To Spray or Not to Spray

Unit 4 – Good Critters, Bad Critters

Activity 1 – To Spray or Not to Spray

Materials & Setup

• Silversword image acetate (master, p. 7)
• Silversword species card from Alpine/Aeolian Unit 3, Activity #4 “Web of Life Game,” p. 30
• Overhead projector and screen

For each student
• Student Page “What Would You Decide?” (pp. 8-9)
• Student Page “Now You Know . . .” (pp. 10-11)

Instructions

1) Show the acetate of the silversword. Ask students if they know what it is. Once you have identified this plant as the ʻāhinahina, or Haleakalā silversword, ask students if they have ever seen this plant or know anything about it. Use the notes on the species cards to raise interesting points about the ʻāhinahina as the discussion progresses.

2) Divide the class into groups of three or four students.

3) Hand out the Student Page “What Would You Decide?”

4) Give groups about 20 minutes to read the scenario, discuss alternative courses of action, and agree on one.

5) Bring the class back together and discuss the scenario and group decisions for the remainder of the class period. Have student groups present their courses of action and explain their reasoning. Then draw out common themes by asking questions such as these:
a) How easy was it to come to an agreement about what to do?
b) What were some of the disagreements or different points of view that came up?
c) Do you have any doubts or uncertainties about the course of action you chose? If so, what are they? Why did you decide to take this course of action despite those doubts?

6) Assign the Student Page “Now You Know . . .” as homework. Note that students will need to take home their copies of the “What Would You Decide?” student page as well to complete this assignment.

Journal Ideas

• Do you think it is important to protect native plants such as the ʻāhinahina from possible extinction? Why or why not?
• Describe a decision you wish you could have changed later. What can you do to help make good decisions even if you don’t know what will happen in the future? How can resource managers use the same approaches to make good decisions about protecting native plants and animals?

Assessment Tools

• Participation and conduct in small groups
• Participation in class discussion
• Student Page “Now You Know . . .”

Media Resources

None.