Option 1: Read aloud Science Warriors: The Battle Against Invasive Species by Sneed B. Collard III or Aliens from Earth by Mary Batten and Beverly Doyle, described in the Additional Resources. Invite a local scientist or resource specialist to talk to the class about invasive species in your area and what people are doing to control them.
Option 2: Have students participate in an invasive species control project. Contact your local parks or natural resources department to find out about projects in your area.
Option 3: Have students research species that are native to the United States but are considered invasive in other countries.
Option 4: Give students a math problem related to invasive species. The following example shows how these species reproduce at a geometric rate.
Nutria, Myocastor coypus
©Shutterstock: Edwin Butter
- Problem: You have a pair of nutrias and they breed twice a year. Each litter has four young, two females and two males. The females can begin to have young at 6 months. How many nutrias will you have in three years?
- Answer: 1,458 nutrias (problem solving is detailed below)
| Total Population | Adult Females | Adult Males | Young Females | Young Males | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| After 6 Months | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| After 1 Year | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| After 1.5 Years | 54 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 |
| After 2 Years | 162 | 27 | 27 | 54 | 54 |
| After 2.5 Years | 486 | 81 | 81 | 162 | 162 |
| After 3 Years | 1,458 | 243 | 243 | 486 | 486 |
See Additional Resources for more ideas to enrich this activity.
