This interactive flow chart identifies the many connections between ecosystems, ecosystem services, environmental issues, and human health.
Students can click on an item to read its description and see how it affects, and is affected by, many other things.
There are also numerous scientific studies linked in the "i" icon of each arrow that provide verifiable data and information related to each topic.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students can jump to any specific item they are curious about and there are many linked resources for further exploration.
It helps students see how interconnected nature is with human health.
Additional Prerequisites
Some knowledge about the various ecosystems and grade-level vocabulary is recommended before using the resource.
Differentiation
Students could be assigned to research a particular item from the site, providing a report on all of the factors that positively and negatively affect that item.
Students could work in groups on an assigned community (real or imaginary) and then be tasked with predicting what health issues the community might deal with, depending on what sources of pollution and ecosystem services are available to the community.
Students may use this resource as a reference for many key terms and concepts for several different lessons or assignments.
Students can gain knowledge of urban ecosystems, the opportunities they offer, and the definitions of key terms of urban ecosystems. This is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.4.9-12 Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.5 Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.
