Endangered Animals Lesson Plan | BrainPOP Educators

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

In the BrainPOP ELL movie, Endangered Species (L3U1L1), Ben and Moby visit the aquarium where they see endangered species and discuss how people can help save them. In this activity, adaptable for grades K-8, students research and learn about endangered species.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Grade: 02

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.2

Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.2

Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Grade: 01

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.8

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Grade: 02

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8

Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2d

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.7

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Students will:

Predict the meaning of academic vocabulary words, and then define them based on information in the movie.
Watch the movie for specific information about endangered animals, paraphrasing information from the movie.
Research and present information about an endangered animal.

Materials:

Vocabulary:

Academic Vocabulary:
Parts of speech, verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection
Passive, active, present simple, third form of the verb, past participle
Species, endangered, endangered species, habitat, law, extinct

Preparation:

For Activity 1, make copies of the Make-a-Prediction Graphic Organizer for the class.
For Activity 3, Endangered Animal Research, make copies of the Endangered Species Graphic Organizer for the class.

Lesson Procedure:

Make a Prediction. Distribute copies of the Make-a-Prediction Graphic Organizer and instruct students to write the following words in the “Word” column: endangered, species, extinct, and habitat. Then invite students to predict what each word means using prior knowledge, and write it in the “What Do You Think it Means?” column. Finally, as students watch the movie Endangered Animals (L3U1L1), have them pay close attention to each time one of the words is used. Pause when a definition is given, and have them fill in the “Definition from the Movie” column.
Close Viewing. During a repeated viewing of the movie, use the Close-Viewing Questions Learning Strategy as students listen and watch carefully to find answers to questions about endangered species. Following are some suggested questions:
a. Where are penguins found?
b. When is a species extinct?
c. Why are harp seals endangered?
d. What can be done to help save endangered animals?
e. Explain why penguins / harp seals / panda bears are endangered.
Endangered Animal Research. Have students research an endangered species that is not featured in the movie. Instruct them to prepare at least five sentences about the animal to present to the class along with pictures that they find online or in books or magazines. Encourage them to use the Endangered Species Graphic Organizer to take notes.
As students present their endangered species research, the rest of the class should take notes using the Endangered Species Graphic Organizer.
Vocabulary Word Map. Have students choose one of the following words from this lesson to create a Word Map: extinct, endangered, habitat, species, law.