Sep 122013
How do we identify invasive species, and why do we care? In this lesson, students learn to make and use dichotomous keys to identify common invasive species. Students will gain an appreciation for why invasive species are important through a series of discussions, videos, and keying activities. A graphing activity will allow students to make graphs, interpret data from graphs, and draw conclusions based on data.
At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Make and use simple dichotomous keys to identify species
- Discuss why species identification skills are important to understanding and preventing invasion.
- Convert a data table into a figure and draw conclusions
- Interpret a figure and discuss ecological explanations for the data shown
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Powerpoint presentation
- Graphing Activity (worksheet)
- Jelly Bean Key
- News Article 1
- News Article 2
Lesson Plan created by GK-12 Fellow Susan Magnoli and Partner-Teachers Marcia Angle and Jodie Lugar-McManus, 2013