Succession in the Boreal Forest Time Frame: 3 days – one for introduction, one for field trip, one for follow-up and comparison to home Materials :

Succession in the Boreal Forest Handout Succession in the Boreal Forest Master

School bus or van Writing and drawing utensils

Objectives and Standards/GLEs:

1. Students will become familiar with the concept of change in the ecosystem. 2. Students will be able to identify the stages of secondary succession in a boreal forest setting.

A. Identify dynamic factors that affect population size and explain ecological relationships. SC3.2[10] and

SC3.3[9] B. Students will be able to diagram the input of energy for an ecosystem. SC3.3[9] C. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, science procedures

and experiments, or technical processes. W.T.T.11-12.2 Teaching procedures: Day 2 in the school year – about 30 minutes

1. Forest examples will be posted around the room. 2. Hand out a blank succession hand out. Have students fill in details and explain to each other how the

succession might happen in an ecosystem. 3. Direct instruction will be utilized as well as small groups to explore how succession works. 4. This copy will go in their notes for later.

Day 3 or 4 – approximately 1 hour 1. Students will travel by bus to various stages of succession around Galena. 2. Students will get out and explore the characteristics of each stage. 3. In small groups, students will complete another succession handout based on their field observations.

Day 8 – approximately 45 minutes, although there is a potential for further time needed 1. Students will pair up or work in small groups form their home villages or bioregions. 2. Students will develop a written comparison of the forest around Galena, and their hometown forests. 3. They will work together to find reasons that succession is at various stages in each area.

Assessment: Students will be assessed according to their participation in all activities, as well as in the written assessment. Bibliography: US Fish and Wildlife Services and Smith, K.K. and McMurray, N.E. (2007). Fire in Alaska: K-12 curriculum

guide featuring role of fire in Alaska and fireworks curriculum (revised ed). Juneau, AK: Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Living Organisms Collection Time Frame: 3-4 days in a three to four week period, dependent on the needs of the students Materials :

Sample Collections Collection Rubric Field time for samples

Drying or preserving supplies Computers and Samples Books Art supplies

Objectives and Standards/GLEs:

1. Students will become more aware of their surroundings and the living things in their ecosystems. 2. Students will share their collections with the class, to be shown at an academic night, science fair or to

the elementary students (dependent on planning).

A. Students will compare the characteristics of phyla/divisions in kingdoms. SC2.1[9] B. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic and

convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers. W.TT.2d[9-10]

C. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. W.RB.7[9-12]

Teaching procedures: Day 3-4 in the school year – about 20 minutes

1. Introduce the rubric and some sample collections from past years. 2. Have students brainstorm types of organisms, groups that might be collected around the campus and in

the woods. Have them thumb through the literature and online sources to get beyond plants and animals and think about fungi, microbes, etc.

Day 5 – approximately ½ of the period 1. Spend time in the woods and around the grass lakes. 2. This is a version of the little boy who brings stuff home in his pockets. FIND STUFF. 3. Begin to figure out how to display their “stuff”.

Day 10-12 – approximately ½ the period each day, or 5-6 presentations at a time 1. Collections will be shared in class. 2. In small groups, compare and contrast samples. 3. Answer questions about the collections and explain why the collections were created.

Assessment: Students will be assessed according to the rubric. Bibliography: Worksheet rubric developed by Carrie Given.

Biology  Collection  Project  

 

In  biology  we  study  LIFE.    So  this  fall  you  will  be  collecting  10  items  that  demonstrate  life.    These  

items  can  be  anything  that  you  would  like,  but  they  must  be  related  to  each  other  (animals,  plants,  

etc).    We  will  be  working  with  your  collection  this  winter,  so  it  is  VERY  important  that  you  create  

a  collection  that  interests  you.  

 

Requirements:  

10  living  things  (or  their  sign)  

Common  Name  

Scientific  Name  

Distribution  in  Alaska  (where  is  it  found)  

Habitat  characteristics  (where  does  it  live)  

Food  Web  placement  

2  interesting  facts  about  it  

 

Display  Book:  

Title  Page  

1  item  per  page  

Laminated  or  preserved  

No  larger  than  11”  x  14”  (see  me  for  changes)  

Typed    

 

Grading  will  be  based  on  completeness  and  presentation  of  the  book.    Each  sample  is  worth  10  

percent  of  the  total  grade,  therefore,  if  you  are  missing  one,  your  grade  can  only  be  a  90%,  missing  

two  an  80%,  etc.    This  will  count  as  an  assessment  grade  and  so  is  very  important  to  complete.  

 

Please  get  out  before  snow  flies  to  collect  your  specimens.    We  only  have  a  few  weekends  of  good  

weather  left,  so  we  must  make  the  most  of  it.    We  will  have  time  in  class  to  work  on  our  display  

books,  but  not  for  collecting,  so  get  busy.  

 

PROJECTS  ARE  DUE  OCTOBER  3,  2014.  

 

Fire Safety Time Frame: 3-4 days in a three to four week period, dependent on the needs of the students Materials :

Fire Wise Materials and Online Articles Drawing materials Home Property Evaluation Sheet

Field time Bus or van

Objectives and Standards/GLEs:

1. Students will be able to evaluate homes and village buildings for fire safety around the property. 2. Students will be able to support their ratings and evaluations with each other verbally, as well as on

paper.

A. Explain, using examples, how progress is related to what is happening in society. SE1.1[10] B. Research a current problem, and identify possible solutions, then evaluate the impact. SE3.1[10]

Teaching procedures: Day 3-4 in the school year – about 20 minutes

1. Utilize the USDA Fire Wise and AKDNR Role of Fire information to describe and design a property that is highly fire safe.

2. Using online pictures and pictures of homes in the village, discuss as a whole group what a property should look like in a high fire area.

