K-12 Teacher Resources
Activities and Lessons
Real-life Aliens: Introduced Species (PDF)
Action Bioscience | 2002 | Grades: High School — College Undergraduate
This lesson examines issues stemming from introduced and invasive species. Students can gather statistical information about local invasives, interview animal and plant inspectors at an international airport, investigate the pet parrot trade, and more!
Nature’s Invaders: Exploring the Effects of Invasive Species on Local Ecosystems
New York Times Learning Network | 2010 | Grades: Middle School — High School
What are invasive species and how do they affect ecosystems? In this lesson, students learn how an invasive species and a native species experiencing a population explosion may threaten some of the world’s oldest trees, bristlecone pines in the western United States. They then explore invasive species in their own state and develop a multimedia exhibit meant to educate the public about the health of their local forests.
It’s (Not) Just a Bug
New York Times Learning Network | 2007 | Grades: Middle School — High School
In this lesson, students reflect on challenges that face farmers in cultivating crops, including insects. They then simulate how crops are affected by native and non-native insect populations and the options farmers have to protect their crops. Finally, they create an agricultural plan from the perspective of a farmer.
Alien Invasions: Examining Invasive Plant Species in Your Community
New York Times Learning Network | 2005 | Grades: Middle School
In this lesson, students create an educational pamphlet on the origins, spread, and impact of invasive plant species in their community.
Designing the Perfect Plant: Activities to Investigate Plant Ecology (PDF)
Science Scope | 2008 | Grades: Middle School
Plant ecology is an important subject that often receives little attention in middle school, as more time during science classes is devoted to plant biology. This series of activities introduces students to plant ecology and the ecological tradeoffs associated with different types of plant and plant attributes. The activities also introduce students to general ecological concepts such as biodiversity, environmental disturbance, habitat, competition, and predation.
Curriculums
kNOweeds K-12 Montana Invasive Plant Curriculum
Missoula County (Montana) Weed District | 2010 | Grades: K-12
This curriculum is designed to be a supplemental curriculum for teachers who want to integrate the topic of invasive weeds into their existing courses. It provides teachers, educators, and weed professionals with an ecologically-based invasive weed curriculum that assists students in developing awareness, knowledge, and skills that will result in responsible land stewardship in the state of Montana.
Alien Invasion: Plants on the Move
Bureau of Land Management | 2006 | Grades: K-12
This curriculum is designed for teachers who want to integrate the topic of invasive weeds in the classroom, develop weed awareness, and provide students in grades K-12 with an understanding of the serious problem of invasive weeds. All of the lessons in this curriculum fit within existing mandated National Science Education Standards and many of the activities integrate social studies, art, language arts, and math components.
BioControl Control Enterprise, Bug and Weed Project
Townsend (Montana) K-12 School District | 2006-2008 | Grades: K-12
Several curriculums, targeted toward different grade levels, include downloadable lessons and resources to help transform students into knowledgeable future land stewards. Topics include: weed management, weed identification, and ecosystems.
Invasive Plants Taking Root in Alaska
Homer (Alaska) Soil and Water Conservation District | 2007 | Grades: High School
This curriculum includes a variety of modules, including labs and an online mapping exercise in which students can view local maps of invasive ornamental plants in Alaska. It introduces core concepts of invasive species biology and was originally developed for Kenai Peninsula science teachers, but much of the material is appropriate for use statewide.
Invasive Species Integrated Curriculum
Georgian Court University | Grades: Middle School
Developed for middle school teachers, this curriculum integrates the topic of invasive Phragmites into six subject areas.
Pushy Plants and Alien Animals
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | 2004 | Grades: K-5 and 6-12
Produced by the North Carolina Museum of Natural History, this curriculum and teacher’s guide utilizes school grounds as an invasive species teaching resource.
Websites for Teachers
Agriculture in the Classroom
This website from the US Department of Agriculture includes lesson plans, state agricultural facts, and much more.
Celebrating Wildflowers
Celebrating Wildflowers is dedicated to the enjoyment of the thousands of wildflowers growing on our national forests and grasslands, and to educating the public about the many values of native plants. This website includes activities for students, teacher resources, and more.
Don't Move Firewood
The award winning Don't Move Firewood website has a great blog and other media focusing on forest pest species.
Environmental Inquiry: Authentic Scientific Research for High School Students
This website and curriculum series was developed by experts at Cornell University to help high school students conduct environmental science research.
Great Basin Invasive Weeds
Developed by Utah State University, this website is primarily for students and teachers in grades 7-12 and includes information on weed impacts, weed management, and how to get involved.
Junior Master Gardener
A youth gardening program from the University Cooperative Extension network. In the Operation Thistle module, middle school students learn about plant growth and development with invasive bull thistle as an example.
Montana War on Weeds
Researched and written primarily by students at Whitehall High School, this website contains information, links, and photographs of Montana’s noxious weeds.
Montana's Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program
This website provides links to weed identification resources, education programs, and an event calendar.
National Biological Information Infrastructure Kids Pages
This website contains invasive species-themed stories, games, project ideas, and coloring pages.
Plants in Peril
This website offers tools and resources for middle school educators on biodiversity and rare native plant conservation.
Return of the Natives
This website offers teacher resources, a calendar of training events for educators, lesson plans, educational resources, and more.
Sci4Kids: Science, Agriculture, and You
This website from the USDA Agricultural Research Service offers ideas for science fair projects and activity packets for teachers.
Science NetLinks
This website from Thinkfinity—an educational partnership that includes the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Geographic Society, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and many more—provides a wealth of standards-based resources for K-12 science teachers.
Science Fair Project Resource Guide
Produced by the University of Michigan, this website guides teachers and students through the process of creating a science fair project, from choosing a topic to displaying the project.
Texas Invasives
This website offers an invasive species database, a citizen scientists program, and links to other relevant websites.
Educational Materials
Alien Invasion: Invasive Species Become Major Menaces
This book for grades 4-6 profiles dozens of organisms that threaten our health and well-being. The author succinctly describes the characteristics of more than three dozen invasive species of plants and animals; the variety of ways they entered or were introduced into new habitats; and their negative impact on native ecosystems, commerce, agriculture, etc.
CIPM Online Store
Our online store offers a variety of excellent education and outreach materials, including botanically-accurate plastic weed models, weed identification cards, posters, booklets and other publications, and much more.
Illinois Natural History Survey
This website offers education and outreach materials on insects and biological control.
The Purple Pages
This website offers comprehensive information about purple loosestrife, biological control, and the impact of invasive species on wetlands in Michigan and includes posters, web lessons, and an online library.
Roaming Invasive Species Kits (PDF)
This versatile and easy to transport weed education trunk from the Ravalli County (Montana) Weed District includes: a curriculum binder, easy to use PowerPoint presentations, plastic weeds, weed seeds, biological agent mounts, Montana weed guide booklets, weed tattoos, and much more. Although it was designed for grades K-9, many of the activities can be adapted for other ages and grade levels.
Noxious Weed Coloring Book (PDF)
Produced by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, this coloring book showcases some of the worst weeds in Washington.
Science Warriors: The Battle Against Invasive Species
This photo-filled book explores the work of American scientists battling invasive species. Focusing on brown tree snakes, melaleuca trees, red imported fire ants, and zebra mussels, the book explores how teams of scientists have made inroads against the destruction of habitat by these invaders.
Weedbuster Board Game (PDF)
Students learn that weeds are not just a regional problem in this game from the Western Australia Department of Agriculture's Weedbuster program.