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Winter Schoolyard Soil and Air Temperature

Aug 152013

Photo Credit: Benson Kua

The causes and consequenses of soil temperature in the winter is an important concept to understand. Human management activities in agriculture and conservation can have large impacts on soil temperature. In return, soil temperature has important impacts on the ecology of differnt ecosystem. The causes of soil temperature changes in the winter can easily be studied in the schoolyard. Students will explore the soil and air temperature in different habitats around the schoolyard that may be affected by different ecosystem properties, such as plant, litter or snow cover and human built structures. The patterns in soil temperature are then related to the consequences for the ecosystem around the school and extensions are made to consequences for fields and forests.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Take measurements of soil and air temperature
Distinguish between temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit
Make keen observations of areas in the schoolyard that have warm and cold soil temperature as well as warm and cold air temperature
Connect soil temperature with the habitat/snow cover/plant cover
Identify ways in which humans have manipulated soil and air temperatures
Form hypotheses regarding how soil temperatures impact plant and animal life
Make connections between soil and air temperature

Resources:

Student worksheet

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Winter Cover Crops

Aug 152013

By Nicholas A. Tonelli from Pennsylvania, USA

Winter cover crops are planted between harvested crops (Fall – Spring) and provide many benefits to agricultural fields including reduction in nitrate leaching, nitrogen fixation, increased organic matter, weed suppression and others. However, few farmers currently use winter cover crops. The objective of this lesson is to engage middle or high school students in active research that identifies winter cover crop species and phenotypes that would be beneficial for local farmers. Students sow several cover crop species / phenotypes in the fall, measure ground cover in early winter and make plant measurements (biomass, height, root characteristics) in May of the following year. Research results may be reported to local farmers as an educational activity.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Engage in constructive agroecology research activities
Identify beneficial winter cover crop species or specific phenotypes of a species
Create an educational brochure to inform farmers of their findings

Resources:

Student worksheet

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Thinking About Waste

Aug 152013

Waste generation in the U.S. is an enormous problem, as 230 million tons of trash is generated each year. Students must begin to learn about these issues because natural resource depletion and environmental degradation may directly affect their lives in the future. This lesson is designed to get students thinking about how to cut waste in their own lives. They will draw pictures of the Earth in 100 years under two different scenarios. They will also list some ways that the school and families at home can reduce waste, which will be posted in the school hallway. Students should come away from the lesson with a positive outlook, that waste generation can be significantly cut, which will benefit everyone in the world.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Understand that an immense amount of waste is generated in the US
Identify ways that they can reduce consumption and reuse or recycle waste
Predict what will happen in 200 years if nothing is done to control consumption and waste generation
Know how to begin or enhance the recycling program at their school and homes

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Volume of Snow and Water

Aug 152013

Water and snow do not have the same volume because snowflakes have air pockets trapped inside. When snow melts, the air pockets are released to the atmosphere. In addition, water in the solid form has roughly 9% more volume than in the liquid form because of the way the molecules are bonded together via hydrogen bonds. Therefore, when snow melts, the volume of the water is reduced as air molecules are released and hydrogen bonds are broken. In this activity, students investigate the volume relationship between snow and water, which changes depending on the weather conditions at the time of a snow event and the amount of time since the snow event. Students will use many skills learned regarding making measurements of volume to accomplish this activity, and will understand how much liquid water comes from the snow in one particular event.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify the volume of snow as greater than the volume of ice
Calculate the volume ratio of snow:water
Understand that 1 milliliter of water weighs 1 gram
Understand the properties of snow and liquid water that cause changes in volume

Resource:

Student worksheet

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Rainy Day Habitat Lesson

Aug 152013

It is important that students learn the different components of habitats and the consequences of removing one or more of those components. This activity can allow empirical study of habitats in the classroom when weather conditions are unfavorable outdoors. This experiment gives earthworms a choice of two habitats and identifies which habitat they prefer. Students will learn that earthworms prefer habitats with high organic matter. Results from this study can then be used to predict where worms prefer to live in the schoolyard or across a landscape.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify the habitats of familiar organisms and their needs for survival
Conduct an experiment to identify preferred habitats of organisms

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Microscopic Life in Water

Aug 152013

Photo Credit: Frank Fox

Examination of water under a microscope uncovers a whole new world that is invisible to the standard human eye. In this activity, students examine the microscopic life in water from multiple sources to find out if there is life in them and if it is different between sources. Students draw pictures of what they see in microscopes and draw conclusions about what they found. Experts suggest that this activity is one of the best at stimulating a child’s interest in exploring the natural world.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify microscopic organisms that are found in water
Differentiate between organisms found in different water sources (lakes, ponds, rivers, drinking, fish tank, etc…)

