On Wednesday, December 10th our class skyped with Karen Stadler who lives in South Africa. Karen started a project called the Traveling Rhinos Project. The Traveling Rhinos Project is a project that is helping raise awareness around the world to stop rhino poaching. The reason why people are poaching is because rhino horns are as valuable as gold, and they think rhino horns can heal you.
Part 1 of our Interview with Karen
She raised awareness by sending out five stuffed rhinos to different classes in the world and they passed it on to other classes. The stuffed rhino we got is named Siyanda. When we were skyping with her we all asked her a question. What I found cool is that she made the Traveling Rhinos Project and the website all by herself! We learned a lot about her and it was pretty fun skyping with her to learn about Rhino horn poaching problem.
Part 2 of our Class Interview with Karen
Students then created awareness posters and poems and shared them with our school and via our @mcdclassroom instagram and twitter accounts. Our next step was to reach out to local media with letters to the editor.
Below you’ll find a sampling of 5 letters written by Grade 6 students in our class. You’ll learn about their passion to help others understand this issue and give them information on how they can help. It would be great for them to see how they can effect change positively by their words and their actions. We are waiting to hear back from our local papers.
Sincerely,
Mr. McDonald and Korinna
Here are the letters we shared with our local news papers:
I am a grade 6 student at Fraser Wood Elementary in Surrey.
I am writing because I recently came aware of what has been happening to rhinos. My name is Ava and our class has been learning lots about rhinos this year.
Rhinos are endangered animals that may soon be extinct, if we don’t change what is happening to them. I have been really concerned about rhinos lately because there are only about 30 000 left in the wild and to start with there where 500 000 rhinos. So far in 2014 they have killed/ poached 1020 rhinos. Now the greatest hazard to their survival due to their poaching and habitat destructions. I don’t think that humans should be the rhinos worst enemy.
Now is the time to take action and change the situation. Some things you can do are: stop buying rhino products, get informed about the issue by visiting www.safeourrhinos.wikispaces.com, and donate to organizations. We need to work to stop the carnage before it is to late. We need to care about are rhinos because rhinos are pretty much just like humans but they are animals. Rhinos have enemy’s just like us,they eat food just like us and they especially have family’s just like us.
Every time a human poaches a rhino the rhinos family is torn just like yours. How would you be if you lost someone in your family?
Ava
Grade 6
Fraser Wood Elementary
_
To The Editor,
I am Korinna, a Grade 6 Student in Fraser Wood Elementary and I am writing to you to tell you about what’s happening to rhinos.
In the whole world there are only 2000 rhinos left. Do you know why there are only 2000 left? People poach rhinos for their horns. Their horns are as valuable as gold and people seem to think that rhino horns are vaccine to heal the sick. I know the rhino horns can sound really valuable, but they just cut the horn off and then leave it’s body on the ground. What if you were hurt and you were just left on the ground?
In my class we are part of a project called the “Traveling Rhino Project“. The Traveling Rhino Project is a global classroom project that’s raising awareness by sending out five stuffed rhinos to different classes in different parts of the world.
Help stop rhino extinction! Rhinos are being poached and their leaving baby rhinos on their own and getting themselves killed. It’s decreasing the rhino population. What if this happened to you? SAVE OUR RHINOS!
Sincerely,
Korinna
Grade 6 Student
Fraser Wood Elementary
_
To the Editor
I am Madysen of Frasser Wood Elementary and I am writing to you to talk about saving the rhinos and why they are being poached.
They are being poached for their horns because they are worth more than gold. There are only 5 species left of our unique and beautiful rhinoceroses. Rhinos are living creatures that are innocent and have a life just like we do. If rhinos go extinct earths future pedestrians will not get to experience rhinos. Horns are important to rhinos because they belong to them and no-one else. If you were a baby rhino how would you feel if your parents were poached just for their horns and medicine?
To find more information on the Global Classroom Projects and what other students around the world are doing to help the Rhinos go to www.saveourrhinos.wikispaces.com
SAVE OUR RHINOS!
Sincerely,
Madysen, Gr.6
Fraser Wood Elementary
Surrey, B.C.
_
To the Editor,
Hey my name is Andrew and I am a grade 6 student in Fraser Wood elementary school and my class is part of the travelling rhinos global classroom project. You are welcome to visit the website athttp://saveourrhinos.wikispaces.com/HOME. I am writing to you because I am concerned that rhinos are going to be extinct pretty soon.
It said that if we don’t take action now they predict that rhinos will be extinct in 2022.There has been poaching rhinos around in South Africa, and other places where rhinos live. There are only 5 rhino species left in the world. So far, 1550 rhinos have been poached in South Africa. People are killing rhinos for the horns because they think it’s medicine, but scientists prove that they don’t cure any disease or illness. Kruger National Park has been a target for poachers because 80% of South Africa’s rhinos live there. 500 rhinos are killed only in Kruger National Park. Baby rhinos are orphans because poachers are killing there mothers instead of the baby because the babies aren’t grown up yet.
We can help rhinos not being extinct by raising an awareness all around the world. Which will get governments, and etc attention to help rhinos. In South Africa, the word spread that rhinos are going to be extinct, so there is a rhino on a dollar bill.
How would you feel if you saw your mother getting killed right in front of you?
Sincerely,
Andrew
Grade 6 Student
Fraser Wood Elementary
_
To the Editor,
I’m Jivan a grade 6 student at Fraser Wood elementary school. I am writing to inform you about what’s happening to rhinos in Africa and Asia. People should care about these animals because rhinos have been dying because of people poaching their horns.
People need to treat rhinos like their own because there are only 5 white rhinos left in the world. You can help save the rhinos by informing your friends and family and everybody else you can think of this terrible problem. If you want more information please go to savetherhinos.wikispaces.com and learn more about these beautiful animals.
Imagine when a rhino dies… it is like one of their family members dies. About 1 to 2 rhinos die a day so about 64 rhinos die a month and if that does not get you mad then imagine a rhino family member and every month 64 of their family members die. A sad thing to think about.
Sincerely,
Jivan
Save the Rhino Grade 6 student
Fraser Wood Elementary
Today is a Great Day for Learning 
Your students are incredible. The power of technology is a game changer. I love how you incorporated things like writing into a real-life scenario with real-world implications. Very inspirational!
Wow!! There are a lot of amazing experiences happening with your students this year! You are showing them the power of technology and learning beyond the confines of the classroom walls. As an educator, I’m enjoying learning from you as well!