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Visit ARKive - one of Wildscreen’s key initiatives - for more photos and videos of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Wildlife charity brings science to life in the classroom

As teachers head back to school for the start of a new academic year, wildlife charity Wildscreen is releasing a number of new teaching resources that allow educators to take a new approach to teaching science in the classroom.

The new resources are provided free to the educational sector and join Wildscreen’s growing collection of engaging, thought provoking and fun educational activities for students of all ages.

The charity uses the power of wildlife imagery to promote a greater appreciation of the natural world and the need for its conservation. This translates into the creation of cross curriculum resources, that are delivered by Wildscreen into classrooms around the world, both physically and via online networks.

Wildscreen works with the very best photographers and filmmakers through a number of initiatives, with the teaching resources made available through its ARKive project (www.arkive.org) – an award winning online educational platform, profiling the world’s endangered species.

From ARKive on Tour, which sees students writing their own wildlife travel article; and ARKive News which takes students through the process of scripting and presenting their own news bulletins based around conservation issues in the Galapagos; to Who Wants to be a Zoologist?, a quiz that challenges students to use their powers of deduction and knowledge of animal classification to identify mystery animals from cryptic photos – the new resources illustrate how art and science can be brought together in a creative and engaging way.

Richard Edwards, Wildscreen Chief Executive, said: “Our mission is to inspire audiences to value the importance and protect the beauty of our natural world.

“Wildscreen is fully committed to bringing the natural world to life for students in the classroom. This element of our work also enables young people to develop creativity and problem-solving skills, while opening their eyes to potential future career choices.”

With offices in Washington DC the charity also delivers its educational activities to schools in the US, and being online allows teachers from across the world to access the resources on ARKive.

Edwards continued: “We receive excellent feedback from educators world-wide, from as far afield as Australia and Brazil, Bangladesh and Mexico. The work we carry out illustrates how the power of wildlife imagery can transcend languages and cultures to promote a conservation message.”

The latest teaching resources on ARKive join an already comprehensive collection of supporting materials teachers can use to bring lessons to life, including:

‘Penguin diversity’ which involves mask making for five to seven year olds;

‘Marvellous Mini-beasts’ for seven to 11 year olds, where students learn how different invertebrates are adapted to survive in particular habitats;

‘Biodiversity hospital’, in which students aged 11 to 14 work in ‘medical teams’, balancing competing priorities for the conservation of an endangered species to devise a ‘treatment’ plan; and

‘Design a conservation programme’, where 14 to 16 year olds must design their own conservation programme, during which they learn about the importance of biodiversity, as well as the economic benefits and services ecosystems provide.

Wildscreen’s teaching resources include classroom presentations, activities and handouts, teachers' notes, as well as links to ARKive species profiles and scrapbooks.

ARKive is freely accessible online, providing a multi-media guide to the world’s animals, plants and fungi. The site combines stunning video clips and photos, alongside easy to understand species fact-files that bring scientific names to life. Visitors to ARKive can learn why a species is threatened, what conservation action is being undertaken and how they can get involved.

More than 13,000 species and 80,000 video clips and photos can be found on ARKive, which have been donated by over 5,500 media donors from across the globe.

Backed by some of the biggest names in conservation, Wildscreen’s patrons include HRH Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh, Sir David Attenborough, Dr Sylvia Earle, Professor E. O. Wilson and Dr George McGavin.

Ends

Contact: Helen Shrimpton, Communications & Marketing Manager
Telephone: 0117 328 5952
Email: helen.shrimpton@wildscreen.org.uk

Wildlife charity brings science to life in the classroom

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