Extinction and Endangered Species

Lesson

Goals of Lesson:

• To understand the meaning of extinction and begin to explore its role in evolution.
• To consider how different scientists explain extinction of various species in different ways.
• To evaluate and research the current situation concerning endangered species.
• To question what role humans have in protecting species from becoming extinct

Background Information:

This section includes notes on what students need to know about extinction, mass extinction, and the current rate of species loss before beginning the assignment. The information in this section could be incorporated in an introductory lecture on this topic. Also included are web sites for student learning and some sample assessment questions.

Lesson Plan / Activity

This lesson plan asks students to research an endangered species of their choosing and then present their information in a creative way. The goal is to give students practice with research and presentation skills while coming to a fuller understanding of human impact on the natural world. Included in this section is a suggested rubric for grading this assignment.

How this Lesson Fits into National Standards for Science Education

An explanation of this this lesson addresses content standards described by the National Standards for Science Education and science literacy skills described by the Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy.

 

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