Nature and Our Cities UNIT 4

Our Natural World

More than 7.5 billion people and millions of species of flora and fauna share our planet.* Together,
all Earth’s living things create a web of life and ecosystems called biodiversity. Biodiversity is
important because living things depend on each other for food, shelter, and other natural resources.
If one part of the web is damaged or disappears, it can impact ecosystems near and far.

In Unit 3, you learned that as the human population grows, people use more of Earth’s natural
resources. When people consume natural resources such as wood and metals faster than Earth
can create them, it harms ecosystems. We need to work together to protect our planet’s biodiversity
so all living things can be healthy.

In Unit 4, you will learn how global challenges such as climate change and habitat loss impact
global biodiversity. You will exchange ideas with your international peers about local actions to
conserve global biodiversity. You will also survey community members to learn which biodiversity
issues matter most to them. For your digital project, you will create an infographic to share the
issues that are most important to community members and the actions they are willing to take.
*Source: United Nations. (2019, May 6). UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline
‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’.

Global Scholars is sponsored by Global Cities, Inc., a Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies

© 2023 Global Cities, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Vocabulary
BIODIVERSITY (noun)
All living things on Earth, how they depend on each other, and the ecosystems where they live.
Example: Millions of species, including humans, are part of Earth’s biodiversity.

CLIMATE CHANGE (noun)

A change in typical climate patterns over a long period of time.
Example: Earth experienced climate change over the last 150 years. Sea levels rose, the average
temperature increased, and the typical amount of rainfall in many places is different from what it was.

CONSUME (verb)
To buy, use, eat, or drink something.
Example: Overconsumption happens when people consume too many resources and it hurts the
ecosystem.

MITIGATE (verb)
To make something less serious, extreme, or uncomfortable.
Example: People can mitigate the impacts of climate change when they make sustainable choices.

NATURAL RESOURCE (noun)

Materials in nature that people can sell or use to create new products.
Example: Plants are a natural resource that people can use to make new medicines.

SURVEY (noun, verb)

1. (noun) A list of questions created to learn about an issue.
Example: The students wrote a survey to research which movie was the most popular.
2. (verb) To collect information through observations or a list of questions.
Example: The students surveyed friends to find out which movie was the most popular.

! VOCABULARY CHALLENGE
Choose the vocabulary word above that best fits in each blank. It is okay to change the end of the
word so that the sentence makes sense.

The world’s population is growing, and many people do not Earth’s

in a sustainable way. This contributes to and impacts global . We
can people in our community to get ideas from them about how to
the impacts of our choices on people and ecosystems.

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The Benefits of Biodiversity

In Units 2 and 3, you noticed biodiversity around you. The flora and fauna you noticed depend on each other and
work together to keep your local ecosystems balanced. When local ecosystems are balanced, this benefits other
ecosystems around the world, too. People are also part of biodiversity and depend on balanced ecosystems for
food, water, air, and health. Read below to learn how biodiversity benefits people.

Natural Resources Ecosystem Services Human Health

Biodiversity gives us resources
such as food, paper, and fuel.
People consume these resources
when they eat, drink, wear clothes,
and use transportation. People
use natural resources to make
products to sell, which helps the
economy. For example, we use
metals like gold and copper to
make electronics.
Earth has many natural processes
that help keep ecosystems and
people healthy. These are called
ecosystem services. The water
cycle filters water. Trees filter air
pollution and produce oxygen
for animals to breathe. Bacteria
transform waste into new resources
for other living things. Insects and
animals pollinate plants to help
them grow.
Many medicines come from
nature, especially plants and fungi.
Some animals prevent the spread
of disease when they consume
other animals that cause human
diseases. To protect plants and
animals that keep us healthy, we
need to protect the ecosystems
where they live. These areas may
be far away, but people everywhere
depend on them.

Support Your Ideas with Facts

Facts include what you observe in real life or information you learn from a reliable source. When you share
an idea, include facts that support your idea and help people understand your perspective. Follow these
three steps:
Example:
1. Present your idea. One biodiversity challenge I see in my city is pollution.
2. State facts that support your idea. I see plastic waste on the beach near my school.
3. Explain how the facts support your idea. Plastic pollution in the ocean harms animals because
they may eat the plastic or get trapped in it.

