Worms in Alberta: Invasive Species and Ecosystem ... · Finally, deep burrowing worms live in...

AlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerhttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca

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WormsinAlberta:InvasiveSpeciesandEcosystemInteractions

TEACHERSGUIDE

Inthisseriesoflessonplans,Grade7studentswilllearnaboutinvasivespeciesandecosysteminteractionsbyinvestigatingearthwormsinAlbertaandcontributingtoacitizenscienceresearchproject.TheselessonsalignwiththeAlbertaGrade7ScienceProgramofStudy,UnitA–InteractionsandEcosystems.OverviewofLessonActivities

• IntroduceearthwormsasinvasivespeciesinAlberta• Identifydifferentwaysofcollectinginformation(e.g.earthwormcollection,talking

toexperts,computerresearch,etc.)• Collect,analyze,andevaluatedataaboutearthworms• Researchtheimpact(bothpositiveandnegative)ofearthwormsonthe

environmentandtheimpactofhumansonearthwormsDuration6Lessons(approximately8classperiodsof50minutes)Lesson1:IntroductionLesson2:EarthwormCollectionPreparationLesson3:EarthwormCollectionLesson4:EarthwormDataAnalysisLesson5:EarthwormImpactsLesson6:ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta? http://www.photl.com/221692.html


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BackgroundInformationEarthwormsarenotnativetoAlberta,ormostofCanada,afterbeingextirpated(localextinction)bythemostrecenticeage10,000yearsago.Asaresult,Canada’sforestshavelargelyadaptedtoanenvironmentwithoutearthworms.Theshadedareasinfigure1representwherenativeNorthAmericanspeciesarelocated.ThethicklineindicatestheWisconsinanglacialmargin.

Figure1.DistributionofnativeNorthAmericanearthworms

(Hendrix,P.F.&Bohlen,P.J.(2002).ExoticearthworminvasionsinNorthAmerica:Ecologicalandpolicyimplication.BioScience,52(9),801-811.)

Earthwormswerere-introducedtoCanadathroughhumanactivitiesasaresultofcolonizationandthespreadofagriculture.TheseearthwormscontinuetobeintroducedintoCanada’sforestsbytheactivitiesofhumanssuchasdriving,inwhichearthwormcocoonsarethoughttohitcharideinthemudattachedtovehicles,orthroughangling,whenanglersdumpearthwormsaftertheyaredonefishing.RecentevidencebyDr.ErinCameronattheUniversityofAlbertahasshownthatearthwormintroductionisanongoingprocessratherthanasingleeventandsoearthwormspreadcontinuesintoremoteareasofAlbertaandCanadathroughhumanaction.Earthwormsarebrokenintothreebroadcategories.Litterdwellingearthwormshavenopermanenthomesandonlyresideintheleaflitterlayerofforests.Theseearthwormsarecommonlysmallandhaveadeepredpigment.Soildwellingearthwormsarequitesmallandarerarelyseenabovethesurfaceunlessduringaheavyrainfall.Theylackskinpigmentationandasaresulttheycanappeargreyish,yellow,pinkorwhiteincolour.Finally,deepburrowingwormsliveinpermanentburrowsinthesoil.Apileofleavesandfecescalled‘middens’oftencoverstheburrows.Deepburrowingwormsaretypicallythelargestoftheearthwormsandaredeeplypigmented,oftenwithapurplishcolour.


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EarthwormschangeCanada’sforestsbyreducingtheleaf-litterlayertypicallypresentontheforestfloor.Soildwellinganddeepburrowingwormsmayactuallyeliminatethelayercompletely.ThedestructionoftheleaflitterlayercanresultinforestsbecomingCO2emittersratherthancarbonstoragesites,thereductionofhabitatforbirdsandinsects,theintroductionofplantsdeepintoforeststhatwouldotherwisebefoundontheedgesofforests,andtheleachingofnitrogenintowaterways.Formorebackgroundinformation:

• Cameron,E.K.(2010).Gotbait?Howwe’vespawnedanundergroundinvasion.ConservationMagazine,14,20-22.Retrievedfromhttp://magazine.ab-conservation.com/index.cfm/issue/springsummer-2010-volume-14/

• GreatLakesWormWatch:EarthwormEcologicalGroups• OrganicGardening.com• WormFacts• ContainthoseCrawlers(MinnesotaDepartmentofNaturalResources)


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Lesson1:IntroductionPurpose

• Identifywhatstudentsknowaboutearthworms• IntroduceearthwormsasaninvasivespeciesinAlberta• Considerthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’

OverviewInthislesson,studentswillfirstbeaskedwhattheyknowaboutearthworms.Oncetheyhaveconsideredthis,studentswillbeintroducedtoDr.ErinCameron’sresearchprojectaboutearthworms,specificallyintroducingearthwormstothestudentsasaninvasivespeciesinAlberta.Studentswillthenbeaskedtoconsiderthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’andidentifywhatthekindsofinformationtheyneedinordertoanswerthisquestion.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions

