Aimed at KS3 learners, pupils will listen to an interactive talk in our British Wildlife building covering the interdependence of organisms in ecosystems, with a focus on the food web of the harvest mouse. We will also consider the importance of keystone species such as white-clawed crayfish in maintaining ecosystem health, investigating the effects of environmental change on species, and how this can threaten them. There will be an opportunity for pupils to handle objects such as crayfish exoskeletons, harvest mice nests, and model animal weights.  

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National Curriculum Links

• The interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops. 

• How organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials. 

• The importance of maintaining biodiversity and the use of gene banks to preserve hereditary material. 

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Learning Objectives

• To understand how organisms are connected in an ecosystem. 

• To be able to describe how human impacts on the environment have negatively affected two species involved in conservation programmes at Northumberland Zoo.  

• To be able to describe why biodiversity is important for ecosystem health. 

 

Pre-visit Suggestions

• Discuss key vocabulary with pupils, such as biodiversity, ecosystem, community, food webs, and conservation.

• Begin to explore some examples of different food webs.