There is not Enough Food!
February 3, 2011
Conservation is a topic that can be boring to some of your students in either a field day or a classroom setting. The younger students in the class, at times, tune out because this topic is usually taught in a lecture style with pictures and students quickly loose focus. Larry McAdow is a hunter education instructor with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and an International Hunter Education Association Hall of Fame Award Winner. We continue to have great conversations on how to integrate active lessons within field day activities and the traditional classroom.
Larry sent me an idea about a conservation game that teaches the essentials of conservation and makes learning fun. Three major concepts this activity brings out, are:
- It gives the students an understanding on why hunting is a valuable wildlife management tool.
- It gives the students an understanding what wildlife endures and requires to survive.
- It can change a non-hunters idea about hunting and why hunting can be a very effective wildlife management tool.
This game can be played in the classroom as long as you have plenty of open room or outside weather permitting. The students will really “get into” this activity and be very energetic. This is a great activity as it involves the students and allows them to use critical thinking. Big thanks go out to Larry and his team of excellent hunter education instructors and to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Let me know what you think.
Michael