The goal of this project is to raise awareness about invasive species and to turn that awareness into action to prevent and to manage current and future invasions. The project consists of lesson plans and corresponding hands-on items designed to teach the story about invasive species. Each lesson plan has been aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Standards, and Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards. Lesson plans in each module include activities for Grades 3-12.
Educator
Spotlights
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Access a variety of curricula designed to make youth aware of invasive species and the damage they cause. There are lessons and resources – for both classroom and outdoors – that engage students in the process of discovery.
Oregon Sea Grant.
WISE offers teacher trainings, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Based curriculum, and on-going teacher engagement in a community for learning and teaching about emerging watershed issues. Since launched started in 2007, the program has trained more than 70 teachers, reaching more than 4,500 students who have completed more than 50 stewardship projects.
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this subject, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Educator
Council or Task Force
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.
Invasive Species Council of British Columbia.
ISCBC's education resources support educators and students in environmental learning, outdoor field experiences and conservation in their communities. Invasive species, unlike many large-scale environmental issues, are something that youth can actually do something about, in a hands-on, experiential way! The following resources provide a range of activities that will engage your students, help them investigate invasive species and their impacts and take action to prevent their spread.
Partnership
Scottish Invasive Species Initiative.
National Plant Diagnostic Network.
As an Educator, you can play a unique role in protecting U.S. plant resources. Educators are trained First Detectors who recruit and train other individuals to notice and report exotic plant pest and pathogen activity.
Federal Government
State and Local Government
New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
See also: Invasive Species: K-12 Educator Resources for more resources
Missoula County Weed District (Montana).
Academic
University of Florida. IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.
Provides educators with the information and resources they need to teach about the benefits of Florida's native plants and the harmful impacts that some invasive, non-native plants are having on our natural areas and neighborhoods. Includes four core modules with related lessons and accompanying materials useful in the classroom.
Professional
California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.
With the Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set, students will read about six different invasive species, the damage they cause and how to stop their spread. The accompanying lessons and activities are aligned to California Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. This resource was funded through a Specialty Crop Block grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).