How will supporting your ideas with facts help you communicate with your international peers?

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Persuade Your Audience

You know a lot about global issues and ways people can address them. Not everyone has the same
knowledge or opinions, and you may need to persuade people to join you in taking action. Remember,
culture impacts our opinions. What is persuasive in one community may not be as persuasive in another.
Think about your audience’s culture before you try to convince them about the importance of global issues
and solutions. Below are three strategies you can try.
Idea: Rat populations are a problem in cities.
ETHOS: Explain why people can trust you. I found a reliable newspaper article that said many cities
in the United States have growing rat populations.
LOGOS: Use facts to support your idea. People in New York City reported they saw 38% more
rats in 2018 than 2014.* Also, rats can spread diseases.
PATHOS: Give examples or tell stories to I am worried more people will get sick if there are too
help people feel emotions like enthusiasm many rats in my city.
or concern.
*Source: Hu, W. (2019, May 22). Rats Are Taking Over New York City. The New York Times.

Dialogue: The Benefits of Biodiversity

Now that you know some of the benefits of biodiversity, develop an
opinion about which benefit is most important to protect. Then, have a
dialogue with your class to exchange opinions. Later, you will share your
opinion with your international peers in the e-classroom.

Part 1: Decide Your Opinion

Which benefit of biodiversity is most important to protect? Choose one of the benefits below.

Natural Resources Ecosystem Services Human Health

My ideas about the most important benefit of biodiversity to protect:

Part 2: Explain Your Opinion

Collaborate with classmates who agree with your opinion. Exchange ideas about which benefit is the most
important to protect. Use examples from your personal experiences, research, and knowledge about your city.
Write down new ideas you hear.

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New ideas about the most important benefit of biodiversity to protect:

Part 3: Have a Dialogue

Explain your opinion about the most important benefit of biodiversity to protect.
Remember to share the examples you gave in Part 2 on page 75. Listen to your
classmates’ opinions and examples. Write down the new opinions and ideas
you hear.

You can use these phrases to exchange opinions during the dialogue.

“I agree/disagree with your idea about...because...” “A question I have about what you said is...”
“You said...which makes me wonder...” “What you said about...made me change my idea
“I want to add to what you said about...” about...because...”

Some new opinions and ideas about the most important benefit of biodiversity to protect are:

Part 4: Did Your Opinion Change?

Think about the opinions and examples your classmates shared during the dialogue. Did you understand their
opinions? Do you agree with their examples? Did they change your mind? Choose the benefit of biodiversity you
now think is most important. Explain why your opinion changed or stayed the same.

Natural Resources Ecosystem Services Human Health

At first, my opinion was:

After the dialogue, my opinion (changed/did not change) because:

My final opinion is:

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Learn More: Indigenous Communities and Environmental Stewardship

Indigenous communities live all around the world and make
up about 5% of the global population.* People who belong to
indigenous communities are the people who lived in a place
first. They may use different names like Indigenous Peoples,
Tribal Peoples, First Peoples, or Native Peoples.**

Environmental stewardship, or taking care of the environment,

is an important part of the culture in many indigenous
communities. Indigenous communities have been important
stewards, or caretakers, of Earth’s environment for thousands Arctic indigenous leaders discuss the impact
of ships on Arctic waters with the International
of years. Roughly 80% of Earth’s biodiversity is on land Maritime Organization (IMO)
that belongs to, is home to, or is cared for by indigenous © IMO CC BY 2.0

communities.* We rely on them to help keep our planet healthy,

and we need to support their environmental stewardship.

Many people who belong to indigenous communities

Hopi leaders worked with government officials on
a project to remove arsenic from the drinking water
on tribal land.
Photo by Bureau of Indian Affairs
try to persuade city leaders and residents to protect the
environment and take action to conserve biodiversity. You can
also persuade others to listen to the voices and perspectives
of people who belong to indigenous communities. Some
solutions they may recommend are to reduce deforestation,
stop pollution, and use natural resources in sustainable
ways. You can do online research to learn more about how
indigenous communities help protect the planet we share
and share their messages with others.

