Threats to Biodiversity
Lesson 2 of
Preserving Biodiversity: Snapshot lessons with informational graphics
Learner description
This lesson is designed for students in college-level Biology for Nonmajors courses.
Overview of lesson
The lesson will take between one and three hours to complete. In this lesson, the learners will
critically analyze four graphics, each depicting one threat to biodiversity: habitat destruction,
pollution, climate change, and overexploitation. Students will test their learning using online
interactive questions and/or by engaging in a class discussion. The lesson is meant to
accompany Biology: Concepts and Investigations (author: Hoefnagels), but it can be revised to
fit other textbooks that have web-based assignment platforms.
Standards
This lesson aligns with the National Science Education Standards in the area of “Science in
Personal and Social Perspectives.”
a. Students should develop understanding of environmental quality.
b. Students should develop understanding of natural and human-induced hazards.
c. Students should develop understanding of natural resources.
d. Students should develop understanding of science and technology in local, national, and
global challenges.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to…
… list the causes of habitat loss and describe how it contributes to loss of biodiversity.
… list the causes of pollution and describe how it affects biodiversity.
… list the causes of climate change and describe how it affects biodiversity.
… list the causes of overexploitation and describe how it can affect biodiversity.
Instructional procedures
This lesson was created for online learners using McGraw-Hill Connect—a web-based
assessment platform. The instructions that immediately follow will guide you through
implementing the lesson using McGraw-Hill online tools. If you are teaching a traditional, faceto-face course, then follow the instructions that appear in the “Modifications for classroom
learners” section. If you’re not using Connect or if you are not using Hoefnagels biology books,
then the instructions below can easily be manipulated to fit your course’s needs.
Implementation for online learners
All content should be embedded in the following order in a unit called “Preserving Biodiversity”
within your McGraw-Hill Connect course management system.
1. This lesson can be introduced using a YouTube video that shows habitat loss and pollution.
Embed the following link for students to review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5qllCbXW5U.
2. The students should then read sections 40.2—40.5 (section titles: Habitat Destruction
Crowds Out Other Species, Pollution Degrades Habitats, Global Climate Change Alters and Shifts
Habitats, Exotic Invaders and Overexploitation Devastate Many Species) of Biology: Concepts
and Investigations. Embed the E-book versions of these sections.
3. Students critically analyze the four graphics associated with lesson 2. They are titled Habitat
Destruction Threatens Biodiversity, Pollution Threatens Biodiversity, Climate Change Threatens
Biodiversity, and Overexploitation Threatens Biodiversity.
4. Create a Connect assignment using questions tagged with section 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, and 40.5.
Students are now prepared to compete this assignment.
5. Link to the class discussion forum or, optimally, instruct students to write a blog post. If you
are not using forums or blogs in your course, then create a Connect essay question for students
to complete. Regardless of the medium that you choose, use the prompt: Compare and
contrast how habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation threaten
biodiversity. Provide specific examples of each threat to biodiversity in your response.
Alternate concluding activity: See Modifications for classroom learners.
Modifications for classroom learners
1. Students should arrive in class having already read sections 40.2—40.5 (section titles: Habitat
Destruction Crowds Out Other Species, Pollution Degrades Habitats, Global Climate Change
Alters and Shifts Habitats, Exotic Invaders and Overexploitation Devastate Many Species) of
Biology: Concepts and Investigations.
2. Begin a discussion about threats to biodiversity by asking students to list ways that humans
damage the environment. Write their responses on the board. Allow approximately 5 minutes
for discussion.
3. Allow students to form groups, making sure that at least one student in each group has
either a computer or a tablet device. Instruct them to navigate to the graphics associated with
this lesson. They are titled Habitat Destruction Threatens Biodiversity, Pollution Threatens
Biodiversity, Climate Change Threatens Biodiversity, and Overexploitation Threatens
Biodiversity.
4. Have students complete the following table on a piece of paper:
Threat to biodiversity
Description
Specific example
How it affects
biodiversity
5. Ask groups to volunteer to share their responses to one row of the table. Provide input if
answers are incomplete or inaccurate.
Supplemental activities
Direct students that need more practice to LearnSmart. Embed LearnSmart practice for chapter
40 at the bottom of the Preserving Biodiversity unit within Connect.
Assessment/evaluation
Assessment occurs within the lesson as students complete interactive questions in Connect
covering the content of Biology: Concepts and Investigations sections 40.2—40.5. Connect
automatically grades this assignment. Review student performance and read student responses
to the essay question. In the essay, students should list and define the four threats to
biodiversity covered in this lesson, provide specific examples for each threat, and relate threats
to one another. For example, some types of pollution causes climate change, and climate
change may destroy some habitats. Provide student feedback via email.
Learner products
At the end of the lesson, students will have a blog post that describes to readers what human
actions are threatening biodiversity. If a blog post is not possible, then students will complete
either an essay or a chart on threats to biodiversity.