Unit 5 Learning Studio

Humans and Nature

From human expansion and endangered animals to the shared future we can still choose.

Start Project Build Language

Big Question

Are we planetary killers, or guardians in time?

Edward O. Wilson's text begins with a quiet moment: a hand placed on the flank of Emi, a Sumatran rhino. The moment becomes a warning about habitat loss, poaching, consumer demand, and the fragile chance to act before extinction becomes final.

habitat loss poaching overharvesting biodiversity coexistence

Input Before Output

Watch, Notice, Respond

Voice for Wildlife

Notice the speaker's tone, evidence, and call to action.

Mother Nature Speaks

Collect phrases that personify nature and express warning.

Reading Path

From Expansion to Coexistence

A Sumatran rhino cared for by zoo staff
01

Encounter

Emi is not a distant statistic. She is a living being, a "real-life unicorn," and a reminder that extinction has a face.

Narrative blueprint of The Planetary Killer
02

Diagnosis

The rhino is not dying of old age. Human activity has denied rare species the room and time to grow and reproduce.

Diagram of free market death spiral
03

Pressure

Demand for horn and luxury goods can create a death spiral: scarcity raises prices, and higher prices invite more killing.

Quotation that it is not too late to act
04

Action

Wilson's ending is urgent but not hopeless: "We know what to do. Perhaps we will act in time."

Language Scaffolding

Vocabulary, Sentences, Ideas

Causes

habitat loss, deforestation, poaching, illegal trade, pollution, climate change, overharvesting

Impacts

population decline, fragmented habitats, loss of biodiversity, food-chain disruption, global extinction

Solutions

restore habitats, curb demand, enforce laws, create reserves, support conservation, live sustainably

Text A Words

elusive, critically endangered, viable, decimation, unbridled, affliction, spiral, conservation ethic

Cause: The decline of ______ is mainly driven by ______ and ______.

Contrast: It is tempting to think ______; however, the evidence suggests ______.

Evidence: According to conservation data, ______ is classified as ______.

Consequence: If this trend continues, ______ may lose the room and time to reproduce.

Action: To protect ______, governments, communities and individuals should ______.

Ending: Protecting animals is not only about saving them; it is about reshaping our relationship with nature.

LC
无危 NT
近危 VU
易危 EN
濒危 CR
极危 EW
野外灭绝 EX
灭绝

In your project, use conservation status carefully: name the source, avoid exaggeration, and explain what the category means.

Poster Phrases

Room to live. Time to recover. / Extinction is forever. Action is now. / Buy less harm. Build more habitats.

Writing Verbs

threaten, destroy, fragment, accelerate, curb, restore, protect, conserve, coexist

Argument Moves

define the problem, trace the causes, challenge a false belief, propose realistic action

Critical Thinking

Viewpoint Builder

False Analogy

Slide debunking the false analogy about endangered species

Endangered species are not like dying patients whose care is futile. Most are healthy individuals under human-made pressure.

HIPPO Causes

Habitat loss, Invasive species, Pollution, Population growth, and Overharvesting help explain why biodiversity is declining.

  • Which cause appears in Text A?
  • Which cause appears in your hometown or province?
  • Which solution can students actually support?

Balanced Position

A strong argument avoids simple blame. It connects consumer choices, business incentives, law enforcement, local communities, and global responsibility.

Choose a species and explain one human pressure and one realistic solution.

Project-Based Task

Create Your Wildlife Protection Campaign

Option A: Writing

How to Protect Animals

  1. Introduce one endangered animal and its status.
  2. Explain two causes of danger with evidence.
  3. Discuss why humans should care.
  4. Offer three practical actions for students, communities, or governments.

Option B: Poster

One Image, One Message, One Action

  1. Use a striking animal or habitat image.
  2. Add a clear slogan in English.
  3. Include one fact and one action step.
  4. Credit your information source.

Option C: Slogan

Short, Memorable, Responsible

Give wildlife room to live.