This document outlines a two-week student project on endangered species. Students will research a threatened, endangered, or extinct animal and create a website presenting information on the animal's habitat, threats, and conservation efforts. The project aligns with 8th grade science standards and will require research outside of class time. Students will present their websites and discuss their findings during class periods dedicated to the project.

1. An in depth presentation on my IP
project’s execution.
By Chad Spurlock

2.  Students will learn about many different
threatened, endangered, and extinct species
and how humans' interactions have become
problematic.
 Learn how to create and use a website.
 Learn how to find and properly cite online
sources.
 Understand the difference between threatened,
endangered, and extinct.

3.  Students will pick and conduct research on one
threatened, endangered, or extinct animal.
They will then create a website using
www.weebly.com that will contain a picture of
their animal, details about its habitat, why it is
endangered, what is being done to stop it from
becoming extinct, and what they can do to help
either directly or indirectly. One week will be
given to do their research and one week to put
together their website. At the end of the project
each student will present their animal website
to the class.

4.  A computer with internet access
 www.Weebly .com
 A projector or Promethean board for students
to display completed websites

5. This project is aimed for a time period where the
following 8th Grade Science TEKS are being covered:
 (4) (A) use appropriate tools to collect, record, and
analyze information, including lab journals/notebooks,
beakers, meter sticks, graduated cylinders,
anemometers, psychrometers, hot plates, test tubes,
spring scales, balances, microscopes, thermometers,
calculators, computers, spectroscopes, timing devices,
and other equipment as needed to teach the
curriculum;
 11(C) explore how short- and long-term environmental
changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent
populations;

6.  This project will be a two week assignment and
require extensive research outside the
classroom.
 The first week will be dedicated to researching.
 The second week will be dedicated to putting
together the website.

7.  Approximately five class periods will be dedicated to
this project.
 The first class period – Discussion and introduction to
the topic and project.
 Start off handing out a KWL style sheet
 Have an open discussion as a sort of pre-assessment to finding
out what prior knowledge the students currently hold. Have
students fill out K portion of KWL sheet.
 Introduce vocabulary pertinent to the topic and pass out hands
outs.
 Introduce the project and journal requirements and have
students fill out W portion of KWL sheet.
 Continue discussing the topic of how certain animals have
escaped extinction by adapting to certain environmental
changes brought on by humans.

8.  The second class period – Midway checkpoint
 Open discussion on progress and how easy/hard the
research portion has been so far.
 Have students write down some main points of what
they’ve learned so far through their research on
KWL sheet.
 Walk through the use of www.weebly.com and
show an example of a completed webpage.
 Hand out grading rubric so students know what is
expected for the website.

9.  Third and fourth class period – Student
presentations and discussions.
 Students will present their research through their
www.weebly.com website. Each student will be given 5
minutes to explain and show off their website. The class
will be required to come up with one question per
student.
 Fifth class period – Continue presentations and
essay.
 Finish up final presentations
 Have students write an essay on how humans compete
with animals for resources such as water and why this is
the sole factor leading to the animal's status to close up
the lesson and projects.