ALIEN INVADERS
Created by Monique Simmons
INTRODUCTION
The invasion is happening right now!!!!
Thousands of alien species are wreaking havoc in ecosystems across the
world by spreading, colonizing, and establishing themselves at the cost of
existing native species. This
explosion of bio-invasion of alien species to soil they had not previously been
found is the result of the significant increase in world trade, business travel
and tourism. The devastation of bio-invasion
includes the disruption of many stable ecosystems and the extinction of many
species that serve valuable ecological and medicinal purposes. You and your classmates are environmental
ecologists employed by the government to search for invasive species. Your job is to prevent loss of indigenous
species in those areas.
TASK
You and your classmates will go on
expeditions around the world to various ecosystems that are being threatened by
alien species. Your goal is to identify
and research invasive species. You will
present proposals that provide feasible solutions to address the problem of bio-invasion
by using the TIPS Public Policy Analyst (PPA) approach. You will present your research and proposals
in a report to the appropriate government agencies.
PROCESS
Each expedition team will consist of
three ecologists. Each team will
investigate the impact of one invasive species on an ecosystem. The teams will conduct their investigations
according to the following PPA worksheets:
1. Identify and define the problem
of invasive species:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet1.html
2. Gather
evidence about the impact of your invasive species and complete worksheet:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet2.html
3.
Identify causes of your invasive
species using the worksheet found at the website:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet3.html.
4.
Create three of your own public
policies that will address the ecological and economic problems associated with
your invasive species:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet4.html
and http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html
5.
Finally, evaluate the effectiveness
of your public policy solutions and select the best solution to
solve the problem of
invasive species in your habitat today by using the worksheet found at the
website:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet6.html
RESOURCES
Public Policy Analyst
Website
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.html
Search Engines
Websites
1.
http://www.biology.smsu.edu
5.
http://www.turningpoint.org
6.
http://invasivesspecies.org
EVALUATION:
Upon completion of your report, each
group will be graded based upon:
A)
The amount of information gathered
B) The quality of the information gathered and
C) The feasibility of the proposed solutions to address the problem.
INVASIVE SPECIES
EVALUATION RUBRIC:
|
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Content |
Writing
shows in depth understanding of the social problem |
Shows
understanding through explicit references to the social problem |
Shows
understanding through implicit references to the social problem |
|
Organization |
Clear,
elaborate sentence structure; gives background, analysis, and persuasive
evidence for new policy |
Writing
varies length of sentences; gives some background, analysis, and partly
persuades with some evidence |
Writing
uses basic sentence structure; news story gives little or no background or
analysis, and does not support new policy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Collaboration |
There is
strong evidence that all group members participated equally |
There is
some evidence that all group members participated equally |
There is
little or no evidence that all group members participated equally |
Conclusion
Students should be
able to understand the impact that alien species have on ecosystems. Students should also be able to investigate
the economic and ecological concerns associated with invasive species, and to
propose solutions to address the problems.
Science standards addressed in this webquest:
S8a: Demonstrates scientific
competence by completing secondary research.
S7b: Argues from evidence.
S7e: Communications in a form suited
to the purpose and the audience.
S5c: Uses evidence from reliable
sources to develop descriptions, explanations, and models; and makes
appropriate adjustments and improvements.
S5d: Proposes, recognizes, analyzes,
considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between
fact and opinion.
A3 a Gather information to assist in
completing project work.
A3 b Use on-line sources to exchange
information for specific purposes.
A3 c Use word-processing software to
produce a multi-page document