Download Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Theme Project
Week 1 Introduction
 Students will view the PowerPoint “Endangered Means There’s Still
Time” from the Web site below (an answer key is provided on pages 3
and 4) and complete the “Endangered Mean’s There’s Still Time”
student handout.
o http://training.fws.gov/deo/endang/sml/sld59.html
 Students will meet with you to discuss theme project and turn in work
above.
 Share quote below, if desired.
"Our ancestors viewed the Earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past
also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we now know is the case only if we
care for it. It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past which resulted from
ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we
re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we
will pass on to coming generations. Our marvels of science and technology are matched if
not outweighed by many current tragedies, including human starvation in some parts of the
world, and the extinction of other life-forms. The exploration of space takes place at the
same time as the Earth's own oceans, seas, and fresh water areas grow increasingly
polluted. Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even microorganisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have
the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late."
--The Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet,
spiritual leader of the Buddhist faith
Week 2 Select a Research Topic
 Students will use the internet to find as many endangered species as
they can (give them a time limit of 30-45 minutes) and list them on
the “Endangered Species Scavenger Hunt” student handout. They will
circle 5 plants or animals in which they would like to research further
for their project. Allow each student (or student group) to research


an animal of choice, but each student (or student group) should be
researching a different animal or plant species.
Meet with students to assign research topic (their plant or animal
choice) and to answer any questions.
Discuss “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” student handout to clarify the
task for the theme project. Students will be researching a specific
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Teacher Handout – A
4U5W1-6
Page 1 of 16
endangered species then creating a presentation to the class to
inform them of what they’ve learned. They will need to complete the
“Endangered Species Profile” while researching. They will use this
information to develop an informative presentation for their class.
Week 3 Research
 Students will continue to research topic.
 Meet with students to answer any questions about the project and to
discuss and approve presentation ideas.
Week 4 Plan Presentation
 Students will be working on presentations.
 Below are actual addresses if student chooses to write letters to U.S.
senators or representatives and would like to mail them.
To a Representative:
To a Senator:
The Honorable (name)
The Honorable (name)
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515
Washington, DC 20510
Week 5 Complete Theme Project
 Students will complete project. Meet with each student or student
group as needed.
Week 6 Present
 Students will present projects to class. See “Oral Presentation
Rubric” student handout for scoring oral presentation or visit the
Web page below to create your own rubric for this project.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Teacher Handout – A
4U5W1-6
Page 2 of 16
Endangered Means There’s Still Time
Answer Key
Complete the following as you view the PowerPoint “Endangered Means
There’s Still Time” from the Web page below. Use the internet to find
answers not given during your reading.
http://training.fws.gov/deo/endang/lrg/sld59.html
Write a definition for each word below.
1. extinct – no longer in existence
2. endangered - a species which is in danger of extinction throughout
all or most of its range
3. threatened - a species likely to become endangered if it is not
protected
4. poaching - the illegal taking of wild plants or animals
5. migration - seasonal movements from one region to another
6. habitat - the arrangement of food, water, shelter, and space
necessary for a species' survival
7. predator - an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals
for food
8. prey - an animal that is killed and eaten by other animals
9. ecosystem - all living things and their environment, in an area of any
size, linked together by energy and nutrient flow
10. natural diversity - the wide variety of living things that make up an
ecosystem
11. natural resource - anything people can use which comes from nature
12. DDT - one of the most well-known synthetic pesticides
13. refuge - a place or state of safety
14. pesticides - chemicals used to control populations of species that
are believed to be harmful to human beings or human activities
15. wetlands - any land area that tends to be regularly wet or flooded
16. conservation - movement, to protect plants, animals and their
habitats
17. Endangered Species Act - was passed in 1973 by our government
to protect disappearing plants and animals, and help make our world a
cleaner, safer place where they can live
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Teacher Handout – A
4U5W1-6
Page 3 of 16
Extinct
Passenger
pigeon
Threatened
Green sea turtle
African elephant
Dusky seaside
sparrow
Black rhino
Spotted owl
American alligator
Endangered
Lange’s metalmark butterfly
Pitcher plant
Bunched cory cactus
Karner Blue butterfly
Gray wolf
Whooping crane
Black-footed ferret
Tiger
Manatee
Florida panther
These animals have been removed from the endangered species list. –
American bald eagle (2007), American alligator (1987), and brown pelican
(2009). Students should infer this from the reading.
List 6
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
ways species become endangered.
habitat loss
unregulated or illegal killing or collection
pesticides, pollution
competition with other species
disease
predation
What are 5 ways you can help?
1.
learn as much as you can about endangered species in your area
2. visit a nearby national wildlife refuge or nature center
3. volunteer to help
4. don’t buy species illegally taken from the wild
5. don’t buy products make from threatened or endangered animals
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Teacher Handout – A
4U5W1-6
Page 4 of 16
Name ______________________________________ Date_______________________________________
Endangered Means There’s Still Time
Complete the following as you view the PowerPoint
“Endangered Means There’s Still Time” from the Web page
below. Use the internet to find answers not given during your
reading.
http://training.fws.gov/deo/endang/lrg/sld59.html
Write a definition for each word below.
