Introduction

Goals & Objectives

Curriculum Correlations

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Teacher Notes

Glossary

Other Lesson Plans

Request the Movie

Teacher Notes

• Pacing Guide
• Part 1 Notes
• Part 2 Notes
• Part 3 Notes
• Photo Credits

Pacing Guide
(based on a 50 minute class period)

Part 1: 1 or 2 class periods
Part 2: 2 or 3 class periods
Part 3: 2 or 3 class periods to prepare graphs and presentation, 1 additional class period for presentations.

Part 1 Notes

Students should be sure to keep notes of their findings. All the questions can be answered using the provided links.

For a copy of the 9 minute movie "Kudzu: Misunderstood Weed" on DVD complete the request form.

Part 2 Notes

Students can answer these questions in small groups with a print out or view the photos on the computer screen. If you wish to have the whole class discuss together you can project the image using an overhead projector or computer projector.

1999 photo as a JPG or PNG file, opens in a new window
2002 photo as a JPG or PNG file, opens in a new window

For orthophotos of other areas visit your local county web site, NC OneMap (http://www.nconemap.com/) or the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov/). The maps used here are from the Wake County iMaps viewer (http://imaps.co.wake.nc.us/imaps/)

ImageJ is a free, multi platform program and may be downloaded from http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/.
ImageJ is an updated, Java based version of NIH Image. Feel free to use NIH Image instead of ImageJ.

Sample modified photos using ImageJ:

1999 full size JPG file, opens in a new window

2002 full size JPG file, opens in a new window

In both photos the kudzu appears as a yellow/orange color while the trees are purple/black.

More biology and environmental science lesson plans using ImageJ can be found at http://science.exeter.edu/jekstrom/web/ij.html

Part 3 Notes

The method of presentation is up to the teachers. You may wish to have the students create posters, web sites, digital presentations such as PowerPoint or simply speak before the class. Be sure the students consider both the environmental impacts and the number of years a method needs to be in place to remove the kudzu.

For assistance on using Excel to create graphs visit LabWrite (http://labwrite.ncsu.edu/www/res/res-homepage.htm).

Above is a graph created for a 0.5 acre area of kudzu

Download a sample spreadsheet.

Photo Credits

from the Invasive Species Forecasting System http://bp.gsfc.nasa.gov/

from Overstated http://overstated.net/

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