Endangered birds

  1. Summarise the BtN story.
  2. What did a recent study find about the bird population in Victoria?
  3. A university researcher claims that `we are in the middle of a mass extinction crisis.’ What do you think that means?
  4. Some areas had a ____percent drop in bird numbers.
  5. How many fewer birds is this?
  6. Name a species of bird that has been affected.
  7. What has caused the decline in bird numbers?
  8. What are some solutions to the problem?
  9. Why is it important to protect species of birds?
  10. What do you think should happen next?

Research a threatened or endangered bird species in your local area. What is being done to protect the species?

ABC 730 Report – Native bird populations declining rapidly

ABC News – Woodland birds facing extinction: study

Endangered koalas

  1. Retell the BtN story.
  2. What do some groups want the koala listed as?
  3. How does the committee decide if an animal is endangered or not?
  4. What does the National Koala Foundation say about the number of koalas in the wild?
  5. What is the biggest threat to koalas?
  6. Why is it important to monitor the numbers of koalas in the wild?
  7. When does the committee make their decision about whether the koala population is declining?
  8. Illustrate an aspect of the story.
  9. The koala is an Australian icon. What do you think that means?
  10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

Test your knowledge in the koala quiz.

ABC News – Koala considered for endangered list

ABC 730 Report – Koala population in steep decline

Australian Koala Foundation – Official website

NSW Department of Environment – Koala vulnerable species listing

National Geographic – Koalas creature feature

Wallaby foster parents

  1. Describe in your own words what the story was about.
  2. What is the wallaby foster program trying to achieve?
  3. What does endangered mean?
  4. How does the program work?
  5. How old are the joeys when they are released?
  6. Where are they being released?
  7. Why did numbers of brush-tailed wallabies decrease?
  8. Why are the wallabies monitored?
  9. Why do you think it is important to protect native animals?
  10. Illustrate an aspect of the BtN story.

Test your knowledge in the wallabies quiz.

Stateline – Surrogate mothers helping save endangered wallaby

ABC – Rock wallabies released in Grampians

ABC Behind the News – Mammal extinction story
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The Marsupial Society of Australia – Kids’ stuff

Tassie Devils

One of Australia’s icons, the Tasmanian Devil has been placed on the endangered list because of a disease that’s wiping out the population in the wild.

Focus Questions

  1. Illustrate what you think the main point of the story was.
  2. Why has the Tasmanian Devil been placed on the endangered list?
  3. Describe the reputation of the Tassie Devil.
  4. Why are they described as `vacuums of the forest’?
  5. What is a baby Tassie Devil called?
  6. What were the threats to Tassie Devils during early European settlement?
  7. What is threatening their survival now?
  8. What is being done to help protect the species?
  9. Do you think it is important to protect the Tasmanian Devil? Why?
  10. What else do you think could be done to protect the Tassie Devil from becoming extinct?

Endangered Australian animals

Students will investigate an endangered Australian animal and design a public education campaign to help raise awareness of the importance of preserving the species. Begin by clarifying students’ understanding of what threatened, endangered and extinct means. Discuss with students why we need to protect species - to ensure biodiversity (biological diversity).

Brainstorm Australian animals that are endangered and record student responses. Explain to students that they will be designing a public education campaign that outlines the threats to a particular endangered Australian animal, what is being done to protect it and what else that could be done to ensure its survival. Discuss how their research findings can be presented to help raise public awareness. Some possibilities include:

  • Short film or animation
  • Web page
  • Community service announcement (for television or radio)
  • Press release

As part of the research process, students will need to `ask an expert’ to help them gather information. Museums and environmental organisations will be useful places to contact.

Structure to help guide student research

Name – Common and scientific
Type of animal (mammal, fish, bird, etc)
Where the animal is found (include a map)
Population size
Importance of species to biodiversity
Main threat to the survival of the species
Strategies to protect species

Further investigations

Create a cartoon strip that helps raise awareness of the threats to the Tassie Devil population.

Make up a `What am I’ game based on Australian endangered animals.

Create picture book about an Australian endangered animal for younger students. Put a copy of the book in your schools resource centre.

Related Research Links
ABC Stateline – Devil knowledge

Department of Primary Industries and water – Tasmanian Devil information for kids

Save the Tasmanian Devil

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

Turtle future

The future of turtles is under threat. Even though turtles lay lots of eggs, not many make it to adulthood.

