Wildlife Protection Program

Description of Unit

For this project, third grade students will research endangered species that are currently living today. Students will identify the root causes of why these species are endangered and will develop an action plan for saving them. They will enhance this plan by creating a meme (i.e., an image, video, or piece of text that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users) that will encourage others to support their cause.

This guide links the Wildlife Protection Program unit to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for third grade students. Wildlife Protection Program is a science unit that allows students to study endangered animals and causes of endangerment. It also encourages students to think proactively about how they can help these animals survive extinction. The Wildlife Protection Program also has interdisciplinary connections to English language arts and social studies disciplines. For example,students will read and identify explicit cause-and-effect relationships in text—as outlined in the English Language Arts and Reading TEKS—and describe the effects of human processes on shaping the landscape as described in the Social Studies TEKS. The following document includes the applicable TEKS and the details of the Wildlife Protection Program unit. The final section of this document presents the applicable Texas College and Career Readiness Standards adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 24, 2008.

Descripción de la unidad

Para este proyecto, los estudiantes de tercer grado investigarán las especies en peligro de extinción que viven actualmente. Los estudiantes identificarán las causas fundamentales de por qué estas especies están en peligro de extinción y desarrollarán un plan de acción para salvarlas. Mejorarán este plan creando un meme (por ej., una imagen, video o texto que se copia y divulga rápidamente por los usuarios de Internet) que anime a los demás a apoyar su causa.

Esta guía conecta la unidad Programa de protección de la vida silvestre con los Conocimientos y destrezas esenciales de Texas (TEKS) para los estudiantes de tercer grado. La unidad Programa de protección de la vida silvestre es una unidad de ciencias que permite a los estudiantes estudiar los animales en peligro de extinción y las causas del peligro de extinción. También anima a los estudiantes a pensar proactivamente sobre cómo ellos pueden ayudar a estos animales a sobrevivir la extinción. La unidad Programa de protección de la vida silvestre también tiene conexiones interdisciplinarias con las disciplinas de Artes del lenguaje y Lectura en inglés y Estudios Sociales. Por ejemplo, los estudiantes leerán e identificarán relaciones explicitas de causa y efecto en textos, como lo describen los TEKS de Artes del lenguaje y Lectura en inglés, y describirá los efectos de los procesos humanos en la formación del paisaje como lo describen los TEKS de Estudios Sociales. El siguiente documento incluye los TEKS correspondientes y los detalles de la unidad Programa de protección de la vida silvestre: La última sección de este documento presenta los Estándares de Preparación para la Universidad, Carreras Técnicas y el Mundo Laboral de Texas (Texas College and Career Readiness Standards) adoptados por la Mesa Directiva Coordinadora de la Educación Superior en Texas (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board -THECB) el 24 de enero de 2008.

Phase I. Learning Experiences

Create a KWL chart and have students tell you what they know about endangered species and what they want to know.
Read a book about endangered species to the students, such as Will We Miss Them? by Alexandra Wright or Can We Save Them? by David Dobson.
Have students create a list of endangered species in groups. Then have the students fill out the “L” in the KWL chart with facts that they have learned.
Play Endangered Species Charades. One student will choose a card with the name of an endangered species and act out the animal. The remainder of the class will try to guess what animal he or she is imitating.
Discuss endangered animals with students, using a roundtable discussion. In this discussion, a question is posed to groups of 4–5 students. Each student will take a turn answering the question or adding to previous thoughts. Consider the following questions:
- Why might the African elephant be endangered? Is this because of humans or the environment?
- Why might the emperor penguin be endangered? Is this because of humans or the environment?
- What human actions can be avoided in order to help these endangered species?
Give each group a “point of view” card (see attachment). The groups will discuss the point of view of the occupation they are given when it comes to endangered species, and then they will present this point of view to the class in a short speech or graphic organizer.
Invite local wildlife conservationists to come and speak to the class about endangered species. Previous to this, students will develop their own questions to ask the conservationist about his or her views on endangered wildlife. After the speaker has finished, the students will write a summary of the information using the language of a conservationist.

Phase II. Independent Research

A. Research process

Selecting a topic. Students will choose individually or in a small group which endangered animal (e.g., African elephant, emperor penguin, giant panda) they would like to research. They may want to peruse the Internet Resources in order to find an animal.
Asking guiding questions. Once students have selected an animal, they will come up with at least five guiding questions that they will research. Encourage students to ask questions such as: “What does this animal need to survive? What type of habitat does this animal live in? Why are its needs not being met? Are the causes of its endangerment due to nature or humans? How could the extinction of this species change the environment/ecosystem over time? What can be done to help save this species from extinction?” Discuss the ethical issues of certain human practices that affect endangered species (e.g., destruction of habitat to build roads or homes, pollution—such as oil spills or acid rain, hunting, and fishing).
Creating a research proposal. Students will describe how they will find the answers to their guiding questions. Students may use the Research Plan/Proposal Sheet located in the TPSP Sample Forms in order to record the research process for this task.
Conducting the research. Students will use Internet Resources, books, and other sources to gather information on their animals and determine the causes for endangerment. Students will take notes on their findings in order to complete the project. Students may use the Primary Resource Process Sheet and the Secondary Resource Process Sheet located in the TPSP Sample Forms.
Sharing findings. As part of their research, students must also create a meme (i.e., an image, video, or piece of text that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users) that will share their findings or call others to action to help save this endangered species. The meme is best created with a picture and a catchy saying that others would share on social media quickly.

