Lesson Plan

10. Explore environmental change

KS4-07-15

Intent

Lesson Outcomes

  • Evaluate the impact of environmental change on the distribution of a species

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

  • migrate
  • fox
  • abiotic
  • variation
  • adapt

Implementation

Starter

Look at the attached images. These animals and plants all belong in the rainforest. What would happen if one of them became extinct or was taken away?

Main Teaching

Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation. 

Expert Film: This is Kyle McHale, who works as an Education Officer at RHS. Kyle talks about environmental change.

Career Film: Kyle McHale works as an Education Officer at the RHS.

Mission Assignment

Ask the pupils to work in groups and discuss variation in water availability, temperature and atmospheric gases due to a selected environmental change (the seasons, geographic position, or human interaction). Create a presentation to share your findings.

Consider how they could affect the distribution of organisms in an ecosystem. 

Produce a presentation to the class in a suitable format. It should include references to some named organisms.

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.