§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments

§ describeandinterpretexamplesofscientificinvestigationsthatservetoinformenvironmentaldecisionmaking

AttitudeOutcomesInterestinScience

§ Showinterestinscience-relatedquestionsandissuesMaterials

• Picturesofearthwormsoractualearthworms• KWLchart(individual)• KWLchart(class–useposterpaperoruseanonlinetoolsuchasGoogleDocs)• Accesstointernetandprojector• Video-TalkingwiththeExpert:Dr.ErinCameronvideo

LessonActivities1. Introduction(5min)

Beginbyshowingstudentsapictureofanearthworm(orifyouareable,bringinsomeearthwormsforstudentstolookat)andaskthemiftheyknowwhattheyare.Ifstudentsrespondwith‘worm’,askthemiftheyknowaboutanyspecifickindsofworms(e.g.tapeworms,earthworms,roundworms,hookworms,inchworms,etc.)andwhatkindofwormthismightbe.


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2. KWLChart–Earthworms(20min)Onceyouorthestudentshaveidentifiedthisasanearthworm,havestudentsusetheKWLchartstoindividuallywritedownasmanythingsastheycanaboutearthwormsundertheKcolumn(iftheyarenotsureaboutsomething,theycanplaceastarbesideit).DothefirstonewiththestudentstodemonstratehowtheKWLchartworks(seebelow).HavestudentssharetheiranswersasaclassandrecordtheirresponsesontheclassKWLchart(ifpossible,setupasaGoogleDocforthealltheclasstosee).IfquestionsaboutearthwormsariseduringthisdiscussiontheycanbeaddedtotheWcolumn.Additionally,studentswillbeguidedtoaddmoretotheWcolumninthenextlesson.ExamplesThefollowingchartindicatespossiblestudentresponsesfortheKcolumn.Questionpromptsareprovidedforyoutohelpsolicitresponsesfromstudents.Thelastcolumnincludesadditionalresourcesandinformationidentifyingwhererelatedcontentisaddressedinthefollowinglessons.

PossibleStudent

ResponsesQuestionPrompts LessonLinksandAdditional

ResourcesLivemostlyinorontopofsoil(canbefoundunderrocksandtrees,nearwater)

Wheredoearthwormslive?Haveyouseentheminplacesotherthantheground?

Inlesson3studentswilllearnaboutthe3classificationsofearthwormsandtheirhabitat.

Eatdirt,manure,smallerthings(bacteria,fungi),deadanimalorplantmaterial

Whatdoearthwormseat? InLesson5studentswillreadinformationabouthowearthwormsobtaintheirnutrients.

Shapedlikeatube,havesegments,reddish-brownincolour

Whatdoearthwormslooklike?Dotheyalllookthesame?

InLesson3studentswilllearnaboutthethreemaintypesofearthwormsandlearnthattheyvaryinsizeandcolor.Additionalinformationregardingearthwormclassificationcanbefoundontheprojectwebsite.

Baitforfishing Whathumanactivityusesearthworms?

InLesson5studentswillexploretheeffectsusingearthwormsforbaitcanhaveontheenvironment.

Birdseatthem Whatthingseatearthworms?

Earthwormsarealsoeatenbyfish,moles,andturtlesamongotherthings.StudentswillexplorethisrelationshipinLesson5

Goodforsoil* Whydoyouwantearthwormsinyourgarden?

Earthwormshelptoaeratethesoilandcyclenutrients.However,theycanbeharmfultosomeecosystems.[Seelesson5]


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Inthechartbelowwehavelistedpossiblestudentresponsesthatmaycontainmisconceptionsorscientificallyincorrectideas.IfstudentsstatetheseduringtheKWL,promptthemtoclarifytheirideabyasking,“Howdoyouknowthis?”DuringthediscussionyoumightalsoaskstudentshowconfidenttheyareintheircurrentideasaboutearthwormsandletthemknowthattheywillhavetheopportunitytorevisittheKWLchartduringthefollowinglessonsandrevisetheirideasastheylearnnewthingsaboutearthworms.Youmightalsohavestudentsstarstatementswheretheclassdiscussionraisesdisagreementoruncertainty.Fortheteacher’sinformation,thechartbelowincludesadescriptionofthecorrectscientificidea,lessonlinks,andadditionalresources.Sincethepointofthispartoftheactivityisforstudentstofreelysharetheirideasandpriorknowledgeitisbesttoaddressthespecificmisconceptionsthatariseinthefollowinglessonswhereappropriate.Formisconceptionsthatarenotdirectlyaddressedinthefollowinglessonswehaveprovidedadditionalresourcesthatcanbeusedtoaddressthetopics.Itisimportanttobeawarethatsincethesearecommonmisconceptionsandthescienceisnotalwaysstraightforwardtoexplain,theInternetisalsofullofmisinformationregardingthesetopics.Astheseideasareaddressedduringthefollowinglessons,havestudentswriteinthecorrectionintheLcolumnforthingstheyhavelearned.

