The Search for the Ivory Billed Woodpecker

2nd Grade

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
● Utah Science: Standard 1: Objective 1A
○ Framing questions: Observe using senses, create a hypothesis, and focus a
question that can lead to an investigation.
● Drama Perform Standard 4
○ Use body to communicate meaning through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
● Drama Perform Standard 2
○ Demonstrate the ability to work effectively alone and cooperatively, with a partner
or in an ensemble.

Enduring Understanding
● Students will understand that human intervention can help animals in danger of
extinction, conserve natural resources, and protect natural environments.

ASSESSMENTS
Performance Tasks
● Students will create individual tableaus representing what zoologists do and group
tableaus representing their hypotheses in order to demonstrate they can work effectively
alone and cooperatively, with a partner or in an ensemble and they can use their body to
communicate meaning through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
● Students will create a hypothesis as to how the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker went extinct to
inspire a group tableau in order to frame questions: observe using senses, create a
hypothesis, and focus a question that can lead to an investigation.
● Students will discuss how they can discuss endangered animals and draw a picture of
what they personally can contribute to conservation in order to show an understanding
that human intervention can help animals in danger of extinction, conserve natural
resources and protect natural environments.

MATERIALS
Teacher
● Ranger Sam Bag
○ Magnifying glass
○ Binoculars
○ Rope
○ Compass
○ Map of the area with certain locations crossed out
● Ranger Sam Costume
○ Safari Vest
○ Safari Hat
 ● Voice Messages from Fur Industries (See google drive folder.)
● Artifacts
○ Hunting
■ Arrow Heads (multiple)
■ A beak on a leather necklace
○ Deforestation
■ Plans for a cabin/building
■ A piece of construction lumber
○ Predator
■ Egg and nest
■ Feather of a hawk
Student
● Nametags
● Paper
● Coloring utensils

LEARNING PLAN

PREFACE
This session design was developed for two facilitators who will each be in and out of role
throughout the session. It can be assumed that these facilitators are out of role unless otherwise
indicated. Out of role facilitation instructions will be general and divided by the discretion of the
individuals leading the session. In-role facilitation will be indicated by capitalized role titles (Alex
or Ranger Sam).
One facilitator will be in role as “ALEX”, the assistant director of the wildlife protection
agency. The other facilitator will be in role as “RANGER SAM”, a wildlife conservation officer
(game warden), who researches extinct and endangered animals.

Day 1
INTRODUCTION
● Introductions
○ Facilitators introduce themselves.
○ FACILITATOR 1: “Hi I am (MR/MS LAST NAME)” {facilitator/ Alex}
○ FACILITATOR 2: “and I am (MR/MS LAST NAME)” {Ranger Sam}
○ FACILITATOR 1: “We are from Utah State University. (Classroom Teacher)
invited us to come and do a drama lesson with you. Raise your hand if you can
tell me what drama is.”
● Introduce drama conventions and classroom management
○ FACILITATOR 2: “In this work we are going to be taking on the roles of different
characters. What does it mean to play a character?” (two responses)
○ FACILITATOR 2: “Before we begin our drama lesson, we want to show you how
we will be getting your attention. When we need your attention we will ____
■ Use the attention getter that the classroom teacher has set.
 ○ FACILITATOR 1: “Throughout this activity we are going to be using our
imaginations. We are going to be playing characters. Of course, we all know that
we are really who we are- but for this drama session we will imagine that we are
different characters. Are we ready?”

HOOK
1) Show students the pith/explorer hat.
a) “Now, one way that can help us get into character is to put on a costume. Raise
your hand if you have worn a costume before!” Show students the explorer hat.
“What type of character might wear a costume like this?”
i) Get some responses.
b) Explain to the students that this hat belongs to an explorer named Alex, who they
might get to meet later on. Tell the students that they are now going to design a
hat for their character. This hat might have badges from different exploration
adventures their character has been on, it might be a certain color or shape
based on the type of explorer they are, etc. They will be using crayons/colored
pencils/markers to draw a sketch of what their explorer hats look like.
c) Pass out a blank piece of paper to each student. Give them 5-7 minutes to
design their hat. While they are designing their hats, the facilitator playing Alex
exits the room to put on the Alex costume.
d) The facilitator not playing Alex lets the students know when they need to wrap
up, and asks 6-7 students to show their hat to the class and describe the types of
adventures their explorer character likes to go on.
e) After several students have shared, ask all the students to imagine their hat in
their hands and put it on their heads on the count of three. Tell the students that
they are now playing the role of explorers who have been called together to help
with a special project.

