Many regions across Canada are already experiencing the effects of climate change. Ecosystems, such as the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, are changing rapidly, and animals’ habitats are changing faster than they can adapt. Without intervention, vital species will become extinct through habitat loss, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species. This resource provides an understanding of the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss and how climate change alters ecosystems allowing students to relate their understanding of local ecosystems and the need to sustain ecosystem health. Each learning experience intends to support students in understanding how the biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to its sustainability, how our individual and collective behaviour affects the environment, and how environmentally responsible choices can contribute to healthy, sustainable ecosystems.
These learning experiences highlight instructional strategies that allow for students’ perspectives and voice. Each inquiry is designed to stand alone, addressing different angles and lenses through which biodiversity and the sustainability of ecosystems can be explored. The resources, activities, and species at risk information ultimately provide the groundwork to engage in action and environmental stewardship opportunities.
1. Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity - This inquiry focuses on the physical impacts climate change has on the environment and the consequences of these impacts on biodiversity. The provocation activities convey the interconnectiveness of biodiversity, climate change, human impacts, mitigation and adaptation. This generates discussions on human actions, how climate change impacts ecosystems, and if humans are an invasive species to the Earth’s Biodiversity.
2. Climate Adaptation for Biodiversity and Ecosystems - This inquiry focuses on the driving question, “How does the loss of biodiversity change the stability of the forest ecosystem? The activities in the inquiry encourage students to examine the critical factors causing changes in the ecosystems in Nova Scotia. Clear-cutting, deforestation and the effects of climate change are changing ecosystems and their biodiversity. Students explore how this is affecting their local ecosystem by assessing the species richness of a local area within their community.
3. Changing Biodiversity in Nova Scotia – Species at Risk – This inquiry invites students to explore various species at risk and invasive species through a case study approach. Students review suggested articles, videos and infographics to identify key issues and potential solutions. They can compare their findings to further expand their growing understanding of interconnectiveness, biodiversity and impacts on individual species.
In the culminating task, the students apply what they have learned in the inquiry to create an action plan for an environmental stewardship project of their choice. An environmental stewardship project aims to have students connect responsibility and choice and fosters the development of important competencies. The action plan meaningfully engages students throughout the process, from choosing an issue to how students will carry it out.
Each inquiry is designed to stand alone, addressing different angles and lenses through which biodiversity and the sustainability of ecosystems can be explored. The resources, activities, and species at risk information ultimately provide the groundwork to engage in action and environmental stewardship opportunities.
Learning through inquiries and experiences stemming from questions generated by students makes it authentic and meaningful. These learning experiences highlight instructional strategies that allow for students’ perspectives and voice.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | Each learning experience intends to support students in understanding how the biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to its sustainability, how our individual and collective behaviour affects the environment, and how environmentally responsible choices can contribute to healthy, sustainable ecosystems. Learning through inquiries and experiences stemming from questions generated by students makes it authentic and meaningful. These learning experiences highlight instructional strategies that allow for students’ perspectives and voice. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Good | The inquiries address the environmental and social dimensions of biodiversity. Less attention is paid to the economic dimension. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | This inquiry delves deeper into understanding the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss. We encourage students to harness their curiosity about the local environment by examining changes to the ecosystem, large-scale environmental impacts, etc. or by connecting with a community expert and exploring restorative practices. We have included external resources and guiding questions to help support and extend student research. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | This resource highlights learning opportunities that engage students in choice. Choice and action help make the concept of the loss of habitat, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species more relevant and meaningful to the student. In the culminating task, the students apply what they have learned in the inquiry to create an action plan for an environmental stewardship project of their choice. An environmental stewardship project aims to have students connect responsibility and choice and fosters the development of important competencies. The action plan meaningfully engages students throughout the process, from choosing an issue to how students will carry it out. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Many of the activities in the inquiries offer opportunities for students to consider their values, their feelings of responsibility and their capacity to enact change | |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Very Good | Each learning experience intends to support students in understanding how the biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to its sustainability, how our individual and collective behaviour affects the environment, and how environmentally responsible choices can contribute to healthy, sustainable ecosystems |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | Students explore how biodiversity loss is affecting their local ecosystem by assessing the species richness of a local area within their community. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Poor/Not considered | |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | The inquiry learning model adopted by the resource means that questions, not answers drive the inquiry and that students contribute to determining what questions are asked. The educator's role is that of facilitator while the resource provides students with information and activities that enable them to develop their perspective on the issue and to recognize the perspective of others. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Good | The resource provides activities that bring together content and skills from more than one subject area. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Very Good | The resource was developed in accordance with the principles of inquiry learning, which is an approach to learning that is directed by questions, problems, a hypothesis or a challenge that individuals and groups of learners work together to address. The learning is driven by student generated questions. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Very Good | The inquiries include several differentiated instruction suggestions so that every kind of learner will find ideas, questions and activities to explore based on their unique and diverse community characteristics and circumstances, inspiring learning that ultimately leads to action. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Very Good | The resource includes numerous activities for students to take their learning outside the classroom. The tipping point activity offers a team building activity modified to convey the interconnectiveness of biodiversity, climate change, human impacts, mitigation, and adaptation. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Very Good | The Group Knowledge Building activity offers group discussions, common golas and synthesis of ideas. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Good | The Consolidation segment, which is also found in each inquiry would provide teachers with opportunities to assess student understanding, as would the Determining Understanding segment. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Very Good | The resource encourages students be environmental stewards in their communities and to educate their community about the risks posed by climate change. Students can nvestigate the impacts of invasive species in their area, and then host a display for your school and community through a newsletters, posters, flyers and presentations. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Very Good | The Question Generation segment of each inquiry helps teachers determine where students are in their initial understanding of a topic or an issue, then continues to evaluate their understanding throughout the learning process. The Determining Understanding segment enables students to pause and reflect on their learning, taking ownership of the process and practicing metacognitive strategies. By generating their own questions students participate in their program content. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |