Paul Nagel:
Presenter

Description:
Students will understand how an introduced species can affect the physical system of an island in the Pacific.

Grade Level:
4-6, but can be adapted to other grades.

Purpose:
This lesson will . . .
a) Identify the ecological disaster on the island of Guam and what caused it.
b) Allows students to demonstrate their understanding of the problems that the Brown Tree Snake can cause.
c) Allow students to demonstrate their understanding the consequences of where the Brown Tree Snake could also cause damage.
d) Allow students to use higher-level thinking.

National Geographic Standards:

2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environment in a spatial context.

8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on the Earth’s surface.

13. How the physical systems affect human systems.

17. How to apply geography to interpret the past.

18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

1. Play tape or CD of waves. As music is playing have the students close their eyes and tell them to visualize that they are on a warm sandy beach, the wind is blowing off the ocean, and they are enjoying a coconut drink.

2. Have the students keep their eyes closed as you read the tales of the Brown Tree Snake. For example, "Brown Tree Snakes" by Brenna Lorenz.

3. Students open their eyes and have a discussion about if this really sounds like an island paradise?

4. Tell the students that their assignment is to become biologists and go the island of Guam, and come up with a trap or some way to rid the island of this introduced pest. The students then should strategize and plan (draw) their traps or system of getting rid of the snakes.

5. Arrange the students into small groups of two or three students. Pass out the reading packet about the Brown Tree Snake.

6. Students are then to present their trap or systems to the class.

7. Hold a class discussion, along with some follow-up readings on what has already been done to trap or rid the islands of the snakes.

8. Thinking further: Have the students think about the ramifications of the Brown Tree Snake on native species, if introduced around the world.

Worksheet: "The Snake That Ate Guam.";

Pamphlet: "No Escape From Guam: Stopping the Spread of the Brown Tree

Snake" by The U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Resources for this lesson:

Web pages:

a. The Brown Tree Snake: A fact sheet for Pacific Island residents and travelers
(http://www.pwrc.nbs.gov/btreesnk.htm)

b. National Biological Information Infrastructure: Brown Tree Snake Online
(http://www.nbii.gov/browntreesnake/inex.html)

c. Area 50 Guam, Brown Tree Snake Removal Experiment
(http://members.tripod.com/Allan_Searle/Area50BTSGuam.html)

d. Department of Land & Natural Resources, State of Hawaii: Alien Species, Brown Tree Snake
(http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/Snake.html)

e. Critters of Guam, by Brenna Lorenz
(http://www.heptune.com/Guamcrit.html#BrownTreeSnakes)