T E A C H E R ’S G U I D E Distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films Distribution Company P.O. Box 205, Laguna Beach, California U.S.A. 92652 ■ Telephone (949) 494-1055 ■ Fax (949) 494-2079 Narrated by LIAM NEESON Featuring Songs and Performances by THE MOODY BLUES Produced by MACGILLIVRAY FREEMAN FILMS In association with CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER Major Funding provided by NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION and THE ENDEAVORS GROUP LLC www.amazingcaves.com From the Producers of EVEREST
Transcript
T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E
Distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films Distribution CompanyP.O. B ox 205, Laguna Beach, California U.S.A. 92652 ■ T e l e phone (949) 494-1055 ■ Fax (949) 494-2079
Narrated by LIAM NEESON
Featuring Songs and Performances by THE MOODY BLUES
Produced by MACGILLIVRAY FREEMAN FILMS
In association with CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER
Major Funding provided by
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
and THE ENDEAVORS GROUP LLC
www.amazingcaves.com
From the Producers of EVEREST
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
1
Introduction
Caves are dark, mysterious, adventur-ous, threatening, romantic, and awe-some.They are home to pirates, trea-
sures, devils, demons, bats, and gnomes.They lead to China, the inner earth, otherdimensions, and lost civilizations. C aves hav ebeen explore d by Orpheus, Merlin, TomSawyer, Tarzan, the Hardy Boys, and Batman.In short, caves have fascinated children andadults for centuries.They still do.
The truth about caves is as interestingas their role in fiction and legend. They areinhabited by strange and uniquely adaptedlife, and they abound with geologic treasures.Moreover, caves are a gateway to the past, tothe lives of ancient man and extinct animals.
Modern cave explorers mix science withadventure. In so doing, they have revealed ahidden land with important lessons about thefuture of our own, sunnier home. By studyingcaves, you can join in the adventure andbecome a part of a challenging voyage ofdiscovery. Like our oceans and rain forests,our underground world is just beginning tobe really explored. It holds the promise ofrevealing new materials, medicines, and theprocesses that could radically better our lives.
Caves are small, self-contained environ-ments with relatively few (and often oddlyspecialized) inhabitants.They hide rare andbeautiful minerals and carry precious waterthrough the earth. Caves provide a home toman and a storehouse of ancient art andartifacts.All these things make caves an idealvehicle for learning about science and theintricacies of our animal, vegetable, andmineral world.
—Albert A. Krause,Conservation Committee of the National Speleological SocietyExcerpted from Project Underground,A Natural Resource Education Guide
The power and scale of IMAX® c i n e m a t o g ra p hyreveals the magnificence of one of earth’smost precious and spectacular env i ro n m e n t s
—c av e s . JO U R N E Y I N TO AM A Z I N G CAV E S t a k e s a u d i e n c e sto unusual cave env i ro n m e n t s , places most peoplewill never experience firsthand. JO U R N E Y I N TO
AM A Z I N G CAV E S also is an exciting action-adv e n t u res t o ry. We follow two young modern-day cav e r s ,N a n cy A u l e n b a c ha n ds c i e n t i s tH a z e l B a r t o n ,i nt h e i rd a n g e rous explorations in icy chasms and in dark,u n d e r water passages.
The first scenesurprises us. We arenot underg round in ac ave; we are flyingover the A r i z o n adesert near the Gra n dC a nyo n . We see twot i ny specks, m e re dotson a red wall lime-s t o n e c l i f f . H e re wemeet Nancy andH a z e l ,d e s c e n d i n gthe precipice to themouth of a cave higha b ove a winding,t u rquoise-hued river.To get to this canyon cav e , Hazel and Nancy hikedf rom the plateau abov e , and then rappelled 300feet (91.4 meters) down the sheer cliff in 112° F(48.9° C) heat.
N a n cy and Hazel are part of a small teamexploring the unmapped caves of this re m o t ec a nyo n . H a z e l , a Ph.D. m i c ro b i o l o g i s t ,s e a rches foro rganisms that could point to new antibiotics thatcould cure human illnesses.
All caves are alive and support life in surprisinga b u n d a n c e .N ewly discov e red extre m o p h i l e s —o rganisms that survive in extreme env i ro n m e n t s—can exist in absolute darkness, subsisting on fewn u t r i e n t s , sometimes even on minerals! Because
TAB L E O F C ON T E N TS
1 Introduction
3 ACTIVITY 1 E x t reme Life Fo r m s
4 ACTIVITY 2 Hungry for Survival
6 ACTIVITY 3 Sounds Batty to Me
8 ACTIVITY 4 A River Runs T h rough It
10 ACTIVITY 5 Cool Caves
12 ACTIVITY 6 Your Inner Dragons
16 Resources
T h el a rg e format film, JO U R N E Y IN TO AM A Z I N G CAV E S,is appropriate for all intermediate grades (4-8).This teacher guide will be most useful whena c c o m p a nying the film, but is a valuable re s o u rc eon its own. Teachers are strongly encouraged toadapt the activities included in this guide to meetthe specific needs of the grades they teach andtheir students. All activities developed for thisguide are consistent with the National Standard sfor Science, G e o g ra p hy, M a t h ,a n dE n g l i s h ,b u ta re n o t re f e re n c e ds p e c i f i c a l l yi nt h i sg u i d ed u et os p a c ec o n s t ra i n t sa n dd i f f e re n c e si ns t a n d a rd u s et h ro u g h o u tt h en a t i o n .
JOURNEY INTO AMAZING CAVESMacGillivray Freeman Films
All rights reserved. Printed in the USA
AN EDUCA T IONAL RESOURCE F OR T EACH ERS‘‘...Or where the secret caves,
rugged and dark,
winding among
the springs of fire and poison,
inaccessible to avarice or pride,
their starry domes of
diamond and gold
expand above numberless
and immeasurable halls,
frequent with crystal column,
and clear shrines of pearl,
and thrones radiant
with chrysolite.
—ALASTOR: OR, THE SPIRIT OF SOLITUDE
PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY, 1816
Caver Nancy Aulenbach and glaciologist Dr. LucM o r e a u a d m i r e t h es t r i a t i o n so n an ice cave wall inGreenland. Luc explains that the ice is a memoryof the climate, the seasons,and a way to calculatethe age of the ice cave.Dr. Hazel Barton (back-ground) uses an ice axe to chop at the ice wall inorder to collect samples for study.
t h e re are so few nutrients in cav e s , c o m p e t i n go rganisms produce powerful defense mechanisms.Scientists are testing these organisms against cancerand other cells, in hopes of finding new antibioticsthat will fight human diseases. Though Hazel’s fieldof medical re s e a rch is still experimental, a micro b efound in a cave by another scientist produces toxinsthat in the labora t o ry kill leukemia cells. H a z e lfocuses her efforts on finding cures for a deadlyn ew strain of tuberculosis that can’t be cured by
known antibiotics.“ S o m e t i m e s ,”she say s ,“ t h emost helpful bugs (the most useful bacteria) livein the nastiest neighborhoods.”
N a n cy, a teacher’s assistant, is busy e-mailingfield reports back to her eager second graders whoa re learning about caves and how they form. A th o m e , she takes the students on a field trip to alimestone cav e , w h e re they get to view one ofN a n cy ’s favorite mammals—the bat!
Ice CavesN e x t , we follow the women to a glacier on thel a rg e s ti s l a n do ne a r t h ,G re e n l a n d , located inside theA rctic Circ l e . F renchman Janot Lamberton, a cav e rwho has gone deeper into ice caves than anyo n eelse alive, leads this expedition.
