Endangered Species Day
Classroom and Schoolyard Activities
These activities are not "endangered species" specific but are one or two day (one classroom period each day) environmental education activities. Many of the activities could be adapted for "endangered species."
An important part of conserving endangered species is to find out how many there are. This classroom activity simulates a fish survey with bluegill as the example fish - but would be similar for an endangered lake-dwelling fish. Conduct a fish survey in your classroom
Bird feeders from recycled materials
"Deer Talk" Activity This is a predator and prey activity for the playground.
Objectives: Students 1) recognize how deer use non-verbal communication for mutual protection and interaction within a group and 2) learn the importance of this language to the survival of the group.
EPA's website has a downloadable pamphlet for grades 4 and 5. The pamphlet includes: fill in the blanks, unscramble words, use math skills, do a crossword puzzle, and put together a game to learn about the effects of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste on climate change. Trash and Climate Change (PDF) (11 pp, 399K)
Friendship Mobiles (Science/Art Activity) In this activity, children discuss how the different elements of nature (the sun, wind, clouds, rain, etc.) can be their "friends." Then they will make a mobile showing their different "friends." As an alternative, silhouettes of endangered species could be used. Here are links to endangered species coloring books and coloring pages that could provide the silhouettes: EPA "Save Our Species" coloring book, Endangered Species Coloring Book, Hawaiian Endangered Animals, Color Your World,
Make Your Own Paper from recycled materials
Nature Calendar (Science/Art Activity)
Children get practice using reference materials to locate information by making a nature calendar.
Pictures from the US Forest Service Posters could be used for the calendars. These posters are available from your State Department of Natural Resources.
Backyard BioBlitz - go to page 4 and 5 of this PDF file (also numbered 34 and 35) for a description of a 2-day (1 hour each day) activity to record the biological diversity of your school grounds.
The Sensitive Scavenger (4th grade) Students create a multi-sensory scavenger hunt worksheet and then use it on a scavenger hunt in their schoolyard.
Who has seen the wind? (2nd thru 5th grades) Make pinwheels to help learn how energy, in the form of wind, can act on other objects to cause motion. Students will learn that they can use this energy to move their own objects and that wind energy is harvested in large quantities to produce electricity for manufacturers and communities.
Back to Endangered Species Day
