GCSE 9-1; Ecosystems - coral reef location, structure and nutrient cycling

In this lesson students will be introduced to the location and names of reefs around the world. A writing frame is then provided for them to use to write a description of the location of coral reefs. Next there are a series of photos of reefs and of a visit to the Great Barrier Reef to create a sense of place. After that students are introduced to the structure of a coral polyp and zooxanthellae. On the next slide are a series of statements about nutrient cycling on a coral reef. Students are required to work as a team on flipchart paper to turn these into a nutrient cycling diagram. They can then refine their ideas into a simple diagram in their books. Pupils are then asked to consider how such a large biodiversity is maintained in a low nutrient environment. Finally there is a quiz with answers to use as a plenary. All resources are included at the end of the PowerPoint.