Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: What is species survival?

20 minutes

Find Out: Species survival and gene editing

25 minutes

Take Action: Species survival - a bigger picture

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions and success criteria

Students will:

recognise that climate change is a threat to biodiversity
understand that gene editing and assisted reproductive technologies can play a role in species survival.

Students can:

discuss the potential opportunities and risks (including ethical questions) associated with gene editing
create a fact sheet to show how gene editing and assisted reproductive technologies can play a role in the conservation of a local species.

Tune In: What is species survival?

Step 1

Begin by inviting students to participate in a barometer activity based on the prompts below.

Barometer activity - Place or draw a line on the floor, long enough to accommodate all students standing or sitting along the line. Label one end of the line as AGREE and the other end as DISAGREE. As you read out each of the prompts below, invite students to navigate along the line to the place that most aligns with their position on this prompt. Engage students in a brief discussion around each prompt.

Prompt	Suggested answer/discussion points
I can explain what a species is.	The term species refers to a group of living things that can reproduce naturally with other members of the same group, but not with those of other groups. Humans are a species, domestic cats are a species, koalas are a species, European Honey Bees are a species, River Red Gums are a species, and dandelions are a species. Domestic dogs can’t reproduce with River Red Gums, European Honey Bees can’t reproduce with koalas etc.
I know what biodiversity is.	Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the diversity of species, genetic variation within those species, and the range of ecosystems they form. It encompasses all living organisms, from plants and animals to microorganisms, and the ecological complexes they are part of.
I can describe climate change.	Climate change is a long-term change in temperatures and weather patterns. These changes can be natural, but since the 1800s human activities have been the main cause of changes to our climate, mainly as a result of burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.
I understand how climate change might affect biodiversity.	Climate change is already affecting biodiversity in numerous ways. "Climate change has altered marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems around the world. It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and driven mass mortality of plants and animals... Overall, climate change affects the health of ecosystems, influencing shifts in the distribution of plants, viruses, animals, and even human settlements" (source)

Step 2

Share the following poster with your students, explaining that it is about National Science Week 2024. Invites students to take a moment to look at the poster and then respond to the questions below through class discussion:

National Science Week 2024 Official Poster - (https://www.scienceweek.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Species-survival-poster-2024.pdf )

What do you think is the main message of this poster?
What do you think ‘more than just sustainability’ refers to?
What do the images in the poster tell you about the message of this poster?
How might this poster relate to climate change and biodiversity?

Explain to students that in the next part of the lesson, they will explore some of the ways scientists are trying to help species survive the challenges posed by climate change.

Find Out: Species Survival and Gene Editing

Step 1

Explain to your students that many people worldwide are finding ways to support species and ecosystems, especially in the face of climate change. One strategy for ensuring species survival is to look at how we can help species adapt to a changing climate. Evidence shows that some species already adapt to climate change through behavioural and physiological changes.

Step 2

Break the class into groups of 4-5 students. Assign each member of each group one of the following articles so that all articles are read by someone in each group (note for groups requiring extension or students in year 10, one student will be assigned the video to watch):

Factsheet Article 1: Many Bird Species Are Having Fewer Chicks as the World Warms
Factsheet Article 2: Animals With Fewer Young Are More Resilient Against Extreme Weather, Study Finds
Webpage Article - How Climate Change is Changing Animal Habits (https://www.neefusa.org/story/climate-change/how-climate-change-changing-animal-habits)- Note: This is a long article and could be divided between 2 students
Video (Year 10): Can wildlife adapt to climate change? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKRjP_DMII)

Each student should read or watch their article or video and make notes on the main ideas and their own personal responses to the article, such as how this article made them feel (e.g., worried or hopeful) and what questions this article raises for them.

Invite volunteers to share some of their ideas with the class.

Step 3

Explain to your students that in the race to help species survive the challenges posed by climate change, some scientists are looking at how they can ‘tweak’ the genetics of some species to help them adapt to climate change. This is known as artificial selection and is in contrast to natural selection.

Natural selection is where “organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. This process causes species to change and diverge over time” (source)

Step 4

Keeping your students in the same groups, invite them to read through the seven examples of gene editing in the table on the Student Worksheet. All students should read through all of the examples, making notes about issues or ideas that stand out to them.

Step 5

Once students have had the chance to read through all the articles, invite each group to discuss the following points:

What do you think is most interesting about these articles?
What is confusing, or what questions do these articles leave you with?
Given that human-induced climate change is causing huge impacts on biodiversity, how far should humans go to support the species that are impacted by climate change?
Do these articles raise any ethical issues for you?
Regarding climate change and species survival, what would be your arguments for and against genetic tweaking?

You can then invite students to share their ideas with the class through class discussion.

Step 6

Working independently or in groups, students should be invited to create a PMI chart in their workbooks that compares the information they have read and discussed using gene editing as a tool for species survival. Students could undertake further research in support of this task.

Take Action: Species survival - a bigger picture

Step 1

Explain to students that not all attempts at species survival involve tweaking genetics and manipulating reproductive cycles, although these may be part of the picture. Share the following video with students, explaining that it shows how genetics and reproduction play a role - but not the only role - in fighting species extinction:

Beyond Mega Zoo - The Southern Corroboree Frog - Zoos Victoria (youtube.com/watch?v=2vppM0-B7sk)

Once complete, pose the following questions:

What roles did gene editing or reproductive tweaking play in this video?
What other actions do the scientists in this video take, besides genetic or reproductive tweaking, to help the Southern Corroboree frogs?

Step 2

Students will now develop a species survival plan for a species that can be found in their area. Students will need to research:

the range of the species
the habitat needs of that species
the risks to its survival
any projects or actions that are already being taken to protect this species (e.g. by zoos, universities, government departments, non-for-profits)
possible further actions that could be taken to protect the species and help it adapt to climate change (this could include habitat protection/conservation and gene editing - students don’t need to demonstrate intimate knowledge of these techniques but rather demonstrate an understanding of a possible way gene editing could help this species adapt to a changing climate).

Students could create a one-page fact sheet about their chosen species that includes:

an image of the species
a map of its range
details about threats to the species
actions that are already being taken to protect this species
proposed further actions and justification for these actions.

Step 3

Invite students to share their posters for feedback and reflection. Invite students to consider other students' suggestions for genetic and reproductive editing and discuss their feasibility.

Reflection

Invite students to respond to the following statement using the prompts below (also available on the Student Worksheet):

“Artificial selection appeals to humans since it is faster than natural selection and allows humans to mould organisms to their needs.” (Source - https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/artificial-selection/).

I agree/disagree with this statement because…

Gene Editing for Species Survival

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Summary

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