Unintended Consequences

Uncover drastic ecosystem changes that occur all around us. Unintended Consequences can help any young biologist begin their discovery of ecosystem health and ecosystem services.

This kit allows your student to simulate the benefits of mangrove forests and consequences of their removal, participate in a citizen science projects in their area, and work with plants to determine the impacts of compaction and magnesium carbonate.

Unintended Consequences is a Launch level kit (grades 8-12) that includes a full-color student workbook and a detailed teacher guide, with step-by-step instructions for both hands-on and reading-based activities designed to engage students in ecosystem health and ecosystem services. Both teacher and student will be able to open the box and start within minutes, and the kit will provide over 16 hours of engaging learning.

In this kit, the student will engage in these hands-on learning experiences:

• Observe ecosystem changes before your eyes!
• Determine the differences between native, non-native, and invasive species.
• Discover how recreation can be both fun and detrimental.
• Dive into the mathematics behind population studies.
• Solve problems caused by human behavior.

• What is an invasive species and how is it different from a non-native species?
• How are humans involved in ecosystem change?
• What are ecosystem services and how do they impact me?
• Where do changes in ecosystems occur most commonly?
• When did changes to ecosystems behind?
• Is all change harmful?

The Unintended Consequences biology curriculum kit is a part of the Science Unlocked Launch series and is recommended for middle school and high school students in grades 8-12.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Student Workbook Sample and Teacher Guide Sample!

More Information

• Safety Information (SDS)

• NOTE: There is an error on page 11 in the Student Workbook. The picture labeled Ladybug (Coccinellidea) is incorrect and the picture below is the corrected picture.

• 1 Card Stock
• 7 Foam Cups
• 1 Foam Tray
• 1 Graduated Cup
• 1 Grass Seeds
• 1 Invisible Tape
• 1 Magnesium Carbonate
• 1 Magnifying Glass
• 1 Peat Moss
• 1 Poly Bag
• 4 Bags of Sand
• 1 Tape Measure
• 1 Toy Car

• Phone or science notebook
• Scissors
• Water

• Learning outcome: Build, grind, and wash away dirt and rocks to discover the fascinating effects of erosion and weathering. 
• NGSS science standards alignment
• HS-LS2-1 Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
• HS-LS2-2 Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
• HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
• HS-LS4-6 Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.
• MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.