An Open Letter to Educators

Transcription

1 An Open Letter to Educators Welcome to the wonderful world of animals! As exciting and memorable as a visit to our facilities can be, it is easy to forget that we are much more than just a zoo exhibit. Education and conservation have been our primary reason for existence. Whether in the classroom, in our zoos, in the media, or at public events, our passionate and knowledgeable educators use animals as a vehicle to convey concrete, as well as abstract, concepts and information to students and the general public every day. Our programs are varied, cross-curricular, and customizable. We use interaction, humor, and real-life examples of the concepts we teach to increase retention and to make each lesson memorable. Our curriculum-based lessons are tied to the Tennessee Curriculum, focusing on the topics that you need to cover, while enriching the students learning experience and demonstrating real-life applications of abstract concepts. Little Ray s Nature s Ninjas lessons are always effective, practical, enriching, and memorable. The purpose of this document is to let teachers, like you, as well as other education professionals know about what we can do for them and to keep you updated on the changes in our educational offerings. We have included an updated list of curriculum topics as the curriculum linkages for each. We feel strongly about this and all of our programs, stand behind each and every one, will happily answer any questions that you may have, and look forward to providing Tenessee s students with the best educational opportunities available. Sincerely, Andre Ngo, Ph.D. Director of Education

2 Education Program Outlines and Curriculum Linkages Little Ray s Nature Centres offer dynamic, interactive, and engaging curriculum lessons for students of all ages, from early years through primary and secondary school, lunch and after school programs, and even specialized post-secondary and professional training programs. Enthusiastic and professional, our educators use interaction, humour, excitement, and live animals to convey both concrete subject matter and abstract concepts to students in your classroom. All of our lessons are closely tied to the Tennessee Curriculum, enriching the material, providing concrete examples of abstract concepts, and getting your students excited about the subject matter. Whether the topic is Diversity, Environmental Interactions, Habitats and Communities, or another of our lessons, your students will stay engaged, motivated, and enthusiastic, and through the incorporation of exotic and captivating creatures, they will forge concrete connections to the subject matter, making the material come alive for all participants.

3 Grade 1 Living Things Nature s Ninjas Primary School Programs (Numbers in parentheses are general learning expectations from the Tennessee Science Curriculum that are addressed in that section of the program.) Grade 1 Living Things Vocabulary: Investigation, Explore, Needs, Space, Food, Shelter, Resources, Environment (Home), Characteristics, life cycle, larva, tadpole, cocoon, adult, extinct 1) Introduction, Rules, and Safety This portion is high energy to capture and hold the attention of the students. Introduce the lesson topic and a few of the concepts that will be reviewed, then tell them that you have brought some friends to help illustrate those concepts, but that there are a few rules. Be clear with the rules and emphasize that these rules are for the well-being of the animals and for the safety of the students. Remind the students that it will be important to wash their hands after the lesson. Keep things upbeat and positive. You are not there to beat the students into submission, but to get them excited about learning and to help them to retain the information that you present. Remember too, education is not a long string of facts followed by more facts spewed out by someone at the front of the classroom. The goal is to tie all those facts together into a cohesive story, illustrating those facts so that they have a context and real meaning to the students, not just something else to memorize. You can throw in a few cool facts to get the students interest, but the majority of the lesson should be experiential and interactive. Asking questions and guiding students to the answers is far more effective than simply spouting facts. You may cram more facts in a didactic lesson, but the students will take more information home from an interactive and contextual one. 2) Characteristics of Living Things (GLE ) All living things have characteristics that indicate they are alive. Students learn about the characteristics of movement, reproduction, growth, energy consumption, and death. 1. Movement Both plants and animals move in a variety of ways. Review some of the many types of movement found in the natural world, including plant movement. 2. Reproduction No single organism lives forever. Reproduction is nature s way of ensuring the survival of the species. Discuss the diversity of ways organisms come into the world. 3. Growth Both energy and nutrients are needed for growth in plants and animals. Our instructors discuss the differences in both the diets and growth of various animals and plants. 4. Energy Consumption The sun is the source of all energy on Earth. Students learn about the different ways in which living things obtain and use energy for survival. 5. Death All living things have a lifespan. Some species are extremely long-lived (such as tortoises) while others have a very short lifespan (such as some insects).

