Grade Level: Grades 7-9
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Subjects: Science, Geography, Language Arts, Indigenous Perspectives
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define and explain biodiversity and why it matters.
- Identify examples of species interactions and ecosystem connections.
- Recognize threats to biodiversity and ways humans can protect it.
- Practice teamwork, communication, and critical thinking through gameplay.
Materials
- Projector or whiteboard
- Printed or digital Jeopardy board (PowerPoint, Google Slides, or online tool such as JeopardyLabs)
- Buzzers or simple alternatives (students raise hands or use paper signs)
- Score sheet and markers
- Optional: prizes (stickers, bonus points, etc.)
Curriculum Connections
- Science: Interactions within ecosystems, energy flow and food webs, biodiversity loss and protection, sustainability and stewardship, systems thinking, cause-and-effect reasoning, evidence-based decision-making
- Geography/Social Studies: Canadian species and ecosystems, regional biodiversity issues, place-based learning
- Language Arts: Communicate ideas clearly, listen actively and respond respectfully during collaborative activities, ask and answer questions using appropriate academic language, engage in critical thinking and discussion, reflect on learning through oral responses or written extensions
- Indigenous Perspectives: Recognizing Indigenous ways of knowing and relationships with the land, understanding stewardship and reciprocity with nature, learning that humans are part of ecosystems, not separate from them, respecting diverse perspectives on environmental responsibility
Terms
- Biodiversity: The variety of all living things in one area – like different kinds of plants, animals, insects, and fungi living together.
- Ecosystem: A community of living things (plants, animals, and people) and non-living things (like water, sunlight, and soil) that all work together and depend on each other.
- Species: A group of living things that are the same kind and can reproduce with each other.
- Habitat: The natural home or environment where a plant or animal lives and finds what it needs to survive such as food, water, and shelter.
- Food chain/food web: A diagram that shows how energy moves through an ecosystem (what a species eats). A food chain shows one path (grass → hare → fox), while a food web shows many connected paths.
- Adaptation: A special feature or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.
- Invasive species: A plant or animal that is not naturally from an area and causes harm to the local environment, plants, or animals.
- Conservation: The careful use and protection of nature so that plants, animals, and resources will be healthy for future generations.
- Extinction: When a species no longer exists anywhere on Earth.
- Stewardship: Taking care of the Earth by making choices that protect the environment, animals, and natural places.
Instructions
Introduction – What is Biodiversity?
Begin with a quick discussion:
- What does biodiversity mean?
- Why is it important for healthy ecosystems?
Show a few photos or a short video clip highlighting a local ecosystem (forest, ocean, prairie, wetland).
Game Set-Up
Divide students into 3-5 teams (depending on class size).
Explain the rules:
- Teams take turns selecting a category and point value.
- The teacher reads the question aloud.
- Teams ‘buzz in’ or raise hands to answer in the form of a question (‘What is…?’).
Correct answers earn points; incorrect answers subtract points or pass to another team.
Play Biodiversity Jeopardy!
Sample Categories and Questions:
| Category | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Ecosystems | The living and non-living things that work together in an area. (What is an ecosystem?) | A large region defined by its climate and species. (What is a biome?) | These organisms break down dead materials. (What are decomposers?) | The role a species plays in its environment. (What is a niche?) | The largest ecosystem on Earth. (What is the biosphere?) |
| Species & Adaptations | A polar bear’s thick fur helps it survive here. (What is the Arctic?) | These animals sleep through winter. (What is hibernation?) | The process of change over time to survive better. (What is adaptation?) | This bird’s long beak helps it drink nectar. (What is a hummingbird?) | When animals blend in with surroundings. (What is camouflage?) |
| Food Webs | The base of all food chains. (What are producers?) | Animals that eat plants. (What are herbivores?) | A lynx eating a hare is an example of this. (What is a predator-prey relationship?) | The arrows in a food chain show this. (What is the flow of energy?) | What happens when one species in a food web disappears? (What is a chain reaction or ecosystem imbalance?) |
| Human Impact | This happens when forests are cut down. (What is deforestation?) | Chemicals in runoff can cause this water problem. (What is pollution or algal blooms?) | When species move or die because their habitat is destroyed. (What is habitat loss?) | Invasive species often lack these natural controls. (What are predators?) | Name one-way humans can protect biodiversity. (What is conservation/restoration /stewardship?) |
| Wildlife Wonders | Canada’s national animal. (What is the beaver?) | A bird that migrates thousands of kilometres each year. (What is the Arctic tern/swallow/snow goose/loon, etc.?) | This marine mammal can be seen off Canada’s coasts. (What is a whale/seal/orca/sea otter/narwhal, etc.?) | A keystone species in many forests. (What is a beaver/salmon/bison, etc.?) | One endangered species found in our region. (What is a spotted owl/caribou/short eared owl, etc.) |
Final Jeopardy Examples:
Question: Why is biodiversity important to humans?
Answer: It provides us with food, medicine, clean air and water, and helps ecosystems stay balanced.
Question: Why is it important to protect habitats?
Answer: Because animals and plants need their habitats for food, water, and shelter – if habitats are destroyed, they can’t survive.
Question: What can we learn from Indigenous stories about the land?
Answer: They teach us to live in balance with nature and to respect all living things.
Reflection
After the game, bring the class together for a short reflection discussion:
- What question or fact surprised you most?
- How do our choices affect biodiversity?
- What can we do in our school or community to protect nature?
Extensions
- Create a student-made version of the game for another class.
- Invite a local naturalist to talk about local species.
- Have students design their own game to continue the learning.
