To encourage students to be environmentally conscious, one year we had them bring in coins to raise money to adopt an endangered animal from the Detroit Zoo. As coins were collected, students learned about the two endangered animals they would choose from -- a chimpanzee or a Grevy's zebra  -- through the morning announcements and student-created PowerPoint presentations that ran on TV during lunch time in the cafeteria.

After enough money was raised, each classroom voted on which animal to adopt, and the Grevy’s zebra won. Our school purchased a stuffed plush Grevy's zebra, which sits on display in the main hallway for everyone to see. The class that raised the most money chose the name for the zebra, Pablo. To adopt an endangered animal at your school, contact your local zoo or visit the World Wildlife Fund's site.