PROCESS
2) Meet Explorer Alex
a) The facilitator not playing Alex explains that the students will now get to meet a
real explorer named Alex. Explain to the students that they will be able to ask
Alex questions about what they do, and about some of the types of adventures
they’ve been on.
b) Alex enters the classroom, greets the explorers, and introduces themselves.
i) “Hi there explorers! Thank you for being here today. My name is Alex, and
I am a zoologist. Do any of you know what a zoologist does?” (Get some
answers)
(1) “A zoologist is someone who observes animals to study their
behaviors. I am a zoologist who specializes in observing
endangered animals.”
ii) Ask students what the word endangered means.
 (1) They are at risk of becoming extinct. There are only a few in their
animal species, or family, that still live in the wild.
iii) The facilitator not playing Alex says, “Alex, these explorers have a few
questions about your job and the types of animals you help. (To the
students) Who would like to ask Alex a question?”
(1) Alex takes a few questions from the class, improvising answers.
Here are some guidelines:
(a) Do not talk about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker yet. (It’s
coming soon.)
(b) Alex has worked in several national parks and in places
around the world, observing endangered animals and the
way they move from place to place.
(c) Alex makes hypotheses about what might be
happening to the animals. Define hypothesis.
(d) Sometimes, Alex works in the lab, analyzing the
information they collected while observing animals in the
wild.
(e) If Alex finds an injured or sick animal in the wild, they will
help the animal.
(f) Ad lib.
c) After the students have had a chance to get to know Alex, Alex will say, “I’ve
gathered all you explorers together to help me with an important project. But first,
I need to know if you’re cut out for the job. I need each of you to show me that
you know what types of things zoologists do every day.”
d) Ask students to recall some of the things that Alex, a zoologist does at their job.
e) Explain to students that they will be creating a tableaux, or still image, of a
zoologist.
f) One facilitator should give students an example of a tableaux.
i) Have students experiment with these terms, by asking them how the
facilitator is using the following terms to create a tableaux:
(1) Shape: the way I position my body
(2) Gesture: something done physically to communicate something
(3) Space: how the surrounding area is used
(4) Energy: the different emotional levels at which something can
exist
g) Have each student create a tableaux, or still image, of zoologists at work…..
i) Each student should create one.
ii) Select 3-5 students to show their tableaus to the class and allow the other
students to unfreeze and look at the examples.
iii) Take comments from students on what they think is effective about
different tableaus they see presented.
3) Establishing Circumstances
 a) ALEX: “Great job, explorers. You’ve shown me that you have what it takes to be
zoologists and to help me with a very important task. For today’s first item of
business, as zoologists we all know our wildlife protection agency has been going
through a financial crisis. Unfortunately, unless we find a new job to help pay the
bills this month we will go out of business. Luckily, I received a message just this
morning asking for our help. This might be just what we need to save our wildlife
protection agency.”
4) Commission/Invitation
a) Play voice mail from Fur Industries
i) “Hello zoologists,, this is Fur Industries. We are in need of hunt...I mean
animal experts such as yourselves to help with a task of great
importance….. We are trying to (pause) locate a bird called the Ivory
Billed Woodpecker. We thought it was extinct, but new evidence suggests
that these woodpeckers still exist in the Alabama marsh lands. We need
talented people like you to go and capture the bird for me and we will take
care of the rest. This Woodpecker is a very valuable object and we can
pay you lots of money to make it worth your time.”
ii) Ask students to recall details from the message. Make sure they
remember the name of the bird, the place they are supposed to go to find
it, and the name of the company who is asking for the help.
b) Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down
i) Ask if students think that they should take the job, have them put their
thumbs up. If students think they should not work for Fur, have them put
their thumbs down. If students are undecided about the issue, have them
put their thumb somewhere in the middle.
ii) Ask students why they decided to either take the job, decline the job, or
are undecided.

NOTE: Alex announces that the Director has made the executive decision to take the job!

5) Get to Alabama
ALEX:
Let’s take a ride to Alabama. (use hands in front of you to “drive” the car)
Repeat
The long way to go, let’s start the show.
Repeat
We’re on a long twisty train,
Repeat
Remind me next time to take a plane.
Repeat
On our way we saw a goose.
Repeat
 Goodness sake, look there’s a moose!
Repeat
We drove a car through the swamp,
Repeat
Hope the gators don’t go CHOMP!
Repeat
STOP. We’re here!
6) Soundscape
a) Have students gather and sit in a large circle on the floor.
b) Ask students what different types of noises/sounds might be heard in a swamp.
c) Explain to them that they should each think of one of those sounds to make. Let
them know that you will tap them on the shoulder once to have them start making
their sound, and again to have them stop.
i) Sounds might include bullfrogs croaking, water dripping, birds, grass
through reeds, etc.
d) Have students close their eyes.
e) ALEX will start one noise by tapping a student on the shoulder.
f) Continue tapping students randomly until all students are sounding at once.
g) Tap students randomly for them to become silent.
h) Have students open their eyes.

