Pollinators
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
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Provided by The Climate Initiative
What it is
- This article explores the importance of pollinators in food production, why the amount of pollinators is drastically declining around the world, and how climate change is making life harder for pollinators.
- Students will learn that pollinators are responsible for a third of all food production, the number of worldwide pollinators is decreasing because of habitat destruction, pollution, and other man-made factors, and climate change is throwing off the timing between pollinators and the plants they pollinate.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This article provides beautiful images and links the decline in pollinators to the economy.
- The "Quick Facts" section presents important statistics in an eye-catching way.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand what a food chain is and how important plants are to all living things.
- Students should be familiar with climate change is and how humans are contributing to it.
Differentiation
- This article could enhance a lesson about ecosystems, food webs, food production, sustainable or organic farming methods, or the importance of pollinators to plants.
- This article could support a classroom discussion on how biodiversity is crucial for human populations.
- This article could supplement a classroom discussion on how insects are viewed within America's cultural context and how important they are from an ecological perspective.
- With middle school students, it may be useful to define some words before they dive into the reading.
From the scientist review
This resource from The Climate Initiative highlights the rapid decline of pollinators, including insects like bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles, which play a crucial role in pollinating plants and ensuring food production. The decline is attributed to various factors, such as habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, and invasive species. The effects of this decline are far-reaching, as pollinators are essential for the functioning of ecosystems and human food systems. Climate change and warmer weather are also impacting the timing of blooming plants, further affecting the relationship between pollinators and plants. The preservation of pollinators is vital for maintaining ecological balance and securing our food supply. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussion about the importance of pollinators and how climate change can and will effect them.
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Hosted on theclimateinitiative.org
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