In 2013, the United Nations declared March 3 World Wildlife Day across the globe. This remembrance day is supposed to remind people that we rely on wildlife and biodiversity-based resources to meet all our needs—from food, fuel, clothing, and even the places we live, work, and go to school! 

• Discover the significance of World Wildlife Day in your science classes
• Extend your World Wildlife Day lessons to the ELA classroom

[Discover the significance of World Wildlife Day in your science classes](id-sci)

Add incorporate World Wildlife Day content and activities into the lessons you’re already teaching:

Teach students why we recognize World Wildlife Day

What is World Wildlife Day, and why should your students care? In your classroom, explore different kinds of wildlife in our world and get students thinking about why protecting wildlife is so important:

• Consider why restoring ecosystems like natural forests and coasts could save wildlife and tackle climate change issues like reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
• Discover what endangered species exist in our world—like cheetahs, gorillas, and giant pandas—and what we can do to protect them.
• Discuss how wildlife and humans can share diseases, such as the novel coronavirus, and what precautions we can take to keep people and animals from getting sick.

Shadow a scientist to learn about their job

Introduce students to one of the many careers they could have when they grow up. Invite them to learn more about what a Wildlife Biologist does:

• Read an article or watch extension videos about what a wildlife biologist does on the job each day.
• Explore how natural patterns exist and why wildlife biologists must recognize them to do their jobs well.
• Discover the math involved in scientific jobs and teach students how to analyze and interpret data in the scientific process.

See what wildlife science topics are trending in the news

Scientific subjects make the news every day. Introduce students to some trending wildlife topics, like:

• Wildlife corridors
• The world’s smallest creatures
• Nominations for wildlife photographer of the year.

Take a virtual field trip to a zoo or aquarium

Let your students explore wildlife without even leaving the classroom:

Zoo virtual field trips

Take students to some of the most famous zoos in the country in just a class period. You can visit:

• The San Diego Zoo, where you can learn about elephants, parrots, and sun bears.
• Zoo Atlanta, to learn about endangered species like the marine otter, the long-tailed pangolin, and the polar bear.
• Reid Park Zoo in Arizona to explore levels of the food chain among wildlife.

Aquarium virtual field trips

Marine life is wildlife, too! Take your students on a virtual tour of some popular aquariums, like:

• Baltimore National Aquarium, to learn how the establishment is protecting ocean homes for dolphins.
• Georgia Aquarium, to learn about turtles and marine protected areas.
• Seattle Aquarium, to discover the wonders of the endangered sea otter.

Exploring animal data

Get students thinking like scientists and invite them to explore and analyze data on some of their favorite wildlife topics:

• Discover the sizes and speeds of ocean animals and how the two factors influence each other.
• Explore the impressive attributes of 30 different types of land animals.
• Compare the data of both land and ocean animals and try to draw conclusions about which group might have bigger or faster members.

Teach students how to protect Earth’s wildlife and natural resources

How are people protecting wildlife and natural resources around the world? Students can explore this and related questions by diving into articles on topics like:

• How scientists are using drones to help protect Amazon River dolphins.
• Why people should work to protect lemurs, now an endangered species.
• How Australian wildlife officials built a cat-free zone in the desert to protect native animals on the brink of extinction.

Share wildlife videos

Take information about World Wildlife Day off the page and add wildlife videos to your lesson plans. Use our interactive videos to:

• Learn the shocking truth about electric animals.
• Explore why animals use camouflage in the wild.
• Discover how, when, and where animals migrate.

Assign wildlife articles

Give students even more options to choose articles about animals and wildlife topics that interest them most. Areas they can explore include:

• How a teenager invented a low-cost tool to spot elephant poachers in real time.
• When and how animals get their winter coats.
• How a South African clinic provides veterinary care to wild animals.

[Extend your World Wildlife Day lessons to the ELA classroom](id-ela)

Go beyond science and bring World Wildlife Day into your ELA classroom with fiction and nonfiction resources on topics like:

Wildlife novel studies

World Wildlife Day is an excellent opportunity to introduce students to books and novels that feature animals as main characters or sidekicks. Newsela ELA’s novel studies give students the background knowledge and context to understand the books better:

• Elementary: “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate
• Middle school: “Julie of the Wolves” by Jean Craighead George
• High school: “Animal Farm” by George Orwell

Articles about animals

Bring more informational texts into your ELA classroom with nature articles. Encourage students to practice literacy skills while exploring topics like:

• How big cats like the lions of West Africa are losing their homes, and what people are doing to protect them from extinction.
• If people can tame and domesticate foxes the same way they do with other house pets, like dogs.
• How many animals are coming out more frequently during the night to avoid interacting with people like hikers and campers.

Poems about animals

Explore wildlife through verse with poems like:

• “A Jelly-Fish” by Marianne Moore
• “Peacock Feather” by Effie Lee Newsome
• “The Purple Cow” by Gelett Burgess
• “The Sparrow” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
• “At the Zoo” by William Makepeace Thackeray

Animal adaptations

How do animals, especially those lower on the food chain, survive in the wild? Help students understand the phenomenon of animal adaptations with resources like:

• A video about animal evolution and natural selection.
• An article that looks at how animals adapt to cold weather.
• An article that explores how a body of water’s depth can affect the color of marine animals.

Animal intelligence

Are some animals smarter than others? Students can research the answer to this question by exploring articles on topics like:

• The differences between wolves and domesticated dogs.
• How dolphins communicate.
• How intelligence among dogs, cats, and raccoons differ.

Animal interactions

How do animals communicate with each other? Discover the auditory and non-auditory ways animals connect by exploring articles on topics like:

• How elephants comfort other elephants when they’re in distress.
• The way parrots help other parrots navigate the wild.
• How cats and dogs can peacefully coexist in the same house.

Animal testing

Scientists who use animals in research experiments believe their work makes a difference. But are these tests ethical, or are they unnecessarily cruel? Teach students about animal ethics by reviewing resources like:

• An overview of animal testing as a hot-topic issue.
• An article about a U.S. act created to shield primates from animal testing.
• An article about new technology meant to replace animal testing in science.

Rescuing and rehabilitating animals

Animal rights groups lead efforts to protect animals from human mistreatment. Students can learn more about their causes and work by reading articles on topics like:

• How TripAdvisor stopped booking attractions where travelers can make contact with captive wild animals or endangered species.
• A history of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
• An article that explores the job requirements of an animal activist.

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Use Newsela’s knowledge and skill-building products to keep students engaged with timely content all year. If you’re not a Newseal customer, sign up for Newsela Lite and start your 45-day free trial!

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