6 Writing Activities for Endangered Species Day!

May 19th is endangered species day. It is most likely that you normally learn about endangered species and their habitats in a science lesson. But the important message of protecting endangered species can be expanded to writing! Don’t worry, our amazing writing activities for endangered species day, do not mean that you’ll be reading facts from textbooks. They are much more fun! Challenge yourself and complete the following 6 writing activities for endangered species day. We even included examples and free printable’s to help you out!

6 Writing Activities for Endangered Species Day:

1. Write a story or a poem about endangered species:

It doesn’t have to a long chapter book about the world’s most endangered animals. A 500-word story or a poem will do! You can write the story or poem from any perspective you like. Think about why poachers hunt these animals or how the animals feel when a family member goes missing. Imagine it is your duty to protect these animals, what would you do?

To help you out, here’s an example of a limerick about poachers hunting African Elephants:

There was this old, vile man with a beard
Who the African elephants feared,
“Bang, bang!” went his shotgun
For him it was such fun
The African Elephants disappear!

Take a look at our collection of shark poems for more inspiration!

Learn more about the different type’s of poems with examples here. For additional help, here are some writing prompts to inspire you:

• The ice is melting and the polar bear population is slowly dropping. Write about the problems this could cause and what can be the solution.
• Sometimes poachers kidnap baby tigers and use them as circus animals. Can you write from the perspective of the baby tiger?
• The locals of the Tabaka village use bamboo to make many items. This is damaging the local panda population. As a young child in the village, is there anything you can do?

2. Draw a new species and describe it:

You are a researcher, while exploring you discover a new species of animal. Can you draw this new animal and describe it? Where does it live? In the desert, the arctic or the jungle. Is it a vegetarian or a carnivore? Think about its facial features. It could be a combination of a lizard and a bird, or something even more wild. Draw out your new animal and then describe everything about it. You can download your free create your own species worksheet here.

Download your free worksheet

3. Write a letter to your local government about saving a local species:

What animals live in your area? This could be fishes, owls, or maybe even bears! Imagine that the government has plans to destroy their habitat to build a new shopping centre. Think about the arguments for and against this new infrastructure. For example the new building will help the local economy, but cause more pollution in the area. It is important to see both sides of the argument. Below is a letter template you can use:

Dear Mayor,
I am writing to express my concern over the new shopping centre build…
I can see how it will benefit our town…[list possible benefits]
However the problems it will cause are much greater… [list possible drawbacks]
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

4. Create a poster to save endangered species:

Imagine you are protesting to save an endangered species. Create a poster encouraging people to donate money to save that species. Clearly outline the dangers of this species becoming extinct and how this could impact the world. Some really good examples of endangered species posters by students can be found on Mr. O’s Art Room blog.

Examples taken from Mr O’s Art Blog

5. Write a journal of your imaginary experiences:

You have been living out in the Tobakka Jungle, monitoring the local Orangutan population. Starting from the very first day, keep an imaginary journal of everything you could have encountered in your first 30 days of living in the jungle. Think about possible problems (poachers, food shortage, threats from local businesses etc.) and possible happy moments (mother Orangutan giving birth, finding a secret temple of Orangutans etc.).

6. Create a comic strip around the idea of saving animals:

You work for the Animal Protection Unit (A.P.U), your job is to protect endangered species. Create a comic strip of your adventures around the world saving different species. Have fun with your comic strip, use humour, facts or anything you like! Below is a example done by one of my students:

Anymore writing activities for endangered species day?

Got any more ideas for writing activities for endangered species day? We would love to read them, share your ideas or links in the comments below! Together we can save the world’s endangered species, one word at a time!