Pushy Plants

Download This Lesson: Pushy Plants

Brief Description: Students will learn that all living things depend on plants and that plants that “overgrow” will threaten their habitat. They will also learn about invasive and endangered species of plants. Using their new vocabulary, students will play games and talk about methods to control these species.

 

Focus Areas: Plant Lifestyles; Science

Focus Skills: recognizing cause and effect, examining habitats,  understanding scientific terms

Objectives

• To understand that plants which “overgrow” their environment threaten habitats
• To understand that other living things depend on plants

Essential Questions

• Why are some plants considered invasive?
• How do other living things depend on plants?

Essential Understandings

• Plants whose rates of growth threaten to crowd out other plants and animals that share the same habitat are considered invasive plants.
• Plants provide food, medicines, shelter, fuel, and even the oxygen that other living things need to survive.

Background

Over 20,000 plant species are endangered.  They are facing the threats of over harvesting and habitat destruction.  Human activity is responsible for over harvesting and in many cases the loss of natural habitats.  However, man alone isn’t solely to blame for the destruction of habitats.

Some plants have very strong survival skills, and they grow so well that they push other plants and even animals out of areas where they are. For example, purple loosestrife and common reed can choke wetlands. Oriental bittersweet, although very pretty takes more than its share of nutrients from trees and other plants that grow in the forest.  A certain kind of thistle has taken over large areas of grassland where cattle graze.

Vocabulary

 

alien species -a plant or animal introduced into a habitat that      is not its natural home

biological control  a method of managing pests using their       natural enemies

carbon dioxide  gas expelled by animals exhaling, and used       by plants to make food

control methods  biological: the natural enemy of the target pest released to reduce pest numbers;  chemical: a man-made spray or powder used      to destroy the targeted pest; mechanical: removal of the pest by trapping,       cutting, mowing, or mulching;  physical: digging up or otherwise physically      removing the target pest

endangered species a group of plants or animals that are in danger      of becoming extinct

exhale   to breathe out

extinct species  a group of plants or animals that no longer       lives on earth

habitat  the environment in which a plant or animal       lives

inhale  to breathe in

invasive species a plant or animal introduced from another    region whose life cycle and adaptations to its   environment allow it to take over an area and   push other plants and animals out

native species a plant or animal living in its natural habitat

oxygen  a gas expelled by plants during food        production and inhaled by animals to breathe

photosynthesis the process by which plants store energy to       produce food

Logistics

Time: 30 minutes.    Group Size: 5 to 30,    Space: an area for comfortable seating

Materials

• Izzy puppet *
• Threatened and Endangered Species
• Picture Card Set *
• a copy of the weekly lunch menu
• Overhead 1 “Invasive Plants”  *
• The Pushy Plant Game board *
• game pieces (Handout 1, “Pushy Plant Game Deck”)     dice    

 *single copy provided

Preparation

1. Collect needed materials from the kit.
2. Review Background.
3. Make copies of Handout 1, “Pushy Plant Game Deck”.

Correlations to State of Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

ELA = English Language Arts,   HE/PE = Health Education and Physical Education,    MA = Mathematics,    SCI = Science,   SS = Social Studies,   VPA = Visual and Performing Arts

** Alignment possible only if lesson extension is done

Grade Span	Maine Learning Results
PreK-2	ELA – E.  Listening    E1.  Students use early active listening skills. SCI –  E. The Living Environment    E2.  Students understand how plants and animals depend on           each other and the environment in which they live.             a. Explain that animals use plants and other animals                 for food, shelter, and nesting.    E3.  Students describe parts and wholes of living things,             their basic needs, and the structures and processes           that help them stay alive.             b. List the basic things that most organisms need to                 survive.
Grades 3-5	SCI – A. Unifying Themes    A1. Students explain interactions between parts that make           up whole man-made and natural things.             a. Give examples that show how individual parts of                organisms, ecosystems, or man-made structures can                influence one another. **E2.  Students describe ways organisms depend upon,           interact within, and  change the living and non-living           environment as well as ways the environment affects           organisms.             a. Explain how changes in an organism’s habitat can                influence  its survival. (**Extension: Students explain what happens to an organism when an invasive species alters the habitat.)