Frogs have a huge impact on the world’s ecosystems. Frogs sit right in the middle of the food chain and, without them, other creatures would disappear as well. Frogs are very sensitive to changes in the environment, so they are also a key indicator of ecosystem health. For these reasons frogs are often referred to as keystone organisms.
See how frog habitats are disappearing or being polluted (Youtube ~10 min). Go to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and search for amphibians to get a list of vulnerable and endangered frog species in NSW.
Choose one of the listed species and research the main threats to the population. Record your findings in a Word or OneNote document and share your findings with the class. How many threats are common to all or most frog species?
Conduct another search using the keywords ‘habitat threat Australian frogs’ in the search box. Save your search. Look closely at four websites and select the two sites you find most useful, to share with your teacher and other students.
Watch a video about koalas, answer questions on a worksheet (DOCX 132kB) and read about their habitat.
What does the slogan No tree... no me mean to you?
Watch a video and hear about more recent data on the threat to koalas. Discuss your point of view in pairs or groups, or contribute to a class blog on the vulnerability of koalas.