Invasive Species- What's the worst that could happen? – Grades 9-12

Liberty Science Center
Discovery Challenges ◊
Invasive Species:
What’s the Worst
That Could Happen?
Grades: 9-12

The stability of ecosystems can be a precarious balance, especially when
there are changes in species diversity and population dynamics. Invasive
species are a major concern in many ecosystems within the United States
and the prevention and eradication of invasives has become a hot topic
in conservation. In this Discovery Challenge students will explore local
ecosystems and introductory pathways for invasives in the Our Hudson Home
gallery. In the Eat and Be Eaten gallery students will learn about species
interdependence and adaptations. Then, using what they learned in the two
galleries, students will be asked to consider a worst case scenario invasion into
a Hudson River ecosystem. Use this challenge to teach your students about
ecosystem ecology and human impacts on the environment.
Table of Contents
Teacher Overview............................................................................................................. 3
Curriculum Standards Alignment................................................................................ 4
Your Challenge ................................................................................................................. 5
Pre-Visit Lesson............................................................................................................ 6-7
Post-Visit Wrap-Up....................................................................................................... 8-9
Resources........................................................................................................................10
Exhibit Challenge Booklet (For Students)................................................11-22
• Your Challenge/We Suggest........................................................................... 12-13
• Exhibit Challenges........................................................................................... 14-22
2
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12

Teacher Overview
What is a Discovery Challenge ◊ ?
A Discovery Challenge:
• Forges connections between Liberty Science Center’s exhibitions and what is being studied in
the classroom.
• Focuses and leverages student learning during visits.
• Encourages inquiry and critical thinking.
• Is aligned to national, New Jersey and New York science standards.
Before Your Visit:
• Complete the pre-visit lesson with your class to get students primed and ready for what they
will discover at Liberty Science Center.
• Copy the Exhibit Challenge Booklet and distribute them to your students and chaperones.
During Your Visit:
• Encourage students to visit at least three or four exhibitions to help structure their exploration.
Students should record observations by both writing and drawing in their booklets.
After Your Visit:
• Complete the post-visit wrap-up with students to foster continued discussion and discovery
back in the classroom. Career Quest extensions can be used to introduce students to career
possibilities stemming from their favorite exhibitions.
• Use the suggested list of resources to design additional relevant and engaging learning
experiences for your students.
Technology Tie-Ins
Look for SNSE Spots!—SNSE (Science Now, Science Everywhere) allows you to
use your phone to get extra information about exhibitions while on site and also
allows you to learn more about the exhibitions you enjoyed after your visit.
Major funding provided by National Science Foundation
Liberty Science Center Discovery Challenges are available on our website
at www.lsc.org/discoverychallenges.
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 3

Curriculum Standards Alignment
Topic: Invasive Species: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
Grade Levels: 9-12
NEW JERSEY – Core Curriculum Content
Standards
English Language Arts:
3.1. Reading
3.2. Writing
3.3. Speaking
3.4. Listening
3.5. Viewing and Literacy
Social Studies:
6.1.B. U.S. History, Geography, People and
Environment
6.1.C. U.S. History, Economics, Innovation
and Technology
6.3.B. Active Citizenship, Geography,
People and Environment
6.3.C. Active Citizenship, Economics,
Innovation and Technology
Technology:
8.1. Educational Technology
8.2. Technology Education, Engineering and
Design
NEW JERSEY – Core Curriculum Content
Standards for Science
5.1. Science Practices
5.1.A. Understand Scientific Explanations
5.1.B. Generate Scientific Evidence through
Active Investigations
5.1.C. Reflect on Scientific Knowledge
5.1.D. Participate Productively in Science
5.3. Life Science
5.3.C. Interdependence
5.3.E. Evolution and Diversity
NEW YORK – Mathematics, Science and
Technology Education
1 - Mathematical analysis, scientific
inquiry, engineering design
2 - Using appropriate technology
4 - Science: integration and application
6 - Relationships and common themes
7 - Problem solving in the real world
21st Century Life and Careers:
9.1. 21st Century Life and Careers
9.3. Awareness, Exploration and
Preparation
9.4. Career and Technical Education
4
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12

Your Challenge:
What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
In this Discovery Challenge, students will explore the concepts of species survival and
adaption. They will relate these traits to ecosystem diversity and stability. A healthy
ecosystem has many interdependent species that live in a dynamic balance, and invasive
species can disrupt this delicate balance. Invasive species are defined as organisms that are
introduced from other ecosystems (therefore, they are sometimes called aliens or exotics),
reproduce quickly, and cause harm to the new ecosystem in some way.
Based on students’ understanding of ecosystem stability, they are asked to invent a worst
case invasive species scenario for a local ecosystem and write a report to present to local
lawmakers. Students should pick an ecosystem in the Hudson River Estuary or be assigned
one. Examples include freshwater marsh, saltwater harbor, or upland tree stands. Their
species can be imaginary, so encourage students to be as creative as possible when thinking
about their report.
Finished reports should answer:
• What type of organism is it?
• What specific adaptations does this organism have to compete with native species?
• Where did it originally come from?
• How was it introduced to this region?
• What impacts will this species have on a local ecosystem?
• What prevention and control methods can be employed against the invasion?
In addition to their report, have students give brief oral presentations to the class about their
scenario and explain why lawmakers should be concerned about the species as the greatest
threat to a local ecosystem.
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 5

