Hog Wild Educator Guide
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Hog Wild Educator Guide A resource for using QUEST video in the classroom Watch it online http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/hog-wild | 11:59 minutes PROGRAM NOTES A small number of wild boars purposely released into the wilds of Monterey County in the 1920s now wreak havoc on the area’s fragile native ecosystems. With hunters stepping up to help remedy California’s invasive pig problem, QUEST takes a look at this controversial environmental issue. Might the most viable solution be extermination? In this segment you’ll find… the history of wild hogs in California. ۞ examples of environmental damage caused by wild pigs. ۞ how California is dealing with invasive pigs. ۞ TOPIC BACKGROUND In the 18th century, Spaniards brought domestic pigs to California as a food source and a way to clear large tracts of land. The pigs were allowed to freely roam the countryside, and eventually feral, or wild, pigs inhabited different areas of California. In the mid-1920s, a local landowner in Monterey County imported European wild boars for hunting purposes. Over time, this species successfully interbred with the feral pig population already living there to produce the hybrid wild hogs that we know today. Classified as a game mammal in California, wild pigs are loved by hunters and hated by almost everybody else! The physical traits of the wild pigs vary in different areas of the state. Some have long hair and snouts and small erect ears like their wild boar ancestors. Others have short, floppy ears and a more rounded body. They can be black, red, spotted, striped and everything in between. No matter how they look, wild pigs all indulge in the same destructive habits of rooting and digging with their noses. Wild pigs use their snouts to root through the dirt in search of food. They are omnivores, eating roots, fungus, agricultural crops, acorns, garden landscape plants, worms, ground-dwelling insects and a host of other things. They can adapt to difficult environments and have few predators, so wild pigs are extremely difficult to control. They also have a high reproduction rate. If there is enough food available, a sow can have two litters of from 4 to 14 piglets every year. Wild pigs don’t tolerate heat well and are primarily nocturnal in the warmer months of the year. They also need a constant source of water in order to survive. Because of this, they tend to prefer oak woodlands along streams and chaparral habitat. Rooting by wild pigs uplifts soil and forces plants to work harder to find water, decreasing the plants’ chances of survival. Areas that were once home to native plants become susceptible to invasive and exotic species. Pigs also eat vast quantities of fruits, nuts and seeds, which adversely impacts germination rates. Rooting also increases the rate of erosion of the soil. Pigs can also spread diseases and parasites to other animals and humans. QUEST SUBJECTS Life Biology Science Health Environment Earth Geology Science Weather Astronomy Physical Physics Science Chemistry Engineering CA SCIENCE STANDARDS Grade 3 Life Sciences 3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival. (b, c) Grade 4 Life Sciences 2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. (b) 3. Living organisms depend on one another and their environment for survival. (a, b, c) Grade 6 Ecology (Life Sciences) 5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. (e) Grades 9-12 Ecology 6. Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. (a, b)
Transcript of Hog Wild Educator Guide
Hog Wild Educator GuideA resource for using QUEST video in the classroom Watch it online http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/hog-wild | 11:59 minutes
PROGRAM NOTES A small number of wild boars purposely released into the wilds of Monterey County in the 1920s now wreak havoc on the area’s fragile native ecosystems. With hunters stepping up to help remedy California’s invasive pig problem, QUEST takes a look at this controversial environmental issue. Might the most viable solution be extermination?
In this segment you’ll find…
the history of wild hogs in California. ۞
examples of environmental damage caused by wild pigs. ۞
how California is dealing with invasive pigs. ۞
TOPIC BACKGROUND
In the 18th century, Spaniards brought domestic pigs to California as a food source and a way to clear large tracts of land. The pigs were allowed to freely roam the countryside, and eventually feral, or wild, pigs inhabited different areas of California. In the mid-1920s, a local landowner in Monterey County imported European wild boars for hunting purposes. Over time, this species successfully interbred with the feral pig population already living there to produce the hybrid wild hogs that we know today. Classified as a game mammal in California, wild pigs are loved by hunters and hated by almost everybody else!
The physical traits of the wild pigs vary in different areas of the state. Some have long hair and snouts and small erect ears like their wild boar ancestors. Others have short,
floppy ears and a more rounded body. They can be black, red, spotted, striped and everything in between. No matter how they look, wild pigs all indulge in the same destructive habits of rooting and digging with their noses. Wild pigs use their snouts to root through the dirt in search of food. They are omnivores, eating roots, fungus, agricultural crops, acorns, garden landscape plants, worms, ground-dwelling insects and a host
of other things. They can adapt to difficult environments and have few predators, so wild pigs are extremely difficult to control. They also have a high reproduction rate. If there is enough food available, a sow can have two litters of from 4 to 14 piglets every year. Wild pigs don’t tolerate heat well and are primarily nocturnal in the warmer months of the year. They also need a constant source of water in order to survive. Because of this, they tend to prefer oak woodlands along streams and chaparral habitat.
