Protect Wildlife from Busy Roads

Animals all over the world are being endangered by busy roads crossing through their habitats. Whether it is penguins trying to bring fish to their nests, salamanders trying to lay eggs, or elephants traveling in search of food and family, they need safe passages to get from one place to another.

You and your team will become wildlife biologists and engineers as you  find ways for your animal to safely cross a busy highway in its habitat. 

As wildlife biologists, you have to study the animal and its habitat to understand how and why it travels. What is the landscape like where it lives? What kind of structures could it use to get from one side of the road to another?

As engineers, you will have to take the information provided through the scientific research and design a solution to the problem. Make an initial sketch of the design then use the materials at hand to build a model of the structure.

Critical Questions:

What kind of structure will work best for your animal?

How does that structure work with your animal’s habitat?

How will you get your animal to use the crossing?
 

More Questions:

1. Will any other animals use this crossing?

2. Is there evidence that this is a real-world problem for your animal?

3. Are there real-world examples of crossings for your animal?

Notecatcher: Your teacher will print these out for you to take notes. Don't forget to record where you got your information.

Pitch Slide Deck: This is where you will put your information and explain your ideas.

Team Work Self Assessment: Scientists and engineers work in teams. Rate how you are doing working with your team.

Videos of Wildlife Using Crossings: Watch live camera of wildlife using various kinds of crossings.

Here’s How That Internet-Famous ‘Fish Tube’ Works: Read this to learn more about how scientists and engineers solved problems for salmon and people.

California Set for Groundbreaking Wildlife Bridge: Watch a news story about how wildlife crossings save lives.

7 Animal Crossings Around the World: See pictures and short descriptions of the animal crossings.

Penguin Paths of New Zealand: Read about the penguin tunnels.

How Kids and Blue Ropes Saved Monkeys: Read and watch about how Kids Saving the Rainforest created the wildlife bridges.

Great Christmas lsland Red Crab Migration: Learm more about the crab bridges.

Wildlife Crossings, from Bridges, to Tunnels, to Overpasses: NewsELA article on wilidlife crossings.

There are Teeny Tiny Salamander Crossings in Massachusetts: Read about salamander crossings. Also here.

Improved Wildlife Crossings Show a Huge Decline in Wildlife Collisions: See models of different kinds of crossings.

Turtle Crossings: See pictures of a turtle crossing and how one scientist found a way to attract the turtles to the crossings.

Tracking Wildlife Roadkill in Maine Offers Path to Saving Lives: Read a NewsCenter Maine article about wildlife right here in Maine.

Collisions Between Wildlife Species and Motor Vehicles 2011-2015: See the data from Maine.