Resources:

Student worksheet

Phytoplankton guide

Lesson Created by Brook Wilke

Land Conservation Debate

Aug 152013

Photo Credit: Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

In 1980, 6% of Michigan’s landscape was covered by urban areas. Experts project that by 2040, 18% of the landscape will be developed into urban areas. This comes at a huge cost to natural landscapes including the ecosystem services they provide. In this activity, students will be divided up into groups that represent different landscapes including farmland, wetlands, forests, prairies and urban areas. Students in these groups will identify reasons and share arguments for protecting natural landscapes or developing areas for urban expansion. Students are allowed to debate the topic between groups and to come up with a reasonable solution to the problem of expanding urban development. Specific examples in the local community provide grounds to really understand how this plays out in the real world.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Understand the reasons for protecting farmland, wetlands, prairies and forests from urban development
Identify reasons for expanding urban development
Develop an argument for an issue they are assigned to and debate with other students about why their perspective is correct

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Is CO2 An Atmospheric Pollutant?

Aug 152013

Photo Credit: Jorge Royan

The United States Supreme Court is currently (December, 2006) debating the question, “Is carbon dioxide an atmospheric pollutant?” This lesson provides middle school students with an opportunity to learn about and discuss rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which may drastically change their lives in the future. A panel discussion with two-three adults is used to engage students in a discussion about the Supreme Court case. Adults help to share as much information as possible about the issue with students to help them form their own – unbiased opinion on the matter.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Define what carbon dioxide (CO₂) is
State why concentration of CO₂ is rising in the atmosphere
Understand how CO₂ in the atmosphere will cause rapid climate change
Understand that rising CO₂ increases growth among many plant species
Identify ways to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere
Define air pollutant based on the definition set forth in the Clean Air Act
Use the data collected by science to make an educated argument regarding the question of, “Is CO₂ an atmospheric pollutant?”
Identify ways that they can personally limit the amount of CO₂ released to the atmosphere

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke, 2006

Iron In Cereal

Aug 152013

Many breakfast cereals are fortified with iron, which is essential for transport of oxygen in blood throughout human bodies. The iron is simply sprayed on the cereal and can be separated by physical processes. Students in this lesson use bar magnets to extract iron from crushed up breakfast cereals. Five different cereals are used for the experiment including those with different iron concentrations based on nutritional information. Iron extracted from each cereal type is weighed and compared to the other cereals and the nutritional information on the box.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Extract iron from fortified breakfast cereal
Conduct an experiment to determine which cereals have the most iron
Separate a mixture of cereal and water into magnetic and non-magnetic categories

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

How Do Birds Fly?

Aug 152013

Photo Credit: Paul Tomlin

The ability to fly is a fascinating biological phenomenon. In this short activity, students will identify characteristics of birds that allow them to fly, and how these characteristics are different from other animals that cannot fly.Many of these characteristics are listed in this lesson for teacher use, including how bird wings are arc shaped, causing decreased air pressure above the wing compared to below.Students also will learn that not all birds are able to fly.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Understand that gravity is a force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth
Understand that not every bird can fly
Explain several reasons for why birds are able to fly and many other animals can not fly

Resources:

Bird and squirrel picture

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

History and Diversity of American Crops

Aug 102013

In this activity, students explore the world of crop history in North America. They begin by choosing a crop species that was historically grown in the Americas, studying the history and ordering bulk amounts of seeds from an heirloom variety that has been around for many years. The students use the bulk seed to run a small- scale seed store where they repackage and sell seed for a profit. Students also examine the characteristics of the seed and use the schoolyard or classroom as a place to plant and examine the growth of the variety they have chosen. Plants may be maintained in the schoolyard or at students homes so that they can save seed to create a seed bank at the school.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Provide a detailed history about a specific crop plant
Describe the differences between currently grown crop varieties and heirloom varieties that were maintained from past societies
Identify major crops that were domesticated in the United States
Identify the diversity of some crop and garden plants and understand the artificial selection/evolution process that allowed for that diversity
Conduct a small scale, student run seed business
Start and maintain garden plants indoors
Plant seeds and start plants in a garden outdoors
Create a seed bank at the school

Resources:

