Teaching students about biodiversity, or the variety of life on Earth, is a daunting yet exciting task. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) wants to support teachers in guiding students through a fascinating and exciting exploration of biodiversity issues. The CBD is pleased to announce the launching of its first educational module for children and teachers on biodiversity and agriculture – the 2008 theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity. The module comprises of an online educational web portal for primary school students and five accompanying lesson plans for educators. The module has been designed to engage students in a variety of fun and active exercises reflecting the principles of education for sustainable development. The children’s web portal can be viewed at https://www.cbd.int/ibd/2008/youth/ Educators can download the children’s web portal in booklet format and the lesson plans at https://www.cbd.int/ibd/2008/Resources/teachers.shtml
The web portal and lesson plans introduce, at an age-appropriate level, the concept of biological diversity and highlight the importance of sustainable agriculture not only to preserve biodiversity, but also to ensure that we will be able to feed the world, maintain agricultural livelihoods, and enhance human well being into the 21st century and beyond. At the same time, it encourages students to explore the importance of maintaining the world's biological diversity, upon which future agricultural production and cultural diversity are so dependant.
In closing, I would like to request Parties to widely disseminate this educational module, and to kindly keep the Secretariat informed of how it is adapted and used in order to feature the initiatives of teachers, non-governmental organizations, CBD partners and Parties on the CBD website.
The full text of this notification is available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2008/ntf-2008-041-youth-en.pdf
Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Ahmed Djoghlaf
Executive Secretary
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment Programme
413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 514 288 2220
Fax: +1 514 288 6588
E-mail: secretariat@cbd.int
Web: http://www.cbd.int
