The attachment attached says the directions.
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Culture-Nature Lab Assignment: Topic Invasive Species (25 Points)
Why are you doing this assignment? It meets the Module 14 outcomes 1-4, that are
aligned with the Student Learning Outcomes 1-4 in the syllabus.
This assignment is worth 25 points and is divided into three parts.
Part I: you have to review the documentary Cane Toad: An Unnatural History. (15
points)
Part II: you have to do an internet research on an invasive species in Lake Michigan. (5
points)
Part III: you have to find a news article from THE GUARDIAN on an invasive species
to generate self-awareness. (5 points)
BEFORE you begin, you might want to know: Why did I choose a dated documentary like The
Cane Toad?
The Cane Toad documentary is dated. That is true. However, it is one of the best documentaries that
show the complicated entanglements (both negative and positive) between an invasive species and
human beings. There is no other documentary that come close to it. Most of the latest documentaries
only talk about the negatives. Here is one, if interested you can watch this (and you will only see the
negatives):
The only other one that I can remember is invasive but is simultaneously celebrated as a sign of
America’s Old West and disliked is the tumbleweed. Watch this:
mountain
I hope this clarifies, why I chose The Cane toad!
PLEASE NUMBER YOUR ANSWERS.
PART I (15 points):
Please watch the documentary CANE TOAD: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY (link:
). Its video quality is a bit poor.
My sincerest apologies in advance.
After you watch the documentary, you need to do the following:
1. SUMMARIZE the documentary stating at least three ways in which the Cane Toad
is loved. (3 Points)
If you clearly indicate your three points, you will ace this part.
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2. SUMMARIZE the documentary stating at least three ways in which the Cane Toad
is hated in Australia. (3 Points)
If you clearly indicate your three points, you will ace this part.
3. USE ANY ONE CONCEPT FROM CLASS to explain the documentary.
Please REFER TO HANDOUT on CULTURE-NATURE i.e. see handout on
“Invasive species a few concepts to understand”. Concepts are used to explain
questions of HOW and/or WHY something is the way it is. For example, you can
discuss how the introduction and the chain of reactions to Cane Toads show that we
never have a pure nature out there and a socio-cultural sphere in here. But that we
have a social-nature, where humans can introduce a species to an environment and get
impacted by it in turn. Or you can point to how there are complex relations between
Cane Toads and human beings. OR you can use any of the other concepts that I
outline in that part of the handout. (4 points)
4. Write your any ONE INFORMED personal take-away you have from the
documentary. (5 points)
PART II (5 points):
Please do some online research on an invasive species in Lake Michigan. You can also
virtually visit the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago) if you have the time to do so and do this
research.
Select any one invasive species.
5. Discuss what are the effects of that introduction of invasive species in Lake Michigan,
including how has the invasive species interacted with the ecosystem and how
fisherfolk and others view and regard that particular invasive species. (4 points)
6. Write your own ONE informed take-away point from the research that you did on
the invasive species in Lake Michigan. (1 point)
Part III (5 Points):
Keeping yourself updated and creating self-awareness! Find any news from THE
GUARDIAN news website ONLY, on an invasive species. In the search box of the news site
punch in “invasive species” and see what you are getting. Select any ONE news dated within
the last 5 years (i.e. between 2019-2025). Please do not select any other news site. The date
must be between 2019-2025.
7. Please write a summary of the news piece that you found on invasive species in The
Guardian, such that it can be posted on a social media site. (4 points)
8. What is your ONE take-away from this news piece from The Guardian on invasive
species? (1 point)
