Invasive Species Lesson Plan

Your Name: Victoria Charron

Class (Grade level): 10th Grade Biology
Time Length: 50 minutes
BIG IDEA FOR LEARNERS
Natural selection and change in gene frequency allow species to adapt to their new existing
environment and can potentially lead a species to become an invasive species.
Example: Asian tiger mosquito

LESSON OVERVIEW
Students will work with a partner to research an invasive species and generate a solution. After
finding a solution as a group, the students will do an idea paper that will assess the completion of
the objective. Teacher will provide leading questions to help them focus in on their idea.
Students will make a storyboard that will help them put all of their ideas into one cohesive
presentation. Students will start formulating concepts for their poster.
Focal SSTELLA practice: Language and Literacy Practices. This is relevant to the lesson
because all students will work on how they interact with their group by verbally participating in
discussion. Students also get an opportunity to write and work on their literary skills.

STANDARDS
Next Generation Science Standards:
HS-LS4-4.Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to
adaptation of populations.

Arizona Science Standards:

PO 4. Predict how a change in an environmental factor (e.g., rainfall, habitat loss, non-native
species) can affect the number and diversity of species in an ecosystem.
PO 1. Identify the relationships among organisms within populations, communities,
ecosystems, and biomes.

Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects Core Standards

9-10.WHST.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.
9-10.WHST.9. Draw evidence from informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVE AND ASSESMENT

Students will be able to propose a solution to clear the environment of a specific invasive
species. Students will demonstrate that they met the objective by making a story board outline of
a poster they will do to inform people of an invasive species and how they can take it out of an
environment using mathematical analysis of data.

SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES AND ASSOCIATED LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

Planning and carrying out investigations, using
Scientific practices

mathematics and computational thinking,

construct explanations and designing solutions.

Comprehend suggestion of others and

discussion of data

Receptive language functions

Comprehend discussion of use and purpose of

computational tools.

Comprehend explanations offered by texts

Present information, explanations, or arguments
to others

Productive language functions

Provide summaries of information obtained

appropriate a specific purpose or audience

Key vocabulary

Describe conditions and record measurements

Invasive species, ecosystem, biotic, abiotic,

equilibrium

MATERIALS
Student laptops, projector, internet access, storyboard sheet

REFERENCES
Arizona Science Standards. www.ade.state.az.us/standards/science/articulated.asp
Common Core Standards English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,
& Technical Subjects: www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System. http://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/

National Research Council (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices,
crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academies Press: Washington, D.C.

National Science Education Standards. www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962#toc

PREREQUISIT KNOWLEDGE
Students should have an understanding of how environments work and how flora and fauna
interact with each other during ecosystem functions. Students need to know what an invasive
species is and how it moves to another place. They should also know how to search the internet
for reliable data and use these resources properly. This would all have been covered earlier in the
year.

TEACHING PROCEDURES AND ANNOTATED SSTELLA PRACTICES

Teacher will

Student will
Day 1

SSTELLA Annotation

(This lesson is a few days after

we learn about invasive species.
Students should understand how
they work and what they are.)
Ask students to get out their
Warm Up

journal and answer the question:

What invasive species have
you heard about? How do they
change the environment
If students do not know one,

Write the answer

to the question in
their journal and
silently review
yesterdays notes
if they are
confused.

Teacher helps students

remember what was talked
about yesterday in class.
Teacher also strives to make the
topic relevant using student
examples of how species affect
the environment that they may
see every day.

they should reference examples

from class.
Show PowerPoint that explains
what is expected of students.
PowerPoint explains that the

The PowerPoint will provide a

project will be done in groups

Listen to the

visual for students to see what is

of three and revolve around

PowerPoint and

expected of them. The teacher

finding a solution to an invasive

take notes in

tries to keep students on a

species and why it is important

their planner on

schedule by showing them what

Assignment

to the environment. Will also

which dates the

dates everything will be

Instructions

focus on how the invasive

parts of the

expected by. By showing the

species can change the native

assignment will

rubric ahead of time, the teacher

species genetics and how they

be due.

hopes to prepare students for

associate.

Look over rubric

what is expected of them and

Tell the students the date that

in syllabus.

give them a checklist of what is

each part of the assignment will

be due. Go over a rubric that
explains what will be expected.

expected of them.

Get in their

Pairing up

Tell students the group of three

group of three

they will work in. Provide

and decide on an

students a list of invasive

invasive species

species they may use.

from the given

list.

Teacher will prepare pairing in

advanced so that students are in
groups that work well together
and students with LD or IEPs
are supported with
knowledgeable students.

Will start by reminding students

how to find reliable website and

Laptop
Research

use trustworthy data. Will

Being to

provide a list of some invasive

research their

species they may use if they do

chosen invasive

not want to find their own to

species and what

research. Will provide

ways they have

instructional support by walking

affected the

by students as they research and

environment.

Teacher helps students focus

and stay on track with research.
At each group she ask specific
questions that help focus their
research and give them more
ideas to think about.

making sure they are on track

and using helpful websites.
Day 2
Work together as
a group and

Solutions

Instruct the students that they

come up with

need to decide on their own

some possible

solution (not found on the

solutions to the

internet) to solve the problem

problem. Decide

that the invasive species has

on one solution

created.

that they want to

make their poster
about.

The teacher helps the student

make their own solution to the
problem and encourages the
students to work together as a
team as scientists often do.

Fill out the

Provide a storyboard sheet that
Storyboard

helps students set up how their

posters will look

storyboard sheet

The teacher provides a

and discuss with

storyboard sheets to help the

each other how

students focus on what will be

they will want it

expected of them

to look.

Short Essay/
Wrap up

Instruct students that they need

Each student will

to write a short (2 paragraph

write their own

To wrap up the lesson, the

essay) that summarizes what

mini essay to

teacher will try to solidify the

they learned through the day

explain what

concept and make sure that the

and what changes they plan to

they learned

students understand the research

make on their storyboard to

today as a ticket

they did in the day

make a full poster.

out.