Blog Creation: Living Primates

Directions

Several primate species are endangered and will be facing extinction in the next decade unless immense efforts are made to educate communities on the impact of human activities such as hunting for primates for bushmeat and medicines and the burning and clearing of their natural habitats. Equally important are advocacy and conservation efforts to maintain existing populations in the wild and to establish preserves with sufficient space and available resources to allow primates to reproduce.

Create a blog to educate others about the endangered situation of various primate species and promote efforts to save them from extinction. You’ll have the opportunity to begin creating the blog during this unit and complete it before the next to share with other students and to comment on each other’s blog.

What is a blog?

A blog is web site on the Internet to present information about a specific topic and to discuss it with others. Unlike the typical website, a blog is a form of social networking by which you can combine text, images, links to web pages and other blogs, and other media such as video and audio related to the selected topic. Blog visitors are encouraged to add their reactions, comments, or personal interests to the blog site and also can include other images, audio, videos, and links to other web pages and blogs related to the blog topic.

A blog can also be used for commentary on a controversial issue or topic; outreach and advocacy for a cause; and creating a specific club or society. News services, government and community agencies, and special interests groups use blogs to inform and raise and answer questions. For example, political blogs, health blogs, education blogs, legal blogs, fashion blogs, and art and music blogs.

For blog examples to help you think about ideas for your own blog, go to –

• American Anthropological Association (AAA) Blog – http://blog.aaanet.org/
• Archaeological Institute of American – http://www.archaeological.org/
• National Geographic – http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
• Yahoo! News – http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/
• MSN Blog – http://msnblog.msn.com/
• Blackboard Blogs – http://blog.blackboard.com/

1. Select a topic on primate conservation you are interested in and would like to focus on in your blog. Suggested topics can include, but not limited to:
   • The destruction of primate habitats caused by economic development.
   • Efforts to establish, manage, and maintain suitable habitats or preserves for primate populations.
   • Establishment and enforcement of stricter regulations against hunting primates.
   • Promoting conservation education and public awareness.
   • Successful primate conservation efforts or stories.

3. Research resources for information for your blog such as:

• Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Great Apes and Other Primates –https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/exhibits/primates
• Neotropical Primate Conservation – http://www.neoprimate.org/
• The Northwest Primate Conservation Society – http://pages.uoregon.edu/nwpcs/Home.html
• Oxford Brookes University. Journals in the University Library, Primate Conservation -http://opac.brookes.ac.uk/www-bin/journalList?23