Christie Gayheart and Tonya Lambert
Brief Project Description
After exploring and learning about the invasive plant species evident in a Mid-Michigan meadow, students will create informational brochures and posters detailing the plant species and explaining the benefits of encouraging native plant species. Brochures and posters will be placed at various businesses and organizations around the community for community members to read and take.
Standards and Performance Expectations
Inquiry Questions (for Students)
- How do I explain a plant structure's effect on the probability of successful reproduction?
- How can I analyze and interpret data to explain the availability of resources on an organism's population in an ecosystem?
- In what way can I explain the patterns of interaction are among organisms in varying ecosystems through a model?
- How can I explain that changes in the biological components affect populations in ecosystems?
- What is the best way to inform the public about invasive and native plant species?
- What are the organizational text features of a brochure and/or poster?
- How do I determine what information is relevant to include in a brochure and/or poster about invasive and native species of plants?
- How can I make my writing smooth, coherent, and clear for the reader?
- How can I make my informational writing more appealing to the reader by narrative techniques?
- In what ways might I adjust my writing to meet the needs of my audience?
Fall
- Observational study - walk the school grounds (developed football field, woodlot, undeveloped, etc.)
Winter
- Reproduction - asexual vs sexual
- Natural Selection
- Human Impact on Environment
Spring
- Natural or experimental study
- In groups of 4 or 5, choose an invasive species plant that is evident in the mid-Michigan area that you would like to research and inform the general public about.
- Collaborate with group members to write and illustrate informational brochures and posters.
- Distribute to local businesses and/or organizations for the public to read and take.
Lessons, activities, & procedures
Science
- Lesson(s): Observational Study-Walk schoolyard and local city park.
- Students will use their observations to generate questions for further inquiry.
- Teacher will share a picture of a diverse meadow and a meadow filled with only one species. Students will be asked to compare and contrast the differences to sites visited on walk, and make a hypothesis on how the site changed over time. After the hypothesis, students will be guided in developing a natural and experimental study.
- Lesson: Natural experiment-Students will identify two extreme sites, and collect data based upon the variations in the two sites for their proposed hypothesis.
- Lesson(s): Experimental studies-Students will identify a variable to test, and collect data based upon their proposed hypothesis.
Language Arts
- Introduce the idea of informing the public about the impact of invasive species in our area. What are ways this could be done? Lead to the idea of brochures and posters that could be distributed to places in the community to inform of the dangers of invasives and the benefits of encouraging native plants. Brainstorm a list of businesses and/or organizations that might be willing to display and distribute our work.
- Groups of 4 to 5 students choose an invasive plant and a native plant to research. How do we differentiate between what information is important to know and what isn't?
- Determine what information belongs in the brochure. What do we want the community to know? Examples: What is it? How do you identify it? Where is it found? Where did it come from? Why is it a problem? Who/what is it affecting? What can be done about it? Let students discover these categories.
- Analyze and compare examples of brochures. What are the text features of a brochure? How are they organized? etc.
- Discuss and explore appropriate word choice and voice for the intended audience. Who will most likely be reading our brochures?
- In addition to writing about an invasive species, the brochure might also include a backside blurb written from the point of view of a native plant that is suffering due to the invasive. Focus on ways to make information and facts more engaging to the reader.
- ReadWriteThink.org character creation tool
- Discuss how to use narrative style by using similes, metaphors, or personification to describe facts in other ways
- RAFTS practice
- Peer/group revising, editing, proofreading
- Design brochure layout and create final copies. Include student-produced illustrations or graphics.
- Deliver posters and brochures to businesses:
- Chippewa Nature Center
- Parks & Rec Department
- Garden Club
- Lowe's, Meijer, Home Depot, etc.
- local greenhouses/nurseries
- Little Forks Conservancy
- City Forest
- Dow Gardens
- Dahlia Hill
Opportunities for Extensions
- Students might look for ways to become involved in removing invasive plants from the area.
- Introduce to and encourage students to read a novel about invasive or endangered species.