1 / 5

Biological Sciences Biodiversity Boost Challenge

Biological Sciences Biodiversity Boost Challenge. Date 22.10.13 Dr James McEvoy & Dr Deborah Harvey. Challenge : to identify a neglected area in the school grounds, determine its biodiversity, attempt to improve area, and measure biodiversity again to quantify improvement. Process

danae
Download Presentation

Biological Sciences Biodiversity Boost Challenge

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Biological Sciences Biodiversity Boost Challenge Date 22.10.13 Dr James McEvoy & Dr Deborah Harvey

  2. Challenge : to identify a neglected area in the school grounds, determine its biodiversity, attempt to improve area, and measure biodiversity again to quantify improvement. • Process • Identify a problem area • Carry out a biodiversity survey • Decide how to improve the area • Repeat the survey • Produce materials to encourage others to maintain the biodiversity • Targets • In their target area, students will be asked to • count species, ensuring organisms are not counted twice • cause no further damageto surveyed area • identify environmental problemsand quantify them • implement practical and sustainablemethods of improving the area

  3. Implementation and assessment • Implementation • Target areas might include • ...a trampled path, flower bed by a car park, • a litter-strewn hedge or a pond • Methods of monitoring mayinclude • random and systematic sampling • capture- mark- release • using pitfall , hanging or light traps • use of equipment such as data loggers • Improving diversity might include • planting to encourage nectar seeking insects throughout the year • creating insect habitats using old buckets and stones • building bird tables and bat boxes • Assessment • Students will be assessed on • the quality of their datacollection and • record-keeping • the appropriateness of their methods • their inventiveness in creating new habitats • the presentation of their results to their • assessors and to their peers.

  4. Why take the challenge ? TEACHERS ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE USED Syllabus links KS3 :relationship between plants, animals and the environment. Maths in the environment, IT skills KS4 :ecology, plants adaptations to the environment , IT skills, English –oral presentation skills A level : ecology, biodiversity, species richness and evenness • Benefit to students • Prepares students for GCSE and A level biology – All exam boards cover biodiversity in their A level syllabuses • Encourages an interest inpractical and theoretical ecology • Promotes abilities to design and carry out a long term experiment • Develops technical,analytical and presentation skills • Shows the relevance of biodiversity in everyday life

  5. Biodiversity boost Making biodiversity relevant to tomorrow’s scientists

More Related