The Jeff Corwin Experience Cambodian Poachers Teacher s Guide

Transcription

1 The Jeff Corwin Experience Cambodian Poachers Teacher s Guide Grade Level: K 8 Curriculum Focus: Life Science Lesson Duration: Two class periods Program Description Examine the darker side of human relationships with the animal kingdom the illegal capture of species and manufacturing of animal products. Segments cover lorises, Indo-Chinese tigers, pangolins, soft-shelled turtles, cobras, and pythons. Video Index Segment 1: Targeting Restaurants (9 min) Learn about the illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia. Trace the path from poachers to shippers to restaurants and medicine shops, and learn about the efforts to stop it. Why do you think wildlife is killed illegally? Answer: A market exists for rare animals meat and skin so poachers try to meet the demand. What is one tool being used to stop the illegal trade? Answer: Conservation organizations are staging raids at restaurants that are suspected of buying animals killed illegally. Segment 2: Targeting Medicine Shops (5 min.) See what Jeff and the conservation group uncover in a local medicine shop: a slow loris, snakeskins, soft-shelled turtles, and sun bears. What do you think people in the medicine shops do with the animal parts? Answer: They are used to make medicines. Do you think making these medicines are worth killing animals? Answer: Answers will vary. Segment 3: Rescuing the Animals (8 min.) Find out how animals are cared for in a wildlife sanctuary after they are rescued from poachers. Observe some animals return to their natural habitat.

2 Teacher s Guide 2 Why do you think animals are sent to a wildlife sanctuary? Answer: Usually the animals in a sanctuary have been hurt or orphaned and they need special care. Why does a pangolin roll itself up? Answer: The pangolin rolls up to protect itself. Mention that the pangolin featured in the video remained too scared to unroll even after its rescue. Segment 4: Targeting the Poachers (7 min.) Travel with Jeff as two conservation groups try to stop poachers. Watch them place a camera in the forest to get a look at the young animals that visit that spot. Why do you think it is important to stop the activities of poachers? Answer: Poachers provide the animals for illegal wildlife trade, so if they are stopped, other groups have their supply cut off. Do you think conservation efforts in Cambodia will be successful? Answer: Answers will vary. Discuss how the video points out that the more people become aware and concerned, the greater the likelihood of success. Lesson Plan Student Objectives Learn about the problem of animal poaching in Cambodia. Write a news article about the poachers. Discuss strategies to rescue animals and stop poachers. Materials The Jeff Corwin Experience: Cambodian Poachers Computer(s) with Internet access Paper and pencils

3 Teacher s Guide 3 Procedures 1. Begin the lesson by having students watch The Jeff Corwin Experience: Cambodian Poachers. From each of the four segments they can learn about the problem with poachers in Cambodia and the current solutions in place. 2. Then hold a brief discussion about the main ideas. Make sure that students understand the following: The nature of the problem The animals involved How the Cambodians are handling the problem Goals for the future 3. Using the four points above as a starting point, ask students to write a news article about Cambodia s poaching problem. The article should follow the journalistic convention of the first paragraph addressing who, what, where, why, and how. Students should describe the issues clearly and discuss strategies for addressing the problem. 4. Allow students time in class to work on their articles. If they finish early, suggest that they pair with others and exchange stories. Students can discuss the content of the stories and offer feedback on the writing. 5. During the next class period, ask volunteers to share their stories. Then discuss the strategies the Cambodians are using to protect the animals. Ask students for any additional thoughts they might have about protecting Cambodia s diverse animal population. 6. Conclude the lesson by putting the stories in a location so that visitors can read them. Encourage students to share with family and friends what they have learned about Cambodia s poachers and how they are affecting animals. Assessment Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students work during this lesson. 3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; gave the topic considerable thought; and wrote a compelling article using the journalistic format. 2 points: Students participated in class discussions; gave the topic adequate thought; and wrote a satisfactory article using the journalistic format. 1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; gave the topic little or now thought; and did not complete the article.

4 Teacher s Guide 4 Vocabulary Cambodia Definition: A country in Southeast Asia, covering an area of about 69,898 square miles Context: Forests cover about 53 percent of Cambodia, but poor management of these forests threatens the ecosystem. conservation Definition: Efforts taken to protect endangered animals or those hunted illegally Context: Throughout Cambodia, people are working with conservation groups to protect endangered animals. palm civet Definition: A nocturnal mammal common throughout Asia; spends most of its life in trees and is fond of the sap of palm trees, a preference that led to its name. Context: Like many animals in Cambodia, the palm civet has been a victim of poachers. pangolin Definition: A mammal with large scales on its body that act as a protective armor rolls up when it is scared Context: The pangolin rolls up its body when it is scared or in distress. poacher Definition: An individual who hunts and kills animals illegally Context: Poachers are part of illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia; they sell animals to restaurants and medicine shops. sun bear Definition: The smallest bear, with a black coat and a yellow mark on its chest; lives in the trees and is a nocturnal hunter Context: The sun bear is highly endangered and they are protected at the rescue center in Cambodia.

5 Teacher s Guide 5 Academic Standards National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences provides guidelines for teaching science in grades K 12 to promote scientific literacy. To view the standards, visit this Web site: This lesson plan addresses the following science standards: Grades K 4 Life Science: Organisms and environments Grades 5 8 Life Science: Populations and ecosystems Life Science: Diversity and adaptations of organisms Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) McREL s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: Life Sciences: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment Language Arts Viewing: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media; Writing: Gathers and uses information for research purposes Support Materials Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit