• “Last of their Kind?” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• “Explore a Species” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Make copies of student organizers listed in the “Materials” section.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES