discovery program
teacher’s guide
wild me
ecology: grades k-2
2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Habitat Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Pre Visit Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Home Sweet Habitat: Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Animal and Plant Activity Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Home Sweet Habitat: Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Habitat, Animal and Plant Activity Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Field Trip Visit: Habitat Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Part I: Cardboard Tube Binoculars or Handheld Magnifiers . . . 21
Part II: Trail Exploration and Sensory Awareness . . . . . . . . . 23
Post Visit Activity: Wild Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
contents table of
overview ecology
3
An introduction to the vocabulary terms and habitat types covered on the pages that follow will help your students to better understand the concepts of ecology and prepare them for their visit to the park.
ObjectivesUsing the provided information and activities to supplement your field trip to your local County Park will further enhance your students’ exploration and learning with regard to the following:
• Understandingtheconceptofecology
• Developinganawarenessofthediversityoflifefoundinasinglehabitatorbiome
• Usingtoolstoaidtheirexplorationofthenaturalworld,suchasnaturejournals,card-boardtubebinocularsandfieldguides
• Gainingabasicknowledgeofplants,animalsandhabitattypes
• ThisactivityisdesignedtomeetthefollowingNextGenerationScienceStandardsforCalifornia schools:
LS1.A Structure and Function Allorganismshaveexternalparts.Differentanimalsusetheirbodypartsindifferentwaystosee,hear,graspobjects,protectthemselves,movefromplacetoplace,andseek,find,andtakeinfood,waterandair.Plantsalsohavedifferentparts(roots,stems,leaves,flowers,fruits)thathelpthemsurviveandgrow.
LS1.C Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms Allanimalsneedfoodinordertoliveandgrow.Theyobtaintheirfoodfromplantsorfromotheranimals.Plantsneedwaterandlighttoliveandgrow.
LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans Therearemanydifferentkindsoflivingthingsinanyarea,andtheyexistindifferentplacesonlandandinwater.
ESS2.E Biogeology Plantsandanimalscanchangetheirenvironment.
overview ecology
4
Objectives (continued)
ESS3.A Natural Resources Livingthingsneedwater,air,andresourcesfromtheland,andtheyliveinplacesthathavethethingstheyneed.Humansusenaturalresourcesforeverythingtheydo.
ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems Thingsthatpeopledotolivecomfortablycanaffecttheworldaroundthem.
Buttheycanmakechoicesthatreducetheirimpactsontheland,water,air,andotherlivingthings.
ETS1.A Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem Askingquestions,makingobservations,andgatheringinformationarehelpfulinthinkingaboutproblems.
ContentsToguideandenhanceyourstudents’experientiallearningwhileexploringyourlocalCountyPark,thiskitcontainsthefollowingitems.Also,pleaserefertoeachindividualactivitysupplylistforitemsthatyourschoolorclassroomshouldplantosupply(i.e.paper,crayons,pencils)forpre-andpost-visitactivities.
• Markers(asetforeachgroupof4-5students)
• Stickers(asetforeachgroupof4-5students)
• Pre-assembledcardboardtubebinocularswithholespunchedatendforyarn (oneforeachstudent)
• Yarn(24”lengths,oneforeachstudent)
• Handheldmagnifiers(oneforeachstudent)
• Baggednaturalitems(feathers,leaves,seeds,insects,etc.)
• Laminateddiagrams(toaidinlabelingfeaturesofthenaturalitems)
Please note that items in bold printareapermanentpartofthekitandshouldbereturnedtothekitaftereachuse.Theseitemswillbeevaluatedforreplacementbyparkstaffperiodically.
