Adirondack
Curriculum
Project - www.adkcurriculumproject.org 
NYS Content Area Standard
MST
Living Environment:
Standard 4
1.1f Every population is linked, directly or indirectly, with many
others in an ecosystem. Disruptions in the numbers and types of species
and environmental changes can upset ecosystem stability.
7.1c Human beings are part of the Earth’s ecosystems. Human activities
can, deliberately
or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems. Humans modify
ecosystems as a
result of population growth, consumption, and technology. Human
destruction of habitats
through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other
factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed,
ecosystems may be irreversibly affected.
7.2b When humans alter ecosystems either by adding or removing specific
organisms, serious consequences may result. For example, planting large
expanses of one crop reduces the biodiversity of the area
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Title: Invasive
Species in the Adirondacks*
Grade Level: 9th/Living Environment
Authors: Katie Nash, Our Lady of Mercy High School, Rochester and Jim
Byrne, Horseheads Central School
Email: katiebatc@yahoo.com
*This challenge was designed by teachers in the
Finger Lakes region and has been modified to contain Adirondack
content. It may be customized for any particular geographic region.
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X_ Natural History
___ Human History
___ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
_X_ Economy
___ Health, Recreation &
Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: What are the effects of invasive
species on the ecosystems of the Adirondack region?
Challenge:
Context for this Challenge: The
teacher may want to explain the concept of a scientific symposium to
students as an introduction to the "setting" for this challenge. If the
teacher wants students to integrate 21st Century technology into the
challenge (interactive whiteboard, presentation software,
podcast, etc.) (s)he will need to ensure that students have both
the training and accessibility to use that technology.
The Challenge:
Setting - You are a
four or five member scientific research team expert in the field of
plant biodiversity. You have been invited to a symposium to share your
findings regarding the impact of invasive plant species on the natural
and economic environment of the Adirondack region.
Your challenge is
to create an engaging and highly informative multimedia presentation for your
audience of educated adults. Your presentation should last no more than
5 minutes and should be formatted using whatever media (poster paper,
interactive white board, powerpoint, etc) you have available that will
make your presentation effective. Since Eurasian watermilfoil,
Water chestnut, Purple loosestrife, & Japanese knotweed are
the invasive species of greatest concern to those attending the
symposium, your team will need to chose one of these species to be the
focus of your presentation. Please make sure you are the only team presenting this topic
at the symposium.
As you design your presentation, please address each of the following
concerns:
- Make sure the "form" of your presentation is
appropriate. A good presentaion has a title, starts with an
introduction to the presenters and the topic that will be addressed,
and ends with some form of summary. Spelling and grammar should be
correct throughout.
- Make sure the content of your presentation
answers each of the following Focus Questions:
- How was your invasive species introduced
into the Adirondacks?
- Where did your invasive species come from
orginally?
- What is the habitat and niche of your
invasive species?
- What are the economic, societal and
environmental effects of your invasive species on the Adirondacks.
- What is currently being done to control the
problems created by your invasive species?
- Are there any effective ways to prevent the
spread of your invasive species now and in the future?
- Make sure your presentation includes
appropriate citation of the references and sources of your information.
You should have at least three different reliable sources
- Make sure your presentation reflects the work
of EVERY member of your team. Everyone should contribute to the final
results.
- Make sure every member of your team is
prepared to answer any questions about the content of your presentation.
Resource: Adirondack
Invasive
Plant Program
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Quality Standards:
Multimedia
Presentation:
- The presentation involves more than one medium
to communicate information (voice, text, pictures, graphics, music,
live examples, etc)
- The form of the presentation is appropriate
(title, introduction of presenters & material, summary, correct
spelling/grammar,etc)
- The presentation is engaging (the presenters
show live examples as well as pictures, use graphs and charts to
illustrate data and stimulate interest, etc.)
- The presentation is informative (all
information is accurate, supported by citations, and relevant to the
topic)
- The content of the presentation addresses all
the Focus Questions directly and thoroughly
- All members of the author team contribute to
the final results of the project
- All members of the author team can answer
questions regarding any aspect of the content of the presentation
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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.