Change over time--where can you see that better than in Hawaii? Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is composed of active and inactive volcanoes that form islands. Hawaii’s active volcanoes continue to change and grow, and the tropical climate and abundance of groundwater make the state a place where living things, both wild and cultivated, thrive.
Many of the living things in Hawaii today are not native species. There are no mammals native to Hawaii. The first humans came from Polynesia over 1,600 years ago. Since that time, sailors and whalers have introduced pigs and rats as well as goats and other mammals. Unfortunately, the lack of predators for these mammals has caused big problems in Hawaii. The mongoose was brought to Hawaii to try to control the exploding rat population. Mongooses thrived and did lessen the rat population, however, these hungry predators also raided bird nests for their eggs. Today, mongooses are a threat to the survival of many native bird species.
As they study Hawaii’s geographical features and native and domestic wildlife, students will learn firsthand about change and about the interdependence of living things as called for in the state science standards.