Activity 2: What’s in a Name?
Invasive Species » Unit 1: From Evolution in Isolation to Globalization » Activity 2: What’s in a Name?
Materials & Setup
- “Species Glossary” on the DVD
For each student
- Student Pages “What’s in a Name? Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes” (pp. 5-9)
Instructions
1) Ask students what they know about their own names: what do their first, middle, and last names mean? What language are they from? Why did their parents choose these names? Where did the names originate?
2) Set a timer and have students list all the plant, animal, or insect species they can think of in two minutes’ time; list English, Hawaiian, and Latin names.
3) Pass out the Student Pages “What’s in a Name? Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes.” Allow students to work on their own, then go over the answers in class.
Journal Ideas
- If you could name a species, would you choose to honor someone or describe the nature of the species? Explain your decision.
- Some non-native species—even some invasive species—have Hawaiian names. For instance, kāhili ginger is a beautiful but highly invasive plant that was given a Hawaiian name for its showy flower heads, which resemble the royal feather kāhili of ancient chiefs. Strawberry guava is an invasive tree responsible for displacing more native forest than any other species and it continues to invade. People love its tasty fruits and call it by the Hawaiian name waiawī. Do you think the use of Hawaiian names to describe invasive species is appropriate? Why or why not?
- Write a story, using the naupaka legend as an example, to explain the origins of your first and last name.
- Why was Latin chosen as the scientific language? Investigate and write a paragraph explaining who decided on Latin, when, and why.
Assessment Tools
- Participation in class discussion
- Student Page “What’s in a Name? Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes”
- Journal entries
Media Resources
- None
*Thanks to Joan Yoshioka, who contributed the foundation for this lesson.