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vocabularyadaptation afeatureorbehaviorthatallowsanorganismtosurviveinits
environment
brackish a mixture of salt and fresh water
camouflage adaptationthatallowsorganismstoblendinwithitsenvironment
carnivore an animal that hunts and eats other animals
compare toexamineinordertoobservesimilaritiesordifferences
conserve touseormanagethingswisely,preventingwasteorloss
deciduous whensomethingfallsofforisshedduringaspecificseasonorstageinalifecycle(i.e.deciduousleaves,antlers,teeth)
ecology thestudyoftherelationshipsbetweenlivingorganismsandtheirenvironment
elements abasicand/orimportantpartofawhole
environment alltheconditions,circumstances,andinfluencessurroundingandeffectingthedevelopment,growthandsurvivalofanorganismorgroup of organisms
habitat the place where a plant or animal naturally grows or lives and has the basicrequirementsoffood,water,shelter,andspaceforanorganism
herbivore an animal that eats plants
insectivore an animal that eats insects
journal arecordofhappenings,events,observationsand/orfeelings
native belongingtoalocalitybybirth,productionorgrowth
omnivore ananimalthateatsbothplantsandotheranimals
organism a living thing such as plant or animal; contains parts or structures neededtocarryonthebasicfunctionsoflife
predator an animal that hunts and eats other animals
prey ananimalcaughtorhuntedasfoodbyotheranimals
resource a place or thing that provides something useful
survive to remain alive
habitatstypes of
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SanDiegoCountyisthemostbiologicallydiversecountyinNorthAmericabylandmassandassuch,therearemanymorehabitattypeswithintheCountythancouldbecoveredhere.ThelistbelowhasbeensimplifiedtorepresentonesyouaremostlikelytoencounterwhilevisitingourCountyparks.AdditionallymanyofthesehabitattypesoverlapformingabeautifulpatchworkthroughouttheCountywithintermixedplantandanimalspecies.
Habitat Type Definition Indicator Plants Animals
Estuary
Where the fresh water mixes with saltwatercreating“brackishwater”;plantsandanimalsinthishabitatare adapted to tidal changes and changesinsalinity.
Saltgrass Pickleweed Cord grass
Greatblueheron Fiddlercrab California horned snail Saltmarshskipper
Coastal Sage Scrub
Mostly low-growing plants that are typicallyfragrant,deciduousandgray-green in color; plants in this habitatsurvivedrysummermonthsbylosingtheirleavesandgoingdormant.
Californiasagebrush Black sage Coyotebrush
Cottontailrabbit California towhee Western fence lizard Cicada
Chaparral
Mostlytall,denseevergreenshrubswith thick leaves; most common habitattypeinSanDiegoandalsomostpronetofire.
Toyon Lemonadeberry Ceanothus(wildlilac)
Bobcat Dusky-footedwoodrat Californiaquail Southernpacificrattlesnake
Grasslands
Made up of native and non-native grassesthattypicallyflowerinthespringanddiebackinearlysummermonths.
Purple needlegrass Deerweed Wildoat(non-native) Mustard(non-native)
Coyote California meadow mouse GoldeneagleBurrowing owl
Riparian
Foundatthebaseofcanyonsoralongvalleys,densethicketsareformed alongside a freshwater source suchasacreek,streamorriver.
Arroyowillow Mulefat Cottonwood Sycamore
Raccoon White-tailed kite Pacific tree frog Lorquin’sadmiral
Freshwater Marsh
Water is present for most or all of the yearandtypicallyisfedbyanaturalspring,creek,streamorriver.
Cattails Willows Bulrush Evening Primrose
Mule deer Red-wingedblackbird Two-stripedgartersnake Dragonfly(variousspecies)
Oak Woodland
Found along inland foothills and canyons,consistingofevergreenoaks intermixed with chaparral shrubs,wildflowersandgrasses.
Coast live oak Engelmann oak Elderberry Manzanita
Mule deer Red shouldered hawk Acornwoodpecker California kingsnake
Mixed Conifer Forest
Range from dense forests of ever-green trees to more open forests withoaksandchaparralspecies.
Coulter pine Jeffreypine Incense cedar Black oak
Mountain lion Greathornedowl Stellar’sjay California mountain kingsnake
Desert
Receives less rainfall than water evaporates each year and is second only to the rainforest in diversity of plantsandanimals.
