Adirondack
Curriculum
Project - www.adkcurriculumproject.org
NYS Content Area Standard
MST
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Title: Space
Invaders
Grade Level: 10th Grade Living Environment
Author: Gail Meyer
Saranac Lake Central School
Email: meyergai@slcs.org
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X_ Natural History
___ Human History
___ Culture & the Arts
_X_ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation &
Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: Do we have invasive plant species
located on our school grounds? If so, can we do anything about it?
Challenge:
Context for this Challenge: This
challenge assumes that there are in fact examples of invasive plant
species on the property of the school and that school officials are
willing to have them identified.
The Challenge: In
teams of four created with the help of your teacher, conduct a survey
of the plant species present within your assigned plot of school
property. Determine which if any of these species are invasive.
Create an accurate and
informative plant species "map" of your plot. The map of your
plot of property will eventually be merged with the maps of all the
other members of the class so we can construct an accurate overview of
the plant life and invasive species located around our school. Make
suire you and all your classmates design your maps with this final
product in mind.
As your team creates the map of your section of property, be sure to
meet the following guidelines:
- The map has a title indicating its content, a
key/legend translating symbols, a compass rose for direction, and an
indicator of scale.
- The map identifies the major plant species
found in your plot and the location of each. All team members must
agree on the accuracy of plant identification based on their research
and use of appropriate plant identification field guides and keys
- The map clearly distinguishes between plant
species that are native or benign and those plant species that are
invasive
Each indivdual on your team must maintain a personal
journal of the work you do in the field. This journal should be an
accurate account of all the work you do personally and as a team. It
should include detailed notes and sketches regarding the plants you
find.
At the conclusion of this project we will merge the
individual team maps into a overall class map showing the location and
prevalence of native or benign plant species vs. that of invasive
species on school property. The class will then make recommendations to
our Supervisor of Building & Grounds regarding the control or
eradication of those invasive species we've found.
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Quality Standards:
Team Map
- The team map has a title indicating its
content, a key/legend translating symbols, a compass rose for
direction, and an indicator of scale.
- The map correctly identifies the major plant
species found in your plot and the location of each. All team members
must agree on the accuracy of plant identification based on their
research and use of appropriate plant identification field guides and
keys
- The map clearly distinguishes between plant
species that are native or benign and those plant species that are
invasive
Personal Field
Journal
- The journal accurately represents the work of
the team and journal author while in the field
- The journal includes detailed notes and
sketches of the plants found
Class Recommendation
- The recommendation is supported by data
illustrated on the class map
- The recommendation includes specific
suggestions for the control or eradication of the invasive species that
were found
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Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
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Product of
the 2008 ACP Biodiversity Workshop, funded by a grant from the New York
Biodiversity Research Institute.