Big Cat Week is finally here and National Geographic Education, in collaboration with the National Geographic Channel, has created a fantastic new educational collection in celebration of this special occasion.
As part of National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative, National Geographic Education has worked with our explorers and grantees to help teachers like you educate students about the importance of big cats and conservation efforts to protect these large predators. From lions in Kenya to snow leopards in the Himalaya, the big cats of the world need help. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, and other top felines are quickly disappearing, all falling victims to habitat loss and degradation and conflicts with humans. Education is at the heart of our conversation efforts; we need your help to bring our message to the classroom.
Check out the activity list below for just a few ideas on how to get a big cats conversation started in your classroom (all activities are in accordance with National Standards):
- Cats and Their Coats Grades K-2
- Lion Crittercam Grades 3-5
- African Savanna Community Web Grades 5-8
- Captive Breeding and Species Survival Grades 9-12
Or, if educational videos are your preferred form of information dissemination, share the Big Cat Initiative with your classroom through one of our fantastic content videos and question guides:
- Swamp Lion defeated by Swamp
- Lions vs. Cheetahs: Hunting Techniques
- Threats to Big Cats: Poachers
- Kicked out of the Pride
This collection of selected videos, activities, and case studies give
students a clear view of the biology and threats to big cats and their
significance in maintaining healthy ecosystems. For even more resources,
explore this interactive timeline to see the dramatic decrease in lion
population, and reasons behind it, from the 1800s to today and beyond.
You too can help save these important large predators by supporting the
Big Cats Initiative. Just in time for the holidays, check out all of
the amazing big cats-themed gifts from the online National Geographic
Store! And don’t forget to watch the action from home by tuning into Big
Cat Week on the National Geographic Channel, December 11-17. You can
visit the episode guide here to plan your week of learning about big
cats.
Photo Credits: Colin Chatfield (Your Shot), Luca Barovier (Your Shot), Joe Duty (Your Shot)
–Julia from My Wonderful World