Gudgeon project

  1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.
  2. When were the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeons declared extinct?
  3. What is the breeding program trying to achieve?
  4. The program is occurring in a `secure environment’. What does that mean?
  5. What has happened to fish numbers in the breeding program?
  6. Describe the role of the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon in the river system.
  7. What happens after the fish are released into the wetlands?
  8. How have kids been involved in the program?
  9. Why is it important to protect native fish species’?
  10. What do you now know about native fish since watching the BtN story?

Research a native fish species and create a poster or Power Point presentation about it.

South Australian Murray-Darling Basin – Rescue mission to save the purple-spotted gudgeon

Murray Darling Basin Authority – Southern purple-spotted gudgeon

Basin Kids – Southern purple-spotted gudgeon

China tiger

  1. Explain the BtN story to another student.
  2. This year is Chinese year of the…

a)horse

b)dog

c)tiger

  1. Why have tiger numbers dropped in the last 100 years?
  2. Which species of tiger is most at risk?
  3. How many of the species are left in the wild?
  4. Describe the breeding program Li Quan has set up.
  5. Why is it seen as controversial?
  6. Why are some people opposed to the program?
  7. What do you think? Do you think the South China Tiger should be saved? Why or why not?
  8. What else can be done to protect endangered species?

ABC 30 Report – Fight to save South China Tiger

World Wildlife Fund – South China Tiger

Tigers in crisis – South China Tiger

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?

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.

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 Tiger

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

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

Orang-utan

  1. Briefly summarise the BtN orang-utan story.
  2. What does the word orang-utan mean?
  3. In which countries do they live?
  4. How do males and females differ in appearance?
  5. What is happening to the orang-utans’ homes?
  6. In which products would you find palm oil?
  7. Why is it difficult for consumers to know if products contain palm oil?
  8. What did recent studies find out about orang-utan numbers?
  9. Why is palm oil important to countries like Borneo and Sumatra?
  10. What do you think should happen next?

Sumatran tiger

  1. Where is Sumatra?
  2. The Sumatran tiger is
  3. Threatened
  4. Endangered
  5. Extinct
  6. How do researchers detect the tigers’ movements?
  7. What is happening to the numbers of Sumatran tigers?
  8. What is impacting on the tiger population?
  9. Complete the following sentence: `The trees are turned into millions of tons of…’
  10. What is plantation timber?
  11. Why could the labelling of paper products be seen as misleading?
  12. Illustrate an aspect of this story.
  13. What do you think should happen next?

Test your knowledge in the online Tiger quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.

Tassie Devils

Focus Questions

  1. Describe the reputation of the Tassie devil.
  2. The Tasmanian devil population has been reduced by more than
  3. 20%
  4. 50%
  5. 80%
  6. Where in Australian is the only place you can find Tassie devils in the wild?
  7. What is the disease that is threatening their survival?
  8. How is the disease spread?
  9. How big is the Tassie devil joey when it’s born?
  10. What is the aim of the Tassie devil breeding program?
  11. Why is breeding in captivity difficult?
  12. Do you think it is important to protect the Tasmanian devil? Why?
  13. What else do you think could be done to protect the Tassie devil from becoming extinct?

Tassie devils

Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each section.

Remember and understand

  • What do you think the following words mean: endangered, habitat, native, species, captivity and extinct. Check your meanings with the dictionary definitions.
  • Recall as many facts as you can in the BtN Tassie devils story and write a true or false quiz.
  • Compile a list of frequently asked questions about the Tasmanian devil.

Apply and Analyse

  • Research the following information about the Tasmanian devil; Scientific name, appearance, diet, habitat, predators, threats to their survival, importance to biodiversity. Present the information using power point or publishing software.
  • What is biodiversity and why is it important? Create a poster that explains biodiversity.
  • Do you think it is important to save endangered animals? Why? What are your ideas to help preserve species that are in danger of disappearing from the Earth?

Evaluate and create

  • Design an enclosure for a Tasmanian devil. Consider the animal’s natural habitat. Construct a model of the enclosure using recycled materials.
  • Create a board game to teach people about the Tasmanian devil or another Australian endangered animal.
  • Create a `Species of the day’ display about a threatened or endangered Australian animal. Include the following information in a display:
    Name of species
    Classification (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered)
    Habitat
    Where it lives
    Population
    What is being done to protect the species
    The following website has more information about threatened Australian animals

Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – Tassie Devils

ABC News – New approach to saving Tasmanian Devils

ABC Can We Help – Tasmanian Devils

Devils under threat

Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania – Tasmanian Devils

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