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Although there are many different kinds of plants and animals in the world today, there are many other kinds that once lived but are now extinct. We know of these amazing plants and animals that once lived by studying fossil evidence of their preserved remains. These fossils act as clues, telling us more about what kinds of plants and animals used to live on the Earth and what their environments may have been like. What could cause animals and plants to go extinct? Animals and plants may go extinct for a variety of reasons, including environmental changes and the disappearance of a food source. Although we often think of animals and plants that went extinct a very long time ago, like the mighty dinosaurs, today’s animal and plant species are still very much at risk. Due to severe and long-lasting environmental changes, some plant and animal species can become endangered or close to becoming extinct. In this lesson, students will engage in a scenario-based activity in order to ask questions and explain how factors can cause a species to go extinct.