PossibleStudentMisconceptions

ScientificIdea LessonLinksandAdditionalResources

Cutinhalftheywillsurvive Earthwormshaveaheadandatail.Ifyoucuttheminhalf,sometimesoneendwillsurviveandregeneratesomeofthemissingsegments.Althoughsometypesofwormscanregeneratenewwormsfromboththeheadandthetailend(dependinguponwherethecutoccurs),thisisextremelyunlikelyintheearthwormspeciesthatstudentswillencounter.

Thefollowingsourcesprovideadditionalinformationregardingearthwormregenerationandposethetheoreticalpossibilitythatregenerationcouldresultintwoworms.- EarthwormRegeneration

Cometothesurfacewhenitrainssotheydon’tdrown*

Wormscanliveinwaterforafewdaysaslongasthewaterhasenoughdissolvedoxygen.Thecurrenttheoryisthattheycometothesurfacebecauseitiseasiertomoveoverlandwiththeincreasedhumidity.

Resources:- ScientificAmerican

article

Earthwormsarethesameeverywhere*

Thereareover3000speciesofearthwormsaroundtheworld

Resources:• Earthwormdiversity


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3. TalkingwiththeExpert:Dr.ErinCameron(20min)Nowthatstudentsknowalittlebitmoreaboutearthworms,tellthemtheywillbewatchingavideofeaturingsomeonewhostudiesearthworms,Dr.ErinCameron.Handoutthe“TalkingwithanExpert”videoguide.Asstudentsarewatchingthevideohavethemwriteanswerstothequestionsontheguide.Considerstoppingthevideoasthedifferenttopicsarediscussed.Discusstheanswerswiththeclassinordertoclarifyconceptsandterminologypresentedinthevideo.AfterviewingthevideoandcompletingthevideoguidehavestudentsfillinanythingnewtheyhavelearnedaboutearthwormsundertheLintheirKWLchart.Sharesomethoughtsasaclass.ExampleStudentsshouldhavethefollowingkeypointsaddedtotheLcolumn:• EarthwormsinAlbertaareaninvasivespecies(i.e.nonativespeciesinAlberta)• NativeearthwormswereeliminatedfrommostofCanadabyglaciersduringthelast

iceage.

4. Closure(5min)Tellstudentsthatoverthenextfewdaystheywillbetryingtoanswerthefollowingquestion:ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?Askstudentstospendtheremainderofclasstalkingtoapartnerortwoaboutwhatkindsofevidencetheywouldneedtocollectinordertoanswerthisquestion(thiswillgetthestudentsthinkingabouttomorrow’slesson).

AdditionalResourcesNSTA-TheWonderofWorms(commonmisconceptions)http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201302SmithWormMisconceptionsTable.pdf


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Lesson2:EarthwormCollectionPreparationPurpose

• Considerthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’• Identifydifferentwaystocollectinformationtoanswerthequestion• Prepareforearthwormcollection

OverviewStudentswillbeaskedtoconsiderthequestion:‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’Theywillthenidentifythekindsofinformationtheyneedinordertoanswerthisquestion.Finally,studentswillpreparetoseeifthereareanyearthwormsintheirschoolyardasonewayofcollectingdata(orothersiteasdeemedappropriatebytheteacher).ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions

§ describeexamplesofinteractionandinterdependencywithinanecosystem§ identifyexamplesofhumanimpactsonecosystems,andinvestigateandanalyzethelink

betweentheseimpactsandthehumanwantsandneedsthatgiverisetothem§ analyzepersonalandpublicdecisionsthatinvolveconsiderationofenvironmentalimpacts,

andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisionsSkillsOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning

§ identifyscience-relatedissues§ identifyquestionstoinvestigatearisingfrompracticalproblemsandissues

Materials

• Article–EarthwormsinAlberta(1or2copiespergroup–incolourifpossible)• KWLchart(individual)• KWLchart(class–setupasagoogledoc)• Accesstointernetandprojector• Videos

§ SitePreparation§ FlipandStrip§ HandSampling§ MiddenCount§ MustardExtraction


Assignstudentstogroupsof3or4(theywillworkontherestofthelessonsinthisgroup)andaskeachstudenttoshareonethingtheylearnedaboutwormsinthepreviousdaysclasswiththeirgroup.Asaclassreadthearticle‘EarthwormsinAlberta’


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whichsummarizesthespreadofwormsinNorthAmericaandintroducesstudentstothethreetypesofearthwormstheymightseewhilecollectingearthworms.

2. ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?(15min)Intheirgroups,havestudentsthinkaboutwhattheywouldneedtoknowinordertoanswerthequestion‘ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’OntheirKWLcharts,undertheWcolumn,havestudentswritedownquestionstheywouldneedansweredinordertodecideifearthwormsshouldbebannedinAlberta.Asaclass,havestudentssharetheirresponses.Inthechartbelowaresomesuggestedpromptsthatcanbeusedtoguidestudentstosomeofthekeyideasthatshouldbeincluded.Asyouaredoingthis,havetheclassconsiderhowtheymighttryandfindoutthatinformation(puttingthatinbracketsbesideeachquestion).Belowaresomekeythingsthatthestudentsshouldhaveasyouwillbedoingtheseinsubsequentlessons.

W

Whatdoyouwanttoknow?Prompts

Doearthwormscauseanydamage?(Internetsearch,talktoanexpert)

Whymightsomeonewanttobanearthworms?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]

Whatarethebenefitsofearthworms?(Internetsearch,talktoanexpert)Whousesearthworms?(Internetsearchortryandcollectearthworms)

Isthereanyreasonpeoplemightnotwantearthwormstobebanned?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]

Whereareearthwormslocated?(internetsearch,tryandcollectearthworms)

AreearthwormsanissueeverywhereinAlberta?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]

Howdidearthwormsgettonewlocations?(Internetsearchoranalysisofwhereearthwormsarefound)

HaveearthwormsalwaysbeenfoundinAlberta?[Helpstudentsreframetheiranswersintoquestions]

3. EarthwormCollectionPreparation(10min)

AskstudentsiftheycanrememberwhatDr.Cameron’sresearchwasaboutandsharesomeanswers.Next,tellthemtheyaregoingtobecollectingearthwormdatatohelpthemlearnmoreaboutearthwormsandcontributetothecitizenscienceprojectdescribedbyDr.Cameron.Citizenscienceisresearchthatisundertakenbynonprofessionalscientistsorordinarycitizens.Showstudentsthevideo–SitePreparation.Afterthevideoiscomplete,discussthequestionsforconsiderationwiththeclass.Theseparticularquestionsfocuson


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Foundation3:Skills,intheAlbertaScience7-8-9ProgramofStudies.Specifically,thesequestionsbegintoaddressusingtoolsandapparatuseffectivelyandaccuratelyforcollectingdata,andestimatingmeasurements.

4. EarthwormCollectionMethods(15+min)

Therearemultiplemethodsforearthwormcollection.Abriefsummaryofthefourmethodtypesaredescribedbelow(foradditionalinformation,clickhere).Themustardextractionmethodisthemosteffectivemethodforcollectingalltypesofearthwormsandtheonethatwesuggestyouuse.However,theothermethodscanalsobeusedtoprovideadditionaldata.Onceyouhavedecidedwhichmethod(s)youwillbeusingtocollectearthwormswiththeclass,showstudentsthecorrespondingvideo(s).Afterthevideo(s),discusswiththeclassthekeypointsandquestionsforconsideration.MustardExtraction:collectingearthwormsthatcometothesurfaceafterpouringmustardwaterintothesamplearea;themustardwateractsasanirritantsoearthwormsmovetothesurface.

SitePreparation-QuestionsforConsideration1. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttosamplemorethanoneplot?

Togetanaveragenumberofwormsinthewholesamplearea.Theplotsizeissmallandtheearthwormsmaynotbeequallydistributedinthelargerareathatwearesampling.

2. WhydoesDr.Cameronmeasuretheleaflitterinallfourcornersoftheplot?

Again,togetanaveragefortheplot.Theleavesandothermaterialmaybepiledupinonecornersoifweonlysampledinonecornerourestimatemaybetoohighortoolowforthewholeplot.

KeyPoints• mosteffectivewayofsamplingforearthworms• mustardisanirritanttowormswhichiswhytheycrawltothesurface• requiresmorepreparationaheadoftime• bestforcollectingalltypesofearthworms

QuestionsforConsideration

1. Whywouldweonlycounttheearthwormsthatemergefromwithinoursampleareaandnotoutsideofit?

Wemightusethesampleplottoextrapolatetoalargerarea.Theonesoutsidethesampleareamaybesampledbysomeoneelse.

2. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttowait5minuteseachtimewepourthemustardwater?

5minutesallowstheearthwormstimetocrawltothesurface.Ifwedonotwaitenoughtimethenwemaynotbecollectingalloftheearthwormsinthatarea.


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FlipandStrip:flippingrocks,leaves,andlogs,strippingoffbarkandjustgenerallyhuntingaroundforearthworms.

