Ecosystems Under Threat: Environmental Change

Year 7 Science Understanding how environmental changes affect living things Exploring real-world case studies

What Do You Already Know?

What is an ecosystem? What environmental changes have you heard about in the news? How might these changes affect plants and animals? Can you think of any examples?

Key Environmental Changes

Climate Change - rising temperatures and changing weather patterns Deforestation - cutting down forests for agriculture and development Pollution - chemicals and waste contaminating air, water and soil Habitat Destruction - human activities destroying natural homes Ocean Acidification - seas becoming more acidic due to CO2

How Environmental Changes Affect Ecosystems

Case Study Investigation

Work in groups of 5 students Each group gets one case study to investigate Read your case study carefully Identify the main environmental change List impacts on plants and animals Discuss long-term consequences Prepare a 3-minute presentation for the class

Case Study Focus Areas

{"left":"Coral Reef Bleaching: Rising sea temperatures causing coral to lose colorful algae partners, affecting entire marine food webs\nAmazon Deforestation: Clearing rainforest for cattle farming destroying habitats for thousands of species","right":"Arctic Ice Melting: Warming temperatures melting sea ice, removing hunting grounds for polar bears and seals"}

Think About This...

"When we damage ecosystems, we don't just hurt individual animals and plants - we break the connections that keep the whole system working."

What Can We Do?

Reduce energy consumption to slow climate change Support sustainable products and avoid palm oil from deforested areas Reduce plastic use to protect marine ecosystems Create wildlife corridors and protected areas Raise awareness about environmental issues Make sustainable choices in our daily lives