Loading…
Loading…
Explore the lab to learn core concepts of biodiversity then apply your knowledge to reveal the processes behind the five threatened species biomes.
Welcome to this Minecraft: Education Edition lesson! Before you begin, take a few moments to let us know your thoughts or feedback on how we can improve this lesson in order to better enhance the learning experience that is delivered in your classroom!
Click here or follow the form below to complete the feedback survey once you've completed this lesson. Thank you!
Click and watch this teacher preparation video to help you understand how to teach this lesson. Here is a YouTube link of the teacher video for your reference: https://youtu.be/p3nQEddW5iQ
Start Here: Teacher Preparation Video
Students learn about the concept of biodiversity
Students understand genes, species and ecosystem as components of biodiversity
Students understand the relationships and interactions of biodiversity in an ecosystem (food webs and trophic pyramids)
Understand what an ecosystem and a biome are and how they function
Understand ecological niche - the role of a species and how it is adapted
Citizenship
Communication
Critical Thinking
This project was developed in partnership with World Wildlife Fund. Explore an exciting new Minecraft world created by Naturebytes as well as three new lessons designed to help you teach about biodiversity and its importance to our planet's past and future.
What is biodiversity? Explore online.
What is the biodiversity crisis?
Can you describe the different types or components of biodiversity - genes, species, ecosystems, biomes and what do they do?
How does biodiversity function? What is the relationship between species, across ecosystems and how does energy flow between them.
All of life is connected through biodiversity and its relationships - what impact do you have on biodiversity?
Introduce the students to the lesson with the following:
‘You’re going to explore the Extinction! Biodiversity Lab to discover what biodiversity is and why it is so important to the balance of life on Earth.’
‘We share our planet with millions of other living organisms. Biodiversity includes the variety of all forms of life; from genes at the microscopic level, to different species and ecosystems. We are part of biodiversity and we exist because of it. The relationships between species, and the relationships among species and their environment are crucial to maintaining balance in the environment.’
‘Explore the lab and biomes fully - speak with the in-game scientists and hear from real-life biodiversity champions before choosing one of the featured biomes to research and reveal the secrets behind it’s biodiversity and the balance of life’.
Provide the students with the ‘Biodiversity Lab: Student Worksheet’ (see Supporting Files). Ask them to complete it for ONE of the chosen biomes as they explore the Biodiversity Lab. At the end of the lesson students can present or discuss their case study as individuals or in groups.
The ‘Biodiversity Lab: Teacher Worksheet’ (see the Supporting Files) will assist you with example answers and the in-game location of relevant information.
Ask students to explore the biodiversity lab. Their exploration should involve speaking with scientists and interacting with the boards and video links to complete the worksheet. Exploration can be student led but to find the necessary information to complete the worksheet, student exploration should:
Speak to the NPC info desk - learn about variety of life and extinction threat
Explore the genes info - to learn about genetic diversity
Explore the Arctic info - to learn about food-chain, food-web and trophic diagram
Explore the Grassland Biome info - learn about ecosystems and biomes
Explore the Forest Biome info - learn about species adaptations
Explore the Ocean Biome info - learn about relationships between species
Explore the Mountain Biome info - learn about ecological niche
Explore the Biome Map info - learn about biodiversity connectivity on a global scale
As a class use the biome world map to locate the points or regions where you think all five of the featured biomes are located. Ask each group to present their case study using their worksheets.
Ask students to compare your local environment, locate it on the biome map and pick a keystone species to discuss its biodiversity.
Ask students to discuss where they as individuals fit into their local ecosystem and on a global scale. What impact do they have on the current biodiversity crisis and what impact would they like to have on biodiversity.
This lesson will enable students to:
Demonstrate an appetite for understanding biodiversity and endangered species
Pay attention to detail when exploring a blend of information sources: text, video, NPCs, in-game species, biomes and displays
Appreciate the balance of biodiversity and the role that humans and they as individuals play
Use critical thinking to explore different themes across the labs and biomes and apply to their chosen biome, to complete the provided worksheet (see external resources) including:
Name of the keystone species
Habitat description
Food chain/web and labelled trophic diagram
Ecological niche
Species adaptations
Benefits of the species and the biome
World biome map with each lab biome and your local biome located
Create a description of how your local ecosystem works
Understand how biodiversity processes and relationship work on a global scale and an ability to apply these concepts to themselves and their local environment.
