Rewild the World
Week 2 - Why biodiversity matters
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What is Biodiversity?
Begin by revisiting key ideas from LS1:
What did we learn about our role as changemakers?
What did we learn about power and action?
In your own words, what is a changemaker and what do they do?
Explain that we are revisiting core ideas from the last lesson so we can build on them today.Understanding how people protect nature helps us explore why biodiversity matters this week
Ask a few simple prompts to activate thinking and help you see what they already understand.
Example questions may include: What does the word nature mean to you?
Can you name some living things that share our environment?
What do plants/animals/people need to survive?
How do living things help each other?
Why might it be important to look after living things?
What do you think the word biodiversity might mean? (Break it apart: “bio” + “diversity”)
Then, watch the video with Gavin and Abbie where they explain the importance of biodiversity and how all living things are connected.
After the video, invite students to share any questions or thoughts that arise.
Record these questions or ask students to write them on post-it notes and add them to a class ‘wonder-wall’ as the program continues. , as they may link to future lessons throughout the week. Encourage curiosity, active listening, and reflection, helping students recognise how their growing understanding of biodiversity will guide their learning and actions ahead.
Welcome to Week 2 of Rewild Your World! This week, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of biodiversity – the incredible variety of life that makes our planet so rich and alive. From the smallest insect to the tallest tree, every living thing plays an important role in keeping nature in balance.
Bio – means life. It’s about all living things like animals, plants, and people.
Diversity – means difference or variety. It’s when there are lots of different kinds of things.
You’ll explore how all parts of nature are connected and depend on each other to survive. We’ll be learning about something called ecosystem services – the special jobs nature does to keep Earth healthy, such as cleaning our air, providing food, and supporting life in every habitat.
Through reading, discussion and hands-on activities, you’ll begin to see how biodiversity supports every living system on our planet. This understanding will prepare us to take real action in the coming weeks as we plan projects to protect and restore the environment around us.
This is another exciting step on your journey as a changemaker – learning to see the world through curious eyes and to care deeply for the life that surrounds us.
Your Weekly Keywords
Each week, students will explore ten key words that link directly to the biodiversity and STEM learning journey ahead. These words act as thinking tools, helping students communicate their ideas, describe natural processes, and build a shared scientific vocabulary.
You might like to introduce the idea of a scientist’s or explorer’s toolkit, where each new word is like a tool that helps students observe, question, explain and make sense of the world around them – just as scientists use instruments to explore and understand nature.
Check for prior knowledge and make connections with keywords from lesson sequence one. Use the word wall to add new vocabulary and to revisit words that were explored last lesson. Encourage students to identify words that link across lessons — what’s the same, what’s new, and how their meanings have grown or changed. Ask questions such as:
“Which of these words did we use last week?”
“How does this word connect to what we already know about changemakers or conservation?”
“Can you see any patterns or themes across both keyword lists?”
“Which new words will help us talk about biodiversity this week?”
“How might these words help us think and speak like scientists or changemakers?”
“How do these new words build on what we already know about changemakers and conservation?”
Conclude with a quick check for understanding — for example, ask each group to choose one word and explain how it connects to this week’s focus on biodiversity.
Model how to use the new vocabulary in context by demonstrating sentences that show the word in action, not just define it.
Encourage discussion, collaboration and reflection as students construct their own definitions. This process supports deeper understanding, critical thinking, and confidence in using precise, purposeful language.
Each week, you’ll receive a set of keywords connected to the journey we’re about to begin. These words are like tools in a scientist’s or explorer’s kit – they’ll help you talk about your discoveries, describe what you see in nature, and use the language of a true changemaker.
Start by looking carefully at the task card.
With a partner, try to explain each word in your own words, without using a dictionary or just using your own knowledge. Take your time – learning to build definitions together helps you think deeply and communicate clearly.
When you’re finished, share your ideas with another pair. Compare your explanations and see how your thinking connects. You might find that your meanings are similar, or that someone has discovered a creative new way to describe one of the words.
Quote of the Week – Greta Thunberg
Read the quote aloud and give students time to reflect.
You may provide students with more background about Greta by looking at her profile via a web search.
Ask them to consider how small actions can create big change, then encourage partner discussions about why students think Greta’s actions have inspired so many people .Support them in making connections between Greta’s actions and the kinds of choices or actions young people can take in their own communities or help them to identify small, meaningful actions that feel realistic and relevant in their own context.
