The Flight Free Podcast: Aviation and Wildlife

• This podcast explains how airport expansion causes biodiversity loss, especially among birds.
• Students will learn how airports increase noise pollution, light pollution, and habitat loss, making it difficult for animals to survive.

Positives

• The podcast features an interview with scientists and activist Dr. Jennifer Jones, who explains how an expansion of the Liverpool Airport will damage the surrounding wildlife.
• Students will learn about several environmental problems that airports cause, such as dangerous runoff caused by deicing chemicals and bird strikes.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the effects of habitat loss on biodiversity.
• The podcast can be downloaded.

Differentiation

• Students could research local airports to find out what kinds of wildlife live in the vicinity. Students could learn about how the airport affects wildlife in the area.
• Economics classes could discuss how people are often interested in expanding airports because it means more jobs for the community. Students could discuss environmentally sustainable alternatives to airport jobs.
• Other resources on this topic include this Khan Academy video on how human activity threatens biodiversity, this video on the collapse of biodiversity, and this interactive map of airport-related injustice and resistance.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.