- Wild Classroom - Biodiversity Kit: The activities in the biodiversity toolkit provide students with an understanding of the importance of nature and how all living things are connected.
- What is Biodiversity?: Why it's under threat and why it matters.
- Living Planet Report 2018: Published by WWF every two years, the report brings together a variety of research to provide a comprehensive view of the health of the Earth.
Check out the Tips & Tricks video playlist that will help you and your students better use Minecraft: Education Edition in the classroom:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkh9rrdH-ARER03ojhFYtmoFDVuACYJLa
More videos added periodically so make sure you check often for more content!
Click and watch the student pause and play video with your class, pausing and playing as needed. This will help your students understand how to navigate through this lesson and Minecraft world and complete the activities located within them. Enjoy!
Check out the YouTube link for your reference: https://youtu.be/5TvcF5qGpv8
Student Pause & Play Video
Identify needs and opportunities for designing, through exploration
Generate ideas from their experiences and interests
Add to others’ ideas
Choose an idea to pursue.
Making
Choose tools and materials
Make a product using known procedures or through modelling of others
Use trial and error to make changes, solve problems, or incorporate new ideas from self or others
Sharing
Decide on how and with whom to share their product
Demonstrate their product, tell the story of designing and making their product, and explain how their product contributes to the individual, family, community, and/or environment
Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of their design solutions
Reflect on their ability to work effectively both as individuals and collaboratively in a group
Use materials, tools, and technologies in a safe manner in both physical and digital environments
Develop their skills and add new ones through play and collaborative work
Explore the use of simple, available tools and technologies to extend their capabilities
Curricular Competencies
Develop mental math strategies and abilities to make sense of quantities
Use technology to explore mathematics
Understanding and solving
Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and problem solving
Content
Students are expected to know the following:
Big Ideas
Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems.
• What is biodiversity?
• Why is biodiversity important in an ecosystem?
• Interconnectedness means that all things are related to and interact with each other in the environment.
Animal life cycles
8. Identify examples of environmental conditions that may threaten animal survival, and identify examples of extinct animals.
9. Recognize that habitat preservation can help maintain animal populations, and identify ways that student
Trees and Forests
1. Identify reasons why trees and forests are valued. Students meeting this expectation should be aware that forests serve as habitat for a variety of living things and are important to human needs for recreation, for raw materials and for a life-supporting environment.
Understanding Life Systems
1.2 identify reasons for the depletion or extinction of a plant or animal species (e.g., hunting, disease, invasive species, changes in or destruction of its habitat), evaluate the impacts on the rest of the natural community, and propose possible actions for preventing such depletions or extinctions from happening
Overall
1. assess human impacts on biodiversity, and identify ways of preserving biodiversity;
3. demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity, its contributions to the stability of natural systems, and its benefits to humans.
1.1 analyze a local issue related to biodiversity
1.2 assess the benefits that human societies derive from biodiversity
3.2 demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity as the variety of life on earth, including variety within each species of plant and animal, among species of plants and animals in communities, and among communities and the physical landscapes that support them
3.3 describe ways in which biodiversity within species is important for maintaining the resilience of those species
Life Science – Habitats and Communities
(HC) HC4.1 Investigate the interdependence of plants and animals, including humans, within habitats and communities.
HC4.3 Assess the effects of natural and human activities on habitats and communities, and propose actions to maintain or restore habitats.
k. Predict how the removal of a specific plant or animal population may affect a community in the short- and long-term
b. Recognize that each plant and animal depends on a specific habitat to meet its needs. c. Identify factors (e.g., availability of food, water, and shelter, weather conditions, and available living space) that influence the ability of plants and animals to meet their needs within a specific habitat.