Acknowledge that sometimes when public figures speak out for change they may face both support and criticism. Encourage students to focus on understanding her message, the evidence behind it, and the broader ideas of youth voice, agency, and environmental action. Keep discussion grounded in respectful dialogue and the goals of the lesson.
Guide the creation of quote cards, making sure if they are adding a different quote by Greta Thunberg that it is from a reliable source. Observe how they show empathy, awareness, and reflective thinking. Highlight how their ideas can grow into real actions that make a positive difference for people and the planet.
Optional idea for critical thinking and active learning:
Note that quotes are provided each week and this activity can be incorporated as needed.
After students create their quote cards, display them around the room and invite students to walk around, reading the messages of hope, truth, inspiration and action created by their peers.
Ask students to choose one quote that stands out to them and complete a short reflection, individually or with a partner:
What message is this quote sharing?
Why do you think it's powerful or meaningful?
What action could a changemaker take to bring this quote to life?
What small action could you take this week that reflects this message?
Reflection task:
This quote makes me think about…
One action this quote inspires is…
This week’s quote comes from Greta Thunberg, a young activist who at the age of 15 began a movement leading students in action to address climate change. She is now a world famous figure, has spoken in front of the United Nations climate change conference, and advocates for human and animal rights.
"Hope is not passive. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action".
Think about what Greta’s words mean. How has she demonstrated this in her life?
Talk with a partner about how Greta’s actions make you feel. Why do you think people are so inspired by her? What do you think she meant by ‘telling the truth’?
Talk with a partner about one hopeful action you could take this week – perhaps sharing what you’ve learnt about climate change, writing to a local leader, planting a tree, or encouraging others to care for nature. Remember: real hope grows stronger when it’s shared.
Then, use the quote card template link to create your own message of hope and action. You might choose another quote from Greta Thunberg or an environmental leader whose words inspire courage, honesty, and change.
Story of the week - Ella and the Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos
Encourage students to read the story with a partner to build fluency, confidence, and shared understanding. Focus on expressive reading and discussing key vocabulary such as species and behaviour.
Consider the steps that Ella took in creating a habitat for the cockatoos. Predict what sorts of species may have existed at Ella’s house before she planted the habitat. For example, given that there was little habitat other than lawn, perhaps only animals that forage in grass were present such as magpies, small skinks and grasshoppers.
Ella’s problem solving steps: Consider listing the steps Ella took to solve her problem. Sequencing her actions helps scaffold student understanding and models the type of problem-solving they will later use when creating habitat for their own champion animal. For example:
Problem
Actions Taken
Outcome
How did she make habitat changes that were sustainable? How do you know?
What benefits would the wildlife have received from the planted habitat?
What benefits would Ella have received from planting the habitat? (This last question in particular is to encourage critical thinking and will set the
foundation for content later in this sequence about ecosystem services).
What are the long-term benefits?
Support students to explain which clues in the text help them infer what Ella’s yard looked like before the changes.
Support reflective talk rather than giving answers. This activity develops literacy, listening, and critical thinking while inspiring systems thinking about the interconnectedness of nature and planetary function (ecosystem services).Optional idea for critical thinking and active learning:
Yes No Maybe - thinking routine
Label sections of the classroom with a YES, NO and MAYBE
Provide statements and ask them to move to a section and select students to justify their choice.
Ella’s actions increased biodiversity.
Planting native species has a bigger impact on wildlife than planting exotic species.
Any garden can become a habitat if food is available.
Shelter is more important than food when attracting new species.
Biodiversity can return quickly once habitat is restored.
A small patch of habitat can support many species.
This week’s champion animal is a yellow-tailed black-cockatoo.
Today’s story is a simple one. Ella loved the yellow-tailed black-cockatoos that flew over her house and wanted them to stop by. But she realised that unless she established the correct habitat, they would keep flying past. Years later, her place has been transformed from lawn to wilderness where the cockatoos and other native animals are regular visitors.
This example clearly shows how we can change our environment to live with the nature around us. This kind of action is exactly what we are aiming for later in the course when you will take similar action for a champion animal of your choosing.
Find a partner and read the story together. Take turns reading aloud and discuss the steps that Ella took to attract the cockatoos.
Later, as you travel around your neighbourhood, try and observe what animals you see and notice the type of habitat they are in. What are they eating?
Where do you think they may shelter? Do you notice different sorts of habitats in your area?
As we discover more through this course, you will begin to notice more about the habitats and biodiversity in your own area.
Comprehension – Why Biodiversity Matters
Check prior knowledge by asking students to identify examples of herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, or specialist feeders, and invite them to name species found in their local area that fit these groups.
