Ignite learning as each new school week begins, by using our multimedia and maps. Use our weekly ideas to wake up your students’ curiosity and spark new energy into learning about their world.
This week, National Geographic is celebrating its fifth annual Big Cat Week as part of the Big Cats Initiative! Join National Geographic filmmakers and explorers and raise your students’ awareness about the declining populations of lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, and other big cats with National Geographic Education‘s Big Cats Education Collection.
We’re betting your students are already excited about big cats, but do they know how animals that start out as so small and playful can grow up to be so fast and ferocious?
The answer is obvious: they run for food. Anyone who has a pet cat knows this; even an indoor cat who feeds on canned food feels compelled to chase after anything that remotely resembles a quivering tail. All cats are wired to hunt and chase after food. But its in the wild where speed really matters.
It’s a well known fact that cheetahs are pretty quick. They can run at high speeds without even breaking a sweat. But what’s the secret to a cheetah’s speed? Check out this video to learn more.
It’s clear that the body of a cheetah was made for a dash to dinner. But what about lions? Are they able to run as fast? Or do they have a different secret behind what drives them to run? Watch this video for the answer!
Watching these clips with your class is a great way to kick off National Geographic‘s Big Cats Week. Don’t forget to check out more clips on National Geographic Education‘s Big Cats Education collection page. You can also catch more Big Cats programming on Nat Geo WILD!
TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT
More related resources from National Geographic Education
Program: Big Cats Initiative
Program Activities: Big Cat Week Activities
Collection: Big Cats Education
Game: Big Cats Memory
Game: Quiz Whiz – Big Cats
Video: Cheetah Speed
Video: Dissecting a Lion’s Run
Initiative: International Cheetah Day