1. Invasive Species Game. Use the Invasive Species Picture Cards to play a game related to the method of introduction. Provide each group of three or four students with one picture card. Tell students to keep their card a secret. Allow 5-10 minutes for groups to develop short skits identifying their organisms and how they were introduced to the Great Lakes region. Have each group perform their skit and then allow the rest of the class to guess the organism and method of introduction.

2. “Most Unwanted” Posters. Have students create “Most Unwanted” posters, each depicting an invasive species that may be found in your community, its characteristics, where it originated, how and when it arrived, and what people can do to prevent its spread. The finished posters can be displayed in the school building and/or other location in the community.

3. Food Web Invasions Lesson Extension 9.1 (on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD). Students experience firsthand the competition that a non-native species may offer native bird species. In this simulation students role play the native birds with a narrow range of feeding capabilities and then observe what happens when a more opportunistic non-native bird is introduced. Although the example focuses on birds, it can be easily adapted to illustrate the effects of other invasive animals. This lesson is recommended as an introduction to the topic of invasive species.

4. Mystery Invaders Lesson Extension 9.2 (on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD). This short activity provides an opportunity to help students sharpen their questioning skills and become more familiar with a variety of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species of Michigan. This activity follows the same format as the Lesson 2 Extension Who Am I?

5. Deadly Plant Invaders Game Lesson Extension 9.3 (on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD). Students will learn about the impacts that non-native plant species have on native species by attempting to gather adequate nutrients, water, sunlight, and space through a highly active role playing game.

6. What’s Wrong With This Picture? (on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD). Have students examine this colorful mini-poster and identify seven ways that aquatic exotics are spread. Consider having students create their own similar posters, focusing on species that affect terrestrial and/or aquatic habitats.

7. Great Lakes Food Web Drama (on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD). A read-aloud drama that introduces students to some of the major organisms of the Great Lakes and to the five trophic levels they occupy in the food web. This drama can serve as a springboard for discussing the concept of food webs and the environmental challenges posed by invasive species in the Great Lakes.

8. Monitor the Effect of Invasives on Biodiversity. Students conduct a field study in their schoolyard (or other location) using the plot sampling method provided in Option B of Lesson 7. Students may compare the effect non-native plant species have on overall biodiversity (species richness). Alternatively, students may focus on comparing the diversity of plants, invertebrates, or just soil organisms. For example, students may sample two plots within a forest habitat, one with garlic mustard, the other without.

9. Plot the Spread of Exotics. Using maps of Michigan or the Great Lakes region, students can plot the spread of an invasive (either numerically or geographically within the state) over time. Excellent numerical data exists for sea lamprey, zebra mussels, and purple loosestrife.

10. Analyzing the News. Have students collect news articles of first-time (or early) reports of invasive species in your region. Students can evaluate how the reporters and the community described these invasions and what the outcome has been.

11. Reporting the News. Have students pretend they are news reporters and write about the impact of myrtle, autumn olive, or one of the newer invasives. What do you want to tell the public about the impact of this species on ecosystems? How do you know the potential impact and what evidence will you use to back up your reporting? How can you best convince people what to do about the invaders? Encourage students to be creative about the newscasts/newspaper articles/web sites to get people’s attention, but stay factual.

12. Controlling Invasive Species. Ask for older students to compare current strategies used or controlling an invasive species. Example: Sea lampreys can be controlled by chemical toxins dumped into water systems vs. capture and kill vs. sterilization. Example: Purple loosestrife can be controlled by burning, herbicide, pulling out manually, or use of exotic beetles. Assign students to write an essay (or make a presentation, or defend in a debate or town meeting setting) on which method (or combination) they think will be most effective in controlling the selected species and why.