Independent Site Visits 9th Grade:

 

Discussing Invasive Exotic Plants

 Site:   Inwood Hill Park Urban Ecology Center, 218th street and Indian  Rd. in Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan.  (212) 304-2365

 Grade Level(s):  9th grade biology

 Learning Standards: Life science concepts S2a, S2d, S2e.

 Time Requirements:

 Approximately 1 hours Preparation time and  1 hours Class time.

 Approximately 1-1.5 hours at the site

 Topics covered by this lesson:

  The effects of invasive exotic plants on parks and other ecosystems

 The importance of biodiversity in parks

 Pre-Visit Topics:

 Function of trees/plants in an ecosystem

 Layers of the forest

 Plant reproductive strategies

 Adaptation

 Materials Required:  Teacher guide: Teacher meets tree meets student:

 Bring the Classroom Into the Forest, the teacher’s guide to Parklands

 Partnership, camera(s), magnifying glasses, sketching materials

 Visit:

 Go to the Urban Ecology center and meet with a park ranger there.  He/she will lead a discussion and hike into the forest to discuss the tree species in the area.  Students collect data through sketching and/or photographing trees and surrounding understory growth.  The rangers prefer to keep group size in the 20’s but can take up to 30

 students (max.) at a time.

 Post Visit:

 Assessment:   Research and identify an exotic invasive plant species in  the NYC  area and create a fictional data set based upon the  proliferation of the observed species and its effects on its ecosystem.  Students write this up as if they are a researcher watching a specific  plot of land over a five-year period.  Paper must also include suggestions of what the “researcher” things should be done about the problem.

 Extensions and Suggested Homework Assignments:  Create a poster and  presentation about a particular invasive plant (or animal) species and  include information about the range and effects of the species on other  plants and animals in its area.

 Possible questions that may be brought up:

 Teacher reflections:

 How could this trip be made to work for larger groups given the rangers’  group limits?

 What could personalize this lesson for students and make them care?

 

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