Attack Packs Invade Wisconsin Schools

Aquatic nuisance species have become a fact of life in the Great Lakes region as well as throughout the nation. Today, we are learning to respond to these invaders, which will likely become permanent parts of our ecosystem.

With that in mind, UW Sea Grant, in cooperation with Wisconsin teachers and the Department of Natural Resources, developed the “Attack Pack.” This unique teaching tool provides high school students with the materials to teach elementary school students about aquatic nuisance species in Wisconsin and what the students and their families can do to prevent their spread.

Each Attack Pack is a self-contained teaching kit providing maps, overheads, background information, identification cards, activities, handouts, a Power Point slide presentation, specimens preserved in plastic, and a video. All the materials are contained in an easy-to-transport backpack.

Four Attack Packs were distributed to Pewaukee, New Berlin, Brookfield East, and Waukesha high schools at the Waukesha Kids Summit in February. Ruth Lepoideran of Pewaukee and Laura Cerletty of New Berlin high schools reported their students visited a total of eight elementary school classes. Cerletty’s students even developed a lab activity and a dissection exercise for their classes.

Using the Attack Pack, high school students can teach younger students about invasive species. This helps high school students fulfill their scholastic requirements and helps elementary school teachers present additional material without extra preparation time.

UW Sea Grant Advisory Services will be preparing additional Attack Packs this summer. If your school is interested in one please email Phil Moy or call him at (920) 683-4697.

--Phil Moy

Last updated 17 August 2000 by Karl
All contents copyright 2000 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/Communications/news/LDstories/2000/AttackPacks.html