LIVE FROM TEXAS
Rare Finds of Texas
Pre/Post Activities
thGRADE LEVEL: 7 grade
Goal:
Students will learn about the animals inhabiting the various Texas eco-regions.
Objectives:
1. Identify the components of an ecosystem.
2. Explain how an animal‟s adaptations enable it to survive in a particular ecosystem. 3. State the reasons for animal endangerment.
4. Research and create an endangered animal mobile that depicting the animal‟s
lifestyle, reasons for endangerment and possible solutions to the problem.
Teks:
Social Studies
9a – Identify ways in which Texans have adapted to and modified the environment
and analyze the consequences of the modifications.
Science
10a – Compare traits of organisms of different species that enhance their survival
and reproduction.
5b – Identify components of an ecosystem.
8a – Describe how different environments support different varieties of organisms.
Pre-Activities:
Exploring Texas Eco-regions: Print the Texas eco-regions map found on this website. Provide a copy of this map to each student. Have students use their Social Studies textbook, reference books, atlases and the internet to discover more about each Texas eco-region.
1. Have students determine what the symbols in the key represent for each eco-region. 2. Using colored pencils, students locate and label a major city in each of the eco-regions. 3. Have students use a blue pencil or crayon to draw in and label a major river that flows
through at least three eco-regions.
4. Students then label the Gulf of Mexico, the states bordering Texas, and Mexico.
1 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
5. Students research and indicate on the Texas eco-region map the average rainfall for
each eco-region. Using this information, have students predict the types of plants and
animals likely be found in each area.
Understanding Endangerment: Students will participate in a role-playing activity to better understand why animals become endangered.
1. Shrinking Habitats:
a. Place 25 twigs on the floor and choose five students to play animals. Tell each
animal to build a nest using five twigs. Each animal will to build a nest with no
problem.
b. Scatter the twigs again. Choose another student to play a human who needs
material to build a house. Have the human take away eight twigs. Then instruct the
five animals to try to build nests again. Clearly there will be a problem.
c. Repeat, this time with two humans removing eight twigs each, leaving even fewer
twigs for the animals.
d. Discuss what happened. Have students give examples in their community. 2. Overcrowding – posing a threat to an animal‟s food supply:
a. Hold hands in a large circle, representing the habitat. Scatter 25 peanuts (the food
source). Choose three students (representing animals of the same species) to go
inside the circle at a given signal. Each pick up five peanuts, one at a time (the
minimum needed for survival). All three meet their food needs.
b. Re-form the circle and scatter the food again. This time choose six students to
scramble for the food. Since the habitat is now more crowded, at least one can‟t
eat enough food.
c. Continue to increase the number entering the circle. Point out how gradual
overcrowding makes it increasingly difficult for individuals to survive.
d. Discuss the type of behavior the role-playing students displayed as more “animals”
competed for food (crowding, tension and aggression most likely result, mimicking
what often happens in nature).
3. Introduction of a new species into a habitat:
a. Hold hands in a circle (the habitat). Scatter 25 peanuts (food source). Choose
three students (native animal), give them spoons and at the signal tell them to go
inside the circle and pick up five peanuts, one at a time. They have no trouble
meeting their needs.
b. Then re-form the circle and pick three more students to represent members of the
introduced species. Tell the new animals they may pick up peanuts with their hands
one peanut at a time. At the signal, all six go inside the circle – the endangered
native animals using spoons and the introduced animals using their hands. Clearly
the introduced species have an advantage over the native species.
2 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
c. Discuss reasons why introduced species cause problems for the native species
(competition for food and the introduced species have no natural enemies in their
new area).
4. Other reasons causing endangerment: Summarize reasons why animals become
endangered from what students discovered through their role-playing. Begin a list on the board and discuss other reasons. Help students understand that many times more than one reason causes an animal species to become endangered. Here are some additional causes of endangerment:
a. Overhunting – Once, animals such as whales and fur-bearing mammals were plentiful.
The numbers of humans were small, so the animals were not overhunted. Most parts
of the animals were used for food, clothing, bedding, shelter, and tools. Later,
modern methods allowed people to kill as many animals as they wanted. Sometimes
too many animals were killed. When there are too few animals, they have trouble
finding mates. When there are no offspring, the species faces danger of extinction. b. Poaching – Laws protect some endangered plants and animals, yet some are still
hunted and collected illegally (poaching). Ivory or coral jewelry, fur, feathers, teeth,
reptile skins and exotic pets and plants are sold illegally. Sometimes people don‟t
even that a product comes from an endangered species. People must stop buying
these products for poaching to stop.
c. Migration – Animals that migrate long distances (such as the whooping crane) always
face more dangers than stay-at-homes (snowy owl). Storms, droughts, and
predators are threats along the way. The growing population of people and their
actions causes the biggest problem along the journey.
d. Low birth rate – Some animals give birth to only one or two young every year or
every two or three years (elephants, bats, condors are examples). When the
populations of these animals drop, it takes much more time for their populations to
recover. Sometimes, the animals become extinct before they have time to make a
comeback.
