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Provided by: Scholastic |Published on: October 6, 2025
Videos
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Synopsis
In this StudyJam from Scholastic, students will learn about how changes to an ecosystem can result in a new one.
Students will watch an animated video depicting a polluted lake experiencing an algal bloom, learn about succession, and take a quiz to test their knowledge.
Helpful definitions appear on the screen for unfamiliar terms.
The video includes characters with positive can-do attitudes that may be inspiring for students.
Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with the terms pollution and ecosystem.
Differentiation & Implementation
To make connections to climate change, teachers can discuss the connection between climate change and algal blooms. This article can help facilitate discussion.
Students can think of actions that cause water pollution, and think of ways to reduce these actions.
Inspired by the characters in the video, students can plan a waterway cleanup for a lake or river in their community. This collection of resources can help students test water health and plan a cleanup activity.
Teachers can make connections to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation, and Goal 14, Life Below Water, by highlighting the pollution and the change to the ecosystem in this video.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
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