Ice caves form when melting surface wa t e re n c o u n t e r sf a u l t so rf i s s u re si nt h e g l a c i e r. I ns u m m e r,the melting ice creates raging rivers, which plungedown into the cracks and chasms, c a rving themdeeper and deeper. When the rivers freeze ov e r,the caves are safer to enter. N a n cy marvels at how“ e x t remely blue”the ice cave appears and how thel ayers of ice tell a story about earth’s past. H a z e lcollects samples from the ice, which fell as snowperhaps centuries ago. Can microbes locked in thei c e , dormant for that long, be resuscitated? W h a tqualities do these organisms have that allows themto “ l i v e ”in this extreme env i ronment? Hazel wa n t sto know!
Janot descends past the 400-foot (122-meter)mark to a little lake, half fro z e n , at the bottom ofthe cav e . When he reaches the lake, he is over 500feet (183 meters) deep, with towering icy wa l l ss u r rounding him.
Underwater CavesOur last stop takes us to the Yucatán Peninsula alongthe Caribbean Sea in southern Mexico. H e re thelimestone karst is honeycombed with cav e s . A va s tn e t work of underwater cave systems called c e n o t e s( p ronounced se-no’-tays) wind like a river beneaththe jungle, sometimes connecting to the ocean.Cenote Dos Ojos (meaning “ t wo eye s ”in Spanish)was named for its two entrances and is the thirdl a rgest known underwater cave in the wo r l d .A b o u t3 5m i l e s (56 k i l o m e t e r s ) o fp a s s a g eh a s b e e nm a p p e ds of a r. A n c i e n tM aya np e o p l e u s e dt h e c av eo p e n i n g sas fre s h water wells and held these sites sacre d .
One amazing scene shows an undisturbedh a l o c l i n e . Halocline is the blurry layer where fre s hwater from the underg round river floats on saltwater from the ocean. T h ey meet but they don’t mixw e l l , c reating an eerie, shimmering sight on thegiant scre e n . As a distinct boundary between twoe x t re m e s ,i nt h ea b s e n c e o fl i g h te n e rg y, t h eh a l o c l i n emust support life forms that don’t exist any w h e ree l s e . Hazel is anxious to get samples from the intacth a l o c l i n e—w h e re t h e c h a i no fl i f e re m a i n s u n b ro k e n .
In their search for the halocline, the wo m e nalso explore Jaguar Cav e . Without light from thes u n , an interesting array of species has dev e l o p e d ;their senses have adapted over time to this extre m ee nv i ro n m e n t . As the cave narro w s , Hazel acciden-tally kicks up a blizzard of silt, t e m p o rarily causingher to lose her way. A little shaky, but still eager toc o n t i n u e , she say s ,“That silt-out definitely woke upmy dra g o n s .”
In the end, Hazel and Nancy ’s explorations willcontribute valuable information to our knowledgeabout caves and the cre a t u res that live there . Fo rs o m e ,d i s c ov e ry is the ultimate prize. For others, l i k eN a n cy and Hazel, the search itself is its own rewa rd .
The Filming of Journey Into Amazing CavesFilming in IMAX® re q u i res creativity and innovat i v ep l a n n i n g . In CAV E S, M a c G i l l i v ray Freeman Films,p roducers of such films as DO L P H I N S, ADV E N T U R E S
I N WI L D CA L I F O R N I A, a n d EV E R E S T,wo r k e da sm a nyd ay sr i g g i n g for the shots as they did filming them.To film in five different locations within a canyo nre q u i red 30 people and 3 1⁄2 tons (3,500 kilogra m s )of gear, all of which had to be flown in and out byhelicopter each d ay. S p a c e c a m® aerials and shotsf rom a 20-foot (6-meter) truss rigged to the cliffface made filming a challenge. L o g i s t i c a l l y, this wa sp robably the most complex shoot the company h a sev e ra c h i ev e d .S o u n d l i k ea ni m p o s s i b l em i s s i o n ? I nf a c t ,t h e man rigging the shots in some of the scenesfor CAV E S, did indeed oversee the safety of To mCruise in Mission: Impossible 2!
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
2
Dr. Hazel Barton spots a cave fish while swimming in an underwater cavein Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Extreme environments force species toadapt. Life in total darkness has gradually made this species of fish blind.To compensate, its other senses have become more acute.
Objective: Students will identify and describeadaptive advantages of animals found in andaround caves.
In The Film: Many animals and microbes haveevolved to exist in caves, often by means of uniqueadaptations. Scientists refer to certain organismsliving in extreme environments,likes caves, asextremophiles. (Maybe even cavers could beconsidered extremophiles!) The existence of eachorganism hinges on their ability to adapt to theunique environment within caves.
Materials: ■ E x t r e m eL i f eF o r m s C h a r t ( o n ep e r student)
(page 16)■ Crayons and markers■ Drawing paper■ Pictures of animals
Teacher Prep Notes: This activity is designed togive students an opportunity to think about them a ny adaptations that can occur, which allow plantsand animals to live in certain environments.Challenge students to create as strange and unusualc re a t u res as they can, p rovided that they can explaintheir adaptation selections.
Background: In order to survive, all animals mustadapt to their environment.These adaptations maytake many years to develop and can affect howa n i m a l s continue to coexist. Adaptations in how and
when an animal gathers food, for example, is onethat will definitely affect its survival. Bears livingin the forest have developed long claws to helpthem dig roots to eat.Adaptations to an animal’shair, feather, or fur color can aid in survival if theenvironment changes seasonally. Some species ofrabbits turn white, camouflaging them in thewinter snow.
To Do: Brainstorm names of animals and theirc h a racteristics that enable them to catch food, m ov earound, and protect themselves from predators.Each of these characteristics represent adaptationsthat animals have developed over the years andensure their survival.
H ave studentsrev i ew the E x t r e m eLife Forms Chart(page 16). All of theanimals that are listedon the page areactually found living in or around cav e s .A d danimals and adaptations genera t e df ro m t h eb ra i n s t o r m i n g session to this list.
Using the list,ask students to work indepen-dently to design and draw an animal with four tosix of the adaptations listed. Creativity is a mustfor this activity! Encourage students to create thestrangest animal possible,with odd combinationsof adaptations. Make sure that students can explaintheir creation to the class and be able to discuss theadaptations and their importance to that animal’ssurvival.
Ask students to write a description of thea n i m a l , including its name (a creative one!) and thepurpose of its adaptations.Display the animals anddescriptions around the classroom.
What’s Going On & Why? While the imagi-nary animals created by students in this activitywould not be found in local caves, the idea thatthe adaptations may allow a strange animal tolive uniquely in an environment is important. Fishwho have lived in dark caves for many years, forexample, have adapted so they need no eyesight.Some species do not even develop eyeballs at all!This adaptation seems bizarre unless you lookclosely at where the animal lives and how it hassuccessfully adapted to its particular environment.
Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed byProject Underground and was used with permission.
Extreme Life Forms
K E Y W O R D Sadaptations – the process of makingadjustments in response to the environment.Adaptations are the characteristics that havesurvived in an animal species.
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
3
ACTIVITY
1
web and needs to have at least three appropriatefood cards in order to surv i v e .The students who didnot gather enough appropriate food cards have “d i e d ”o f s t a rva t i o na n d w i l ls i to u t f o rt h en e x t ro u nd.
N e x t , re m ove five nut food cards and tendetritus food cards from the card st h a ta re p l a c e dinside the circ l e . This re p resents the effects of theunexpected sealing of a cave entra n c e ,t h u simpeding food from washing into the cav e .T h es t u d e n t sw h os t a rv e dd u r i n g ro u n do n e will standa round the circle once the activity has begun.