Student worksheet

Seed packet template

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Hairy Leaves

Aug 102013

Plants have small hairs on their leaves and stems called trichomes.These structures are important for defense from herbivory and protection from cold, heat and drought. Students will investigate leaf hairs of many different plants in the schoolyard using an inquiry based activity.Two hypotheses will be made,one about whether or not all plants have leaf hairs, and whether most plants are highly pubescent (hairy) or modestly pubescent.Leaves will be collected and classified into three categories.Students will create a data table and bar graph from their data and present this to the rest of the class.The teacher will conclude with some ideas about why plants have leaf hairs and try to stimulate future questions from the students about the topic.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Conduct a basic scientific investigation to support predictions
Explain why plants are pubescent and have small hairs called trichomes
Explain that not all plants or leaves of the same plant have the same number or type of trichomes

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Aug 092013

Photo Credit: SUNY JCC

Habitat fragmentation is visible all over Michigan. Roads, lawns, buildings, farmland, and other changes in habitat have turned our state, and most others, into a huge patchwork quilt of ecotypes. Unfortunately, the lines between those quilt squares and the small size of those patches has had a huge impact on the wildlife that call Michigan home. Come join us for a session of active games and prizes. You can really see what impacts fragmentation has by putting yourself in the shoes of the critters dealing with the changes we make. Weather permitting we will head outside for some fun, so come dressed for the chill in the air and be prepared to get active and have fun!

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Explain how habitat fragmentation can influence the survival and reproduction of two competing species
Describe the recent, 400 year history of land use change in the Great Lakes Region
Identify causes and consequences of land use change and habitat fragmentation
Understand why it is difficult for small populations to survive
Identify some key endangered species in Michigan

Resources:

Student datasheet/worksheet

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Food Chain

Aug 092013

Students learn about a specific food chain (coyote-squirrel-acorn in this example, but can be any local food chain) in nature and that organisms can be classified as producers, herbivores or carnivores depending on their diet. A game will be played where students take on the role of different organisms in the food chain and act out different cycles.Experimental situations are played out in the game and are designed to help the students understand that there are more organisms lower than higher in the food chain.They will also learn the consequences of separately removing carnivores and plants from the food chain.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Understand that energy flows naturally through a locally occurring food chain
Define the terms producer, herbivore and carnivore
Understand that there must be more individuals at the bottom of the food chain than at the top of the food chain
Understand the effects of removal of the top predator in a food chain
Understand the effects of reducing primary production (plant growth) in the food chain

Resources:

Food chain pictures

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

All About Corn

Aug 092013

Photo Credit: Darwin Bell

Corn and soybeans cover 6% of the total land area in the United States and are grown on 15 times as much land as all fruits and vegetables combined.In this activity, students will take a walk out into a corn field to become more acquainted with this crop that is so common.Students will make calculations for the number of plants and ears of corn per acre and then estimate the total number of ears grown in the U.S.in 2002 based on USDA data.Students will be informed about the different types of corn available and that most of it is actually used for products other than human food. Finally, corn is a crop that requires high amounts of energy and nutrients to grow successfully, making it a crop that can potentially contribute to environmental pollution if managed poorly.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify corn and soybeans as the major crops grown in the United States
Conduct an investigation on a local scale to make predictions at a larger scale
Identify corn plants as having only one ear per plant
Estimate the number of ears of corn grown in the US in a given year
Estimate the number of ears of corn per plant
Understand that almost all of the corn grown in the US is not eaten by humans, but is fed to animals or converted to useable products
Identify corn as a highly productive crop, but also one that requires a lot of energy to grow

Resources:

Lesson created by Brook Wilke

Where does plant mass come from?

Aug 092013

Dill_Drops_(3749120575)

Photo Credit: Audrey from Central Pennsylvania, USA

Tracing matter in the gaseous form is difficult to teach and requires carefully planned activities. Plant growth is one way to teach students that most of the mass of the plant comes from somewhere other than the soil, but mostly in carbon dioxide and hydrogen atoms from water. To identify this, students will be planting seeds indoors, weighing the dry pot, soil and seed first and then the dry pot, soil and plant later. The total mass of the soil and pot will be nearly equal before and after the experiment. Students will also measure plant height throughout the experiment. Students will be able use the data from the experiment to make graphs and conclusions, which are important concepts for upper elementary students. After discovering that most of the plant mass does not come from the soil, it will be explained that carbon dioxide is the primary “food” for plants. Students will be assessed based on data collection, graphing and conclusion paragraphs.

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Recognize that gases have mass and can be used to make living plant tissue
Conduct an experiment to answer a scientific question using data collected
Successfully grow different plants in a classroom setting and take accurate measurements

Resources for this lesson include:

Lesson Plan created by Brook Wilke