From HealthNewsDigest.com

Education
Invasive Pests In The Classroom
By
May 28, 2015 - 5:05:16 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Don't look now, but invasive species are invading classrooms. That's the word from experts who say such pests have been popping up across America for decades.

In an effort to prevent further devastation, these pests can be found in a more unlikely place-school. The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has introduced a new curriculum for 6th through 8th graders called "Hungry Pests Invade Middle School."

This instruction is critically important, because invasive pests-which are introduced to the United States from other countries-attack our plants, trees and agriculture. Since they have no natural enemies here, they can spread unchecked and are capable of wiping out entire native species, from ash trees-used to make furniture, flooring and baseball bats-to orange groves.

As a result, invasive species cost the U.S. an estimated $120 billion a year. Unfortunately, these pests aren't going away anytime soon and future generations need to know how to protect the country's farmlands, forests and neighborhoods from them.

Students not only learn what invasive species are, but how they got here and the damage they cause. Most importantly, they learn how to prevent these "Hungry Pests" from spreading by taking preventive steps such as these:

"The USDA's list of 18 Hungry Pests are different from other types of invasive species, because they are mostly spread by humans in the things they move and pack," said Abbey Powell, USDA-APHIS. "Through this curriculum, students can learn some of those ways and, hopefully, share that message with family and friends."

Teachers may access the curriculum, which meets National Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, free of charge atwww.hungrypests.com/resources/educators.php.

To learn more, go to HungryPests.com, or join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.

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