|| Invasive Species
Invasive plants or animals can have a profound impact on ecosystems. When allowed to proliferate, they can kill off indigenous plant or animal life, causing whole natural habitats to change.
In this project, students identify an invasive species and
its impact on local ecosystems by doing research and performing
a quadrant study. Once students have assessed the health of
their local ecosystem, they will work with environmentalists
to devise a plan that will alleviate the invasive species
problem in their area.
This project incorporates elements of the scientific
Middle school, but can be adapted to suit other grades
Up to 1 semester
Main focus on environmental science, with language arts and
social studies connections
- Gain an understanding of the scientific method and use elements of it in some steps of the project.
- Research and discover which non-native plants exist locally.
- Study and analyze these invasive species' effect on the environment.
- Plan, publicize, and execute a project to help remove harmful invasives.
- North American Association for Environmental Education
Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning
Strand 1—Questioning and Analysis Skills (Guidelines A,
B, C, D, E, G); Strand 2.2—The Living Environment (A, C,
D); Strand 2.3—Humans and Their Societies (C, E); Strand
2.4—Environment and Society (A, B); Strand 3.1—Skills for
Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues (A, B,
C, D); Strand 3.2—Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills
(A, B, C, D); Strand 4—Personal and Civic Responsibility
- Technology Foundation Standards for Students
Standard 1: Basic operations and concepts; Standard 3: Technology
productivity tools; Standard 4: Technology communications
tools; Standard 5: Technology research tools.
Students will reflect on the results of their project by doing
one of the following options: make a scrapbook; create a video
or a Web page about their experiences to share with others;
or form groups to write a series of illustrated articles. Students
will also create and distribute an invasive species eradication
pamphlet to local government officials, media, schools, and
- Modem: 56.6 Kbps or faster
- Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or above or Internet Explorer
4.0 or above
- Macintosh computer: System 8.1 or above and at least 32
MB of RAM
- Personal computer (Pentium II 350 MHz or Celeron 600 MHz)
running Windows® 95 or higher and at least 32 MB of RAM
- RealPlayer plug-in. Download for free at http://www.real.com
- WHAT'S UP IN THE ENVIRONMENT video (optional)
- Excel or chart and graph paper
- PowerPoint or Hyperstudio (optional)
- Access to the Internet on at least one computer (optional)
- Paper and pencils to create diagrams
- Instructions for a quadrant study (see Web site for instructions)
- Field guide (either purchase guides, or download them
for free from the Web)
- For data collection/field documentation: video camera;
camera; tape recorder; or paper and colored pencils
- To collect field samples: spades, plastic bags, clippers
- For the pamphlet: either word processing, graphics, or
presentation software such as Word Perfect and Quark, or
PowerPoint; or drawing paper and markers
Teacher tool Web sites
Bookmark these Web sites for student
to Procedures page
- Invasive Species
This site provides links to Federal efforts on invasive
species. Students can link to sites that tell about the
impact of invasive species and the Federal government's
response. They can also read select species profiles and
find links to agencies and organizations dealing with invasive
- Plants Database
Students can use this site to search for information using
specific plant names. They can also read state reports about
invasive plants. Scroll down the page to 'Plants Downloads'
for downloadable field guides.
- Wildland Invasive Species Program
Click on the interactive map to find the invasive species
in your community. Then, surf the site to find out more
information on invasive species and what can be done to
- Studying a Real Prairie
In order to do this project, students will need to do a
quadrant study. This site provides information on how to
do a quadrant study and explains how a class used a quadrant
study to analyze a prairie.
This site has information about plants, including a searchable
plant database (http://www.ecoworld.com/Plants/ecoworld_plants_
- National Wildlife Federation Web Site
This site gives useful information about how to write fact
sheets and organize community groups to take action.