Wolf Reintroduction to Yellowstone – Benefit to Nature or Harmful to Humans? Group Debate Project

Should the wolves in Yellowstone National Park be removed? Essential Question: Should the wolves in Yellowstone National Park be removed?

Introduction The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood are classic children’s fairy tales, but the tale of the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf is real. Wolves are predators, and in 1914, the United States Congress “huffed and puffed” and approved the funding to destroy the wolves. Government bounty hunters helped ranchers protect their livestock by killing the wolves. Sixty years later the Gray Wolf was listed as endangered. In 1973, Congress enacted the Endangered Species Act, and the Wolf Recovery Program was started to reintroduce the Gray Wolf to its natural habitat.

Wolf Articles Should the wolves in Yellowstone National Park be removed? Read ONE article and annotate, focusing on the following: Summary of article’s main points What is the author’s point of view? Is this article pro wolf removal, or con (wolves stay)? Find quotes from the article for supporting evidence Discuss all 6 articles with your group

Group Poster & Debate Create a poster to illustrate your assigned side of the issue: PRO wolf removal (want to remove wolves) OR CON wolf removal (want to keep wolves) Your poster MUST include the following: 4 valid arguments, with supporting evidence Quotes, data, graphs, etc Images that are relevant to the issue Prepare to debate your side of the issue

Debate Format Should the wolves be removed from Yellowstone National Park? Work together – YES/PRO team vs. NO/CON team Prepare opening statements of your position Include 4 arguments (with a quote or data to support each argument) Be prepared to ask and answer clarifying questions of the other team Rebuttal – repeat your opponents’ arguments by pointing out flaws/what is wrong with those statements (to prepare, think of what they might say and how those arguments are flawed) Conclusion – summary of your position and why your argument is best

Debate Format Opening Statements: Rebuttal: Summary: YES/PRO team opening (5 min) NO/CON team asks clarifying questions (2 min) NO/CON team opening (5 min) YES/PRO team asks clarifying questions (2 min) Rebuttal: YES/PRO team repeats con arguments and states flaws (3 min) NO/CON team repeats pro arguments and states flaws (3 min) Summary: YES/PRO team conclusion (3 min) NO/CON team conclusion (3 min)

Position Statement Writing Assignment: Should the wolves be removed from Yellowstone National Park? Write a concluding paragraph for this activity Introduction sentence(s) Your position – clearly stated Based on my prior understanding and my reflections on the debate, my position on this controversial issue is __________________. At least 3 reasons for your position Concluding sentence(s) Remember – this is the assessment for this activity, so put A LOT of effort into making it excellent!