Guide students through the reading, pausing to reinforce key information. Reflect on the definition of animal diets and invite students to suggest some species that may fall into each of the dietary groups. In particular, can you think of any that occur in your area? How might these species enable an ecosystem to function? Encourage them to notice the relationships between species and discuss how small changes in one part of an ecosystem can affect the whole system.
After reading, invite students to reflect on what they’ve learnt by summarising the main ideas in their own words. Model how to identify the most important information and explain it clearly, focusing on accuracy and understanding rather than repetition.
Observe students’ ability to connect concepts, think critically, and show awareness of how biodiversity, sustainability, and human choices are linked. Look for evidence of curiosity, thoughtful reflection, and creative expression in how they share their understanding.
This week, you will read an information text about Why Biodiversity Matters. The word biodiversity is a contraction of the term biological diversity - in other words, the range of living things in a defined area, such as the biodiversity of a pond, or the biodiversity of Africa.
In this information sheet we will be looking at the basic needs of biodiversity in order to thrive. At first it may seem obvious that all animals need food, shelter, water and mates. However, as we will discover during this course, all animals' needs are different. For a start they have different diets and need different shelters that are found within particular ecosystems.
Following this you will be asked a series of questions about biodiversity as we build our knowledge in preparation to rewild an area.
Write Your Answers Here - How Far You Can Go?
Explain that there are 12 questions across Levels 1–4; pupils answer in order, using full sentences and evidence from the texts. Model one think-aloud response, then set a timed independent phase with permission to re-read.
Clarify key vocabulary in the quiz and remind students to use the word wall as a support tool while they work.
Encourage underlining/annotating and using sentence starters. When finished, pupils mark the highest level reached and identify a next step. Observe comprehension, retrieval, inference, use of evidence, written clarity, perseverance, self-assessment, and willingness to seek clarification.
After reading the text about why biodiversity matters, you will complete a set of 12 comprehension questions. The questions begin at Level 1 (easier) and move up to Level 4 (more challenging).
Write your answers in full sentences, using information and evidence from the text to support your ideas. Work through the questions in order and see how far you can go.
If you reach a question you find difficult, pause there — this helps you see what you already know and what you’re ready to learn next.
Habitat Match - Who Lives Where?
Prepare for the game by making sure each student has a pen and paper or a device to write down their answers. Remind students that they have 20 seconds to select the correct answer as they determine the habitat or ecosystem to which each animal belongs.
Once you have completed the quiz, return to the beginning to consider some of the ecosystems and habitats options presented. Ask the students to suggest other species that may use these environments. Do students notice any adaptations that these animals have that would make them suited to their particular environments?
After completing the quiz, revisit a few questions and look more closely at the habitat options presented. Ask students to suggest other species that might use the same and alternative environments offered.
Prompt them to notice adaptations (e.g. fur, beaks, feet, body shape, colouring) that make each animal suited to its particular environment
Animals live in different habitats that often occur within specific ecosystems.
Now it is time to test your knowledge with a fun quiz. Play the video opposite and think carefully about each question. You’ll have 20 seconds to write down which answer you think is correct. You must decide before the 20 seconds are up!
Once the time is finished, the answer will be revealed. Remember, this isn’t about how many you get right, but about realising that every animal, insect, and plant is part of the big jigsaw of life — and that we are part of that puzzle too.
You might like to play this game with a friend and see if you can both decide which answer you think is correct before the timer runs out. Then check your answers once the correct habitat is revealed.
Have fun!
What are Ecosystem Services?
Check prior knowledge by asking:
Have you heard the term ecosystem services before?
Which services do you think humans rely on most often?
Can you think of an example from your own neighbourhood?
This lesson focuses on developing students’ literacy and comprehension through scientific vocabulary linked to ecosystem services. Encourage students to read the definitions carefully, identify unfamiliar words, and discuss their meanings in context. Support understanding by connecting each service to real-world examples they can relate to, such as trees cleaning the air or bees pollinating flowers.
The teacher may invite different students to read each ecosystem service aloud and then lead a class discussion about what it means in simple, everyday language.
Encourage students to rephrase definitions in their own words and share examples from their lives, such as how trees give shade or worms help the soil.
Encourage partner or small-group discussion about how each service supports biodiversity, human wellbeing, and ecosystem health.
Clarify misconceptions such as thinking ecosystem services only benefit wildlife, not people.
