Pamela Randall, Walton
High School
Introduction
No, it's not Hollywood's latest thriller, but a real
threat to our environment and economy. Increasing human population and per
capita consumption, leading to expansion of global trade, and increases in
human mobility have resulted in unprecedented invasion by nonnative species.
These biological invasions produce severe, often irreversible impacts on
agriculture, recreation, and our natural resources. Invasive species threaten
biodiversity, habitat quality, and ecosystem function.
They are the second-most important threat to native species, behind habitat destruction; having contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species. Introduced species also present an ever-increasing threat to food and fiber production. In the United States, the economic costs of nonnative species invasions reach billions of dollars each year.
This Webquest is intended expose you to exotic species, how they are introduced to new settings, the affects of such species to the environment, how to cope with exotic invasive species, alternative methods of dealing with problematic species in general; and how we answer these questions.
Task
Your task will be, in groups of two, to create a
PowerPoint Presentation and a two page typed report on the effects of
introducing an exotic species as form of biological control. For either project you must include the 6
Step Public Policy approach:
- Identify the problem. (Define and describe the social
problem, players and public policy.)
- Gather evidence to identify the causes of the
problem.
- Describe and evaluate the existing policy.
- Develop solutions for the problems in the
existing policy.
- Select the best policy for the problem.
Process
Refer to the following guidelines for the completion of
your two products.
Before completing your two projects:
1.
Research the sources listed below in order to respond to
all the following questions.
2.
Complete the 6 step public policy worksheets found at the
site listed.
3.
Hand in the worksheets for evaluation.
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.html
Guidelines for your Power Point Presentation:
1)
Research the sources to create your presentation.
2)
All your slides will be original.
3)
Have eight (8) slides showing your information and one
(1) slide listing the credits (like a movie).
4)
Your slides will be based on the 6-step PPA (Public
Policy Analysis).
5)
Focus your presentation on factual information rather
than opinion.
6)
Your presentation will also include information showing
the class how you came to your conclusions.
Guidelines for your 3-page typed
report:
1)
Your three page typed report will be based on information
from the sources and the 6 step public policy analyst format.
2)
Your report will be typed, double-spaced, and in 12-point
font.
3)
You will use the MLA style for citing references.
4)
Your report will focus on reasons for the introduction of
a non-native species, the problems with the introduction, and how Public Policy
offers solutions, if any.
5)
A cover sheet with your name, group members’ names,
class, teacher, date, and title of report will be included.
Evaluation
The evaluation of
your projects will be done in two parts.
The first part will be on your Power Point presentation. You and your group will present your project
to the rest of the class and the class will submit rubrics based on your
group’s presentation. The instructor
will then combine these rubrics, along with your self-assessment, to determine
a score. Then the rubric on your typed
report will be averaged with your Power Point score to determine your final grade.
Rubric
|
|
Inadequate 1 |
Fair 2 |
Good 3 |
Excellent 4 |
|
3-Page Typed Report |
Does Not Follow PPA Format,
or English Standards |
Minimal Analysis of PPA, and
usage of Standards |
Decent Analysis of PPA, and
usage of Standards |
Outstanding Analysis of PPA, and
usage of Standards |
|
Power Point Presentation |
No Knowledge of Public
Policy, Minimum Data Supporting
Public Policy |
Minimum Knowledge of Public
Policy, Few Data Sources |
Good Knowledge of Public
Policy, Adequate Amount of Data Sources |
Outstanding Knowledge of
Public Policy, Tremendous Data Sources |
Resources
http://esa.sdsc.edu/invas3.htm
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/invasives.htm
http://cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Biodiversity/biodv-26.cfm
http://www.sciam.com/explorations/1999/021599animals/index.html
http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan99/species_costs.html
http://esa.sdsc.edu/issues5.htm
http://cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Biodiversity/biodv-26.cfm
http://www.jncc.gov.uk/marine/dns/
http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/invasive.html
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/ns112.htm
Conclusion
The effects of human activities can have many unforeseen
consequences. This is especially so if the activity is the result of an
application of science. If proper research is not done before hand, then the
costs of cleaning up errors can be great in terms of dollar output, habitat
destruction, restoration projects, and ecological disabilities.
Bronx
High School Educational Standards Addressed
S2 - Life Science Concepts:
Biology
S4 - Scientific Connections and Applications:
S4a: order and organizing; form and function; change and constancy;
cause and effect
S4b: the relationship between science and
technology
S4c: personal and environmental safety
S5 – Scientific Thinking
S5a: frames questions to distinguish cause and
effect
S5b: uses S1-S4 to explain a variety of observations and phenomena
S5c: uses evidence from reliable sources to develop descriptions,
explanations, and models; makes adjustments based on new knowledge
S5d: proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers and critiques
alternative explanations
S5e: identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; evaluates
the accuracy of design, and outcomes of investigation
S5f: works individually and in teams to collect and share information
and ideas
S6 – Scientific Tools and Technologies
S6a: uses technology and tools to observe and measure objects
S6b: records and stores data using a variety of formats
S6d: acquires information from multiple sources
S6e: recognizes and limits sources of bias in data
S7 – Scientific Communication
S7a: represents data and results in multiple ways
S7d: explains a scientific concept or procedure
to other students
S7e: communicates in a form suited to the purpose
and audience