Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species-America's Most Wanted: In My Backyard?
By Laurie Asermily
Seneca Falls Middle School
Contents:
Invasive species are a growing concern in our environment. Not only do they affect biodiversity, but they can negatively impact our agriculture and aesthetics of our parks and forests. A brief discussion of what invasive plant species are, how they reach our land and why they are so successful is included in the notes page that can be made into an overhead or copied as is for student reference.
Students upon completion of the unit will be able to:
The lesson activities are designed to give students the opportunity to conduct research utilizing both printed materials and internet accessible documents to analyze specific criteria for the invasive species that they are randomly assigned. This results in an average class of 20 students learning about 10 invasive species as listed in the plant id cards. Students are welcome to learn about other plants not presented on the id cards provided. The id cards provided in this lesson were chosen because they are either in bloom or have visible seeds during the fall and spring of the academic year.
They will in small groups delegate specific research tasks and encompass their group efforts into a "Most Wanted" poster that they will use to educate the rest of the class. The posters will serve as a means of student body environmental education for the entire middle school when they are mounted in the hallway and also as a way to share this knowledge with parents and the community at large. Students will further expand the activity by actively surveying an adjacent Nature Trail property for such "Wanted Plant Species" utilizing field guides. Successful identification will result in a tag being placed next to the plant identifying the individuals that first recognized it.
Activity 1: (1- 40min class period for research, 1-40 min class period for poster design, 1 -40 min class period for group presentation)
The students should be broken into teams of 2-3 in each group. They will randomly select a plant id card that has the name, picture and description of an invasive plant species of current concern in New York State . Using the worksheet, they are to write a problem statement summarizing what the specific problem is and answer the 6 criteria on the worksheet. They should divide up the work with each individual bearing responsibility for 1 or 2 of the criteria that they will also verbally discuss with the class as a whole. This can be as formal or as informal as you care to make it. Handouts should be provided along with internet access if available. On their "Most Wanted" Poster students should include:
• A detailed, colored drawing of the plant
• A written physical description
• A brief narrative of how it arrived here
• A list (rap sheet) of the negative effects of the "Fugitives"
Materials needed for Activity 1:
Activity 2: (1-40 min class period)
Students will assemble into their lab groups and review the identified terrestrial invasive species from the ID Cards provided. Then they will conduct an early detection survey on the school grounds using the plant id cards and other field guides as well as the information sheets, and early detection survey data recording sheets.
Materials needed for Activity 2:
Suggested web sites for downloading of descriptions and pictures or for if computer capabilities allow, for students to visit themselves.