The Race to Save Endangered Foods
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, History
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Vox
What it is
- This interesting video explores food extinction, why ancient plant varieties are disappearing from farms around the world, and how important it is to preserve this genetic diversity.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Using the data and statistics presented, students can understand how industrialization and the drive for more profit may lead to a single crop being grown, instead of many.
- This video explores some historical data about the old seed varieties.
Prerequisites
- The teacher will find an ad at the beginning of the video.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Cross-curricular activities can be conducted in history classes when discussing people's past experiences with seeds and agriculture.
- Biology classes can explore the relationship between the genetic homogeneity of crops and human health.
- The teacher can divide this video into three parts to help students understand the facts and data.
- This video can be used as an introduction to a lesson on nutrition and human disease.
- To make connections to climate change, students can discuss the increase of invasive species and high temperatures due to climate change and how biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient to these changes.
- Other resources to consider on this topic include the Environmental Impacts Of Food Data Explorer and Food Waste: What's the Problem? What's the Solution?.
From the scientist review
As the marketplace has become more globalized, the genetic diversity of the food we eat has shrunk, making crops more prone to being wiped out by a single disease. This Vox video explores how this happened and why it is important to preserve genetic diversity in the foods we eat. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on youtube.com
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
