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The Emerald Ash Borer: An Ash Tree’s Worst Enemy!
The emerald ash borer is an invasive species that uses ash trees for reproduction and food. Their activity ultimately kills the tree. In this study, the student scientists are trying to find out how soil properties in the Oxbow are related to the ash trees infested by the emerald ash borer. (This article is part of the Student Scientist edition of Natural Inquirer in which high school students conducted research and wrote articles based on their findings.)
The Emerald Ash Borer: An Ash Tree’s Worst Enemy!
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In this FACTivity, you will explore soil just like the student scientists. The question you will answer is what is the soil profile like near my school or home?FACTivity – The Emerald Ash Borer
In this FACTivity, you will explore soil just like the student scientists. The question you will answer is what is the soil profile like near my school or home?
Glossary
View All Glossaryacidity
(ə si də tē): The quality, state, or degree of being acid. An acid has a pH of less than 7.
alkalinity
(al kə li nə tē): Of, relating to, containing, or having the properties of an alkali or alkali metal; basic. An alkali has a pH of more than 7.
distilled water
(di stild wȯ tər): Water that has been freed of dissolved or suspended solids and from organisms by distillation (as for medical or chemical purposes).
economy
(i kä nǝ mē): A system relating to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in a country, area, or period.
entomologist
(en tə mä lə jist): A scientist who studies insects.
infestation
(in fǝ stā shǝn): The presence of organisms that spread or swarm in or over an area in a troublesome manner.
larva
(lär ve): (plural “larvae”) The immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects.
nitrogen
(nī trə jən): A colorless tasteless odorless element that occurs as a gas which makes up 78 percent of the atmosphere and that forms a part of all living tissues.
oxbow
(äks bō): Something (such as a bend in a river) resembling an oxbow, which is a U-shaped frame forming a collar about an ox’s neck and holding the yoke in place.
parasitic
(per ə si tik): Of or relating to parasites or their way of life; being a parasite, which is an organism living in, on, or with another organism in order to obtain nutrients, grow, or multiply often in a state that directly or indirectly harms the host.
phosphorus
(fäs f(ə) rəs): A nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family with atomic number 15 that occurs widely in combination especially as phosphates, that is essential for life in all known organisms, and that is used especially in fertilizers and organophosphorus compounds.
potassium
(pə ta sē əm): A silver-white, soft, light metallic element that has a low melting point and occurs abundantly in nature, especially combined in minerals.
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Student Scientists at the Henry Ford Academy
High school student scientists at the Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn, Michigan completed the research in the Student Scientist edition of Natural Inquirer as part of the Forest Service’s More...View Profile
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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This lesson plan introduces students to scientific abstracts. Students will analyze existing abstracts and then write their own. The lesson plan includes graphic organizers and a word search. (This lesson...Lesson Plan – Scientific Abstracts
This lesson plan introduces students to scientific abstracts. Students will analyze existing abstracts and then write their own. The lesson plan includes graphic organizers and a word search. (This lesson...
Education Files
Additional Resources
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Fighting Invasive Emerald Ash Borers
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