Middle school students analyze how their community co-exists with wildlife, and investigate why wildlife can be attracted to urban, suburban, and rural areas. After an introduction to the topic, students research a human-wildlife conflict issue within their community. Next, they design a project to help their community resolve this issue. Students consider issues of habitat fragmentation, feeding wildlife, and lifestyle choices.
This service-learning based lesson introduces students to community collaboration and helps them build diverse problem-solving skills necessary for co-existing with wildlife in today’s world.