Let me tell you about my absolute favorite Ecology project for my High School students. It is a project that can be tailored to any level student – from freshman to AP Environmental Science seniors. It is an ecology project that gives students choice in what they research, an actual problem to solve, real world issues to consider, and total creativity in how they solve the problem. The project incorporates reading, writing, psychology, ecology, understanding local cultures, collaboration, and art. What could be better??
Connecting Students with Conservation
For this Ecology Project, students choose an endangered species anywhere in the world. Like most endangered species assignments, students research the habitat, local biodiversity, and the food web of the species. But that is just the start…
Global Impact that Starts in the Classroom
This project takes students beyond learning about the species, and moves into a realm of knowledge that can actually affect change. Students are tasked to investigate the culture of the people group living near their chosen Endangered Species.
This project is one of my favorite ways to incorporate global awareness into my curriculum.
How do the local people groups feel about the endangered species? Are they antagonistic to the species, do they use the species as a resource (ivory, food, etc), or are they indifferent to its existence? Do the people interact with the species directly, or do the people there influence something in the food web of the species? Or alter the environment of the species? They must truly get to know the culture, and determine the root cause of why this species is endangered.
Get Creative to Solve Real Problems!
Then they get creative! Students must come up with a marketing campaign, aimed towards the people group, that will educate and inspire them to embrace and protect their natural resource – the endangered species.
Laws and regulations for protecting endangered species are needed, but do not always work if the community is not on board. But if a community has pride in their native species, they will be motivated to save them, and to protect the habitat it lives in. The objective of this project is for groups of students to create a campaign that aims at changing the hearts and minds of the community around which an endangered species lives.
Best Ecology Project for High School Inspiration
The activity models Rare – an organization that goes into communities and works with people to educate and empower them to save their native endangered species. Click here to take a look at what they do, it is amazing!
While Rare works globally, maybe consider bringing the project more close to home. Have kids choose an endangered species (plant, animal, insect) that lives in your area or your State. When kids present, invite community members into the classroom to hear their ideas. Or set up a community awareness event, hosted at your local library or at your school, to actually reach the community. Give your students a real opportunity to conserve their local habitats!
Project Based Learning Ecology Project
This is Project Based Learning! Students engaged in real life problems that they must research, collaborate, and think creatively to come up with unique solutions. They have to take their knowledge and do something with it!
Here is how I lay out the whole Ecology Project for my high school students:
- Research their species and its importance in the environment. They will create a food web to visualize their species’ niche.
- Determine who to target in their species’ community, and how to change their minds about the species (for example, how to get farmers to protect a top predator, rather than fear them; how to motivate store owners to stop selling wild game; how to empower the community to work against poachers, etc)
- Design a mascot for their species
- Plan a community event that will engage the people living near the species
- Create a poster with their mascot and a catchy slogan
- Put it all together in a presentation to show the class what they learned and created
Turn Key Ecology Project Resource
Save time and get the whole project ready to print and go – no prep! Here is a list of all the materials I have made available:
- Comprehensive teaching guide – differentiated for students who need less structure, and for students who need more structure
- A Google Slide presentation used to introduce the project to your students (editable!)
- List of eight endangered species that I have used in my class, along with a resource link as a starting point for your students
- Student Guide sheet for researching their endangered animal
- Example of a Rare Project with question sheet to give inspiration and ideas
- Three page Project Guide to lead students through the different parts of the project
- A comprehensive 100 point rubric
- TWO versions of a Feedback Form for your students to fill out while they watch groups present
Alternative or Additional Assignment
Don’t have enough time to do this entire Ecology Project? You can still use Rare as an inspiration for your students. Have them read through some of the Success Stories, choose one, and do a presentation on it, or make it a mini-research assignment. If you have a lot of time, let them read about and present a Rare success story as an introduction to the big project!
This exciting and impactful project will make your students real-life heroes for our planet.They don’t just learn about endangered species—they become active contributors to their preservation, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and community action. You will be amazed what your students come up with!
