Bison
Get ready to explore the world of bison, the threats they face, and how they maintain balance in grassland ecosystems. In this lesson, students can meet a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation to learn about the history of bison in indigenous cultures, create personalized bison paper masks, and test their knowledge with a trivia game.
© WWF-US / Clay Bolt
💡 Warm up
© WWF-US / Steve Morello
Meet America's national mammal
Start the class with the article about bison facts. To finish warming up, pair students together and have them list as many bison facts as they can remember from the article.
© WWF Graphic
How bison help shape the Great Plains
Move through the interactive together to learn more about how bison affect their ecosystem. To finish warming up, pair students together and have them list as many bison facts as they can remember from the interactive.
💻 Tech time
Video: All About Plains Bison
Review the video together to ensure students have a basic understanding of bison.
App: WWF Together
Download the WWF Together app to see photos of bison and explore facts, conservation issues, habitats, and threats to their survival.
▶️ Activities
Recorded Livestream: WoLakota: The Return of Buffalo to the Lands and Lifeways of the Sicangu Lakota People
Meet Sage Fast Dog, Sr., a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. Show the video and use the supplemental materials linked in the video description to explore how bison conservation is intertwined with indigenous cultural history, language, and values.
Craft: Strut Your Fluff Bison Mask
Use the template at the end of the in Grasslands & Pollinators Activity Book to guide students in creating their own bison mask to take home.
© WWF
