Lesson Plan

4. Explore biodiversity

KS4-07-14

Intent

Lesson Outcomes

  • Describe what's meant by biodiversity
  • Describe what's meant by deforestation and how this is reducing biodiversity

National Curriculum

  • Combined Science: living organisms are interdependent and show adaptations to their environment

Working Scientifically

  • Explaining everyday and technological applications of science
  • Evaluating associated personal, social, economic and environmental implications
  • Making decisions based on the evaluation of evidence and arguments

Resources

Handout: An investigation sheet for the students to complete.

Rocket words

  • biodiversity
  • food web
  • reliance
  • interdependence
  • deforestation

Implementation

Starter

Can you remember what the term interdependence means? Select one chain from the following food chain and label what trophic level each organism in that chain is (primary consumer, secondary consumer, producer, etc...)

Main Teaching

Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation. Stop the presentation at the relevant slides: Talk Partners; AfLs; Songs. Take part in the Choral Response Questions activity (see Assessment section) after the Keywords/Rocket Words slide.

Expert Film: This is Leah Mathias-Collins, who works with the RHS as the Group Environment Manager at Vitacress. Leah talks about biodiversity.

Career Film: Leah Mathias-Collins works with the RHS as the Group Environment Manager at Vitacress.

Mission Assignment

Watch the film Ecology - Biodiversity - Brainstorm what individuals, businesses and governments could do to slow down the reduction in biodiversity. 

Discuss why it is difficult to make changes that will maintain biodiversity.

Use the handout to interpret graphs and answer questions related to deforestation

Impact & Assessment Opportunities

Plenary

With their talk partners, the children are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.