Investigating

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Biocontrol In Your Backyard is designed for educators to access content by
State required core and standards. The purpose is to seamlessly integrate
biocontrol, integrated pest management, and noxious weed lesson plans into
existing programs by Grade level, Core Subjects, Core Skills, Core Concepts
and Core Objectives.

CORE SKILLS - Investigating

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Be a naturalist! Lesson Plan. Explore the natural world! Use your five senses to observe the world around you. Students will learn to develop their skills as nature detectives through senses investigatons, journaling and drawing in a micro-mapping project.
Senses Investigations (45 minutes)
Micro Maps (45 minutes)
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science.
Explore Your World With Lewis and Clark
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Spotted Knapweed Lesson Plan. How do noxious weeds spread? Investigate seeds and the special adaptations that seeds have to spread and grow into new plants. Students will observe a variety of seeds and examine the techniques that plants use to spread their seeds. Students will also participate in a journaling activity on Spotted Knapweed to learn the tricks this plant uses to spread quickly across the landscape.Grades 4-8. Subjects: Science, Mathematics, Language Arts.
Seed Dispersal Investigation (50 minutes)
Ode to Spotted Knapweed Poem (20 minutes)
Spotted Knapweed Seed Collection and Dissection (50 minutes)
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Language Arts, Science, Mathematics.
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Leafy Spurge Lesson Plan. If you're standing in a patch of leafy spurge in late summer, you might hear a popping or crackling sound. This is the plant's artillery ... Discover how leafy spurge spreads and how its biological control agent, spurge hawk moth, works to try to keep the plant in check. Can the spurge be contained? Students will participate in the to answer these questions.
Leafy Spurge Bonanza (50 minutes)
Create a Fantasy Plant (30 minutes).
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Art, Language Arts, Science, Mathematics.
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Dalmatian Toadflax Lesson Plan. Some weeds are covered in thorns or have sharp, spiky stems and some weeds have leaves that are gray and waxy, making them look just like weds But not ll weeds are ugly! Students will determine which plants are weeds and which are not. Students will also participate in hands-on investigation of plant parts and the function of each plant.
Not All Weeds Are Ugly (25 minutes)
Plant Parts Identificaton (45 minutes)
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Science, Language Arts
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Saltcedar Lesson Plan. Once saltcedar takes over an area, it keeps other plants out by oozing salt from its leaves. Soon, birds, animals, and even insects are driven away to look for food elsewhere. How does this plant affect habitats and ecosystems? Students will examine the impacts of saltcedar and participate in a webbing activity to understand ecosystem dynamics when saltcedar invades the landscape.
Exploring Ecosystems - Discussion and Webbing (60 minutes)
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Science, Language Arts.
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Leafy Spurge Activities. Science Project. Cork-like and Wax-like Plant Defenses. The lesson plan engages students in a classroom lab experiment to learn mechanisms that plants use to protect their physiology. Radio plays to enhance learning are available at Interesting Facts.
Cork-Like and Wax-like Plant Defenses (20 minuates)
Grades 4-8. Subjects: Science.
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Aquatic Invasive Species

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Wild Wapiti - Elk Exploration Stations! Scat Investigations (45 minutes) and Oh Deer! (25 minutes)
Herbivores feed on plants. In this lesson students use their senses and observation skills to understand biological interactions where a predator feeds on its prey. Students will be define limiting factors with regard to animal populations.
Grades: All. Subjects: Science, Language Arts, Mathematics.
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Macroinvertebrate and Mudsnails. Students will explore a local stream to determine its relative health, physical attributes and plant/animal populations. During the investigation students collect and classify aquatic insects and learn how they are adapted to stream life.
What is a Sream? Mudsnail Invasion (15 minutes)
Dichotomous Keys (20 minutes) and Stream Exploration (45 minutes)
Grades: All. Subjects: Language Arts, Science, Mathematics.
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Stand Alone Media Elements Gateway to biocontrol still and motion video and graphics
for assembling in a sequence for individualized lesson plans will be available later this year.

Content for Biocontrol in Your Backyard is provided by individual program sponsors.

Content is formatted and uploaded by InterMedia

The Biocontrol In Your Backyard Portal collaboration with The Bugwood Network and its

content accessible format are sponsored by USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry

Regions 1, 4, and Northeastern Area; and Forest Health Protection Technology Enterprise Team.