This lesson begins by having students find out where the Galápagos Islands are located and learn about the islands’ volcanic origin. Students will then turn their attention to several animal species on the Galápagos, brainstorming how animals might have arrived on the islands. They'll examine pictures and read text about several Galápagos species and their special adaptations and behaviors and record their findings in a “journal.” After reading about some important conservation issues in the Galápagos, students will write letters to their local or school newspaper explaining why the Galápagos Islands are special and why people should be concerned about them.

If you are teaching this lesson in the spring, you may wish to have students write their letters to coincide with the annual Earth Day celebration on April 22.

Students will use the National Geographic Forces of Nature website to learn about volcanoes and plate tectonics, then read an online feature about volcanic hot spots. They will refer to a map of the Galápagos Islands to predict the age and volcanic activity of various islands. They will brainstorm what the islands might look like today, read descriptions of each island, and try to correctly match the descriptions with the islands’ names. The class will predict how each island might change over time. Finally, students will create brochures informing visitors to the Galápagos Islands about how the islands were formed and why they differ geologically from each other.