Begin to explore the different ecosystem services by addressing these statements:
If this ecosystem service works well, then…
If this ecosystem service disappears, then…
If these changes continue over time, then…
This week, we’re learning all about ecosystem services – nature’s way of keeping our planet working perfectly , just like the parts of a car engine working together in harmony.
Ecosystem services give us food, clean our water, and support everything that helps life to flourish on Earth.
Take a look at our Wheel of Ecosystem Services and read the definitions included on the second page. Talk about how each one is unique yet just as important as the others. These ideas will be further explored in the next two activities.
This information will help you in the upcoming activities, so keep your notes handy and jot down any new words you come across.
Spin the Wheel – Make the Connection
Observe how students interpret and explain the different ecosystem services, noting their ability to paraphrase definitions and apply them to real-life examples.
Provide feedback on students’ ability to connect knowledge with action.
Encourage students to think systemically, recognising how ecosystem services depend on biodiversity, healthy habitats, and stable ecosystems.
Look for evidence of curiosity, problem-solving, and ethical awareness as students discuss why these services matter and how humans influence them.
The wheel shows the 20 different ecosystem services that we explored earlier that help our planet function — things like pollination, fresh water, climate control, education, and stewardship.
Spin the Ecosystem Services Wheel twice to choose two different services.
Spin once to land on your first service, then spin again for your second. Then skip to the next activity to discover how we will connect them.
How Ecosystem Services Work Together
This activity helps students explore how different ecosystem services support biodiversity and connect within nature. By spinning the wheel, students engage with chance and choice, encouraging curiosity and ownership.
Drawing four examples develops understanding of each service’s role, while the short paragraph promotes synthesis and systems thinking. Observe students’ ability to explain interdependence between services, recognise cause and effect in ecosystems, and express how protecting biodiversity keeps natural systems balanced and healthy for all life.Use think aloud to model an example of cause and effect in an ecosystem. For example, talk through what might happen if pollinators such as bees decline. As you model your thinking, use drawings, diagrams and labels to highlight the cause and each effect in the chain.
Observe creativity, ownership, and motivation. Look for how students connect knowledge with action, demonstrate pride in their work, and show initiative in choosing a meaningful medium.Thinking and effective questioning prompts:
“How does one service make another possible?”
“What would happen if one service disappeared?”
“Which species benefit from both services?
Following the exercise, students reveal their connections to the class. As they do this, create a joint concept map on butcher's paper or a white board of how the different ecosystem services work together.
Discussion:
What do you notice about the concept map?”
What happens if one service breaks down?
What does this tell us about protecting ecosystems?
Consolidation and checking for understanding:
Which ecosystem service did you find most surprising or important today, and why?
Having selected your two different ecosystem services from spinning the wheel (above), use your task card to help you explore how these two services are connected and why they’re both essential for life on Earth.
For example:
How might soil and nutrients link with food?
How could mental health and recreation connect?
Ecosystem services are nature’s way of keeping our planet healthy.
They help to feed us, clean the air and water, and support important jobs like pollination, oxygen production, and climate control — all for free!
But there’s one important rule: these systems only work well when biodiversity is strong and ecosystems are balanced. It’s up to all of us to care for nature so that it can keep caring for us.
Use the template opposite to record your two ecosystem services.
Write down four ways they support biodiversity in the environment, then explain how they work together when connected.
Following this you will work as a class to connect as many of the ecosystem services as possible
Weekly Mindfulness – The Art of Nature: Time to Reflect
This activity encourages students to slow down, observe carefully, and connect with nature through creativity. Guide them to spend quiet time outside if possible, or to observe nature from a window.
Model mindful observation using the example of a tree study, highlighting detail, texture, and pattern. Encourage curiosity and imaginative thinking rather than perfection in drawing. Observe students’ ability to focus, notice fine details, and express their reflections creatively through both art and words.
Encourage noticing ecosystem services provided by the tree.
Create a “Nature Noticing Wall” in the classroom where students can display drawings, photographs or found natural items gathered during the course. This allows the class to revisit these images in future lessons, noticing patterns, seasonal changes, and connections to biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem services. The wall becomes a visual record of students’ growing awareness and supports ongoing reflection throughout the lesson sequences.
As a class view the Nature Noticing Wall and discuss:
I noticed something I’ve never noticed before…”
This detail made me realise…
This connects to…
This week, you’ll be doing the same activity — spending time observing nature closely, but this time the focus is a tree or large plant. Try to go outside if you can, even if it’s just the school playground, your garden, or a nearby park. If you can’t go out, look through a window and take notice of the world beyond the glass.
