The Places That Protect Michigan's Biodiversity
Provided by: The Nature Conservancy|Published on: October 16, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: The Nature Conservancy
Location: North America > United States > Michigan
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article and brief video describes the different ecosystems in Michigan, the native species in those ecosystems, the different categories for threatened and endangered species, and the ways that The Nature Conservancy protects the land and wildlife in Michigan.
- There are interactive features in the article including species identifications for different ecosystems and an interactive map for students to explore.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article hooks students with descriptive imagery in the opening paragraph that helps students visualize the natural beauty that needs protecting.
- The video about the dunes in Michigan includes beautiful videography and calming music.
Prerequisites
- Some students may need the terms endemic, annihilated, acquisition, easement, contiguous, and others defined before reading the article.
Differentiation & Implementation
- To make art connections, teachers can read the first paragraph of the article aloud to students and have them draw what they see in their mind's eye as they listen.
- Alternatively, using the first paragraph as inspiration, students can use imagery to write a description of what biodiversity looks like in their area.
- After reading about prescribed burns, students can look into other Indigenous practices for stewarding the land.
- Have students write about how people influence nature and how nature influences people, and how they can support saving natural environments and the species that live there.
This resource from the Nature Conservancy provides teachers with a website that provides information about the biodiversity in Michigan. The website includes discussion about the main ecosystems within the state as well as a short (~4 min video) about Michigan's dune ecosystem. The references and sourced material utilized for this resource are not provided but do appear to be relatively up to date. This site would be a valuable resource for educators seeking to enhance climate-related learning experiences in the classroom.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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