Topic: Protected species

Target group

Students of the 4th grade of an elementary school.

Core curriculum

4th grade

VII. Natural environment and landscape of the nearest school area. The student:

8) indicates the place of occurrence of protected areas, nature monuments, historic buildings in the vicinity, justifies the need to protect them.

The general aim of education

The students identify and recognize selected protected species of plants and animals and justify the need for their protection.

Criteria of success

• you will explain why some species of animals and plants should be protected;

• you will identify and name four protected animals and plants.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue; 

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence; 

• learning to learn.

Methods / forms of work

Brainstorming, work with text, and a didactic game.

Group and individual work.

Teaching aids

• abstract;

• interactive or traditional board;

• tablets/computers;

• large sheets of paper

• playing bingo.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

Realization

1. The teacher asks the students to try to explain why some organisms should be protected - the teacher writes down all the ideas on the board (brainstorming). If no ideas are given - they search for answers in the abstract.

2. The students analyse the ideas and select (for example, assigning a point) the best.

3. The teacher divides the students into task teams (depending on the number of ideas), who work on ways to protect a given organism (selected from the abstract) that requires it.

4. The team leader presents the elaborated ideas.

5. The teacher gives the students bingo game boards (a bingo board is usually a 5x5 square box) with illustrations of protected plants and animal species. „Caller” (the teacher) displays the selected species (with names) from the abstract on the board for 10 seconds, and the students find this organism on their boards and cross it out in all fields. There are three winners - the first one that will fill the whole line with the drawn organisms, the second one that will fill two lines, and the third one that will get the whole board. The winner informs about it by shouting „bingo!”.

Summary

The teacher asks the students to perform the selected interactive task by themselves. The students can do other interactive exercises at home.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Protected species

In today's human‑dominated world many plants and animals are at risk of extinction. Those organisms are not only beautiful and interesting, but also necessary elements of their respective environments. Unless we protect them, we will destroy nature and maybe even ourselves.

The first protected organism in our country was the beaver. Beaver hunting was restricted in 11th century by king Bolesław Chrobry. Bolesław Kędzierzawy, who ruled in 12th century restricted aurochs hunting. In 14th century king Kazimierz Wielki introduced penalties for felling oaks. During the reign of Władysław Jagiełło felling of yew was prohibited. A protected period from 23rd of April until the end of harvest was introduced for aurochs, tarpan, moose and european bison.

Conservation of species is a form of nature protection in Poland covering over 600 plant species, ca. 700 animal species is currently protected in Poland. The purpose of species conservation is to preserve in nature species that are rare and at risk of extinction. Protected plants and fungi must not be picked and protected animals must not be hunted.

Organisms may be covered by strict or partial protection. Plants, animals and fungi under strict protection are protected all the time, while those under partial protection are only protected during specified times of the year, e.g. when they take care of their young. Partially protected plants may be collected in limited quantities, e.g. for medicinal purposes. Partially protected animals may be hunted in specified periods.

Plants under strict protection must not be intentionally destroyed, cut down or picked. It is also prohibited to sell them or take them away from our country. Plants under strict protection in Poland include yew, stone pine and mountain pine. Partially protected plants include common ivy, yellow water lily and lily of the valley. They may be harvested in specified quantities, e.g. for medicinal purposes.

Animals under strict protection must not be killed, caught, scared and their nests, eggs or burrows must not be destroyed. They may not be disturbed when they raise their young. It is also prohibited to sell them. Animals strictly protected in Poland include all frogs and toads, lizards and snakes, majority of birds and the following mammals: mountain goats, marmots, brown bears and lynx. Many insects, some snails and spiders are protected, too.

• The organisms are interdependent, for example they are food for others or feed on them themselves.

• Rare and endangered species of plants, animals and fungi are protected species.

• Species protection can be strict (total) or partial (eg during reproduction and rearing of the young or in some places).