In this article, students will read about ecological succession, primary forests, and why it's important to protect them.
The article includes a diagram of ecological succession and an interactive map that allow students to explore where the remaining tropical primary forests exist on Earth.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Terms and statistics used throughout the article are hyperlinked to scientific papers or websites to provide definitions, additional information, or context.
The interactive map showing the locations of remaining tropical primary forests is a great visual tool.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with the terms ecology, ecosystem, and species.
Differentiation
Students can further explore the map by clicking the link to "Explore on GFW" which takes you to a more detailed version with many layers, including different types of land cover, fire alerts, land use, and biodiversity options.
The diagram and map could be used in lower grades when discussing geography and ecological succession.
Higher grades could use the article to discuss the importance of old-growth forests for biodiversity.
Cross-curricular connections can be made with math classes by challenging students to calculate the percentage of old growth/primary forests that have been lost.
Scientist Notes
Students will understand the concept of ecological succession to help in developing strategies for improved forest regeneration. The resource including mapped data points is accurate and recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.2.6-8 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
D2.Geo.10.6-8 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
