LESSON THEME: Poaching Objectives 1. Understand the differences between horns and antlers. 2. Explore why animals are poached and how we can bring about come- back stories. Vocabulary words Poaching: Illegally hunting and capturing animals Horns: Permanent bony growths projecting from upper part of the head Antlers: A bony branching structure that grows from the head and is cast off and grown anew each year. Materials Computer or tablet with Internet access Pen or pencil ACTIVITY # 1 Horn & Antler Matching Did you know that there’s a difference between antlers and horns? Many animals, such as oryx and rhinos, are poached for their horns/antlers, as some cultures believe they have healing or charm properties. Check out your vocabulary words and the chart below to understand the difference. Then, identify whether the listed animals have antlers or horns. Antlers Horns Only males have (exception: caribou) Both males and females have Typically branched Not branched Grown and shed every year Never shed; continues growing Made of bone Bony structure covered by keratin Covered by velvet as they grow Not covered in velvet as they grow Giant Eland Oryx White-Tailed Deer Moose ACTIVITY # 2 Poaching Comebacks The Arabian oryx was once on the brink of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss but, with people’s conservation efforts, they made a comeback! Let’s explore the stories of other animals and see how we can make them success stories too. What kind of charm do some cultures believe the oryx horn is? ____________________________________________________________ Why are rhinos poached for their horns? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ How does the Endangered Species Act help endangered species? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Do some research on the American alligator. Write a paragraph about its comeback story, including causes of endangerment (hint: there may be more than one cause) and how they came back from possible extinction. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________.