Lion Lessons Launches with Strong Community Impact

“I didn’t know that the top of the food chain can affect the bottom.”

“I used to think to hunt one if I saw a mountain lion, now I would not hunt it.”

These powerful reflections from White Pine Middle School students capture the heart of Lion Lessons: Learning from Great Basin’s Top Predator, a new five-part curriculum created by Great Basin National Park Foundation to help local youth explore science and deepen student understanding of mountain lions, ecosystem dynamics, and the role of apex predators in the Great Basin.

This school year, every 6th and 7th grade student at White Pine Middle School, 172 students in total, participated in the program. The curriculum introduces students to the biology of Great Basin Mountain lions, their ecological role as apex predators, and the complexities of wildlife management issues. Foundation educators visited each classroom multiple times, supporting both teacher-led activities and hands-on lessons, that supported science standard learning through place-based examples.

 “I had students that are usually not that interested in science completely invested in the mountain lion lessons,” related Candace Birch, White Pine Middle School’s sixth grade science teacher. “My students loved learning about mountain lions because we have them in this area and they are so cool. This made the learning worthwhile and authentic.”

Seventh grade science teacher Lauren Williams noted that students especially connected with real-world examples, “They enjoyed learning about tracking mountain lions and how they are collared… They were able to see how one organism can change an entire ecosystem.”

Student surveys found that more than half of participating students reported increased interest in ecology, wildlife biology, and conservation.

“I’m more interested in wildlife because I think it’s cool that you can see animals up close and learn more about them.”

“Before I thought that animals weren’t super important. Now I know their importance to the ecosystem."

Looking forward, the Foundation is preparing to expand the curriculum and its reach. If Great Basin National Park is able to initiate its planned five-year study of mountain lions, research from that project will be incorporated into Lion Lessons and students will have opportunities to engage with science as it is happening in the field.

The development and launch of Lion Lessons was made possible through generous funding from the National Park Foundation. We extend our sincere appreciation for their support and partnership helping to extend Great Basin National Park as a learning laboratory and outdoor classroom.