Saving Wildcats

Hear from Helena, Saving Wildcats outreach project officer, about wildcats in Scotland and why we need your help to protect this endangered species. Get ready for some pop-up quizzes along the way!

 Prefer to read? You can access the transcript here!

How can we identify a wildcat? Find out what makes a wildcat by uncovering what these different hotspot markers are hiding!

 Need an accessible version of the matching game? Download a printable version!

Overview and General Course Structure

Welcome to session one of our two session Saving Wildcats blended learning offer. This is a self-led, teacher facilitated session, utilising online resources that can support learning through our charity’s digital learning environment ZOOdle.

This virtual session is divided into the following content:

• Why we're Saving Wildcats: meet one of the Saving Wildcats experts!
• What is a wildcat: find out what makes a wildcat a wildcat!
• Spot the wildcat: put your new knowledge to the test, can you spot the likely wildcat
• Wildcats, past, present and future: travel back in time to discover wildcats' place in history.

It will take approximately 50-60 minutes for learners to explore session one's virtual content and complete follow up activities. This content supports flexible delivery, such as utilising expert pupil groupings, reading stations/rotations, linear paired progression, whole class review and discussions.

Curriculum Links:

This interdisciplinary contextual learning experience (IDL), cuts across many common themes including the following Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes:

Differentiation:

• Screen readers may be utilised with text-based content and printables are supplied if required.
• We would recommend teacher/LA support or mixed ability pairings.
• Where possible, visual and audible content has been provided.
• Comprehension tasks can be facilitated using Interactive Whiteboards and whole class check-in’s and/or modelling.

Learning Intention:

We are learning to identify living things and understand how characteristics can affect survival.

Suggested Success Criteria:

• I can share 3 ways to identify a wildcat
• I can describe the threats facing wildcats in Scotland
• I can define the terms hybrid, feral and domestic.

Key vocabulary for teachers and learners:

• Wildcat – A small native cat species, similar to but distinct from domestic cats; lives across Europe.
• Feral – An animal that lives in the wild but is descended from or was previously kept by people.
• Domesticated – Animals or plants bought under human control to provide food, power, or company.
• Interbreeding – The breeding of animals with another species, resulting in a hybrid.
• Species – A group of animals with similar features that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
• Hybridisation – Producing an animal or plant from two different types of animal or plant.
• Restoration – Returning something to its earlier, better, condition.
• Conservation – The protection of animals, plants and natural areas (ecosystems).
• Persecution – The hunting, shooting, trapping, or killing of an animal for sport or historic land management.
• Extinction – The dying out of a species, i.e. Dinosaurs, Dodo, Woolly Mammoth.
• Reafforestation – The action of planting trees on an area of land that used to have trees, recreating the forest habitat.
• Cairngorms – An area in the northern part of Scotland, much of which is protected as a national park.

Activities: An overview of content

1. Why we're Saving Wildcats

Join Saving Wildcats conservation officer Helena Parsons as she discusses the important work that the Saving Wildcats team is doing to help this amazing species.

• "Wild words" - a glossary definitions matching game
• "Wildcat wordsearch" - word recognition to support familiarity
• "Wild Words" accessible glossary.

2. What is a wildcat?

Explore the unique features of Scotland's wildcats through a visual 'hotspot map' highlighting their physical features.

• "Wildcat Lifecycle" drag the correct statements to the corresponding point in the lifecycle.
• "Wildcat Colouring Sheet" a line sketch fast finisher that can be coloured and labelled.

3. Spot the Wildcat

Students take on the role of a field conservationist as they try to spot potential wildcats using real camera trap and reported sighting imagery.

• "Wildcat, Hybrid or Feral " a flip card game.
• "Camera Trap Pairing" spotting wildcats amongst other native species.

4. Wildcats Past, Present and Future

Using an interactive timeline, learn all about the history of this amazing native species, it's place in Scottish Culture and the history of its decline and efforts to save it from extinction.

• "What happened when for wildcats" - A sequencing activity.
• What happened when for wildcats printable.

Extending the Learning:

We know some teachers may wish to extend the learning around Saving Wildcats, and we welcome your efforts to connect your learners to nature, supporting their desire to protect, value and love the world around us. To ensure that there is clarity and limited repetition a short summary of session two follows:

Session two – An in-person delivered session featuring a member of the RZSS team.

Covering:

• Revision of session one’s learning around wildcat features and the threats they are facing
• Discover wildcats and their role in the ecosystem
• Game based exploration of the range of roles involved in Saving Wildcats and promoting responsible choices amongst learners.

Complimentary activity suggestions:

• Create a range of Wildcat imagery using collage, tone, line and shape or 3D modelling.
• Explore the role of a conservationist using My World of Work or similar resources.
• Investigate further links between Wildcats “cat-fiadhaich” and Scottish Culture through mythology and folklore.
• Visualise and measure scale and size through mapping the Cairngorms, explore Wildcat dimensions through practical activities.
• Investigate other native species: RZSS: Bonnie Beasts of Scotland