1. extinct _____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2. endangered __________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3. threatened __________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
4. poaching ____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
5. migration ___________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
6. habitat _____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
7. predator ____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name ______________________________________ Date_______________________________________
8. prey _______________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
9. ecosystem ___________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
10. natural diversity _____________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
11. natural resource ______________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
12. DDT _______________________________________
______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
13. refuge ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
14. pesticides ___________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
15. wetlands ____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
16. conservation ________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
17. Endangered Species Act _______________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
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Name _______________________________________________________________________ Date________________________________________________________
Make a list of extinct, threatened, and endangered species.
Extinct
Threatened
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
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Endangered
Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
List 6 ways species become endangered.
1. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
What is the biggest reason? _________________________
_________________________________________________
What are 5 ways you can help?
1._____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3._____________________________________________
____________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Endangered Species Scavenger Hunt
List as many endangered species as you can find. Circle 5 species that you would like to research further.
Your teacher will assign you one of these endangered plants or animals for your project.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
PQ
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Theme Project
Task
Choose an endangered plant or animal that you would like to
research and create a product of choice to draw attention
to environmental issues and your animal’s threat of extinction.
Fill out the “Endangered Species Profile” student handout to
develop a better understanding of the threat to endangered
species, particularly the problems, causes, potential solutions, and
potentially disastrous effects to the world and humanity if this
species were to die off and leave the world forever.
Approach your project thinking about what will be the most
interesting, persuasive, enlightening, and effective way to reveal
your endangered animal to the public.
Use information from your research to create a presentation to
your class to inform them of what you’ve learned. Use one or
more of the product choices below during your presentation. If
you have other ideas for your presentation, please discuss them
with your teacher.
Product Choices
Multimedia (PowerPoint, Photo Story, Word, Publisher, Excel
etc.)
Pamphlet
Display
Other___________
Interview
Speech
Ad
Storybook
Newscast
Slide show
Infomercial
Magazine or newspaper article
Puppet show
Letter to US senator or representative
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Endangered Species Profile
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information,
ideas, and suggestions about your chosen animal species.
Species Name: ______________________________
Scientific Name:_____________________________
Description of habitat: ________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Interesting facts about the species: _____________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Population estimates or survival trends of species: ___
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Create a graph on notebook paper of the back of this
page to show the decline of population for the last
20-100 years.
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Reasons that this species is endangered: _________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
__________________________________________
Reasons that it is important to save the species: ___
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Possible solutions to help this species survive: ______
___________________________________________
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Potential damage to the environment if this species
were to become extinct: ______________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes .
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Web Sites
Below is a list of Web sites that may be helpful during your project.
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailumela.htm
http://www.animalinfo.org/
http://eelink.net/EndSpp/
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_macaw.htm
http://www.endangeredspecie.com/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/index.html
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/Endangered/index.html
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/5thgrade99/animals.htm
Stories about endangered animals written by 5th graders.
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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Name_____________________________________________ Date_________________________________
Oral Presentation Rubric : Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
CATEGORY
Preparedness
4
Student is completely
prepared and has
obviously rehearsed.
3
Student seems pretty
prepared but might
have needed a
couple more
rehearsals.
2
The student is
somewhat prepared,
but it is clear that
rehearsal was
lacking.
1
Student does not
seem at all prepared
to present.
Vocabulary
Uses vocabulary
appropriate for the
audience. Extends
audience vocabulary
by defining words
that might be new to
most of the
audience.
Stays on topic all
(100%) of the time.
Uses vocabulary
appropriate for the
audience. Includes 12 words that might
be new to most of
the audience, but
does not define
them.
Stays on topic most
(99-90%) of the time.
Uses vocabulary
appropriate for the
audience. Does not
include any
vocabulary that might
be new to the
audience.
Uses several (5 or
more) words or
phrases that are not
understood by the
audience.
Stays on topic some
(89%-75%) of the
time.
It was hard to tell
what the topic was.
Content
Shows a full
understanding of the
topic.
Shows a good
understanding of the
topic.
Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
Does not seem to
understand the topic
very well.
Volume
Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members throughout
the presentation.
Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members at least
90% of the time.
Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members at least
80% of the time.
Volume often too soft
to be heard by all
audience members.
Comprehension
Student is able to
accurately answer
almost all questions
posed by classmates
about the topic.
Student is able to
accurately answer
most questions
posed by classmates
about the topic.
Student is able to
accurately answer a
few questions posed
by classmates about
the topic.
Student is unable to
accurately answer
questions posed by
classmates about the
topic.
Stays on Topic
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” Theme Project Student Handout
4U6W1-6
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