for high school biology and environmental science
Other Lesson Plans
Exotic Invasive Plants of Southern Appalachia
http://www.samab.org/Focus/Invasive/Curriculum/index.html
A middle school activity guide on invasive species, ready to use in the classroom. Activities include Web quests, a school-ground walk, a video, art projects, chain tag, a weed pull, and a Jeopardy-like contest.
The Amazing Story of Kudzu
http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu/
Resources, photos, contact information and more kudzu stuff than you can
imagine. Put together by The University of Alabama Center for Public Television & Radio.
Alien Invaders: America's Least
Wanted
http://scorescience.humboldt.k12.ca.us/fast/teachers/Invaders/invader.htm
A web quest on invasive species, including kudzu.
Native vs. Non-Native Species:
Who will Win?
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/watershed/lessonplans/nonnative/session1.html
Another web quest...
Non Native Species: English
Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide/teachers/non_native/non_native_unit.html
The activity is about ivy but there is an extension on kudzu. Includes
all handouts and a short video clip.
Lesson Ideas
In the Kudzu: Misunderstood Weed video, Edith Edwards mentions that adding lemon juice (an acid) to the kudzu blossom extract turns it a 'lovely magenta color.' Could kudzu blossoms be used as an acid indicator? How does it react with bases?
Adopt the activity in Part 2 to GIS. Map local areas covered by Kudzu using ArcView. Search for national data and see how far north (or west) the plant can be found. Whey do you think there are limits to where we find kudzu?
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