4 Grade 1 Living Things Compare the organism to other groups, then have students suggest other animals and have them identify which group those animals belong to and how they know. Ask the students to decide if the following are alive and why: rock, robot, sunflower, and people. 3) Physical Characteristics (GLE , GLE ) Review the physical characteristics of the major animal groups and highlight adaptations as well as how animals closely resemble their parents. Connect the groups of organisms to their habitats, showing how the different characteristics help them to live there. 4) Life Cycles ( ) (This should be split over two animals) (GLE , GLE ) Present an animal with no larval stage (e.g. a snake) and review life cycle (egg, hatching, growth, some changes, but not major, then adult and reproduction Don t forget to tie in physical characteristics and classification and, perhaps, adaptation) Present an amphibian (eggs, larvae, metamorphosis, adults) Tie in butterflies, which also undergo metamorphosis (complete) Compare them to humans we change and grow, but do not have distinct larval forms 5) How Things Go Extinct (GLE ) and Recap and Review Review how animals survive in their environments and live their lives, then introduce the question of what would happen if the environment changed so that they no longer were adapted to the places where they lived. (e.g. a fish does very well in the water, but what happens if the lake dries up?) (Note: as you compare and contrast animals, if you are able to work in the concept of things being different, yet the same, try to do so. e.g. a Uromastyx may be smooth and eat plants, a legless lizard may be hard and eat both plants and insects, and a tokay gecko may be soft and just eat insects, but even though they all look different, feel different, and come from different places, they are all lizards. tie this in to people, we may look different, eat different things, or even come from different parts of the world, but we are all people. This extra bit of diversity and empathy reinforcement goes a long way towards both helping kids to relate to the animals and to each other. It is also generally quite appreciated by the teachers and administration.)

5 Grade 2 Growth and Changes in Animals Grade 2 Growth and Changes in Animals Vocabulary: Environment, habitat, mammal, amphibian, reptile, bird, insect, life cycle, adaptation, body coverings, classify, migration, hibernation, species at risk, endangered, ectothermic/endothermic (2.7) 1) Introduction, Rules, and Safety (2.1) 2) Habitats and Physical Characteristics (GLE , GLE ) When introducing your animal, focus on the physical characteristics of that organism, introduce the names of the different groups (invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, etc.) and how we know which group it belongs to. 3) Adaptations (GLE , GLE , GLE ) Defined as a characteristic body part, shape, or behavior that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment ( ). Describe the habitats that each animal comes from ( ) and how these habitats are often in different places ( ) Provide examples, then get the students to come up with ways that the various characteristics of the animal you are presenting helps them to survive in their habitat. Compare it to other groups, then have students suggest other animals and have them identify which group those animals belong to and how they know. 4) Life Cycles (GLE ) (This should be split over two animals) Present an animal with no larval stage (e.g. a snake) and review life cycle (egg, hatching, growth, some changes, but not major, then adult and reproduction Don t forget to tie in physical characteristics and classification and, perhaps, adaptation) Present an amphibian (eggs, larvae, metamorphosis, adults) Tie in mealworms and crickets, which also undergo metamorphosis (complete and incomplete) Compare them to humans we change and grow, but do not have distinct larval forms

6 Grade 2 Growth and Changes in Animals 5) Animal-Environment and Animal-Human interactions (GLE , GLE ) How do animals interact with each other? (They eat plants and other animals Commensalism, Parasitism, Competition ) How do they impact the environment? Present positive and negative impacts (control prey populations). Pick another organism and get the kids to tell you how that organism might affect its environment, in both positive and negative ways. How might it affect people or society? How can we mitigate the harm and enhance the positives? 6) Recap and Review (You can use two animals here to highlight different aspects with each, or to review with one and check comprehension with the other) This is a perfect chance to address conservation along with the previous topics. What sort of life cycle does it have? Discuss adaptations to things and how the animal is important to its environment and to us. Get the students to tell you why we should protect it. Use this opportunity to see if the kids actually picked up all the concepts. Review anything necessary.

