News Flash!
Figure 1. Once considered a threatened species, the American Bald Eagle was taken off the endangered species list in June 2007.Copyright United States Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, http://www.usbr.gov/
This activity illustrates the interrelationship between science and engineering in the context of extinction prevention. There are two parts to the activity. The first part challenges students to think like scientists as they generate reports on endangered species and give presentations worthy of a news channel or radio broadcast. The second part puts students in the shoes of engineers, designing ways to help the endangered species.
Scientific studies of endangered species can explain to engineers why a species is threatened. Engineers use this information to come up with ideas for products that can help save species. Many projects that environmental engineers work on help save endangered groups indirectly by helping preserve or restore their habitats.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify cause and effect relationships in a system.
- Describe data using a graph.
- Demonstrate the interrelationship between engineering and science in the context of extinction prevention.