invasive plant education: invading a classroom near you! · 2016-10-04 · september 16, 2016...
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September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Invasive Plant Education: Invading a Classroom Near You!
Dehlia Albrecht, Education Initiative Coordinator
UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP)
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Florida Invasive Plant Education Initiative
• An 11 year cooperative project with UF/IFAS Center for
Aquatic & Invasive Plants and the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Goals
• Provide Florida’s students with an awareness and understanding of the economic and ecological problems caused by invasive plants on local freshwater and upland ecosystems.
• To bring about acceptance of invasive plant management methods.
• Foster environmental stewardship in Florida’s youth.
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Services Provided – Focus on Teachers
What do teachers need to implement
lessons on invasive plants?
• Curriculum and materials
• Professional development
• Year-round support / partnerships
• In-class and after-school demos
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Website: plants.ifas.ufl.edu/education
Recently added: Student Section
• Lesson plans, worksheets, activity
booklets, and educational games
• Loaner kits
• Annual 5-day workshop for
educators providing field and
laboratory experiences
• Additional resources including text,
data-sets, images and videos
• Free materials may be requested
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Online Outreach Numbers
Social media/email:
• Facebook – 750+ likes
• Twitter – 185 followers (@PLANT_CAMP, #UFPlantCamp)
• YouTube – 395 subscribers
• List-serv – 3,900+ contacts
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Invasive Plant Curriculum
1 Education Unit
4 Modules
• Each with video presentation, lesson plans, and lab activities
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Invasive Plant Curriculum
Main teaching points:
Definition of native versus non-native plants and why some are considered to be invasive
Ecological role native plants provide in aquatic ecosystems and the problems/impacts caused by invasive plants
Why we need to manage invasive plants and the challenges plant managers face on a daily basis
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Who do we distribute materials to?
• Teachers
• Informal educators
• Educational organizations
• Programs doing teacher training and outreach
• Programs directly interacting with students
Invasive Plant Curriculum + Distribution
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
The numbers (FY2015-16):
• Activity booklets: 202 classroom sets (6,060 copies)
• 264 DVDs
• 152 posters featuring native and invasive plants
• 83 curriculum discs
• 24 BINGO kits, 24 Puzzle packs, 1 Hydrilla game, and 10
Lakeville kits
Invasive Plant Curriculum + Distribution
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Lakeville – A Natural Resource Management Activity
• 3-session curriculum unit on managing natural resources
• Provides students with a fun and interactive way to learn about the
challenges associated with natural resource management by having
them participate in the decision-making process.
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
How Lakeville Works:
• Split students into citizens and organisms
• Citizen students become the “Citizen
Advisory Panel” who vote on which
organisms get to live in Lakeville
• Organism students become “Organism
Advocates” vying for the right to live in
Lakeville
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Citizen Role Cards (12)
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Citizen Role Cards
Cards provide role-play
cues for students,
including a short list of
the citizen’s priorities.
front of card
back of card
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Citizen Advisory Panel
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Organism Role Cards (30)
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Organism Cards
front of card
back of card
• What does it eat?
• What eats it?
• Is it aquatic or terrestrial?
• Native, non-native or invasive?
• Does it provide an economic benefit?
• Does it provide an ecological benefit?
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Organism Advocates
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
More about Lakeville…
• Citizen advisory panel introduce themselves
• Organisms make a presentation on why they should be
allowed to live in Lakeville
• Citizen Advisory Panel asks questions, and then votes on
a 1 – 10 scale (1 = lowest)
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Management Plan
• Score range = total score from advisory panel
• Critter population = number placed into Lakeville population
• Guides the direction of post-game discussion of results
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Populate the ecosystem
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Lakeville distribution
• Lakeville presentations
– 133 teachers
– 5,890 students
– 75 kits
• Assist teachers with implementation
– Plant Camp professional development session
– Training video + accompanying documents
– In-class demonstrations (also a way of
distributing materials)
– Lakeville loaner kits
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Pre- and Post-tests
• 8 knowledge-based questions:
– Definitions of native, non-native, and invasive
plants
– Examples of native plants
– Problems associated with invasive plants
– Invasive plant management
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
What do students learn?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Pre-Test Score
Post-Test Score
Average percent change is 24%
Schools
Sco
re
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Plant Camp
Day 1: Welcome session – Why are we here? Day 2: Upland invasive plantsDay 3: Management of invasive plantsDay 4: Aquatic invasive plantsDay 5: Lakeville curriculum unit + graduation
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Plant Camp
• Plant Camp teachers
• 320+ teachers reached
• 84% reported continuing to use materials in classrooms
• Approx. 78,000 students reached
• Plant Camp partnerships
• 25+ presenters + volunteers
• Additional sponsorships (12 total)
• Plant Camp assessment
• Pre- and post-test and survey
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Knowledge Gains 2016
Please indicate the following:
I am knowledgeable about the methods used to manage aquatic
invasive plants (mechanical, physical, biological, and chemical)
02468
10121416
PRE-TEST
POST-TEST
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Attitude Changes 2016
Please indicate whether you OPPOSE or FAVOR the
following methods:
Herbicide control methods (the use of chemical substances) for
controlling invasive plants.
02468
101214
PRE-TEST
POST-TEST
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Attitude Changes 2016
Please indicate whether you OPPOSE or FAVOR the
following methods:
Biological control methods (the use of insects, fish, diseases, and
other biological agents) for controlling invasive plants.
02468
1012
PRE-TEST
POST-TEST
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Conclusions
A successful teacher outreach program combines:
Professional development
Engaging curricula
Resources and support
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Expanding the Florida Model
• 2012 - Teacher training on Lakeville Unit
Georgia
• 2014 - Teachers attended FL Plant Camp
• 2014 - Lakeville Unit created
• 2015 - Plant Camp for students implemented
North + South Carolina
• 2015 - Alabama teachers attended FL Plant Camp
• 2015 - Midsouth Lakeville Unit Created
• 2015 - Midsouth Plant Camp for teachers implemented
• 2016 - Tennessee teachers attended FL Plant Camp
Alabama/Tennessee/Mid-South
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Next Steps
• Program expansion with additional
funding sources
• Partnerships with other groups and
organizations
• Collaboration with other UF departments
– UF Agriculture Education and Communication
– Digital Worlds
September 16, 2016
SC-EPPC and SE-EPPC, Annual Conference
Thank you
CAIP Invasive Plant Education Initiative Staff:
Karen Brown, Information Office Coordinator
Dehlia Albrecht, Education Initiative Coordinator
Lynda Dillon, Program Assistant
Italo Lenta, Education Initiative Assistant
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