Parachuting Cats in Borneo
Lesson Plans
Grades6, 7, 8, 9Biology
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Provided by ClimateScience
What it is
- In this activity, students will put a series of events in order to make a logical story that shows how ecosystems are interconnected.
- Students will learn that DDT was used to stop a malaria outbreak in Borneo, setting off a series of damaging effects to the ecosystem that eventually led the World Health organization to parachute thousands of cats to the island.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This interesting story shows how human interference in ecosystems can have unintended consequences.
- Teachers can download the resources and use them offline or print them.
- The teacher's guide includes an answer key.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have basic knowledge about how ecosystems work.
- Teachers can find the full story on page 2 of the teacher's guide.
Differentiation
- Teachers may need to provide some context for the students to sequence the events. If students are struggling, the teacher could read the story out loud to help the students out.
- Art or English language arts classes could have students turn this story into a comic book. Students could write a preface that explains how the story demonstrates the interconnectedness of ecosystems.
- Other resources on this topic include this video on the collapse of biodiversity, this interactive flowchart that shows the connection between ecosystems and humans, and this video for teachers about how to teach the cycling of matter in ecosystems.
From the scientist review
This resource uses a real-life example of how unintended consequences can have negative impacts on a community. It teaches students how interconnected our ecosystems are and that preserving them is very important. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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