Lesson Plan - They’re Back!

Watch a Video
Play “What You Need to Know About Endangered Species,” then discuss: What are some of the threats that can cause animals and plants to become endangered?

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

• conservation
• contiguous

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them consider whether it’s important to protect endangered species.

1. How does the Endangered Species Act help plants and animals? Support your response with evidence from the article.
The Endangered Species Act protects plants and animals by making it illegal to kill, capture, or harm any species listed as endangered. As the article states, “It also protects the habitats where those plants and animals live. Plus, it provides funding to help each species recover.”
^{R.1 Text Evidence}

2. Compare and contrast the main threats that American alligators and eastern Steller sea lions faced. 
Both of these species were deliberately harmed by humans. American alligators were hunted for their skins, which were used to make shoes and other products. Eastern Steller sea lions were killed by fishermen to keep the hungry sea lions from reducing the number of fish the fishermen could catch.
^{R.5 Comparison}

3. What does the term “in decline” mean? What detail in the text shows that eastern Steller sea lions were in decline?
The term “in decline” means disappearing or decreasing. The article shows that eastern Steller sea lions were in decline when it says that “By the late 1970s, only about 18,000 eastern Steller sea lions remained in the wild.”
^{R.4 Determine Meaning}

Featured Skill: Research
Use the skill builder “Species Spotlight” to launch a fun research project. Have each student investigate an endangered plant or animal and present to the class. Students can create posters, PowerPoint presentations, or slide decks to share their findings.
^{R.10 Reading Informational Texts}