This comprehensive video details the many reasons for the current mass extinction event, which could result in over a million different species disappearing from the face of the Earth.
There are many topics covered regarding this crisis, including pollution, population growth, resource use, agriculture, deforestation, climate change, sea level rise, overfishing, runoff from fertilizers, spreading diseases, and introduction of invasive species.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video may garner an emotional response from many students and stimulate class discussions or motivate students to take action.
There are many colorful animations and helpful diagrams.
Additional Prerequisites
The video description offers linked resources on the various topics discussed. Students can explore these resources for additional context before or after the video.
There may be an ad before the video.
Differentiation
Some students may need additional time to take notes, reference vocabulary terms, or use a graphic organizer to gather all of the information presented in this video.
Advanced students could choose a major cause of species extinctions to research further and then present their findings to the class.
The video is closed-captioned and subtitles are available in several languages.
Science classes could use this video for lessons about ecology, biomes, biodiversity, carrying capacity, predator-prey interactions, habitats, invasive species, and land-use changes.
Social studies classes could discuss in groups (or as a class) the ethics of species extinctions and whether nature and other species have the right to exist.
Scientist Notes
The resource explores the impact of population growth and human activities on biodiversity loss and mass extinction of species. It shows critical examples of the factors that contribute to species loss, and opportunities to make the natural world better. There is no contradiction in the video and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-3 Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS-LS2-2 Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
