Lesson Plan

Explore what we can do to protect natural habitats and ecosystems

COP26S-02_02

Intent

Lesson Outcomes

  • Understand and explore what we can do to protect natural habitats and ecosystems
  • Describe what we can do to protect natural habitats and ecosystems
  • Implement any changes identified to protect natural habitats and ecosystems

Sustainability and Climate Change (Provisional Framework)

We will empower all young people to be global citizens, through a:

  • better understanding of climate change
  • greater connection to nature

National Curriculum

Subject content – Biology. Pupils should be taught about:

  • Interactions and interdependencies
  • Relationships in an ecosystem
  • The interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops

Working Scientifically

  • Analysis and evaluation
  • Present observations and data using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs

Resources

Resource: Class presentation.

Handout: The activity sheet contains formatting to support the students in creating a rescue mission for a local species, linking that animal, plant or organism with the actions of their own lives.

Rocket words

  • habitat
  • ecosystem
  • Three Rs
  • extinction
  • conscious actions

Implementation

Starter

Natural habitats and ecosystems are needed to support a healthy and eco-friendly world. Restoring them and working with animals and species will help prevent climate change.

Ask the students: What can we do to protect natural habitats and ecosystems? Do you make room in your life to support natural habitats around your home?

Main Teaching

This lesson establishes the way nature supports our lives, but also the way that our actions are destroying it. The presentation introduces a number of different things we can do to stop and prevent humans from destroying nature further and allow it to flourish again. They are simple steps that all individuals can take. The activity allows pupils to put this learning into practice.

Career Film: This is Ruth Davey. Ruth works as an Experimental Rig Operator for National Nuclear Laboratory.

Expert Film: This is Ruth Davey. Ruth works as an Experimental Rig Operator for National Nuclear Laboratory. Ruth talks about the management of hazardous materials.

Mission Assignment

Ask the students to do some research and find a species that is native to their area. Ask them to find out its status (in decline, thriving, etc.) and think about how they could support it. Here are some suggestions:

1. Plant trees, flowers and bushes.

2. Use environmentally friendly compost.

3. Be bee friendly, build bee hotels, bird boxes and ponds for nature.

4. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

5. Repair items instead of throwing them out and buying new ones.

6. Save water.

Challenge task: Task the students with interviewing a classmate with some questions about their day-to-day life, based on the 6 suggestions to support natural life. Based on their answers, ask each student to write a diagnostic paragraph about what areas could be improved to help their species and what they are doing well.

Impact & Assessment Opportunities

Plenary

Ask the students to discuss how many of the identified areas they think they do anyway (actions done at home and in school before the lesson).