Texas Vanishing Wildlife: This activity provides students a working knowledge of the
terminology and factors affecting potential elimination of wildlife species.
1. Review and discuss with the students the definitions of threatened, endangered, and extinct – as used in wildlife conservation, as well as in the dictionary.
2. Assign each student a Texas endangered wildlife species from the list following these activities. Have each student research his/her animal to discover its classification category and the principal factors affecting the animal. Much of this information can be obtained from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website
(http://tpwd.state.tx.us) Also, students can contact local chapters of conservation organizations (National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife).
3 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
3. As a class, develop a chart for the animals according to the category in which they are
classified and the principal factors affecting each animal. Discuss the findings. What
seems to be the most prevalent factors affecting the animals (habitat loss, pollution,
impact from introduced species)? Students can also create a bar graph using
information from the class chart.
Animal Extinct Endangered Threatened Factors Affecting Animal’s Status
Name
Elephant Poaching for ivory, drought x
Gorilla Habitat destruction, poaching for body x
parts or infants to sell, civil unrest
Post-Activities:
Texas Eco-Region Mobile
1. Divide your class into groups of six students.
2. Each group should select one Texas endangered animal from the list that follows. 3. Each group must research the following information for their assigned animal:
a. Geography (Eco-region map)
b. Adaptations
c. Habitat description (including diet)
d. Reasons for endangerment, including possible solutions to the problem. 4. Each group will create a pyramid mobile (described below) detailing the information
they have researched.
5. Groups should present their research to the class.
6. Pyramid Mobile (From Dinah Zike‟s Big Book of Books and Activities):
a. Fold a sheet of paper (8 ?” x 11”)
into a “taco” forming a square.
b. Cut off the excess tab formed by the ;
fold.
c. Open the folded taco and
refold it the opposite way,
forming another “taco” and
an „X‟ fold pattern.
d. Cut up one of the folds to the center
of the „X‟ and stop. This forms two
triangular shaped flaps.
e. Glue one of the flaps under the other
flap, forming a pyramid.
4 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
f. After each group has assembled the mobile, have the students draw or write the
researched information about their assigned Texas eco-region animal on the mobile
as shown below.
Picture of
the
endangered
animal
Reason(s) for
endangerment
Eco-region(s) in
which the animal
is found. Use map
g. After your students have pictures of their endangered animal, the eco-region where
the animal is found and reasons for endangerment, ask them to find the following
information: (Should be written on cards and attached, with string, to the
appropriate side of the mobile).
; Specific adaptations the animal has - attach to the side with the picture of
the animal
; Habitat description including what the animal eats - attach to the side with
the eco-region information
; Possible solutions to endangerment issues - attach to the side with reasons
for endangerment
Students may choose to attach multiple cards to each side.
Specific
adaptations the animal has. Possible solutions to
endangerment Habitat description issues. including what the
animal eats.
5 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
h. To hang the mobile, punch a small hole through the top of the pyramid. Thread a
knotted piece of string, cord or yarn through the inside and out through the top.
Wildlife Advocacy: In this activity, each team of students selects a wildlife species from the Texas Endangered species list, which follows these activities. If students completed the Endangered Species Pyramid, they can use the animals they have already researched. Students will become advocates for their selected species. Students will imagine they work for a public relations or advertising firm. Their firm is hired to let the public know that this animal species is endangered and that the public needs to take action now. Teams of students will create a campaign that might include slogans, posters and TV commercials. Teams present their campaign to the rest of the class.
Who Am I?: Have each student select an endangered or threatened Texas animal species to research. Have him/her research and complete fact cards for the selected animal. The following information should be included on each card:
; Animal species ; What is interesting about this animal
; Where can it be found ; Why is this animal endangered or threatened
; What does it eat ; Five words to describe this animal
; How does it protect itself
After completing the fact cards, each student can use the information about his/her animal to write a riddle in the form of a poem. They should not mention the animal‟s name
in the poem. Students can then try to guess the endangered animal‟s identity.
