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Adventures in Ecotourism
Grade Level: 4-8th grade (adaptable to any)
Subjects: Art, Language Arts
Setting: N.C. Zoo
Vocabulary: biodiversity, ecotourism
Purpose: To familiarize students with values of biodiversity
Theme: Biodiversity has inspirational and cultural values.
Objectives
- Demonstrate research, communication, and cooperative learning skills.
- Identify the interrelationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.
- Evaluate the survival of organisms and suitable adaptive responses to environmental pressures.
- Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment
Background
"Adventures in Ecotourism" can be used as an extension of "Bountiful Biomes". This activity uses cooperative learning to focus on the unique climates and organisms of the world's major biomes. This easily modified lesson works well with various student populations and can be implemented as a pre- or post- field trip activity.
Ecotourism is a new wave in the travel industry. It involves “travel to areas of natural or ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose of observing wildlife and learning about the environment.” (www.dictionary.com)
To explore the major biomes in the world, the class will be divided into five ecotourism companies, each representing a different biome: tundra, aquatic, desert, grassland and forest. Over the next two weeks, your company will design an ecotour to a particular region within your biome and then give a 15-minute presentation to entice potential tourists (your classmates) to purchase tickets for your next departure.
Your company will consist of various experts to guide and educate the tourists. These experts include:
A tour guide to describe the general conditions of the biome, the route the tourists will take, what they will do along the way, and other details of the trip.
A survivalist to instruct tourists on how to find food, drinkable water, and shelter within the area and to warn them of the region’s unique do’s and don’ts.
A botanist to discuss at least three native plants the tourists will see and the plants’ adaptations for the climate and soil conditions.
A zoologist to discuss at least three native animals the tourists might see and the animals’ adaptations for the climate.
A conservationist to instruct tourists on how to leave the region exactly as they found it and to explain special problems or concerns of the biome such as deforestation, desertification, endangered species, etc.
Note: For groups with only four members, the roles of the botanist and zoologist can be combined.
Each expert must have an active role in the presentation. Have fun with your part, and ham it up! Capture the interest of your audience by dressing for the conditions of your biome and by displaying route maps, pictures of local attractions, pictures of native plants and animals, and other show-and-tell items. Be prepared to answer questions from the audience. After all, you are the “ecotourism experts.”