Bring your sketchbook or the task card opposite and let your mind be calm and your eyes focused. Look carefully at the small details — the shapes of leaves, the way branches twist, or how light filters through the canopy.
Before you begin, take a look at our example of a tree observation for inspiration. Then, let your mind wander and be as creative as possible as you draw and describe what you see. Perhaps you may like to reflect on the ecosystem services it is providing for you. You can use words to express your feelings or observations. This is your moment to pause, notice, and connect with nature through art.
Your Digital Résumé – Experience 2
This week, students will create Experience 2 for their digital résumé. Ask them to spend time outdoors observing trees or other elements of nature, taking three photographs in natural light that capture what they notice and feel.
Guide them to select one photograph that best represents their learning and write a deep reflection about the experience. Their reflection should explore what they observed, how it made them feel, and what impact this work could have on themselves, their peers, and their
Throughout this course, you will build your own digital résumé. It will be a personal portfolio that captures your learning journey and allows you to collect your work, celebrate your achievements, and reflect on what you have discovered about yourself.
This week, you will be adding your second experience, a reflection on what you have achieved so far.
As the weeks continue, your résumé will grow into a beautiful record of your learning. By the end of the course, it will not only show what you have achieved but also reveal who you are becoming as a learner, a creator, and someone who wants to make a positive difference in the world.
Share Your Thoughts on Dear World
This week, students will create and share their Dear World story. Guide them to reflect deeply on their learning and how it can inspire others to think differently about nature and community. Remind them that their community is not just their school or town, but the whole world.
Encourage students to choose one meaningful moment or insight from their recent experience. This could be a photograph, a discovery, or an action that helped them feel more connected to nature. Support them in turning this moment into a story that communicates reflection, purpose, and inspiration.
Once their stories are ready, students will upload them to the Dear World Library with a short reflection and any accompanying media such as photos or videos.
LookLook for evidence of deep thinking, emotional awareness, and global perspective. Celebrate stories that show understanding, compassion, and a belief that small actions can create big change when shared with others.
This week, your focus is to create your own Dear World story. Think about how your learning can inspire people across the world to see nature and community in a new light. Your community is not just your classroom or school, it is the entire planet.
Your story could describe something you noticed in nature, an experience that made you think differently, or an action you took that could encourage others to care more deeply for the Earth. The goal is to share your learning in a way that helps others reflect, feel inspired, and take action in their own lives.
When you are ready, log in to the Dear World Library and upload your story. Include your reflections, thoughts, and any photos or videos that bring your message to life. Share how your experience has shaped your understanding and what impact it could have on the world around you.
This is your opportunity to use your voice to make a difference. Every story you share has the power to help others see the world with more kindness, hope, and courage. Together, we can build a global community that cares for nature and for each other.
Week 2 Empathy Certificate
Week 2 focuses on empathy as a core skill. This is the second of ten certificates students will collect across the course, each representing a different skill developed over time.
Students complete the weekly quiz by clicking the online link provided. It may be completed independently in class or at home. Encourage students to discuss ideas with a partner before submitting, as conversation often deepens perspective and strengthens understanding. However, each child must complete and submit their own quiz, as certificates are awarded individually.
Remind students that this is not a test. It is an opportunity to consolidate learning, reflect on the experiences of endangered species, and recognise their own growth in understanding and compassion.
As students complete the quiz, observe:
• Independence in managing the task
• Digital confidence when accessing and submitting online
• Willingness to engage in thoughtful discussion
• Perseverance when questions require deeper thinking
• Reflection and emotional maturity in responses
• Increasing clarity and accuracy week by weekAcross the ten weeks, you are not simply collecting certificates. You are nurturing ten distinct skills that shape capable, thoughtful and responsible young people.
This week you will earn a very special certificate. It recognises your growing ability to show empathy.
Empathy means learning to see the world through the eyes of another living being.
Over the past week, you have explored what life is like for creatures facing real danger. You have learned about habitat loss, climate change, pollution and human impact. You have asked yourself what it might feel like to live in those conditions. That takes imagination, care and maturity.
To receive your Empathy Certificate, you will complete a short online quiz. The quiz will help you reflect on what you have learned about endangered species and the challenges they face. It will also help you show your understanding of why empathy matters.
This is not a test. It is an opportunity to pause, think deeply and recognise your growth.
Your certificate will show that you can:
• Understand the challenges other creatures face
• Explain why they are at risk
• Reflect on how human actions affect them
• Think and respond with compassion
When you earn this certificate, you are not just collecting an award. You are proving that you are learning to care, to understand and to see the world in a wiser way.
