Lesson Plan 4: Can farming affect biodiversity?
Grade levels: 4 to 6. Subjects: Science, Biology, Agriculture, Environmental Education Duration: Classroom time (45 min + 1.5 hours + 50 min) + 3.5 hour on-farm session Description: Students play a detective mission game in which they visit a farm and surrounding area and observe differences in ecosystems and in plant and animal species to learn how farming practices can affect the environment and biodiversity. Students present their findings orally and through a poster presentation. Learning objectives: By the end of the activity, the students will be able to: • Collect biodiversity-related field data using simple observation techniques; • Summarize and present research findings in written and oral forms; • Analyze and interpret data to arrive at a conclusion based on various sources. Skills: Students will develop skills in the following areas: • Field data collection; • Poster presentation. Materials: Notebook, pencil, detective mission, measuring instruments (ruler, tape measure), o
