GIANT PANDAS- SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Giant Panda Quiz:
At the start of this unit, use the quiz to stimulate inquiry questions and
engage students in the broadsheet. Introduce simple analysis of the
broadsheet by looking at the range of information it contains including
maps, images, tables, articles and graphs.
What do you already know about Giant Pandas?
1.The Giant Panda is a type of:
A. Bear
B. Cat
C. Monkey
2.Giant Panda fur is
A. All white
B. Black & white
C. Brown
3. What keeps Pandas warm?
A. Their fur
B. Trees
C. Bamboo
4. Giant Pandas live:
A. in the bamboo forests only in China
B. In the mangrove rainforests of China
C. In the alpine meadows of several Asian countries
5. How long does a Giant Panda live ?
A. In the wild they can live to be 20 year old
B. in zoos they live a shorter time than in the wild
C. In the wild they can live to be 35 years old
6. How many pandas are left in the wild?
A. approximately 15,000
B. approximately 150,000
C. approximately 1,500
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7. What are the main threats to Giant Pandas?
A. Hunting for their fur
B. Diseases
C. Loss of natural habitat
8. How often can Giant Pandas breed?
A. Every year
B. Every two years
C. Every 5 years
9. How heavy is a Giant Panda?
A. approximately the weight of a sheep
B. a bit heavier than a grown man
C. as heavy as an elephant
10. In which country are you most likely to find a Panda in the wild?
A. India
B. Indonesia
C. China
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS:
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A
2
B
3
A
4
A
5
A
6
C
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C
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B
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B
10
C
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Numeracy:
A range of data is included on the broadsheet and these numeracy activities
are suggested as a starting point for further development of other numeracy
activities associated with this theme. Teachers are encouraged to expand this
range of activities appropriate to their students.
1. Use the data from Figure 14 on the broadsheet to construct the following
graphs:
A. The number of male and female giant Pandas in captivity.
B. The range of ages of captive Giant Pandas (Hint: use year of birth to
calculate their age)
C. The number of Pandas in captivity in different countries
Activities:
1. What is the total number of Giant pandas in captivity (2011)?
2. How many zoos have male and female pairs of Giant Pandas?
a) What advantages are there in having more than one giant panda in a
zoo?
b) Why might it be more valuable to have female Giant Pandas in captivity?
3. Where is the oldest captive Giant Panda located?
a) How old is this Giant Panda?
b) Calculate the average age of Giant Pandas in captivity?
4. Use the information in Figure 6 to calculate:
a) The maximum number of Giant Panda cubs it will be possible to breed in
captivity outside of China by 2022.
b) In order to calculate the total number of captive Giant Pandas in 2022,
what other information would you need?
Using Figure 14:
c) Work out which of the zoos has been most successful in breeding Giant
Pandas in captivity?
5. On a map of the world, mark in the location of each zoo listed in Figure 14 on
the broadsheet.
a) Name the continents where these Captive Giant Pandas are found.
b) What percentage of captive giant pandas are found south of the
equator?
c) Which continent has the most captive Giant Pandas?
d) Use the scale of the world map to calculate how far the furthest away
zoo with Captive Giant pandas is from Beijing, China. How far away from
Beijing is the closest Zoo with Giant Pandas?
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6. Use the graph in Figure 13 to:
a) Construct a table that shows the total population of China in the following
years:
2000
2003
2006
2009
b) Suggest how the change in China’s total population may have
influenced the number and distribution of Giant Pandas in the wild.
c) Estimate the total population of China in 2012. Check you estimate using
one of the following website: www.prb.org/ or www.cia.gov
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Literacy:
This unit provides students with the opportunity to develop and reinforce
critical literacy as well as providing stimulus for practicing communication skills
using a variety of genres.
Activities:
Critical Reading:
1. Use Figures 9 & 11 to answer the following questions:
a)
b)
c)
d)
How does the loan program raise awareness about Giant Pandas?
For how long are Giant Pandas loaned to other countries?
Suggest some reasons why this period of time may have been chosen.
What conditions are placed on countries receiving a Giant Panda on
loan?
e) Read Figure 11. Construct a flow diagram that shows how the Giant
Panda’s dependence on one food source has decreased its chances of
survival.
f) Research where bamboo grows in other parts of the world apart from
China. Present your findings using a labelled map. Is there any where else
that could support a Giant Panda population?
g) Apart from food what other specific environmental needs does the Giant
panda have?
Debate
2.
‘The loan program and captive breeding will save the Giant Panda’
a) Compile a list of reasons why captive breeding and Giant Panda Loan
programs are helpful in improving giant panda numbers.
 Brainstorm a list of alternative ways to help Giant Pandas.
 Form two groups and present a debate.
b) Which group you think presented the strongest case? Why?
Imagine you work for the WWF. Write a persuasive argument for one of these
points of view.
Word Search
3. Create a glossary of key words that relate to the Giant Panda. Use this to
construct a word search or a cross word. Rate yours as easy, medium or hard
level of difficulty. Swap yours with a partner. Did you learn any new words?