What indigenous communities live in or near your city? How can newer city communities collaborate
with people who belong to indigenous communities to solve environmental issues?

*Source: Kamal, B. (2017, February 9). Indigenous Peoples Lands Guard 80 Per Cent of World’s Biodiversity.
**Source: Cultural Survival. Issues. Retrieved June 6, 2019.

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Global Discussion: Nature Connects Us

Write a post to explain your opinion about the most important benefit of biodiversity
to protect. Use examples from your life or observations. Review your work with a
classmate and show it to your teacher before you post in the e-classroom.

In your post: 1. Think about the local green space you learned about in Unit 2. How do the
living and nonliving things in this ecosystem depend on each other to survive?
Give a reason or example to support your answer.
2. Which benefit of biodiversity do you think is most important to protect? Give
a reason or example to support your answer.
3. Which benefit of biodiversity is most important for your city? Give a reason or
example to support your answer.
4. Ask a question about your peer’s opinion about biodiversity benefits in their
city.

! Only use your first name in the

e-classroom to protect your privacy.

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Human Actions and Biodiversity

As more people move to cities, they use more space and resources. When people consume resources to make
the things they need, this can pollute the air, water, or soil. These changes to ecosystems in one place can have a
global impact because all of Earth’s ecosystems are connected.

People burn fossil fuels for transportation or energy. When fossil fuels burn, they
release greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Climate change impacts
biodiversity. It damages ecosystems, can force animals to leave their natural habitats,
and causes plants to bloom at the wrong time of the year. When ecosystems are damaged
they cannot provide environmental services such as filtering pollution from the air, water,
or soil.

Overconsumption, when people buy and use more resources than they need, also
contributes to habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. For example, people
consume natural resources to build homes and provide food and clean water faster
than Earth can replace them.

People can work together to use resources in a way that keeps ecosystems and
biodiversity healthy. City leaders can find solutions that use or copy nature to
address urbanization challenges. These are called nature-based solutions. Nature-
based solutions can address challenges such as flooding, the heat island effect,
pollution, and habitat loss. For example, trees are a nature-based solution that can
help address the heat island effect because they provide shade and cool the area
around them. Nature-based solutions are often more sustainable because they
address many challenges at the same time and do not harm nature.

Know the Difference: Fact or Opinion

Analyze what you hear and read in the media or in your research to decide if it is a fact or an opinion.
Sometimes people state opinions as if they are facts. Make sure your source is trustworthy and always look
for facts that support ideas.

FACT: Facts use numbers, eyewitnesses, OPINION: Opinions are based on feelings,
photographs, or scientific information to beliefs, and ideas. Opinions often use words
show they are true. like good, bad, best, worst, always, or never.
Example: He posted 3 pictures of cats. Example: He posts the best cat pictures.

What other ways can you know the difference between fact and opinion? Explain your ideas.

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Research: Nature-Based Solutions

Go online to research nature-based solutions that address
biodiversity challenges. As you research, describe the solution
and challenge it addresses, how it uses or copies nature, and your
thoughts or questions in the table below. Your research will help
you decide which nature-based solution is best for your city. Nature-
based solutions can:

Improve water or food security. Protect city systems.

Reduce air, water, or soil pollution. Prevent floods or drought.
Prevent the heat island effect. Protect ecosystems in and around cities.

Nature-based What challenge does

How does it use or copy nature?
Solution it address?
Marshlands filter water. Rain
gardens copy this process.
Rain
Flooding in cities They protect ecosystems in and
Gardens
around cities, reduce flooding,
and improve biodiversity
My Thoughts or Questions
I am worried that I will get more
bites if there are more insects.
My city needs more bees to
pollinate plants.
Can I make an insect hotel?

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Learn More: Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

One way to address climate change is to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide
and methane, in our environment. Here are three ways you can help keep Earth’s climate healthy.