HandSample:usingasmallspadeorshovelanddiggingthesoiloutofasamplearea(approximately15cmdeep);thensearchingthroughtheremovedsoilforearthworms.

KeyPoints• simpleformofsampling(althoughdiggingcanbedifficultdependingon

thesoil)• needtogetdeepintothesoilforabettersample• bestforcollectinglitterdwellingandsoildwellingearthworms(thedeep

burrowingearthwormscansensethevibrationsofthedigging)QuestionsforConsideration

1. Whataretheadvantagesofhandsamplingforearthworms?Itissimpleandonlyminimaltoolsarerequired.Thesampleplotareaissmallandyouareabletosiftthroughallofthesoilinthatplot.

2. Whydoyouthinkitisimportanttodigatleast15cminthegroundtoobtainyoursample?

Inordertocollectasmuchoftheareawheretheearthwormsmaybepresent.

KeyPoints• simpleformofsampling• needsomewayofidentifyingthesamplearea• notasaccurateasothermethodsasthesampleareaislargerandthere

isagreaterpossibilityofnotcollectingalloftheearthworms• bestforcollectinglitterdwellingandsoildwellingearthworms(you

mightsometimesfinddeepburrowingearthworms)QuestionsforConsideration

1. Whataretheadvantagesofsamplingforearthwormsusingtheflipandstripmethod?

Itisverysimpleandnospecialtoolsormaterialsarerequired.2. Howisthesampleareaintheflipandstripmethoddifferentfromthe

sampleareainotherearthwormcollectionmethods(orinhowthesitepreparationvideodisplayed)?

Theothersampleareas(andtheoneshowninthesitepreparationvideo)isspecifically25cmx25cm,whileinthismethodyouneedtoidentifyalargerareawhichisnotasspecific.


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MiddenCount:identifyingmiddens(pilesofearthwormfeces);eachmiddenholdsoneearthworm.

5. Closure

Remindstudentsthattheywillbeoutsideduringthenextclasstocollectearthwormdataandtheyshoulddressappropriatelyfortheweather(e.g.ifitissupposedtoraintheyshouldbewearingwaterproofshoesandtheymaywanttobringachangeofclothesincasetheygetwet).Ifstudentswillbeusingtheapp,askthemtodownloadthewormtrackerapp(whichcanbedownloadedforfreehere)totheirmobiledevice(currentlyonlyavailableforiPadoriPhone).

KeyPoints• notdifficult,althoughyouneedtobeabletoidentifyamidden• eachmiddenhasaburrowholeinthemiddle• onlyoneearthwormlivesineachburrowhole• bestforcollectingdeepburrowingearthworms(theyaretheonlykind

thatlivesintheburrows)QuestionsforConsideration

1. Whataretheadvantagesofsamplingforearthwormsusingmiddens?Itisverysimpleandnospecialtoolsormaterialsarerequired.

2. Whymightwenotgetanaccuratenumberofearthwormsinoursampleareaifweareonlycountingmiddens?

Weareassumingthateachmiddenhasanearthwormlivinginit,whichcouldcauseustooverestimatethenumberofearthworms.Thereisonlyonespeciesofearthwormthatcreatesmiddens,thereforewemaybeunderestimatingthenumberofearthwormsintotal.


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Lesson3:EarthwormCollection

Purpose• Identifydifferenttypes(adultsandjuveniles)andspeciesofearthworms• Collectdatausingoneormoreearthwormcollectionmethods

OverviewStudentswillbeintroducedtodifferentspeciesofearthworms.Theywillthencollectearthwormdatausingoneormoreearthwormcollectionmethods.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge3.Monitoralocalenvironment,andassesstheimpactsofenvironmentalfactorsongrowth,healthandreproductionoforganismsinthatenvironment

§ investigateavarietyofhabitats,anddescribeandinterpretdistributionpatternsoflivingthingsfoundinthosehabitats

4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments


§ analyzealocalenvironmentalissueorproblembasedonevidencefromavarietyofsources,andidentifypossibleactionsandconsequences

SkillOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning

§ selectappropriatemethodsandtoolsforcollectingdataandinformationPerformingandRecording

§ usetoolsandapparatuseffectivelyandaccuratelyforcollectingdataAnalyzingandInterpreting

§ classifyorganismsfoundinastudyplotCommunicationandTeamwork

§ communicatequestions,ideas,intentions,plansandresults,usinglists,notesinpointform,sentences,datatables,graphs,drawings,orallanguageandothermeans

AttitudeOutcomesCollaboration

§ WorkcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideasSafety

§ Showconcernforsafetyinplanning,carryingoutandreviewingactivitiesMaterials

• Powerpointpresentation–IdentifyingEarthworms• AlbertaWormInvasion–WormTrackerApporEarthwormDataSheet(oneper

group)andcomputersthatstudentscanusetomanuallyenterthedataathttp://worms.educ.ualberta.ca/app/