Pre-Visit Lesson:
Adaptation Interactive Game
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Understand the interdependence of species in an ecosystem
• Recognize the evolutionary pressures one species can exert on another
• Realize how changes in environment will change evolutionary pressures and an organism’s
survival rate
Materials
• Blank paper
• Something to write with
• A good imagination
Procedure
Have students imagine that they are each a striped bass living in an undisturbed estuary (no
human influences). The “school” will be migrating to the Hudson River Estuary and needs to
prepare for any changes they’ll experience in their new home.
• Randomly assign each student in a group a different role of the following: Plant 1, Plant 2,
Animal 1, Animal 2, Fungus 1. (Note: If there are extra students in a group, assign them a
role of Fungus 2, Plant 3, etc.)
• Students should choose an organism from their category and clearly write their organism
(i.e. Plant 1 decides to be a grassy weed) across the top of their blank paper. Divide
the paper into two columns, one labeled Defensive Traits, the other labeled Progressive
Adaptations.
• Round one will consist of students looking at the organism of the student sitting to their
right and deciding on one adaptive trait they could have that would best allow them to take
advantage of that other organism. This could mean a predator/prey relationship, or something
else (i.e. as a plant I could decide to have sticky seeds that will be spread by the animal to
my right). Encourage students to be creative, but specific in response to their ecosystem.
Students are to privately write down their adaptive trait in the Progressive Adaptations column
and reveal it to each other as a group.
• In round two, students will add a trait to their Defensive Trait column to counteract the
progressive trait of the organism to their left (i.e. as a plant I am being eaten by the animal to
my left, so I might develop a bad taste).
6 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12

• Continue alternating between adding progressive adaptations toward the organism to the right
and defensive traits against the organism to the left. Each group will develop into specialized
ecosystems with organisms well adapted to their neighbors.
• When students have a list of several adaptive traits in both columns, choose one student from
each group and make them move to a new group. Every “ecosystem” will have one organism
removed and transplanted to another group and a new organism from another “ecosystem”
added to the group.
• Have the groups decide whether the traits of the transplanted organism will allow it to survive or
die out in its new home. Students should also discuss what other factors (such as climate) might
impact the survival of the transplanted species. If the organism can survive, are there organisms
in the new ecosystem that can keep its population in check, or could this become an invasive
species that reproduces quickly? Would this introduced species have a harmful impact on the
ecosystem? What would happen to the other organisms in the ecosystem? Would they have to
adapt to the loss of a species and the introduction of a new one?
Extensions
• Volunteer as a class to monitor and eradicate invasive species in your area. Often conservation
groups will have weekend outings to remove invasive plants from specific ecosystems. To
find programs in your area visit http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/news/whatyou.shtml. Be
prepared to get dirty!
• Research native plant species and encourage your school and public areas to landscape only
with native species to provide more habitat for local animals. Write letters to government
officials advocating “xeriscaping” and volunteer in planting efforts.
• Research invasive species in your area, the ecosystems they came from, the method of their
introduction, and the impact on your local environment.
• Educate the public! Teach others in your community what invasive species threaten your
community. How can people identify the species? What should they do if they find it? How
can they help prevent the spread?
• Research which species were introduced to environments in the United States from ship
ballast water. What measures has the United States enacted to prevent further introductions
from occurring?
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 7

Post-Visit Wrap-Up: Present Your Case!
Discussion of Findings
Encouraging students to communicate observations in their own words is key to developing
understanding. After your visit, bring students together so they can share what they discovered
(observations, notes, drawings) while exploring Liberty Science Center’s exhibitions.
Development of Projects
Using what they learned in the exhibitions, students will create a report on the potential threat
of an invasive species to a Hudson River ecosystem. They will describe the worst case scenario
of the introduction of this species into the ecosystem. They should include in their report the
characteristics and the type of organism that they think poses the greatest risk, the impact this
organism would have on the ecosystem, how they would prevent the introduction of the species
into a Hudson River ecosystem, and their plan to control the spread of this species should it gain
a foothold in the region. This activity can be expanded by having students present a brief of their
report to the class.
Presentation of Projects
Provide students with time to share their briefs with the class.
Extensions
To extend learning across the curriculum, students can:
• Produce materials to educate the public about how to prevent the introduction of their invasive
species, or how to slow spread if their species once it is introduced. A drawing or picture of
the species should be included so that people can easily identify it. Materials might include
posters, pamphlets or public service announcements.
8
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12

