Biodiversity and Humans

Grades3-12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Health

Provided by The Wonder of Science

What it is

This video explores the NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea of biodiversity and humans by discussing many ways humans impact biodiversity through our actions.
The first 3 minutes and 2 seconds of the video are appropriate for students to watch, and the last segment is for teachers, providing teaching suggestions for different grade levels.

Positives

It discusses the main causes of species loss and biodiversity loss using the acronym HIPPO (Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population, and Overexploitation) and adds climate change, to make it CHIPPO or HIPPOC.
It provides teachers with a clear progression for how biodiversity and humans should be addressed in each grade band.

Additional Prerequisites

If showing this video to students, stop it at 3 minutes and 2 seconds.
Students should be familiar with the terms species, genetic, ecosystem, habitat, and decomposers.

Differentiation

This is a great resource to connect climate change to key biology concepts such as ecosystems and biodiversity.
Cross-curricular connections could be made with social studies classes when discussing ethics, whether other species have the right to exist, and the economic value of the ecosystem services that natural systems provide to humans.
Other resources related to this topic include Human Impacts on Earth Systems and Drivers of CO₂ Emissions.

The resource introduces students to biodiversity, its interaction with climate. This resource is valid and recommended for teaching.

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Standards alignment · MS-ESS3-3. + 6 more

Core Standards legacy

MS-ESS3-3.MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
HS-LS2-7.HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-LS4-2.HS-LS4-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.
HS-LS4-5.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.

Michigan Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

HS-LS2-7HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-LS4-2HS-LS4-2 Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.
HS-LS4-5HS-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.