OVERVIEW: We Care for the Land and Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species

An Overview of Activities, Supplemental Resources, and BC Curriculum Links

A Learning Resource for Grades 4-6

This resource was created through the financial support of the Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers’ Association (myPITA).

This BC curriculum-based unit, We Care for the Land and Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species, supports students in: connecting to nature; learning about local biodiversity; discovering invasive species impacts; and developing skills to take action to help prevent the spread of invasive species.

There are ten activities in this unit, which can be roughly divided into four main sections or themes:

• Building Connections to the Land (Activities 1-3) Activities that connect students to nature through sensory awareness and outdoor learning routines.
• We’re All Connected (Activities 4-5) Activities that give students a greater awareness of local biodiversity, how people are part of the web of life, and how our actions can have positive or negative effects on the environment.
• The Problem with Invasive Species (Activities 6-7) Activities to introduce the issue of invasive species in British Columbia, their impacts and how we can make a difference.
• Give Back to the Land (Activities 8-10) Activities where students make a positive difference to the environment by sharing their learning about invasive species with others, developing plant identification skills, and taking part in a weed pull.

The activities can be taught in the sequence provided. Alternatively, you may select a subset from each theme based on your group’s knowledge, experience, interests, and your available time. Also note that some activities are taught outdoors; indoor activities could taught concurrently on days or seasons when the weather isn’t amenable to outdoor learning. 

Each activity can stand alone and includes background information and supporting resources that help you easily teach the lesson without having expertise on the subject and with minimal preparation time. Each of the activities includes First Peoples’ Perspectives and ways to bring the learning outdoors. includes connections to First Peoples’ Perspectives and ways to bring the learning outdoors.

Sign up to join Invasive-Wise Education and discover the suite of educational resources and learning support from the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia.

Below is a summary of the activities and their corresponding supplemental resources.

Lesson Sequence and Supporting Resources

Building Connections to the Land. Activities that connect students to nature through sensory awareness and outdoor learning routines.

1. Notice Nature with All Your Senses
   • Caring for the land starts by slowing down and noticing the natural world around us. Here are simple guided activities that can be done anywhere outdoors. These activities increase sensory awareness, help to build self-regulation, build confidence, and create a deeper connection to nature.
2. Sit Spots
   • In this activity, students develop stronger observation and inquiry skills through a simple routine that can be practiced every time they go outdoors, called “I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of”. This core routine is used at a “sit spot”- a special, individual place outdoors that each student can go to repeatedly to make observations, inquire, connect to nature, and connect to oneself.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Sit Spot Prompts and Activities – Ideas for teachers to guide observations and student activities at sit spots.
3. Nature Journal Discoveries
   • Nature journaling builds a sense of curiosity for students, deepens their attention, and connects them to the natural world. In this activity, students hone their observation and communication skills using sketches, words, numbers. Students then challenge a partner to find a “nature mystery” based on their journal entry. This activity is adapted from My Secret Plant in How to Teach Nature Journaling by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren. 2020. Heyday, Berkeley, California.

We’re All Connected. Activities that give students a greater awareness of local biodiversity, how people are part of the web of life, and how our actions can have positive or negative effects on the environment.

4. Ecosystem Webs
   • Students take on the identity of a living or non-living organism in their local ecosystem and then see how everything is interconnected by creating an ecosystem web. The potential impacts of invasive species on the ecosystem web are considered.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Ecosystem Web Cards – Photographs and quick facts about some plants and animals native to British Columbia.
5. Biodiversity Scavenger Hunts
   • Become more observant and get to know the incredible diversity of life surrounding us with active and engaging scavenger hunts, including Biodiversity A to Z and Biodiversity Action Cards. Consider our role in helping to protect biodiversity from harmful impacts such as the spread of invasive species.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Biodiversity A to Z (Blank) – A blank scavenger hunt template to find living and non-living things in nature from A to Z.
     • Biodiversity A to Z (Filled) – A pictorial scavenger hunt to find objects in nature for every letter of the alphabet.
     • Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt Action Cards – Play together as a group where each action card is a separate individual task. There are 5 categories of things to find or to do, plus blank cards to create your own tasks.

The Problem with Invasive Species. Activities to introduce the issue of invasive species in British Columbia, their impacts and how we can make a difference.

6. Why We Care About Invasive Species
   • The list of harms wrought by invasive species to the environment, economy, and society is extensive. But why should kids care about these impacts? In this activity, students consider some of their own favourite foods, drinks, outdoor activities, and cultural traditions. Then they learn how some invasive species could threaten the very things that are most important to them. They are empowered by learning ways that they can prevent the spread of harmful invasive species.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Why We Care Examples – Examples and photographs of some invasive species that impact foods, drinks, outdoor activities, and cultural practices.
7. Weed Out the Invasives
   • This activity will help students learn the similarities and differences between native and non-native species through an active relay game. Teams practice identifying common plants from photographs and “weed out” the invasives to help protect native plant biodiversity.

Give Back to the Land. Activities where students make a positive difference to the environment by sharing their learning about invasive species with others, developing plant identification skills, and taking part in a weed pull.