B. The product

Each student or group will create a detailed report describing their animal (e.g., physical characteristics, habitat, diet), the causes for endangerment, and possible solutions for helping the animal. They must also share their Internet meme that calls others to action through an image, video, or text.

C. Communication

Each student will present to the class and invited guests (e.g., wildlife conservationists, zookeepers, farmers, ranchers, hunters) what he or she has learned and share the completed endangered animal report. The student will also share the Internet meme with the class. The audience should be given time for questions and answers. The Q&A session should be unscripted in order to reflect student learning accurately.

D. A completed project consists of:

Research proposal
Research notes
Endangered animal report, including references or works cited
Internet meme

Fase I. Experiencias de aprendizaje

Cree una tabla SPA (KWL) y pida a los estudiantes que le digan lo que saben sobre las especies en peligro de extinción y lo que quieren saber (lo que se preguntan).
Lea un libro a los estudiantes acerca de las especies en peligro de extinción, como Will We Miss Them? (¿Los extrañaremos?) por Alexandra Wright o Can We Save Them? (¿Los podemos salvar?) por David Dobson.
Pida a los estudiantes que en grupos creen una lista de las especies en peligro de extinción. Luego pídales que llenen la “A” en la tabla SPA con datos que hayan aprendido.
Jueguen a hacer farsas de especies en peligro de extinción. Un estudiante escogerá una tarjeta con el nombre de una especie en peligro de extinción y actuará como el animal. El resto de la clase tratará de adivinar qué animal está imitando.
Hable con los estudiantes acerca de los animales en peligro de extinción, use una discusión de mesa redonda. En esta discusión, se presenta una pregunta a grupos de 4-5 estudiantes. Cada estudiante tomará su turno para contestar la pregunta o agregar ideas a las ya presentadas. Considere las siguientes preguntas:
- ¿Por qué el elefante africano puede estar en peligro de extinción? ¿Es por los humanos o por el medio ambiente?
- ¿Por qué el pingüino emperador puede estar en peligro de extinción? ¿Es por los humanos o por el medio ambiente?
- ¿Qué acciones humanas se pueden evitar para ayudar a estas especies en peligro de extinción?
Dé a cada grupo una tarjeta de “puntos de vista” (ver anexo). Los grupos discutirán el punto de vista de la ocupación que se les ha dado cuando se trata de especies en peligro de extinción y luego presentarán este punto de vista a la clase en una presentación corta o u organizador gráfico.
Invite a ecologistas de la vida silvestre locales para que hablen a la clase sobre las especies en peligro de extinción. Antes de esto, los estudiantes desarrollarán sus propias preguntas para el ecologista acerca de sus opiniones sobre la vida silvestre en peligro de extinción. Después de que hable el invitado especial, los estudiantes escribirán un resumen de la información usando el lenguaje de un ecologista.

Fase II. Investigación independiente

A. Proceso de investigación

Seleccionando un tema. Los estudiantes escogerán individualmente o en grupos pequeños cuál animal en peligro de extinción (por ej., elefante africano, pingüino emperador, panda gigante) les gustaría investigar. Pueden utilizar recursos en Internet para encontrar un animal.
Haciendo preguntas guía. Una vez que los estudiantes hayan seleccionado un animal, elaborarán por lo menos cinco preguntas guía para investigar. Anime a los estudiantes a hacer preguntas como las siguientes: “¿Qué necesita este animal para sobrevivir? ¿En qué tipo de hábitat vive este animal? ¿Por qué sus necesidades no están siendo cubiertas? ¿Las causas de que esté en peligro de extinción son naturales o humanas? ¿Cómo la extinción de esta especie podría cambiar el medio ambiente/ecosistema con el paso del tiempo? ¿Qué se puede hacer para ayudar a salvar a esta especie en peligro de extinción?” Discutan los asuntos éticos de ciertas prácticas humanas que afectan las especies en peligro de extinción (por ej., destrucción del hábitat para construir carreteras o casas, contaminación, como el derrame de petróleo o la lluvia ácida, caza y pesca).
Creando una propuesta de investigación. Los estudiantes escribirán cómo encontrarán las respuestas a sus preguntas guía. Los estudiantes pueden usar la hoja Plan de investigación/propuesta localizada en TPSP Sample Forms para anotar el proceso de investigación para esta tarea.
Realizando la investigación. Los estudiantes usarán recursos de Internet, libros y otras
fuentes para recopilar información acerca de sus animales y determinarán las causas del peligro de extinción. Los estudiantes tomarán notas sobre sus hallazgos para completar el proyecto. Los estudiantes pueden usar las hojas Proceso de fuentes primarias y Proceso de fuentes secundarias localizadas en PSP Sample Forms.
Compartiendo hallazgos. Como parte de su investigación, los estudiantes también crearán un meme (por ej., una imagen, video o texto que se copia y divulga rápidamente por los usuarios de Internet) que comparta sus hallazgos o anime a los demás a tomar acción para salvar las especies en peligro de extinción. El meme se crea mejor con una foto y una frase pegajosa que los demás compartirían rápidamente en las redes sociales.

