Animal trafficking

You can introduce this theme in a variety of ways:
• Use collections of pictures/photos to show animals that live in the Amazon rainforest. Ideally, show learners these creatures and pre-teach the vocabulary: an exotic bird (such as a macaw, with brightly coloured feathers, a beak, a wing), a monkey, an iguana, a jaguar, a crocodile and a snake. Use a map if possible to point out the location of the Amazon and the Brazilian part.
• Introduce the phrase 'animal trafficking' – What is it? Why do traffickers do it? Campaign posters can be found online and are very useful to show what is meant by animal trafficking around the world and what the effects are.
• Ask learners some questions about pets. Ask: What pets do you have? Why? Why do people like pets? Which kinds of animal are not suitable to keep as pets, in your opinion?
• Explain that this lesson is about the illegal pet trade. If appropriate, point out that 3 March is Wildlife Day. 

• Use the questionnaire to preview vocabulary like 'rare', 'exotic', 'trafficker', 'to transport'.
• Give out the worksheet for the learners to do the questionnaire in pairs.
• Monitor the groups while they do the activity and see what new vocabulary they are having problems with. Give support where necessary.
• Emphasise that it doesn’t matter if they don’t know. Don’t correct their answers. Learners will find them in the text (see Activity 2).

• Refer learners to the reading. Encourage them to read quickly with the aim of finding out the answers to the questionnaire in Activity 1.
• Then ask them to read the text and find the answers.
• After reading, give learners time to compare their answers in pairs. Ask: Who got most of them right? Which ones did you get wrong?
• If necessary, review the answers as a whole class.
  Answer key:
  1. Rare and exotic birds, monkeys, jaguars, crocodiles, turtles, snakes, iguanas (Paragraph B)
  2. A rare macaw can sell for $10,000. (Paragraph B)
  3. Babies are the easiest to transport. (Paragraph B)
  4. They tape or cut the birds’ beaks; they sew up iguanas’ mouths; they break the bones of large animals. (Paragraph B)
  5. The animals are sent to rehab or rescue centres. (Paragraph C)
  6. They carry diseases (and they belong in their natural habitat!). (Paragraph C)
• (Optional) Ask: Which facts did you find surprising or shocking? Discuss in pairs, groups or as a whole class. 

The aim of this section is to prepare learners for the classroom debate in Activity 4. Learners do not need to spend a long time. If possible, encourage them to remember what they read (to avoid labouring through the texts).

• Put learners into groups of three. Assign each learner one paragraph (police officer, trafficker or vet).
• Ask learners to find out from their assigned text: (a) what crimes traffickers commit and (b) what punishments they get.
• Set a time limit. Remind learners to read one paragraph only and complete the chart. Monitor them as they work, supplying vocabulary where necessary.
• Remind learners to add their own ideas, especially to the punishments list.

• Conduct a classroom discussion about crimes and punishments. This can be carried out like a pyramid discussion.
• Tell learners to remain in their groups of three and to imagine they are judges.
• Read the crime. Ask learners to choose a punishment for this animal trafficker.
• Encourage them to be as creative as they like (e.g. they can suggest a fine and/or prison and/or community service, with differing amounts of money and time). They must give reasons to explain the punishment.
• In the case of disagreement, learners must convince each other (for example, 'I think we should give a fine of $100 for destroying a tree, a sentence of one year in prison for trafficking an animal and six months in a rescue centre for cruelty to animals.').
• Next, learners form a group of six by joining another group.
• The group of six compare their answers. Learners can ask questions about the punishments that others have chosen. They should give reasons for their choices.
• Stop the class. Explain that there is a new law. From now on, all judges must agree on the same punishment. Each group of six learners must now convince each other and negotiate until they agree on the same punishment (or set of punishments). They must be able to give reasons for the punishment.
• (Optional) Each group of six learners joins another group, totalling 12 judges. Continue as before.
• Learners share their final judgement with the whole class, together with an explanation.
• (Optional) Expand the scope of discussion by adding more ideas, for example: What punishment should we give tourists who buy objects made from crocodiles? What punishment should be given to the kid who warns the traffickers when the police are coming? What about the police officer who takes a bribe, instead of punishing the trafficker?
• The class can discuss other ideas connected to crimes and punishments.
  Possible ideas:
  Who else is guilty? The traffickers, their contacts and helpers, tourists (who buy objects made from wild animals), the police (who take bribes) and people who buy exotic animals as pets.
  Which crimes are committed? Destruction of the rainforest, animal cruelty, destruction of diversity, stealing, selling stolen goods, buying stolen goods/wildlife as pets, giving bribes, taking bribes, helping criminals.

• Give learners the crossword. Ask them to complete it for homework.