Focus Questions

  1. How long does it take for turtle eggs to hatch?
  2. Out of 1000 hatchlings, how many turtles make it to adulthood?
  3. Why is it a dangerous journey for the hatchlings?
  4. How is climate change thought to be affecting turtle populations?
  5. What has Dr Col’s research found about sand temperature and why is it a problem?
  6. What solution is he experimenting with?
  7. What is Dr David Booth researching on Heron Island?
  8. What were the findings of the research?
  9. What other factors are impacting on turtle hatchling survival?
  10. Think of two or three questions to ask Dr Col or Dr David Booth.

Turtle future

Pre-viewing activity
Ask students to make some predictions about what the BtN Turtle future story might be about before the watch the story. They can compare their predictions after viewing the story. Discuss the similarities and differences.

Watch the BtN Turtle future story again and ask students to record as many key words as they can. Students then clarify their understanding of the key words by writing down what they think the word means. Swap definitions with a partner and ask them to add to or change the definition. Check them using a dictionary or other source.

Key word / Definition

Students can use the key words to:

  • Retell the story using all the key words and as many adjectives as they can
  • Give an oral report of the BtN story
  • Write their own sentences
  • Create a true or false quiz

Further investigations

Create a poster or brochure that explains what factors are threatening some turtle species’ survival. Include the steps that are being taken by individuals or organisations to address the problems.

Develop a board game or multimedia game about turtles.

On a map of Australia, show where turtle species are under threat.

Related Research Links
ABC Catalyst – Turtles

ABC Rural – Turtles make tracks

Queensland Government – `Cut the glow to help turtles go’ information

Australian Threatened Species Network – Green turtles

Tassie Tiger

Scientists believe that introducing Thylacine genes into a mouse embryo may be the first step in cloning the animal. Could the Tasmanian Tiger be brought back to life?

Focus Questions

1]What was the main point of the story?

2]What is the scientific name for the Tasmanian Tiger and what does it mean?

3]What do experts say caused the Thylacine to become extinct?

4]How is it being brought back to life?

5]What are genes?

6]Explain what scientists did with the DNA from the Thylacine.

7]How did they know the DNA was in the mouse?

8]What do opponents say about these experiments?

9]Do you believe they should be able to conduct experiments such as these?

Explain your answer.

10]What are some other ethical/moral considerations?

The curly cloning question

Students will be exploring the issue of genetic cloning in relation to the Thylacine. After viewing the BtN story, students will identify key words and questions about the topic.

Working individually, students think about what questions they have about cloning the Thylacine. Then, in groups of 3-4 people, students review and share their questions with the group.

Using a variety of sources including the Internet, print and relevant organisations, students find information related to their key questions.

Students then research a particular position or viewpoint relating to the cloning of the Thylacine through one of the following roles:

  • Environmentalist (Impact on the environment)
  • Animal rights campaigner (Ethical issues)
  • Entrepreneur (Economics, marketing)
  • Scientist (Implications of successful cloning, what will it achieve?)

Research needs to take a point of view in regard to cloning or anti-cloning. Students collate the information to prepare their position on the issue and present it in a way they think will have the most impact. Hold a class vote on whether the Thylacine should or should not be cloned. Ask students to reflect on how their thinking has changed.

Assessment Criteria

Research – key questions addressed, a variety of sources used.

Presentation – engaging, appropriate format, identified and described issues clearly, presented a powerful case for their point of view.

Further investigations

Create a rap or rhyme about the Thylacine.

Role-play an interview with an animal rights campaigner or research scientist.

Develop a board game or multimedia game about the Thylacine.

 Related Research Links

ABC News – Tasmanian Tiger DNA comes alive in mouse

ABC New in Science – Extinct Thylacine brought back to life

BBC News – Tasmanian Tiger DNA resurrected

Australia’s Thylacine

The Thylacine Museum

Department of Primary Industries and Water – Tasmanian Tiger

Mammal extinction

Australia has a large number of critically endangered species but environmentalists and zoologists are working hard to keep them alive.

Focus Questions

  1. What was the main point of the story?
  2. How many Australian mammals have become extinct since European settlement?
  3. What has caused the Brush-tailed rock wallaby to become endangered?
  4. How many Australian species are on the verge of extinction?
  5. What is having a big impact on native species in Australia?
  6. Why do you think it is important to protect native animals?
  7. What are zoologists doing to protect species?
  8. Why do you think Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world?
  9. What can be done to protect Australia’s threatened species?
  10. How did this story make you feel?

