Great Lakes Conservation
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8Biology
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Provided by John Ball Zoo
What it is
- This resource from John Ball Zoo lists a variety of efforts and collaborations to protect and save species that are facing extinction in Michigan.
- The resource also includes a video specifically about a project to restore the population of Poweshiek skipperling butterflies and a link to a page that lists the zoo's conservation efforts.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The end of the "Life on the Brink" video gives viewers a powerful message about turning their anguish and despair into action.
- Seeing so many species being cared for and seeing people try to rescue them from extinction gives viewers hope for the future.
Prerequisites
- It may benefit students to discuss the terms extinction, threatened species, species of concern, and endangered species.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can have students choose which conservation project they are most interested in reading, then students can practice summarization skills by condensing what they read into one or two sentences to share with classmates who did not read about that project.
- Students may also enjoy this article about successes in saving species from extinction.
- Students can look through the conservation measures at the zoo to find measures to propose in their schools or for other organizations.
- This resource can be used to inspire students to create a school pollinator garden.
- Teachers can use this resource to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 15, Life on Land.
From the scientist review
This resource discusses conservation efforts taken by the John Ball Zoo. A video discussing a rare and endangered butterfly is featured first, and the conservation efforts of the zoo and its partners are discussed. The webpage then describes a few other endangered species, species survival plans, and links to information about sustainability at the zoo. This webpage describes the importance of taking care of our endangered species and local environments. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on jbzoo.org
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