Animals on the edge: scientists rush to protect Earth's rarest species.Many of them look strange. Even their names are odd: the golden-rumped elephant shrew The Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew, Rhynchocyon chrysopygus, is the largest of all the unique African family, the elephant shrews. It is the size of a small rabbit, and is only found in the coastal Arabuko Sokoke National Park north of Mombassa in Kenya. , the yellow-tailed woolly monkey The Yellow-tailed Woolly monkey, Oreonax flavicauda, is a New World primate endemic to Peru. It is a rare species found only in the Peruvian Andes, with less than 250 individuals in the wild. It belongs to the Atelidae family. , the northern hairy-nosed wombat The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii), also known as the Yaminon, is one of three species of wombats. It was found across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland as recently as 100 years ago, but is now restricted to a 3 km² range within the . Perhaps it won't be a surprise, then, that they share a common fate. These animals are among the world's most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered en·dan·ger tr.v. en·dan·gered, en·dan·ger·ing, en·dan·gers 1. To expose to harm or danger; imperil. 2. To threaten with extinction. (EDGE) species. In January, the Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (sometimes known by the abbreviation ZSL) is a learned society founded in London in April 1826 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Lord Auckland, Sir Humphry Davy, Joseph Sabine, Nicholas Aylward Vigors and other eminent naturalists. launched a program to protect 100 threatened species. The animals were chosen based on I how near they are to extinction and on the uniqueness of their evolutionary history. "These are one-of-a-kind species," EDGE scientist Jonathan Baillie Jonathan Baillie (born 2 September, 1985 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is a former Scottish professional footballer who played for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League. told Reuters news service. "If they are lost, there is nothing similar to them left on the planet. It would be a bit like the art world losing the Mona Lisa--they are simply irreplaceable." Global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. and human development are among the reasons for habitat loss among these species. The top creature on the list, the Yangtze River Yangtze River Chinese Chang Jiang or Ch'ang Chiang River, China. Rising in the Tanggula Mountains in west-central China, it flows southeast before turning northeast and then generally east across south-central and east-central China to the East China dolphin, may already be extinct. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. recent studies, 70 percent of the EDGE species are receiving little or no conservation attention (see pie chart A graphical representation of information in which each unit of data is represented as a pie-shaped piece of a circle. See business graphics. ). Baillie and his fellow scientists hope to change that. They will work with local scientists to help them develop conservation programs in areas where the rare species live. "Our goal is to ensure that over the next five years there are conservation measures in place for the top 100 species," Baillie said. "We have 10 species we are focusing on this year, but that will change over time." EDGE hopes to enlist public support by showcasing the endangered animals online. To learn more, go to edgeofexistence.org. LESSON PLANS NEWS SPECIAL Animal on the Edge, p.6 Objectives Students should be able to: * understand the definition of an EDGE species. * express a point of view about the value of saving endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. . Word to Know * evolutionarilg distinct: species that are goner gon·er n. Slang One that is ruined or doomed. [From gone.] goner Noun Slang a person who is about to die or who is beyond help ically unique and have few close relatives. Background There is a current total of 564 species on the EDGE list. (The organization is focusing on the top 100 in its current campaign.) The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. is home to 31 of them, including several species of whales, porpoises, and seals. Critical Thinking MAKING INFERENCES: Why might so few EDGE animals be receiving conservation attention? (The animals are rare, so few people are aware of them.) FORMING SUPPORTED OPINIONS: What would you say to people who are worried that conservation measures will cause them to lose their jobs at a logging company? (Answers will vary; students may point out that the loss of one species affects an entire ecosystem, or discuss strategies to protect jobs while also saving animals.) Activity IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION: Divide students into small groups. Have each investigate one of the top-10 EDGE species by going to the EDGE Web site. Where does the species live? What are its distinctive characteristics? What is threatening the species? An ambitious group may want to prepare a map of its animal's habitat. STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 