Deforestation and the Carbon Cycle Lab

Positives

• Students can use the interactive map to identify areas of deforestation near them.
• The global map comparing the extent of original forest cover and recent forest cover is striking.
  

Additional Prerequisites:

• Familiarize yourself with the interactive map before presenting it to students so that you can assist them.
  
• The Amazon Deforestation video is no longer available.
  
• Access to devices and the Internet are required for this lab.

Differentiation:

• Consider flipping the videos as homework so that students can focus on the questions, discussions, research, and interactive map during class.
  
• Have students keep a lab notebook or journal to record important notes, questions, data, and findings.
• This could tie into social studies classes when discussing how to adapt and support sustainable transitions for specific communities.
• Have students think about the lack of choices that people have in many parts of the world and research ways that conservation efforts have been successful in supporting people and wild areas around the world.
• Consider having students watch this video about conservation and restoration ecology after doing this lab to learn more about solutions to problems that affect people and the planet.