Saving Ecosystems
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APBiology, Civics
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Provided by United Nations
What it is
- This article is a written record of remarks given by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres about preserving ecosystems, protecting the environment, and conserving biodiversity.
- Guterres addresses the need to protect life on land and in the seas through environmentally friendly shifts in economics and production, listening to local and BIPOC community members, and creating action plans that protect nature.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This speech touches on a wide variety of topics.
- Students will benefit from seeing the value placed on traditional ecological knowledge in this speech.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand climate change, its causes, and the resulting impacts.
- Students may need some of the terms defined before reading the article, such as biodiversity.
- The speech also references the Sustainable Development Goals, so it may benefit students to understand what they are.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The speech references a variety of topics that can be further explored in the classroom. Teachers can follow this article with lessons about circular economics, renewable energy, or sustainable agriculture.
- This speech can spark a discussion about the importance of local and BIPOC voices in conversations about sustainability. Students can also reference historical times when marginalized people have been left out of movements.
- Language arts students can identify and analyze components of this speech, such as the hook and the call to action.
From the scientist review
The article lays out four steps that UN nations can take to help protect and conserve biodiversity in nature. These actions focus on action and honoring the commitments countries have made. The article discusses the importance of involving all people, including those often not included in discussions about climate and the environment (such as Indigenous peoples). In these discussions, climate impacts and climate justice are specifically mentioned. The article also serves as an example of what action is actively being taken to address climate change, which can provide hope to climate conversations. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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