NOTE: The other facilitator will set up the Ranger Sam campsite; the wood, bag and other tools.
They will also put on the Ranger Sam vest and hat and then leave the room.

7) Campsite Discovery:
a) Students open their eyes after the soundscape.
b) ALEX: “This is odd, it appears that someone has been camping right where the
spotting of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker was. This bag over here is not a camping
bag, this is very suspicious.”
c) Have students gather around in a circle around the campsite/bag. Ask them
whether or not you think they should open the bag.

NOTE: if students decide not to open the bag. While the facilitator is putting the bag back it
“accidentally” rips open revealing the items inside.

8) Objects of Character: Describe / Analyze / Relate (DAR)

a) Alex shows the students the contents of the bag and discusses the contents of
the bag.
b) Ask students what kind of person might own these objects?
c) The contents of the bag should be:
i) Magnifying glass
ii) Binoculars
 iii) Rope
iv) Notebook with notes about animals
v) Compass
vi) Map of the area with certain locations crossed out
9) Meeting RangerSam
a) After students examine the objects for a while, have a facilitator enter in role as
RANGER SAM.
b) RANGER SAM: “Woah, who are all of you? And why are you at my campsite?”
c) Students explain they are zoologists who were hired to look for the Ivory-Billed
Woodpecker.
d) RANGER SAM: Oh you’re zoologists! What a coincidence, I happen to be a
wildlife conservation officer.
e) ALEX: What is a wildlife conservation officer?
f) RANGER SAM: Oh, it just means that I protect animals from poachers. Right now
I’m here because the Alabama government asked me to investigate a company
that might be poaching a type of bird that lives around here.
g) ALEX: What does poaching mean?
h) RANGER SAM: It means hunting animals illegally. For instance, the bird I’m
investigating right now is an endangered animal, which means it is illegal to hunt
or kill it. I’m trying to find the people who are killing it. Maybe you’ve heard of it!
It’s called the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
10) Phone Call
a) ALEX: “Zoologists, it appears I missed a phone call from Fur Industries. They left
a voicemail.”
b) Students listen to the pre-recorded message.
i) “Hello, zoologists. We here at Fur Industries don’t want to be kept waiting.
Please hurry and hu.. Capture the woodpecker for us. Otherwise, we’ll
have to hire another team of poach...zoologists to get the woodpecker for
us.”
11) Discovery/Cliff Hanger
a) RANGER SAM: “Fur Industries?? That’s the exact company that I’m investigating
right now! Rumor has it that Fur Industries hunts down endangered animals in
order to stuff them and add them to their infamous private collection. Are you
really going to help people who do stuff like that?”
12) Thought Shower
a) Ask students how they feel knowing that Fur Industries was not who they thought
they were.
b) Instruct students to think of a word that describes how they feel right now.
c) Explain that when you point to them, they should say their word but when you
say “AND DONE”, they should stop saying their word.
d) When all the students have been pointed to, tell them to get louder and louder
and then say “AND DONE”.
 e) ALEX: “Wow, we are really frustrated with Fur Industries! Are we going to help
somebody like that…? Actually, we…- (Alex clearly comes out of the role) will
continue with this next time we meet.”
f) Ask the students to take off their imaginary hats and return to their desks.
g) Let them know when you will be back, and have them give themselves a round of
applause.

