The Biodiversity Crisis in Elementary Schools

A new special issue of *Kaskelot*, the magazine of the Biology Teachers’ Association, on the biodiversity crisis has been distributed to all Danish public schools. In fact, even Danish-language schools south of the border are receiving four copies of the issue.

14 Questions for the Professor

This special issue contains 14 brand-new articles on the biodiversity crisis, each written from a different perspective. The articles are aimed directly at students in grades 7–9 and are written in language that students can read and understand on their own. At the same time, the 14 articles provide an introduction and a good overview of the many dimensions of the biodiversity crisis for anyone else who is interested.

The articles are short, feature illustrations and photos, and each topic is phrased as a question. The topics cover a wide range—here are a few examples:

• Can we survive without nature?
• What are the causes of the biodiversity crisis?
• What is the connection between the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis?
• What impact do food production and what we eat have on biodiversity?
• Do banks and private companies play a role in the biodiversity crisis?
• Can the biodiversity crisis be reversed?

Each article includes one, two, or three student assignments designed to make the texts relevant and to help students actively engage with the 14 different questions. Alongside the special issue of Kaskelot, each individual article—with its very own cover—is available for free download online, so that teachers, students, and other users can focus on the theme that is of particular interest and relevance to them.

A unique collaboration between the Danish Biology Association and IPBES in Denmark

The articles were written by Lars Dinesen, special advisor to IPBES in Denmark, and Nanna Heidemann, a biology teacher and chair of the Biology Association, and the development of the 14 articles has thus been consistently guided by both academic and pedagogical principles. Kaskelot’s editor, Marie Rubæk Holm, created the illustrations.

The articles are based on the findings of the new global consensus reports from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The global reports were written by hundreds of scientists and experts, finalized following public consultation processes, and ultimately adopted by the approximately 150 countries participating in the global IPBES collaboration.

The goal is to ensure that students receive the latest information in the classroom as quickly as possible. The biodiversity crisis is, to a large extent, about the students’ future, and they should therefore be as well-prepared as possible to engage in this conversation and gain insight into possible courses of action. In part, the vast body of knowledge from the IPBES nature platform is being utilized in a Danish context by combining global knowledge with the extensive expertise that exists within Danish research communities. All articles have thus been quality-assured by 15 leading Danish researchers, who have contributed by reviewing and providing feedback on the 14 draft chapters. The Danish quality assurance comes from researchers at the six IPBES universities in Denmark and a total of 11 research institutes.

In addition, the educational quality of the texts has been ensured by a team of educational consultants and elementary school teachers, including Brian Ravnborg, chair of the Biology Association, as well as Ole Kunnerup, Lars Volf Jensen, and Henriette Bollerup Refstrup. Some of the early drafts were also tested in elementary school classrooms by selected teachers. Hans Meltofte has reviewed all articles for academic accuracy, and Professor Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen and Associate Professor Anders Barfod of Aarhus University have served on the academic steering committee.

From Basic Research to Elementary School

The teaching materials were published in May 2026, and their content is in line with the biology curriculum and the Common Objectives for the Subject. However, the articles are not limited to biology in elementary school but also address a range of other subject areas, including geography, history, social studies, and mathematics. The biodiversity crisis is man-made and is therefore a societal problem that cuts across multiple subject areas. Thus, a key point in the booklet is that all sectors of society must be involved and contribute if the biodiversity crisis is to be reversed.

It has been crucial to communicate the latest research findings on the biodiversity crisis in a way that children can understand—both to foster understanding and to inspire hope and a sense of agency. The biodiversity crisis is irreversible, and the species we are losing as you read these lines are lost forever. So we face a challenge that is both highly complex and urgent, and at the same time, it is crucial that this knowledge reaches students so they can put it to use.

The goal has thus been to give children the opportunity to act based on a well-considered understanding of the issues, so that they not only read about the problems but also gain the tools and insight to see themselves as part of the solution.

The booklets thus provide information about the importance of biodiversity for other species and for humanity’s own existence, as well as the consequences of biodiversity loss on Earth. They also provide examples of where the trend has been reversed and how the latest technology and knowledge are relevant and can be applied to address the biodiversity crisis.

If you have any questions about the material, please direct them to the Danish IPBES office.

We hope you enjoy the material.