Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What might cause a species to become endangered? What might be the role of conservation in preventing the extinction of species? Why might it be important to try to prevent the extinction of species?

Teaching Suggestion: These questions intend to engender student interest in the conservation contexts of the novel—the theme of The Fragile Environment and the novel’s central symbol of the panther cub. It may be helpful to have a list of endangered species prepared ahead of time to help students identify any familiar animals that are endangered. You may also consider engaging the class in a discussion of the prerequisites for a species being officially labeled as endangered and the role of conservation in society today. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic:

• This article describes the the various reasons a species may become endangered and the different classifications for endangered species, as well as offering some examples of endangered and extinct species.
• This 3-minute video describes endangered species, how they become endangered, and conservation efforts employed to minimize endangerment.