This video details why biodiversity is crucial for our survival on Earth, introducing students to ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.
Students will learn about keystone species in the ocean, the interconnectedness of species within the Amazon rainforest, and the vulnerability of ecosystems to collapse.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This animated video explains the complex concept of biodiversity in an easy-to-understand way.
The video has colorful images that support student understanding.
Additional Prerequisites
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Students should have a basic understanding of the terms diversity, ecosystem, genetics, and species.
Differentiation
In addition to science classes, this video could work in a social studies class that is learning about different parts of the world or a language arts class that is working on non-fiction reading and comprehension.
While viewing, pause and ask students to explain the examples of biodiversity from the video.
As an extension activity, ask groups of students to research another example of biodiversity that was not included in the video. Can they find an example from another ecosystem?
This TED-Ed video efficiently explains the importance of biodiversity and how it prevents ecosystems from collapsing. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
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.
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
HS-LS4-5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
