Elephant Lessons


Part 1. Intro: Watch the video above on Elephants and summarize what you learn .

Part 2. What is anthrozoology?

  • Click on the above link and read what it says to do.
  • The assignment is explained on the page. Follow the instructions and put the info in your notebook. 
  • Do all of the following: answer the general questions, questions about elephants, and creat andfill in the table. 

Part 3. How forest elephants fight climate change.

  • All questions below may be answered by watching the video below: How Elephants can help us fight climate change.
  1.  Describe what the video below says about climate change. You may put it in bullet points. 
  2. What is IFAW?
  3. What does A Downes say about the importance of animals in fighting climate change?
  4. What is meant by elephants are a keystone species? (what does he say they do?)
  5. What is a marine animal that he mentions?
  6. What is room to roam and why is it important?
  7. What is a tipping point and should we be worried about it right now?
  8. How was the Covid pandemic good for the environment? 
  9. How can young people help the environment?
  10. How can voting help elephants and the environment?


Part 4: Elephants and biodiversity

Problem: African elephants help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems for other species and are integrally
tied to rich biodiversity. As the largest of all land mammals, African elephants play a crucial role in balancing
natural ecosystems. An estimated 20,000+ African elephants are killed every year for their tusks. In addition,
climate change and human land use are destroying wild lands and breaking up elephant habitats, forcing 
elephants to find food in farm areas, which also leads to retaliatory attacks from humans. The future of this
keystone species is at risk and so are the fragile ecosystems that depend on the African elephant for their own
survival, including humans.

  1. Watch the video Why Elephants are Important to the Environment and record the reasons that elephants are keystone species. 
  2. Define a keystone species in your words.
  3. If you were talking with a five-year-old, using pictures and words, how would you explain why the African elephant is a keystone species?
  4. Read the article A Keystone species- The importance of elephants in an ecosystem, and add the information to the explanation you created for 3. 
  5. What is biodiversity and what other organisms are found in the ecosystem that elephants inhabit. Be specific on the names of the organisms.