3. Discuss as a whole group what should/could be changed about each property to make it as fire safe as possible.

4. Spend time drawing a property that is “safe” and a property that is “dangerous”. Day 5 – approximately ½ of the period

1. As a class, we will visit several homes in the village. (Get permission first.) 2. Walking around the home, students will work in pairs to complete fire safety worksheets for each home. 3. Once all groups are done, have groups share their data with each other and justify their ratings. 4. Create a class average evaluation for the properties, based on the justifications and arguments of the

students as a group. Assessment: Students will be assessed based on participation in and completion of the home safety evaluations and their ability to explain why they rated the properties as they did. Bibliography: US Fish and Wildlife Services and Smith, K.K. and McMurray, N.E. (2007). Fire in Alaska: K-12 curriculum

guide featuring role of fire in Alaska and fireworks curriculum (revised ed.). Juneau, AK: Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Microbes Sampling Time Frame: 2 class hours, one for practice, one to do comparisons (may not take the entire hour either day) This activity will happen just before freeze-up and again in the spring just after green-up. Materials :

Collection bottles Mud boots Microscopes

Slides and supplies Reference access to ID samples? Field time

Objectives and Standards/GLEs:

1. Students will be able to collect field samples of living organisms. 2. Students will be able to create wet-mount slides of living organisms and then utilize resources to

attempt identification of the organisms examined. 3. Students will be able to compare various sample collection sites and determine if there are differences

in habitat, density, ecology, etc.

A. Explore ecological relationships, and analyze the potential impacts of changes within an ecosystem. SC3.2[10-11]

B. Ask questions, predict, observe, describe, measure, classify, make generalizations, analyze data, develop models, infer and communicate in scientific methods. SA1.1[10]

Teaching procedures: Day 7ish in the school year – about 45 minutes

1. On the human disturbed grass lake in the playground, students take samples of “goop” – that water/soil mixture that has “stuff” in it.

2. Bring samples back to the classroom and walk through making wet-mount slide samples. 3. Write up their findings in the lab 4. In the spring lab, discuss what we are seeing that’s different than fall.

Day 8ish – approximately one period of 1.5 hours

1. Using the van or on foot, visit various sites - road site, a pond, bog, moss under trees, etc. – and collect samples

2. Bring samples back and again develop wet-mount slides. Each group will set up a site slide. Then all groups will view others slides and compare the areas that were visited.

Assessment: Students will need to demonstrate proper field techniques. They will then complete the lab in class. There will be a practical portion to the written assessment that includes a sampling lab objective. Bibliography: Worksheets developed by Carrie Given from 1987 AIMS Education Foundation and 2003 Pathfinder Practical

Science Year 9 handout blackline masters.

Looking at Ecological Samples Under the Microscope

Name: _______________ Date: __________ Class: _________

Aim: To explore the microscopic environment around Galena and practice good microscope procedures.

What to Do:

1. Obtain samples from the areas as assigned by the teacher.

2. You will collect samples using eyedroppers and collection bottles

3. In the classroom, place 1-2 drops of sample on a well slide and cover with a cover slip.

4. Place on the microscope and search for feeding or moving organisms.

5. Utilize low and high power effectively to observe different organisms as well as different parts of the

organisms.

6. Draw at least 1 picture of the sample including all organisms viewed.

7. Repeat steps 2 – 4 for two more samples.

8. Use the reference pages and online research to label your drawings with at least prokaryote and

eukaryote, single celled and multicelled, and names if you know.

Data:

Now observe at least one sample from another group and draw what you see:

Analysis and Conclusion:

1. Which sample had the most life in it?

2. Why might some organisms not be moving?

3. What might have killed some organisms?

4. What was the most interesting thing you saw in your samples? Why?

Written Assessment Time Frame: 1 class period, in the 3rd or 4th week of class Materials :

Assessment Notes/Notebooks

Objectives and Standards/GLEs: Our administration asks that we assess students approximately every 2-3 weeks, after the intitial getting started week. We are asked to make sure students can document their learning and progress on the standards we are working on in the classroom. We are also focusing on literacy as a district and must be able to show student progress on utilizing language (reading and writing) in the content classroom settings. Teaching procedures:

Students are allowed to use their notes, books and assignments during assessments in my class. Especially during practical assessments (hands-on), it is not a matter of finding out what they’ve memorized, but rather what they can demonstrate knowledge of. I expect students to show me their interpretation of diagrams and written answers, based on things they’ve done in class. Assessment: See next page for assessment. Bibliography: Assessment created by Carrie Given

Microscopes and Ecology 1 Name: ______________________ Practice Test Date: _________ Class: _______ Objective 1 : Students will be able to use a microscope effectively. Using the microscopes please do the following: 1. Please write down which sample you are using.

___________________ 2. Please prepare your microscope and slide. 3. Please focus on the lowest power. 4. What power is this? _______________ 5. Please draw what you see.

6. Please focus on the highest power. 7. What power is this? _______________ 8. Please draw what you see. 9. Remove your slide and prepare your microscope

to be put away. 10. Clean up your lab station and put away your

supplies. Objective 2: Students will be able to explain the role of fire in a boreal forest . (SC3.2) PLEASE USE THE BACK OF THIS PAGE

1. Please draw a picture showing the 5 stages of succession. Label each stage and use one phrase to explain what is happening.

2. What does mosaic mean? Objective 3: Students will be prepared to demonstrate the safety of a home when thinking of fire prevention. Looking at the picture, name 3 things that should be changed to avoid fire at the home. (6pts)

Objective 1 A B NY Objective 2 A B NY Objective 3 A B NY

A

Picture Drawn Correctly with all stages labeled and explained. Mosaic correct

B Picture missing one explanation but stages are labeled. Mosaic correct

NY