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AIS Stewardship Project Models

Flyers & Brochures

Ever wonder how to explain aquatic invasive species to your neighbor? Don’t worry, enterprising students studying aquatic invasive species have developed many informative and artistic flyers and brochures to educate you and your friends on why you should never dump your fish tank in a local pond or river.

“Wanted” Flyers

Informational Flyers

Anti-Invader Propaganda Flyers

Brochures

  • Watermilfoil
    Brochure by students of Hammond Academy of Science and Technology.

  • Rainbow Smelt
    Brochure by Students of Le Sueur-Henderson School.

  • Bighead Carp
    Brochure by Students of Le Sueur-Henderson School.

Activity and Coloring Books

Beating aquatic invasive species (AIS) takes teamwork! Some teachers highlighted this aspect of their classrooms’ AIS studies by having students work together to create activity books. Each page was designed by an individual student and addresses a different invasive species. The result is a handy guide on these pesky critters and a testament to the hard work and creativity of an entire class.

Posters

Part of being an AIS stewardship project participant means that you share information about AIS with others. One of the most popular ways to reach community members and classmates about their role in stopping aquatic invasive species is by creating an informational poster. This collection of posters was developed by students from all over the Great Lakes region, and they have been displayed at Earth Day celebrations, in marinas, and in school hallways. 

  • Mute Swans
    Poster by students of Le Sueur-Henderson School.
  • Asian Carp
    Poster by students of Le Sueur-Henderson School.

Editorials

Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species inspires a lot of passion in students. Some teachers directed this passion into words and helped their students produce heartfelt editorials for classroom newspapers.

Games

The weird fish, the crazy names, and the sneaky paths they took to invade make aquatic invasive species great candidates for games. Some games are created by teachers, some by students, but they’re all fun ways to learn and share the latest information about aquatic invaders.

  • AIS Jeopardy
    Game created by 7th grade students at Edison Middle School.

Research Papers

Aquatic invasive species affect everyone; thus, teachers going through our trainings have encouraged their students of all ages and abilities to create stewardship projects to get the word out. Some advanced and older students have expanded their AIS knowledge to produce extensive research papers and presentations and have created a whole new library of resources for other AIS scholars.

  • Biodiversity Project
    Project by students of Northside College Preparatory High School Honors Biology class.

Signage

There are as many ways to get the word out about aquatic invasive species prevention as there are types of aquatic invasive species.  This collection includes the amazingly creative and unique ideas students have employed to educate their communities.

Newspapers

Aquatic invasive species are admittedly dramatic and lend themselves perfectly to screaming headlines. “Invasion!” and “Attack!” are just some of the garish titles used by student reporters creating AIS-focused news spreads. This collection of newspapers covers species from fish hook fleas to rusty crayfish and may inspire your own students to flights of journalism greatness.

Letters

Have you ever taken pen to paper to express your opinion to a company? Some students authored these persuasive epistles after receiving the following prompt:   

“What if commercial fishing was your job? Let’s say that 30,000 sea lamprey invaded your lake and kill thousands of lake trout and whitefish that you need to be catching to make money for your job.” 

You heard that there is an agency called the Great Lakes Fishery Commission that is finding ways to control the sea lamprey, which is really harming your fishery and causing you to lose so much money. Write a short letter (at least 2 paragraphs) to a scientist in this agency. In your letter, explain why this is such an important issue for you in the commercial fishing business. Also, tell how this problem will affect your community neighbors and friends in terms of the fish that won’t be available for them to eat.

 
Exhibits

Aquatic invasive species stewardship projects have resulted in so many types of signs, crafts, skits, pictures, and ideas that some teachers have assembled their classes’ work into exhibits. Exhibits range from maps displaying the origin and paths of invasion of exotic species, to mounted photo journals, to everything in between, and the results are colorful, dramatic, and eye-catching.  

Comic Strips

Sometimes humor is the best communicator. Students from Great Lakes states embraced this principle as they created funny and instructive comic strips explaining the ways aquatic invasive species are introduced into the wild and actions people can take to stop these introductions.

Skits

While aquatic invasive species are a serious problem, they’re also fun to learn about. It’s not surprising that AIS units have resulted in some hilarious, educational skits and videos that we bet were a blast to make. 

Songs

A good song can cross cultures and generations. Some students made use of this fact by writing and performing songs about aquatic invasive species. Most of these songs were even recorded for a podcast and shared on local radio. You never know when AIS stewardship will net you a record deal! 

Events

Aquatic invasive species stewardship projects have resulted in so many types of signs, crafts, skits, pictures, and ideas that some teachers have assembled their classes’ work into exhibits. Exhibits range from maps displaying the origin and paths of invasion of exotic species, to mounted photo journals, to everything in between, and the results are colorful, dramatic, and eye-catching.