It’s Wildlife Writing Wednesday, and we’ve compiled some additional information for you as the instructor in case:
you want to offer any introductory discussion for your students before releasing the prompt to them
it is helpful for you in your evaluation/understanding
this understanding helps you to alter the prompt for grade level
PROMPT:
Did you know Addax (pictured) are critically endangered? The wild population of this species is estimated to be 30-90 remaining individuals. What do you think causes such a severe decline of a species? Do you think there is one or multiple contributing factors? What is/are it/they?
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature reports 30 to 90 mature Addax are left in the wild. The last assessment was in 2016. The decline of the Addax species can be contributed to many factors.
One thing crucial to all species in the wild, is a value to the people in the specie’s native land. When the human population does not value a species enough to cohabitate with it, a specie’s population decreases.
For instance, the Addax lives in a war-torn area, which has contributed to its dramatic decline. With this, depending on how in depth you’d like to go with your class, here are some things to consider:
Within war-torn areas, some people kill Addax for bush meat. (To survive)
Within war-torn areas, soldiers kill Addax for target practice. (Senseless killing)
It is understandable that some faced with tragedy are trying to stay alive and/or feed their families. It is not understandable that some kill just to kill. Both understandable an non-understable reasons need to be remedied. Those remedies are just one example of conservationist hurdles today.