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Students explore the varying roles people can play as conservationists operating within local and global communities to save endangered species. They research an eco-artist and identify ways they bring awareness and inspire action toward saving our planet. Then, students create a social media profile sharing information about the artist they learned about.
DIRECTIONS
Engaging In The Fight Against Extinction Unit Driving Question: How can we, as planetary stewards, take an active role in saving species from extinction?
Slowing Extinction Lesson Driving Question: How can we inspire others to protect natural habitats and save endangered species from extinction?
1. Introduce students to the influence that visual artists can have in conservation efforts through video and discussion.
- Play the video on Joel Sartore’s project, The Photo Ark (2:56), for the class.
- After watching the video, conduct a class discussion by asking students:
- How has Joel Sartore inspired action?
- How does he make others care about endangered species and their contributions to species' extinction?
- How can we use Sartore’s work as a model of how to advocate and fight for endangered species?
2. Guide students through the investigation of an eco-artist and the development of a social media profile to highlight their values and work.
- Distribute copies of the Eco-Artist Social Media Profile handout to each student.
- Have students choose one eco-artist from the handout, read about their work, and look at examples of their art to identify how their art brings awareness or inspires action.
- Instruct students to develop a Twitter-inspired social media profile that provides an image of their chosen eco-artist, their name, an imaginary handle (i.e., @JoelsArkNGS), a description of who they are, and write three to five mock tweets that illustrate what they believe in. Have students use the Eco-Artist Social Media Profile handout for full directions and guidance.
- After students are finished, hang the completed profiles around the room and allow students to participate in a gallery walk, during which they will leave a “comment” on the artists’ tweets using sticky notes.
- Debrief the activity with a class discussion. Ask students to use their focal eco-artists to inform their responses:
- How have eco-artists inspired action?
- How do eco-artists inspire others to care about endangered species and their contributions to species' extinction?
- How can we use eco-artists as an example of how to advocate and fight for endangered species?
Informal Assessment
Eco-Artist Social Media Profile: During the gallery walk, check on students’ understanding of how the artist represents their beliefs and hopes for inspiring action.
Student teams complete and share their action-oriented conservation projects that serve to preserve one of Earth’s most endangered species. After presenting, teams work together to spread the word on campus about their advocacy efforts and to create a gallery of hopeful planetary stewardship.
DIRECTIONS
Engaging In The Fight Against Extinction Unit Driving Question: How can we, as planetary stewards, take an active role in saving species from extinction?
Slowing Extinction Lesson Driving Question: How can we inspire others to protect natural habitats and save endangered species from extinction?
- Distribute the Focal Species Pamphlet Design Template and the Focal Species Pamphlet: Checklist and Rubric handouts to students.
- As a class, discuss the objectives of the project. The first objective is for students to make their readers care. The second objective to inspire their readers to take action now.
- Review the requirements for the final pamphlet that are listed on the Focal Species Pamphlet Design Template handout. Student pamphlets should include:
- At least one image of their focal species
- Data and/or graphics inspired by and developed from previous activities in this unit
- Three to four concrete steps that any individual can readily take to help save this animal from extinction
- Information about at least three organizations that support the survival of the endangered focal species, including the name and contact information for the organizations
- Citation for all images, data, quotes, and information taken from a source
2. Have teams brainstorm conservation pamphlet mockup ideas for each required portion of the pamphlet.
- Once the rough draft is complete, provide feedback to students as well as have another team provide feedback to the group using the rubric for guidance.
- Instruct teams to divide the final trifold pamphlet responsibilities among team members.
- Provide access to a document camera so the audience can easily see individual elements of the pamphlet.
- Have students summarize the main points of their pamphlet and their favorite elements of the document.
- Distribute the Focal Species Pamphlet Reflection handout to each student and have them complete the reflection.
- Have students self assess using the Focal Species Pamphlet: Checklist and Rubric.
- Have student volunteers share their responses to the third reflection question: What are some next steps I can take to spread the message of this project beyond my classroom?
- As a class, revisit the chart paper from The Impacts of the Anthropocene Epoch activity that had student responses to the following questions posted on sticky notes:
- What do you want Earth to look like in the future? To what parts of our planet do we need to be paying attention?
- What changes do you think humans will need to make in order to have that future?
- Students create one last sticky note that they add to the chart pledging to take action that will help achieve their goals for the future of the planet.
- Students create a plan for displaying their trifolds in their school community.
Rubric
Focal Species Pamphlet: Project Checklist and Rubric: Students evaluate their own work against the rubric, and the teacher uses it to assess final work.
Extending the Learning
- As a class, devise a cohesive, multi-step “Spread the Word!” campaign that includes classroom visits and a Planetary Stewardship Gallery. Class visits offer teams the chance to explain their advocacy efforts, answer questions, and recruit activists to their cause. The creation of a Planetary Stewardship Gallery, designed by all teams, provides a hub where all projects are placed on display to raise awareness, elicit emotional responses, and inspire citizen action across the student body.
- Have student teams carry out their conservation action plans within their own community, educating and engaging with other local actors, dividing responsibilities, urging action on behalf of a vulnerable regional species with the help of knowledgeable and influential sponsors such as zoos, aquariums, and nonprofits.
- Have students transform trifolds into a public service announcement and publish short promotional videos that include their trifold work.
- Have students identify an environmental activist or influencer who is connected to preserving endangered species within their animal’s ecosystem. Teams send copies of their completed trifold to them along with a short letter of intent.
