| Resource type | Theme | Title | Teaser | Grade Level | Name | Comments | Post date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning activities | Ecosystems, Scientific inquiry | Oh Deer: Invasive species style | In this active and competitive game, students experience how a community of native animals and plants changes over time in response to resource availability in their habitat. Students collect data during the game and then graph and analyze how predators, limited resources, habitat health, and INVASIVE SPECIES can disrupt the natural ebbs and flows of native communities. Students visualize and analyze their results using graphs and story telling. |
Middle school (grades 6-8) High school (grades 9-12) Professional development |
vitalteach | 0 | 2010-07-27 |
| Learning activities | Scientific inquiry | Species in focus: A photo critique activity | Through a thoughtful critique of this collection of good and bad species photos, learn what it takes to take great species photographs. Create your own list of "what makes a great species photo," and then practice taking and critiquing your own. |
Middle school (grades 6-8) High school (grades 9-12) Professional development |
vitalteach | 0 | 2010-07-27 |
| Learning activities | Scientific inquiry | Online Comments & Community Review | The Vital Signs website encourages all registered participants to contribute to a Community Review effort of all species & habitat observations, projects, and curriculum resources. Community involvement in the review process lets us applaud great work, and share our own expertise in ways that help others learn and improve. This activity offers a structure for deciding what type of feedback you (and your group) would like to leave, and creating your own set of norms to guide you as you leave comments for other participants. |
Middle school (grades 6-8) High school (grades 9-12) Professional development |
vitalteach | 0 | 2010-03-23 |
| Learning activities, Watershed experiences | Biodiversity, Invasive species, Scientific inquiry | Invasive Species Impacts on Biodiversity in a Maine Watershed | How diverse is my local ecosystem? Students compare local biodiversity counts to those in other areas of their watershed. Watershed Experiences get students outside to observe, ask questions, investigate, take action, and deepen their scientific understanding and connection to their local watersheds. They begin with a current environmental issue and research question of direct meaning and importance to students and local communities. | Middle school (grades 6-8) | vitalteach | 0 | 2010-02-11 |
| Field work resources, Learning activities | Invasive species, Scientific inquiry | Use your Senses! | Get your students thinking with their five senses so they are raring and ready to give good field notes. | Middle school (grades 6-8) | dallen | 0 | 2009-11-05 |
| Learning activities | Biodiversity | Classification and Biodiversity | How do you classify things? Students usually list size, color, and shape. This activity builds on their previous knowledge and can be used to broaden students knowledge into classifying by structure. Easy to fit into a single period and minimal preparation make this an ideal starter activity. | Middle school (grades 6-8) | ecollard | 0 | 2009-11-05 |
| Learning activities | Biodiversity, Invasive species | Comic Life Invasive Species | Research Maine invasive species and let your students use their new learnings to create comics. | Middle school (grades 6-8) | slittlefield | 1 | 2009-11-05 |
| Learning activities | Biodiversity, Ecosystem health, Invasive species | Ratatouille and Your Friend The Rat | Disney and the invasive species connection. Four-By-Rat activity. This is an adaptation of the quick write / quick draw activity. | Middle school (grades 6-8) | slittlefield | 0 | 2009-11-05 |
| Learning activities | Biodiversity, Ecosystem health, Invasive species | The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh | Go green! This is a great science fiction novel to use with 7th and 8th grade students to get them thinking about taking care of our planet and what might happen if we don't. Discussions of evolution, adaptations, biodiversity, characteristics and needs of living organisms and much more will be sparked but this thought provoking novel. (69 pages) | Middle school (grades 6-8) | slittlefield | 0 | 2009-11-05 |
| Learning activities | Ecosystem health, Ecosystems, Invasive species | Aquatic Ecosystem Research Project | Students choose a body of water (preferably in Maine) to research. They focus their research on three questions: 1) What are important features of the body of water? 2) What is some data on invasive species or water quality from your ecosystem? 3) A question of student choice | Middle school (grades 6-8) | chotaling | 0 | 2009-11-05 |
