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Year 5

Biodiversity and sustainability

I can explain what biodiversity is and give some reasons why nature matters for a sustainable world.

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New
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Year 5

Biodiversity and sustainability

I can explain what biodiversity is and give some reasons why nature matters for a sustainable world.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The demand for resources for land, water, food, and shelter shapes the environment for other wildlife too.
  2. Many animal populations have become much smaller, but a few have increased, thanks to conservation and rewilding.
  3. Pollinator insects – bees, wasps, beetles, flies, ants and butterflies – play an important role in agriculture.

Keywords

  • Climate crisis - Climate crisis is a term used to describe climate change and global warming, and the impact of these on Earth.

  • Conservation - Conservation is the careful protection of something.

  • Rewilding - Rewilding allows an area to restore itself to a natural state in which wildlife can return without human intervention.

  • Pollinator - A pollinator is an animal or insect that helps transfer pollen from plants.

Common misconception

Children may assume that biodiversity means the total population of a species.

Biodiversity is is the variety of all living things on Earth.


To help you plan your year 5 geography lesson on: Biodiversity and sustainability, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

After completing task B, children could fundraise to buy wildflower seeds or plants so that they can actually rewild part of their school site. The impact of the project could be measured by completing a pollinator count before and after rewilding.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

Aerial or OS map of your school site, clipboards and pens.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are some of the reasons why people waste food?
Correct answer: People buy too much food and can’t use it all up.
Correct answer: Food goes out of date before it can be used.
Food lasts for a very long time and won't spoil.
Q2.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by eating red meat and dairy products.
Correct Answer: fewer, less, no
Q3.
Which of these would help to reduce food waste?
getting a takeway
Correct answer: freezing food
Correct answer: only making what you need
Q4.
To reduce your carbon footprint you could air-freighted foods where you can and buy locally.
Correct Answer: avoid, not buy, not choose, boycott
Q5.
is a measure of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of our activities.
Food miles
Correct answer: A carbon footprint
Climate change
Q6.
Reducing food waste decreases the need for high levels of food production, which can carbon emissions.
Correct Answer: lower, reduce, lessen

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Biodiversity, also known as ‘biological diversity’, is the of life on Earth.
number
Correct answer: variety
amount
Q2.
Match the key word to its definition.
Correct Answer:rewilding,allows an area to restore itself to a natural state
tick

allows an area to restore itself to a natural state

Correct Answer:conservation,the careful protection of something
tick

the careful protection of something

Correct Answer:pollinator,an animal or insect that helps transfer pollen from plants
tick

an animal or insect that helps transfer pollen from plants

Q3.
is a term used to describe climate change and global warming, and the impact of these on Earth
Correct Answer: climate crisis, the climate crisis
Q4.
Why is biodiversity so important?
Correct answer: it helps keep the water and soil healthy
Correct answer: it provides food, energy, shelter and medicines
it means there are lots of the same animal
Correct answer: it provides opportunities for fun, rest and imagination
Q5.
Around the world, the variety of living things is .
Correct answer: getting smaller
staying the same
getting bigger
Q6.
What is the biggest cause of biodiversity loss?
pollution
overfishing
Correct answer: changes in land use
climate change