 Adirondack
Curriculum
Project - www.adkcurriculumproject.org
NYS Content Area Standard
ELA: 1 & 3. Language for Critical Analysis and Interpretation
MST: 1
[1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.5] and 4 [1.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2]
Social
Studies: 1. History of the United States & New York
Technology 5
|
Title: Tipping
the Balance: Tracking the Threat to Biodiversity Posed by Non-native
Invasive Species*
Grade Level: 11/12th Grade
Environmental Science
Author: Kate Bartholomew
Watkins Glen High School
Email: kbarthol@watkinsglenschools.org
|
Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X_ Natural History
_X_ Human History
___ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation &
Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: What is the extent of biodiversity in
the Adirondacks, and how is it being threatened by the proliferation of
Non-native Invasive Species on the Forest?
Challenge:
The Adirondack Park is rich
in biodiversity and varied habitat. Within the last two centuries, it
has been significantly impacted, either in part or in whole, by human
activity. And now the Park's health is threatened by Non-native
Invasive Species (NNIS).
Students will work in groups of various sizes, depending on the portion
of the project being addressed. Portions of the project will be
accomplished collectively, while other elements will be apportioned to
group work.
Throughout the course of the project, students will keep an individual
participation log which the teacher will review at random intervals
over the course of the challenge.
In teacher designed groups, students will, with guidance from the
teacher, research and investigate general historic land use patterns of
the areas currently designated as the Adirondack Park. Students should
pay particular attention to areas of agricultural activity, logging and
settlement, which will be designated by colored/patterned overlays on
USGS topo maps of the regions. Also, it is important that students note
when these activities ceased and the Park was created.
Again, the students will be divided into groups. With teacher
facilitation, students will utilize the resources indicated, as well as
contact individual experts to catalog the general level of biodiversity
in the Park, highlighting especially areas of greatest bidiversity,
areas with especially unique habitat and/or sensitive, threatened or
endangered species. If possible, students will obtain geographic
coordinates for these areas, enabling to graphically represent this
information, as accurately as possible as another set of map overlays.
Now, in groups of 2 or 3, students will choose one of the top 10
terrestrial NNIS threatening the biodiversity in the Adirondack Park,
conduct research and create an information resource for others in the
class detailing the geographic origin of that particular NNIS, when it
was introduced to the area, which native species it competes with,
methods/actions/characteristics responsible for its success, preferred
habitat, impact on [how it changes] the ecosystem, possible eradication
and control measures, etc. The product must be in one of the following
formats: brochure, poster, press release, flyer. It must be colorful
[include photos of NNIS and species it competes with], accurate,
concise and understandable. References must be included.
With this information in hand, students will, in groups of three, be
assigned a 3 to 4 mile section of trail in the Adirondack Park. In a
series of field trips, each group will identify, mark the GPS location
of, and estimate the extent of each occurrence of all the NNIS on its
trail section. Students will then return to the school and translate
this information into polygon map coordinates on a map of the
Adirondack Park using ARCView 9.2, being certain to uniquely designate
each different NNIS. This information will be combined as a final
overlay on a USGS topo map of the Forest.
Finally, in groups of 4, students will, based on research done about
the NNIS, the locations of greatest biological diversity and
sensitivity, the geographic landscape, and current location of
infestation of NNIS on Forest trails, develop a position paper
explaining where you believe biodiversity is most threatened such that
you recommend the Adirondack Park Agency and Department of
Environmental Conservation focus their efforts on erradication and
control and why. Each group will offer their recommendations to the APA
and DEC, accompanied by the extensive display board of supporting
material created by the whole class.
Class presentations of collected findings, with each group sharing its
recommendations with representatives of the APA and DEC.
|
Quality Standards:
Individual
Participation Log:
- entries for each day of project work
- research notes
- field data from collection trips
Historic land-use maps of the Adirondack Park:
- accuracy of historic information
- completed within time designated
- clear distinction between different types of
land-use
Biodiversity Inventory Map of the Adirondack Park:
- accuracy of information
- completed within time designated
<>clear depiction of varying levels of
biodiversity, as well as presence of any sensitive, threatened or
endangered species
NNIS of the Adirondacks Reports
- accuracy of information
- method/route/time of introduction
- native plants it competes with
- actions/characteristics responsible for its
success
- control/erradication methods
- completed within time designated
- color photos
- double spaced
- complies with one of the following forms:
brochure, poster, press release or flyer
- references cited
NNIS Inventory and Mapping of the trails in the Park
- completion within time designated
- accurate use of GIS
- mapping of entire trail section
- unique designation for each different NNIS
Position Paper with Recommendations for Focus of Erradication/Control
Efforts
- completion within time designated
- rational, reasoned recommendations
Presentation:
- professional appearance
- poise and confidence
- clear, articulate delivery
- participation by each group member in
presentation
Resources:
|
Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
|
Product of
the 2008 ACP Biodiversity Workshop, funded by a grant from the New York
Biodiversity Research Institute.