Life Science: Diversity of Living Things (DL)
b. Observe and document the diversity of living things in their local habitat through journaling, a nature walk, sketching, drawing, photographing, video recording, or other means
d. Document the diversity of living things in different terrestrial and aquatic habitats (e.g., grasslands, forests, tundra, deserts, rivers, ponds, and oceans) using print, video, and/or online resources
IE7.2 Observe, illustrate, and analyze living organisms within local ecosystems as part of interconnected food webs, populations, and communities.
a. Illustrate the ecological organization of life within the biosphere, using specific examples of species, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes. b. Provide examples of ecosystems of varying sizes and locations, including their biotic and abiotic components
Cluster 1
4-1-02 Recognize that each plant and animal depends on a specific habitat to meet its needs. GLO: D2
4-1-03 Identify the components of an animal habitat. Include: food, water, living space, cover/shelter. GLO: D2, E2
4-1-09 Recognize that plant and animal populations interact within a community. GLO: D2
4-1-13 Predict, based on their investigations, how the removal of a plant or animal population may affect the rest of the community. Examples: if the wolves were removed from a community, the deer population may increase rapidly... GLO: D2, E2, E3
Grade 7 Cluster 1 Interactions with Eco Systems
7-1-07 Propose a course of action to protect the habitat of a particular organism within an ecosystem. Examples: protect the nesting habitat of a given bird in a local wetland... GLO: B5, C3, D2, E2
Science and Technology: Living Things
c. Identifies habitats and the animal and plant populations found in them
d. Describes how animals meet their basic needs within their habitat
3. Interaction between humans and their environment Describes the impact of human activity on the environment (e.g. use of resources, pollution, waste management, land use, urbanization, agriculture) a.
1. Ecology
a. Habitat Names the characteristics that define a habitat (e.g. geographic location, climate, flora, fauna, proximity of man-made constructions)
i. ii. Describes the habitat of certain species
b. Ecological niche Names the characteristics that define an ecological niche (e.g. habitat, diet, daily rhythms)
i. ii. Describes the ecological niche of an animal species
c. Species Names the characteristics that define a species (common physical characteristics; natural, viable and fertile reproduction)
302-1 identify a variety of local and regional habitats and their associated populations of plants and animals
302-2 describe how various animals are able to meet their basic needs in their habitat
301-1 predict how the removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community
Outcomes: students will be expected to use the terms habitat, population, and community in appropriate contexts (104-6)
Life Science: Habitats
• identify questions to investigate the types of plants and/or animals at a local habitat using the terms habitat, population, and community (104-6, 204-1)
• examine and investigate, using various methods and questions, local habitats and their associated populations of plants and animals (204-6, 302-1)
Collecting Scientific Information Using Models of Natural Habitats • construct and/or maintain a model of a natural habitat and, through observations, suggest improvements to make it more habitable for organisms (205-5, 205-10, 206-6)
• predict how the removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community and relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of plants and animals (301-1, 301-2)
- Learners will analyze the interconnectiveness of living things and the environment, in relation to the concept of Netukulimk. Learners will explore the following concepts: ecosystems, interconnectiveness, biotic and abiotic, energy input and matter recycling, food webs, Netukulimk, human impact.
- Analyze the interactions of various organisms within an ecosystem (CZ/CT/COM)
STSE
104-6 demonstrate that specific terminology is used in science and technology contexts
Knowledge
302-1 identify a variety of local and regional habitats and their associated populations of plants and animals
302-2 describe how a variety of animals are able to meet their basic needs in their habitat
302-3 classify organisms according to their role in a food chain
301-1 predict how the removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community
301-2 relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of plants and animals
LS1 Explain how different parts of an ecosystem interact
Identify and describe examples of local ecosystems
Identify and explain the roles of producers consumers and decomposers in an ecosystem and how they interact with each other
Unit 4 Habitat and Communities
GCO 1 STSE
25.0 demonstrate that specific terminology is used in science and technology contexts
GCO 3 Knowledge
63.0 identify a variety of local and regional habitats and their associated populations of plants and animals
64.0 investigate and describe how a variety of local animals are able to meet their basic needs in their habitat
68.0 classify organisms according to their role in a food chain
69.0 predict how reduction or removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community
70.0 relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of plants and animals
304-2 identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a local ecosystem, and describe both their diversity and their interactions
306-1 describe how energy is supplied to, and how it flows through, a food web