Let Me Tell You About Plants!
By Shari Fresorger
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By Shari Fresorger
Click on image to download a printable version of this lesson plan
We would greatly appreciate your feedback! Click here to complete a short survey telling us about your experience with this lesson plan.
Lesson Overview
Students are going to educate the community about plants. Students will learn about the problems caused by introducing invasive plants into our ecosystem. Students will learn which invasive species are causing the most problems and find a beautiful native plant to promote in place of that plant. Students need to understand that it is important to keep our native plants here in Michigan instead of inviting invasive plants into our state. Their job is to start a campaign to promote native Michigan plants. Students will design a display and brochure to educate their community about why they should promote native plants and not introduce invasive plants.
Target Grade/Subject: K - 5th Grade ELA, science and social studies
Time: 2 hours and 15 min. + presentations
Sources Consulted
http://www.nativeplant.com/plants/search/input
https://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=MI
http://www.yorkccd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Why-Are-Native-Plants-Important.pdf
http://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
List Materials & Quantities Needed (per class and per student group)
Display board, paper, markers, crayons, and pencils for all.
Access to computers for research.
Color Printers to print labels
native plant seeds
small envelopes
New Vocabulary
Damage- harm or injury that makes something less useful or valuable.
Habitat- the natural environment of a plant or an animal.
Impact- effect or influence.
Population- the number of inhabitants, human or otherwise, of a particular category in a place.
Rebound- to recover from a loss.
Native- having origins in a particular country or area.
Invasive Species- 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and. 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Focus Question(s) What is a native plant?
Why are invasive plants harmful to Michigan?
What can you do to educate your community?
Classroom Activities
1. Share the focus questions with the students. The following sites have great information for educators- http://www.yorkccd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Why-Are-Native-Plants-Important.pdf & http://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter (15 minutes)
2. Encourage students to be community advocates for Michigan plants. They will choose one of the following activities within their community. (2 hours )
4. Extension- Invite your local government agency that protects against invasive species to present to your students and support their projects.
Students are going to educate the community about plants. Students will learn about the problems caused by introducing invasive plants into our ecosystem. Students will learn which invasive species are causing the most problems and find a beautiful native plant to promote in place of that plant. Students need to understand that it is important to keep our native plants here in Michigan instead of inviting invasive plants into our state. Their job is to start a campaign to promote native Michigan plants. Students will design a display and brochure to educate their community about why they should promote native plants and not introduce invasive plants.
Target Grade/Subject: K - 5th Grade ELA, science and social studies
Time: 2 hours and 15 min. + presentations
Sources Consulted
http://www.nativeplant.com/plants/search/input
https://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=MI
http://www.yorkccd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Why-Are-Native-Plants-Important.pdf
http://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- identify why invasive plants are harmful to Michigan’s plants and wildlife.
- identify the importance of native plants to our ecosystem.
- create a display about a native plant vs invasive species.
- present knowledgeably to their community.
List Materials & Quantities Needed (per class and per student group)
Display board, paper, markers, crayons, and pencils for all.
Access to computers for research.
Color Printers to print labels
native plant seeds
small envelopes
New Vocabulary
Damage- harm or injury that makes something less useful or valuable.
Habitat- the natural environment of a plant or an animal.
Impact- effect or influence.
Population- the number of inhabitants, human or otherwise, of a particular category in a place.
Rebound- to recover from a loss.
Native- having origins in a particular country or area.
Invasive Species- 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and. 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Focus Question(s) What is a native plant?
Why are invasive plants harmful to Michigan?
What can you do to educate your community?
Classroom Activities
1. Share the focus questions with the students. The following sites have great information for educators- http://www.yorkccd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Why-Are-Native-Plants-Important.pdf & http://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter (15 minutes)
2. Encourage students to be community advocates for Michigan plants. They will choose one of the following activities within their community. (2 hours )
- They will research which invasive species are being used by florists and which native plants could be used as a replacement. As a group, they need to prepare a presentation to take to local florists to educate them about why they shouldn’t use invasive materials in their designs.
- They will research Michigan native plants to promote at nurseries. As a group, they need to prepare a presentation to take to a local nursery to educate them about why they should promote Michigan native plants and/or possibly have a display booth set up on a busy weekend.
- They will research Michigan native plants to promote at a home and garden show. As a group, they need to prepare a presentation to take to a home and garden show to educate visitors about why they should promote Michigan native plants. Students can also give out packages of native plant seeds.
4. Extension- Invite your local government agency that protects against invasive species to present to your students and support their projects.
New lesson plan ideas are welcome and will be uploaded as they are received and approved.
Instructions for submitting lesson plans for:
About invasive species,
About science and science careers
For information about submitting new lesson plans, please contact jchadde(at)mtu.edu
Lesson plan ideas from other web sites:
From Pennsylvania Sea Grant: 10 lesson plans about interactions of invasive species, biodiversity, and climate change
Creation of the above page of educational resources was funded in part by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program through the Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Agricultural and Rural Development.
This material is also based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1614187.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.