• UserguidefortheWormTrackerApp• EarthwormCollectionKit(onepergroup)

§ Quadrat(forinstructionsonhowtocreatethis,clickhere)


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§ Magnifyingglasses§ Ruler§ 3plasticcupsfilledhalfwaywithwaterandsealedwithalid§ Mustardwater–one2Ljugpersamplesite(ifusingthemustardextraction

method)§ Spadeorshovel(ifusingthehandsamplemethod)§ Gloves(optional)§ Tarpsorgarbagebagsforcollectionmaterials

LessonActivities1. Introduction(10minutes)

Remindstudentsthatonewaytohelpusmakedecisions(forexample,withourfocusquestion‘shouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’)istocollectsomedataorevidence.Thedatathatstudentswillbecollectingisacountofhowmanyandwhatkindsofearthwormsthereareinachosensite(thismaybeasitechosenonschoolgroundsoryoumaychoosetogooffschoolgroundswiththeappropriatepermission).GothroughwiththestudentsthePowerPointpresentation–IdentifyingEarthworms.Theyshouldbeabletoidentifyjuvenile,litterdwelling,soildwellinganddeepburrowingearthworms.

2. EarthwormCollection(40+min)Adjusttheinstructionsasnecessarydependingonthemethod(s)youchoosetouseandthenumberofclassesyouhavetodedicatetothisactivity.ProvideeachgroupwithanEarthwormCollectionKit.Haveyourgroupscollectearthwormdatain3differentareas(ideally,studentswouldbeabletocollectdatainmultiplehabitats–example,schoolyard,woodedarea,andneararoadside).Studentswillusethecupstocollecttheirearthwormstemporarilywhiletheyaresamplingthesite.Oncetheyhavecompletedtheirsampling.Havethemreturntheearthworms.

3. Closure(5min)Oncetheactivityiscomplete,makesurethatstudentshavereturnedtheirearthworms,dumpedthewaterintheplasticcups,andputallmaterialsbackinthekit.Ifthereisextramustardwateritwillkeepforafewdaysbutwillthenneedtobeflusheddownthesinkwithwater.*Ifstudentsrecordedthedataonthepaperdatasheets,providethemtimetomanuallyenterthedataoncomputersoncebackintheclassroom.

MustardWaterPreparation(perjug)Mix20gramsofgroundmustardpowderwith2Lofwaterinajug.Shakewell.Preparethemorningoforthenightbefore.Ifyoupreparethemixturetooearlythemustardmayhardentothebottomofthejug.


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Lesson4:EarthwormDataAnalysis

Purpose• Analyzedatacollectedfromearthwormcollection

OverviewStudentswillbegintoanalyzethedatatheyhavecollectedandcompareittootherdatathathasbeencollectedacrossAlberta.Theywillthenhaveachancetodevelopideasaboutthedatathathasbeencollected.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions



andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions3.Monitoralocalenvironment,andassesstheimpactsofenvironmentalfactorsongrowth,healthandreproductionoforganismsinthatenvironment

§ investigateavarietyofhabitats,anddescribeandinterpretdistributionpatternsoflivingthingsfoundinthosehabitats

4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments

§ identifyintendedandunintendedconsequencesofhumanactivitieswithinlocalandglobalenvironments


SkillsOutcomesInitiatingandPlanning

§ stateapredictionandahypothesisbasedonbackgroundinformationoranobservedpatternofevents

PerformingandRecording§ estimatemeasurements

AnalyzingandInterpreting§ compileanddisplaydata,byhandorcomputer,inavarietyofformats,includingdiagrams,

flowcharts,tables,bargraphsandlinegraphsAttitudeOutcomesScientificInquiry

§ Seekandapplyevidencewhenevaluatingalternativeapproachestoinvestigations,problemsandissues

Collaboration§ Workcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideas


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Materials• Computers,iPads,orsmartphoneswithGoogleEarthinstalledoneach• AnalysisofEarthwormDataHandout

LessonActivities1. Introduction(10+min)

IfstudentsusedapapercopyoftheEarthwormDataSheet,theywillneedtoinputthedataintotheweb-basedapplication.Inputtingtheirdatamaytaketime;thereforeyoumayneedmorethanonedayforthislesson.OncedatahasbeenuploadedeitherthroughtheWormTrackerapportheweb-basedapplication,studentscandownloadthemostrecentmapdatafileforGoogleEarth.GoogleEarthThefollowingtutorialwillassistyouindownloadingGoogleEarth:SettingupGoogleEarthforExploringYourData.OnceyouhavedownloadedGoogleEarth,watchthefollowingtutorial:ViewingyourDatainGoogleEarth.BothvideosarealsoavailableonAlbertaWormInvasion:WormTrackerwebsite.

