Biodiversity and Extinction
This is a mini-unit that focuses on biodiversity loss and extinction. Some of the materials here will have to be adapted a bit of you are teaching a regular level environmental course, as its mostly written for the AP courses that need to address this topic in much more detail.
Racing Extinction Documentary (2015)
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Purpose: This documentary gives a solid overview to the problem of extinction and biodiversity loss, with a heavy emphasis on how human actions are the catalyst. The two causes most discussed are the animal products trade (particularly with Asia) and pollution (particularly as it relates to climate change). This documentary also discusses the goals and limitations of CITES and the Endangered Species Act.
Essential Concepts: Biodiversity, extinction, poaching, climate change, CITES, Endangered Species Act.
BBC Extinction: The Facts by David Attenborough (2020)
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Purpose: This is a good alternative to Racing Extinction, because it is more recent, shorter, and more timely in that it explores connections between biodiversity loss and the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergent diseases. This documentary pretty evenly discusses all of the human-centered causes of extinction, including habitat loss and destruction, poaching and the animal products trade, pollution, and climate change.
Essential Concepts: Biodiversity, extinction, emergent diseases, habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, pollution, endocrine disruptors, climate change.
Survivorship Curves Worksheet
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Purpose: This worksheet provides students with three data sets, each one representing a life table from a different species. One species exhibits Type I survivorship, Type II survivorship, and Type III survivorship. Students will graph the data, identify each type, then answer a few questions.
Essential Concepts: Survivorship, Type I, Type II, Type III, life tables.
Calculating the Shannon Diversity Index with Insects
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Purpose: The Shannon Diversity index is one of the metrics used by ecologists to measure and estimate the species richness of a community. In this assignment, students will calculate the Shannon Diversity Index of three sites and compare the species richness and evenness of each. If you have access to an outdoor area and can do any insect collection, this is a good precursor assignment to a real sampling activity.
Essential Concepts: Shannon diversity index, biodiversity, species richness, species evenness, density.
Endangered Species Research Project
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Purpose: In leiu of a test for this unit, I assign each student an endangered or extinct species to research. Specifically, they will try to find out what that species' habitat and niche area and look for reasons why it is endangered. Finally, they will look for any efforts underway to try to preserve that species, either through the Endangered Species Act or CITES. This project uses the National Geographic PhotoARK project as a source for endangered species to research.
Essential Concepts: Endangered species, habitat, niche, extinction, biodiversity.
