Erase Threats to Endangered Animals

Take action! Create a book of facts to identify endangered animals, threats to their survival, and ways people can help.

• 1.

  <STRONG>Who’s endangered?</STRONG> Work in teams to research five animals that are endangered or threatened. Focus on one region or type of animal such as aquatic, feathered, or small mammal. Find out where the animals live, what threatens their survival, when the species was declared endangered or threatened, and what humans can do to erase the threats.

• 2.

  <STRONG>Create book components</STRONG>. Measure heavy paper such into eight large fact cards. Cut out cards with Crayola® Scissors. Design one card for the cover. You could fill in banners of color with Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils and then erase the title of your book from the color. With two other cards, cut five strips as tall as the cards for binding.

• 3.

  <STRONG>Design five fact cards.</STRONG> Plan unique designs or follow the same format for all five animals. Leave a border on the left. You could color a banner across the top. Erase each animal's name in a banner. Describe or draw a map of the animal’s region. Color a second banner and erase the threat in it.

• 4.

  <STRONG> Assemble the book</STRONG>. Fold five strips in half so the long edges meet. Then fold each long edge back to meet the fold. (From the end, your strip will look like an M.) Rub a Crayola Glue Stick over the outside flap of one strip. Press it on the left edge of one card. Glue the other outside flap and press the back left edge of another card on it. The folded strips hold the pages together. Continue attaching pages and the cover with the folded strips.

Benefits

• Students research endangered animals, identify threats to their survival, and brainstorm ways to erase those threats.
• Students use measuring skills and problem-solving strategies to create and bind informational books.

Adaptations

• Create "discovery trunks" related to each fact book. Decorate a shoebox covered with paper. Gather items related to each animal and its situation (for example, use Crayola Model Magic to sculpt animal skulls and bones). Make maps of the animals' territori
• Take a 5-minute field trip to explore plant and animal life outside your school doors. Identify what plants and creatures live there, how they survive, and what might threaten them. How can your class help nature thrive around you?
• Assessment: Evaluate accuracy and depth of information, teamwork, and creative problem solving students use to design their books.