2. DataAnalysis(30+min)DemonstrateforthestudentshowGoogleEarthworks(ifyouneedinstructionsonhowtodothis,seethelinksabove).Havestudentsdownloadthemapdatafromthefollowinglink(ifthisdoesnotworkyoucandownloadthe.kmlfilefromtheWormTrackerwebsitehere).OncethestudentshaveopenedthemapdatainGoogleEarth,havethemworkwiththeirgrouptoanswerthequestionsontheworksheet–AnalysisofEarthwormData.

3. Conclusion(10min)Gothroughtheworksheetwiththestudents(alternatively,youmaychoosetousethisworksheetasaformofassessment).


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Lesson5:EarthwormImpacts

Purpose• Researchtheimpactofearthwormsontheenvironmentandtheimpactofhumans

onearthwormsOverviewStudentswillresearchinformationabouttheimpactofearthwormsontheenvironmentortheimpactofhumansonearthwormsandbecomean‘expert’inoneoftheseareas.Theywillthenconductajigsawactivitytosharethisinformationwithothers.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions



andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments



SkillsOutcomesPerformingandRecording

§ researchinformationrelevanttoagivenproblemorissueCommunicationandTeamwork


AttitudeOutcomesCollaboration

§ WorkcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideasMaterials

• KWLchart(individualandclass)• ImpactsofEarthwormsHandout(canbemodifiedifnotallarticlesareused)• Impactsarticles

§ ImpactsofEarthwormsinGardens§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonOtherSpecies§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonVegetation§ ImpactsofEarthwormsonLeafLitter§ ImpactsofEarthwormsontheNutrientCycle(optional)§ ImpactsofEarthwormsandComposting


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§ ImpactsofHumansonEarthwormmigration§ ImpactsofFishingonEarthwormmigration


Remindstudentsthatoneofthepurposesoftheearthwormcollectionactivitywastocollectsomedatatohelpanswerthequestion,‘shouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?’.UsingtheclassKWLchart,brieflyhighlightsomeofthekeypointsfromthedataanalysisandhavestudentsfillinthisinformationontheirKWLchartsunderL.

2. ImpactsJigsaw(35min)

OntheKWLchart,revisitwithstudentssomeoftheotherwaystocollectinformation,specificallydoingsomecomputerresearch/talkingtoexperts.GiveeachstudentacopyoftheImpactsofEarthwormsHandout.a) Inordertolearnabouttheenvironmentalimpactsthatearthwormshaveandthe

impactsthathumanshaveonearthwormmigration,assigneach‘expert’grouponeoftheimpactarticles(youmayhavetoassignthesamearticletomorethanonegrouporgivemorethanonearticletoagroupdependingonhowmanygroupsyouhave).

b) Haveeachgroupreadtheirarticle(s)andsummarizethepositiveandnegativeimpactsonthehandout.Computersshouldbeavailableforstudentsincasetheywouldliketodosomemoreresearchregardingtheirassignedtopic.Studentswillbecomethe‘experts’fortheimpacttheyareassignedsoallstudentsinthegroupwillneedtobeabletobrieflysummarizetheimpactfortheirpeersinthenextpartoftheactivity.(20min)

c) Regroupthestudentssothatthereisatleastone‘expert’fromeachimpactinthenewgroups.Haveeach‘expert’provideabriefsummaryoftheimpact;explaininganypositiveornegativeimpactsonotherspecies,populationsorecosystems.Thestudentsshouldfillinthechartonthehandoutforeachimpactbaseduponthe‘expert’presentation.(15min)

3. Conclusion(10min)

Oncetheyhavecompletedthejigsaw,havetheoriginal‘expert’groupscomebacktogetherandsummarizewhattheyhavelearnedabouteachoftheimpacts(somegroupsmayhavegatheredmoreorlessinformationsothisisachancetohearwhatwassaidineachgroup).AskstudentstoconsideriftheythinkanythingshouldbedonetocontrolearthwormsinAlbertaforthenextlesson(e.g.shouldtheybebannedorcontrolledinsomeotherway).


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Lesson6:ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?

