Idea for Use in Classroom

Introduce the infographic by having students read the title and overview. Ask: What does species revival mean, in relation to this infographic? Next, have students read through each step in the process. Using the infographic, work as a class to create a Tweet describing each step in layman’s terms. Utilize the infographic and Tweets to deduce the key requirements for bringing back a species (a close living relative and DNA from the extinct species).

Nominees for Resurrection

Organize students into small research teams. Each team should select and research a different extinct animal to nominate for resurrection. Nominees should have a living relative and available DNA.

Each group should provide the following information for their nominee:

1. Name of the species to go through resurrection
2. Cause of extinction
3. Name of the living, related species
4. Characteristics that distinguish the extinct organism from the living relative
5. Challenges that might be faced in bringing back the extinct species

Have students share their nominees with the class.

Ethical Considerations

Before voting, debate the merits of species resurrection. Students should evaluate the positive and negative consequences of species resurrection on the environment and other species, and consider what unintended consequences may result. Students may also consider the economic and ethical implications of species revival. To extend the debate, prompt students to consider how the cause of extinction influences their position (e.g., extinction caused by a natural disaster versus anthropogenic climate change). Finally, have students vote on which species to bring back, if any.