At a start signal, all remaining students shouldmove as the animals they represent to collect theremaining cards. How many students were ableto collect at least three of the appropriate foodcards during this round? What observations didthe remaining students make?
What’s Going On & Why? A real life exampleof this situation could occur if bats were preventedfrom entering a cave in which they’ve been living.If bats do not return to the cave, the amount offresh guano (which is a food source for otherorganisms) will be reduced.The animals andplants that rely on guano as a food source willstarve. If these plants and animals die,the largeranimals or plants that rely upon them for foodwill be in danger. Soon the entire cave’s food webwill be destroyed.
There is a very delicate balance between theanimals and plants living within cave env i ro n m e n t s .As the students crawled or slithered to the variousfood card s , t h eye n c o u n t e red otheranimals and card sthat did not matchtheir food needs. Astudent who was ac ave salamander mayh ave lost a card to astudent who was awood/pack rat simplybecause the rat couldget to the card faster.The cave salamanderm ay have slithere da bit too slowly,missing the last cav einsect card; this int u r n wo u l dc a u s e t h ea n i m a l t of a l ls h o r ti ng a t h e r i n gthe cards needed for surv i va l .
In the second round of the activity, the numberof nuts and detritus cards was reduced, illustratingt h a ti f ev e no n e s t ra n do ft h ef o o dw e b was re m ov e d ,many other organisms would suffer and die.
Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed byProject Underground and was used with permission.
Nuts & Seeds I n s e c t s D e t r i t u s
C ave Shrimp C ave Fish G u a n o
FOOD CARDS
Objective: Students will play the part of cavedwelling animals as they experiment with a foodweb ecosystem.
In The Film: Nancy Aulenbach and Hazel Bartonwork as a team to gather evidence of microscopiclife that lives deep within the earth’s surface.Thesesmall organisms may not be what most think ofas traditional cave dwellers but serve to illustratethat there is much we do not know about cavesand their inhabitants.
Materials:■ Large chart paper and markers
or chalkboard and chalk ■ Copies of Food Cards (page 5)■ Large room or outside space■ ScissorsOptional: ■ Photos or drawings of animals listed in this
activity
Teacher Prep Notes: Prepare for the activity byc o py i n ga n d c u t t i n g out food card s to match thefollowing guide: For a group of 30 students makesure you have approximately 80 cards (10 nut &seed cards, 15 cave insect cards, 20 detritus cards,10 shrimp cards, 10 fish cards, and 15 bat cards).NOTE: Laminate the cards to preserve them forfuture use.
This activity should be conducted outdoorsor in a large indoor space.Background: Organisms living in caves have
adapted to survive in an ecosystem with uniquec o n d i t i o n s . E x t reme darkness, c ramped spaces, a n dsmaller numbers than aboveground counterpartsmake living in caves a challenge.Adding to thechallenge is the delicacy of the food web connectingone cave dweller to another.
I nt h e s ef o o d w e b s ,t h e s u rv i va lo fe a c hm e m b e ris dependent upon the survival of the rest of themembers. Due to the specialized conditions foundinside the cave, the entire food web of cavei n h a b i t a n t s i si n constant danger of being destroye d .Pollution created by humans plus the destruction ofc ave env i ronments often pose the biggest threats t othe delicate balance of the subterranean ecosystem.In some cases, if one cav e -dwelling species isharmed, the rest of the ecosystem’s plants a n da n i m a l sa re at risk o fb e c o m i n g e n d a n g e re d .
To Do:Copy the chart (on right) onto a whiteboard orchart paper. To form teams, have students countoff 1-5 and assign each team an animal from thef o l l o w i n g list and place the animal n a m e so nt h el a rg ec h a r ti nt h ea p p ro p r i a t e l o c a t i o n s .
S o m eo ft h e animals listed in the chart can onlyeat certain things and if they cannot get enoughof the proper food types they will not survive.The organisms listed on the chart are members ofa cave food web. The animals listed can eat onlythe indicated plants or animals on the chart.
Move the group to a large outdoor area andh ave students stand in a circ l e . Place the pre p a re dfood card s , p i c t u re-side down, on the ground insideof the c i rc l e .W h e n yo ug i v et h es t a r ts i g n a l ,s t u d e n t swill crawl, slide,“swim”or slink (no walking ontwo legs!) to the middle of the circle to collect asm a ny o f t h e f o o dc a rd sa s t h ey can. Remind studentsthat they can only pick up the cards of plants oranimals listed for their cave animal. If studentspick up a food card not from the approved food list,the card should be placed back on the ground,face down.
Once most of the cards have been picked up,have students return to the large circle.Ask eachs t u d e n tt oc o u n tt h e n u m b e ro ff o o dc a rd st h ey h av e .Each of them is a member of a cave-dwelling food
Hungry for Survival
K E Y W O R D Sdetritus—decaying plant and animal matterinside of a cave that is broken down by fungi,bacteria, and microorganisms.guano—fecal material deposited by bats incaves.food web—the interconnection between allorganisms living in an environment thatallows the energy and food to be recycled.food generalist—organisms living inside ofa cave that are able to eat different types of foods.food specialists—organisms living inside ofcaves that eat very specific foods.
Team 1 2 3 4 5
Nuts &✖Seeds
Cave✖ ✖ ✖Insects
Detritus ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖
Cave✖ ✖Shrimp
Cave✖ ✖Fish
Guano ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
4T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
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ACTIVITY
2
C O P Y P A G E
W h e nt h e s t a r t i n g signal is given, all mother batswill make the family sounds and the pups will echot h e m .A l l m o t h e rb a t s w i l lm ov e very care f u l l y t o wa rdthe sound from their pup. When a mother bat feelsshe has found her pup, the pair will confirm theirfindings by smelling and matching their scents.
When mother and pups have been re u n i t e d ,ask them to re m ove the blindfolds and sit downin their family pairs. When all the pups have beenre u n i t e d , ask students to discuss their experiences.Did the mothers find their pups easily? W hy orw hy not?
What’s Going On & Why? The bat’s ear isspecially adapted and shaped to gather soundwaves.The broad scoop-like form p rotrudes wella b ove the animal’s head. This allows it to tune intohigh-pitched sounds and ultrasonic squeaks.Thesounds, inaudible to humans, are emitted throughthe mouth or nose as a bat flies.They radiate outfrom the animal until they hit a solid object, thenbounce back to the bat’s large ears.The soundthat is heard by the bat is actually an echo, w h i c hhelps the animal judge the distance, location, andsize of an object in its path.
Bats use their sense of smell when trying tofind their young from a large group of pups. M o t h e rbats give birth to live babies called pups. Somespecies of bats raise their young alone, while someform nursery colonies. Small nursery colonies cancontain about 30 or 40 pups, while larger colonies
can contain thousands of pups.When the mothersleave the colony, the pups crowd together to staywarm. Upon return, mothers will employ theirsense of smell (since most pups look alike!) aswell as their acute sense of hearing to listen fortheir own pup’s high-pitched clicking sounds.
Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed byProject Underground and was used with permission.
Bat Facts■ Bats are flying mammals.They are warm-
blooded,bear live young and nurse theirbabies (pups).
■ Bats are exceptionally vulnerable to extinction,in part because they are the slowest reproduc-ing mammals on earth for their size. Most pro-duce only one pup annually.
■ 40% of all bat species are endangered.Wo r l dw i d e ,t h e re a re nearly 1,000 species of b a t s(about 40 species in the U. S. ) .A n o t h e r reasonbats are exceptionally vulnerable to extinctionis loss of valuable shelter areas.
