Two school pupils sitting on a wall and writing on clipboards

School Workshop: Biodiversity under Threat (year 12 and 13)

A fascinating workshop exploring biodiversity, with an optional follow-up activity in our Biomes.

Workshop overview

All life on our planet is interdependent and all species have a role to play in their ecosystem. Conserving biodiversity and fully functioning ecosystems is key to the survival of all species. So, what does biodiversity actually do for us? Why and where is it being lost? And what can be done to halt the decline?

What happens in the workshop

This classroom-based session links strongly with biology and geography A-level syllabuses. We encourage the students to ask questions and build a running dialogue with us throughout the session.

Practical information

This workshop enables students to:

Describe what is meant by the term biodiversity and explain why it’s so important.
Recall different drivers of biodiversity loss and distinguish between them, giving examples.
Assess different methods for the conservation of biodiversity including international strategies.

We've designed the workshop to complement the following specifications:

Edexcel A level Geography (2016). Area 2, key ideas 3.4, 3.6, 3.9. Area 3, key ideas 5.2c, 5.4c, 5.5b, 6.7. Area 4, key ideas 7.7a, 7.6c, 8B.9
Edexcel A level Biology B (2015). Topic 3 Classification and Biodiversity 3.3, Topic 10 Ecosystems 10.4
Edexcel A level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) from 2015.Topic 4 Biodiversity and Natural Resources 4.1, 4.2, 4.16. Topic 5 On the Wild Side 5.22
AQA A level Biology, 3.4.6 Biodiversity within a Community
AQA A level Geography. 3.1.6.1 Ecosystems and sustainability. 3.1.6.2 Ecosystems and processes
OCR A level Biology A. 4.2.1 Biodiversity. 6.3.2 Populations and sustainability
OCR A level Biology B. 4.3.1 Photosynthesis, food production and management of the environment. 4.3.2b, c The impact of population increase. 3.1.3h The development of species: evolution and classification
OCR A level Geography (from 2016). Topic 3.4 – Future of Food 4a

It also offers content aimed at extending students' thinking beyond the specifications.

The workshop costs £8.50 per pupil, with a minimum charge of £170 per group (includes VAT). Group size is flexible. The cost includes:

a facilitated workshop with our Education Team
free access to the Eden site for the day
all equipment needed for the workshop
free teaching resources enabling your class to prepare for the workshop and to follow up on the activity (download a sample copy)
a personal welcome from the Education Team at the entrance
a base for your bags in our purpose-built education centre, The Core
a space to eat your own lunch

The price includes free entry for accompanying adult helpers (please note our suggested adult/pupil ratios are as follows: Early Years Foundation Stage, 1:3; Key Stage 1, 1:6; Key Stage 2 and 3, 1:10; Key Stage 4, 1:15; Key Stage 5, 1:20). Additional adults are charged at our group booking rate.

We also offer a free preparatory visit to Eden for teachers wanting to plan their school trip, which should be booked in advance.