Reduce Fossil Fuel Use

When humans use fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural
gas, they add carbon dioxide to the air. You can reduce the
amount of carbon dioxide in our environment if you use
fossil fuels less. Walk, use public transportation, and turn off
electronics. Eat local foods. When foods and other products
have to travel long distances to your store, they are carried
by trucks, boats, and sometimes even planes. Food that is
grown locally requires less fossil fuel to get to you.

Eat and Use Fewer Animal Products

It takes a lot of land, water, and energy to make animal products like
meat and dairy. When people cut down forests to build farms for
animals, there are fewer trees to remove carbon dioxide from the
air. Farm animals like cows, sheep, and pigs also release methane
when they pass gas. If people consume fewer animal products,
there will be fewer animals to release greenhouse gases into the
environment. There will also be more space for trees that remove
greenhouse gases from our air.

Produce Less Food Waste

About one third of all food that’s produced for people to eat is wasted each
year. That’s around 1.3 billion tons of food!* Wasted food often goes to
landfills where it decomposes and produces methane, a greenhouse gas.
To produce less food waste, only buy the amount of food you can eat before
it goes bad. Buy “ugly” produce that doesn’t look perfect but is good to eat.
You can also start a compost bin or take your food waste to a community
compost center that will transform it into soil to grow more food.
* Source: “Food loss and waste facts.” Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, 22 July 2015.

If everyone makes small changes in their lives, it can make a big difference. What can you do this week
to reduce greenhouse gases?

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Read and Reply: Nature Connects Us

Choose a post that does not have a reply. Read your international peers’ ideas.
Write a reply to respond to your peers and share your opinions about the benefits of
biodiversity around the world. Remember to ask your teacher to review your draft
before you post.

In your reply: 1. Respond to your peer’s question.

2. Which nature-based solution that you researched do you think would work
best in your culture and community? Give a reason or example to support
your answer.
3. Ask your peers a question to learn more about nature-based solutions in
their communities.

! Only use your first name in the

e-classroom to protect your privacy.

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Local Solutions with Global Impact

Living things depend on each other and on specific environments to survive. If biodiversity is healthy in one
place, it helps biodiversity everywhere. Small and large choices can impact local and global natural resources and
ecosystems. Some choices contribute to climate change. Other choices, such as using nature-based solutions to
address biodiversity challenges, can mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect ecosystems.

This insect hotel in Zaragoza, Spain This constructed wetland in Bangkok,

provides a habitat for insects whose Thailand protects ecosystems by filtering
ecosystems are damaged or lost. sewage.
© SimónK CC BY-SA 4.0 © Marcos Von Sperling CC BY-SA 4.0

Communities can work together to find solutions. The first step is to ask questions. This week you will survey
your community to find out which biodiversity issues matter most to them. Every community is different, so the
issues and solutions on your survey may be different from those of your international peers. In Global Scholars
you have learned about different biodiversity issues and how to address them:

Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4

Access to nature is important for
people to be happy and healthy.
Community members can work
together to conserve nature and
green spaces. City and community
leaders should check that green
spaces are accessible and safe
for everyone.
Green spaces benefit local culture,
economy, city systems, and public
health. Green spaces can also
help to address urbanization
challenges. Community members
can work together to design green
spaces that include features
that benefit people and protect
ecosystems.
When people make choices
about the natural resources they
consume, they can think about
the impact of their choices on
biodiversity. You can use what you
know about the benefits of nature
and the impacts of climate change
to make sustainable choices.

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Gather Different Perspectives

In Unit 3, you learned that when you gather many perspectives on the same topic, it helps you develop
your own opinion. It can be easy to learn about the perspectives of people you know or who have similar
experiences as you. It is also important to gather the perspectives of people you may not talk to often or who
have different experiences from you. In Global Scholars, you gather perspectives from your international
peers. Here are more ways you can learn about many different perspectives on the same issue.

Read news about the same topic from different media sources. Is the
story told from one perspective or multiple? What is the author missing?
Survey people in your community or around the world.
Search for books, videos, and articles by people whose age, experiences,
location, and cultures are different than yours.

What other ways can you gather different perspectives to learn more about global issues?