Cactus(variousspecies)Agave Creosotebush Saltbush
Bighorn sheep Kit fox Roadrunner Rattlesnake(variousspecies)
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home sweet habitat
pre-visit activityhome sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
home sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
Part ISummary: By drawing the places where students themselves live and then drawing the
placeswhereaspecificplantand/oranimallives,studentswillcompareandcontrastthebasichabitatrequirementsofalllivingthings.
Background: Alllifeformshavebasicneedstosustainlife.Thesebasicneedsarefood,water,shelterandspace.Ifanareadoesnotcontainallfourelementsthenlifecannotbesustainedinthatarea.Justashumansliveincommunitiesthatmeetourbasicneeds,animalsandplantsliveincommunitiescalledhabitats.Also,somepeopleliveinlargecommunitieslikedowntownSanDiegoandsomeliveinsmallcommunitieslikeJulian;somehabitatsarelargelikethePacificOceanandsomearesmalllikeaduckpondatalocalpark.
Eventhoughallanimalsandplantshavethesamebasicneeds,notallanimalsandplantshavethesamespecificfood,water,shelterorspacerequirements.Thisallowsavarietyofplantsandanimalstoliveinthesamehabitatwithoutexcessivecompetitionforresources.
Time Needed:30-45minutes
Materials Needed:
•Crayons,markersorcoloredpencils
•Largesheetofblankpaperforeachgroup,foldedinhalf
•Animalandplantcards(seepagesthatfollow),printedinadvance and cut along dotted lines
Procedure:
1. Withpaperfoldedinhalf,haveeachgroupworkasateamtodrawtheirowncommunity(approx.10-15minutes).Remindthemthateachcommunityisalittledifferent(somearemoreruralandothersmoreurban);butthatmostcommunitieshavesomethingsincommon(i.e.mostcommunitieshaveagrocerystoreanddialoguingaboutwhatpurposeagrocerystoreserves).
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home sweet habitat
pre-visit activityhome sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
home sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
Part I (continued) 2. Usingtheirdrawings,brainstormthingsthattheircommunitiesprovide
(shelterintheformofahouse,apartment,etc.;foodfromthegrocerystoreorgarden;waterfromfaucet;spacetoplayandgrow).Iftheirdrawingsdidn’tincludetheseelements,youcanallotafewadditionalminutestoaddthem.
3. Discusshowalllivingorganismshavethesesamebasicneedsinordertosurviveandthoseneedsaremetbyitscommunityorhabitat.Plantsneedwater,soil,sunlightandspaceandanimalsneedwater,food,shelterandspace).Gothroughacoupleexamplestoensuretheyunderstandtheconceptofahabitatandintroducekeytermssuchascarnivore,prey,etc.
4. Usingthesamegroups,giveeachgroupaplantoranimalcardfromthepagesthatfollow.Ontheotherhalfofthepaper,havethestudentsbrainstormintheirgroupsanddrawthehabitatforthatplant/animal.Besuretheyincludeallthebasicrequirementsforlife.Haveeachgroupsharetheirdrawings.
5. Aftertheysharetheirdrawings,discussasaclasshowdifferentplantsandanimalshavethesamebasicneedsbutmeetthoseneedsdifferently(i.e.amousecomparedtoasnakecomparedtoaflower).Again,encouragingtheuseofkeyvocabularyterms.Thiswillhelpthemunderstandthateventhoughmanydifferentplantsandanimalsoccupythesamehabitattypethattheydon’tallcompeteforthesameresources,allowingfordiversitywithinahabitat.
6. Nowaskthestudentstoconsiderwhatimpactsitwouldhavetheanimalsandplantsifoneoftheresourcesinthehabitatwasnolongeravailable,suchascleanwater.Alsoaskstudentshowtheycanuselesswaterandhelpkeepwater clean to reinforce the concepts of resources and conservation as well as therelationshipourhumanactivitiescanhaveonplantsandanimals.