7 Grade 3 Animal Interactions and Competition Grade 3 Animal Interactions and Competition Vocabulary: Environment, habitat, life, movement, reproduction, growth, energy consumption, mammal, amphibian, reptile, bird, insect, life cycle, larva, pupa, cocoon, adult, tadpole, competition, adaptation, interaction 1) Introduction, Rules, and Safety 2) Characteristics of Life (GLE ) All living things have characteristics that indicate they are alive. Students learn about the characteristics of movement, reproduction, growth, energy consumption, and death. 6. Movement Both plants and animals move in a variety of ways. Review some of the many types of movement found in the natural world, including plant movement. 7. Reproduction No single organism lives forever. Reproduction is nature s way of ensuring the survival of the species. Discuss the diversity of ways organisms come into the world. 8. Growth Both energy and nutrients are needed for growth in plants and animals. Our instructors discuss the differences in both the diets and growth of various animals and plants. 9. Energy Consumption The sun is the source of all energy on Earth. Students learn about the different ways in which living things obtain and use energy for survival. 10. Death All living things have a lifespan. Some species are extremely long-lived (such as tortoises) while others have a very short lifespan (such as some insects). Compare the organism to other groups, then have students suggest other animals and have them identify which group those animals belong to and how they know. Ask the students to decide if the following are alive and why: rock, robot, sunflower, and people. 3) Life Stages (GLE ) Present an animal with no larval stage (e.g. a snake) and review life cycle (egg, hatching, growth, some changes, but not major, then adult and reproduction Don t forget to tie in physical characteristics and classification and, perhaps, adaptation) Present an amphibian (eggs, larvae, metamorphosis, adults) Tie in butterflies, which also undergo metamorphosis (complete) Compare them to humans we change and grow, but do not have distinct larval forms 4) Interrelationships within and among species (GLE , GLE ) In this section, we will focus on energy flow though the environment and competition among other animal interactions. Try to work the next few concepts into a story, then ask the students to explain them afterwards and to give examples from other species or communities. (e.g. a box turtle wandering around in the forest, looking for water, tasty bugs, and fruit to eat. (Interacting with other species and the environment)

8 Grade 3 Animal Interactions and Competition But then he notices a shadow overhead, it s a raven perched in a tree (Interaction with the environment, perching in a tree), looking at him hungrily! Since ravens will often eat turtles if they can catch them the little turtle pulls into his shell. Luckily, he s a box turtle and he is able to close his shell completely, using the hinge underneath, protecting his face, tail, and other soft parts from the eager crow. Since he is too big to pick up and drop, the crow cannot get in. But then, the raven hears another raven call to let him and the rest of his group know that food is nearby and he flies off to join them and to help make sure that other flocks of ravens don t try to come in and take their food (Interaction within a population and with other populations). How do individuals interact in a population/within a species? Competition (like the different groups of ravens), collaboration, like the ravens of a particular group), mating, etc. How do different species interact? Predator/prey, competition for food, space, and other resources, pollinators get food and pollinate plants, parasites get food from other species. How does energy flow through a system? Review how producer/predator/prey relationships help energy move through a system. As plants obtain energy from the sun, animals that eat those plants get some of that energy How do species interact with their environment? Shelter from the weather, predators, or even others of the same species, water/moisture, barriers, perches, nesting sites, (see if the kids can come up with more), e.g. Alligators dig Alligator holes which hold water and provide necessary shelter for aquatic species as the ponds dry up. 5) Recap and Review (You can use two animals here to highlight different aspects with each, or to review with one and check comprehension with the other) This is a perfect chance to address conservation along with the previous topics. What sort of life cycle does it have? Discuss how the animal is important to its environment and to us. Get the students to tell you why we should protect it. Use this opportunity to see if the kids actually picked up all the concepts. Review anything necessary.

9 Grade 4 Habitats and Communities Grade 4 Habitats and Communities Vocabulary: habitat, population, community, adaptation, predator, prey, producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, food web, stability, environmental change, extinction 1) Introduction, Rules, and Safety 2) Needs of Life in a Community (GLE ) Review needs of life of an animal and plant (e.g. food, water, air, space, and light) What features of the area around them help do the animals meet their needs? Define Habitat as an area that provides the animals living in it the necessities of life. What factors might affect an animal s ability to survive in a specific habitat? (e.g., availability of water or food, amount of light, type of weather) Review adaptations and how these help organisms to survive in their environments 3) How do organisms survive in a specific habitat? (GLE , GLE ) Present an animal and ask the students how that animal might meet its needs in the environment. Highlight adaptations that the animal may have that help it to meet its needs. Discuss its interactions with other species in the area, and ask the students how those animals might meet their needs. Now that we ve looked at how organisms meet their needs, let s look at the things that might affect those their ability to do so: What might affect the ability of a specific habitat to support species? Why is there a limit to the number of plants and animals a given habitat can support? (limited resources, especially space, interactions) How can we improve a habitat that might be damaged? Or how might we be able to enrich a habitat? 4) Food Webs and Interconnectedness (GLE , GLE ) Let s look at interactions between species in a community a little closer. (A story here, showing interactions of a specific animal/species as it roams its habitat is an effective way to communicate these concepts.) Predator-prey interactions were certainly mentioned earlier, now it is time to define them and to look at the full spectrum of a food chain, identifying predators and prey, as well as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Trace the flow of energy through the system. Build a few food chains, including humans, where possible, to highlight our connection to the ecosystem. Define and identify carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. How might changes to the environment (like removal of apex predators) affect the system? 5) Depletion, Extinction, and Environmental Change (GLE , GLE , GLE )

