Students conduct an experiment to observe how pesticides and fertilisers affect biodiversity.
The intention is for students to understand how human actions can impact the variety of life in ecosystems.
Set up the experiment: sow equal amounts of grass seed in two pots.
Introduce key terms by reading and discussing this excerpt:
“Pesticides and fertilisers help increase crop yields, but at the same time they reduce the variety of life in soil and water.”
Use questions to guide understanding:
Why do people use pesticides and fertilizers?
How might they affect animals and plants in the environment?
Start the experiment and take the two different pots. Water one with plain water, and the other with a diluted mixture of water and artificial fertiliser.
For one week, students observe and record growth, color, number of seedlings, and any changes on a worksheet. The A New Perspective method can be used.
Discuss observations with questions like:
What did you notice?
How could these changes affect organisms in nature (e.g., earthworms, bees, birds)?
Have students research a real-life example (locally or globally) of fertiliser or pesticide overuse causing environmental problems. They should note:
What happened?
Which organisms were affected?
How was the problem addressed?
The See – Feel – Understand method is useful when fieldwork isn’t possible. If you have the time and opportunity for fieldwork, the User Observation method is highly engaging but requires at least one additional session to allow for the field visit.
Encourage students to discuss ways to reduce pesticide and fertiliser use in farming and gardening to protect biodiversity.
Extend the lesson by visiting a local farm or natural area to observe real-life effects of agricultural practices.
Use digital tools like interactive apps or videos to deepen understanding of soil health and ecosystem balance.
Differentiate by allowing some students to focus on researching specific affected organisms while others analyse human solutions.
| Engage | Investigate | Create |