Teaching Endangered Species - Including Plants

Last week, I received an email from a New Jersey teacher asking for information about endangered plant species. I get a few emails each month from teachers. Usually, I can direct them to sites or resources. Sometimes they ask tough questions about specific species that really require a response from one of the sate biologists.

Although I post occasionally on the site about plants, endangered plants in NJ, the focus is more about animal species.

I am a volunteer in the state's endangered species program and the speaker's bureau but the focus there is also fish and wildlife.

Searching online and in this blog's archive turned up some resources which I passed on to the teacher.

These sites are the official NJ ones for plants, but I'm not sure how appropriate the info will be for younger students (the teacher was in grades 1-3), but knowing teachers, she will probably be able to adapt for those grades.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/endplants.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/spplant.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/plant/ (For information regarding this site, they list as a contact Terri.Tucker@dep.state.nj.u)

You might be able to use the plants list http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/feb2009plantlist.pdf and then research specific species.

You also might find some useful posts in the education category of this blog or the education category.

It's great to see how many teachers are using endangered and threatened species in their classrooms.

Here's a slide presentation I found online from one teacher "wea33".

The home page for education from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is a good starting place at all levels - from a NJ wildlife coloring book to fishing education classes at the Pequest Hatchery.

Teachers should also consider the Division of Fish and Wildlife's e-mail "mailing lists" that will update you about important news, events, rule changes or other matters related to wildlife in the categories of:
Freshwater Fishing
Marine Fisheries
Shellfish
Hunting
Endangered Species
General Wildlife
Fish and Wildlife Education
NJ Outdoors 


And there are plenty of books that teachers can purchase of get from libraries to use.

• The Atlas of Endangered Species
• Witness: Endangered Species of North America
• Endangered: Wildlife on the Brink of Extinction
• The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology and Public Policy
• Endangered Species (Helping Children Learn)
• Endangered Species (Saving Our World)
• Save the Endangered Species Series