■ Bats are found in every part of the worldexcept cold Polar Regions.
■ Bats live in a wide range of homes, calledroosts: caves, mines, trees, and man-madebuildings.
■ A single brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquito-sized insects in just one hour.
Objective: Students will learn how bats commu-nicate using their senses of smell and hearing.
In The Film: The swarm of bats we see exiting acave looks ominous with hundreds of flyingmammals flapping about madly. One of the filmstars, Nancy Aulenbach, takes her second graderson a limestone cave tour in her hometown.Thec h i l d ren get to see a fruit bat up close and learn notto fear it. In fact, bats are Nancy’s favorite animals!
Materials:■ Film canisters with lids (one per student)■ Cotton balls■ Several different organic substances with
distinct smells (examples of smells: lemonjuice, peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon)
■ Blindfolds for each student■ Large room,free from tables and chairs
Teacher Prep Notes: P re p a re canisters one dayp r i o rt op re s e n t i n gt h i sa c t i v i t y. S o a k ,c ov e ro rd i p t wo
c o t t o nb a l l s w i t h t h esame scent and placethem into a canister.S e c u re the lids tightlyto pre s e rve smells.Place the canisters in acool location ov e r n i g h t .Important: Dispose ofthe cotton balls and washthe canisters after the
a c t i v i t y. S o m es t u d e n t sp e r f o r m i n gt h i s a c t i v i t y will wearb l i n d f o l d s . Use caution when wearing them!
B a c k g round: Bats are unique inhabitants ofsome caves and unfortunately, h ave earned a badre p u t a t i o n . Because of their strange physical appear-a n c e and unique living habits, bats are possiblyone of the most denigrated species in the wo r l d .
Recent research,however, shows that batsare actually beneficial to many environments. Forexample, fruit-eating bats are very important forre - e s t a b l i s h i n g t ro p i c a l ra i n f o re s t s a n d f o rd i s p e r s i n gseeds through their guano deposits; these seedsprovide regrowth of new trees in areas whereforests have been cleared.
B a t s , while thought to be blind, actually hav egood vision. Their ability to locate prey is not,h o w ev e r, solely dependent on sight. Bats use theiracutely developed sense of hearing to make them
skillful hunters—even in the dark. These nocturnalmammals use their high-pitched voices and sensi-tive ears to locate food. This process is calledecholocation and is an adaptation allowing the batto survive in its dark env i ro n m e n t s .
To Do: Discuss how echolocation is used to enablebats to find food or locate their yo u n g . This activitysimulates how a mother bat uses her sense ofhearing and smell to find her pup from within alarge group of bat pups.
Divide the group into “mother and pup”pairs.If there is an odd number of students, create ateam of three where two students can representtwin bat pups. (The birth of twin pups does occuron occasion.)
Give each pair of students a film canisterand have them smell their shared scent. Give thestudents enough time to smell the contents of thecanister so they can remember the smell later. T h emother bat will hold one of the cotton balls, a n dthe pup will hold the opened canister with thesecond cotton ball inside. This way both membersof the pair will have the smell.
Ask the pairs to come up with a family sound,which could be a vocal sound or even the name ofthe mother bat. Each pair needs to have a uniquesound—no duplicate sounds are allowed. If twomother bats have the same name, ask students tofind alternative sounds making sure that all batfamilies have unique sounds to share .
Explain that the mother bats will be blind-f o l d e dt o re p resent a dark cav e . The pups will not beblindfolded and will be waiting for their mothers’return in a large group towa rd the center of thero o m . When the mother bat makes the specialfamily sound, the pups will echo their mother.The mother bats will then move towa rd their pups’sound to locate them. Once the mother has locatedher pup by sound, the pair should confirm theirscents by smelling the cotton balls. Once a motherhas found the pup, t h ey no longer need to makethe family sound.
N o w, t a k et h e m o t h e r b a t s away from the gro u pand help them don blindfolds. Ask the bat pupsto q u i e t l y m ove to a different location in the ro o mand group together. This demonstrates how batpups gather when the mother bats are out of thec av e . The pups need to remain as still as possibleand not move around in order to simulate batpups hanging in a cav e .
Sounds Batty to Me!
K E Y W O R D S
echolocation—the ability of certain animalsto orient themselves by receiving the re f l e c t i o nof sounds they produce. Bats and dolphinsa re examples of animals that use echolocation.
insectivores—any order of generally smallmammals that feed primarily on insects.
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
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ACTIVITY
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Construction of Karst Watershed Model1 Cut off the bottom 2 1⁄2 inches (6.5cm) of bottle
#1 and tape it on one side, making a hinge.2 Cut the top 3 inches (8cm) off bottle #2 and set
it aside. Pour 2 inches (6cm) of water into thebottom of the bottle.
3 Place bottle #1 upside down into bottle #2. Seediagram.
4 Insert the plastic tube through bottle #1.(Aluminum foil may be inserted around tubeto make it fit securely).
5 Pack stones into the inverted bottle around thetube, making stone level higher at the edgesand lower in the center.
6 Place a layer of sand on top of the stones,keeping sand higher on the sides and lower inthe center.
7 Lay the remaining portion of bottle #2 upsidedown on the sand, making sure the plastictube extends through the screw cap portion.Arrange the tube until it extends no higherthan the screw cap portion of the cut bottle.Tape this into position.
Construction of Non-Karst Watershed Model1 Follow steps 1 through 3 for Karst Model.2 Pack stones into the inverted bottle, again
higher at the edges and lower in the middle.Make sure that you do not place too manystones, as other layers (representing other soillayers) will be added to the model.
3 Place a layer of aquarium gravel (slightly packed)higher at the edges, lower in the center.
4 Place a layer of sand on top of the gravel, again,higher at the edges and lower in the center.
Wh a t ’s Going On & Why ? This activity illustra t e show easily our watersheds and water tables can becontaminated with a variety of pollutants. Humanactivities can unknowingly contaminate the gro u n dwater reservoirs which support both human andwildlife populations.Historically, sinkholesh av el o n gb e e n used asdump sites for variouswaste materialsincluding householdgarbage, agroc h e m i c a lc o n t a i n e r s ,a n d d e a da n i m a l s .M a ny peoplet h i n kt h a t the “ b o t t o m-less pit”of a sinkholeor cave will swallowthe garbage; in fact, itactually never “goesaway.”
This poses ap ro b l e mf o rt h eg ro u n dwater and for theorganisms living inthe sinkhole or cave.S u r f a c e wa t e rr u n - o f f ,f rom rain for example,f u n n e l s into the depression in the ground.As itdoes, it takes contaminants from the solid wastewith it and carries it quickly through to theunderground watershed or water table.
Taking It Further:■ Invite a local clean water task force to the
classroom to discuss actions that can be takento keep drinking water clean.
■ Find out if your area has karst areas or sinkholes.Learn what you can do to prevent watercontamination.
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taped hinge
sinkhole
watershed
soil &sediment
soil &sediment
rocky layers
opening intocavernsbelow
ground water(undergroundstream or pool)
bottle #1
bottle #2
water
rocky layers
ground water(undergroundstream or pool)
Karst Watershed Model
Non-Karst Watershed Model
Objective: Students will learn the differenceb e t w e e n a k a r s t wa t e r s h e d , a n o n - k a r s t wa t e r s h e d ,and about the fragility of these watersheds inrelation to pollution.
In The Film: As we zoom to the Yucatan Pe n i n s u l a ,i nS o u t h e r nM e x i c o , we see one of the huge templesbuilt to celebrate ancient gods.Under this templeis a huge block of limestone karst, honeycombedwith caves. Most of these karst caves are linked tounderground water sources for the entire region.Hazel Barton and her guide dive into one of thesecaves and swim in water flowing under ancientgrounds.