10 Grade 4 Habitats and Communities At this point, we ve looked at the things that affect the ability of a specific habitat to support different animal and plant species, let s look at the things that might cause species to disappear or that might reduce population numbers. While animals and plants are good at adapting to their environments, sometimes the changes happen too quickly for nature to respond. Review examples, like deforestation, invasive species (like the cane toad, rats, or the brown treesnake), or even rerouting of waterways, diverting water away from a habitat that used to rely on it. But because species rely on being able to reproduce to continue their species, changes that prevent species from reproducing can have very serious effects. As well as what sort of things we might do that help or hurt the situation. Take different perspectives into account (e.g. housing developer, property owner, biologist, farmer, or a family in need of housing) 6) Recap and Review This is a good opportunity to elaborate on the previous material, present an additional example, and to test student comprehension

11 Grade 5 Species Interactions Flow of Matter and Energy Grade 5 Interactions in the Environment Vocabulary: Ecosystem, Community, Population, Habitat, Biotic, Abiotic, Food Chain, Food Web, Energy Flow, Photosynthesis, Producer, Consumer, Decomposer, Sustainability 1) Intro, Rules, and Safety 2) Set the Stage Food Webs and Energy and Matter Flow (GLE , GLE , GLE ) Set the stage, describing the habitat of the animal you are presenting. (Use two animals for this section and to cover the concepts discussed in section 3.) Introduce your animal, describing them in their native habitat. Tell a story of a day in the life of this animal, using the physical aspects of their environment (shelter, perches, water, etc.) and their search for food. In the story have them interact with others of their same species (mates, rivals, competition) and explain that the individuals of the same species in that habitat form a population. Then work in further interactions with other species (prey or predator). Briefly introduce the concept of producer and consumer, by mentioning the flow of energy in your story, including decomposers breaking down feces and even dead organisms. (This will be dealt with more later, but it is important to illustrate the concepts here first.) (e.g. We re going to tell the story of a box turtle wandering around in the forest, looking for water, tasty bugs, and fruit to eat for energy. (Interacting with other species and the environment, food chain) But then he notices a shadow overhead, it s a raven perched in a tree (Interaction with the environment, perching in a tree), looking at him hungrily! Since ravens will often eat turtles if they can catch them the little turtle pulls into his shell. Luckily, he s a box turtle and he is able to close his shell completely, using the hinge underneath, protecting his face, tail, and other soft parts from the eager crow. Since he is too big to pick up and drop, the crow cannot get in. But then, the raven hears another raven call to let him and the rest of his group know that food is nearby (maybe it s carrion, decomposing) and he flies off to join them and to help make sure that other flocks of ravens don t try to come in and take their food (Interaction within a population and with other populations). Once the danger is gone, the little turtle can go about his wandering again, maybe this time finding some tasty fruit to eat. Once he s eaten his fill, nature takes its course and he needs to get rid of his waste. As the microbes in the soil break down his poop, they provide nutrients for the seeds that also passed through his digestive system and have now begun to sprout and grow, finally producing leaves that can get energy from the sun to fuel their own growth, producing tasty leaves, and still more fruit for the box turtle and other consumers to eat. Let s look at interactions between species in a community a little closer. Predator-prey interactions were certainly mentioned earlier, now it is time to define them and to look at the full spectrum of a food web, identifying predators and prey, as well as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Trace the flow of energy and matter from the sun through producers (via photosynthesis) to consumers, decomposers, and back to primary producers.

