Can Beavers Save Salmon in Oregon's High Desert?

• This video follows a group of biologists studying the effects of beaver dams and artificial beaver dams on stream ecosystems and salmon populations in Oregon.
• Students will learn about the impacts of drought and other land-use changes on streams and how the biologists recognized the importance of beavers as keystone species for stream ecosystems.

Positives

• This video is a great example of scientists looking to nature to solve a problem!
• This video is also a great look at how much time it can take (in this case, ten years) to see the real impact of a solution.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students may need the word impoundment defined prior to watching the video.
• Some students, including English language learners, may need the terms erosion, drought, extinct, dam, channel, and bank defined prior to watching the video.
• Students who need more time to process the video can slow down the video's playback speed.
• There may be an ad before the video.
  

Differentiation

• History classes can make a connection to the fur trade and its lasting impacts on ecosystems in North America.
• Science classes discussing animal habitats can use this video to launch a discussion about the importance of habitat diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem services.
• Language arts classes working on collegiate discussions can use this video to spark discussions about our changing attitudes towards nature and specific species over time.
  
• After watching this video, Earth science classes can discuss the effects of precipitation, drought, land-use changes, and erosion on land and watersheds.
• This video lends itself to a cause and effect chart that students can fill out, either during or after the video, to organize many of the ideas presented.