Rewild Your World
Week 2 -Why biodiversity matters
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What is Biodiversity?
Begin the lesson by checking students’ prior knowledge about nature and biodiversity. 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, by watching 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.
The teacher may prompt students to connect the new vocabulary to examples from the video, the natural environment, or prior learning. Encourage them to sketch or act out words to deepen understanding and check for misconceptions. You might also invite students to check whether any of the new vocabulary appears in the questions recorded on the class “Wonder Wall.” This helps build connections between their curiosity, scientific language, and future learning.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.
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 a quote from Greta Thunberg aloud and give students a moment to reflect on its meaning. Encourage them to think about Greta’s message of courage, action, and hope, and how one person’s voice can inspire millions to care for the planet.
Invite students to discuss the quote with a partner and share one small action they could take this week to help protect nature. This could be something they do at school, at home, or in their local community. Support them in connecting Greta’s words to their own lives and understanding of responsibility and care for the Earth. Model how to write an action statement for the quote or another chosen quote: For example, Under the connected quote write : I will turn off lights when I leave a room to save energy. I will talk to my family about recycling at home. I will learn about an endangered animal and share what I discover.
Maybe ask the children to discuss openly - what is the difference between power and action? How can small actions influence larger actions? Students discuss an example of an action they have taken, the influence it had and the results.
Encourage students to reflect on: What does this message make me think, feel, and want to do?
Encourage creativity, colour, and personal expression. 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.
This week’s quote comes from Greta Thunberg, a young climate activist who has inspired millions of people to stand up for the planet and take real action for change.
Her words remind us that hope isn’t about waiting for someone else to fix things – it’s about honesty, courage, and action. “Hope is not passive. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action.”
Take a moment to think about what Greta’s message means to you. Why does hope require truth and action? How can speaking honestly about the problems our planet faces help us move forward together?
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. Support them to take turns reading aloud and to use expression to bring the story to life.
Discuss key vocabulary such as rewilding, habitat, and native species, linking these ideas to local examples where possible. Allow students time to share their own thoughts about why Ella’s story matters and how it connects to their own environment.
Observe students’ ability to connect narrative ideas to real-world examples from their own environment.Listen for understanding that all animals have basic survival needs and that habitats must meet those needs.
Use this discussion to identify emerging misconceptions (e.g., all birds eat the same food or there are no carnivorous birds they are all herbivores).
Make a connection to learnt words from the previous lesson: For example, diversity - What would happen if just one of these needs (food, water, shelter, space, safety) was missing?
How might this affect birds over time?
Focus on reflective talk rather than providing direct answers. This activity strengthens literacy, listening and comprehension skills while encouraging empathy, curiosity, and environmental awareness. It also helps students recognise that caring for the natural world begins with small, meaningful actions close to home.
This week, you’ll read a wonderful story about Ella and how she helped yellow-tailed black-cockatoos by rewilding her own backyard.
On your task card, you’ll find the story and some interesting facts about these beautiful birds and the native plants they depend on.
Read the story with a friend and discuss what happened. Talk about why the cockatoos needed help, what Ella did, and how her actions made a difference. Then, think about your own environment – are there animals near your home or school that could use a helping hand?
After you have finished the text, have a think about the following questions?
Have you ever seen yellow-tailed black-cockatoos in your local area?
If not, what other birds have you seen at home, in your street, or at school?
Are there lots of birds around… or only a few? What might that tell us about the environment?
Together, you’ll start to explore how you can make small changes to support local wildlife, just like Ella did.
Comprehension – Why Biodiversity Matters
Guide students through the reading, pausing to highlight key ideas about how animals meet their basic needs for food, water, shelter, and breeding, and how these connect to form a balanced ecosystem. 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. As you read, look for the key ideas that explain how animals find food, water, shelter, and safe places to breed, and how these needs connect to create healthy ecosystems.
Think about how every part of nature – from pollinators to scavengers – plays a role in keeping life in balance. Notice what happens when one part of that balance is lost, and how people can take action to protect habitats so species can thrive.
After reading, reflect on the four main needs of animals: food, water, shelter, and breeding. Consider how these needs work together to support biodiversity and what we can learn from nature about caring for the environment. Use your reflections to share one key message that encourages others to think like the animal when protecting our planet.
Record Your Answers – How Far Can You Go?
Explain that there are 12 questions arranged across four levels, from simple recall to deeper critical thinking. Students should work through them in order, answering in full sentences and using evidence from the text to support their ideas.
Model one think-aloud example to show how to find clues and form a clear response, then give time for students to complete the task independently, allowing them to re-read the text as needed.Encourage students to underline key words, make notes in the margins, and use sentence starters to build thoughtful answers. When finished, ask them to record the highest level they reached and identify one area to develop next. Observe comprehension, retrieval, reasoning, written accuracy, perseverance, and students’ ability to self-assess and seek clarification when needed.
After reading the text and information sheet about biodiversity and why it matters, you’ll respond to 12 comprehension questions that become more challenging as you go – starting with Level 1 (simple recall) and building up to Level 4 (deep thinking).
Write your answers in full sentences, using facts and examples from the text to explain your ideas clearly. Move through the questions step by step and see how far you can go.
If a question feels difficult, pause and think carefully. That moment shows your learning in action and helps you discover what you’re ready to understand next.
Habitat Match - Who Lives Where?
In this session, guide children to watch each question and discuss in pairs which answer (A, B or C) they think is correct before the 20-second timer ends. The goal isn’t accuracy, but confidence, communication and reasoning.
Encourage them to explain why they chose their answer, listen to their partner’s ideas, and celebrate thoughtful discussion. After each reveal, discuss the animal’s habitat and reinforce that learning grows through curiosity, not perfection.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?
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?
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 children to rephrase definitions in their own words and share examples from their lives, such as how trees give shade or worms help the soil.
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 below. Talk about how each one is unique yet just as important as the others.
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
Introduce the idea that ecosystem services are the benefits people receive from nature, and that services are interconnected (provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural). Model one quick example of a two-service connection (cause → effect → feedback). Encourage students to name the link clearly (e.g., “Because _, this supports _”). Prompt them to think about human actions that protect or harm these services, and to propose one practical action to safeguard both.
Introduce the wheel with excitement. Model a spin yourself and discuss how the outcome could help spread a message of positive change.Activate prior knowledge: Ask, “What ecosystem services did we meet in the last tasks? OR -What did we learn about how animals meet their needs (food, water, shelter, breeding)?
How did Ella help biodiversity in her backyard?
What connections did you notice between animals, plants, and their environment?
Where do we see them in our school/community?”
For example: Last task idea that every species has needs (food, water, shelter, breeding) - OR - Stories showing how local actions help biodiversity (Ella + cockatoos) - OR - Emerging idea that all systems are interconnected
This time, you’ll spin the Ecosystem Services Wheel twice! The wheel shows 20 different ecosystem services that help our planet function — things like pollination, fresh water, climate control, education, and stewardship.
Spin once to land on your first service, then spin again for your second. 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?
Once you’ve made your two spins, think deeply about how your pair of services support each other — and how humans can protect them both. Then share your creation to inspire others to care for nature, just like Dr Jane Goodall has inspired millions around the around.
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.
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.
Spin the Ecosystem Services Wheel twice to choose two different services. Then, draw or write four ways they help biodiversity thrive. Finally, write a short paragraph about how they work together.
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.
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.
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 resource 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 wider community.
Encourage students to recognise how their small acts of noticing and sharing can inspire others to care for nature too.
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 experiences. 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.
Look 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.
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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.