Materials: ■ Four two-liter plastic soda bottles■ Tape ■ Sharp scissors■ Plastic tube long enough to attach the bottles
a c c o rding to diagram and to match the diameterof the bottle neck opening
■ Small stones, sand and aquarium gravel■ Food coloring■ Bowl of water■ Measuring cup■ Aluminum foil
Teacher Prep Notes: This activity is designedto be done as a demonstration for students. It willbe helpful to assemble all portions of the modelsprior to performing the demonstration. If studentswill be doing the activity, it is recommended thatthey work in pairs with adult supervision.
Background: A watershed is an area of landw h e re all wa t e r, whether ground water or run-off,collects and drains into stre a m s , r i v e r s ,l a k e s , a n du n d e rg round re s e rv o i r s . A watershed in a karsta rea has sinkholes that provide a direct opening,or dra i n , f rom the land surface to the gro u n dwa t e rb e l o w.
Sinkholes are natural depression in the earth’ssurface caused by the collapse of underg ro u n d cavepassages. Sinkholes are common in approximatelyone quarter of the United States and can be iden-tified as circular depressions in the surface of thee a r t h . Sinkholes are evidence of subterranean wa t e re ro s i o na n d g e n e ra l l y i n d i c a t ec av e s a n d / o rd i s s o l v e dlimestone bedrock near the soil surface. S o m e t i m e ssinkholes have open bottoms that provide a directpathway to underground springs and rivers.
To Do: Assemble the two watershed bottles asindicated in the diagram. One bottle represents asinkhole (or karst) watershed and the other, anon-karst watershed.
Identify the ground water, rocky layer, andsoil layer for each model, and the sinkhole itselfin the karst model.Ask students to explain whatwould happen to rain and run-off water in eachof the models.
Simulate a rainfall by pouring 1⁄4 cup (59ml)of water onto both watershed models. Pour wateronto one model at a time to allow students ampletime to make observations to each. Based on whato c c u r s , ask students to interpret what might happenin these models if pollution were introduced.Askstudents to list examples of substances that couldmake their way into ground water.
To illustrate one possible outcome showingpollution pro b l e m s , place sev e ral drops of re d foodcoloring onto the soil layer of each model. N o wpour 1⁄4 cup (59ml) of water onto each model, oneat a time.The food coloring represents pollutionon the surface of the ground.When rain falls ontothe polluted watersheds, what happens to t h epollution? Which model’s ground water b e c a m epolluted fastest? How can pollution be preventedfrom entering our ground water in real life?
A R i v e r R u n s T h r o u g h I t
K E Y W O R D S
aquifer—an underground water reservoir.ground water—water that infiltrates thesoil and is stored in slowly flowing reservoirs(aquifers); used loosely to refer to any waterbeneath the land surface.k a r s t—a terrain where the topology is formedby dissolving rock, usually limestone, and isgenerally characterized by sinkholes,under-ground streams, and caves. Karst makes upa p p roximately 10% of the earth’s surface (and20% of the U. S.) But about 25% of the wo r l d ’spopulation lives in these areas!sinkhole—depression in the ground causedby the collapse of underlying rock (containingpassageways formed in limestone), whichprovides direct conduits for surface water.watershed—an area of land where all watercollects and drains into a common body ofwater such as a lake, river or ocean.
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ACTIVITY
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Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed byProject Underground and was used with permission.
precipitation
...seeps through soil...
water enters karst aquifer
water...
...and cracks in the bedrock
A Karst Watershed of a Sinkhole Area
To Do: Ask each student to crumple one largepiece of gro c e ry sack, as if they were going to thro wit into the tra s h .H ave students smash the crumpledball of paper several times and then open it up allthe way. Next have them crumple the paper again,and open it creating a bumpy weathered-lookingpiece of paper. This surface simulates the wall ofthe cave where students will create pictographs.
Ask each student to examine their “cave wall”and see if they can envision images of primitiveanimal shapes, clouds or other primitive-lookingpatterns. Students will need to use their imagina-t i o n s , just as ancient cave dwellers did. If no imagesare visible (or imagined) ask students to simplypaint an image onto the paper.
If you are using the traditional style of creatingnatural pigments, have students carefully grindsmall chunks of the desired rock or mineral, usinga mortar and pestle.Place the pigment dust into agourd bowl or large shell, and drip water onto thepaint dust and stir paint with a toothpick.Keepadding water, a small amount at a time, until thepaint is the desired thickness for painting. Followthe same procedure for other colors needed.If using tempera paint, pour small amounts of thepaint into the small shells or gourd bowls,or intoplastic bowls as needed.
To create brushes, ask students to select smalla m o u n t sf ro mt h e p rov i d e d b r u s hm a t e r i a l s .S t u d e n t sshould select a brush item based on the desiredoutcome of their cave art image. For instance, if along, thin painted line is desired, students canselect long blades of grass and hold them togetheras they paint. If round marks are needed, studentsm ay s i m p l yc h o o s e to use their fingertips. E n c o u ra g estudents to try new objects as brushes and newtechniques to make their piece look authentic.
Students can also gather ideas about tra d i t i o n a lp i c t o g ra p h s t y l e s by l o o k i n g a tp h o t o g raphs in booksf rom the school and local libra ry. These books w i l lh ave examples of actual cave art, c reated centuriesa g o by a n c i e n tp e o p l e .A s ks t u d e n t s to compare their
c ave art to that of the ancient people. What are themajor differences in the style and design?
What’s Going On & Why? Cave paintings, orpictographs, are important images reflecting theuse of caves by early humans.They are a beautifulexpression from a past generation of people whoused the cave and the surrounding areas for basichuman survival.These cave drawings are alsohistorical treasures, inneed of our pro t e c t i o n .Ancient pictographsare often preservedthanks to the dry, d a r kconditions deep insideof the cave. Somepictographs haveadorned cave wallsfor thousands of ye a r s . When they were discov e re d ,their possible destruction began. Each time weventure into a cave, even to conduct research onthe art, we can inadvertently jeopardize theseancient works. Electric lighting, brought into cavesby researchers, can, in fact, change the atmosphereand contribute to deterioration of the art.
In order to preserve these ancient cave artforms, most states have laws protecting them asvaluable resources. It is against the law to removeany formation, fossil, artifact or organism fromany cave.
Taking it Further:■ Contact a local Native American club or
indigenous group or organization. Invite themto discuss the historic importance of pictogra p hart to their culture.
■ Display cave art on the walls of the classroomand have students write caption cards explainingtheir design and their painting techniques.
Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed byProject Underground and was used with permission.
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Objective: Students will learn about early caveart and discuss its importance to ancient cultures.
In The Film: Hazel and Nancy are searching forthe smallest of life forms inside of the caves theyexplore.These tiny organisms, and other cave-dwelling plants or animals are not the only crea-tures who visit these dark places. Early humansvisited caves and left their “writing on the walls”for future generations of explorers to appreciate.
Materials: For Paint:■ small pieces of red clay (hematite), kaolin clay,
gypsum, chalk and charcoal (you may purchasefrom a biology supply company)
For Brushes:■ Reeds,palm fronds, long grasses,sticks, hair
or fur■ Mortar and pestle ■ Water■ Shells,clay pots, or gourd bowls ■ Toothpicks■ Brown grocery sacks cut into large rectangles■ Access to photographs of ancient cave art
N OTE: Small plastic cups, re d ,b l a c k , and white temperapaint may be used for this activity instead of thematerials listed.Store-bought paintbrushes of variedsizes can also be substituted.
