MAY 17, 2000
GOBIND SARJU
and YAK SATUREN
mailto:Gsarju@excite.com mailto:ys@creativeonline.com
TITLE:
Environmental and economic impacts of the zebra mussel and government
policy
I
INTRODUCTION :
The zebra
mussel, a newly introduced alien species, threatens the stability of freshwater
ecosystems all over North America, as well as the economics of these valuable
natural resources. (1b1)
Water pollution is comprised of a
complex set of interrelated problems. Governmental control
of waste water disposal is an integral
part of the responsibility of government to regulate the factors that
contribute to water pollution.
The lack of proper government
supervision (8) of the waste water disposal in ocean-going vessels
has brought about the introduction of the zebra mussel, yet another exotic
species into the New World.
Thus, zebra mussels are presenting an
unusual and profound environmental and economic problems at the transition
point between 20th and the 21st century. (1b2)
II
TASKS :
Students will
1. complete the opinion power survey on
water pollution, both as a pre-test (3a) and as a post-test. (3a)
2.
work in groups of 2-3 and be assigned three Internet sources
(5), to investigate the
a. historical background including public policies that have contributed to the introduction and spread of the zebra mussel into and around the western hemisphere.
b. biology of the
zebra mussel.
c. physical and
biological hazards attributed to the zebra mussel, as an environmental
pollutant.
d. economic
impact of this environmental pollutant
e. types of strategies
that are being developed to address the spread of the zebra mussel.
f.
use a map of the United States(4,8) to show the spatial spread of this
biological pollutant over time, in years.
g. graph the
number of states invaded vs. time, in years. (4)
h. and, as
members of the group, students will present a 5-8 minute oral report
summarizing the results of their investigations.
i.
study the economics of the destruction brought about by this
pollutant.
j.
estimate the economics of the hazards affecting the environment
and the costs involved in cleaning the waters being polluted.
k. complete the
opinion power survey as a post-test. (2a)
l.
will write a 3-5 page paper
1.
to describe the results of these investigations
2.
to propose a possible policy change that would address the
issue of preventing the spread of this environmental pollutant.
I I EVALUATION : The student’s final project grade will be based on the
following components.
[Note: For a list of the New York State Education
Department Standards
being referenced,
see below. (6) ]
A.
Complete the opinion power survey (3a) on water
pollution, as a pre-test (5 % pts credit, will be assigned).
B. Prepare the written paper: (70 % of the total project grade.)
(1)
Use the MLA Style (9)
(2) Presentation will be as follows:
a.
8 1/2 “ X 11”
b.
Double Spaced Typing, using a Font Size = 12 or 14.
c.
Title Page:
TITLE OF PAPER
by Student Name
Course
Name : ______________
Section
Number : ____________
Teacher:
Mr. Sarju / Mr. Saturen
Date:
June 15, 2000
d.
Submit 2-4 pages of typed text.
e.
Bibliography: (Included will be the three Internet sources
assigned to the group, plus two additional Internet sources and two sources
from other than the Internet.)
f.
Use no plastic covers or report folders.
g.
Use NO drawings or illustrations on the title page.
h.
Use one staple in the top left-hand corner of the report.
C. Prepare an oral report should address
the following issues: (20 % of total
project grade.)
1.
Problem: Include a
biological description of the zebra mussel.
2.
Describe the extent of the geographic and economic impact of its
invasion.
3.
Conduct research on its control.
4. Determine some of the policy decisions being
considered (or being implemented) to
control, limit the spread of, or
totally eliminate the zebra mussel.
D. Complete the opinion power survey (3a)
on water pollution, as a post-test.(5% pts)
Note: Use the above requirements as a checklist, prior to the
completion of your report.
A. Students WILL learn to be public policy
analysts encouraging the government to establish an ecologically sound policy
regarding the control of this insidious pest.
B. Students WILL learn analytical and
communication skills that will help them to apply content area information to
practical real life situations of interest to the society at large.
C. Following the completion of all parts of
this WebQuest project, students will have addressed a wide range of the New
York State Education Department Learning Standards(6) in a variety
of academic disciplines.
V
CONCLUSION :
All individual reports and group summaries, along with photographs of the presenters and group members will be posted on the high school Web-Page.
In addition,
the results of the survey both as a PRE-TEST and as a POST-TEST, will be
graphically presented(3b) on
the Web-Page.
RESOURCES
:
1. For newspaper
articles used as resources, please see
the following:
a. current day’s
news ONLY !!
b. W. K. Stevens
(2000) Zebra Mussels Star in Hudson’s Ecological Melodrama. New York Times. April 4, Section F p. 1-2.
c. Editors (1999)
From fire ants to zebra mussels, foreign species
take high toll. (Debate of Our view and
Another view.) USA Today. Aug. 30,1999.
