Colorado Agriscience Curriculum
Section:
Insert Plant & Soil Science
Unit:
Introduction to Plant Science
Lesson Number:
11
Lesson Title:
Understanding Biodiversity
Colorado Agricultural Education Standards:
Standard ESC11/12.10 The student will demonstrate understanding of the principles of
natural resource management in the context of systematics.
Competency ESC11/12.10.01 Understand how systems interact and principles of
natural and artificial fluctuations in ecological systems.
Colorado Science Standards:
Standard 3.1 Students know and understand the characteristics of living things, the
diversity of life, and how living things interact with each other and with their
environment.
Benchmark 3.1.4 Explain how changes in an ecosystem affect biodiversity and
how biodiversity contributes to an ecosystem’s stability.
Benchmark 3.1.5 Analyze the dynamic equilibrium of ecosystems, including
interactions among living and non-living components.
Student Learning Objectives (Enablers)
As a result of this lesson, the student will …
Insert Objective #1 Define biodiversity.
Insert Objective #2 Describe why biodiversity is important.
Insert Objective #3 Discuss ways to protect biodiversity.
Time: Instruction time for this lesson: 50 minutes.
Resources:
 Plants & Animals Biology and Production (Lee, Biodo, Hutter, Westrom, Patrick,
authors)
 Biology The Dynamics of Life (Briggs, Gregg, Hagins, Kapicka, Lundgren, Rillero,
National Geographic Society, authors)
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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Tools, Equipment, and Supplies
Magnifying Glass, Paper and Pencil
Key Terms.
Biodiversity
Threatened
Endangered
Extinct
Interest Approach
“Observation Moment.” This activity is best done in the fall or spring when plants are not
dormant. Take students to a location that contains a lot of life; a local park, farm, river or
stream, etc. Give each student a magnifying glass and recording utensils. Allow student five
minutes to sit, not talk and record all living things that they see, hear, feel, etc. They may use the
magnifying glass to look into the ground and see smaller organisms. They should record all
living things, including plants, animals and insects. When complete, have students return to the
classroom and report what they observed.
One of the most important skills of any scientist or agriculturalist is the ability to observe things
that are around them. During the first activity in today’s lesson, you are going to become keen
observers of your surroundings. You will be given five minutes to observe as many living things
that you can. You may utilize a magnifying glass as a tool for this activity. Record all findings
on your paper. See how many living things you can observe. When we finish, we will come back
into the classroom and report on your findings. When I say observe, there should be no talking
only observing all living activity. Now, spread yourselves out to not get in one another’s
observations. Observe.
Summary of Content and Teaching Strategies
Objective 1. Define Biodiversity.
How many items did each of you record on your lists? Did anyone see any life through the
magnifying glass? Allow students to report on their observations. What each of you just
witnessed is called Biodiversity. Show PowerPoint.
1.
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life in any given area. Biodiversity varies according to many factors
including the climate, environment and land mass. The simplest and most common measure of
biodiversity is the number of species that live in a certain area (just as we observed). Biodiversity
is found everywhere but is much larger in certain areas. For example, a hectare of tropical
rainforest may have 300 tree species. Yet one hectare of forest in the United States is more likely
to have 30 (or less) tree species. Another example of biodiversity is the number of mammals
found in Canada (163), the Unites States (367) and in Mexico (439). What do these numbers in
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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both examples show us about the amount of biodiversity as we move closer to the equator?
Where would you expect the greatest biodiversity to be located? Why?
Warmer areas have more biodiversity than cooler areas).
Would you expect that larger or smaller areas would have more biodiversity? Why?
Larger areas contain more Biodiversity than smaller areas because there is more likely to be
different environments that support different species of life.
Objective 2. Describe why biodiversity is important.
It is a good practice for agriculturalists to have diverse production. Why?
Students should discuss that it is good for price protection in marketing, good for in case of crop
failure, good for efficient use of resources.
Good. Now in a similar fashion, compare why biodiversity might be good for our environment.
Why is Biodiversity important?
 Organisms are adapted to live together in communities. Complex relationships exist amongst
organisms. Remember that life depends on life. Living creatures create niches for other living
organisms. Should one species become extinct, then another may also be in danger.
 Biodiversity also brings stability to ecosystems.
 Biodiversity is good for humans. Humans depend on other organisms for their well-being
from their diet to the oxygen that they breathe. Also, biodiversity can greatly impact the
health of human populations.
Objective 3. Discuss how biodiversity can be protected.
Use PowerPoint and have students take essential notes.
What happens when biodiversity is threatened?
a. Extinction: the disappearance of a species when the last of its members die. It is
estimated that since 1980 40 species of plants and animals in the United States have
become Extinct.
b. Threatened Species: when the population of a species begins to decline rapidly, it is said
to be Threatened.
c. Endangered Species: when a species numbers becomes so low that extinction is possible,
it is said to be endangered.
Describe the ways that species can become threatened, endangered or extinct. What factors
can play into this? How can we protect biodiversity?
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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Does agriculture protect or hinder biodiversity?
Truly agriculture creates monocultures; favorable environments for a specific crop, or
animals; the biodiversity is controlled in order to maximize production. Discuss with
students the methods for having biodiversity and agriculture production coexist!
Allow students to brainstorm possibilities including over hunting, loss of habitat, pollution.
Review/Summary.
An excellent summary or review for this lesson is to create a student debate forum on the four
methods of biological conservation. Have students draw for sides, provide time for them to
research the issues and then provide an avenue for debate. Have students make 5 minute
presentations, and then allow the opposing sides to have 2 minutes of rebuttal time.
Application
Extended classroom activity:
Look up the Endangered Species Act. Have students research to find the list of plant and
animal species that are on the Threatened, Endangered or Extinction lists. Has the
Extinction of these species impacted the local environment? Explain how.
A second extended classroom activity would be to have students compare the
Biodiversity to the diversity of agriculture production in the local region. Does diversity
of production impact agriculture? Have students discuss this.
FFA activity:
Have students create a prepared public speech regarding biological diversity and the
conservation programs associated with the Endangered Species Act.
SAE activity:
Have students develop an agriscience project where students examine the Biodiversity in
different local areas. Have students examine the impact of high Biodiversity on the
agriculture production in an area.
Evaluation.
Give students the following assessment for a quick recap of learning.
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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Area: Introduction to Plant Science
Lesson: Understanding Biodiversity
Matching. For each of the following definitions, place the correct letter of the term it describes.
1. _________ the disappearance of a species when the last of its members die.
2. _________ when a species numbers becomes so low that extinction is possible.
3. _________ when the population of a species begins to decline rapidly.
4. _________ the variety of life in any given area.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Biodiversity
Endangered
Extinct
Threatened
5. List five factors that affect biodiversity.
6. What three are benefits to biodiversity?
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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Answers to Assessment:
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. Climate, Urban Development, Cultivation of Land, Over-hunting, Habitat Loss, Pollution
6. Stability to ecosystems, good for other organisms living niches, good for human health
Unit 1, Lesson 11: Understanding Biodiversity
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