Teacher Prep Notes: This activity is designedto simulate the technique, painting materials, andpaints used by ancient people to create cave art.Tempera paint and ready-made paintbrushes canbe used, but for a more culturally accurate activity,have students grind their own paint pigment fromthe traditional items listed abov e .C reate tra d i t i o n a lstyle brushes to apply the hand-crushed paintpigments using the materials listed above. Contacta l o c a lN a t u ra lH i s t o ry M u s e u m , or Native A m e r i c a norganization for more information about nativecave art.
B a c k g ro u n d : H i s t o r i c a l l y, a n c i e n tp e o p l eh av eb e e nc ave dwellers or cave visiting species. Artifacts showthat they may have used caves for shelter fro minclement weather, f rom warring tribes, or ev e nf ro ml a rge pre d a t o ry animals. M a ny people used thec ave walls as an artist’s canva s , c h ronicling ev e n t sand details of the time; fortunately some hav ebeen pre s e rved for many ye a r s . The pictogra p h sc reated often show other cave visitors—va r i o u stypes of animals the artist was tra c k i n g . A simplehandprint stamped on the wa l l , or an imagedepicting a good hunt are invaluable re c o rds bywhich we learn about ancient culture s .
Early humans left us rudimentary pictures asevidence of how they lived and how they usedtheir imaginations to create art, which matchedthe physical features of the cave wa l l s . How theart was created and the types of materials used tomake the primitive art forms depended on thei n d i g e n o u sm a t e r i a l sf o u n di n the are a . For example,g o u rd s , shells or even large leaves were used aspaint mixing pots. Tw i g s , plant stalks or fingersw e re used to apply the paint to the wa l l s .A rcheological evidence shows that animal fur andbones were also used to apply the paint, c re a t i n gi n t e resting and often intricate pictographs.
Grinding colored rocks or minerals and mixingthem with a liquid created the pigments for picto-g ra p h s . Ancient people used hematite (red clay) tocreate a red pigment for painting.Gypsum, chalk,kaolin clay, and even bird droppings were used toc reate white paint pigment. C h a rc o a l ,g ra p h i t e , a n dmanganese ores were used to make black pigmentand yellow pigment was made by using a limonite( yellow clay) or sulfur chunks. These pigment colorswere blended with water, plant or animal oil, urineor even blood to get the proper thickness to beapplied to cave walls.
Cool Caves
K E Y W O R D S
p i c t o g ra p h s—ancient cave paintings, c re a t e dby early humans, often depicting animalsliving during that period.
p e t ro g l y p h s—ancient cave art that is formedby scratching, grooving, drilling or peckinginto the surface of a rock.
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ACTIVITY
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Un c ross your legs and your arms. S t retch outa little. Close your eyes and re l a x .You will begoing on a caving trip. This will be differe n t
from a tour in a show cave where you have thecomfort of an illuminated and easy walking path.You will have your hard hat on with a light attachedto it. Everything you do in the cave will dependon your being able to see by this little light. It willbe pitch black in there but you will be fine.
Imagine you are ready to depart.A couple ofyour buddies are putting their helmets on, too,and tugging on the straps under their chins tomake sure they’re on tight.The three people fromyour local caving grotto are standing next to the
car, laughing and talking and getting themselvesre a dy to lead your trip. T h ey are experienced guideswith permission from the cave owner to visit thecave that day.
You are beginning to climb up the slope at theb a s eo f the mountain. This spring day, the air is briska n d clean and clear. It smells of pine. The mountain-side ahead of you is cov e red with flowering bushesof mountain laurel.You can’t see the entrance tothe cave because it is covered by the mountainlaurel.Around the next group of trees and down ashallow incline, you are looking right into a good-sized hole among the rocks.
You are descending, down, down, picking yourway carefully over the jutting rocks,crouching tokeep your balance. Your gloved hands help.You seeall the leaves,branches, and rocks on your waydown, down,down. Now you notice a lot of trashand you are surprised. Your friends didn’t tell youthat a lot of people use this cave, or that somepeople are very thoughtless. T h e re are bottles, c a n s ,tires,and other ugly things.You also notice a canof bright blue spray paint.You wonder if the restof the cave will look like this.
Your helmet slips forward and you raise yourhand and push it off your forehead, and then tugon the strap under your chin.As you continue on,your footing is easier and the ground is a littlemore level. It really is beginning to get dark, andthe light beam from your helmet shows straightahead of you.You realize you are not seeing bushesand roots like you did just a few minutes ago, butinstead, clumps of dead leaves and twigs that looklike they ’ve been washed in. A little light still shinesin from the entrance. You have been told aboutthis “twilight zone.”You walk around a corner andthe light beam wavers as you move your head.You tighten your chinstrap again, and reach up andfeel the casing of your helmet light. By twisting thecasing, the light beam gets bigger, and now youcan see more.
You crouch under an overhanging ledge.Asyou clear the ledge and straighten your back, youslowly turn your whole body, in one motion, onthe ball of your right foot.The light beam followsright in front of you, staying right with you as youturn.You stop. Without moving your head, youlook with just your eyes to the right. You can seenothing outside of the beam of light. It is reallydark.You put your hand out to your side and knowyou must be looking right at your palm but youcan’t see it. Moving your head just a little, the lightbeam now shows your hand.
The light also shows a lumpy wa l l . It is smoothover the lumps, as if it’s coated. Moving your headup a little, you see that the wall is rougher and
Your InnerDragons
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Objective: Students relate to a caving experiencethrough literature.
In The Film: In every new scene we see Nancyand Hazel adv e n t u r i n gdeep into dangerousa n d e x o t i cc av es y s t e m s .Each exploration ismore breathtakingthan the next. Notmany people have theopportunity to actuallyexperience what theserisk-takers have, thusthis film is particularlyunique.Dealing withtheir “inner dragons,”o u r b rav e s t a r s dive intoa cenote in Mexico andare forced to cope withcramped conditions,poor underwatervisibility, and limitedair supply. I m a g i n ethe stories they willtell when they surface!
Materials: ■ Your Inner Dragons copy pages (pages 13-15)
Teacher Prep Notes: This activity can be doneas a read aloud activity. Enlist the assistance of aprofessional storyteller for an exciting twist.
Background: Historically, storytelling was usedto relate information to other people. Before thewritten language,when the spoken word was theonly means of communication,stories were anessential part of life.Stories had importance andvalue to everyone in the community. Family historyand the laws of the culture were remembered andp a s s e d on in story form.
To Do: Have students listen to the story and askthem to note their feelings about the events.Discuss these feelings after the re a d i n g .
Wh a t ’s Going On & Why ? Imagination enablesus to see a landscape we’ve never seen, take part ina dv e n t u res we’d never otherwise experience, a n dd evelop compassion and understanding for d i f f e re n tways of life. S t o rytelling allows us to use our imag-ination as we listen. This story gives students anopportunity to be a cav e r, visit a different cave fro mt h e f i l m ,a n df e e l a s if they are deep within the earth.
Your Inner Dragons
K E Y W O R D Scenote—a sacred cave where undergroundrivers “hide from the sun.”
grotto—old term referring to a cave.
limestone—a sedimentary rock consistingprimarily of calcium carbonate.
speleothems (cave formations)—secondarymineral deposits formed in caves, caused bythe dissolution of minerals (such as calcite)and their subsequent deposition in crystallineform in growing layers and a variety of shapes.
stalactite—common cave formations thathang down from the cave ceiling.
stalagmite—common cave formations thatrise up from the cave floor.
visualization—to form a mental image ofsomething not present in sight.
