This unit of lessons is designed to bring scientific process skills and current research into the high school classroom. The unit revolves around the question: how extensive is the alien plant invasion in the King's Canyon Wash area? Kings Canyon Wash is located in the Saguaro National Park. The students contribute to the Park's management efforts by identifying invasive plant species, determining the range and abundance of the invasive plants, studying their impact on the local ecosystem, and participating in management techniques (such as removal or monitor distribution). The students identify common native plants and invasive species, conduct a field study at the Park, and collect and analyze their data. By collecting data over long periods of time, they can begin to see the effects management decisions and invasive plant species have on the local ecology. The students are also encourage to propose other research projects.

The vehicle I am using to accomplish these three goals is a field study project at Saguaro National Park West in Tucson, Arizona. The park monitors the organisms that live there in order allow the natural ecosystems to be preserved for the future. The park rangers are constantly surveying and studying the populations to identify management techniques that need to be used to fulfill this purpose. The students would be assisting in this effort while they learn and contribute to their community. They would be learning and using the scientific method, and gaining knowledge about plants, the desert, and population interactions (ecology) through a dynamic, hands-on, authentic approach.

The student will be able to:

• Describe the purpose of National Parks and Monuments.
• Describe three ways alien plant species affect native populations of plants and animals.
• Properly set up a study plot.
• Measure and lay out stakes
• Measure plant diameters.
• Make a map of the plot.
• Calculate percent coverage of native plants and aliens.
• Use a computer spreadsheet to calculate individual plot and class group results.
• Use a computer graphing program to graph results.
• Identify 10 native plants excluding grasses from live or pressed specimens by common name.
• Identify 5 grasses from live or pressed specimens by common name.
• Describe three types of control for plants.

I would like for this project to be a continuing research experience for my classes. Once the students have quantified the problem in King's Canyon, they will be able to apply some mechanical control in part of the plots, and allow other plots to continue untouched. A few months later they can measure and see how effective the control was. Next year's class can assess how effective the previous class was and continue to monitor the area. Ten years from now we might know how best to control alien plant species in King's Canyon!!