Westwood’s Reading Department Use Drama to Learn About Invasive Species

Westwood’s Reading Department collaborated on the Quarterly STEAM lesson on Invasive Species.  The classes began with a Nearpod and videos that explained which animals are not native to Florida.  Students also answered riddles about the animals.  To demonstrate the impact on our native species, each of the 6 classes was designated a specific “invading” animal and, following a script, took turns “invading” the hallway where the native animals were gathered.  Invaders included feral pigs, red headed agamas, iguanas, monk parakeets, pythons, and Cuban tree frogs.  The script followed the timeline of when the animals first came to our state.  After the “reenactment”, students returned to their classrooms to reflect on the activity and discuss what they had learned.