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APPENDIX B: Student Pages

ACTIVITY VI: Developing Action Plans -Types of Environmental 

Action

Investigating Environmental Issues - Procedure Summary
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ACTIVITY VI: Developing Action Plans

Types of Environmental Action

Working in small groups, consider the following environmental topics related to exotic invasive 

species in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Choose one species, read through the resource(s) 

listed below, and answer the following questions:

1. When did the species arrive here?

2. How did it get here?

3. What are its negative characteristics that make it invasive?

4. What type of environmental action has been taken, if any, to address the issue?

5. Using the remaining list of environmental actions, recommend an action for each 

category, if applicable. (e.g., If only Ecomanagement strategies have been implemented 

for a species, how might Persuasion, Consumerism, Political Action, or Legal Action

strategies apply?)

Maryland Invasive and Exotic Species

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Invasives/Pages/default.aspx

Mute Swans

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/Invasives/inv_MuteSwan.aspx

Northern Snakehead

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/snakehead.aspx

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/Write-up_NSH.pdf

Blue and Flathead Catfish

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/Invasive_Catfish_%20Fact_Sheet.pdf

Chinese Mitten Crabs

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Invasives/Documents/mittencrab09.pdf

Purple Loosestrife

http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/PurpleLoosestrife/index.asp

Didymo

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Invasives/Documents/Didymo_EPA_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Water Chestnut

http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/bay/sav/water_chestnut.asp

Wavyleaf Basketgrass

http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/WLBG/index.asp
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Investigating Environmental Issues Procedure Summary

Students will proceed using the following steps:

 Choose an environmental topic to investigate based on your interests or concerns;

 Conduct background research, and from that research, choose an issue associated with your

chosen topic.

 Evaluate the environmental events, problems, and issues;

 Develop research questions to investigate the issue;

 Determine the knowledge, beliefs, and values of stakeholders involved with the issue;

 Determine how you will collect data that answers your research questions;

 Identify the population you want to sample;

 Create survey instruments to collect data;

 Organize the data so that it is easy to communicate (e.g., using graphs, etc.);

 Interpret the data collected, and develop conclusions, and inferences based on the data

collected;

 Identify methods of action, and choose one or more as recommendations to solve an

environmental problem as it relates to your project;

 Write a report about your research;

 Present your research and findings to your teacher and peers;

 Present your research and findings to your community;

 Create an action plan; and

 Carry out the action plan.