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Activity 4 Decide together: Biodiversity
Comparison

Time: 45 minutes
Objectives

Learners compare the biodiversity found at a natural site to the
biodiversity found in their school grounds. Resources

• ‘Looking after
Teacher guidelines biodiversity’
worksheet
Planning • Pencil
• A good map or
1. Source a good map, picture or video of a natural site like a picture of natural
botanical garden in your area. If possible, plan to take your site
learners to a local natural site. Try to organize a visit for
yourself to the site before the actual excursion.
Sites in your local area that still include remnants of
original vegetation are likely to contain a greater range
of biodiversity than your school. These sites provide an
opportunity to compare your school’s biodiversity to that
found in a ‘natural’ site. The comparison can also be used
as a basis for what could be done in your school grounds to
help improve biodiversity.
Suitable sites for your excursion include places such as
national parks, Environmental Education Centres, or local
parks etc.

2. Invite an expert on the area you are visiting to speak to the
learners or arrange for a guide. Let this person know that
the learners will be interviewing them about what they do
to manage biodiversity and provide them with a copy of the
‘Looking after biodiversity’ worksheet, in advance of the visit.

Before the visit
3. Name the ecosystem you are going to visit. Based on
acquired knowledge ask the learners to describe what
they think this ecosystem will look like and what its main
features are. Before visiting a natural site discuss rules and
appropriate ways to behave.

During the visit

4. See if you can arrange for a guide to assist your learners
with biodiversity surveys. Surveys could be similar to those
conducted in your school or may differ depending on the
site you have chosen.

5. At some stage during the visit ask your learners to interview
the guide and complete the ‘Looking after biodiversity’
worksheet.

Life and living | Plants and animals on Earth 23

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