Mammal extinction

After watching the BtN story about mammal extinction, ask students to write down what they think the following key words mean:

  • Habitat
  • Threatened species
  • Endangered
  • Critically endangered
  • Vulnerable
  • Extinct

Ask students to share their definitions with another students and then change or add to them. They can then use a range of sources to check their understandings. Students then need to choose a threatened Australian species and research the following information:

  • What does the animal eat?
  • What type of habitat does it need?
  • Where does it live?
  • What are the threats to its decline?
  • What can be done to ensure its survival?
  • What are the impacts when an animal species becomes endangered or extinct?
  • Why is Australia’s rate of mammal extinction the highest in the world?

Students can present their information in one of the following ways:

  • Written or oral report
  • Develop a video or PowerPoint slide presentation
  • Create a model or poster

Further investigations

Design an enclosure for a threatened species. Students need to consider the animals’ natural habitat. Construct the enclosure using recycled materials.

Students research which threatened species are found in their local area. What is being done to protect them?

Make a game to teach people about threatened Australian species.

Organise a guest speaker from the zoo or environmental organisation to come and speak to the class about Australia’s threatened species.

Related Research Links
ABC 730 Report – Climate change threatens extinction of Australian mammals

ABC AM – WWF warns of mammal extinction

WWF –Australia’s threatened species face extinction

Unique Australian animal website

Classification of threatened and extinct species

Children’s BBC – Information about endangered animals

TITLE OF STORY:FROG FUTURE

Curriculum Outcome Links: Science, Society and Environment/HSIE DATE 1/04/08

Student learning outcomes
Students will:
  • Develop an understanding of the issues regarding declining frog populations
  • Understand the importance of frogs in ecosystems
  • Generate key questions for inquiry and produce an end product based on their inquiry.
Focus Discussion
  1. There is only fifty of the ______frog left in the wild.
  2. How many species of frogs have become extinct in Australia?
  3. How many are threatened?
  4. What are the reasons for the number of frog species declining?
  5. How has human activity impacted on frog species?
  6. Why is it important to protect frog species?
  7. What are zoos around the world doing to try to solve the problem?
  8. Describe the breeding program at St Francis Primary School.
  9. What is the program trying to achieve?
  10. Describe in your own words what the story was about.
An inquiry based approach

Students will be developing some key questions to investigate why frogs are an integral part of ecosystems and bio-diversity.

In groups, ask students to come up with a range of possible questions around the topic of frogs.

Collect the questions from each group and display them. Discuss with students the criteria for selecting questions for inquiry. Questions that may be precluded include those which most students already know the answers to or that may require unavailable resources.

Students should be encouraged to generate their own questions however some possibilities include:

What are the likely causes of decline in the frog population?

Why are frogs important to the ecosystem?

What are bio-indicators?

Ask students to complete the following chart as they go through the inquiry process. This can be done individually, as a group or a whole class.

What do I know? / What do I want to know? / How will I find out? / What I have learnt?

Once students have investigated their key questions, they need to think about how they are going to transform the information into an end product.

Discuss with students what the choices are for presenting the information they have found. Encourage students to choose a format they may be unfamiliar with. For example, if they would normally choose to write a written report, then encourage them to produce an animation. Some possible end products include:

  • Mind map
  • Animation
  • Model
  • Oral presentation
  • Desktop publish
  • Webquest

Follow-up Suggestions
NATURALISTIC
Create a frog friendly garden or a frog pond at your school. To find out more go to:


INTERPERSONAL
Research what is being done in your local area to preserve the frog population. Present your findings to your class.
LOGICAL AND MATHEMATICAL
Use the online puzzle maker to create a word search or crossword about frogs.
VERBAL – LINGUISTIC
Develop an advertisement that promotes the importance of frogs in ecosystems.
BODILY – KINAESTHETIC
Develop a board game or multimedia game about frogs.

 Related Research Links

Breeding program to save Corroboree frog

Life cycle of Corroboree frog

Information about frogs

Creating frog habitat

Information about the Corroboree frog

Learn about frogs|

Zoo saving Corroboree frog

Life cycle and reproduction of Corroboree frog

Facts and games about frogs

© ABC 2008