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ACTIVITY
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C O P Y P A G E
your feet and your head.There are more juttingrocks from the walls, and up ahead is a wholegroup of brownish gray stalactites of varying sizeshanging from the ceiling. You are at an intersection.W h i c h way ?T h i sc o u l d b ec o n f u s i n g .Yo ua re t h a n k f u lfor the guides and their knowledge of the cave.Continuing on, you hear the water again. Drip.Drip.You notice the passage is dividing again.Youwonder if the water is close by. With just a fewmore steps, you follow those ahead of you arounda corner and you see an open room.
You are not disappointed.There is a beautifulpool.Your leaders tell you it is a slow-movingstream and cautions everyone not to put hands ora nything into the wa t e r. Bending ov e r, you peer intothe water. What is this? Little fish.They dash anddart...but looking closer for a minute, you see theyhave no eyes and are very pale white.Otherwise,they look like ordinary small fish.“That’s right,“you think.“What would they need eyes for?”They,and their ancestors, have not been in the sunshinefor many, many generations and there’s certainlyno light for them to need eyes to see anything inh e re , deep underg ro u n d . One of the guides explainshow these special environments can be fragile.
Carefully you move away from the water andhead back in the direction you came.Your lightcatches a glint. Look at the soda straws! They lookso fragile. One of the guides explains that themineralized water is dripping through their centersand depositing a ring of calcite around their tipsas it evaporates,making them grow longer over avery long period of time. You know you must becareful not to bump these fragile formations.
You are back at the intersection, but which wayleads to the entrance? You remember that forest ofcolumns. But the leader is taking another path.Youwonder what you will see going this way. Rightaway the short hallway opens into a huge room.By moving your head around, you allow your lightto scan the room. You see an enormously highceiling. Slowly, you circle around the edge of theroom marveling at the beauty. Calcite formationss e e mt of l o w l i k er i p p l i n g wa t e r f a l l s down the cav e r nwalls. Others hang like rope from the ceiling. Bestof all...there,to the right …is a huge stalagmiteg rowing up from the floor! Water containing carbondioxide absorbed from the soil above the cave, hasdripped through the ceiling onto the floor andeva p o ra t e d , l e aving tiny crystals that have gra d u a l l ybuilt up to form this giant.You remember hearingsomeone say stalagmites only grow an inch everyh u n d re d ye a r s o rs o . How very old this one must be!
Beep-beep. Beep-beep.Your stopwatch. It’sunbelievable that you have been underground forthree hours now.You had lost track of the time.
Your light flickers. You tap it.Again! Oooh…Gone.Hold on, no need to panic here. You tell everyoneto hold up! You turn on the small flashlight hangingon a string around your neck. You open the zipperon your backpack and shine the beam into it.Asyour fingers grope for the batteries you had putinside, you are thankful for the Basic CavingEquipment list the group leader had given you priort ot h e t r i p. I n t h ef a i n t l i g h t yo us n a pt h e re p l a c e m e n tbatteries in place.The light comes on, and you canhear the voices of people in your group and are gladthey stayed close by while they waited.Lookingaround, you wonder exactly how far undergroundyou are and realize how very easy it would be tobecome disoriented.You see one of the trip leadersclose by. He smiles, nods, and signals you to comeon now.You duck to miss another jutting over-hang and continue on. You realize the passage isopening more.This is definitely not the same wayyou came in.The group leaders are pointing outdifferent formations.You see a small cluster ofrounded “cave grapes”on the wall. Several peoplehad walkedpast withoutnoticing them.
You canfeel a dra f t .The entra n c emust be near.Rounding acorner, you seethe streams ofsunlight that dance on the floor! You also seesmooth stones, t w i g s , l e aves and a glass bottle.Closer to the entra n c e , you see those cans andpaper again, too.They really do look out of place.You can’t imagine why anyone would harm such abeautiful cave as this. Some people seem to thinktrash can just be thrown anywhere. You wonder ifthey know the danger that even small amounts ofpoison or introduced chemicals could do to anenvironment like this.You and the others throwthe trash into a bag. You realize you can see prettywell, actually. Turning your light off, you feel good.You look around at your friends.They really lookquite funny, covered in mud.Then you look atyourself. Oh well...You reach down and pull upone of your knee pads that had found its waydown to the top of your boot. It is caked in mud.So, this is caving?
Climbing and pulling up, you are soon back inthe world you know! You had quite an experienceand learned a lot today.
Note: This activity was adapted from materials developed by
Project Underground and was used with permission.
C A V E F A C T SCave Decoration: Cave walls are decoratedwhen trickling water deposits dissolve stoneto form stalactites,stalagmites, and other“flowstone”formations.All cave decorationsare called speleothems and many are asdelicate as fine crystal. Even massive columns100 feet (30.48 meters) high are fragile...andmay be dangerous to cavers.
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jagged, and when you look up higher, there ismore smooth rock, but it seems to be just hangingthere away from the wall.Moving your headslowly, your light pans around. It’s such an unusualscene.The ceiling seems so low and jagged.Yourlight does not reach all the way back to your left,in the darkness over there. You hear voices. Yourfriends call back and forth to each other to makes u re ev e ryone is together.You stand up and walk on.The light bounces up and down as you pick yourway over the large rocks strewn in every direction.Holding on with your hands as you crawl overthem, you put your weight on it.Your heavy bootwedges between two ro c k s .You tug a little and keepg o i n g . A smaller rock turns and you slip and land onyour tailbone. Ouch! You remember now why theg u i d e st o l d yo ut ok e e pa tl e a s tt h re ep o i n t so fc o n t a c twith the cave at all times when climbing over rocksto avoid slipping or falling. You are all right andyou continue on, feeling more sure-footed now.
The passage istighter now.Your lightgoes a long way up, b u tthe walls are close.Yo upick your way along,watching where yo us t e p. . . BAM! Yo uh i t yo u rhead on a ledge juttingo u t .You’re v e ry t h a n k f u lfor your helmet.
You wind aro u n dand see the skinnypassage ahead of yo u .
But it’s okay. I t ’s wider than yo u , but bare l y. Tu r n i n gs i d eway s , you slide one foot next to the other andsidestep a few times.Your arms are to your sides,and your light is pointing in the direction you areg o i n g .You continue to sidestep a few inches at at i m e .You can feel the closeness of the walls andsmell the dampness right in front of your face.W h o a … You can’t mov e . Wiggling a little, you findyou are stuck.Your backpack and shoulder arewedged against the wa l l .You wiggle some more ,turn your head, and shine the light all aro u n d .T h e re ’s enough ro o m . The guide following closebehind you suggests that you slide the pack offyour shoulder. S l o w l y, you slide one of your handsup your chest and push the shoulder strap ov e ryour shoulder and down your other arm. T h a t ’sbetter alre a dy.You let the backpack hang fro myour hand and twist and look at the wa l l . C av ec o ra l , also called cave popcorn, is the culprit. I tfeels more like Ve l c ro , you think, because it is sorough and wo u l d n ’t let you slide by.
Another turn and the passage widens…wo w,this is more tiring than you thought, but luckily the
guides have called a bre a k .You sit down to rest andpan your light aro u n d . It looks as if the passage iswidening even more ahead.You notice the floor ism o i s t , and you also are not seeing sharp, j u t t i n gro c k sa ny m o re .E v e ryo n e i sb e g i n n i n gt o quiet down,and you can hear a faint trickle. D r i p. D r i p. D r i p. T h es o u n di sc o m i n gf ro ms o m ew h e re ahead of yo u .Yo u rlegs really are a little tire d . It feels good to just sit.
