Nature Detectives – Mission: Save Our Local Wildlife!

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY PLAN

LEARNING TASK

Students become nature detectives and take part in a team mission to investigate threats to plants, animals and their natural habitats. They solve nature riddles, identify environmental problems and design a simple action to protect local biodiversity.

Working in teams, students collect clues, complete challenges and develop a short “Wildlife Rescue Plan” for their school or local community.

The main question is: How can we help plants and animals survive and thrive in our local environment?

GOALS ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL CURRICULUM

• To understand the importance of biodiversity and healthy natural habitats.
• To identify common threats to plants, animals and ecosystems.
• To develop responsible attitudes towards nature and wildlife.
• To apply knowledge by proposing practical solutions to environmental problems.
• To develop communication, teamwork, creativity and critical-thinking skills.
• To encourage students to take small, realistic actions to protect nature.

General competences

1. Students exchange ideas, discuss environmental problems and present their solutions in English.
2. Students work in teams, share responsibilities, listen to others and make decisions together.
3. Students investigate environmental challenges, analyse clues and suggest practical ways to protect biodiversity.

Subject competences

1. Students use vocabulary related to wildlife, plants, habitats and environmental protection. They understand instructions, solve riddles and present short ideas in English.
2. Students identify local habitats, recognise threats to biodiversity and explain why healthy ecosystems are important.
3. Students use digital quizzes, QR codes or online learning tools to solve nature challenges and share their findings responsibly.

Integration with other subjects

• English: Nature vocabulary, riddles, discussions and presentations.
• Biology: Plants, animals, habitats, food chains and biodiversity.
• Geography: Local landscapes, forests, fields and natural habitats.
• Informatics: Digital quizzes, QR-code missions and online presentations.
• Art Education: Designing wildlife protection posters and action plans.

MATERIALS / EQUIPMENT

Nature mission cards and envelope, paper, markers and sticky notes, pictures or printed cards showing animals, plants and habitats, computers, tablets or smartphones, if available, optional Kahoot, Wordwall, LearningApps or QR codes, a timer and whiteboard.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Who Am I? – Nature Mystery  ( 5 min.)

The teacher reads three clues about an animal or plant. Students guess the answer as quickly as possible.

Example 1

• I have eight legs.
• I make webs.
• I help control insect populations.

Answer: A spider.

Example 2

• I have a hard shell.
• I move slowly.
• I need a moist environment.

Answer: A snail.

Example 3

• I have roots, a trunk and branches.
• I provide shelter for many animals.
• I help store carbon.

Answer: A tree.

Students receive one point for each correct answer. The teacher introduces the mission: “Today, you are nature detectives. Your mission is to discover how we can protect wildlife!”

Activity 2: Wildlife Rescue Quiz  ( 10 min.)

Students work in teams and answer questions using Kahoot, Blooket, Quizizz or a simple quiz on the board.

Sample questions

1. What is biodiversity?
2. The variety of living things.
3. Only the number of trees.
4. The number of buildings in a town.

Correct answer: A.

2. Why are dead trees sometimes important in a forest?
3. They can provide food and shelter for many organisms.
4. They are always dangerous to every animal.
5. They have no ecological value.

Correct answer: A.

3. What should you do if you find litter in a natural area?
4. Leave more litter beside it.
5. Dispose of it appropriately if it is safe to do so.
6. Hide it under leaves.

Correct answer: B.

4. Which action helps pollinators?
5. Destroying flowering plants.
6. Planting suitable native flowering plants.
7. Removing all insects from the garden.

Correct answer: B.

5. Why should we protect natural habitats?
6. Animals and plants depend on them.
7. They are useful only to humans.
8. All habitats are the same.

Correct answer: A.

After the quiz, teams briefly discuss which answers surprised them.

Activity 3: The Habitat Detective Challenge

Students form teams of 3–4. Each team receives three problem cards describing situations affecting wildlife.

Mission A – The Disappearing Meadow

A meadow is covered with buildings and a car park. What might happen to the plants, insects and birds that live there?

Possible solution: Protect suitable natural areas and create green spaces with native plants.

Mission B – The Littered Forest

Plastic packaging and rubbish are left on a forest path. What problems can this cause?

Possible solution: Prevent littering, remove litter safely and encourage responsible visitors.

Mission C – The Silent Garden

There are few flowering plants in a school garden, and very few butterflies or bees visit it. What could students change?

Possible solution: Plant suitable native flowers, provide a variety of plants and avoid disturbing wildlife.

Each team identifies the problem, explains how it affects living things and proposes one realistic solution. Teams can write their answers on paper or submit them through a digital form.

Challenge rule: Every team must explain why its solution would help nature.

Activity 4: Create a Wildlife Rescue Plan

Each team becomes a group of environmental experts. They have ten minutes to create a mini action plan called “Our School Helps Nature!”

Their plan must include:

• One local environmental problem.
• One plant or animal that could be affected.
• Three simple actions students can take.
• A catchy slogan in English.

Example: Our School Helps Pollinators!

1. Plant suitable native flowers.
2. Avoid damaging flowering plants unnecessarily.
3. Learn about and observe pollinators without disturbing them.

Slogan: “Small Flowers, Big Difference!”

Students can create a paper poster or a digital design using Canva or PowerPoint. The teacher encourages practical actions that are suitable for the school and local community.

Activity 5: One-Minute Nature Heroes

Each team presents its Wildlife Rescue Plan in approximately one minute.

Students use these sentence starters:

• Our environmental problem is…
• It affects…
• We can help by…
• Our slogan is…

Classmates vote for the plan that is most practical, creative or easy to introduce at school. The teacher emphasises that every team can contribute useful ideas.

To finish, each student completes an exit ticket:

“One thing I can do to protect nature is…”

Selected posters or action plans can be uploaded to the EcoSense Virtual Learning Centre so that other students can learn from them.

REFLECTION   and   ASSESSMENT

Assessment methods

• Teacher observation of participation and teamwork.
• Results of the Wildlife Rescue Quiz.
• Evaluation of the Habitat Detective Challenge.
• Peer feedback on the Wildlife Rescue Plans.
• Individual exit tickets.

Assessment criteria

Student self-assessment

Students rate themselves from 1 (not yet) to 5 (very well).

• I can explain why biodiversity is important.

• I can identify threats to plants, animals or their habitats.
• I can suggest practical ways to protect nature.
• I can work effectively in a team.
• I can explain one thing I will do to help wildlife.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of the 45-minute lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain the meaning of biodiversity and natural habitats.
• Identify at least two threats to plants, animals or ecosystems.
• Suggest practical ways to protect local wildlife.
• Cooperate in a team to solve environmental challenges.
• Present a simple wildlife protection plan in English.

Final message: “Be a voice for nature – every small action counts!”