Subjects & Disciplines
- Arts and Music
- Biology
- Conservation
- English Language Arts
- Geography
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Social Studies
- Civics
-
Storytelling
- Photography
Objectives
Students will:
- Create social media profiles to showcase the goals and tools of eco-activists.
- Create a trifold conservation pamphlet to educate others about endangered species and their biomes.
- Explore ways eco-activists use art to raise awareness of environmental issues.
Teaching Approach
- Project-based learning
Teaching Methods
- Discussions
- Hands-on learning
- Multimedia instruction
- Reflection
Skills Summary
This lesson targets the following skills:
-
21st Century Student Outcomes
- Information, Media, and Technology Skills
- Learning and Innovation Skills
- Life and Career Skills
-
Critical Thinking Skills
- Analyzing
- Applying
- Creating
- Evaluating
- Remembering
- Understanding
Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices
What You’ll Need
Required Technology
- Internet Access: Required
- Internet access: Required
- Tech Setup: 1 computer per learner, 1 computer per pair, Color printer, Monitor/screen, Printer, Projector, Word processing software
Physical Space
- Classroom
- Media Center/Library
Setup
- None
Grouping
- Heterogeneous grouping
- Homogeneous grouping
- Large-group instruction
- Large-group learning
- Small-group work
Accessibility Notes
- None
Background Information
It is common practice for visual and literary artists to use their medium as a platform for activism. One type of activist art is environmental art. Poetry, painting, performance, photography, murals, graffiti, music, sculpture, upcycling, and many other art forms have frequently been employed as artists advocate for improving the environment. As planetary stewards, it is our responsibility to ensure stakeholders are well informed about how global changes will inevitably impact the quality of life or even the existence of life on the planet. Planetary stewardship requires nothing less than intense engagement and a willingness to take and advocate for immediate action.
Prior Knowledge
- None
Recommended Prior Lessons
Vocabulary
member of a country, state, or town who shares responsibilities for the area and benefits from being a member.
management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.
branch of biology that studies the relationship between living organisms and their environment.
course of actions, beliefs, and laws taken by a government having to do with a specific issue or concern.
responsible management to ensure benefits are passed on to future generations.
For Further Exploration
Articles & Profiles
Instructional Content
Tips & Modifications
Tip
Step 4: You may want to prepare students to summarize their points by having them prepare a note card from which to speak. This can prevent them from reading the pamphlet aloud to the class word for word.
Modification
Step 3: If digital storage of the pamphlet is not a possibility, a physical hard copy of the pamphlet may be duplicated on a copy machine if you need a copy to review for assessment purposes or to share with others while the original pamphlets are on display for the school community or abroad.
Tip
Step 5: You may want students to engage in reflection of their group collaboration using the Cooperative Learning Rubric. Students evaluate their group members using the Cooperative Learning Rubric, and the teacher evaluates each student using the rubric.
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Poaching
Poaching is the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife. Sometimes animal or plant parts are sold as trophies or “folk medicines” and sometimes they are sold as pets or houseplants. With more tigers kept captive than living wild, the scope of poaching can not be overstated. Maintaining Earth’s biodiversity is critical as we rely on it for ecosystem services, which makes life possible. To have any hope of achieving this, poaching must be stopped.
-
Inspiring Conservation Through Art
Students explore the varying roles people can play as conservationists operating within local and global communities to save endangered species. They research an eco-artist and identify ways they bring awareness and inspire action toward saving our planet. Then, students create a social media profile sharing information about the artist they learned about.
-
Drivers of Extinction
Students explore drivers of extinction across Earth’s major biomes, including human-to environment interactions that threaten biodiversity, and seek solutions to mitigate habitat loss and prevent extinction. As a result, they develop research-based action steps critical to protecting a certain species and incorporate key findings into their culminating conservation pamphlets. This lesson is part of the Engaging in the Fight Against Extinction unit.
-
The Sixth Mass Extinction?
Students collaboratively investigate our planet’s five mass extinctions and the possibility of a sixth mass extinction. Then, students explore the Anthropocene Epoch’s cultural and environmental complexities and impacts before selecting a biome and endangered species that exist within it to be the focus of their research throughout the rest of the unit. They predict how human activity has impacted these biomes and species. This lesson is part of the Engaging in the Fight Against Extinction unit.
-
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife. Sometimes animal or plant parts are sold as trophies or “folk medicines” and sometimes they are sold as pets or houseplants. With more tigers kept captive than living wild, the scope of poaching can not be overstated. Maintaining Earth’s biodiversity is critical as we rely on it for ecosystem services, which makes life possible. To have any hope of achieving this, poaching must be stopped.
-
Inspiring Conservation Through Art
Students explore the varying roles people can play as conservationists operating within local and global communities to save endangered species. They research an eco-artist and identify ways they bring awareness and inspire action toward saving our planet. Then, students create a social media profile sharing information about the artist they learned about.
-
Drivers of Extinction
Students explore drivers of extinction across Earth’s major biomes, including human-to environment interactions that threaten biodiversity, and seek solutions to mitigate habitat loss and prevent extinction. As a result, they develop research-based action steps critical to protecting a certain species and incorporate key findings into their culminating conservation pamphlets. This lesson is part of the Engaging in the Fight Against Extinction unit.
-
The Sixth Mass Extinction?
Students collaboratively investigate our planet’s five mass extinctions and the possibility of a sixth mass extinction. Then, students explore the Anthropocene Epoch’s cultural and environmental complexities and impacts before selecting a biome and endangered species that exist within it to be the focus of their research throughout the rest of the unit. They predict how human activity has impacted these biomes and species. This lesson is part of the Engaging in the Fight Against Extinction unit.