While taking a bre a k , you notice that the airin the cave has a distinct aro m a . It smells mustyand “ e a r t hy ”f rom the mud and dirt.You sure don’tremember smelling anything quite like this before!
Something just zipped across your outstre t c h e dleg! It was a salamander! As you let your bre a t ho u t , you are happy you didn’t yell out, as someonedid up ahead. One of the group leaders says somesalamanders that live deep in caves don’t have anyeye s , only eye sockets. Did this one have eyes? Itwas gone so fast.You wonder what other cre a t u re syou might see. Wo u l d n ’t it be great to see a packrat scurry by? The leader closest to you says packrats like to live pretty close to the entra n c e . . .m aybe on the way back out? With ev e ryone seatedand safe, one of your guides tells ev e ryone to turnoff all lights.You didn’t know darkness could bethis dark. T h e re is no light any w h e re .You cansense the dark confines of the cav e . E v e ryone isq u i e t , and for a brief second you feel you area l o n e .Your senses sharpen in the total darknessand you hear, close by, the movements of the re s tof the gro u p.You wonder if they feel as you do…
In the quiet, you hear the water again. D r i p.D r i p. W h e re is it coming from? Is there a pool ofwater ahead or maybe a waterfall? It’s more of atrickling sound, and seems to be calling yo u … t ocome and see.You also feel how cool the air feels.You almost shiver.You were moving before . M ay b ei t ’s time to move again.Your guides are tellingev e ryone to turn their lights back on.You hearev e ryone talking in hushed tones up and downthe line as you continue your journey, deeper intothe cav e .You start up a little incline and your rightfoot slips, just a little.Your hand touches the slip-p e ry wa l l . The thin layer of mud under your feetreally is slippery. Whoa…splat! Knees and bellydown! Scrambling now, i t ’s hard to grasp any t h i n gwith your gloves on.Your feet are mov i n g , but yo uc a n ’t push on any t h i n g .You contemplate re m ov i n gyour glov e s , then the toe of your boot finds a littleniche and you push over the knoll. Still on yo u rk n e e s , you push up. We t , s l i p p e ry mud is ev e ry-w h e re! Your helmet slides forwa rd again.You re a c hup and push it back. We l l , so much for the cleanf a c e , and to make it wo r s e , now your nose itches!
Telling those behind you that you’re fine, youm ove along again, t rying to be very careful to wa t c h
C A V E F A C T SHow Caves Are Formed: Unlike canyons,which are carved by the friction of fast-mov i n gwater, a subtler but equally effective force—the dissolving action of slow-moving groundwater, forms most limestone caves. Groundwater becomes mildly acidic when it picks upcarbon dioxide in the air and soil.When theacidic water leaks through cracks in the earth’scrust, it dissolves the rock below, leavingpockets or caves.This ground water c a nd i s s o l v e a c h a m b e r3 0 0 f e e t( 91. 4 4m e t e r s )h i g hfrom solid stone in less than a million years.
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
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C O P Y P A G E C O P Y P A G E
T E A C H E R’S G U I D E
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Resources
Organizations
American Cave ConservationAssociation,Inc.P.O. Box 409, Horse Cave,KY 42749
B a tC o n s e r v a t i o nI n t e r n a t i o n a l ,I n c .P.O. Box 162603Austin,TX 78716-2603http://www.batcon.com
The National Caves Association4138 Dark Hollow RoadMcMinnville,TN 37110http://www.cavern.com
The National Speleological Society2813 Cave AvenueHuntsville,AL 35810-4431www.caves.org
Most of these books are available fromThe National Speleological SocietyBookstore on the web at www.caves.org
Exploring Caves: Journeys intothe EarthBy N. A u l e n b a c h ,H . Barton & M. B .F e rg u s o nN a t i o n a lG e o g ra p h i cB o o k s , Wa s h i n g t o n , D. C.
Caves: Exploring Hidden RealmsBy Michael Ray Taylor N a t i o n a lG e o g ra p h i cB o o k s ,Wa s h i n g t o n , D. C.
Speleology: The Study of Caves By G. W. Moore and G.N.Sullivan,Published by Cave Books,756 Harvard St.,St.Louis,MO, 1978.
America’s Neighborhood Bats By Merlin D. Tuttle.An informative book appropriate for highschool ages through adults.
Bats, Creatures of the NightBy Joyce Milton. Primary reading book with colorful illustrations and factual information.
B a t s ,S w i f tS h a d o w si nt h e Tw i l i g h tBy Ann C. Cooper. Stories and activitiesappropriate for upper elementary and middleschool students.
CavesBy Jenny Wood.A p p ro p r i a t ef o ru p p e rp r i m a ry readers withphotographs and projects.
Caves and CavernsBy Ket Coder, A u d ry Taylor and Ann Molosky.Appropriate for upper primary students.
Caves and LifeBy Herbert S. Zin. A primary level resource with good line drawings.
Educator’s Activity Book About BatsBy Bat Conservation International.A collection of 18 bat activities for elementary levels.
Learning to Live with KarstBy American Cave Conservation Association,Inc.A collection of ten classroom activities andstories for middle school aged students.
One Small Square: CavesBy Donald M.Silver. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school with illustra-tions and side bars of related activities.
StellalunaBy Jane Cannon.A preschool and lower elementary schoolstory and picture book.
Animal Adaptation Advantage
bat echolocation maneuver well in darknesstiny, sharp claws hangs from ceiling away from predators
cave cricket long antennae feel around in darklong back legs escape predators quickly
flatworms regenerates tail or head continue livingextended tube as mouth suck up small organismsadhesive organ sticks to walls and other slick surfaces
cave spider makes webs in cracks catch mites and flies moving along walls and under ro c k s
mites microscopic in size live on host
p s e u d o s c o r p i o n long claws grasp prey easily
blind catfish v i b ration sensors scattered over its skin detect faintest vibrations and guide to food source
crayfish long antennae detect prey in the darknesslong claws grasp prey easily
remipedia many fin-like legs move easily in mud or water (cave swimmer)
bear hibernation sleep through the coldest part of winterclaws dig into dirt of caves
ringtail cat long body enter small cave entranceslarge eyes improved vision in low light
Acknowledgments
We wish to re c o g n i ze the following individualswho contributed to this study guide:
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center,San Diego, CA,
Lynne KennedyDeputy Executive Director,Education and Exhibits
Alyson K.EvansDirector of Education Programs
Tim TischerEducation Specialist
M u c ho f the material in this guide has beendeveloped by Project Underground andused with their permission. Special thanksto: Carol Zokaites,National Coordinator.P ro j e c tU n d e rg ro u n di s an interd i s c i p l i n a ry,supplemental environmental educationprogram designed for use by educators ofk i n d e rgarten through high school students.T h ef u l lP ro j e c tU n d e rg ro u n d guide isavailable for purchase.Contact ProjectUnderground at: 2281 Lubna Drive,Christiansburg,VA 24073,(540) 381-8234,[email protected]
Project ManagementAlice Casbara
MacGillivray Freeman Films,Laguna Beach, CA
DesignJeff Girard
Victoria Street Graphic DesignSan Clemente, CA
IllustrationPhil Roberts
Manhattan Beach, CA
Extreme Life Forms Chart
C O P Y P A G E
N O T I C E : This publication may be re p roduced by the classroom teacher for classroom use only. This publication may not be re p roduced for storage in a re t r i eval system, or tra n s m i t t e d ,in any form by any means—electro n i c ,m e c h a n i c a l , re c o rding—without prior permission of the publisher. R e p roduction of these materials for commercial resale is strictly pro h i b i t e d .