Rooting by wild pigs uplifts soil and forces plants to work harder to find water, decreasing the plants’ chances of survival. Areas that were once home to native plants become susceptible to invasive and exotic species. Pigs also eat vast quantities of fruits, nuts and seeds, which adversely impacts germination rates. Rooting also increases the rate of erosion of the soil. Pigs can also spread diseases and parasites to other animals and humans.
QUEST SUBJECTS
Life Biology Science Health
Environment
Earth Geology Science Weather
Astronomy
Physical Physics Science Chemistry
Engineering
CA SCIENCE STANDARDS
Grade 3 Life Sciences 3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival. (b, c) Grade 4 Life Sciences 2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. (b) 3. Living organisms depend on one another and their environment for survival. (a, b, c) Grade 6 Ecology (Life Sciences) 5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. (e) Grades 9-12 Ecology 6. Stability in an ecosystem i s a balance between competing effects. (a, b)
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VOCABULARY
Domestic produced in or indigenous to a certain country or area
Ecosystem a community of living organisms and its environment
Feral existing in a wild or untamed state
Hybrid an offspring of two plants or animals of different races, breeds, varieties or species
Invasive species a non-indigenous species that adversely affects the habitats it invades economically, environmentally or ecologically
Native local or indigenous; not having been introduced from elsewhere
Riparian located on the bank of a river or other local watercourse
Symbiosis a close relationship between two or more organisms of different species that may but don’t necessarily benefit each member
PRE VIEWING
• How do you feel about hunting?
• What do you think would be the best way to deal with an invasive plant or animal species?
VIEWING FOCUS NOTE: You may choose to watch the television segment twice with your students: once to elicit emotional responses and get an overview of the topic and again to focus on facts and draw out opinions.
• Why are wild pigs such a threat to the environment?
• What kinds of areas are most susceptible to the damage caused by wild pigs? Why?
• What do you think should be done about California’s wild pigs?
• Do you think hunting will rid the state of wild pigs? What are the pros and cons of hunting as a solution to this issue?
For all media see: • Segment Summary Student Sheet
http://www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_SegSum_StudentSheet.pdf • Personal Response Student Sheet
http://www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_PersResp_StudentSheet.pdf
QUEST, PBS and NPR LESSON PLANS and RESOURCES NOTE: Resources from the Teachers’ Domain collection require a fast and free registration
Rural New Jersey Tackles Wild Hogs NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95222951&ft=1&f=1025 A report from the NPR program All Things Considered (September 30, 2008) shares information about a wild hog problem in rural New Jersey and what biologists are trying to do about it.
Wild Hogs in Texas NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1777678 Texas is grappling with the issue of feral pigs as well. The NPR program Weekend Edition (March 21, 2004) reports on wild hogs in Texas and how some ranchers are profiting from them.
Animals Behaving Worse: America’s Least Wanted PBS http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/animals-behaving-worse/americas-least-wanted/911/ This article from Nature examines 10 invasive plants and animals that are among the top species disturbing native ecosystems in America.
Deep Sea Invasion: Matching Aliens with Impacts PBS http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/algae/matc-nf.html In this article from NOVA, read about 10 introduced plants and animals that have significantly altered native habitats. If Flash player is available, try the interactive version.
Population Growth Teachers’ Domain http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco.lp_popgrowth/ In this two-part lesson, students grow duckweed and observe what happens to a population of organisms when it’s allowed to grow unchecked. Students then learn about invasive species that spread quickly and threaten other life forms.
Discuss Hog Wild on the QUEST Blog http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2009/07/14/producers-notes-hog-wild/
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QUEST is a production of KQED, © 2009 KQED, San Francisco
MORE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR USING QUEST MULTIMEDIA TO ENHANCE 21st CENTURY SKILLS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Why Use Media in Science Education? www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_Why_Media_08-09.pdf • “As science educators, we know how important critical thinking and new
technology skills are in the scientific community…” (read more).
Science Multimedia Analysis www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_Science_Multimedia_Analysis_08-09.pdf • “By increasing students’ awareness of the intersections between media and
science, we give them the tools to think like scientists…” (read more).
How to Use Science Media for Teaching and Learning http://www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_Media_Tips_08-09.pdf • If we consider all forms of media “texts” from which students gather
information, we can use similar literacy strategies to engage them in video, audio, blogs and Explorations. Once students have obtained information from multiple media sources, how do they share what they have learned? Through their own media-creation projects, of course!
Using Google Maps to Create Explorations http://www.kqed.org/quest/files/download/52/QUEST_ExplorationCreation.pdf • Do you like the science hike Explorations on the QUEST site? Use this place-
based educational guide for educators and group leaders to create similar science-based maps with youth.
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