Nik's Exhibition: Lazarus Species

Nikolas shares a review of his Exhibition.

For my Exhibition, I researched Lazarus species, extinction, and what makes certain animals more prone to extinction.

In the beginning of my presentation, I talked about what it means to be an extinct species, and factors that can endanger species. Then I gave examples, like dinosaurs and dodo birds. After introducing the main ideas, I went deeper into the idea of extinction, and speculated on what increases the risk of extinction, and what can help prevent it.

Next I introduced Lazarus taxon or species. These are species of animal, or any other living thing, that were thought to be extinct but were later proven to be actual living specimens that continue to exist. These are fascinating species with incredible stories. Examples include Coelacanth, the Lord Howe Island stick insect, and others. I wrote the names of the animals on the board and made sure that they were spelled (and pronounced) correctly. 

For my activity, I put together a board game in which the goal is to avoid extinction and adapt to your environment. This game will be played, along with others designed by Karenna, Lee, Kaeli and Matthew, at Game Day with the 5-6 class.