The Case of the Greater Prairie Chicken
Lesson Plans
Grades6, 7, 8Biology
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Provided by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
What it is
- This 6th-8th grade lesson from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources walks students through the roles that pollution, habitat loss, urbanization, and more play in the rapidly decreasing number of prairie-chickens in Illinois, as well as a general loss of biodiversity in ecosystems.
- Students will read background information about the prairie-chicken and work together to determine what they believe is the root of the problem as well as pick the best solution to combat the declining number of prairie-chickens.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This lesson is ready to go with teaching suggestions and minimal materials needed to be prepped in advance.
- Examples to extend this lesson are provided to incorporate writing practice.
Prerequisites
- The IDNR video link referenced for background on the prairie-chicken is broken, but the video can be found here.
- Students should have prior knowledge about the importance of biodiversity in a healthy ecosystem.
- Prior to the lesson, for each group of students one copy of "Prairie-chicken Problem" summary and one set of "Prairie-chicken Cards" is needed.
- Each student will need a copy of the "Prairie-chicken Solutions".
- Consider laminating class sets of the "Prairie-chicken Cards" to be used again in the future.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This lesson can be tied to climate change by connecting the negative relationship between urbanization and depletion of habitats that are decreasing the population size of prairie-chickens to the effects urbanization has on climate change.
- Extensions are available to further explore the Endangered Species Act.
- Opportunities are available to extend this lesson into a writing assignment in the form of a research report on local endangered or extinct species.
- This lesson is an opportunity for students to collaborate and debate choices by thoroughly examining multiple solutions to a problem.
- This video can help connect the importance of biodiversity to a healthy ecosystem and help further emphasize why it is important to ensure populations, like the prairie-chicken, are closely monitored.
From the scientist review
This activity allows students to learn about the prairie-chicken and how they've declined in population due to habitat loss, invasive species, population growth, and overconsumption. They will also explore ways to prevent habitat, species, and economic loss in Illinois. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on dnr.illinois.gov
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