Native vs. Non-Native Plants
Driving or Multi-dimensional Question:
You have been asked to create a PSA to inform others of the dangers that non-native plants have on ecosystem stability in the Tennessee Valley. The PSA should explain how non-native species cause ecosystem instability, provide solutions for avoiding their introduction, and/or create a plan to eradicate current non-native plants.
Unit Summary:
This PBL unit will ask students to explore proper resource management techniques as students identify native and non-native plants found in the Tennessee Valley. This unit will require students to identify common native and non-native plants found in the Tennessee Valley.
In addition, students will identify non-native, invasive plants found in the Tennessee Valley and explain how their presence impacts ecosystem stability. Then they will create a PSA (public service announcement) to help others understand the effects of introducing non-native species into the environment and provide solutions to prevent the further spread of and/or eradicate these non-native plants.
Hook Event:
Think-Pair-Share Activity
Imagine that aliens have invaded this planet. Have students think about how an alien invasion could negatively impact us. Then students will pair with a fellow classmate and share their thoughts.
Culminating Event:
Students will create a PSA video or poster to inform others of the dangers that non-native species have on ecosystem stability in the Tennessee Valley. Students will present their PSAs at a school STEM night.
Standards
Science Standards:
6.LS4: Biological Change: Unity and Diversity 1) Explain how changes in biodiversity would impact ecosystem stability and natural resources.
6.LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics 3) Draw conclusions about the transfer of energy through a food web and energy pyramid in an ecosystem.
Math Standards:
6.SP.A.2 Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution that can be described by its center (mean, median, mode), spread (range), and overall shape.
ELA and Other Standards:
6. SL.PKI.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
6. SL.PKI.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Digital Readiness (Computer Science):
AIT.6 Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
CCP.22 Interpret the flow of execution of algorithms and predict their outcomes.
Daily Activities
For more information on this lesson, please see the Lesson Resources below
| Activity | Description | Resources and Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Activity One | Alien Invaders: A Threat to Ecosystem Stability KWL Organizer for Non-Native Species In the first column, students will write what they know about non-native species and how they impact biodiversity and ecosystem stability. In the second column, students will write what they want to know about non-native species and how they impact biodiversity and ecosystem stability. After students watch the provided videos, they will complete the last column with what they learned about non-native species and how they impact biodiversity and ecosystem stability. | National Park Service: Managing Invasive Species nps.gov/subjects/invasive/index.htm Knoxville News Sentinel: TVA Manages Invasive Species in Area Waterways youtube.com/watch?v=LCEKI41H_bI Tennessee Aquarium: A Battle Worth Carping About (Part 1): The Asian Invasion youtube.com/watch?v=pjAvV5cN0WA&feature=emb_logo |
| Activity Two | Food Chains & Ecosystem Disruptions Creative Coding Using Brain Pop’s Creative Coding website, create a newscast to review your knowledge about food chains and energy flow through ecosystems. Remember to change the Creative Coding “backgrounds” to see how food chain disruptions can impact an ecosystem’s stability. | Food Chains & Ecosystem Disruptions Creative Coding Using Brain Pop’s Creative Coding website, create a newscast to review your knowledge about food chains and energy flow through ecosystems. Remember to change the Creative Coding “backgrounds” to see how food chain disruptions can impact an ecosystem’s stability. |
| Activity Three | Plants of the Tennessee Valley Memory Game Students will research native and non-native plants found in the Tennessee Valley. A list of relevant websites has been provided. Using note cards, students will paste a picture of one labeled plant on one card and the plant’s name and identification as a native or non-native plant on the second card. Students will repeat this process for 8 different plants, four native and four non-native. Once students have created their note cards (16 total = 8 with pictures and 8 with name and native vs. non-native identification), they will find a partner and play a game of “Memory.” All note cards will be face down. One person will select two cards and try to match a plant’s picture to its identification and name. If the person correctly matches the two cards, they may keep the cards. If the cards are not a match, they will place the cards face down, and the other student will have a turn. The game will continue until all plant cards are correctly matched. The person with the most pairs will win. | Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority USGS (note: plants are at the end of the list) nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpeciesList.aspx?Group=&Sortby=1&state=TN Tennessee Invasive Plant Council
Tennessee State Government |
| Activity Four | Tracking the Invaders Case Study: Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) After viewing the provided resources, students should answer the following questions: What trends do you see with regard to the spread or range of Hydrilla? What do the maps provided in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service document tell you about hydrilla’s climate preference? Think in terms of mean, median, and mode. If hydrilla continues to invade other U.S. states, which states do you think will be next? Explain your answer. | Tennessee Valley Authority Cornell University’s Naturalist Outreach (11-minute video) youtube.com/watch?v=syyl039vAZA&feature=emb_logo U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Ecological-Risk-Screening-Summary-Hydrilla-verticillata.pdf |
| Activity Five | Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Tennessee Valley Non-Native Species PSA Students will create a PSA video or poster about one or more non-native plant species found in the Tennessee Valley. The PSA should inform others of the dangers that non-native species have on ecosystem stability, solutions for avoiding their introduction, and/or a plan to eradicate their presence. Students will present their PSA to the class. Later PSAs will be presented at a school STEM night. | Center for Digital Education: How to Create the Perfect PSA govtech.com/education/news/how-to-create-the-perfect-public-service-announcement.html Tennessee Invasive Plant Council: Plant Alternatives to Non-Native Invasives tnipc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/alternatives_printableweb2016.pdf |
| Activity Six | Optional Extension: Informative Website Students learn how to create a webpage or website using HTML and CSS using the Hour of Code tutorial from HTML Academy. They will then pair programs to create a webpage or website using Code.org’s Web Lab. The webpage or website must be about a particular aspect of resource management with regard to native and non-native plants of the Tennessee Valley. | Pair Programming video – youtube.com/watch?v=q7d_JtyCq1A&vl=en Hour of Code tutorials on how to create a webpage using HTML and CSS can be found at hourofcode.com/htmlmuffin Code.org’s Web Lab – studio.code.org/projects |
| Activity Seven | Optional Extension: Field Trip to State or Federal Park Go on a class field trip to a State or Federal Park. Work with local natural resource management personnel to remove non-native species and plant native species. |
Technology Integration: Students will use digital productivity tools, Brain Pop’s Creative Coding website, and the Internet for research, assignments, and PSA creation. As an extension activity, students may also use Code.org’s Web Lab programming environment and HTML Academy’s “H
| Community Partners | Contribution to Learning Experience | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
TVA Natural Resource Management Professional | Guest speaker – discusses common native and non-native plants local to the area. | |
National or State Park Ranger | Field trip – students travel to a national or state park to see firsthand how non-native species impact local ecosystems. | |
Local Nursery or Landscaping Company | The guest speaker – discusses the advantages of using native plants in residential landscaping. |
Capstone Presentation:
Students will create a PSA video or poster to inform others of the dangers that non-native species have on ecosystem stability in the Tennessee Valley and provide solutions for avoiding their introduction and/or eradicating them. Students will present their PSAs at a school STEM night.