Day 2
INTRODUCTION (7)
1. (SAM is in the hall, getting ready. The other facilitator is in the classroom, not in role.)
Facilitator who will play Alex: Ask a student to recap what happened.
a. Let them know that Ranger Sam will be coming in a few minutes to take a vote of
whether or not they want to help Fur Industries.
b. Ask them to remember what a hypothesis is. Also, define the following:
observation (what we see with our EYES only) and evidence (clues that might
help us make a hypothesis.
c. ALEX: Zoologists, it’s time to put our explorer hats back on! Everybody, on three.
1….2…3. All right, I think we are ready to have Ranger Sam come talk to us.
Everybody say, “Ranger Sam!”
PROCESS
1. Fur Industry’s True Colors (3)
a. RANGER SAM (enters): “Zoologists, I’m afraid that Fur Industries must have
tricked you in order to get you to capture the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker for them. If
Fur Industries gets their hands on the woodpecker then I’m afraid that they might
stuff it and add it to their collection. In fact, if you were to capture the bird for
them, it would be considered poaching, and I’d have to arrest you all.
Nonetheless, I want to leave the decision up to you. You can help Fur Industries,
or you can help me catch them. If you want to help them put one finger up, if you
want to help me, put two fingers up.”
i. NOTE: If the majority votes for helping Fur Industries (unlikely), Alex will
say that they need to get approval from the director of the wildlife
protection agency. Alex will step aside, make the phone call, and the
director will say that they should NOT help Fur Industries, but help Sam
instead.
2. Request for help
a. RANGER SAM: “Alex was telling me earlier that you all are very good at making
observations and coming up with hypotheses. I have collected quite a bit of
evidence related to the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, and I was wondering if you
might be able to help me make sense of what it means. Will you help me?
NOTE: As RANGER SAM is talking, the other facilitator is setting up the different stations.
3. Artifacts (10)
a. ALEX: Zoologists, when we look at evidence, it is VERY important that we do not
touch it. For one, a lot of this evidence has been found in the dirty swampland,
 and there might be bad germs or bacteria on it. More importantly, though, if we
find out that Fur Industries has been here hunting the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker,
we will need to give this evidence to the government. If it has your fingerprints on
it, they might accidentally arrest you instead!
b. Split students into two groups, one led by RANGER SAM and one led by ALEX.
c. Walk them through the artifacts set up on separate tables in four corners
organized as:
i. Items should include but are not limited to:
1. Hunting
a. Arrow Heads
b. A beak on a leather necklace
c. Camouflage gear
d. Bird call whistle
e. ID Card from Fur industries
2. Deforestation
a. Plans for a cabin/building
b. A piece of construction wood
c. Woodchips
d. Broken handle of a hammer (or just a hammer)
e. Map with deforestation plans
3. Predator
a. A washed out nest with broken eggs
b. Raccoon (Tracks)
c. Feather of a hawk
d. Talon of a big bird
e. Tufts of fur
4. Pollution
a. Old soda cans
b. Plastic bag
c. Jar with oily water
d. Lead students in a discussion about what the artifacts may mean in relation to
the woodpecker. They should always be supervised when handling objects to
ensure the safety of themselves and the objects.
e. RANGER SAM: “We’re going to form a hypothesis now. Remember that a
hypothesis is an explanation based on evidence, which is used as a starting point
to further an investigation.”
f. RANGER SAM: “We have to get this article out in order to make people aware of
the dangers that the woodpeckers face so that people can help protect them. If
only I could get some inspiration from somewhere.
g. ALEX: “Ranger Sam, there are so many brilliant minds here. All of these
explorers have examined the evidence, and they can show you, using their
bodies, what they think is happening to the woodpeckers.”
 h. Explain to students that they will be creating a hypothesis of how the Ivory-Billed
Woodpeckers became endangered and turning it into a tableau.
i. Remind students what a tableau is and what they found effective the first
time they did them.
i. Divide the class into four groups and ask them to decide in their groups which of
the following caused the endangerment of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker: hunting,
deforestation, predator and pollution.

NOTE: Facilitators should monitor groups progress on creating these tableaus.

j. Once these images are created, one group at a time will share their still pictures
with their fellow zoologists. Ask students the following questions:
i. What is happening in this image?
ii. How do we know what is happening?
6. Writing Magazine Articles (7)
a. RANGER SAM: “Zoologists, thank you so much for help. Your hypothesis and images
will help me create an amazing article! I have news for all of you Zoologists! Fur
Industries was reported to the authorities for poaching and collecting animals illegally.
That means that they can’t hurt animals anymore and that the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
will be safe!”
b. ALEX: “And, the bird magazine has paid us for your contributions to the article. It was
enough to save the agency!”
c. EXPLORER SAM: “Thank you fellow zoologists, we couldn’t have done it without your
hard work!”

REFLECTION (10)
1. Alex and Sam take off their costumes
2. Invite students back to their desks.
3. Ask for responses to the following questions:
a. What did you think about the theories we came up with in class?
b. Did your thoughts about why the woodpecker was endangered change after
hearing the other theories?
c. Does anyone know of any other animals that are endangered?
d. What are some ways we could help protect endangered animals?