People, places, and environments: Human development threatens some of Earth's rarest animals. RESOURCES Penny, Malcolm, Endangered Species: Our Impact on the Planet (Raintree Publishers, 2002). Grades 6-12. Reading, Richard P., and Miller, Brian (eds.) Endangered Animals (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000), grades 6-12. WEB SITES Life on Earth arkive.org Photos: Weirdest Animals spiegel.de/fotostrecke/0,5538,18603,00.html WORLD Peru: Life of the Quechua, pp. 8-10 Objective Students should be able to: * understand some of the difficult choices facing indigenous youth of the Andean villages of South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . Background Scholars report that the Inca adopted the Quechua language after conquering the people. Conquest by the Spanish in the 16th century profoundly changed the Quechua way of life. Still, the Quechua language remained a common means of communication in the Andes. Although Spanish had long been the official language, Peru adopted Quechua as the second official language in 1975, acknowledging its continued importance. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, population estimates of the Quechua range from 13 million to 16 million. Critical Thinking NOTING DETAILS: What are most of the people in Luis's village? (peasant farmers, or campesinos) MAKING INFERENCES: Why might Zulma's decision not to go to Lamay for high school be more complicated than Luis's? (Her family may consider the journey too dangerous for a girl; her need for a room makes the trip more expensive; other answers likely.) Activity LIFE JOURNEYS: Leaving home to find new opportunities is a universal experience. Charge students with investigating their family history for such a story. Did their father or mother or another close relative have to do this? If so, what situation did they leave behind? What opportunities did they find in a new place, and what discouragements? STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 People, places, and environments: In choosing to keep their traditional culture, Peru's indigenous people risk a life of poverty. RESOURCES Gritzner, Charles F., and Gritzer, Yvonne, Peru (Chelsea House Publishers, 2004), grades 6-12. Rachowiecki, Rob, Peru (Lonely Planet Publications, 2004). Grades 6 and up. WEB SITES Peru Pictures peru-pictures.org Quecha Kids Performing youtube.com/watch?v=PCOBiwKyjvg WORLD HISTORY The Dark Ages, pp. 12-14 Objectives Students should be able to: * recognize some key figures and events in Europe in the Early Middle Ages. * understand why historians no longer use the term "Dark Ages." Word to Know * venerable: worthy of respect for one's achievements or good works. Background * For more on the Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire, successor state to the Roman Empire (see under Rome), also called Eastern Empire and East Roman Empire. It was named after Byzantium, which Emperor Constantine I rebuilt (A.D. 330) as Constantinople and made the capital of the entire Roman Empire. and the Roman Empire's East-West split, see p. T-7. * A Long Island, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , history teacher created a series of podcasts on Byzantine rulers that is one of iTunes' top-5 educational podcasts, and is in the top 50 of all podcasts.anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers Critical Thinking NOTING DETAILS: What were some of the changes that occurred during the Early Middle Ages? (fall of Roman Empire; social and economic upheaval during the plague; decline of education; changing national borders; spread of Christianity; other answers acceptable) DEFENDING AN ARGUMENT: How might the plague have affected the society and economy of Europe? (Answers will vary.) Activity CONNECTING THE DOTS: Have students compare the map on p. T-7 with what they read in the article, and with a present-day map of Europe. What connections can they draw between what happened in the Early Middle Ages and Europe as it exists today? STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 Time, continuity, and change: Historians now see the Dark Ages as a time of important changes. RESOURCES * Galloway, Priscilla, Archers, Alchemists An alchemist was a person versed in the art of alchemy, an ancient branch of natural philosophy that eventually evolved into chemistry and pharmacology. Alchemy flourished in the Islamic world during the Middle Ages, and then in Europe from the 13th to the 18th centuries. , and 98 Other Medieval Jobs ... (Annick Press This article or section has multiple issues: * It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by citing reliable sources. * It reads like an advertisement and needs to be rewritten in a neutral point of view. , 2003). Grades 5-8. * Greenblatt, Miriam, Charlemagne and the Early Middle Ages (Benchmark Books, 2002]. Grades 5-8. WEB SITES * Early Medieval Maps henry-davis.com/MAPS/EMwebpages/EM1.html Vikings bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings EDGE SPECIES NO CONSERVATION ATTENTION 42% LIMITED CONSERVATION ATTENTION 28% CONSERVATION UNDERWAY 30% Note: Table made from pie chart. |
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