ElephanaticsElephants – The Need For Their Survival Intermediate Lesson Plans:
These detailed and comprehensive lesson plans/activities are designed for middle and secondary school teachers with students aged 11 to 14 years. View All intermediate lesson plans below for easy download. Lesson plans are written for both US and Canadian curriculums. See Canadian and US curriculum breakdowns – NGSS for lessons
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Letter to Teachers and Principals
Lesson Plan 1 – Drawing A Line
Students learn about the unethical treatment of Asian Elephants in the tourism industry, habitat loss and fragmentation due to human population.
Lesson Plan – Drawing a Line – Asian Elephants
Drawing a Line – Powerpoint Presentation
Drawing a Line – Activity 2: Animal Use Cards
Drawing a Line – Activity 2: Elephant Use Cards
Lesson Plan 2 – Elephants and Ivory
Students create concept maps and explain the ivory trade while contemplating multiple views on a controversial issue.
Lesson Plan – Elephants and Ivory-African Elephants
Elephants and Ivory – Activity 1: PowerPoint Presentation
Elephants and Ivory – Activity 1: Presentation Print Out
Lesson Plan 3 – Letters for Life – Ivory-Free Canada
Students learn to compose letters in support of elephant conservation while recognizing letter writing is an important civic action.
Lesson Plan – Letters for Life – #IvoryFreeCanada
Letter Writing Checklist
Letter Writing Facts
All About Ivory
Lesson Plan 4 – One Mouthful At A Time: How Forest Elephants Fight Climate Change
Students actively engage in raising awareness for the protection of Africa’s forest elephants and other elephants around the world by exploring aspects of the carbon cycle and how elephants play an integral part in mitigating climate change.
Lesson Plan – One Mouthful At A Time
Forests as Carbon Sinks – PowerPoint Presentation
Forests as Carbon Sinks – Presentation Print Out
Cynicism Sells Editorial
Additional Background Information for lesson plan 4
Activity 3 Articles
Forest Elephants 101
Argumentative or Persuasive Essays
Carbon Sinks in Canada
Carbon Cycle (student reading)
Carbon Sequestration (student reading)
Climate 101
Climate Basics
The Secret Work Of Elephants (African elephants fight climate change)
Gabon Forest Project (student reading)
How to Write an Op-Ed
Lesson Plan 5 – Anthrozoology
Students explore the many varied ways in which humans perceive, engage, compete and co-exist with non-human animals.
Lesson Plan 6 – Effects of Elephant Poaching
The effects of elephant poaching are felt on a global basis. Students learn why, and how, they can help prevent this iconic species from becoming extinct.
Lesson Plan – Effects of Elephant Poaching
Ivory Is For Elephants – Online Educational Presentation
Most Asked Questions by Students from Online Presentations
Lesson Plan 7 – Rewilding
Rewilding aims to restore healthy ecosystems by creating wild, biodiverse spaces that are self-sustaining without human interference. It rebuilds ecosystems that have previously been modified by human disturbance, using the plant and animal life that would have been present had the disturbance never occurred. In doing so, rewilding restores the natural processes that provide humanity with clean air, water, food, shelter and medicine.
Lesson Plan – Rewilding
Rewilding Story Cards
10 Fast Facts On Rewilding
Lesson Plan 8 – Biodiversity
African elephants help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems for other species and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity.
Lesson Plan – Biodiversity
Why Elephants are Important for the Environment
Nearpod Self learning Lesson Plan – Biodiversity
Lesson Plan 9 – Increase of Online Ivory Sales during Covid-19
Wildlife trafficking has quickly become a multi-billion-dollar transnational criminal activity that is not only a critical conservation issue but also a security threat. During Covid-19 there was a substantial increase in online ivory sales.
Lesson Plan – Online Ivory Sales
14 Things You Didn’t Know About Today’s Ivory Trade
Additional Resources for lesson plan use
Ivory Trade Restrictions – Dates of Events
What Elephant Calls Mean
Become an Elephant Ambassador
Elephanatics was a project administrator for BackyardBio in 2021 connecting schools in Africa with schools in Canada.
Read journal at iNaturalist BackyardBio – Project Journal, May 17, ‘A Sight To Behold’– Get involved in Nature – Join other schools worldwide and share your local flora and fauna! International Day of Biodiversity is May 22nd. Let’s all do our part to help protect our fragile environment.
- BackyardBio is a project run by Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants encouraging the public, especially school classrooms, to get out in nature and observe and document the amazing wildlife near them!
