Curriculum

The RON activities are organized into four sections that complete a cycle of restoration.

Begin with Section 1 or use the other buttons to navigate to another step in the cycle.

Section 1: Recognizing Native Plants & Weeds in the Local Community

Topics for Section 1
• Plant Identification
• Classifying Native and Non-Native Invasive Plants
• Plant Collecting & Pressing
• Herbarium Design
• Understanding the Balance Between Native Plants and Animals
• Dichotomous Key Implementations
• Affects of Population Growth


Activities include:

• "Mapping Your Schoolyard Habitat"
• "Collecting and Pressing Plants"
• "Native & Non-Native? -Scavenger Hunt"
• "Population Explosion of Weeds Relay"
• "Designing and Using Dichotomous Keys"
• "Graphing the Population Explosion of Weeds"

Section 2: Removing Invasive Weeds & Studying Native Plants

      Topics for Section 2 Invasive & Native Plants"

• Preventing the spread of Weeds
• Methods of Weed Removal
• Impacts of Removal Methods on Native Plants

 

    Activities  include:

• "Weedy Socks & Wheels" -  Seed Lab
• "Pulling Together With Natives" - The Bradley Sisters' Story

 
 

Section 3: Restoring the Balance

After an area has been cleared of noxious weeds it is essential to establish native plants back into the ecosystem. This section discusses the cycles associated with the restoration of a previously weedy areas.

Topics for Section 3

• Local Ecosystem Plant Cycles
• Monitoring & Maintenance Methods

 

    Activities  include:

• "The Cycle of Restoration"
• "Hula Hoop Study"

 
 

Section 4: Returning the RON Message to the Community

Students complete the awareness cycle by educating their community about the threats of invasive weeds. The lessons from the three previous sections are developed into class/student projects that can be used as an evaluation piece. 
 
 
 
 
 

Lesson Structure

All lessons will consist of the following structure:
• Overview:

Includes a brief description of the overall lesson.
• Grade Level
          Grade Level Recommendation based on correlation to
          California Science Content Standards Grades K-6
• Focus

Defines the focus subject of the section. 
• Objectives:
          States the goals and outcomes of the section.
• Site:

Recommends locations where the activity can be done.
• Time Format :

Contains specific time recommendations.
• Materials:

Lists the materials contained in the toolbox that will be relevant to the activities. It will also include any additional materials necessary.
• Advanced Preparation:

Covers any additional pre-activity steps that need to be made.
• Activity:

Describes the methods involved in delivering the activity.
• Wrap-Up/Evaluation:

Brings a close to the lesson section with questions for the students and possible writing or drawing assignments for journal reflections.
• Going Further:

Provides suggestions, www links, and comments for further exploration of the activity topic.


Journals: Students will construct their own journal in Section 1(Recognize). They will use these journals throughout the program for note taking, sketches, activities, writing assignments, etc.

Suggested Implementation & Timeline

The following is a suggested implementation and timeline path for the Return of the Natives curriculum.  The organization of this path is based on the overall concept that the restoration and protection of ecosystems is dependent on the responsible actions of people to help preserve native plants and eliminate invasive invasive weeds.  This overall concept is achieved through the implementation of the four section concepts outlined previously.  The timeline provides a structure for scheduling and most importantly measuring the overall concept, section concept, and individual learning outcomes of each activity.

Lesson #1 (Pre-Assessment)

Time: 1 session (1-1.5 hours)

Lesson #1 consists of a brief introduction regarding the coming activities. The students are given an outcomes based pre-assessment exam that will be administered again at the close of the curriculum.  Students will be asked to write or draw descriptions of the concepts that will be explored over the course of the Return of the Natives activities.
 

Section 1: Recognizing Native Plants & Weeds In the Local Community
 

Lesson #2 (Slide Show Presentation)

Time: 1 session (1 hour)

This lesson provides background information essential to future lessons. This lesson will introduce the terms and concepts that will be explored further in Lesson #3.  This slide show will define a healthy ecosystem and itâs importance to people.  It also gives examples of the inhabitants that compose local ecosystems.  It will also define and give examples of native plant and invasive weeds.
 Lastly, it will explore and provide examples of the following sub-concepts:

· Preservation of native plants is crucial to maintaining the health of an ecosystem. 
· Invasive weeds decrease the health of an ecosystem and can lead to environmental damage.
Note: The slide show presentation is available on the CD version of this curriculum and its images are representative of the ecosystems of coastal California. Although, the script contains several key concepts and terms that could be adapted to a specific ecosystem. For information on aquiring the CD version of this curriculum email: jon_detka@monterey.edu

Lesson #3 (Outdoor Investigation)

Time: 1 session (2-3 hours)

Lesson #3 will consist of a possible field trip to the BLM Public Lands at the Ft. Ord Reserve or outdoors investigation near the school location. Over the course of the outdoor experience the activities will emphasize the following concepts.

1. Identifying native plants and invasive weeds is the first step towards preventing the spread of weeds.
2. Native plants are valuable to an ecosystem.
3. Weeds can damage an ecosystem.

   It is recommended that the following activities be implemented in the suggested order during the outdoor investigation.

Choose from the following activities:
· Native & Non-Native? Scavenger Hunt
· Designing and Using Dichotomous Keys

After conducting either of these activities it is also possible to implement the ÎCollecting & Pressing Plantsâ activity.

