Gudgeon project
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Briefly summarise the BtN story.
When were the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeons declared extinct?
What is the breeding program trying to achieve?
The program is occurring in a `secure environment’. What does that mean?
What has happened to fish numbers in the breeding program?
Describe the role of the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon in the river
system.
7. What happens after the fish are released into the wetlands?
8. How have kids been involved in the program?
9. Why is it important to protect native fish species’?
10. What do you now know about native fish since watching the BtN story?
Research a native fish species and create a poster or Power Point presentation about
it.
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin – Rescue mission to save the purplespotted gudgeon
http://www.samdbnrm.sa.gov.au/LatestNews/newsid727/1182.aspx
Murray Darling Basin Authority – Southern purple-spotted gudgeon
http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/subs/fishinfo/native_info/southernPurplespottedGudgeon.html
Basin Kids – Southern purple-spotted gudgeon
http://kids.mdbc.gov.au/basin_fish/pz_of_native_fish/southern_purplespotted_gudgeon.html
China tiger
1.
2.
Explain the BtN story to another student.
This year is Chinese year of the…
a) horse
b) dog
c) tiger
3. Why have tiger numbers dropped in the last 100 years?
4. Which species of tiger is most at risk?
5. How many of the species are left in the wild?
6. Describe the breeding program Li Quan has set up.
7. Why is it seen as controversial?
8. Why are some people opposed to the program?
9. What do you think? Do you think the South China Tiger should be saved? Why
or why not?
10. What else can be done to protect endangered species?
ABC 30 Report – Fight to save South China Tiger
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2840018.htm
© ABC 2008
World Wildlife Fund – South China Tiger
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/southchinatiger/southchinatiger.htm
l
Tigers in crisis – South China Tiger
http://tigersincrisis.com/south_china_tiger.htm
Endangered birds
1.
2.
3.
Summarise the BtN story.
What did a recent study find about the bird population in Victoria?
A university researcher claims that `we are in the middle of a mass extinction
crisis.’ What do you think that means?
4. Some areas had a ____percent drop in bird numbers.
5. How many fewer birds is this?
6. Name a species of bird that has been affected.
7. What has caused the decline in bird numbers?
8. What are some solutions to the problem?
9. Why is it important to protect species of birds?
10. What do you think should happen next?
Research a threatened or endangered bird species in your local area. What is being
done to protect the species?
ABC 730 Report – Native bird populations declining rapidly
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2009/s2720637.htm
ABC News – Woodland birds facing extinction: study
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/23/2722039.htm
Endangered koalas
1.
2.
3.
4.
Retell the BtN story.
What do some groups want the koala listed as?
How does the committee decide if an animal is endangered or not?
What does the National Koala Foundation say about the number of koalas in
the wild?
5. What is the biggest threat to koalas?
6. Why is it important to monitor the numbers of koalas in the wild?
7. When does the committee make their decision about whether the koala
population is declining?
8. Illustrate an aspect of the story.
9. The koala is an Australian icon. What do you think that means?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
ABC News – Koala considered for endangered list
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/10/2738150.htm
© ABC
ABC 730 Report – Koala population in steep decline
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2009/s2737795.htm
Australian Koala Foundation – Official website
https://www.savethekoala.com/koalasendangered.html
NSW Department of Environment – Koala vulnerable species listing
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/listings/KoalaVulSpListing.htm
National Geographic – Koalas creature feature
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Koala
Wallaby foster parents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Describe in your own words what the story was about.
What is the wallaby foster program trying to achieve?
What does endangered mean?
How does the program work?
How old are the joeys when they are released?
Where are they being released?
Why did numbers of brush-tailed wallabies decrease?
Why are the wallabies monitored?
Why do you think it is important to protect native animals?
Illustrate an aspect of the BtN story.
Stateline – Surrogate mothers helping save endangered wallaby
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/10/23/2722915.htm
ABC – Rock wallabies released in Grampians
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200910/s2708184.htm
ABC Behind the News – Mammal extinction story
|http://www.abc.net.au/news/btn/story/s2316624.htm
The Marsupial Society of Australia – Kids’ stuff
http://www.marsupialsociety.org/kids.html
© ABC
Tassie Tiger
Focus Questions
1]
2]
3]
4]
5]
6]
7]
8]
9]
What was the main point of the story?
What is the scientific name for the Tasmanian Tiger and what does it mean?
What do experts say caused the Thylacine to become extinct?
How is it being brought back to life?
What are genes?
Explain what scientists did with the DNA from the Thylacine.
How did they know the DNA was in the mouse?
What do opponents say about these experiments?
Do you believe they should be able to conduct experiments such as these?
Explain your answer.
10] What are some other ethical/moral considerations?
The curly cloning question
Students will be exploring the issue of genetic cloning in relation to the Thylacine.
After viewing the BtN story, students will identify key words and questions about
the topic.
Working individually, students think about what questions they have about cloning
the Thylacine. Then, in groups of 3-4 people, students review and share their
questions with the group.
Using a variety of sources including the Internet, print and relevant organisations,
students find information related to their key questions.
Students then research a particular position or viewpoint relating to the cloning of
the Thylacine through one of the following roles:

