Science Animals of the Worldusually ages 12–14

The Biodiversity Crisis

Quantify the current biodiversity crisis: extinction rates 100-1000x the background rate; explain methods for measuring biodiversity loss (species-area relationship, population viability analysis, IUCN Red List categories); evaluate rewilding case studies — Yellowstone wolf reintroduction triggering a trophic cascade that changed river courses; Iberian lynx recovery; describe minimum viable population theory and conservation triage; examine ethical debates in deciding which species to prioritise

Try this together

Can your child describe what happened to Yellowstone National Park after wolves were reintroduced — what unexpected changes rippled through the whole ecosystem, including effects on rivers, as a result of one predator coming back?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Biodiversityages 9–11Extinction cascades depends on biodiversity and keystone species

Endangered & Extinct Speciesages 9–11Quantifying biodiversity crisis and extinction rates depends on endangered species and IUCN Red List

Protecting Endangered Animalsages 9–11Rigorous evaluation of conservation approaches depends on conservation approaches overview

The Biodiversity Crisisthis skill · ages 12–14

Unlocks

Grouping Species Using DNAages 13–14Cladistic and phylogenetic analysis depends on understanding extinction rates and the current biodiversity crisis

Extinction & Rapid Changeages 12–14KS3 extinction through environmental change provides curriculum grounding for the sixth mass extinction scale and drivers

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

This skill sits beyond Year 6 in the Australian Curriculum, so no F–6 code is matched. It also sits beyond the NSW K–6 syllabuses. It also sits beyond Level 6 in the Victorian Curriculum.

Nearby on the map

Deep-Sea Survivalages 12–13 Sexual Selectionages 12–13 Grouping Species Using DNAages 13–14 The Red Queen Hypothesisages 11–12

All Animals of the World skills →