Invasive Species Lesson Plan for 9th-Grade English Learners

Objectives

You are a 9th-grade teacher who is preparing a lesson about invasive species. Most of your students are native speakers of English. However, you do have a beginner English learner, an intermediate English learner, and an advanced English learner in your class (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced are referring to their English proficiency level). 

Your goal is to adapt the lesson plan below, so that both the native speakers and English learners can reach their learning objectives. A lesson plan is a (more or less) detailed plan for teachers to teach an individual lesson. The one you are using goes over each step of your lesson in details. It also comes with a handout (an activity which should be printed and distributed to your students, at some point, during the lesson).  

In this lesson, students will analyze an informational text that discusses new evidence regarding the status of the Arctic ground squirrel. The species was previously thought to be an invasive species on Chirikof Island off the coast of Alaska, but new evidence calls this belief into question. 

1.Explain how introduced species affect ecosystems and biodiversity.

2.Explain how new research or findings can change previously held ideas or assumptions.

3.Cite specific and relevant text evidence to support analysis of the text.

4.Use various vocabulary strategies to define academic and domain-specific words in the text.

5.Construct a written response that clearly identifies a main point(s); contains relevant textual evidence to support the main point, utilizes transitions to maintain flow, effectively uses domain-specific vocabulary, and provides an appropriate conclusion.

1.Begin the lesson by showing students pictures of different plants and animals. These might include the Burmese python, fire ant, and lionfish. Ask students what these images have in common with each other. Some students will know they are invasive species that have caused both economic and environmental problems in many different areas across the United States.

2.Ask students if they know the biological definition of an invasive species. Read your students the definition of invasive species provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: "one that is not native to an ecosystem and which causes, or is likely to cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human health."

3.Ask students if they know how invasive species get introduced into native ecosystems. Students might suggest that people release organisms into the ecosystems, that they were released originally as a biological control method, etc.

1.Explain to them that invasive species are introduced into native ecosystems in a variety of ways, including human release or accidental introduction by people traveling around the world.

2.Now show the students a picture of the Arctic ground squirrel from Chirikof Island. Inform students even though they seem harmless, the ground squirrels living on Chirikof Island off the coast of Alaska are considered detrimental to the island's ecosystem because they damage local vegetation and wildlife. Explain to students that the squirrels were historically considered an invasive species brought to the island by humans.

3.Tell students they will be reading an article from Smithsonian.com titled "The Invasive Squirrel that Wasn't" that discusses new findings on the topic.

4. Provide each student with a printed copy of the article "The Invasive Squirrel That Wasn't."

5. Have students complete a vocabulary note-taking guide during or after their first reading of the article

Students will individually respond to the writing prompt. They should be directed to respond with a multi-paragraph response, with a clear introduction, body section, and conclusion. Students will have to refer back to the text as they construct their response.