B. El producto

Cada estudiante o grupo creará un informe detallado describiendo su animal (por ej., características físicas, hábitat, alimentación), las causas del peligro de extinción y las posibles soluciones para ayudar al animal. También deben compartir su meme de internet que anima a los demás a tomar acción mediante una imagen, video o texto.

C. Comunicación

Cada estudiante presentará a la clase y a los invitados especiales (por ej., ecologistas de la vida silvestre, empleados del zoológico, agricultores, ganaderos, cazadores) lo que haya aprendido y compartirá el informe completo del animal en peligro de extinción. El estudiante también compartirá con la clase el meme de Internet. Se le debe dar tiempo a la audiencia para una sesión de preguntas y respuestas. La sesión de preguntas y respuestas debe ser espontánea y sin guion para que pueda reflejar de manera precisa el aprendizaje de los estudiantes.

D. Un proyecto completo consiste de:

Propuesta de investigación
Notas de investigación
El informe sobre el animal en peligro de extinción, incluyendo las referencias o las obras citadas.
Meme de Internet

This unit may address the following TEKS.

112.14, Science, Grade 3

112.14(b)(9): Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms have characteristics that help them survive and can describe patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within the environments.
112.14(b)(9)(A): observe and describe the physical characteristics of environments and how they support populations and communities within an ecosystem;
112.14(b)(9)(B): identify and describe the flow of energy in a food chain and predict how changes in a food chain affect the ecosystem such as removal of frogs from a pond or bees from a field;
112.14(b)(9)(C): describe environmental changes such as floods and droughts where some organisms thrive and others perish or move to new locations.
112.14(b)(10): Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments.
112.14(b)(10)(A): explore how structures and functions of plants and animals allow them to survive in a particular environment;
112.14(b)(10)(B): explore that some characteristics of organisms are inherited such as the number of limbs on an animal or flower color and recognize that some behaviors are learned in response to living in a certain environment such as animals using tools to get food;

113.14, Social Studies, Grade 3

113.14(b)(4): Geography. The student understands how humans adapt to variations in the physical environment.
113.14(b)(4)(D): describe the effects of human processes such as building new homes, conservation, and pollution in shaping the landscape;
113.14(b)(17): Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology.
113.14(b)(17)(A): research information, including historical and current events, and geographic data, about the community and world, using a variety of valid print, oral, visual, and Internet resources;
113.14(b)(19): Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.
113.14(b)(19)(A): use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution;

128.5., Spanish Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3, Adopted 2017

128.5(b)(8): Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
128.5(b)(9)(D)(iii): organizational patterns such as cause and effect and problem and solution;
128.5(b)(9)(D)(i): the central idea with supporting evidence;
128.5(b)(9)(D)(ii): features such as sections, tables, graphs, timelines, bullets, numbers, and bold and italicized font to support understanding
128.5(b)(11)(D): edit drafts using standard Spanish conventions, including:
128.5(b)(11)(D)(viii): coordinating conjunctions to form compound subjects, predicates, and sentences;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(ix): capitalization of proper nouns, geographical names and places, historical periods, and official titles of people;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(x): punctuation marks, including commas in a series and dates, and correct mechanics, including indentations
128.5(b)(11)(D)(xi): correct spelling of words with grade-appropriate orthographic patterns and rules
128.5(b)(11)(D)(vii): pronouns, including personal, possessive, objective, and reflexive pronouns;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(v): adverbs that convey time and adverbs that convey manner;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(i): complete simple and compound sentences with subject-verb agreement;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(ii): simple past, present, and future verb tense and imperfect past, perfect, and conditional verb tenses, including the difference between ser and estar;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(iii): singular, plural, common, and proper nouns, including gender-specific articles;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(iv): adjectives, including their comparative and superlative forms;
128.5(b)(11)(D)(vi): prepositions and prepositional phrases;
128.5(b)(6): Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.
128.5(b)(6)(C): make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;
128.5(b)(13): Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
128.5(b)(13)(A): generate questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;
128.5(b)(13)(B): develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance;
128.5(b)(13)(C): identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
128.5(b)(7)(E): interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;

110.5., English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3, Adopted 2017

110.5(b)(8): Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
110.5(b)(9)(D)(i): the central idea with supporting evidence;
110.5(b)(9)(D)(iii): organizational patterns such as cause and effect and problem and solution;
110.5(b)(9)(D)(ii): features such as sections, tables, graphs, timelines, bullets, numbers, and bold and italicized font to support understanding
110.5(b)(11): Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
110.5(b)(6): Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.
110.5(b)(6)(C): make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;
110.5(b)(13): Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
110.5(b)(13)(A): generate questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;
110.5(b)(13)(C): identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
110.5(b)(7)(E): interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;

Esta unidad puede abordar los siguientes TEKS.