Lesson 7:
Biodiversity: Why does it matter?
Grade Level: 4th
Students: ELL, AG, BG, GT, SED
Objectives:
The student will be able to identify the connections between humans, physical systems and ecosystems.
The students will identify the importance of biodiversity and develop a way that we can prevent it.
The students will be able to explain the interactions and interdependence between living and nonliving
components of ecosystems.
Standards:
Social Studies Standard 2: Geography
2.2 Connections within and across human and physical systems are developed
Reading, Writing and Communicating Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
4.2 Identifying implications, concepts, and ideas enriches reasoning skills
Science Standard 4: Life Science
4.3 There is interaction and interdependence between and among living and nonliving
components of ecosystems
Procedure:
1. Begin by discussing the definition of Biodiversity. Bio, or biology, is the study of living things.
Diversity is having a wide array
2. Show first slides of the Biodiversity Powerpoint, that I have created and posted on google
3. List the ways living things depend on other living things.
4. Discuss the cycle in a thriving ecosystem
a. Producers, consumers, decomposers
b. Plant life
c. Bacteria
d. Fungi
5. Show Clip 1 of Bill Nye Biodiversity DVD on how humans change environments.
6. How do we change our environment? What do you think used to be in this area? What impact
have we had?
7. Show the next slides in the PowerPoint, and discuss the effects of humans in rain forests,
deserts, water ecosystem.
8. Show Clip 6 of Bill Nye Biodiversity DVD on how everything in an ecosystem is connected.
9. What happens if we abuse our land? Our water resources?
10. Show next slide with pictures of drought.
11. Show clip 8 of Bill Nye Biodiversity DVD on how extinction impacts an ecosystem.
12. Define:
13. Endangered, threatened, extinct (in power point)
14. There are 16,306 endangered Species, including both plants and animals. What does this mean
for the ecosystems in which they live? What happens to the ecosystem when animals become
extinct?
15. In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 800 species into extinction.
16. In pairs, students should discuss what they learned, and complete the attached worksheet to
check for understanding. What do the students think we could do to help?
Assessment:
Students complete attached worksheet after discussing in pairs.
Accommodations:
Provide ELL, BG, and SED students with modified worksheet, attached.