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Western Fence Lizard
Incense Cedar
Cattails
Bobcat
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Burrowing Owl
Road Runner
WoodratSkunk
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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home sweet habitat
pre-visit activityhome sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
home sweet habitat
pre-visit activity
Part IISummary: StudentswilllearnaboutthedifferenthabitattypesfoundinSanDiego
Countyandwilltrytomatchanimalsandplantstotheappropriatehabitat.
Background: Itisimportantforstudentstobeabletoidentifybasichabitattypesandthecommonplantsandanimalsfoundinthosehabitats.Somehabitattypesareeasytodistinguishbasedstrictlyonvisualcues(desertvs.ocean)whileothersmaybeharderforstudentstodistinguish.Inbeingabletorecognizehowplantsandanimalsareadaptedtoeachhabitattype,studentswillbeabletobetterdistinguishbetweenthem.Additionally,someplantsandanimalshaveadaptedtosurviveinavarietyofhabitats(generalists)whileothersfillaveryspecialnichewithintheirhabitat(specialists).Manytimes,specialistsarethemosthelpfulinidentifyinghabitattypes.
Time Needed:30minutes
Materials Needed:
•Animal,plantandhabitatcards(seepagesthatfollow),printedinadvanceand cut along dotted lines
Procedure:
1. Beginbydiscussingsomeofthebasichabitattypesdescribedonpage6,usingtheprovidedhabitatcardsasavisualaidwhentalkingabouttheanimalsandtypesofplants.Askthestudentsquestionsabouthowthedifferentplantsandanimalshaveadaptedtosurviveintheirhabitats(i.e.whyisithelpfulforthegreatblueherontohavelonglegsorwhydoesacactushavesuchthickpads).
2. Breakthestudentsintothreelargegroups:habitats,animalsandplants.Eachstudentinthehabitatgroupwillgetahabitatcard,eachstudentintheanimalgroupwillgetananimalcard,etc.
3. Explainthateachanimalandplantcardmatchesuptoahabitatcard.Showthemanexample.Havethemfindtheirhabitatpartnersandthenhavethosehabitatpartnerssharetheirfindingswiththeclass.
4. Somestudentsmayalsohavefoundthattheirassignedplantoranimalmighthavefitintomorethanonehabitattype.Thisisagoodopportunitytotalkabouthowsomeplantsandanimalsaregeneralistswhileothersarespecialists.
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Pickleweed Great Blue Heron
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Black Sage Western Fence Lizard
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards14
Woodrat
Lemonade Berry
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Burrowing Owl Shooting Star
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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California Sycamore
Pacific Tree Frog
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Cattails
Dragonfly
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Poison Oak
Skunk
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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Incense Cedar
California Mountain King Snake
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Barrel CactusRoadrunner
estuarine habitat
coastal sage scrub
chaparral habitat
grasslands habitat
riparian habitat
freshwater marsh
oak woodland
mixed conifer forest
desert habitatanimal and plant activity cards
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habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
Part I: Cardboard Tube Binoculars or Handheld Magnifiers
Summary: Insmallgroups,studentswillbeencouragedtoexploreasmallportionoftheparkusingtoolssuchasmagnifiersorcardboardtubebinocularstoheightentheirawarenessandobservationofthenaturalworld.Theywillthenbeencouragedtodrawand/orwriteabouttheirexperience.
Background: Thisactivitywillhelpstudentsfocustheirobservationsofthenaturalworlddowntoanarrowerframeofview,allowingthemtoobservefinerdetails.Thiswillallowstudentstocompareandcontrastdifferentplantsoranimals (i.e.asycamoretreehasalarge,fuzzytoothedleafwhileawillowhasanarrow,smoothleaf ).
Time Needed:15-20minutes
Materials Provided: Note:Itemsinboldprintshouldbereturnedtothekitaftereachuse.
