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There’s a New Bird in Town
Authors
Stephen Moulen & Alan Hardy
Wescott Junior High School
Westbrook
Question
How does the introduction of a new species to a habitat affect native species?
Overview
Students experience how an invasive species may out-compete native species for vital resources. This high stakes, high
energy game simulates the introduction of non-native and invasive species using MnMs and various kitchen drawer items.
Students experience firsthand what happens and what if feels like when native and invasive species compete for essential
resources. This is also an excellent activity for introducing concepts such as habitats, limiting resources, physical
adaptations, and competition among species.
Science & Technology Standards (MLR)
E1 Biodiversity. Students differentiate among organisms based on biological characteristics and identify patterns of
similarity.
E1d.
Describe how external and internal structures of animals and plants contribute to the variety of ways organisms
are able to find food and reproduce.
E2 Ecosystems. Students examine how the characteristics of the physical, non-living environment, the types and
behaviors of living organisms, and the flow of matter and energy affect organisms and the ecosystem of which they are
part.
E2a.
List various kinds of resources within different biomes for which organisms compete.
E2b.
Describe ways in which tow types of organisms may interact including competition, and predator/prey.
Learning Objectives
 Students will be motivated to learn about invasive species: how non-native species are introduced, how they become
invasive, and the economic and environmental impact they have.
 Students will be able transfer and generalize concepts gained in this activity to understand the dynamics and impacts
of non-native and invasive species on native species.
Grade Level
7
8
Setting
Classroom
Activity Type
Hands-on
Class discussion
Materials
 MnM’s
 Chopsticks
 Spoons
 Paper bowls
 Species labels: Bluebird, Sparrow
Note: These are not necessary but the kids love wearing them around all day. The number of labels will depend on
the number of students.
Time Needed
Introduction: 10 minutes
Activity: 25 minutes
Debrief: 10 minutes
Activity Procedure
Caution: Some students may take the competition of this activity a little too seriously resulting in severe spoon- or
chopstick-related injuries. You may want to take the edge off a little by promising the students equal amounts of MnM’s
after the activity is over.
Preparation
1. Fill bowls with MnM’s to represent habitat. You will need one bowl for every two students.
2. Create stations where two students can work opposite each other or next to each other. Each student will need an
empty bowl.
3. List on the board the concepts you chose to focus on. They may include: Habitat, limiting resources, physical
adaptations, competition among species, native species, non-native species, invasive species.
Activity
1. Introduce the activity. Students will be competing for limited resources. One group will represent Maine’s native
bluebirds, and another group will represent sparrows (invasive to Maine).
Give students an overview of the bluebird/ sparrow history and relationship. Bluebirds are native to Maine. Maine’s
bluebird population began declining in the 1970s with the introduction of sparrows and starlings, and a decline in
suitable habitat. Bluebirds and sparrows are both cavity nesters. Sparrows are known to claim bluebird nesting sites
by killing adult bluebirds and their young and eggs. Sparrows also out-compete bluebirds for food (mostly insects).
2. Have all the students stand in the back of the room.
3. Designate half of the students as bluebirds and half as sparrows.
4. Give the bluebirds the chopsticks.
5. Tell the bluebirds to sit at a station and begin picking up the MnM’s from the habitat bowl and placing them in their
own bowl.
6. After a few minutes stop the bluebirds and introduce the invasive sparrows.
7. Give the sparrows a spoon. Tell them they must hold it by the spoon-end.
8. Tell the group that the invasive sparrows can pick MnM’s from both the habitat bowl and the bluebird’s bowl by using
the handle-end of the spoon.
Note: Listen for a chorus of “Hey, no fair!” from the bluebirds.
9. Stop the activity. Ask the bluebirds and sparrows to each count the number of MnM’s they have in their bowls. Record
class results in a table. Ask students if they see a pattern in the results. It should be clear that the sparrows were
better able to secure more MnM resources than the struggling bluebirds.
10. Discuss as a class:
a. What do the MnM’s, chopsticks, and spoons represent?
b. Why were the sparrows more successful?
c. What do you predict would happen to the bluebird population over time?
d. Would you try to control the sparrow population to help the bluebirds? Why or why not?
Reflection or Formative Assessment Ideas
1.
Students answer discussion questions in a journal.
2.
Students are given another scenario where they transfer their knowledge by identifying examples of biodiversity,
adaptation, invasive species, predators, competition, disease immunity, habitat, and stressors.
Extension Ideas
Introduce additional stressors on the native bluebird population.
Predation by kestrels and house cats:
1. Designate 2-3 students to be predators.
2. Give predators 1 “Dead” label each.
3. Near the end of the activity, the predators may tag 1 bluebird each with their “Dead” label. They may not tag a
sparrow.
Disease:
1. Mark a few of the MnM’s in the bowls with whiteout. Do not draw students’ attention to these marked MnM’s.
2. At the end of the activity, ask the bluebirds and sparrows to check their bowls for MnM’s tagged with whiteout.
These MnM’s carry a disease that kills native bluebirds but not the invasive sparrows.
3. Add a discussion question:
a. Why were the sparrows immune to the disease, but the bluebirds susceptible?
b. How would the results be different if the disease affected the sparrows but not the bluebirds?
Environmental stress:
1. Simulate a stress to the environment such as a residential development by having the sparrows and bluebirds
start competing for resources the same time.
2. Add a discussion question:
a. Why did the bluebirds fare much worse this time?
b. How is an environmental stress good for the sparrows and bad for the bluebirds?
Native biodiversity:
1. Start with 3 different native species: blue bird, tree swallows, and purple martins. These natives birds are selective
in their food and nesting sites and so do not compete with one another. This is modeled by having each native
consumes a different color MnM. Make sure there are plenty of MnMs in the habitat bowl (at least 5 of each color).
All natives can be impacted by predators and disease (see extension ideas above).
2. Before round one, have all of the groups do a biodiversity count. You should have 3 species to start. Record this
on your chart paper or white board. Find the average.
3. Like the original game, allow the natives to get settled in. After the natives are accustomed to their habitat, have
them stop and put the MnM’s back in the habitat bowl. See whether or not the natives are able to coexist.
4. The invasive house sparrow is more of a generalist and competes agressively. It competes with the natives for
food and nesting sites. When you introduce the invasive species, it can take any color MnM and from any bowl.
5. After introducing the sparrows but before the birds start eating have all of the groups do another biodiversity
count. Record the counts on your chart paper or white board. Find the average. Start eating and see what
happens!
6. At the end of the round, any individual with at least 5 MnMs surivives.
7. Do another biodiversity count and record.
8. Do one or two more rounds, and follow up with biodiversity counts.
9. Compare data across rounds. What happened at first when the invasive sparrow entered the habitat? W hat
happened after one or two rounds?
References
G. Radcliffe, Centreville Middle School, 2004, Introduction to Life Lab # 2: Adaptations: Beaks and Feet
http://www.qacps.k12.md.us/bird/lessons/Lab2_Adaptation.htm