Purpose• EvaluatewhetherearthwormsshouldbebannedinAlberta• Presentfindingsfromresearchanddecision

OverviewInthislesson,youwillreviewwithstudentswhattheyhavelearnedsofaraboutearthwormsanddiscusswhymakingdecisionsaboutwhetherearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlbertaisnotaonesidedissue.StudentswillthenevaluatetheinformationtheyhavegatheredandmakeadecisiononwhethertheythinkearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlberta.Theywillpresenttheirdecisionandevidencetotheclass.ProgramofStudiesOutcomesOutcomesforScience,TechnologyandSociety(STS)andKnowledge1.Investigateanddescriberelationshipsbetweenhumansandtheirenvironments,andidentifyrelatedissuesandscientificquestions



andidentifyneedsforscientificknowledgethatcaninformthosedecisions4.Describetherelationshipsamongknowledge,decisionsandactionsinmaintaininglife-supportingenvironments




SkillsOutcomesPerformingandRecording

§ researchinformationrelevanttoagivenproblemorissue§ selectandintegrateinformationfromvariousprintandelectronicsourcesorfromseveral

partsofthesamesourceAnalyzingandInterpreting

§ identifystrengthsandweaknessesofdifferentmethodsofcollectinganddisplayingdataCommunicationandTeamwork


§ defendagivenpositiononanissue,basedontheirfindingsAttitudeOutcomesInterestinScience

§ Showinterestinscience-relatedquestionsandissues,andpursuepersonalinterestsandcareerpossibilitieswithinscience-relatedfields

MutualRespect§ Appreciatethatscientificunderstandingevolvesfromtheinteractionofideasinvolving


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peoplewithdifferentviewsandbackgroundsScientificInquiry

§ Seekandapplyevidencewhenevaluatingalternativeapproachestoinvestigations,problemsandissues

Collaboration§ Workcollaborativelyincarryingoutinvestigationsandingeneratingandevaluatingideas

Materials

• KWLcharts(individualandclass)• Computers,mobiledevices• Postermaterials• AlbertaEarthwormInvasionProjectRubric


HavestudentstakeouttheirKWLcharts(andprojecttheclassKWLchart)andtheirImpactsofEarthwormsHandouts.Brieflydiscusswithstudentswhattheyhavelearnedinthepreviouslessonsabouttheimpactsofearthwormsonotherspecies,populations,andecosystemsandtheimpactsthathumanshaveonthemigrationofearthworms.Remindstudentsoftheoverarchingquestionfortheunit:ShouldearthwormsbebannedinAlberta?Tellthemthatinthislessontheywilltakeontheroleofadifferentmemberofthecommunity(e.g.fisherman,forester).FromtheperspectiveofthatmemberofthecommunitytheywillbeaskedtocometoadecisionaboutwhetherornotearthwormsshouldbecontrolledinAlbertaandifso,how?Controllingearthwormscouldincludeacompleteorpartialbanonthesaleofearthworms,effortstoeliminateearthwormsalreadypresentinAlberta,and/oreducationalcampaignstochangepeople’sbehavior.

2. ShouldEarthwormsbeBannedinAlberta?(2classes)Forthisactivity,youshoulddecideonthedifferentrolesthatyouwillassignstudents.Possiblerolesinclude:fisherman,forester,gardener,natureclubmember,environmentalist.Thedifferentroleswillhavedifferentprimaryconcerns.Possibleareasofconcernforeachrolearelistedbelow.

§ Fisherman–willlikelybeconcernedwithanydecisionthatwouldaffecttheirabilitytousewormsasbait.

§ Forester–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpacttreespeciesinforests.

§ Gardener–willlikelybeconcernedwithanydecisionthatwouldlimitearthwormsingardensorpurchasedforcomposebins.

§ Natureclubmember–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpactwildlifespecies.

§ Environmentalist–willlikelybeconcernedwithhowthespreadofearthwormswillimpactnativespeciesandchangestocarbonandnitrogencycling.


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Assignstudentstogroupsandassigneachgrouptotakeononeoftheroles.Intheirgroups,studentsshoulddecidewhatactionsshouldbetakenregardingearthwormsinAlbertafromtheperspectiveoftheroletheyareassigned.Theyshouldsupporttheirdecisionbasedonevidencefromthedatathathasbeencollectedonearthwormsandwhattheyhavelearnedthroughtheimpactsactivity.Studentsshoulddiscusstheimpactsoftheirdecisiononearthworms,humans,otherspecies,andtheenvironment.Oncetheyhavemadetheirdecision,studentswilleithercreateaposterormakeamultimediapresentationtopresenttheirdecisionandtheevidencetosupporttheirdecision.Encouragestudentstosearchoutadditionalinformation(e.g.fromtheInternet)ifneededtosupporttheirdecision.

3. Conclusion:TownHallMeeting(1class)Havestudentspresenttheirposterormultimediapresentationtotheclass.Aseachgrouppresents,encourageotherstudentstoaskquestionsofthegroupsabouttheirdecisions.Forexample,aretheirimpactsofthedecisionthatthegrouphasn’tconsidered?Afterallofthegroupshavepresented,haveeachstudentdecidewhatapproachtheythinkisbestandwriteareflectiondescribingtheirdecisionandtheirreasonsforit.

4. AssessmentTherubriclistedinthematerialslistcanbeusedtoassessthegroupprojectsormodified(byremovingthe“presentation”criteria)tobeusedasanindividualassessmentforthefinalstudentreflections.

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