Biodiversity
Loss in
Ms. Chatham
Introduction:
Biodiversity loss
is a problem worldwide. In the broadest
sense, biodiversity is the sum of the variety of all living organisms, at the
species level. This includes the earth's plants, animals, fungi, and even
microbes that we don't see. About 1.5 million species of organisms have been
named, and there are still an estimated ten to 100 million more that scientists
have not yet been described!
There are intrinsic reasons why biodiversity is important. All organisms
play some role in an ecosystem. Some are producers, including plants and certain bacteria
that can synthesize foodstuffs from gaseous and other non-living sources.
Others are herbivores (deer and songbirds), carnivores (foxes and vultures) and
decomposers (most fungi and bacteria). All of these— including you — are a part
of a cycle of energy that is captured from the physical environment, and
degraded from one level of organisms to another before being returned to the
non-living world. If one of the major
links in this "food chain" is eliminated, the cycle may be
permanently disrupted.
You
are a part of a team of conservation biologists brought in to assess the state
of biodiversity loss in
Task:
1. Individually, you will be responsible for
a typewritten two-page report on your findings.
2. As a group, you will present a summary of your findings to the
class. This oral presentation must be at
least five minutes long and contain a visual component (e.g., a map, a graph,
poster board).
Process:
Use
the worksheets hyperlinked below to guide you in your research and report:
2. Gather evidence of
the problem.
3. Identify causes of
the problem.
4. Evaluate current
public policies designed to address the problem.
5. Develop your own
solution to the problem.
Resources:
Use
the following websites to help you in your research:
For
general information on biodiversity loss:
For
endangered species in
www.dec.state.ny/website/dfwmr/wildlife/endspec/etsclist.html
For
existing public policies on biodiversity loss:
www.defenders.org/bio-stny.html
For
habitat loss:
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/marine/twloss.html
Evaluation:
Rubric
Points |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Total |
Task Completeness |
6 Steps |
5 Steps |
4 Steps |
3 or fewer steps |
|
Development & Organization |
excellent
organization & thorough explanations |
very good
organization & explanations |
good
organization & explanations |
poor
organization & explanations |
|
Oral Presentation |
All members
participate; very clear, loud & understandable |
All members
participate; somewhat clear, loud & understandable |
Some members;
somewhat clear, loud & understanding |
some members;
not clear or understanding |
|
Grammar |
writing is in
your own words; few grammatical errors |
writing is in
your own words; 5-8 grammatical errors |
writing is in
your own words; 9-11 grammatical errors |
writing is not
in your own words; 11> errors |
|
Research |
Gathered
information from at least 4 online sources |
Gathered
information from at 3 online sources |
Gathered
information from at 2 online sources |
Gathered
information from at 1 online source |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
example: task 4; organization 3; presentation 3;
grammar 3; research 4 total: 17 x 5 = 85%
Standards:
LIVING
ENVIRONMENT:
#7
Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and
living environment.
·
identify
ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those
changes
·
describe
the effects of environmental changes on humans and other populations
·
explain
how individual choices and societal actions can contribute to improving the
environment
ENGLISH
#1
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for
information and understanding.
As
listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations;
and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced
texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to
acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
·
select
information appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas
from one text to another
·
select
and use strategies that have been taught for notetaking,
organizing, and categorizing information
·
ask
specific questions to clarify and extend meaning
Conclusion:
Having
completed this WebQuest, you are now more aware of the issues surrounding
biodiversity loss both worldwide and in your home state. You have gained the ability to evaluate
environmental public policies and to produce your own solution to this very
important problem.