Invasion of the Song Snatcher! The Influence of Invasive Spotted Knapweed on Chipping Sparrow Song Diversity
Invasive species such as spotted knapweed can have an effect on a habitat and animals in that habitat. In this study, the scientists wanted to determine how spotted knapweed affects migratory songbirds and their songs. In particular, the scientists studied chipping sparrows.
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The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How many birds do I notice in my schoolyard habitat? Materials: Bird Observation Tally Sheet (included) Pencil Clip board Binoculars (optional)...FACTivity – Invasion of the Song Snatcher
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How many birds do I notice in my schoolyard habitat? Materials: Bird Observation Tally Sheet (included) Pencil Clip board Binoculars (optional)... -
The questions you will answer in this FACTivity are: What similarities and differences do you notice between bird songs? How does the way a song sounds have an effect on...Alternate FACTivity – Invasion of the Song Catcher
The questions you will answer in this FACTivity are: What similarities and differences do you notice between bird songs? How does the way a song sounds have an effect on...
Glossary
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Yvette Ortega
“I grew up in southern California in a big city. My first biology job took me all the way to the wilds of Alaska. That convinced me that I was...View Profile -
Aubree Benson
In the photo, I am holding a large (7 pound) bull trout. We captured this trout below the Emily-A-Dam, which is in the background. The dam was on the Clearwater...View Profile -
Erick Greene
My favorite science experiences have always been in the field observing fascinating things in nature. These experiences are what give me ideas about interesting things that might be going on,...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Civic Ideals and Practices
- Individual Development and Identity
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
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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In this lesson, students will use graphic organizers to help guide their reading of an article. Materials: Graphic organizers (included) Writing utensil This lesson plan can be used with any...Lesson Plan – Reading Graphic Organizers
In this lesson, students will use graphic organizers to help guide their reading of an article. Materials: Graphic organizers (included) Writing utensil This lesson plan can be used with any...
Education Files
Project Learning Tree
If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Have Seeds Will Travel” as an additional resource.
Citizen Science Connections
Birds are an important part of every ecosystem. The presence or quantity
of birds in a location can tell scientists a lot about the health of birds and the environment. Using eBird, scientists are asking citizen scientists to collect data about where and when they see birds. The study of birds is called ornithology.
eBird lets citizen scientists:
• Record the birds they see;
• Keep track of their bird lists;
• Explore maps;
• Share their sightings; and
• Contribute to science.
eBird is a project created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The eBird database collects millions of citizen scientist bird sightings each month for use by scientists, land managers, and other citizen scientists. Join the effort today!
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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In the Western United States, spotted knapweed is one of the most widely found nonnative plants. Spotted knapweed was brought to the United States from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. To control the...Goll-ly! Don’t Take a Knapweed! The Impact of Nonnative Plants and Animals on Deer Mice
In the Western United States, spotted knapweed is one of the most widely found nonnative plants. Spotted knapweed was brought to the United States from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. To control the...
Additional Resources
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eBird
Visit WebsiteeBird is among the world’s largest biodiversity-related science projects, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed annually by eBirders around the world and an average participation growth rate of approximately 20% year over year. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organizations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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USDA Forest Service: How to get started birding
Read ArticleLearn about the joys of birdwatching and how to get started. Beautiful photos, too!