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Spatial Literacy:
Simple Geographical information system (GIS) activity. Go to this website:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/giantpanda/maps.html
This is a simple GIS and allows users to “layer” different sets of data on a map
to see if there is any association between the data and to examine change
over time.
For example:
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Does the original panda habitat extend further than that of today?
Is there any relationship between roads and location of panda habitat?
How does habitat isolation play a role ion panda population health?
see this short video for some clues -
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/giantpanda/multimedia.html
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INQUIRY BASED LEARNING – Over to you!
Inquiry process
Observing and Questioning
 Write down what you already know
about Giant Pandas
 Develop a question for investigation
that will allow you to collect your own
data
Planning, collecting and evaluating
 Create a step by step plan to
complete your inquiry
 Select appropriate methods of data
collection.
Processing, analysing, interpreting and
concluding
 Convert your data into a useable form
 Combine your data to draw
conclusions about your question.
Giant Pandas- Example
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Create a timeline for the project
Example method:
I. Devise a short questionnaire to collect
opinions from members of the
community. Ask questions about –
visits to the zoo, value for money,
attitudes towards conservation,
knowledge about Giant Panda.
Conduct a survey
II. Choose a zoo that has Giant pandas
and find out how many people visit the
zoo. Has this changed since Pandas
arrived at that zoo?
III. Send an email, telephone or fax to the
zoo you have chosen with 3 questions
about the effect of the giant panda
program at that zoo.

For each question in your questionnaire,
tally the responses , calculate the
percentages of each response and then
graph the results eg pie chart, column
graph, pictograph
Graph the change in numbers for visitors
to the zoo .
Identify the main points from the reply to
your 3 questions.
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Communicating
 Identify who might be interested in

your findings. Suggest at least one
other group apart from students in your 
class.
 Choose an appropriate method to
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communicate your findings
Reflecting and responding
 Evaluate each step of your inquiry
process by looking at the things that
worked and those that didn’t
Use the Panda broadsheet and a large
sheet of paper to create a group brain
storm about Giant Pandas
Example question( students devise their
own question)
What are the benefits of a Giant Panda
captive breeding and loan program?
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Conservation groups- create a power
point of your findings to go with a talk
Make a poster to display the local
shopping centre
Write an article for your school
newsletter
Create a table of strengths and
weaknesses of your Inquiry process.
Swap with another person/group and
ask them to add their feedback.
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Creativity:
Giant Panda Diorama
Objective and Overview:
Students will learn about the Giant Panda and its habitat by creating a
diorama of this animal in its temperate forest home.
Teacher Background Information:
Where do wild giant pandas live?
Giant pandas live in deciduous and coniferous forests with bamboo, at
elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. In these rocky, hilly, and wooded
habitats, they often scramble over rocks and fallen trees or down or across
cliff faces. They also climb and rest in trees. Often cloudy and misty, these
mountain forests receive a lot of rain and snow–up to 40 inches per year.
Materials:
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empty shoe box
string
child-safe wire or pipe cleaners
glue/paste
clear tape
dried grass and leaves
crayons
diorama colour and cut page
Directions:
1. Explain to students about Giant Pandas' temperate forest habitat, which in
some ways is very similar to the mountain forests of Tasmania. In others,
such as the large bamboo stands, it is different. Talk about some of the
different animal and plants that share giant panda habitat.
2. Explain to your students that they will be creating mini habitats for giant
pandas and that they should try to make sure that there is plenty of cover
and food for the pandas.
3. Take your children outside and give them some time to gather dried grass
and dead leaves to embellish their panda dioramas.
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4. Back in the classroom, set your students up with all of their materials and
explain the various things they can do to build their diorama:
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Colour in the Diorama Colour and Cut Page and cut out the various
components.
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Bend pipe cleaners or wire to provide backing support for standing
paper pieces once these pieces are placed in the diorama and
taped together.
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String can be strung from diorama ceiling (tied through a hole or
taped) so that birds can hang and appear to be flying.
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Leaves and grasses can be glued to the back and side walls of the
diorama to give a woodsy feel, and to the floor as well, once other
parts (cut-out animals, trees, bamboos) are installed.
5. After the students finish their dioramas, have all class members display
these together on a common table or windowsills. Students can compare
the different habitats created by their peers using basically the same
materials.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandaEducation/CurriculumGuides/
K-4/Kto4GiantPandaDioramaAct3.pdf
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1. FIELD WORK – at your local zoo/wildlife park
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2. STUDENT ACTION (Multiple Intelligences/community in action)
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Make posters to inform people about issues facing Giant Pandas and other
threatened species
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Hold a fundraising event to support an organisation that helps threatened
species
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Volunteer at the zoo or a wildlife park
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Invite a guest speaker to talk to your class about their organization
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Write a letter to a newspaper, organisation or politician in support of
conservation of threatened species
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Design and make badges about a threatened species
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Write and perform a play or puppet show about threatened species
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Write a rap
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Make a story book for younger students based on a threatened species.
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Make a short video or photo story set to music that publicises conservation
of species
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Add your own ideas.
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