Can Beavers Save Salmon in Oregon's High Desert?
Videos
Grades6-APBiology, Earth and Space Sciences, History
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Provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting
What it is
- This video follows a group of biologists studying the effects of beaver dams and artificial beaver dams on stream ecosystems and salmon populations in Oregon.
- Students will learn about the impacts of drought and other land-use changes on streams and how the biologists recognized the importance of beavers as keystone species for stream ecosystems.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This video is a great example of scientists looking to nature to solve a problem!
- This video is also a great look at how much time it can take (in this case, ten years) to see the real impact of a solution.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students may need the word impoundment defined prior to watching the video.
- Some students, including English language learners, may need the terms erosion, drought, extinct, dam, channel, and bank defined prior to watching the video.
- Students who need more time to process the video can slow down the video's playback speed.
- There may be an ad before the video.
Differentiation
- History classes can make a connection to the fur trade and its lasting impacts on ecosystems in North America.
- Science classes discussing animal habitats can use this video to launch a discussion about the importance of habitat diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem services.
- Language arts classes working on collegiate discussions can use this video to spark discussions about our changing attitudes towards nature and specific species over time.
- After watching this video, Earth science classes can discuss the effects of precipitation, drought, land-use changes, and erosion on land and watersheds.
- This video lends itself to a cause and effect chart that students can fill out, either during or after the video, to organize many of the ideas presented.
From the scientist review
This ~8.5 minute video discusses the use of beavers (nature's engineers) to ensure the continued health of streams and rivers and how they aid in habitat creation for essential fish and other wildlife. This video would be a great addition to a classroom discussion about alternative methods to maintaining a healthy planet and how supporting wildlife could hold the key to ensuring the health of our planet.
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