Career Quest
Here are some suggestions about exposing students to careers related to this
Discovery Challenge:
• Have students share the different careers they learned about while exploring Liberty Science
Center’s exhibitions.
• Allow students to use the internet to research these and other careers related to this
Discovery Challenge, including what the jobs entail, the education and special skills needed,
and where someone would work in this capacity.
• Invite a guest speaker/parent/guardian to come in and share his or her related career
experiences. Some examples include biologists, park rangers, conservationists, employees
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the New Jersey
Natural Conservation Service.
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 9

Resources
Liberty Science Center Programs
For more information about Liberty Science Center’s exciting educational offerings
please visit www.lsc.org.
Websites
New Jersey State Invasive Species Resources (USDA)
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/unitedstates/nj.shtml
River Keeper
http://www.riverkeeper.org/
New Jersey Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/
New York Department of Environmental Conservation: Nuisance and Invasive Species
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/265.html
Preparing Your Booklets
1. Remove the next 12 pages from
this packet. DO NOT re-arrange the
placement or order of these pages.
2. Photocopy the pages so they are
double-sided. Make as many
copies as you need.
3. Fold each booklet in half.
4. Give one booklet to each student
and chaperone in your group.
10
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12

Liberty Science Center
Liberty State Park
222 Jersey City Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07305 USA
201.200.1000
www.lsc.org
Liberty Science Center
Discovery Challenges ◊
Invasive Species:
What’s the Worst
That Could Happen?
Grades: 9-12

Notes
Exhibit Challenge Booklet
Your Challenge:
Invasive Species: What’s the Worst
That Could Happen?
You are a government official who has been asked to write a report
describing the worst case scenario for a potential invasive species
in a Hudson River ecosystem. Invasive species are organisms not
native to an ecosystem that reproduce quickly there and cause harm
to the new ecosystem. Because they are from another ecosystem,
invasive species are sometimes called aliens or exotics. This report
is to be presented to local lawmakers to make them aware of the
dangers invasive species pose to this region.
First identify the characteristics and the type of organism that
you feel poses the greatest risk. What region of the world would
this species originate from? How would it get to the Hudson
River Estuary? In the worst case scenario, what impact would
this organism have on the native ecosystem? Your report should
recommend how to prevent the introduction of the species into a
Hudson River ecosystem. Also, you must create a plan to control the
spread of your species should it gain a foothold in the region.
Sketch Pad
2 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
23

Notes
We Suggest:
✔ Visit at least three of the Exhibit Challenge locations.
If one is unavailable, move on to another.
✔ Use the booklets to record your observations and
create drawings of what you see.
Sketch Pad
✔ Think about how you can apply what you have
learned to your challenge project.
22 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
3

1. Eat and Be Eaten Notes
Where to Go
Third Floor, Eat and Be Eaten, Masters of Disguise/Prickly Stick Insects
and Vietnamese Stick Insects
What to Do
• Read the Masters of Disguise panel and observe the Prickly Stick
Insects and Vietnamese Stick Insects. Compare and contrast the
camouflage of the Prickly Stick Insects to the Vietnamese Stick Insects.
Consider This
• What would happen if the habitat of the stick insects were to change?
• Is one of the stick insects more specialized than the other? If so, how?
• Would these insects be affected more by an invasive plant or an
invasive animal?
• Which insect would be more sensitive to changes in their environment
and why?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Observe other animals in the gallery that use camouflage. Document
what these animals blend in with and which you think might be
more sensitive to environmental changes. Are there any similarities
between the organisms you think are most sensitive to change?
4 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
21

Notes
Notes
Sketch Pad
Sketch Pad
20 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
5

6
2. Eat and Be Eaten
Notes
Where to Go
Third Floor, Eat and Be Eaten, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
What to Do
• Observe the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and read the
information panel about the species.
Consider This
• Do you think that a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach might be a
successful invasive species in this region? What observations can
you make about the cockroaches to support your thoughts?
• How might a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach be introduced into a
new ecosystem?
• How would you describe the rate of reproduction of this
species? What impact might the rate of reproduction have on the
cockroach’s evolution?
• Do you notice any variation between the individuals in the
enclosure? Are any of these variable traits advantageous to their
survival? Explain your reasoning.
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Compare your observations of the cockroach display with other
species in the gallery. Do all the displays show organisms in
multiple stages of life? How do these observations support your
previous thoughts about the cockroach’s rate of reproduction?
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
19

