Elephants are one of the most important land mammals on our planet and are a keystone species. They are also one of the most emotional, intelligent, and social animals. However, they are facing extinction from poaching, human-animal conflict, and abuse in tourism.

Elephanatics has created a free, online educational program for teachers titled Elephants: The Need for Their Survival. Students will learn why elephants can help correct global warming and how they can bring awareness to their importance. Below you will find lesson plans for young and intermediate audiences. They are flexible, fun, and include interactive activities to engage students. The lessons are written for both Canadian and US curriculums and deal with both the African and Asian elephant.

As well as the lesson plans, we have included videos, books, up-to-date newspaper articles, and other great educational resources.

Elephanatics’ Teacher Survey: Please take a minute to let us know how you are using our lessons/resources and what resources you’d like to see. Survey participants are eligible for a monthly drawing for Elephanatic swag.  See teacher form here for easy submission.

Introductory Videos

We have provided a few short introductory videos that are optional to use in conjunction with the lesson plans below. Please note that some scenes of elephant abuse may upset some viewers.

A Brief History of the Ivory Trade
Gives students a short, basic background on poaching and the ivory trade (8 mins)

One Every Fifteen Minutes – The Plight of the African Elephant
Why African elephants plummeted from 1.3 million in 1979 to 400,000 today (10 mins)

Black Tusk – The Ugly Truth of Elephant Riding
Unethical treatment of elephants in Thailand for the tourism industry (15 mins)

Lesson Plans

Elementary Lessons
Lessons and activities for a younger audience of 8 – 11 years

Intermediate Lessons
Lessons and activities for an intermediate audience of 11 – 14 years

Be An Elephant Ambassador
Become an Ambassador at your school for Elephanatics

Videos, Books and Resources

Educational Videos
Visual representations of the ivory trade

Educational Books
Great as gifts or for use in the classroom

Newspaper Articles | Scientific Research
A great resource for school projects and general knowledge

Elephant Apps
Learn on the go!

Other Information

What You Can Do To Help Elephants
Read Elephanatics mention in The Guardian’s detailed article on how anyone can help save elephants from extinction

Elephants in Captivity
Recognize the brutality of animal circuses and zoos and learn to be a responsible tourist

Sponsoring and Fostering Organizations
Elephanatics supports these organizations ethics and practices

Ivory Trade Restrictions – Dates of Events

A timeline of information about the ivory trade and elephant populations from 1979 to date, to be used as a resource for homework or general information