ETV “Secondary Level Environmental Education Series” Programme

Giant Pandas and Hong Kong

Teachers' Notes

Target Audience S1-3

Target subject Science

Duration 20 minutes

Production Aim

This programme is a teaching resource produced especially for enriching the classroom teaching of the Syllabus for Science (Secondary 1 – 3) prepared by the Curriculum Development Council (1998).

The content of the programme serves to illustrate the following part of the Syllabus：

“Unit 2 – Looking at Living Things

Topic 2.2 Observing an animal

Key points – Observing an animal; habitat.”

Key Points

  1. The animal characteristics of giant pandas;
  2. The basic needs for healthy living of giant pandas in the natural environment and the design of the Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Habitat and Giant Panda Adventure for meeting the needs;
  3. Factors rendering giant pandas endangered;
  4. The Chinese Government’s measures to conserve giant pandas;
  5. Hong Kong people’s contributions to conservation of giant pandas in China;
  6. The nation’s special favour for the people of Hong Kong; and
  7. The mutual support of the people in Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Content Outline

The programme comprises six parts.

Part 1: Characteristics of Giant Pandas

A simple way to identify the four giant pandas in Ocean Park, namely, An An, Jia Jia, Ying Ying and Le Le. Looking at the giant pandas, the students will be able to generalize the major characteristics of animals.

Part 2: Life of Giant Pandas

An introduction to the food and feeding habit of giant pandas, the natural environment in the giant pandas’ homeland, and the design and arrangements in Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Habitat and Giant Panda Adventure for meeting the needs for healthy living of giant pandas.

Part 3: The Giant Panda as an Endangered Species

The giant panda is a species unique to China where its distribution is confined to six mountain systems in three provinces. Giant pandas live in the highland forests with rich bamboo resources. As a result of natural disasters and human activities, the population of giant pandas in the wild drops to about 1,600. Hence, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the giant panda as an endangered species, while the Chinese Government has nominated the giant panda as a Category I Protected Animal Species of the Nation. (N.B. IUCN is the abbreviation of International Union for Conservation of Nature.)

Part 4: Conservation of Giant Pandas

An introduction to the Chinese Government’s measures taken to conserve giant pandas, including the establishment of 56 nature reserves for giant pandas (e.g. Wolong National Nature Reserve), enacting laws and regulations to forbid poaching giant pandas, trading or exporting giant pandas and products made of their body parts, closing woodcutting enterprises in nature reserves and encouraging the inhabitants to give up their farming lifestyle, establishment of the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries which has been included in the natural category of the UNESCO World Heritage List, etc.

Part 5: A Special Favour for the Hong Kong People

A brief review of the history of changes in the Chinese Government’s policy on the export of giant pandas. It is noted that Hong Kong is the first city to be presented giant pandas by the Chinese Government since 1982, and one of a few cities owning four or more giant pandas. It is emphasized that the giant pandas An An, Jia Jia, Ying Ying and Le Le are the gifts presented by the Central Government to the people of Hong Kong to commemorate the city’s reunion with our motherland. Hence, the presentation of giant pandas is an indication of the nation’s special favour for the people of Hong Kong.

Part 6: Hong Kong People’s Contributions

A brief review of the activities of Ocean Park and World Wide Fund Hong Kong to support the conservation of giant pandas and the natural environment in China. These activities are Hong Kong people’s feedback to the nation’s special favour.

Suggestions for Utilization

The teacher is advised to show the whole programme in one lesson. For better utilization, the teacher may spend 5 to 10 minutes at the beginning of the lesson to lead students to discuss with reference to the Preparation before viewing the programme part of the Suggested Activities. The teacher may then show the programme. After showing the programme, the teacher may spend another 10 to 15 minutes to discuss with students with a view to consolidating the concepts illustrated in the programme, or extending the parts relating to conservation of wildlife and natural environment for environmental education purposes. The teacher is advised to refer to the Activities after viewing the programme part of Suggested Activities.

Suggested Activities

Preparation before viewing the programme

The teacher may hold a brief discussion with students. Students may be invited to tell what they know about giant pandas, how to identify the four giant pandas in Ocean Park, the reason for categorizing giant pandas as endangered animals, etc. The teacher will then invite students to view the programme, paying special attention to the design of Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Habitat and Giant Panda Adventure.

Activities after viewing the programme

The teacher may discuss with students on the following points about the content of the programme:

  1. What animal characteristics are found on the body of giant pandas?
  2. Why are giant pandas on brink of extinction?
  3. What are the conditions needed by the giant pandas for healthy living in the natural environment?
  4. With reference to Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Habitat and Giant Panda Adventure, design a new home for giant pandas in the school campus.
  5. How will students in Hong Kong contribute to conservation of giant pandas.

1

SCSP026S