The Endangered Species Act at 50

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: What steps should governments take to protect endangered species?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see below). Encourage them to use context to infer

• contiguous (p. 11)
• biodiversity (p. 12)
• unanimous (p. 12)
• bipartisan (p. 12)
• rationale (p. 12)
• proponents (p. 13)

3. Engage
Ask students to think about the ways that humans and animals are interconnected. Have them discuss the implications for humans when a species becomes extinct.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Endangered Species Act at 50, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is this article’s central idea? What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article? (Central ideas, author’s purpose) (The Endangered Species Act (E.S.A.) has been responsible for helping save dozens of species of animals and protecting the environment, but it’s also controversial because its strict regulations have hampered industries and negatively affected people’s livelihoods. The author’s main purpose in writing the article is to discuss the history of the E.S.A., to present the opinions of those who support the law and those who are critical of it, and to discuss a possible solution.)

• According to the article, how is the Endangered Species Act similar to and different from other conservation laws? (Compare & contrast)(Like other conservation laws, the goal of the Endangered Species Act is to protect the environment from the destruction caused by human activities. However, unlike other conservation laws, the E.S.A is more comprehensive: While other conservation laws may, for example, ask developers to limit their pollution levels, the E.S.A. does not allow industries to engage in any activity at all if it would put an endangered species at further risk of extinction.)

• What is the central idea of the section “The Spotted Owl”? What evidence does the writer use to support the central idea? (Central idea, cite text evidence)(The central idea of “The Spotted Owl” is that critics of the E.S.A. believe the law is overly restrictive to the extent that it harms people and offers little benefit. To support this idea, the article describes industries and workers that were adversely affected by the law and cites statistics showing that the number of species added to the list vastly outstrips the number removed.) 

• What is the purpose of the text features “Success Stories” and “Still Struggling?” How do these text features add to the central ideas of the article? (Analyze purpose, integrate information)(The purpose of “Success Stories” is to show species that the E.S.A. has helped, while the purpose of “Still Struggling” is to show the reader that many species are still at risk. “Success Stories” supports the central idea that the E.S.A. has been successful at helping some animals. “Still Struggling” supports the idea that the law isn’t a cure-all and could be revised, replaced, or complemented with newer legislation that does more to help endangered species.) 

• In the section, “Ending the Crisis?,” Robert Fischman compares the E.S.A. to treating patients in diabetic shock in the emergency room. What does he mean by this and why does he make this comparison? (Analyze figurative language, analyze purpose)(He is saying that one of the reasons the E.S.A. is inefficient is that it protects only species that are at risk of extinction, which is akin to treating only patients who are close to death. Both are more expensive and less successful than acting earlier to prevent harm. He makes this comparison to support the idea that conservation legislation that protects “imperiled” animals would be more effective than the E.S.A.) 

• According to “Ending the Crisis?,” how are people working to solve the problems presented in the article? (Problem & solution)(Congress is considering passing the Wildlife Recovery Act, which would financially support state and tribal efforts to help at-risk animals. Environmentally conscious teens are also speaking up about environmental issues, and hunters, tribal nations, environmental groups, timber companies, and private landowners are working to help endangered species.)

6. Writing Prompt
Write a letter to a member of Congress that argues for or against the continuation of the Endangered Species Act.

7. Video
Watch the video about the future of zoos. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Should the Endangered Species Act be repealed?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.