Using chrome books, students visited appropriate websites such as National Geographic to learn about different endangered animals, how and why they are heading toward extinction. Each animal faces a different set of problems such as poaching or loss of habitat due to slash and burn farming or other poor farming techniques.
Students also watched several short vignettes by Jeff Corwin on why the polar bear, sea turtle and a few other key species are going extinct. Next, we went to the World Wildlife website to read about various endangered animals:
http://worldwildlife.org/species/directory?sort=extinction_status&direction=desc
Students also visited: http://animalstime.com/endangered/
Each student then brainstormed ways to save their animal from extinction, thinking of specific things they could do to make a difference. The Highland Conservancy judges these posters each year, putting special emphasis on the quality of the art, depth of research and the student's ideas for a solution. The winning posters this year were:
First Place tie: Ieva Tersigni, Oxbow $25, Jack Morley Highland $25
Second Place tie: Will Richart Oxbow $20, Louis Porter, Highland, $20
Third Place: Kamryn Miller, Oxbow $15, Karli Bredernitz Highland $15