Project Lesson Plan #1 First Week Day One

Project Lesson Plan #3

Name: Michael A. Pena Jr.

Title of lesson: Aquatic Invaders

Length of lesson: 2 (45 min) Periods

Source: Nat. Geographic Xpeditions

Curriculum Mapping: Geography, science, economics, language arts

TEKS Addressed:

(1) Scientific processes. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts field and

laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical practices.

(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and

laboratory investigations.

(B) collect data and make measurements with precision;

data; and

(3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem

solving to make informed decisions.

environment;

(11) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms maintain homeostasis. The

student is expected to:

(A) identify and describe the relationships between internal feedback

mechanisms in the maintenance of homeostasis;

(B) investigate and identify how organisms, including humans, respond to

external stimuli;

(D) summarize the role of microorganisms in maintaining and disrupting

equilibrium.

(12) Science concepts. The student knows that interdependence and interactions

occur within an ecosystem.

(B) interpret interactions among organisms exhibiting predation.

(D) identify and illustrate that long-term survival of species is dependent on

a resource base that may be limited.

(E) investigate and explain the interactions in an ecosystem.

I. Overview

The Chesapeake Bay is filled with a variety of plants and animals and each one has an important role to fill. The interaction between all of these organisms is called an ecosystem. When an organism exists naturally in a given ecosystem, it is considered a native species. Organisms that flourish in the Bay might not do very well in another habitat, such as the desert; however, some organisms thrive in places where they are not native, causing serious disruption to the rest of that ecosystem.

In this activity, students will explore the ways that native species interact in a healthy Chesapeake Bay. They will then learn about some of the ways that exotic or invasive species can threaten the balance of the ecosystem. Students will discover how the various elements of the Bay ecosystem are interconnected and investigate some of the issues associated with invasive species.

II. Performance or learner outcomes

Students will:

· learn about the elements of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem;

· study the native species and invasive species currently living in the Chesapeake Bay, and how they interact; and

· discuss ways to solve the problem of invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay and in other ecosystems.

III. Resources, materials and supplies needed

Computer with Internet access
Poster paper
Writing and drawing materials
"Ecosystem cards" (large index cards with the names of Chesapeake Bay organisms written on one side; see below for list of organisms)

IV. Supplementary materials, handouts.

Butcher paper, and crayons/markers.

Five-E Organization

Teacher Does Student Does

Engage:

To start the engagement I will begin by Introducing:

Thousands of plant and animal species live in the Chesapeake Bay region. Explain to students that some of these species are not native to the region and disrupt the Bay's delicately balanced ecosystem.

When the ballast is pumped from the ship and it begins to mingle with the Bay's waters after a voyage, marine plants and animals from the ship's originating ecosystem are released. Unwanted "travelers" such as these can also be transferred to the Bay via airplanes, cars, and trucks.

Not all exotic species are introduced to the ecosystem by accident. Some species, like the honeybee, are considered valuable resources. Other species reproduce too quickly and have caused large economic and ecological problems; they are called exotic invasive species.

Some of the more familiar exotic species in the Bay watershed include the tall shoreline plant Phragmites australis (common reed), the grass carp, resident Canada geese, and mute swans, which cause problems in the Bay region by destroying wetlands and other habitats that sustain native species of resident and migratory birds.

The task of removing exotic species can be extremely costly, running into the millions of dollars at times. Although regulatory controls currently exist to prevent further introduction of exotics, public education is the best possible method for controlling accidental and intentional introduction.

Students are engaged in the Intro/Lecture and are encouraged to ask questions

<-Ask students how they think these exotic species got into the Bay in the first place. Explain that exotic species are transported to the Bay's watershed in a number of ways: by air, over land, and in water. Some have been introduced in the ballast water that large ships carry for stabilization.

Teacher Does Student Does

Explore / Explain:

Divide the class into groups of five students each. Hand out ecosystem cards to each group (see groups below for a list of organisms to put on your cards). Each group will receive five cards, and each card will have the name of an organism on it that can be found in the Chesapeake Bay. One student in each group will be assigned a species to represent; at least one should be an underwater grass. Some other possibilities include water, fish, algae, oxygen, people, sediment, clams, ducks, weather (hurricanes or drought), and crabs.

[Note: If your students are knowledgeable about the Bay's ecosystem, you may ask them to come up with their own roles, rather than using the ones on the cards.]

Ecosystem cards:

Group 1: oyster, widgeon grass, plankton, American wigeon duck, crab  

Group 2: eelgrass, crab, seahorse, cownose ray, soft-shelled clam  

Group 3: periwinkle, saltmarsh cordgrass, diamond-back terrapin, rockfish, sago pond weed  

Group 4: oyster, sea nettle, anchovy, comb jelly, red head grass  

Group 5: blue gill, elodea, scud, mosquito fish, mosquito  

Group 6: osprey, rockfish, humans, crab, wild celery  

Group 7: spottail shiner, yellow perch, wild celery, canvasback duck, humans

Have the students in the groups work together to determine and explain how all of the organisms in each group are interconnected. In order to accomplish this, each student in the group should answer the following questions on the back of each organism card.

What does the organism eat, or how does it get its nourishment?
What eats that particular organism?
What sort of habitat does the organism need to survive?
What other special needs does it have?

The following Web sites will help them in their research:

National Geographic News: Chesapeake Bay Watermen Question Limits on Crab Harvests  Bay Grasses  Chesapeake Bay Foundation  Chesapeake Bay Program: Animals and Plants (click on "Exotic Species" on the left)  University of Maryland: Alien Ocean

<- Listen and prepare, after given instruction, students will be called upon via a number ( 1-5) and will go to the lab table with their corresponding number.

<- Pick a role

<- Students should be encouraged to work together and ask questions if required.

<- Have each group use their poster paper to create a web connecting the four or five organisms they chose. Students should draw lines connecting organisms to each other. Have students write a brief description of what the connection is on each line.

Teacher Does Student Does

Extend / Elaborate:

Each group will create a five to seven minute presentation or dramatic performance that demonstrates how all of the elements in their group are interconnected.

As a class, create a single large web showing how all the species students researched in their groups are connected to each other.

Ask each student to comment about what might happen to each of the other organisms in the web if the organism he or she studied disappeared.

Listen attentively, and ask questions in regards to how certain graphs/charts correlate to the data collected.

Presentation Rubric