Implementation of either the ÎNative & Non-Native - Scavenger Huntâ or ÎDesigning and Using Dichotomous Keysâ and ÎCollecting & Pressing Plantsâ will complete the following activity learning outcome objectives:

Native & Non-Native? Scavenger Hunt

1. Students will sort and compare native and non-native plants using at least three different criteria
2. Students will be able to define the term ecosystem.
3. Students will learn to recognize at least four different plants from their surrounding ecosystems.
4. Students will brainstorm four characteristics of a "weedy" species.

Designing and Using Dichotomous Keys

1. Students will learn the basic skills used in constructing a dichotomous key. 
2. Students will be able to describe and draw the characteristics of some common native plants of Monterey and the most unwanted non-native invasive weeds. 
3. Students will be able to define basic plant terminology. 

Collecting & Pressing Plants

1. Students will demonstrate and describe the basic skills and reasons for collecting and pressing plants. 
2. Students will be able to write or tell about the three most important "Plant Collecting Rules" 
3. Students will design and make herbarium labels for their plants 
4. Students will use the pressings to form a herbarium or mount them in their Return of the Natives journals. 
 

Lesson #4 (Investigation)

Time: (1-1.5 hours)

In this lesson students will engage in an activity that will investigate how weeds out-compete other plants for space by crowding them out. 

Students will complete the following activity learning outcomes:

Population Explosion of Weeds Relay

1. Students will be able to illustrate through a graph, writing, and drawing how weeds out-compete other plants for space by crowding them out. 
2. Students will be able to define the 4 'weedy' characteristics responsible for the population explosion of weeds. 
3. Students will be able to illustrate the role of herbivores in native plant population. 
 

Graphing the Population Explosion of Weeds (Optional Activity instead of relay activity)

1. Students will be able to outline the path of the seed cycle. 
2. Students will list the natural and human barriers to the population explosion of a species. 
3. Students will calculate the explosive rate of reproduction of Yellowstar Thistle over a three year period. (Note: Less experienced students could be given the data and asked to graph the corresponding points.)  
4. Students will graph the growth occurring within the seed bank and plant population of the Yellowstar Thistle plant over a three-year period. 
 
 

Section 2: Removing Weeds & Studying Native Plants

Lesson #5 (Outdoor Investigation)

Time: 1 session (1-1.5 hours)

Pulling Together

In this lesson students will participate in the ÎPulling Together Activityâ and use manual removal strategies to emphasize the four things they can do to stop the spread of invasive weeds. (Prevent, Pull, Plant Natives, Educate Others) 
After conducting the weed pull students will also the brainstorm the five methods of removing and controlling the spread of invasive weeds. (Manual, Mechanical, Biological, Cultural, and Chemical)
Students will complete the activity learning outcome by retelling the story of the Bradley sisters' method of weed removal by acting in a play, making drawings, or creating a storybook/poster of the steps they used to remove the weeds. 
 

(Optional Activity) Weedy Socks & Tread

Time: 1 session with follow-ups (1-1.5 hrs.)

This classic activity can be used to study how animals, recreation, and roadway transportation spread weed seeds. Students conduct a simulated sock or wheel seed collection in a 'weedy' area.  These collected seeds will be planted in sterilized 'weed free' soil and the germinating plants will be identified over a 3-week period. Students describe the ways that plant seeds are spread naturally. (Wind, Water, Wildlife) 
Students describe with writing and drawing the major ways humans can spread weeds (i.e. Vehicles, Recreation, Animals, Collecting). Students brainstorm ways of preventing the transport of weed seeds by people.  Students will observe and measure the growth of weeds in their weed sock or wheel plantings and answer the question: "Why are almost all the seeds that germinate from the socks & tread weeds?"  This activity could replace the ÎPulling Together Activityâ but it is recommended that it be conducted as an additional investigation conducted by the educator.

Restoring The Balance
Lesson #6  (Outdoor Investigation)
Time: 1 session (2 hours)
Hula Hoop Study

In this lesson students will conduct the ÎHula Hoop Studyâ activity.  This activity will provide the opportunity for students to learn about the methods scientists use to collect data regarding the distribution, population, and health of native and invasive plants.  Students will use this method to develop additional inquiry questions about what could be investigated using this method of observation. Later, this data can be organized and displayed as community educational pieces. Initial data collection for this activity should be conducted prior to removing any of the weedy species.
 

Lesson # 7 (Reflection)

Time: (1-2 hours)

Cycle Of Restoration

Students have now covered a variety of learning outcomes that reinforce the importance of restoration work.  Students will develop posters representing the continuous cyclical (seasonal) nature of restoration work. The poster can be displayed to serve as a Calendar and an ongoing display of what has been achieved in the groupsâ restoration cycle. After participating in this activity students will be able to provide a written, visual, and oral presentation that defines the restoration cycle and the its importance.

Returning The RON Message of Restoration

Lesson # 8 (Educating Others)

This lesson completes the awareness cycle by having students become the educators in their community.  Students create projects from the products of previous lessons that will serve as public educational pieces.  
 

Evaluation

Lesson # 9 (Post-Assessment)
The students are given the same outcomes based pre-assessment exam that was administered at the beginning of the curriculum.  Students will be asked to write or draw descriptions of the concepts that they have explored over the course of the Return of the Natives activities.