Middle School Lesson Plans: Wildlife and Globalization

From the Archives

Posted on September 13, 2006

Previously filed under: South America, Grades 6-8

These resources are appropriate for grade levels 6th, 7th and 8th.

Lesson Plans:

Gorillas in the Midst: Exploring the Preservation Efforts of the Mountain Gorilla Project Eco-Tour in Rwanda
In this lesson, students consider the idea of the "eco-tour" and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They then synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the project, as well as by designing a promotional brochure for the project.

Time needed for lesson plan: 1-2 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit New York Times.
On the Attack: Exploring How Government Restrictions, Overfishing and Ecosystem Changes Affected Shark Behavior in Summer 2001
In this lesson, students explore how government restrictions and overfishing impact the ecosystems of sharks and contribute to or curb their danger to humans. Students then synthesize their understanding of the issues by working in groups to develop board games and by assessing games created by other groups.

Time needed for lesson plan: 1-2 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit New York Times.
See You Later, Alligator: Learning About Animals as Cultural Symbols Around the World
In this lesson, students explore the historical and social significance of animals as cultural symbols in various countries around the world, as well as the impact that humans have made on the population and natural habitats of these animals.

Time needed for lesson plan: 1-2 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit New York Times.
Postcards from the Edge: Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior whose mission is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants, and their habitats. The bureau manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System with more than 520 individual refuges, thousands of wetlands and special management areas. Among its key functions is the protection of endangered species. In this lesson, students will learn about endangered species in the United States, some of the reasons they are endangered (e.g. habitat destruction or the introduction of invasive species), and what is being done to protect them. Students will choose one species to focus on and examine the reasons it is endangered, and why it is important to make an effort to save it.

Time needed for lesson plan: 3 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit National Geographic.
Sound the Alarm: Can Frogs Really Tell Us What's Wrong?
Have you ever watched a tadpole morph into a frog? National Geographic Emerging Explorer Tyrone Hayes says that, as a child, watching this animal—an animal that is really two animals—led him to his career in biology and herpetology. He didn't know it at the time, but watching tadpoles metamorphose into frogs may help us find causes of—and maybe even cures for—cancer. In this lesson, students will learn about the ways Hayes uses a combination of laboratory and field study to learn about frogs' developmental changes as they relate to chemical contamination of water. Students will investigate two areas where this research is sounding some alarms both for caution and for more research.

Time needed for lesson plan: 2-3 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit National Geographic.
Devil May Care? Examining Diseases that Affect the Animal Kingdom
In this lesson, students learn about a deadly disease decimating the Tasmanian devil population. They then research diseases that affect animals and write a fictional story about the animals they researched.

Time needed for lesson plan: 1-2 hours

To link to the actual lesson plan, please visit New York Times.

To return to the main Global Envision lesson plan page, please click here.

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Keywords: middle school, lesson plans, global warming, environment, wildlife, animals

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