Grass­­land Manage­­ment Skills Curri­­culum

The Grassland Management Skills Curriculum was developed as part of the Coastal Prairie Enhancement Feasibility Study and is meant to be used in tandem with the information provided on this website. The Curriculum focuses on teaching site-specific management planning strategies that enhance the abundance of native species. Introductory information enhances student appreciation and understanding of ecological factors that maintain healthy grasslands. Students then build on this initial knowledge by learning how to develop and modify their own grassland management prescriptions.

The Curriculum is modular, allowing instructors to pick and choose from activities targeting a wide variety of topics including species identification, disturbance ecology, and management skills. The Curriculum was field tested in 1-, 2- and 4-day trainings over a 3-year period with college students, land owners, ranchers, and agency biologists. With minimal substitutions, it can be used with K-8 students. All the information needed to teach the course (agendas, activity descriptions, presentations, reading materials, and quizes) is provided.

• Curriculum Guide
• Session 1: Grassland Appreciation, Ecology and Species Identification
• Session 2: Grasslands Ecology and Management Tool Use
• Session 3: Land Management Strategies and Technologies
• Session 4: Management Planning and Learning Evaluation

Curriculum Guide

Concept of Use (pdf) - A brief description of pedagogical concepts used to design the curriculum, notes on how to use the materials, topics covered, and a description of the curriculum materials included.

Session 1: Grasslands appreciation, ecology, and species identification

Agenda Session 1

• Activities:
  • Build a Perennial Grass (Anatomy)
  • Examine a Grass Plot (Grassland Structure)
  • Grasses and Grass-like Plants (Species Identification)
  • Human Values in Land Management (Land Management Introduction)
  • Reading the Landscape (Grassland Structure)
  • Recipe for a Super Invasive (Invasive Species)

• Presentations:
  • “California Grasslands: Biodiverse Landscapes in a Biodiverse Region” (8 Mb ppt) (Ecology and Diversity)

• Supporting Materials:
  • Grasslands Species List
  • Grasslands Quiz 1
  • California Coastal Prairies Website (as Digital Textbook)Grasslands Quiz 2

Session 2: grasslands ecology and management tool use

Agenda Session 2

• Activities:
  • Be the Sheep (Herbivores)
  • Find Flowering Plants (Phenology)
  • Herbivory Impacts (Herbivory)
  • Importance of Topography and Soils (Habitat Requirements)
  • Management Tool Demonstration & Discussion (Management Skills: Tool Use)
  • What Happened Here? (Management Skills: Observation)

• Supporting Materials:
  • Grasslands Quiz 2
  • California Coastal Prairies Website (as Digital Textbook)

Session 3: land management strategies and technologies

Agenda Session 3

• Activities:
  • Vegetation Mapping (Management Skills: Mapping)

• Presentations:
  • “How to Cheat at Land Management” (2 Mb ppt) (Management Skills: Strategies)

• Supporting Materials:
  • California Coastal Prairies Website (as Digital Textbook)

Session 4: management planning and learning evaluation

Agenda Session 4

• Activities:
  • Management Planning (Management Skills: Restoration)

• Presentations:
  • “An Introduction to the Coastal Prairie Management Exercise” (10 Mb ppt)(Restoration)

• Supporting Materials:
  • Grasslands Test
  • California Coastal Prairies Website (as Digital Textbook)