Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: Students understand that although climate change will have both negative and positive impacts on biodiversity most will be negative. Students recognise that biodiversity is vulnerable to numerous types of climate change impacts but that there are actions we can take to help biodiversity cope with the impacts from climate change.

Teacher content information: It is predicted that most aspects of biodiversity will be impacted by climate change. In terms of animals, most will experience some kinds of change to their habitat, food, access to water and interactions with other creatures. Some of these impacts will be dramatic and negative and may contribute to the extinction of some creatures. However, there are other creatures who may benefit from climate change.

How can human behaviour benefit biodiversity? Here are some examples:

The Wedge-tailed Eagle benefits from being able to eat road kill.
Native ducks benefit from the increasing network of human-made dams.
Many native birds benefit from fruit tree orchards.
House sparrows benefit from human structures for nesting.
Brushtail possums benefit from increased food and habitat opportunities in urban areas.

It's important to remember that while these examples represent positive impacts, the number of negative impacts associated with human behaviour is far greater. Even for the animals above, the positive impacts don't necessarily outweigh the negative. Most of these animals suffer from a decline in natural habitat and natural food sources.

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Student and classroom organisation

Step 1.

Explain to students that human behaviour has many negative impacts on biodiversity. Ask students to think of three examples and write these on the board. Can students think of any positive impacts of human behaviour on biodiversity? Write these on the board.

Step 2.

How will climate change affect biodiversity? Show students the short presentation Earth Hour Climate Change and Biodiversity of the three animals from the Australian Wet Tropics. Each slide shows the current distribution of an animal and how this distribution will change with an increase in temperatures (see thermometer in bottom right of slide). The red areas on the slide represent areas of high density while the yellow areas represent the extent of the animal's range. You will see that for two of the animals - the Mountain Thornbill and the Prickly Forest Skink - the distribution declines to a point where the animal is extinct. However for one animal - the Yellow Spotted Honey Eater - their range increases.

Engage students in a discussion around the presentation. Consider the following questions:

How might climate change impact negatively on biodiversity? (Suggested answers: decline in habitat range and quality, decline in food sources, decline in water, increase in extreme weather events such as drought or storms).
How might climate change benefit biodiversity? (Suggested answers: less competition for resources and habitat, expanding habitat range.)

Step 3.

Explain to students that in this activity they will be looking at five different creatures and looking at the impacts - both negative and positive - of climate change on these creatures.

Break the class into five groups and assign each group with one of the following creatures:

Group 1. Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus
Group 2. Giant Gippsland Earthworm Megascolides australis
Group 3. Common clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
Group 4. Southern Corroboree Frog Pseudophryne corroboree
Group 5. Regent Honeyeater Xanthomyza phrygia

Ask groups to create a fact sheet poster for the animal they are researching using the student worksheet to guide their research. Fact sheet posters should include a photo or drawing of the animal and a distribution map.

Assessment/Reflection

Ask students to present their fact sheets to the class, and ask groups to assess presentation using the Peer Assessment Rubric (also available on the Student Worksheet).

Extension/Homework

Ask students to look at what might happen if the animal they looked at became extinct because of climate change:

How would the animals ecosystem be affected?
How would other animals be affected?
How would humans be affected?
Any other impacts?

Earth Hour - Climate Change Affect On Biodiversity

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