IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Positives

• This resource is a wealth of data and information about species; there is so much potential for student learning.
• Maps, photographs, and graphs are used well and will help visual learners.

Additional Prerequisites

• Younger students may struggle reading scientific vocabulary on their own.
• Students should have an understanding of taxonomy, extinction, habitats, and conservation.

Differentiation

• Consider beginning with the short video in the "About" section, which is an excellent introduction to the list.
• This resource would be a powerful database to use in a culminating activity about biodiversity, ecology, or endangered species and the natural solutions to climate change that also benefit life on Earth.
• Students can work individually or in groups to assess one or more species. They can create conservation materials or present their findings to the class in a jigsaw activity.
• In elementary classes, this resource would be a great whole-class activity to learn more about a specific species, habitats, or environmental changes.
• Other related resources include this video about the current and historic rates of extinction, this video about the importance of biodiversity, and this article about human impacts on wild animals.