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Back to Press ReleasesSource: Robin Goettel (217)333-9448 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2002 This week's lesson asks the question, Can There Be Too Much of Something Pretty? Next week, the focus might be Don't Stop for Hitchhikers! or maybe Interview with a Vampire. Game boards, rap music, art, puzzles and experiments are just a few of the fun and informative activities created for K-12 classrooms in the new Sea Grant teacher compendium that focuses on the impact of invasive non-native species in aquatic environments. Non-native (or exotic) species can have devastating affects on ecosystems when their populations grow in numbers and begin to displace native species. Some have caused serious economic problems. "ESCAPE, short for the Exotic Species Compendium of Activities to Protect the Ecosystem, is part of our overall campaign to teach youth about exotic species issues and help them explore ways to solve these real world problems, said Robin Goettel, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant communications coordinator. The collection is comprised of 36 hands-on multi-disciplinary activities, each providing a lesson on aquatic nuisance species, but with a dose of fun. "Playing a game is a good way to sneak up on kids with learning," said Sarah Leach, a teacher in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, about one of ESCAPE's board games, Beat the Barriers. "The kids enjoyed the activity and learned quite a bit about the organisms involved, and about human interactions with ecosystems." The activities were first developed in 1998 by 125 teachers that attended exotic species day camps, held in five Great Lakes states. These camps provided teachers the opportunity to see exotic species in their natural settings and to learn the latest scientific findings. From there, the activities were reviewed by both scientists and educators in agencies and academic institutions throughout the United States. The activities have also been pilot tested in 39 states. They meet National Science Standards. "We received outstanding feedback from teachers. The revisions made in response to this thorough evaluation have helped us develop a well-rounded, easy-to-follow collection of activities," said Valerie Eichman, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant education project assistant. "One of the most useful features of the compendium is that in a clearly labeled file folder, we have provided pages of information that are easy to duplicate for class hand-outs," said Eichman, who is a former grade school teacher. In addition to fact sheets and activity instructions, the compendium contains a CD with rap and folk music, video tapes, a color poster of the Great Lakes and a box of zebra mussel shells. Zebra mussels are a source of ecological and economic problems in many freshwater bodies. "We feel we are providing an avenue for teachers to spark student interest in exotic species issues, teach basic skills, and present academic topics in a new way. Any of the ESCAPE activities can be incorporated into established lesson plans or used on their own," said Goettel. If you are interested in learning more about the compendium or the many other Sea Grant educational products, visit the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Web site at http://www.iisgcp.org/edk-12/. Click on the ESCAPE to see sample activities or to order the compendium. The cost is $58 plus shipping. A laminated color version of ESCAPE's two game boards costs $10. The special game boards purchased together with the compendium is available at a reduced price of $65. If you have questions, contact Jennifer Fackler at 217-244-8809 or jfackler@illinois.edu. The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program produced ESCAPE in partnership with Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Ohio Sea Grant Programs through a National Sea Grant College Program Strategic Initiatives Grant. --30-- The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of 30 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce, Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Irene Miles |
