M2/2.1: Endangered Species
Description
Module 2: Reforestation This module is designed to help students evaluate why we need to restore rainforests. Students may produce action projects that will help raise awareness of how issues such as palm oil production contribute to global warming, habitat loss, destruction of species and other global problems.
Learning Objectives
To explore the importance of protecting endangered plant species .
Learning Outcomes:
All students
Most students will be able to explain how endangered plant species can be saved through a multi-media presentation.
Some students will reflect upon the effect game based learning can have on raising awareness in a fun and creative way.
ACTIVITIES
Notes:All resources and website links to can be found under assignment documents and assignment links.
Task 1: Endangered Plant Species
How can we tell if a plant species is in danger of becoming extinct? Scientists at the National Museum of Natural History have a quick step-by-step method for predicting the future of the species in their specimen collections. Try the Planet Assessment Project method yourself (see assignment links).
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TOOLS: Create a discussion post titled ‘Species Assessed’ Share your findings from the plant assessment project with other students in the virtual classroom.
Task 2: Species of the Day
Each plant or animal featured as a Species of the Day is chosen for a particular reason. Read about some of these in the Species of the Day Archive (see assignment links). Select your favourite species and use library resources and Bing to research further information and images about the species. Using Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows, create an awareness photo story that tells the story of your selected species. Photo stories can be posted to the class website or copied onto DVDs for learners to take home to show family and friends.
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TOOLS: Upload the finished photo stories to the virtual classroom video wall.
Task 3: Connect and Collaborate through Games
Research an endangered plant species, develop a problem scenario and create an online video game with the aim of saving the species from becoming extinct. The video game should teach learners locally and globally about endangered plant species.
Use Kudo game maker, Microsoft’s free video game software, to create the video game. Video games can be posted to a collaboration space for learners around the globe to play, learn from and comment on. To incorporate meaningful assessment of the games, learners can read suggestions posted on the site, improve their game and re-post.
DeforestACTION COLLABORATION SPACE: Consider partnering with a classroom in another part of the world and trade learner-created video games so each class can learn about endangered species.
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