Lesson Plan - Do Gray Wolves Still Need Protection?

Watch a Video: Apex Predators: Nature’s Top Hunters
Discuss: Why are top predators like gray wolves important in their ecosystems?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• contiguous
• conservationists

Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the As You Read question. Have students think about how gray wolves affect other animals. 

1. What are three years you’d include on a timeline about gray wolves? Why?
In 1974, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put gray wolves on the endangered species list. In 2020, the wolves were taken off when FWS said they were no longer at risk of extinction. In 2022, a judge’s ruling put them back on the list in most states.
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2. How could birds and beavers be affected if gray wolves were to go extinct?
Wolves hunt elk and other large mammals. If wolves were to go extinct, there would be more elk. The elk would eat the plant life that birds and beavers need to survive.
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3. Why might some ranchers have strong opinions about gray wolf protections?
Gray wolves sometimes kill ranchers’ livestock, like sheep and cattle. Many ranchers say they need to be able to hunt wolves in order to protect livestock. 
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FEATURED SKILL: Opinion Writing
Use the Skill Builder “What’s Your Opinion?” to have students write an opinion paragraph about gray wolf protections. 
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