Saving the Lynx

This worksheet was created during the Covid-19 pandemic to work with google classroom. It is mainly an article with modifications to illustrate concepts such as biodiversity, invasive species, and conservation.

It is based on an article that highlights how the conservation efforts of the Iberian lynx have brought the animal back from the brink of extinction. The lynx suffered became endangered after its main source of food, the European rabbit declined in number after a virus was purposefully introduced to control the rabbit population.

Students answer questions as they read an article and answer questions as they go. The text boxes for answers were included to make it easier for students to input their own answers and for me to grade them when submitted on Google Classroom.

I introduced this topic after students studied trophic cascades using HHMI Click and Learn. My overall goal is for students to complete a project that examines the interactions of organisms within an ecosystem to develop ways to sustain biodiversity. I’ll post this project later, it’s still in development and I plan to use it for my final exam grade.

Time Required: 20-30 minutes (online)
Grade Level: 8-12

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HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem