In this lesson, students prepare for BioBlitz by defining biodiversity and examining the characteristics of various plants and animals as examples of taxonomic groupings. A bioblitz is a short, intensive study of the biodiversity of an area. Students learn about the number of species identified globally in key taxa and use this information to make predictions about the biodiversity they may observe during their local bioblitz.
A bioblitz is a short, intensive study of the biodiversity of an area. In this activity, students investigate and analyze local biodiversity using iNaturalist observations. They collaborate in small groups to explore observations and identification of various taxon groups. Then students create a class graph of data and draw inferences about biodiversity, invasive species, and endangered species in their local park.
This lesson is about how ecosystems purify water and human activities that can alter these processes. It also discusses the value of the natural water purification service to humans. The take-home message is that the key to maintaining water purification services is to protect and restore the ecosystems that provide these services.
In this lesson, students will develop an understanding of the impact of improved sanitation on human health. They do this by examining the history of sanitation in the context of disease outbreaks and comparing the quality of life in earlier times to that of today. Students should recognize that advances in health and human life expectancy have resulted in large part because of technologies that we now take for granted, such as modern waste disposal, sanitary food handling, and refrigeration.