Learn More: Surveys

A survey is a list of questions. You can use a survey to learn what people
do, think, or feel about an issue.

How Does a Survey Work?

Decide the questions to ask and who will answer them. How many people do you want
to answer your questions? How can you survey people with different perspectives?
The more people you ask, the more reliable your information will be. After you give
the survey, read the answers. Ask yourself: What did I think before the survey? What
did I learn from the survey? What surprised me? What do I think it means?

What Can You Do with Survey Data?

The information you collect in a survey is called data. Survey data
helps people understand an issue better, identify problems, notice
patterns, and create solutions. Make charts and graphs to help
people understand the data from your survey just by looking at it!

! NOTE: Always ask people if they want to participate in your survey. Explain the purpose of your
survey. If they say no, that’s okay. Ask politely and you’ll find many people who want to participate.

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Prepare: Biodiversity Issues Survey

You can use a survey to gather the different perspectives of people in your community. Think
about the biodiversity issues and solutions you learned about in Units 2, 3, and 4. Then,
answer the questions below to identify local biodiversity issues and potential actions you
want to ask people about in your survey. Use these ideas to create your Biodiversity Issues
Survey on page 86.

1. What are some of the biodiversity issues you identified in your community? Select or list others below.

Other issues:

Pollution

Overconsumption

Climate change

Food waste

2. What are some actions that people in your community may be willing to take to address biodiversity issues?
Select or list others below.
Other actions:

Raise awareness about the issue

Communicate with city leaders

about the issue

Participate in a city program to

protect biodiversity, such as a
cleanup or planting a garden

Reduce consumption

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Biodiversity Issues Survey

Use this worksheet to record survey answers. It is important that each person answers
all the questions. Remember to ask people if they want to participate in your survey first.

Read this script before you give the survey to each person:
“Hello, my name is _______. I am doing a survey to learn more about biodiversity
issues in our community. Biodiversity means all the living things in our community like
plants, animals, insects, and people. Will you help me by answering some questions?”

Total number of people who took your survey: _______

1. Which of the following biodiversity issues is most important to you? Choose one issue.

Make a check
mark ( ) for
each answer
you receive.

Total

2. Which of the following actions would you be willing to take to improve biodiversity issues? Choose up to
two actions.

Make a check
mark ( ) for
each answer
you receive.

Total

Investigate
Do people in your community already take action? Ask them what they do, then describe what they shared.

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Exchange: Nature Connects Us

Check your post. Did any of your peers reply? Respond to their questions and ideas
to start an exchange. If you don’t have a reply yet, look for another post or reply and
respond. Ask your teacher to review your draft before you post.

In your reply: 1. Respond to one of the ideas a peer shared.

2. Make a connection between something a peer shared in the e-classroom
and something you learned in the biodiversity issues survey.
3. Ask a peer a question.

Click the attachments

icon to add a photo.
! Only use your first name in the
e-classroom to protect your privacy.

Continue the Conversation

Look for other e-classroom exchanges you can join. Answer the questions your
peers asked, respond to their ideas, and ask a new question to learn more.

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Digital Project: Biodiversity Issues Infographic

There are many biodiversity issues in cites that need solutions. You learned that many solutions can be nature-
based. To determine what strategies would work best for your community, you did a survey to learn what is most
important to people in your community and what actions they are willing to take.

For the Unit 4 Digital Project, you will combine what you learned from the survey with everything
you learned this year in Global Scholars to develop new ideas about which actions can best address
biodiversity issues for people in your city. You will create an infographic to share what you learned.
Your infographic and reflection might help you prepare for the Community Action Project in Unit 5.

To complete your digital project:

Step 1: Analyze Your Survey Data

Create a pie chart of the data for Question 1 and a bar graph of the data for
Question 2.

Use your data for Question 1 to discover which biodiversity issues are most
important to people in your community.

Use your data for Question 2 to identify which actions people would be
willing to take to protect or improve biodiversity.
Step 2: Follow the Design Map to Make Your Infographic
Introduce: Summarize who you surveyed and what you learned.