•Markers(asetforeachgroupof4-5students)
•Stickers(asetforeachgroupof4-5students)
•Pre-assembledcardboardtubebinocularswithholespunchedatendforyarn(oneforeachstudent)
•Yarn(24”lengths,oneforeachstudent)
Materials Provided(continued):
•Handheldmagnifiers(oneforeachstudent)
•NatureJournal(oneforeachstudent)
•Pencils(forjournaling;oneforeachstudent)
•Baggednaturalitems(feathers,leaves,seeds,insects,etc.)
•Laminateddiagrams(toaidinlabelingfeaturesofthenaturalitems)
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habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
Part I: (continued)Procedure:
1. Breakstudentsintosmallergroupsof4-5studentswith1-2chaperonespergroup.Thegroupwillsharesuppliesbuteachstudentwilldecoratetheirownsetofbinoculars.Haveeachstudentpersonalizetheirbinocularswithstickersandmarkersandtieyarnloopontotheendwiththeholepunches.(skipthisstepifusingmagnifiers)
2. Haveeachgroupexploreasmallportionoftheparkareaaroundthem,payingcloseattentiontothedetailstheycannowseewiththeirbinocularsormagnifiersinhand.Usethepromptsbelowtohelpthemfocustheirattentiontosmalldetailsaroundthem.
•Lookcloselyattheground.Dotheyseeants,acornshells,etc?
•Iftherearecloudsintheskyorlargetreesabovethem,havethemlieontheirbacksonthegroundandlookupusingtheirbinoculars,explainingwhattheysee.
•Havethemexamineleavescloselyandlookattheirstructure,fromthestemstotheveinstothemargins.Arethereanyblemishesontheleaves,maybealeafgallorsignsofaleafbeingeatenawaybyacaterpillar?
•Theboxshouldalsocontainsomeadditionalitemstoexamineclosely(feathers,leaves,pinnedinsects,etc.).Encouragestudentstoexploretheseitemswiththeirbinocularsormagnifiersaswell.
3. Haveeachstudentpickonethingtheyobservedtodrawindetailintheirnaturejournal.Encouragethemtolabelparts,makenotesabouttexture,patterns,etc.Theycouldalsousecoloredpencils/markerstoadddetailswithregardtocolor.
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habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
Part II: Trail Exploration and Sensory Awareness
Summary: Parkstaffand/orvolunteerswillleadstudentsandtheirchaperonesonashortnaturewalk,whileengagingthestudentstousealltheirsensestoheightentheirexperiencewhilehiking.Theywillthenbeencouragedtodrawand/orwriteabouttheirexperience.
Objectives: ThisactivityisdesignedtomeetthefollowingNextGenerationScienceStandardsforCaliforniaschools.
Background: Everytrailexperiencewillbedifferentdependingontheweather,timeofday,attentivenessofthegroup,plantsandanimalspresent,etc.Tostrengthentheirpowersofobservationandmakethetrailexperiencemorememorable,weencouragetheuseofthecuesbelowtoheightentheirsenseofsight,hearing,touch,smellandmostimportantly,theirsenseofwonder.
Time Needed:30-45minutes
Materials:
•Naturejournals(oneforeachstudent)
•Pencils(oneforeachstudent)
Procedure:
1.Insmallergroupswithoneparkstafforvolunteerand2-3chaperonespergroup,hikedifferentsectionsoftrail(orstaggerstarttimesby5minutessothatthegroupsarewellspaced).
2.Asappropriateduringthehike,encouragechildrentousetheirdifferentsensesasjournalingstartingpointswhenthehikeiscomplete.Usetheoneortwoofthecuesfromeachsectionbelowtoheightentheirpowersofobservation.
◊ Sight:
•Evidenceofchangeinnature (i.e.newbudsontreesorheavyleaflitterontheground)
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habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
Part II: (continued)Procedure(cont.): •Patternsofcolor,textures,shapes,etcinnature(i.e.whichthingsare
green,howdoesafencelizardspatternhelpitblendinwith/rocksitmightbaskupon)
•Geometricshapesinnature,suchascircles,squares,triangles,spirals,branching,meandering,etc.
