Challenge
Invertebrate Conservation Challenge
Students become conservation biologists - investigating real threatened invertebrates and designing a plan to protect them.
In partnership with Invertebrates Australia, student teams choose a threatened Australian invertebrate, research the threats it faces, and create a Conservation Pitch Deck proposing a solution. Six lessons that turn your classroom into a conservation science lab!
Register for FreeYear levels
Years 3–6
Duration
6 lessons (~45 min each)
Submissions
Dates TBC
Prize
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What students do
Students step into the role of conservation biologists and work through a structured, inquiry-based investigation.
- Explore what invertebrates are and how they support ecosystems through food chains and ecological interactions
- Select one of 12 threatened Australian invertebrate species from a list curated by Invertebrates Australia
- Research the threats facing their chosen species — from habitat loss to climate change
- Analyse what would happen if the species was lost from its ecosystem
- Design a conservation plan and create a Conservation Pitch Deck
- Submit the pitch to the Arludo Invertebrate Conservation Challenge (optional)
The science behind it
The Invertebrate Conservation Challenge gives students a practical way to explore food chains, ecosystems, and the role of invertebrates in maintaining ecological balance.
It is aligned to the Australian Curriculum’s Year 3-6 biological sciences:
Year 3: AC9S3U01 compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals
Year 4: AC9S4U01 explain the roles and interactions of consumers, producers and decomposers within a habitat and how food chains represent feeding relationships
Year 5: AC9S5U01 examine how particular structural features and behaviours of living things enable their survival in specific habitats
Year 6: AC9S6U01 investigate the physical conditions of a habitat and analyse how the growth and survival of living things is affected by changing physical conditions
Access Lessons via the Arludo Science Portal
After registering, create your free teacher account to access all six Invertebrate Conservation Challenge lessons and share lesson links with your students.
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In Partnership with Invertebrates Australia
Invertebrates Australia is an environmental charity dedicated to the science and conservation of Australia’s incredible invertebrates. These creatures may be small, but they play a big role in keeping Australian ecosystems healthy and thriving.
- 12 threatened Australian invertebrate species to choose from - curated by Invertebrates Australia
- Species from both terrestrial and marine environments across Australia
- Threatened Species Cheat Sheet provided for every species
- Real conservation context - students tackle actual threats to real species
How the Conservation Challenge Works
Learn
Students are introduced to Australian invertebrates, their ecological role, and the threats they face from habitat loss, climate change, and human activity.
Research
Each team selects a threatened invertebrate species and researches its specific threats, using the Invertebrates Australia Cheat Sheet as a starting point for their investigation.
Pitch
Teams complete their Conservation Pitch Deck - a structured presentation proposing a creative and evidence-based conservation solution for their chosen species.