The human impact on ecosystems
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how human activity changes ecosystems and reduces biodiversity.
Key learning points
- Deforestation reduces habitats and threatens species survival.
- Pollution from agriculture and industry harms ecosystems.
- Climate change alters ecosystems and species distributions.
- Invasive species introduced by humans disrupt native ecosystems.
- Biodiversity loss reduces ecosystem resilience and services.
Keywords
Deforestation - the complete removal of trees
Invasive species - plants, animals, or other organisms that are brought into a new environment, usually by humans, where they don't naturally belong
Biodiversity - all the living things in an ecosystem or area
Ecosystem - a natural environment where the plants and animals interact within it
Common misconception
Invasive species are always introduced by humans intentionally.
While some introductions are intentional (e.g. for pest control or landscaping), many invasive species are introduced accidentally, such as via ballast water in ships or hitchhiking on imported goods.
Teacher tip
Ask students to research an animal which has become extinct in the last 50 years and share findings as a class.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the term "Anthropocene" refer to?
Q2.Which Earth system includes oceans, rivers, lakes, and glaciers?
Q3.Which sphere includes all plants, animals, and other living things?
Q4.What evidence shows a recent, sharp rise in atmospheric CO₂ levels?
Q5.What can be seen from satellites that provides evidence of the Anthropocene?
Q6.Which of these is not part of the geosphere?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions.
Q2.Which of these is a result of deforestation?
Q3.Which human activity releases harmful substances into ecosystems?
Q4.What effect does climate change have on ecosystems?
Q5.How do invasive species affect native ecosystems?
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The human impact on ecosystems, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The human impact on ecosystems, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Anthropocene: What is the impact of humans on the world? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.