12 Grade 5 Species Interactions Flow of Matter and Energy Build a few food chains, including humans, where possible, to highlight our connection to the ecosystem. Briefly introduce the idea that other things can influence this system, preparing the students for the next section. 3) Symbiosis, Commensalism, and Parasitism (GLE , GLE ) Turtle/tortoise Symbiosis / Commensalism Ask the students about the shell of the turtle. Explain that it is made of bone and serves to protect the animal, much like a suit of armor. It is not, however, its home. Most tortoises live in burrows under the ground that they dig out with their powerful legs. They often do not live there alone though. Many other animals, like frogs, snakes, spiders, and even some mammals may move in with them. Some turtles do the opposite, taking shelter in burrows dug by rodents or other animals. We call this form of interaction where two animals live closely together commensalism. Sometimes this arrangement benefits both animals, as is the case with the clownfish ( Nemo ) and the anemone. We call that symbiosis. Sym- means together and bios- means life or live. Things that are symbiotic live together. Can you think of any other symbiotic organisms? (hermit crabs and anemones, ants and some kinds of trees, ants and aphids, lichens, even the anemone itself is often in a symbiotic relationship with microscopic photosynthetic organisms that provide energy for it in exchange for a place to live. This turtle was captive born and raised. We take very good care of it and pay close attention to its health. But in the wild, animals don t have people to take care of them and sometimes have problems. One of the most common problems we see in reptiles in the wild is parasites. Parasitism is a special sort of interaction. Like symbiosis it involves two organisms living together, but in this case, they are not both helping each other. A parasite is an organism that not only benefits from another organism, but actually harms it. Have any of you ever been bitten by a mosquito? What do mosquitoes do? (students will probably say that they suck blood this is what we are looking for.) Other creatures also feed off of other animals without killing them. Ticks are a kind of creature related to spiders, but they don t all eat insects, some hang out on other animals and drink their blood! The snakes or other animals don t receive any benefit from this though, only the tick. In fact, the ticks may actually pass diseases from one snake to another, or one animal to another. Here, we have to watch out for the deer tick, a special kind of tick that normally feeds on deer. The problem is that this tick isn t too picky and sometimes tries to feed on people. When it does so there is a chance that it might transmit a disease, called lyme disease, to the person bitten! You may have heard someone call another person a parasite, perhaps on television. What they mean is that the other person is the only one benefiting from their interactions. They are not giving anything good back. Now, before you decide that all parasites are terrible creatures, remember that they are just another organism trying to survive and they, in turn, often serve as food for other creatures as part of that food web we mentioned earlier. 4) Ecosystem Health and Human Interactions (GLE ) What happens if a link in the chain disappears? Now that we ve looked at how organisms meet their needs, let s look at the things that might affect those their ability to do so. What might affect the ability of a specific habitat to support species? (Natural disasters and human interaction) Discuss how this translates to limited resources and limited number of living things in an ecosystem Why is there a limit to the number of plants and animals a given habitat can support? (limited resources, especially space, interactions) How can we improve a habitat that might be damaged? Or how might we be able to enrich a habitat?

13 Grade 5 Species Interactions Flow of Matter and Energy At this point, we ve looked at the things that affect the ability of a specific habitat to support different animal and plant species, let s look at the things that might cause species to disappear or that might reduce population numbers. As well as what sort of things we might do that help or hurt the situation or that might change the balance between different organisms in the system. (e.g. rats Take different perspectives into account (e.g. housing developer, property owner, biologist, farmer, or a family in need of housing) 5) Recap and Review This is a good opportunity to elaborate on the previous material, present an additional example, and to test student comprehension

14 Grade 6 Biodiversity Grade 6 Biodiversity Vocabulary: classification, biodiversity, natural community, interrelationships, vertebrate, invertebrate, stability, characteristics, and organism 1) Introduction and Rules 2) Biodiversity and its importance (GLE , GLE0607/T/E.4) Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth, and is present at many scales: within a species, among species in communities, and among communities and the physical landscapes that support them. Why is biodiversity within a species important? (e.g., If all the frogs in a population are exactly the same, if one individual is susceptible to a particular disease, like chytridomycosis (caused by the chytrid fungus), they all are, and the entire population could be wiped out or drastically reduced. This not only affects that species but all the others connected to it in the food web. But, because of the variation within a species, some individuals may be more resistant and have a better chance of surviving. Those genes are then passed on to the next generation.) (e.g. Albino Burmese Pythons are severely inbred because of demand for morphs in the pet snake industry. As a result, their immune system is less resilient making them more susceptible to respiratory infections. They are more likely to be smaller and to live half as long as individuals from a wild population. It is also important when conditions may change suddenly, such as in habitats that flood occasionally, or may have severe temperature changes from year to year. Diversity within a species increases the chance that there will be at least some part of the population that can deal with the change. Bring up Bacterial resistance and antibiotics ) Diversity within and among communities Within a community means that if there are changes in the community that affect part of the community, there is a better chance that another species will be able to take over the role/job of the missing or reduced species (e.g., Having many types of trees means that if a disease comes through that wipes out one species, there will still be other species of trees for animals to shelter in, or to provide shade. Many species of insect means that if something affects one, there is less chance that it will be wiped out, since predators can eat other, easier to find species, until the numbers return to normal levels. Having diversity among communities means that if something happens to the habitat in one area, there is a better chance that species from different communities might be able to survive there and re-colonize it.)

