Welcome Teachers! 

The UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP) faculty and staff are involved in research, teaching, and extension (outreach) on the topic of invasive plants and their management. We have compiled information and resources for you! Whether you need information on native, nonnative, or invasive plants, want to take a virtual tour of the CAIP offices and research center, or check out our podcast episodes to share with your students, we hope you find our classroom materials helpful.

• Hydrilla Game

  Grade Level: 5th Grade, Middle School, and High School

  The Hydrilla Game: Tracking the journey of an incredibly invasive plant is designed to give students an understanding of just how easily invasive plants, like Hydrilla, are spread. This game includes an instructional teacher kit with game instructions and discussion questions for students.

  Hydrilla Game Teacher Kit | Hydrilla Game Habitat Cards | Scenario Cards

• Magnify It!

  Grade Level: Upper Elementary (UE), Middle School (MS), and High School (HS)

  This activity involves students working together to identify plant parts and using scientific terminology to do so. They will learn the function of these plant parts, and how plants are classified according to their shared characteristics. Note: There are separate materials depending on grade level.

  Elementary/Middle School 

  • Teacher Guide and Answer Keys
  • Student Magnify It! Cards
  • Illustrated Plant Structures Handout

  High School

  • Teacher Guide and Answer Keys
  • Student Magnify It! Cards Pt.1
  • Student Magnify It! Cards Pt.2
  • Illustrated Plant Structures Handout
• Podcast Episodes

  Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, and High School

  The UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants has a biweekly podcast called Working in the Weeds! The first season has episodes that introduce invasives and share some cool stories about these problematic plants from the past. We recommend sharing these episodes with your students as an engaging way to learn more about invasive plants and their impacts.

  • What's the deal with Invasives?
  • Florida's Lakes and Landscapes
  • The Green Menace Part 1
  • The Green Menace Part 2
  • Hippos and Hyacinth: the American Hippo Bill
• Water Hyacinth Reading Activity

  Grade Level: High School

  This reading activity has students read an article from the March 19, 1898 issue of Harper's Weekly magazine titled: The Water Hyacinth Pest in Florida. After reading, students are asked questions about the historical article. For more information about this story, we highly encourage students to listen to two of our podcast episodes "The Green Menace | Part 1" and "The Green Menace | Part 2".

  Reading Activity | Answer Key

• Virtual Reality Tour

  Grade Level: Middle School and High School

  In this virtual reality tour of the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants explore the main building of offices, a laboratory, the outdoor mesocosm facility behind the main building, and the communication center. Students can interact with different informational slides and videos while learning from some of scientists at the Center!

  Visit the tour!