Environmentalist (Impact on the environment)

Animal rights campaigner (Ethical issues)

Entrepreneur (Economics, marketing)

Scientist (Implications of successful cloning, what will it achieve?)
Research needs to take a point of view in regard to cloning or anti-cloning.
Students collate the information to prepare their position on the issue and present
it in a way they think will have the most impact. Hold a class vote on whether the
Thylacine should or should not be cloned. Ask students to reflect on how their
thinking has changed.
Assessment Criteria
© ABC
EPISODE 13
27TH MAY 2008
Learning Area
Society and Environment
Key learning
Students will develop an
understanding of what
cloning is and the different
viewpoints
The transcript of the BtN story
is available on the story page
of the BtN website
http://abc.net.au/news/btn/
Research – key questions addressed, a variety of sources used.
Presentation – engaging, appropriate format, identified and described issues
clearly, presented a powerful case for their point of view.
Further investigations
Create a rap or rhyme about the Thylacine.
Role-play an interview with an animal rights campaigner or research scientist.
Develop a board game or multimedia game about the Thylacine.
 Related Research Links
ABC News – Tasmanian Tiger DNA comes alive in mouse
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/20/2249778.htm
ABC New in Science – Extinct Thylacine brought back to life
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/05/20/2249769.htm?site=science
BBC News – Tasmanian Tiger DNA resurrected
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7408840.stm
Australia’s Thylacine
http://www.amonline.net.au/thylacine/
The Thylacine Museum
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/index.htm
Department of Primary Industries and Water – Tasmanian Tiger
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-53777B?open
© ABC
Mammal extinction
Focus Questions
1.
2.
What was the main point of the story?
How many Australian mammals have become extinct since European
settlement?
3. What has caused the Brush-tailed rock wallaby to become endangered?
4. How many Australian species are on the verge of extinction?
5. What is having a big impact on native species in Australia?
6. Why do you think it is important to protect native animals?
7. What are zoologists doing to protect species?
8. Why do you think Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the
world?
9. What can be done to protect Australia’s threatened species?
10. How did this story make you feel?
Mammal extinction
EPISODE 19
29TH JULY 2008
Learning Area
Science, Society and
Environment
Key learning
Students will develop a
deeper understanding of
Australian mammal
extinction.
After watching the BtN story about mammal extinction, ask students to write
down what they think the following key words mean:

Habitat

Threatened species

Endangered

Critically endangered

Vulnerable

Extinct
Ask students to share their definitions with another students and then change or
add to them. They can then use a range of sources to check their understandings.
Students then need to choose a threatened Australian species and research the
following information:

What does the animal eat?

What type of habitat does it need?

Where does it live?

What are the threats to its decline?

What can be done to ensure its survival?

What are the impacts when an animal species becomes endangered or extinct?
© ABC
Expert groups can be a useful
resource for students when
researching the topic.

