Students investigate how ecological relationships, energy flow, and the carbon and nitrogen cycles shape ecosystem stability, then use that understanding to explain how environmental change and biodiversity loss affect real ecosystems. Through building food webs and ecosystem models, researching an endangered species, and analyzing both harmful and restorative human impacts, they connect science concepts to authentic local and global issues. Working with community outreach efforts focused on endangered species, students create and refine a public-facing campaign, model, poster, or video that calls on lawmakers and stakeholders to support ecosystem restoration and species protection.

Students will investigate ecological relationships and use food webs, energy pyramids, and ecosystem models to explain how disruptions in energy flow, matter cycling, and biodiversity affect ecosystem stability. They will analyze the carbon and nitrogen cycles, evaluate how human activities can harm or restore ecosystems, and connect these changes to endangered species survival. Students will collaborate to research a local or regional endangered species, revise their ideas through feedback checkpoints and a gallery walk, and create a campaign product that communicates evidence-based recommendations to lawmakers, stakeholders, and community partners. Students will strengthen communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and self-direction by presenting their work, reflecting on academic growth and team contributions, and responding to critique.

Students create a sequence of products: an initial food web and energy-flow model, research notes on a selected endangered species, and a team ecosystem stability model showing ecological relationships, biodiversity change, and disruptions to carbon, nitrogen, and trophic dynamics. Midway through, teams present draft posters, videos, or 3D/digital models in a gallery walk, use sticky-note feedback and checkpoint conferences to revise, and document growth through a group contract and short reflection on academic and socio-emotional strengths. The final product is a public advocacy campaign for an endangered species that may include a poster series, short video, infographic, or interactive model and is directed to lawmakers, wildlife agencies, and community stakeholders with a clear call to action. Teams share their campaign with community partners connected to endangered species outreach and include evidence-based solutions such as habitat restoration, species preservation, wildlife management, or ecotourism.

Kick off with a rapid ecosystem challenge: student teams build a food web from organism cards, then respond to surprise disruption cards such as habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, or predator removal to see how biodiversity and stability change. Follow with a short research sprint on a local or regional endangered species and a viewing of “How Wolves Change Rivers,” asking students to track evidence of trophic cascades, human impact, and ecosystem recovery. Close with a whole-class discussion that introduces the driving question and invites teams to identify one species or ecosystem they may want to study, model, and advocate for through a final campaign to lawmakers and community stakeholders.

Host a public “Ecosystem Action Showcase” where teams present their model, poster, video, or advocacy campaign to classmates, families, local conservation groups, and invited lawmakers or wildlife stakeholders. Students should explain their food web evidence, show how environmental change affects biodiversity and stability, and make a clear call to action for protecting their endangered species. Include a feedback station where guests leave responses on the strength of each team’s science explanation and the feasibility of their proposed solution. End with a brief reflection circle or recorded video reflection in which students share how peer critique, revision checkpoints, and community input shaped their final work.