Stone Soup Comic Lesson Activity

A new lesson activity is based around the recent invasive species segment in the Stone Soup comic by Jan Eliot. To learn more about the comic, read Amy Schneider’s post on the WISE blog at http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/wise/2013/09/03/comics-and-crayfish/.

Heidi Lent, recently tried this new lesson activity with her middle school class. Before the activity, her students had already researched an invasive species and written a 5-paragraph essay about their invasive species, so they were able to apply the knowledge they had learned to a comic strip. Heidi found that even though the students weren’t familiar with the typical structure of comic strips, they took the job seriously and really tried to make their comics great. Through this activity, students were able to express what they learned about invasive species in a fun and colorful way!

Circle book- Confederated Tribes of the Rogue, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw

The youth of the Confederated Tribes of the Rogue, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw class of (5-18yrs) created a collective “circle book” on invasive species. Circle books open in a circle and are therefore not linear, but represent the overlapping and interconnectedness of ideas. The approach was to pass out to each student a slip of paper that had one of the following four questions (see below in bold). Each student was asked to think about that question during the presentation. Then as the last activity, students were asked to share their ideas/answer to their question, and each student’s answer was written on a page of the circle book. Thus the circle book represents the collective thoughts, ideas, solution, and concerns from the youth.

Further outcome: the circle book can help to document students attitudes and values as they pertain to invasives and can therefore be a way of communicating the ideas and meaning to a larger audience.

How do invasive species impact things that are important to you?

Student answers:

Orion: Invasive species keep me from doing the things I want to do

Gabriel: The turtle might eat my pet fish!

Alhana: I want clean water, habitats, rivers, and estuaries for my friends.

What will you tell your family, friends, or elders about invasives?

Student answers:

Jimmy: They affect the survival chance of species in our ecosystem

D.J.: Some invasives were brought on purpose, some by accident. People can stop invasives.

Naomi: I like the turtle

Sierra: I will tell my family, friends, and elders that invasives can kill natives.

Brooklyn: Invasive species and kill native species

Jerrey: Try to stay ahead of the invaders.

Elizabeth: Invasive species can kill other animals

Rachel: If you see and invasive plant or animal, try to get rid of it

Olivia: Help animals, stay away from invaders

Vanessa: Stay away from invaders

What actions would you take to help stop invaders?

Student answers:

Corgan: I would poison the scotch broom so it is easier to cut down. I wish I had a red eared slider!

Morgan: Take the invasive species out

Kendall: Control invasives to protect squash and strawberries

Bridget: Build a wall to stop invasives

Samantha: Protect the Shinney field and the garden

Micheal: Help in the garden by removing invasives

Audrey: I would go and help people pull invasive species

Eagle: Kill it

Why do you want to control invasives at this particular site (what makes this site important)?

Student answers:

Jaid: Scotch broom took over our Shinney field!

Comics

The Adventures of the Bull Frog Franklin 4th grader
A comic showing what happens when an invasive species gets dumped into the local pond and how Super Frog saves the day.

The Fling Fish Franklin 4th Grader
What happens when an invasive species gets introduced in the ocean and what it takes to fish it out.

The Nutria in Action Franklin 4th Grader
Nutria alert goes under and why you can’t keep a nutria as a pet.

Ye Olde Adventures of M.C. Franklin 4th Grader
A comic about a nutria and interesting facts to go along with the reading.