Starter Task

1. Dodo birds and triceratops are extinct (the last of the

species died out). Which of them became extinct because of
humans?

2. What evidence do we have for the existence of animals

that went extinct before humans?

3. Hunting is one way that humans can cause animals to Sparrowhawk

become extinct. How else could human activity cause
extinction? Blackbird Wren

4. Look at the food web on the right. If the population of Worm Aphid Hoverfly
Slug
slugs decreases, what effect will that have on the population
of blackbirds? Dead Leaf Live Leaf Nectar

5. Name one producer in this food web.

Extension: If the population of blackbirds decreases, is this likely to affect the population of wrens?
 Starter Task (Answers)
1. Dodos are extinct because of humans.

2. Fossils are evidence of species that existed before we did,

which are now extinct.

3. Human activity can cause extinction through; hunting,

destruction of habitat, climate change and introduction of
Sparrowhawk
invasive species.
Blackbird Wren
4. If the population of slugs decreases, the population of
blackbirds will also decrease. This is because the blackbirds Worm Aphid Hoverfly
will have less to eat. Slug

Dead Leaf Live Leaf Nectar

5. The producers in this food web are leaves and nectar.

Extension: If the population of blackbirds decreases, is this likely to affect the population of wrens?
 Preventing extinction
Global context: Identities and relationships

Learning Question: How do humans impact species in the

environment?

Outcomes
•Identify food chains
•Outline the definitions of key terminology
•Describe what a food web is
•Calculate approximate energy transfer at each step of a food chain.

Statement of enquiry
Changes in the environment cause appropriate
responses to maintain balance

ATL SKILLS
Inquirer Critical thinking Communication
 Group Reading
Reader 1:

The woolly mammoth is an extinct animal. The last one died around 4000
years ago, and now there are no woolly mammoths left anywhere in the
world. The fossil record shows us that many species have become extinct
over the course of Earth’s history. Some species which are not yet extinct
may become so soon because there are very few individuals left. These are
called endangered species.

Reader 2:

The giant panda is an example of an endangered species. There are very

few left due to human destruction of their habitat and the loss of their
food (bamboo). A captive breeding programme for the pandas has had
some success in increasing their numbers.
 Group Reading
Reader 3:

There are pros and cons to captive breeding programmes. They can create a
healthy population of the species which can then be reintroduced to the
wild. However, avoiding inbreeding can be difficult with a small population
which reduces genetic diversity and increases the risk of inherited diseases.
Also, the animals may be unsuitable for release (for example if they are
predators which have not had the chance to learn how to hunt).

Reader 4:

Conservation means protecting the natural environment of a species. The

UK has Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) where habitats are
conserved. There are over 4000 in England, 1400 in Scotland and 1000 in
Wales*. There are also seed banks for conserving plants.
 Keywords
Match each keyword to its correct meaning, then write down the keyword with its
definition.
Extinct Protecting habitats and the organisms in them.

Fossil Record Very few of a species left, so the species is at risk of extinction.

Endangered Species Fossils which have formed at different points in evolutionary history.

Conservation No organisms of a species are left alive.

Captive Breeding A store of different seeds to grow plants in the future.

Seed Bank Breeding species in human-controlled environments like a zoo.

Extension: Explain why lack of genetic variation in a species puts it at higher risk.
 Keywords (Answers)
Match each keyword to its correct meaning, then write down the keyword with its
definition.
Extinct No organisms of a species are left alive.

Fossil Record Fossils which have formed at different points in evolutionary history.

Endangered Species Very few of a species left, so the species is at risk of extinction.

Conservation Protecting habitats and the organisms in them.

Captive Breeding Breeding species in human-controlled environments like a zoo.

Seed Bank A store of different seeds to grow plants in the future.

Extension: Explain why lack of genetic variation in a species puts it at higher risk.
 Task Boxes
Choose at least two of the task boxes below to complete.
Questions Conservation Example
In this managed woodland, only a
1. Name one example of an endangered species. small area of trees are cut down for
timber at a time. They are replanted.
2. Name one example of an extinct species. Why is this better than cutting and
replanting all the trees in one go?

Copy and Fill in the Blanks

Challenge
Conservation protects an organism’s __________ so that it
has a greater chance of surviving to _________. Allowing many different species
of plants and fungi to grow in
Conservation also reduces disruption to _________
your garden helps to protect
_______ and preserves plants with _________ potential. our local wildlife. Explain how.
habitat food chains medicinal reproduce
 Task Boxes (Answers)
Choose at least two of the task boxes below to complete.
Questions Conservation Example
Leaving areas of established trees
1. Endangered species include red squirrels and the
reduces the disruption to food
giant panda.
webs. The species in those trees can
repopulate the logged area when
2. Mammoths are an extinct species.
the new trees grow.

Copy and Fill in the Blanks Challenge

Conservation protects an organism’s habitat so that it has Allowing more different species
of plants and fungi to grow in
a greater chance of surviving to reproduce. Conservation your garden helps to stabilise
also reduces disruption to food chains and preserves food webs because there are
more different sources of food
plants with medicinal potential. and shelter.
 Discussion Exercise
Answer these questions in pairs and be ready to share your answers!
Asian elephants are an endangered species. These elephants
are part of an international captive breeding programme.

1. Why do you think zoos work together on captive breeding

programmes instead of having one breeding population
per zoo?

2. Why might elephants which have lived in captivity all their

lives find it difficult to survive in the wild?

3. What are two advantages and two disadvantages of

captive breeding programmes?

Extension: Write your answers down in your book.

 Comprehension Questions
Complete these questions in your book. If you get stuck ask for help or try the next one!
A gene bank is a store of genetic material. One Challenge Questions:
type of gene bank is a seed bank. Seeds are
stored (sometimes frozen) for future use. 4. One of their projects is called Adapting Agriculture to Climate
Change. What is climate change and how does it threaten some
plant species with extinction?
1. Seed banks store lots of seeds from each
species. Suggest a reason why one seed per plant 5. The Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change project aims to
species is not enough? collect as genetically diverse a selection of crop seeds as possible.
How does this help us to prepare for climate change?
2. How can having seed banks prevent a plant
species from becoming extinct? 6. Why does collecting samples for seedbanks need international
cooperation?
3. The Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens
contains 2.4 billion seeds from 39,000 different
species. They also have laboratories there to study
the seeds. How do you think studying the seeds
helps with plant conservation?
 Comprehension Questions (Answers)
Complete these questions in your book. If you get stuck ask for help or try the next one!
A gene bank is a store of genetic material. One Challenge Questions:
type of gene bank is a seed bank. Seeds are
stored (sometimes frozen) for future use. 4. Climate change is a long-term change in weather patterns. This is
happening fast due to man-made global warming, so plants may not
be able to adapt quickly enough and species may go extinct.
1. A single seed might fail to grow and there
would not be genetic diversity. 5. If we have a genetically diverse collection of crop seeds, some of
them may be better adapted to the new conditions.
2. If a plant becomes extinct seed bank seeds
could be used to grow it again. 6. Not all of the plants are native to the UK, so international
cooperation is needed to expand the collection.
3. To store the seeds, scientists need to study:
• The conditions the seeds need to germinate
• How long the seeds will last in storage
• Ways to store them longer
• How to avoid contaminating the seeds with
plant diseases
Complete the worksheet
• Youtube links:
• Endangered Animals! – YouTube
• What Animals are Endangered? | Endangered Species Explained for Ki
ds - YouTube