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Nature Rangers

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A park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has found a mystery plant that is not native to GSMNP. Since the mystery plant has started growing in the lake, the park ranger urgently needs students to help determine three things: 1 - the type of plant it is; 2 - the impact it has on the ecosystem; and 3 - if this plant should be removed.

  • Targeted grades for Nature Rangers: Grades 4 & 5
     
  • Number of students: Up to 30
  • Price: $150
     
  • Length of Program: Approximately one hour
    In addition, a 15-minute pre-mission conference with the instructor and teacher to make sure all technology is ready for the mission.

Simulation

In Nature Rangers, a park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has found a mystery plant that is not native to GSMNP. Since the mystery plant has started growing in the lake, the park ranger urgently needs students to help determine three things: 1 - the type of plant it is; 2 - the impact it has on the ecosystem; and 3 - if this plant should be removed.

Students will be acting as biologists, botanists, foresters, or ecologists during the simulation. Students complete rotating research tools on plant structure (roots, stem, leaves, and flower), photosynthesis and what plants need to live, reproduction and the internal structure of flowers, and different methods of seed dispersal (wind, water, and animal). The seed dispersal tool will be done with their team. After completing the seed dispersal portion, students will receive a video from the park ranger telling them more about their role for the Adventure. Students will then make an observation about the mystery plant. Teams investigate the characteristics of the plant to determine if the plant is aquatic or terrestrial, how many petals the flower has, the height of the plant, and the temperature in which it grows. Each of these observations will be used to classify the plant.

Once all students have completed the four research tools, they will have all the information they need to classify the plant. Working in their groups, they will complete a dichotomous key using the observations made by each team. Students will classify the invasive plant species as a water hyacinth. Now that students have identified the invasive species of flower, students investigate the impact the water hyacinth could have on the Great Smoky Mountain ecosystem if it were to spread.

Students will continue working with their team to learn about the interconnectedness of ecosystems. Students will classify organisms into decomposers, producers, and consumers. Once these organisms have been classified, the students will look at the Great Smoky Mountain ecosystem. In the research tool, they will explore different parts of the ecosystem to see how an invasive species would affect the entire ecosystem. They will use this to select which parts of the ecosystem would be directly affected by the water hyacinth if it overtakes the lake.

Once the students classify the plant and analyze the impact it has on the ecosystem, the students discover that, while beautiful, the plant in question is indeed a non-native invasive species and should be removed at once. The park ranger immediately begins to plan for removal – only to realize the supplies are on the other side of the river and the bridge to get to them has been washed out from an overnight storm! Working with another park ranger nearby, the students come together as a whole group to determine the best way for the park ranger to cross the river and to discover the solution is found with a nearby foot bridge. Once across, the park ranger tasks the students with breaking a code to get into the locked box of supplies. Each team figures out one number, which when put together, completes the code and opens the box. Thanks to the students’ code breaking skills, the park ranger can open the box and eliminate the water hyacinth. The Great Smoky Mountains are saved!

Post-Mission Activities