15 Grade 6 Biodiversity 3) Biotic and Abiotic (GLE , GLE , GLE ) Introduce the next animal and briefly describe its habitat. Explain that scientist that study these animals usually look at more than just the animals themselves. The study how that animal fits into the ecosystem around it and its interactions with other things in its environment. Define ecosystem for them as all of the interacting organisms and their environment. Ask the students how this animal might interact with the structures and creatures in that habitat. Explain that ecosystems are composed of two main elements, living and non-living and that interactions with living things are classified as biotic interactions, while those with non-living things are classified as abiotic. To which categories do the interactions the students came up with belong? Try to get them to list at least 5 abiotic elements as well as biotic ones. What about interactions between abiotic factors? (e.g. sun drying up water, water eroding soil, etc.) Discuss Producers (interact with the sun and ground to produce or make energy available to other organisms in the ecosystem), Consumers (interact with their prey and possibly their predators), Parasites, and Decomposers and the transfer of energy along the Food Web, eventually getting recycled, promoting sustainability. How do these concepts fit with the box turtle in the earlier story? Let the students draw the connections. 4) Interrelationships Within and Among Species and Their Environment (GLE ) Try to work the next few concepts into a story, then ask the students to explain them afterwards and to give examples from other species or communities. (e.g. a box turtle wandering around in the forest, looking for water, tasty bugs, and fruit to eat. (Interacting with other species and the environment) But then he notices a shadow overhead, it s a raven perched in a tree (Interaction with the environment, perching in a tree), looking at him hungrily! Since ravens will often eat turtles if they can catch them the little turtle pulls into his shell. Luckily, he s a box turtle and he is able to close his shell completely, using the hinge underneath, protecting his face, tail, and other soft parts from the eager crow. Since he is too big to pick up and drop, the crow cannot get in. But then, the raven hears another raven call to let him and the rest of his group know that food is nearby and he flies off to join them and to help make sure that other flocks of ravens don t try to come in and take their food (Interaction within a population and with other populations). How do individuals interact in a population/within a species? Competition (like the different groups of ravens), collaboration, like the ravens of a particular group), mating, etc. How do different species interact? Predator/prey, competition for food, space, and other resources, pollinators get food and pollinate plants, parasites get food from other species. How do species interact with their environment? Shelter from the weather, predators, or even others of the same species, water/moisture, barriers, perches, nesting sites, (see if the kids can come up with more), Alligators dig Alligator holes which hold water and provide necessary shelter for aquatic species as the ponds dry up. How do all of these interactions help sustain biodiversity Competition helps the best fit to survive. Predator/prey interactions keep populations in check predators are limited by the amount of prey, and by preying on multiple species, the food web is more stable than a simple chain. Collaboration helps more individuals to survive. Mating produces more individuals to help the survival of the species. Many pollinators get food from flowers (nectar) and carry pollen between plants, not only pollinating them, but, by carrying pollen between plants, even increases the diversity within a species.

16 Grade 6 Biodiversity 5) Benefits to Humans (GLE0607.T/E.4) How does biodiversity help us? Biodiversity provides us with a variety of foodstuffs and many medicines produced from plants, frogs, and even snake venoms Materials for clothing and even building come from plants and animals. Different types of wood have different strengths or hardness as well as different appearances and differing amounts of resistance to rotting. As a result, we have many types of wood that we can use in different circumstances. Many other things are also made from the diversity of plants and animals. The diversity helps to keep the ecosystem stable and resilient. Plus, the diversity gives us more species to admire and appreciate. The wide variety of flowers, fruit, charismatic animals, and more is due to that diversity. What happens if it is gone? We may lose stability in our food webs, potentially affecting commercially, aesthetically, or even medically important plants and animals. Biodiversity helps to make populations and communities more resistant to new invasive pests and diseases. With a greater diversity of predators, there is a better chance that something will be able to keep the new threat in check. Without it, we risk losing everything. Less diverse populations may be more susceptible to pests and disease, and our crops are no different. A single invasive species may decimate or even eliminate otherwise healthy populations. Plus, a loss of this diversity would leave many of our wilds less beautiful and would rob us of the variety of things to appreciate as we look around us.