Endangered Animal Math Activities

In this clip card activity, students will practice counting and operational skills using images of endangered and threatened animals. This resource highlights a small collection of endangered animals and can be a starting point to learn about animals, habitats, and the effects of climate change.

• The animal names featured in this activity were pulled from the Animal Welfare Institute’s list of Endangered Animals. The names have been simplified for the purpose of this activity, but it would be helpful for students to learn the full names of the animals.
• It is important to note that the concept of endangered animals may be difficult for some students. Be sure to check in and provide a safe space for students to share their feelings related to this topic.
• Consider providing nonfiction texts to the classroom library for students to learn more about endangered animals.
• There are multiple options provided. Use the version that works best for your students.
• The clip cards can be placed in a center or station while the worksheets can be completed independently or in groups.

This learning activity allows students to explore the names of endangered species and those threatened by climate change. We conducted a detailed assessment of the scientific legitimacy of the Animal Welfare Institute datasets and additional resources that were extracted for this learning plan.

Primary Standards

• Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)
  • Counting & Cardinality (K)
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.5 Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
  • Operations & Algebraic Thinking (K-5)
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.2 Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 - 4 = 13 - 3 - 1 = 10 - 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 - 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.B.2 Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.