Content: Speciation, biodiversity; Different types of invasive species, such as fish, plants, bees, birds, etc. and how they impact the ecosystem.
Core Curriculum:
Performance Indicators: 3.2 Describe factors responsible for competition within species and the significance of that competition.
3.2a In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources.
Performance Indicators: 7.1 Describe how living things, including humans, depend upon the living and nonliving environment for their survival.
7.1c In all environments, organisms interact with one another in many ways. Relationships among organisms may be competitive, harmful, or beneficial. Some species have adapted to be dependent upon each other with the result that neither could survive without the other.
Performance Indicator: 7.2 Describe the effects of environmental changes on humans and other populations.
7.2b The environment may be altered through the activities of organisms. Alterations are sometimes abrupt. Some species may replace others over time, resulting in long-term gradual changes (ecological succession).
Materials:
Article “Nearly Half of Asia's Birds Unprotected”
http://animal.discovery.com/news/afp/20041129/asiabirds.html
Access to Computer http://www.invasive.org/
Worksheets
Activities and procedures:
Students will read the article for homework, and answer some questions that will go along with it. After an introduction covering what invasive species are and a previous lesson on the economic and human impact that foreign invading species have, the classroom will divide into four to five groups (10 minutes). Each group will be given a task of researching different, specific invasive species (by using textbook, Internet and classroom resources) and they will work together to find the impact that each species has on the ecosystem—whether it is a beneficial or harmful invasive species – and how they came to a given area, was it humans that caused the spread? (20 minutes). The students will reconvene and share their findings to the rest of the class (15 minutes).
Method of Evaluation: Student participation, accuracy based on facts found from resources, creativity for solutions to problems.