Introduction

Students will build a tool that can be used by their community. The tool will have indicators about the relative health of the local biodiversity that could include gardens. Students will choose indictors that help grade biodiversity from a high level to a low level. They may choose to use language such as 'healthy biodiversity' and 'poor biodiversity'.

Students are asked to create their own solution to this activity. Their tool will help them make a judgment.

Activity outline

Students could conduct this activity in small groups.

Students can approach this task using their own creative methods. If they want a starting point they might like to follow this sequence:

Step 1

Decide what locations the biodiversity tool will apply to. Example:

Only gardens
The general suburb
Only parks and reserves.

Step 2

For the students’ area, describe what the area of highest biodiversity would be like. What would the are of poorest biodiversity be like?

Step 3

For the indicators, which of these will be used?:

1. Animal species or animal types

2. Descriptions of habitat (ecosystems) that has more of a plant focus

3. Combination.

Step 4

Will photos, diagrams, written descriptions, keys or another method or combination be used to design the tool?

Step 5

Using the decisions that have been from Steps 1 – 5 and from prior learning, organise a sequence from very poor biodiversity to very high biodiversity. Make a scale of your choosing that could contain a numerical scale, descriptive words or both.

Step 6

Design the tool with the chosen media, photos, descriptions, etc.

Step 7

Test the tool among students and some adults.

Step 8

Modify, finalise and distribute the Biodiversity indicator tool.

Step 9

Compare how students solved the problems in designing their tool.

Biodiversity Indicator Tool

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Learning Intentions:

Students will...

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