Animal pests

Animal pests

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about animal pests and their control.

Question 1Change answer

Rabbit
   
Magpie
 
Wasp
Ferret
Possum
 
a) Select the name of the animal below to match the reason why they are a pest.
 
RabbitsMagpiesWaspsFerretsPossums eat important foods of our native birds and will raid beehives for food. They are a danger to forestry workers and anyone allergic to them.
 
RabbitsMagpiesWaspsFerretsPossums damage and strip trees and eat our native birds' eggs.
 
RabbitsMagpiesWaspsFerretsPossums eat grass needed for cows, sheep and horses, and their burrows cause land damage.
 
RabbitsMagpiesWaspsFerretsPossums swoop and attack native birds and people, especially during their breeding season.
 
RabbitsMagpiesWaspsFerretsPossums are a threat to native ground animals and birds. When bird sanctuaries are set up this animal has to be stopped from attacking our wildlife.
Regional councils help to control some pests and give advice on all pests. Use this chart to answer the question below.
 
Animal Pest Who must control the pest Pest removal
Possums Landowner Council in some key areas
Rabbits Landowner Council on some riverbeds
Magpies   Council
Wasps Landowner  
Ferrets, stoats and weasels Landowner  

Question

b)  Name two animal pests that the landowner needs to help control. Choose two

    • Possums

    • Rabbits

    • Magpies

    • Wasps

    • Ferrets

Question

c)  Identify all the animals that the Council could control directly to keep numbers down.
     Choose all that apply

    • Possums

    • Rabbits

    • Magpies

    • Wasps

    • Ferrets

Question 2Change answer

d)  Give one reason why the Council gives advice and education on pest control.

Question 2Change answer

e)  Name one other animal you know of that the Council helps to control and has rules about
     where it's allowed to go and how it must be cared for.
       
Task administration: 
Picture sources on the first student page:
Rabbit – Microsoft clipart
Magpie – David Johnson
Wasp – Microsoft clipart
Ferret – Microsoft clipart.
Possum – www.ace-clipart.com
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Participating and contributing, Living World
Key Competencies: 
Participating and contributing
Keywords: 
ecology, animal pests, chart interpretation, key competencies
Description of task: 
Task: Match animal pests to the harm they cause, and use information about pest control. Assessment focus: animal pests and their control.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss taking action that is appropriate.
 
 
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science
Answers/responses: 
    Y8 (08/2006)
a)
  • Rabbits eat grass needed for cows, sheep and horses, and their burrows cause land damage.
  • Magpies swoop and attack native birds and people, especially during their breeding season.
  • Wasps eat important foods of our native birds and will raid beehives for food. They are a danger to forestry workers and anyone allergic to them.
  • Ferrets are a threat to native ground animals and birds. When bird sanctuaries are set up this animal has to be stopped from attacking our wildlife.
  • Possums damage and strip trees and eat our native birds' eggs.
very easy
easy
easy
moderate
moderate
b) Any 2 of:

  • possums
  • rabbits
  • wasps
  • ferrets
  • magpies
  • rooks
 2 correct – very easy
c)

All 3 of

  • possums
  • rabbits
  • magpies
 moderate
d)

Any one of

  • Humane methods of control
  • Environmental reasons such as the environment and protecting native species
  • Reasons to do with social responsibility/ knowing what to do/ safety of people
NOTE: Do not accept general reasons such as "To control pests".
 moderate
e) dog difficult

Based on a representative sample of 214 Year 8 students. This resource was also trialled with 185 Year 6 students. Results for the Year 6 students mirrored those of the Year 8 students.

Diagnostic and formative information: 
The idea dealt within this resource is important because students need to understand the link between behaviour and/or adaptations of animals and the effect on the environment if they are to make responsible decisions in caring for the environment. This relates to the Participating & contributing sub-strand of the Nature of Science strand of NZC.
  
Common response Likely misconception
a) Wasps swoop and attack native birds and people, especially during their breeding season. This could be a possible answer but was not the "best" when all answers were considered.
b) Ferrets damage and strip trees and eat our native birds' eggs. (38% of Year 8 students gave this response). Students attended to only some of the information, focusing on the phrase about eating eggs rather than damaging trees.
c) Possums are a threat to native ground animals and birds. When bird sanctuaries are set up this animal has to be stopped from attacking our wildlife. (27% of Year 8 students gave this response). Students may know that eradication of possums is important when setting up sanctuaries but be less sure of what the specific problem is.
d) Many students only identified the magpie as an animal the Council could control directly. Difficulty in interpreting question or reading the chart. (Magpie is the only animal controlled directly by the Council that the landowner does not also have to control.)
e) 17 students in the Y8 trial (9 in the Y6 trial) named cats as an animal that the council helps control. A few councils have introduced by-laws about cats, and there has been quite a lot of discussion in the media about controlling cats.
  • In part a) a third of Year 8 students correctly matched all animals to the reasons why they were pests.
  • In part d) the most common response as to why the Council gives advice and education on pest control was environmental reasons such as protecting native species.
  • In part e), it appears that many of them muddled the powers of Councils with the powers of the Department of Conservation.
Next steps: 
Knowledge of what makes some animals pests
Students could research the "life style" of animals that may be regarded as pests.

What to look for:

  • Can students identify the behaviour or adaptation that makes it a pest?
  • Do they recognise that their success in adapting to a particular environment can cause them to be difficult to control?
  • Can they make links between the harm they cause and the rules for controlling them?
Understanding of pest control

The Participating & contributing strand of the science curriculum involves knowing what various agencies are responsible for. Students need to understand the rationale behind the rules we have, and be able to make informed comment when rules are being debated. Students could work in groups to consider whether other animals e.g. cats, should be controlled by councils in the same way dogs are (registration, etc). After researching the topic they could:

  • make suggestions for the most effective rules for controlling the negative behaviours of cats
  • take viewpoints of different stakeholders, such as owners, Forest and Bird members, DOC, or
  • justify their own viewpoints.
What to look for:
  • Are students able to identify different perspectives that people hold?
  • Are they able to recognise personal feelings as opposed to scientific facts?
  • Are they able to suggest controls that are related to the unwanted behaviour?
Reading charts
Being able to read charts, graphs, and tables is part of developing literacy skills in science. Using a variety of charts, students could pose questions that can be answered from each chart for classmates to answer.

There are many ARB resources about interpreting tables (too many to show). Use the keywords "interpreting tables" and the context you are working in.

The following ARB resources are about animal and/or plant pests:

Level 3