Endangered Species: 6 Stories of Success

Articles/Websites

Grades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Biology, Civics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by National Wildlife Federation

Open Resource

What it is

In this article, students read about six once-endangered species whose populations have rebounded thanks to the United States Endangered Species Act and actions from various groups.
The animals included in this article are the bald eagle, the Florida panther, the gray wolf, the grizzly bear, the peregrine falcon, and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Teaching tips

Positives

Students will feel hopeful and inspired by these stories of success.
Students can get involved using the links at the bottom of the page to sign a petition or attend a nearby event.
Teachers can use this resource for Endangered Species Day, the third Friday in May each year.

Additional Prerequisites

There are a few broken links in the article: "below 250 individuals" in the Florida panther section, "more than 700 bears" in the grizzly bear section, and "about 3,000 breeding pairs" in the peregrine falcon section.
It may benefit students to know the terms endangered and extinct and how species qualify as one or the other.

Differentiation

For younger students, consider reading the text as a class or assigning sections to small groups.
Older students can use the links throughout the article to learn more about the different species and how they are protected.
This resource connects with life science topics, such as endangered species, biodiversity, breeding, and conservation efforts.
This resource connects with Earth science topics, such as climate change, deforestation, land-use changes, and pollution.
Social studies or civics classes can use this resource to learn about the successes of the U.S. Endangered Species Act and other ways the U.S. government has protected wildlife through policies, bans, and compensation.

From the scientist review

This resource discusses six endangered animals and efforts to save and care for their species and habitats. These animals are all native to the contiguous United States. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Subjects: Biology, Civics
Language: English
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Connecticut, North America > United States > Maine, North America > United States > New Jersey, North America > United States > New York
Provider: National Wildlife Federation
Authors: National Wildlife Federation
Published: April 3, 2024
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Civ.12.6-8 + 17 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Civ.12.6-8Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems.
D2.Civ.12.3-5Explain how rules and laws change society and how people change rules and laws.
D2.Civ.13.3-5Explain how policies are developed to address public problems.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

5-ESS3-C.Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)
3-5-CCC-Causeand Effect.1. Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change.
3-5-CCC-Causeand Effect.2. Events that occur together with regularity might or might not be a cause and effect relationship.
MS-ESS3-C.1.Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. (MS-ESS3-3)
MS-CCC-Causeand Effect.1. Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change.
MS-CCC-Causeand Effect.3. Phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause and effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability.

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

Science

5-ESS3-1.Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
MS-LS2-4.Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Social Studies

6.3.5.CivicsPD.2:Use a variety of sources and data to identify the various perspectives and actions taken by individuals involving a current or historical community, state, or national issue.

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