2.
For a comprehensive historical background on US Government policy
concerning economics, foreign trade and dumping please refer to the following
website:
http://207.238.152.36/testimony/dumping.htm
3.
Pre-test and Post-tests:
a. Both the pre-test and the post-test were
drawn from the same survey on water pollution, using the Opinion Survey
software available at the following website:
http://www.opinionpower.com/surveys/6340696.html
b. The results of
these two surveys were graphed using a related website:
http://www.opinionpower.com/results.cgi?id=6340696
4.
The following Internet resource will be assigned to all students:
Animated Map
Showing Zebra Mussel D...
5.
The following Internet Resources will be assigned, three each, to groups
of 2-3 students:
Ballast Waters-Shipping
http://www.anstaskforce.gov/ballast.htm
Exotic Nuisance Species Lesson Plan
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/3844/index.html
Extent of damage by the Zebra Mussel
http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/exotic-species/zebramap.html
Invasive exotics
Lead in the environment
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/seahome/leadenv.html
Minnesota Sea Grant Exotic Species
http://www.d.umn.edu/seagr/areas/exotic/x9.html
National Sea Grant Depository
New Zebra Web Page 2
http://www.ucg.ie/freshwater/zebra/index.htm
New York State Document Page
http://hermes.ecn.purdue.edu:8001/water/document_map/abs/New_York.html
Ocean Planet perils-alien species
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_alien_species.html
Sea Grant Non-indigenous Species
Site
http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/sgnis/key.htm
Sea Grant Non-indigenous Species
Site
INVASION OF AN EXOTIC SPECIES:
STOP THE ZEBRA MUSSEL!
http://www.vims.edu/adv/ed/zm/zmtoc.html
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences
Center
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY SEA GRANT COLLEGE
PROGRAM EXOTIC SPECIES WEB PAGES
http://massbay.mit.edu/exoticspecies/index.html
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
Website
Zebra Mussel [Dreissena polymorpha]
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/zebra.mussel/docs/sp_account.html
Zebra Mussel Introduction - The
National Atlas
of the United States
http://www-atlas.usgs.gov/zmussels2.html
Zebra Mussel Page
ZEBRA MUSSEL OVERVIEW
http://www.sparktec.com/zebra.htm
Zebra Mussel/Aquatic Nuisance
Species Office
ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE SPREADING RAPIDLY,
USGS REPORTS
http://www.nbs.gov/pr/newsrelease/1997/9-20.html
Zebra mussels in Virginia's Future
http://www.vims.edu/adv/ed/zm/zmfut.html
Zebra Mussels
http://www.divemar.com/ODS/docs/zebramsl.html
6.
The New York State Education Department Learning Standards
addressed in this WEBQUEST Project, are listed below by academic discipline:
a.
English Standards
#1 Students will listen, speak, read
and write for information and understanding.
#3 Students will listen, speak, read
and write for critical analysis.
#4 Students will listen, speak, read
and write for social interaction.
b.
Global Studies Standards
#1 Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras,
themes, developments and turning points in the history of the United States and
New York.
#3 Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of independent
worlds in which we live—local, national and global—including the distribution
of people, places and environments over the earth’s surface.
#4 Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States
and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to
allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the
United States and other national economies and how an economy solves the
scarcity problem through market and non-market mechanisms.
#5 Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for
establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and
other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of
American constitutional democracy and the roles, rights and responsibilities of
citizenship, including avenues of participation.
c.
Mathematics, Science and Technology Standards
#1 Students will understand use
mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as
appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers and develop solutions.
#2 Students will access, generate,
process and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
#4 Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical
setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of
ideas in science.
#6 Students will understand the
relationships and common themes that connect mathematics science and technology
and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
#7 Students will apply the knowledge
and thinking skills of mathematics, science and technology to address real-life
problems and make informed decisions.
7.
The TIPS program Web Page, http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.htm has
been an invaluable resource providing access to a wide range of support for the
development of this WEBQUEST Project.
8.
Maps used for this WEBQUEST Project
a.
The hard copy of a suitable United States map was obtained from a
teacher’s sourcebook published by The Center for Applied Research in Education.
(1992)
b. A map that
can be used for the plotting the spatial spread of the zebra mussel, can be
obtained from the following website:
9.
For a useful handout describing the MLA Style guidelines,
see the following website:
http://www2.wju.edu/arc/handouts/mla.htm
10.
Several people have been extremely helpful in the development of this
WEBQUEST Project: They include, but are
not limited to the following, in alphabetical order : Ira Galernter, Bob Green,
Joe Montecalvo, Bill Mulqueen, Allen
Pearlman, Ann Rosenberg, Joel Taub,