•Takeapicturewithyoureyes:lookatadefinedspaceforafewsecondsandthencloseyoureyesandtrytorememberthedetailsofthatspace
◊ Hearing:Closeyoureyesandlistenfor….
•Soundsnearbyandfaraway
•Soundsoftheseason
•Soundsyoulikeanddislike
•Soundsfromlivingthings (i.e.animalsandtrees)andnon-livingthings(i.e.machines)
•Soundsthatmakeyoufeelhappy,sad,afraid
•Focusonarepeatingsoundandthentrytofinditwithyoureyes(i.e.grassrustlingorbirdcalling)
◊ Touch:
•Examinetexturesofnaturalsurfaces:driedmud,rocks,treebark,leaves,etc.
•Feelanunknownobjectinsideapaperbag;focusondescribingwhatitfeelslikeinsteadoftryingtofigureoutwhattheobjectis
•Witheyesclosed,haveafriendleadyoutooneortwonearbyobjectsand explore them using your sense of touch
◊ Smell:
•Inhaledeeplywhenstandingindifferenthabitatsinthepark(i.e.grasssoccerfieldvs.trail).Howdotheysmelldifferentlyoralike?
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habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
habitat exploration
field trip visit
Part II: (continued)
◊ Smell(cont.):
•Withpermissionoftheparkstaff,rubdifferentplantleavesbetweenyourfingersandtrytodescribehowthesmellsaredifferentandalike
◊ Wonder:
•Findanobjectandgivefivereasonswhyitisbeautiful
•Writeapoemaparkanimalmightcomposeaboutpeople
•Pretendyouareoneinchtallandliveinthepark.Describetheworldfromyourperspective.Whatisyourgreatestfearandgreatestjoy?Whatdoyouneedtolive?
•Drawzanypicturesofanimalsinthepark(i.e.woodpecker,grasshopper,ant)
•Onestudentdescribesanobjectthattheotherscan’tseeandtheotherstudentstrytodrawitbasedonthedescription.
wild me
post visit activity
wild me
post visit activity
26
Summary: Usingtheirnaturejournals,studentswillworkindependentlytoimaginetheyareawildplantoranimalthattheyobservedduringtheirrecentfieldtriptothepark.Thisactivityshouldbeusedtoreinforcekeyconceptsandvocabularythroughdrawingand/orwriting.
Background: In this activity students will explain how an animal or plant survives in its chosenhabitat,reinforcingtheconceptsandvocabularystudentslearnedinboththepre-visitactivitiesandfieldtrip.Inhavingchildren“become”theanimalthattheyarestudying,theythinkinverypersonaltermsabouthowananimalsurviveslifeeverydayinthewild.
Time Needed:30minutes(inclassorashomeworkandthensharedinclass)
Materials Needed:
•NatureJournals(oneperstudent)
•Pencils(oneperstudent)
•Markers/ColoredPencils(onesetforevery4-5students)
Procedure:
1.Studentswillselectananimalorplantspeciesfromthefieldtripvisittotheparkandthroughartworkand/orcompositionimaginewhatitwouldbeliketobethatanimalorplantforashortperiodoftime.
◊Studentsshouldbeencouragedtochooseananimalorplantbasedonitsadaptationsandhabitatversusbecauseitis“cute”or“furry”or“dangerous”.Sometimesanexampleoftheselectioncriteriaishelpful.Forexample,acoyoteisagoodclimberandfromtherockyoutcroppingsatthetopofthetrail,theycanseeagooddistancetosearchfortheelementsitneedstosurvive.Ormaybetheywouldchoosetobeanacornwoodpeckerbecausetheycouldspendtheirdaysamongstthelargebranchesintheshadeofmightyoaks.
2.Haveeachstudentjournalthroughartwork,labeling,etcwhytheirspecieswouldchooseaparticularareafortheirhome.Haveeachstudentsharetheirjournalentry,identifyingtheiranimal/plantandhowitshabitatmeetsitsneeds.