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Weekly
Chats
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Week
5:
Threatened Species |
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| Background:
Our planet is home
to millions of plants and animals living on the tallest mountains and in
the deepest oceans. Species that live on Earth come in a myriad of shapes
and sizes.
We divide
"living beings" into "species".
Scientists have
already identified almost 2 million different species and estimate that
there are between 3 and 30 million more that simply have not yet been
identified (3/4 being insects). This amazing biological diversity,
or biodiversity for short, is fundamental - very important - to the health
and quality of all life on earth.
Protecting and
preserving the many species that make-up the world's biodiversity is
important for all of these reasons:
| Economics |
Several
wild species of plants and animals are useful to people for various
products that we need to live and survive. Most of the plants that
we eat as food were domesticated from wild varieties. |
| Medicine |
Wild
plants are already used in many drugs to help prevent illness.
Wild tropical plants may hold cures for diseases like cancer and
heart disease. |
| Stability |
Plants
and animals live and interact in a complex web. The more species
there are the more stable the system is. |
| Genetic
Viability |
With
more species, chances are that plants and animals are able to adapt
to environmental changes. |
| Tourism |
Today
eco-tourism is a booming business. The money that people pay to see
plants and animals helps preserve wilderness management programs,
like nature parks. |
| Aesthetics |
Plants
and animals are beautiful! They bring us great pleasure. |
| Culture |
Aboriginal
cultures like the Oji-Cree rely heavily on the diversity of natural
resources in their area. When biodiversity disappears so do native
cultures. |
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Chat
Schedule |
| week
1 - Defining Freedom |
Wednesday,
January 22 |
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week 2 - Exploration |
Thursday,
January 30 |
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week 3 - Heroes |
Tuesday,
February 4 |
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week 4 - Travel |
Friday,
February 14 |
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week 5 - Threatened Species |
Thursday,
February 20 |
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week 6 - World Resources |
Wednesday,
February 26 |
| week
7 - Globalization |
Tuesday,
March 4 |
| week
8 - Water |
Wednesday,
March 12 |
| week
9 - Tolerance |
Thursday,
March 20 |
| week
10 - Global Warming |
Tuesday,
March 25 |
| Each
online chat will be offered at two separate times on
the specified date. Please choose the time that best
fits your schedule: 10
am or 12 pm (CST). |
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No
registration is necessary for the chats. Simply just come to this page and enter
the chat zone by clicking the link. All chats are moderated and safe.
Transcripts will be made available on this page. You
can participate with up to 40 computers per teacher
username and password.
Note:
The chat zone is not active outside of these set
times. Teachers will have an opportunity to
participate in a test chat prior, to be announced in
an email update when the times are finalized. |
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