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Ecosystem Services [Motion picture]. (2014). California Academy of Sciences.
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Summary
This video presents valuable information on biodiversity and ecosystems. It answers the question, "Why is biodiversity important, specifically to us, as humans, in the form of ecosystem services?" It goes on to discuss the three main ways having variety of life in a particular ecosystem (biodiversity) is crucial to humans--by the direct services we receive, by the indirect services, and by the aesthetic/ethical effect. Examples of ecosystem services, such as, food, shelter, medicine, removing chemicals from water sources, and so much more, are explained. It relates what we get from ecosystems, i.e., ecosystem services, with how we impact these services through our interaction with the living plants and animals within an ecosystem. It makes clear that lost diversity is not something we can bring back, and that humans are a major influence on environmental quality and ecosystem function. This video will help my students understand that ecosystems have great value for humans. In essence, we can't survive without this biodiversity.
In 5th grade, a huge portion of the science curriculum for the year relates to ecosystems. To motivate my students, I must ensure they see the personal connections and implications of studying this topic. This is where the above video, Ecosystem Services, comes into play.
Teaching Idea: Webquest
Prior to starting this lesson, I will develop a webquest encompassing all we will be learning as we study ecosystems. My webquest will include an introduction to our unit, the tasks my students will need to accomplish, the process or steps to complete the tasks, links to preselected Internet resources, a rubric on how students will be evaluated, and finally the conclusion. Through the webquest, my students will develop a class blog. Watching the above video will be their first step in the process section of my webquest.
In the introduction section of the webquest, we will watch the following, quick, 2-minute video on defining biodiversity to activate my students' prior learning. What is Biodiversity? by Mocomi Kids Video. In addition, we will review what my students already know about ecosystems--that they are a community of plants, animals, and organisms that interact in the same area or environment. This is where I begin the process of assigning personal importance to this subject, with the introduction of the phrase "ecosystem services", simply defined as the benefits humans receive from our ecosystems.
Next comes my students' first step in the process section of the webquest. They will watch the 9-minute video on Ecosystem Services by the California Academy of Sciences, linked at the top of this page. This video will begin our research on the world's major ecosystems, called biomes, and offer a deeper understanding of how these biomes benefit humans through biodiversity. This will help them directly link the importance of our ecosystems to their lives, and this relevance to their lives is an essential step in motivating them to learn.
The final, and long-term, outcome of my students' studying of ecosystems will be a class blog, detailing each of the world's major ecosystems, including the benefits we, as humans, gain from each of these biomes. By working through the webquest, my students will learn all about the world's major ecosystems, plus help others understand how important ecosystems are for us humans. During the webquest, students will break into small groups. Each group will be responsible for reporting a myriad of details about one of the major biomes, such as, overall description, climate, plants and animals found there and how they interact in a food web, any adaptations made by the living things in the biome, the ecosystem services it provides, as well as any threats that endanger the biome.
While the above video is obviously just one small part of my webquest, it is an essential part in making the connection between science and students' lives.
This lesson corresponds with Science TEKS 5.2(D), (F), (G); 5.8(A); 5.9(A), (B), (C); 5.10(A), (B).
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