Rhino Rescue

Stop hunting and poaching! Rhinoceroses are an endangered species in Africa. Imagine you are on a nature reserve in Botswana working to conserve these precious animals.

• 1.

  At the end of the 20th century, African rhinoceroses came close to extinction. Why? Rhino horns were very valuable. They were sold to make medicines and dagger handles. The demand for rhino horn led to mass hunting and poaching.

• 2.

  African countries such as Botswana have game reserves that are committed to increase the numbers of rhinoceros. They are conserving rhinos in safe, heavily guarded sanctuaries. Conservationists plan to relocate and reintroduce rhinos to places they may have lived historically.

• 3.

  On the reserves, you could come face to face with a rhino! Rhinos have very poor eyesight, so they sometimes mistake a large vehicle for an enemy. They charge aggressively! After they are close enough to see how large their target really is, they usually veer off to avoid a confrontation. Imagine if you were in one of these vehicles!

• 4.

  Cover your art area with newspaper. Use recycled boxes and Crayola® School Glue to construct a model of a four-wheel drive vehicle like one you might see on a nature reserve. Air-dry your vehicle.

• 5.

  On construction paper, use Crayola Washable Markers to create jungle-like camouflage, crisp black and white zebra stripes, or any pattern of your choice. Experiment with overlapping colors, drawing fine lines with marker tips, and making broader lines wit

• 6.

  Cut windows from white paper. Draw black silhouettes on the windows. Glue on and air-dry. Cut four circles for wheels from corrugated cardboard. Paint with Crayola Washable Tempera Paint and Paint Brushes. Air-dry wheels flat. Glue to vehicle. Air-dry veh

• 7.

  Study books, pictures, and films about rhinoceroses. Learn about their eating habits, size, weight, habitats, and other interesting facts. Use Model Magic to sculpt a full-grown rhinoceros, which would be approximately 2/3 the size of your vehicle. Air-dr

• 8.

  Mix black and white paint to make a gray rhinoceros color. Paint your rhino. Air-dry the animal.

• 9.

  Glue your rhino and vehicle onto a cardboard base. Use markers on construction paper to draw and color bushes, grass, trees, and any other terrain. Add tabs on the bottom of your drawings. Cut around drawings and tabs. Bend tabs and glue in place on cardb

Benefits

• Students recognize the efforts of conservationists working to prevent the extinction of rhinos in southern Africa.
• Students research and gather information about rhinoceroses.
• ?Students represent scenes of interactions between rhinoceros and people on nature reserves in Botswana.

Adaptations

• Find out the similarities and differences between white and black rhinoceroses. Make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two. Demonstrate findings to your classmates.
• Study other endangered species. Make a book to share with younger children. Write a description of what one endangered animal needs to survive on the front of a page. Illustrate and label animals on the back. Bind the pages together. Add an attractive cov
• Calculate how many students, 10-pound bags of flour, or another item it would take to equal the weight of an adult male rhinoceros.