8. Spread Awareness, Not Invasives
   • Students research an invasive species, its impacts and the main ways in which it can be introduced and spread. Then they raise awareness in the school and greater community by communicating their learning through posters or videos.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Invasive Species List for Student Research – A list of invasive animals and plants that students could select to research and for which there is information on the ISCBC website.
     • Invasive Species Research Organizer – A student datasheet for synthesizing information and research on an invasive species of their choice.
9. Plant ID and Schoolyard Stewardship
   • Plant identification is an important skill that connects us with nature and can help us to protect local biodiversity by preventing the spread of invasive species. Head outdoors with “plant viewers” and other identification tools. Then create plant map and consider a plan to enhance native biodiversity.
   • Supporting Resources
     • Plant Viewers (Coastal-native, Coastal-invasive; Interior/Northern-native, Interior/Northern-invasive). Photos of some common native and invasive plants with a “viewing window” in the middle so you can compare with plants you are looking at on outdoor walks. 
     • Looking Closely at Plants – A student datasheet to help guide observations of plant features that can assist in plant identification.
10. Become Land Stewards! Plan a Weed Pull
    • This lesson includes tips on how to organize an event with your students to remove invasive plants and prepare them for the experience. This lesson is also part of the Grade 7-9 Learning Resource: Student Land Stewards in Action.
    • Supporting Resources
      • 5W’s (+H) of Organizing a Weed Pull – Tips for teachers that breaks down the who, what, where, when, why, and how to plan and do an invasive plant pull.
      • Environmental Action Principles – Following these principles will ensure ethical, well-planned environmental action projects
      • Funding Sources to Support School Stewardship Projects – Information for teachers who are interested in applying for grants to support school stewardship projects, including native plant gardens and weed pulls.
      • Invasive Plant ID Cards – ID cards of some common invasive species found in Coastal, Interior, and Northern BC and removal tips or hazards. These can be used to enhance outdoor field studies and to plan a weed pull.
      • Regional Native Plant Resources – A bibliography with links to native plant nurseries, books, and other resources to support gardening for native biodiversity in BC.

Other Supplemental Resources

In addition to those listed above, additional resources to support delivery of this learning resource include:

• Background on Invasive Species  – A document with photographs and information on the issue of invasive species in BC, some common species and their impacts, and best practices to prevent their spread. This can be used for students and educators alike.
• Ecosystems of British Columbia – Descriptions of grasslands, montane forests, northern forests, temperate rainforests, and freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers, and wetlands), including climate and common native and invasive species found there.
• Native Biodiversity and Invasive Species of BC – A bibliography, including youth resources, ID guides, free downloads, and links to educator and youth resources on BC’s native biodiversity and invasive species.
• Student Land Stewards in Action – A curriculum-based learning resource for grades 7-9 that supports student learning about biodiversity in BC, the issue of invasive species, and some ways that students can protect and enhance native species and habitats in their communities. Many of the activities in this resource could be adapted for other grade levels.

BC Curriculum Links (All Activities), Grades 4-6

The Resource We Care For the Land and Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species is cross-curricular and rooted in the Personal and Social Core Competency with a focus on the sub-competency of Social Awareness and Responsibility. The lessons include collaborative teamwork, critical thinking and reflections, supporting both the Communication and Thinking Core Competencies.

The lessons are connected to the Grade 4-6 Science curriculum, specifically:

Science Big Ideas

• All living things sense and respond to their environment (Grade 4)
• Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment (Grade 5)
• Multicellular organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment (Grade 6)

Science Curricular Competencies

• Demonstrate curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest
• Explore and pose questions that lead to investigations
• Experience and interpret the local environment
• Express and reflect on personal/ shared or others’ experience of place

Every lesson in the resource includes connections to First Peoples Perspectives. This relates to the following curriculum links.

• Identify First Peoples perspectives and knowledge as sources of information (Science Curricular Competency)
• First Peoples concepts of the interconnectedness in the environment (Science Content, Grade 5)
• First Peoples knowledge of sustainable practices (Science Content, Grade 5)
• Interactions between First Peoples and Europeans led to conflict and co-operation, which continue to shape Canada’s identity (Social Student Big Idea, Grade 4)
• First Peoples land ownership and use (Social Studies Content, Grade 5)

Additionally, some lessons address curriculum links to other subjects, competencies, and/or content including English Language Arts, Arts Education, Math, and Social Studies.

For example, activities involving nature journalling (Sit Spots, Nature Journal Discoveries and others) will address:

• English Language Arts: language and text can be a source of creativity and joy (Grades 4-6 Big Idea)
• Math
  • Regular changes in patterns can be identified and represented using tools and tables (Grade 4 Big Idea)
  • Data represented in graphs can be used to show many-to-one correspondence (Grade 5 Big Idea)
• Arts Education
  • Creative expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community (Grade 4 Big Idea)
  • Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging (Grade 5 Big Idea)
  • Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and community (Grade 6 Big Idea)

Lessons that are active (e.g. Weed out the Invaders) also link to Physical and Health Education (Big Idea Grades 4-6: Daily physical activity enables us to practice skillful movement and helps us develop personal fitness).

---