8. Our Hudson Home
Notes
Where to Go
Fourth Floor, Our Hudson Home, High-Tech Cranes
What to Do
• Read the panel on loading cranes in the port, and then try the crane
simulator to load or unload shipping containers from a vessel.
Consider This
• Much of modern port operations are mechanized and computerized.
So much cargo enters and leaves our port each day that it would be
impossible to search all the containers for entering species. If all
you can do is spot check cargo (or check only a small sample of all
of the crates coming in), what type of cargo would you give priority
to for search and why?
• Are there specific products or certain source locations that you
might monitor more closely?
• What other criteria might be used to narrow the search and prevent
invasive species from entering our area?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Go to the Ports in The Estuary video panel and watch the video. How
do imported products come to us? Do you think the mechanization
and computerization of our ports has increased or decreased our
risk to invasive species? Support your answer.
18 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
7

8
3. Eat and Be Eaten
Notes
Where to Go
Third Floor, Eat and Be Eaten, various graphic panels
What to Do
• Look at the “Status” of the animals in the gallery on their information
panels. Be sure to note which animals are not threatened. Note
which animals are and the threats that face these animals.
Consider This
• Do the animals that are NOT threatened share certain traits?
• Do the animals that ARE threatened share any characteristics?
• What threats are the most common?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Look at the habitats of the threatened and non-threatened animals.
Do you think certain habitats are more sensitive than others? What
habitat types do you think are most prone to invasive species?
Why?
Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
17

7. Our Hudson Home
Notes
Where to Go
Fourth Floor, Our Hudson Home, Microscopic Views
What to Do
• Observe the four slides, particularly the zooplankton
(slide C) and algae (slide D). Can you see these organisms
in detail without the microscope?
Consider This
• Many aquatic species begin their life cycle as plankton. Several
invasive species in this area arrived as plankton in the ballast
water of ships and were discharged unknowingly in the harbor.
• What measures can be taken to prevent the introduction of
species that start life as microscopic plankton, almost invisible
to our naked eyes?
• What other species have stages in their life cycle that might
share the same monitoring problem?
• Many recreational boats are now responsible for spreading
invasive species throughout different waterways. How does
this spread occur, and how can it be prevented?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Read Benthic Banquet to see how pollution can accumulate in
the food chain.
16 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
9

4. Eat and Be Eaten
Notes
Where to Go
Third Floor, Eat and Be Eaten, Asian Water Monitor
What to Do
• Observe the Asian Water Monitor and read the information panel about
the species.
Consider This
• Do you think that an Asian Water Monitor might be a successful invasive
species in this region? What traits about the monitor make you think
that? Would this species be a more successful invasive elsewhere in
the world? What type of ecosystems would it most endanger?
• How might an Asian Water Monitor be introduced into a new
ecosystem?
• Can you think of a species that would compete with the monitor, eat
the monitor, or parasitize the monitor? Can you think of a species that
might change the monitor’s habitat in such a way that it might cause the
population to decline?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Explore the various organisms displayed within Eat and Be Eaten.
Find one organism that you think could become an invasive species
within the region. (Make sure it is not already a native species.) List
your reasons for thinking this organism could become invasive here if
introduced to the wild. In the United States, many pets (exotic or not)
are released into the wild when they get too big or too difficult to care
for. Do you feel this behavior could result in the released pets becoming
invasive? Why or why not?
10 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
15

6. Our Hudson Home
Notes
Where to Go
Fourth Floor, Our Hudson Home, Wetland Narrators
What to Do
• Watch the video titled “Can a Plant Be Harmful to the Environment?”
Consider This
• List the impacts phragmites have on wetland environments.
Could any of these impacts be considered positive? Could any
be considered negative? What is your opinion about this invasive
plant – should we let it thrive, or should we try to control its
spread?
• Why do you feel that way? Support your thoughts on this issue.
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Examine the Core Sampling table and observe all the core slices.
Over time, what changes can be observed in the core? The
topmost slide is the most recent core slice. What makes this
sample different from older slices of the core?
14 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
11

5. Our Hudson Home
Notes
Where to Go
Fourth Floor, Our Hudson Home, Cargo from Around the World
What to Do
• Peer through the port holes at the various cargo that enters
the Ports of New York/New Jersey each year. What is one
unexpected cargo that has arrived through the port? Look at the
cargo container with wood crates. This is just one example of
the types of things that could be inside a shipping container.
Consider This
• How do we protect our ecosystems from small species entering
this area through our ports?
• What methods would you have the port employ to search
containers for “stowaway” species?
• What kinds of species do you think are most likely to arrive this
way?
• How could the design of shipping containers be improved to
prevent animal hitchhikers?
Sketch Pad
Other Things to Try
• Learn more about the Asian Long Horn Beetle from the Harbor
Field Guide Touch Panel. Why is this insect a threat to native
environments? What industries do you think this beetle could
endanger?
12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12 Discovery Challenges Invasive Species: Grades 9-12
13