Sample Poem In tall lush trees I do reside
My fur as green as leaves by my side
Three long toenails found on my feet
My slow speed means the ground I rarely meet
Answer: Three-toed Sloth
Endangered Species of Texas:
Mammals
Greater Long-nosed Bat – Leptonycteris nivalis
Sperm Whale – Physeter macrocephalus
Finback Whale – Balaenoptera physalus
Black Right Whale – Eubalaena glacialis
Red Wolf – Canis rufus
Grey Wolf – Canis lupus
Black-footed Ferret – Mustela nigripes
Ocelot – Felis pardalis
6 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
Jaguarundi – Felis yaguarondi cacomitli
Jaguar – Panthera onca
Birds
Eastern Brown Pelican – Pelecanus occidentalis
Whooping crane – Grus americana
Northern apolomado falcon – Falco femoralis septentrionalis
Attwater‟s Greater prairie chicken – Tympanuchus cupido attwateri
Eskimo curlew – Numenius borealis
Interior least tern – Sterna antillarum athalassos
Red-cockaded woodpecker – Picoides borealis
Southwestern willow flycatcher – Empidonax traillii extimus
Black-capped vireo – Vireo atricapillus
Bachman‟s warbler – Vermivora bachmanii
Golden-cheeked warbler – Dendroica chrysoparia
Reptiles
Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle – Eretmochelys imbricata
Kemp‟s Ridley Sea Turtle – Lepidochelys kempii
Leatherback Sea Turtle – Dermochelys coriacea
Fishes
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow – Hybognathus amarus
Leon Springs Pupfish (Killifish) – Cyprinodon bovinus
Comanche Springs Pupfish (Killifish) – Cyprinodon elegans
Big Bend Gambusia – Gambusia gaigei
San Marcos Gambusia – Gambusia georgei
Clear Creek Gambusia – Gambusia heterochir
Pecos Gambusia – Gambusia nobilis
Fountain Darter – Etheostoma fonticola
Amphibians
Barton Springs Salamander – Eurycea sosorum
Texas Blind Salamander – Eurycea rathbuni
Houston Toad – Bufo houstonensis
Invertebrates
Peck‟s Cave Amphipod – Stygobromus pecki
American Burying Beetle – Nicrophorus americanus
Comal Springs Riffle Beetle – Heterelmis comalensis
Rock-Pocketbook Mussel – Arkansia wheeleri
Cave Spider – Cicurina madla, Cicurina baronia, Cicurina venii or Cicurina vespera
ouachita
7 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
Vocabulary:
A behavior, physical feature, or other characteristic that helps an Adaptation
animal or plant survive and make the most of its habitat
A geographical area; a distinct grouping of plants, animals, climate Eco-region
and geological features
The interaction of living and nonliving things in a habitatEcosystem
Ecosystem = Neighborhood
Habitat = Home
A plant or animal species in danger of extinction Endangered
No members of the species are alive anywhere in the world Extinction
An area that provides an animal or plant with adequate food, water, Habitat
shelter and living space in order to survive
A species so reduced in numbers it is one step away from becoming Threatened
endangered
Resources:
Fiction Books:
; Hamilton, Virginia. Jaguarundi. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 1995. ; Van Allsburg, Chris. Just A Dream. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990.
Nonfiction Books:
; Campbell, Linda. Endangered and Threatened Animals Of Texas. Austin, TX: Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department Press, 1995.
; Damude, Noreen and Bender, Kelly Conrad. Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife.
Austin, TX: Texas Parks and Wildlife Press, 1999.
; Middleton, Susan and Liittschwager, David. Witness. San Francisco, CA: Cronicle
Press, 1994.
; Nirgiotis, Nicholas and Nirgiotis, Theodore. No More Dodos: How Zoos Help
Endangered Wildlife. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Co., 1996.
Websites:
; http://www.eelink.net Offers links to many websites, including sites on curriculum
ideas and environmental publications
; http://www.nwf.org/habitats/schoolyard Information on how to create a wildlife
habitat on your school grounds and how to get your habitat certified as an official
schoolyard habitat site.
8 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department
; http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expltx/ecomapx.htm The map of the seven Texas Eco-
regions are featured. You select a region to find specific information about features
of that region. Good resource for your students to obtain information for their
research.
; http://www.thewildones.org The Children‟s Education Program of Wildlife Trust
offers curriculum ideas, resource lists, free newsletter, information on research
projects classrooms can join and much more.
9 Rare Finds of Texas
Property of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park Education Department