Present: Use the chart and graph you made to share your survey data.
Reflect: Recommend actions that may work best to protect or improve
biodiversity in your community. Explain how the survey data support your
ideas.

What Are Infographics?

! This is an infographic
all about infographics!
Read it to learn about the
purpose and important
Introduce: An infographic is a visual way to share information.

Present: Infographics fit

on one page and use text,
parts of an infographic. photos, charts, and graphs
to share information.

Reflect: Share new ideas you get from the data to help others
understand why it is important and what they can do next.

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Brainstorm
After you complete the survey, reflect on what you learned. Include these
reflections in your infographic. Use the sentence starters to help you reflect.

A. Who participated in your survey? How many people did you talk to?

B. What did you learn from your data that surprised you the most?

First, we thought

We learned

Now, we think

C. Based on your data, which biodiversity issue is most important to your community?

We predicted

We learned

We want to know

D. Based on your data, which action(s) are people most willing to take to address biodiversity issues? How
would the action(s) they chose help address biodiversity issues?

First, we thought

We learned

Now, we think

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Communicate Visually
There are many ways to share ideas with other people. You can use words to communicate with peers
in the e-classroom. You can also share ideas in visual ways. This year, you learned how to use videos
and photos to document your observations and ideas. Read how charts, graphs, and icons can help you
communicate visually.

Charts Graphs Icons

Charts help people understand
data. A pie chart can make it
easier to compare how many
people chose each answer to a
survey question.
A graph is another type of
chart. Graphs help people
see patterns in your data like
increases, decreases, and
changes over time.
Icons are simple images that
help people remember ideas.
For example, a camera icon
helps you remember to add a
picture to your post or project.

Make a Plan
Now that you have reflected on your survey data, plan what your infographic
will look like. What will your title be? Which photos will you use? Where will
you put the pie chart and bar graph? Save room for your reflection.

On a piece of paper, draw what you would like your infographic to look like.
Below is an example of all the pieces you should include in your drawing.

Infographic Title Your

Introduction

Your
Reflection

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Create
Now that you have your survey data, plan, and reflections, put them
together to create your infographic.

Introduce: Use your answers to Question A and Question B on

page 89 to share what you learned from your survey.

Present:
1. Create and label a pie chart for Question 1 and a bar graph for Question 2.
2. You can also add captioned photos to illustrate your project. Show them to
your teacher to make sure they are okay to use! Remember to include the
name of the photographer to give them credit.

Reflect: Use your answers to Question C and Question D on page 89. Explain
the actions you recommend to address the issues your community members
identified in the survey. Explain how these actions can protect or improve
biodiversity for all people in your community.

Career Spotlight: Ecologist

Ecologists are scientists who study ecosystems like marshes, caves, and
rainforests. They research how living things depend on each other and
the connections between different ecosystems. Ecologists also examine
changes in species populations and the impact of human actions on an
ecosystem. There are millions of species to study, so each ecologist
usually chooses to focus on a specific type of living thing like the
microorganisms in soil, plants, reptiles, or insects. Many ecologists do
field research to collect data about living things. They use this data to
help solve environmental issues. You can help ecologists collect data
about ecosystems as a citizen scientist, like you learned in Unit 2. You
can do online research to find out about local citizen scientist projects
near you. A plant ecologist collects data
about soil from a mountain in
the United States called Denali.
How do you think ecologists’ research can benefit biodiversity in and Photo by National Park Service,
around your city? Alaska Region

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Test It Out
Show your work to others to test it out. Ask for feedback from people who do not know about your
project, such as your family or peers and teachers in other classes. Explain the project first. Use the
questions below to learn if your infographic is easy to understand and how you can improve it.

Before you start, plan how you will gather feedback.

Whom will you ask for feedback on your infographic?

What will you say to explain your project to them?

Ask these feedback questions and add your own:

After looking at our infographic, what do you think is the most important
biodiversity issue to members of our community?

Do you think our recommended actions will protect or improve biodiversity

for all people in our community? Why?

Do the pie chart and the bar graph help you understand the infographic?

Do all the photo captions make sense?

