This resource about the importance of mangrove forests includes a lesson plan, teacher slides, extension activities, infographics, and additional materials.
Students will learn about threats to mangroves, mangrove forests' essential role in solving the climate crisis, and how to help protect this valuable ecosystem.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This thorough, interdisciplinary resource provides the necessary materials for teachers to deliver an effective lesson.
This lesson plan provides teacher notes with additional information for each slide to encourage student discussion.
Additional Prerequisites
The main lesson is designed for a 50-minute class session, but teachers can use the extension activities to expand it into a mini-unit.
A Google login may be needed to access portions of the resource.
The Ocean Agency links will require a redirect.
The second optional extension activity includes an Adobe Spark Teacher Guide that teachers should preview if they are unfamiliar with the tool.
The video on slide 17 of the main lesson is text only, so teachers with younger students may want to read the text aloud to students.
Differentiation
Art classes could use the second optional extension and focus on implementing artistic components in the student-created public service announcement.
This lesson plan is packed with student questions for discussion, so pre-selecting students for small groups and revisiting class discussion protocols may be beneficial to maximize student discourse.
This secondary lesson plancould be used as an additional resource, particularly in classrooms that might need to differentiate for advanced learners.
This video and short article describing the importance of mangrove trees may be a good resource to supplement this lesson plan.
Scientist Notes
The material includes simple activities for kids to learn what mangroves are and where they are found worldwide. It goes into additional detail about the significance of mangroves in the sequestration of carbon and offers guidance for students on how to interact with local groups, activists, and conservation organizations to help mangrove restoration efforts in the battle against climate change. This resource is excellent for the classroom.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
K-ESS3-3 Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
4-ESS3-2 Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.6 Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
National Core Arts Standards
Visual Arts: Standard 1 - Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
VA:Cr1.1.4a Brainstorm multiple approaches to a creative art or design problem.
