EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY: A Guide for Educators Around the World

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Mapping Your Action Project 1. What environmental issue will your project focus on? What is the current status of the issue? 2. Briefly describe the goal of your project and your strategy to accomplish this goal. What would you like to see change as a result of your project? 3. What are the specific objectives that will help you reach your overall goal? 4. What are the approximate starting and ending dates of your project? 5. List the tasks that need to be accomplished to meet each objective. Include a tentative completion date for each task, the names of people responsible for each task, the supplies and equipment required, any funding needed, and ideas about sources for materials and funding. 6. Write down the names of people and organisations that may be able to provide you with useful information, specific skills or expertise, or other help. 7. List ideas for ways to publicize and generate support for your project. 8. Describe criteria for measuring your success. / they need to talk to? How will they use the information they gather? 4. Learn more about the issues and pick a project. Have students choose three to five possible projects, develop a list of questions for each one, and work in groups to research the answers. Give them adequate time to do research, and encourage them to use any sources available (library, Internet, newspaper, TV and radio, local experts). If access to information sources is limited, students can make a list of local people they could interview for more information. For each problem, students should think of people to talk to who are likely to have different opinions on why the problem exists or how to solve it. For example, if the problem is poaching, or illegal hunting, students could talk to hunters, park rangers, conservationists, and people who have lived in the community for many years. Afterward, organize presentations or class discussions designed to help students demonstrate their knowledge. Invite experts or resource people to discuss problems, find potential solutions, and help evaluate ideas. As students approach their final decision about which project to pursue, have each group present a case for one or more of the projects that the group feels strongly about. Then hold a group vote. Or have a large group discussion and try to reach consensus. The important thing is to let students have as much say in the 74
a decision-making process as possible. At the end, group members should have chosen a project that they think is both interesting and doable. 5. Create an action plan. Help your students get started on their action plan by asking: What do you hope you’ll accomplish by doing this project? Guide them in coming up with a goal or vision for the project and specific, concrete objectives that need to be accomplished along the way. Have them reflect on questions such as the following: What is the current status of the problem? What changed to make it become an issue? Do other communities and/or countries experience the same problem? What do other people think about the problem? Are there many different opinions? Are there any conflicts? The students can also use the questions in “Mapping Your Action Project” (on page 74) to help them plan and focus. As the students work on their action plan, guide them toward realistic objectives. One of the most common problems for students is thinking too big. Help them focus and simplify the project by discussing the responses to the questions and by asking them to carefully consider hard questions: How will you raise that much money? How might you tackle a smaller, but more manageable, piece of the problem? 6. Put the plan into action. As students get started, explain that their projects will work best if they keep track of who’s doing what, what they’ve done, when they did it, whom they’ve contacted, and so on. It’s important that students evaluate the project periodically to see if they’re on target and to make modifications if necessary. Remind them that it’s OK to rethink their goals and objectives and to revise their plan of action in light of new information or unexpected obstacles. 7. Set a date for project completion and final reports. Students should be asked to make formal presentations to the rest of the class about their plans, objectives and final results. In the Páramo region of Colombia in South America, students worked with their teachers, local conservationists, and community members to create a series of 20 radio programs about the local ecosystem, the species that live there, and how local residents can help support conservation. Several local radio stations air the programs, reaching thousands of people. 75
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EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY: A Guide for
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Exploring Biodiversity is a joint p
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TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .
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Exploring Biodiversity is packed wi
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of selecting activities to do with
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p SECTION 1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? 1
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p Where Is the Diversity? Some area
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Malaria once infected nine out of t
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p WHAT TO DO 1. As a group, create
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ACTIVITY 2: THE WEB OF LIFE BACKGRO
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Encourage students to think creativ
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ACTIVITY 3: BIOBLITZ OBJECTIVES: Na
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6. Set the stage. Ask your students
Page 27 and 28: SECTION 2 BIODIVERSITY CONNECTIONS
Page 29 and 30: Intensive agricultural production o
Page 31 and 32: The Nature Connection The desire of
Page 33 and 34: 3. Put up the statements and read e
Page 35 and 36: • Will photographs and films that
Page 37 and 38: ACTIVITY 5: BIODIVERSITY PERFORMS O
Page 39 and 40: Plants convert the sun’s energy i
Page 41 and 42: q SECTION 3 THE STATE OF BIODIVERSI
Page 43 and 44: q important differences, however, b
Page 45 and 46: chemical fertilisers to remain prod
Page 47 and 48: Ironically, this “greenhouse effe
Page 49 and 50: Aliens Are Among Us! Another contri
Page 51 and 52: q WHAT TO DO 1. Explain what “thr
Page 53 and 54: q teristics that might make species
Page 55 and 56: q clothing) to mark the boundaries.
Page 57 and 58: q Ask the students why animals need
Page 59 and 60: 7. Discuss protected area design: M
Page 61 and 62: SECTION 4 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Page 63 and 64: a creating conservation corridors,
Page 65 and 66: a often boosts local economies by c
Page 67 and 68: ACTIVITY 8: THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW
Page 69 and 70: a WHAT TO DO 1. Create student grou
Page 71 and 72: a next round, but this time introdu
Page 73 and 74: ACTIVITY 9: COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS O
Page 75 and 76: a Tips for Interviewing • Careful
Page 77: a WHAT TO DO 1. Explore project top
Page 81 and 82: SECTION 5 APPENDICES Appendix A: Ex
Page 83 and 84: organic garden or compost pile; imp
Page 85 and 86: extinct: refers to a species that n
Page 87 and 88: pollination: the process by which p
Page 89: For more information about the Expl
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