Revise
Use the feedback you got to revise and improve your infographic.

Add missing data, labels, photos, captions, information sources, and

images or explanations.

Revise the introduction, reflection, and captions to make them clearer.

Check the numbers in your infographic to be sure that they match your survey data.

(other changes you want to make based on feedback)

Share
The Group or Class Ambassador will write a post in the e-classroom to introduce your project, then
attach or link your infographic. Read the instructions on page 93 for more information.

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Digital Project: Biodiversity Issues Infographic

Only the Class or Group Ambassador will post the introduction and the digital
project in the e-classroom. Before you write, discuss the questions below with
your classmates to get ideas. Remember to upload a file or share a link to your
Biodiversity Issues Survey. If you share a link, check to see that the link is public.

In your post: 1. What is something new you understand about biodiversity from the survey?
2. What did you learn about people in your community from giving this survey?
3. Why do you think most people chose the action they did?
4. Ask for feedback on a specific part of your project.

!
Only use your first name
Click the attachments
icon to upload a file. in the e-classroom to
Click the link icon protect your privacy.
to add a link.

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Nature and Our Cities UNIT 4

View and Reply: Biodiversity Issues Infographic

Choose a post that does not have a reply. Read your international peers’ introduction
and view their infographic. Write a reply to respond to your peers’ request for
feedback and exchange ideas about actions to address biodiversity issues.
Remember to have your teacher review your draft before you post.

In your reply: 1. Respond to your peers’ request for feedback. Share what you learned from
their project.
2. Would the actions your peers’ community chose work to address biodiversity
issues in your community? Give a reason or example to support your answer.
3. Ask a question to learn how your peers will use their survey data to help
their community.

! Only use your first name in the

e-classroom to protect your privacy.

2023-24 Global Scholars Student Workbook 94

Nature and Our Cities UNIT 4

Exchange: Biodiversity Issues Infographic

Check your Group or Class Ambassador’s project post. Did any of your peers reply?
As a group or as a class, discuss how to respond to their questions and ideas. If you
don’t have a reply yet, look for another post or reply and respond. Ask your teacher
to review your draft before you post.

In your reply: 1. Answer a peer’s question.

2. Make a connection to something a peer shared in the e-classroom. Think
about what you learned in Unit 4 or something from your life, your city, or your
culture to help you make a connection.
3. Ask your peer a question.

!
Continue the Conversation Only use your first name in
Check the replies you wrote to peers. Did they the e-classroom to protect
respond? Follow these steps to exchange your privacy.
ideas:
1. Respond to a peer’s question.
2. Share a new idea or make a connection.
3. Ask a new question to learn more. 2023-24 Global Scholars Student Workbook 95
Nature and Our Cities UNIT 4

Unit 4 Reflection
1. What did you learn in Unit 4 that you think is important for other people in your community
(your family, friends, neighbors, or others) to know? Why?

2. How did the survey responses you received change what you thought about biodiversity in
your city?

3. What actions do you think you and your classmates can take to improve biodiversity? How
would these actions help?

4. In Unit 5, you will choose one biodiversity issue to address in a Community Action Project.
What biodiversity issue do you think is most important to address? Why?

2023-24 Global Scholars Student Workbook 96

Nature and Our Cities UNIT 4

My Unit 4 Post and Reply Tracker

Discussion Board: Nature Connects Us
My Post My Replies
Display Name: Peer’s Date Peer
In my reply, did I:
Display Name Posted
Date:
Answer my peer’s question?
Did I receive replies? Yes No
Ask a question?
If yes, reply!
If no, write another reply to start a Answer my peer’s question?
new conversation! Ask a question?

Discussion Board: Biodiversity Issues Infographic

Our Class Ambassador’s Post My Replies
Display Name: Peer’s Date Peer
In my reply, did I:
Display Name Posted
Date:
Answer my peers’ question?
Did we receive replies? Yes No
Ask a question?
If yes, work together to write a reply
with your class! Answer my peers’ question?
If no, give feedback on another
project to start a new conversation! Ask a question?

2023-24 Global Scholars Student Workbook 97