Why is Australia’s rate of mammal extinction the highest in the world?
Students can present their information in one of the following ways:

Written or oral report

Develop a video or PowerPoint slide presentation

Create a model or poster
Further investigations
Design an enclosure for a threatened species. Students need to consider the animals’
natural habitat. Construct the enclosure using recycled materials.
Students research which threatened species are found in their local area. What is
being done to protect them?
Make a game to teach people about threatened Australian species.
Organise a guest speaker from the zoo or environmental organisation to come and
speak to the class about Australia’s threatened species.
 Related Research Links
ABC 730 Report – Climate change threatens extinction of Australian mammals
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2205185.htm
ABC AM – WWF warns of mammal extinction
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2187017.htm
WWF –Australia’s threatened species face extinction
http://wwf.org.au/news/species-face-extinction-due-to-climate-change/
Unique Australian animal website
http://australian-animals.net/
Classification of threatened and extinct species
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/threatened.htm
Children’s BBC – Information about endangered animals
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/animals/endangered_animal
s_world/newsid_1614000/1614414.stm
Orang-utan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
© ABC
Briefly summarise the BtN orang-utan story.
What does the word orang-utan mean?
In which countries do they live?
How do males and females differ in appearance?
What is happening to the orang-utans’ homes?
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
In which products would you find palm oil?
Why is it difficult for consumers to know if products contain palm oil?
What did recent studies find out about orang-utan numbers?
Why is palm oil important to countries like Borneo and Sumatra?
What do you think should happen next?
Sumatran tiger
1.
2.
Where is Sumatra?
The Sumatran tiger is
a. Threatened
b. Endangered
c. Extinct
3. How do researchers detect the tigers’ movements?
4. What is happening to the numbers of Sumatran tigers?
5. What is impacting on the tiger population?
6. Complete the following sentence: `The trees are turned into millions of tons
of…’
7. What is plantation timber?
8. Why could the labelling of paper products be seen as misleading?
9. Illustrate an aspect of this story.
10. What do you think should happen next?
Test your knowledge in the online Tiger quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the
links.
© ABC
Tassie Devils
Focus Questions
EPISODE 16
1.
2.
Describe the reputation of the Tassie devil.
The Tasmanian devil population has been reduced by more than
a. 20%
b. 50%
c. 80%
3. Where in Australian is the only place you can find Tassie devils in the wild?
4. What is the disease that is threatening their survival?
5. How is the disease spread?
6. How big is the Tassie devil joey when it’s born?
7. What is the aim of the Tassie devil breeding program?
8. Why is breeding in captivity difficult?
9. Do you think it is important to protect the Tasmanian devil? Why?
10. What else do you think could be done to protect the Tassie devil from
becoming extinct?
Tassie devils
Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each
section.
Remember and understand

What do you think the following words mean: endangered, habitat, native,
species, captivity and extinct. Check your meanings with the dictionary
definitions.

Recall as many facts as you can in the BtN Tassie devils story and write a
true or false quiz.

Compile a list of frequently asked questions about the Tasmanian devil.
Apply and Analyse

Research the following information about the Tasmanian devil; Scientific
name, appearance, diet, habitat, predators, threats to their survival,
importance to biodiversity. Present the information using power point or
publishing software.

What is biodiversity and why is it important? Create a poster that explains
biodiversity.

Do you think it is important to save endangered animals? Why? What are
your ideas to help preserve species that are in danger of disappearing
from the Earth?
© ABC
14TH JUNE 2011
Learning Area
Society and Environment
Key learning
Students will develop a
deeper understanding of
the Tasmanian devil and
the threats to its survival.
Evaluate and create

Design an enclosure for a Tasmanian devil. Consider the animal’s natural
habitat. Construct a model of the enclosure using recycled materials.

Create a board game to teach people about the Tasmanian devil or
another Australian endangered animal.

Create a `Species of the day’ display about a threatened or endangered
Australian animal. Include the following information in a display:
Name of species
Classification (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered)
Habitat
Where it lives
Population
What is being done to protect the species
The following website has more information about threatened Australian
animals http://www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna
 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – Tassie Devils
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2584983.htm
ABC News – New approach to saving Tasmanian Devils
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/29/3204051.htm
ABC Can We Help – Tasmanian Devils
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/canwehelp/txt/s3234870.htm
Devils under threat
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/EKOE-6FM9UZ?open
Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania – Tasmanian Devils
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=387
© ABC