World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s leading conservation organization working around the world to secure a future where humans live in harmony with nature, has collaborated with Scholastic to produce a program that raises student awareness of endangered species and places in time for Earth Day, April 22, 2019. With a lesson and activity that pulls from WWF’s Wild Classroom—a digital library of free conservation resources for educators—the program aims to use SEL (social and emotional learning) and ELA (English language arts) skills as a lens to introduce young students to greater issues that are affecting nature and communities around the world.
The wildlife and conservation topics in these materials engage core categories of SEL skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. They allow students to think critically and compare their own lives to those of endangered species. Upon discovering the similarities between their own needs and the needs of species at risk, students will understand why we need to help protect wild animals and how their actions can affect nature.
Following the lesson and activity hosted here, teachers are encouraged to start a classroom fundraiser to help students learn that they can make a change and raise money to make a big difference in protecting the future of nature. Teachers starting a fundraiser will be entered for a chance to win a library of books from Scholastic, valued at $500! Click here for the official rules of this Scholastic Panda Nation sweepstakes.
Find out more at scholastic.com/wildclassroom.
