Invent an Endangered Species
Project
Can you convince your classmates to save your newly discovered species from extinction?
In this project you will pretend that you are a world-renowned biologist that has just discovered a new species, which is on the verge of extinction. You must present a report to an elite panel of experts from the Canadian Government (your classmates) describing this new species, its habitat, and why it is endangered. You can use power point, slides or anything else that is appropriate to get your point across. For example, you can incorporate songs or skits or you may want to make a pamphlet. You may want to firstly create a slides presentation to ensure you have included everything listed below and then incorporate other material to reinforce why your species should be saved!
For the presentation, you can dress professionally (i.e. nice clothes); as a scientist (i.e. lab coat), or dress the part (i.e. if your species was discovered in Australia, you may want to dress “Australian”). You have four to six minutes to convince your classmates to save your species!
Time Line of due dates:
Species Idea: Outline Complete:
Poster/ Presentation Complete:
Your Presentation/Poster should include:
- Species Description:
- Describe what your species looks like and why it has never been discovered before.
- Include a drawing or a model and give it a name e.g. size, shape, legs, arms, eyes, etc.
- Ecosystem:
- Describe the ecosystem where your species lives (ocean, forest, swamp, etc)
- Describe some abiotic and biotic features of this ecosystem
- Abiotic (the climate, soil, water-rainfall, temperature)
- Biotic (the plants and animals that also live there)
- Describe how your animal interacts with some of the abiotic elements and biotic elements in the ecosystem (e.g. it lives in water, its eats fish, temperatures, rang of tolerance)
- Habitat:
- describe the habitat (home) where your species lives in your ecosystem.
- Example: “My species’ habitat is in a hole in a dead tree in the forest ecosystem. It is very dry, but….”
- You may draw a picture or build a model.
- Niche:
- what is the niche of your species in the ecosystem? (What is its role/job?)
- How does it get energy (Consumer, producer, predator, prey, scavenger?)
What special adaptations does it have to gather food or survive? When does it gather food? How much does it need to eat? Does it build a nest or a den? How many Offspring does it have?
- Example: “My species hunts insects at night, using their large eyes adapted to darkness. It needs to eat half its body weight each night to stay alive. It builds an elaborate nest out of dead bodies of its prey. It has litters of between 20-30- it has some many because its main predator, the wolverine, kills most of its babies before adulthood…” )
- Food Chain/Energy Transfer
- Draw a food chain that has your species in it-label the producers, consumers or decomposers and label the primary, secondary and top consumers. Don’t forget your arrows showing direction of the energy flow.
- Draw an energy pyramid that includes your organism.
- Why is your species endangered?
- What has changed in your ecosystem to cause your species to become endangered?
- Is the change disrupting your habitat, niche or food chain?
- Are humans a factor. If so, how?
- What will you do with the government’s money to save your species?
- Be creative…