On those first warm days of spring, the opportunity for wonder is at its annual high. Take the kids outside to learn experientially about seasonal changes and living things.
The curriculum expectations below are based on the Ontario Ministry of
Expectations. Many of the activities will reinforce, rather than teach,
those expectations. As such, no assessment ideas or rubrics are
included.
Understanding Life Systems: Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
Overall Expectations:
Overall Expectations:
- assess the role of humans in maintaining a healthy environment;
- investigate needs and characteristics of plants and animals, including human beings;
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic needs and characteristics of plants and animals, including human beings.
Overall Expectations:
- assess the impact of daily and seasonal changes on living things, including humans;
- investigate daily and seasonal changes;
- demonstrate an understanding of what daily and seasonal changes are and of how these changes affect living things.
Ants: Cooperative Colonies**
Ant Talk
This is not so much a whole lesson; it is a
series of fun observation activities to supplement what students have
learned about characteristics of living things by observing ants.
Pack
some bread crumbs and look for an ant trail in your school yard or a nearby
park. When you find one, try to follow it from one end to the other.
Your challenge is to find both their food source and the colony.
Lay
a stick or stone directly on the trail and watch what the ants do. Do
they create a detour trail that eventually links back to the old trail?
Do they create a new trail? Now place some bread crumbs a few inches
away from the trail and watch what the ants do. Do they succeed in
finding your food?
Most
ants have poor eyesight, but powerful senses of smell and touch.
Antennae attached to their head receive signals through scents and
vibrations. Chemical signals, or pheromones, communicate many different
things. They mark food trails, signal alarms, and perform identify
checks. If an ant meets another ant and it has the same smell, it knows
it is a member of the same colony. If an ant is crushed, it will send an
alarm signal, calling other ants to attack by biting, stinging or
spraying formic acid.
Antennae are also sensitive
to touch. Ants will send signals by touching and stroking each other’s
bodies with their forelegs and antennae. Some ants are even head
bangers! They bang their antennae against a hard surface to send warning
signals as vibrations other colony members will feel.
Talking Heads
Back
on the ant trail, watch for communication behavior among ants. Do you
see ants touching each other with their antennae when they meet? Now you know why!
**Find more ant information and activities in this printable booklet.
Sensing the Forest***
Take students to an open area outdoors. Having trees and other natural objects nearby is ideal.
Discuss
with your students that forests have different parts: some parts are
living and some are nonliving. Ask your students to tell you how living
things are different from non-living things. (Living things eat and
move. Nonliving things do not. Living things have needs like food,
water, and space. They can also change food into energy. They grow,
reproduce, and adapt to their environment. Nonliving things do not have
needs, they cannot reproduce, nor can they adapt to their environment.)
Tell
your students that they are going to use their senses to investigate
different parts of the forest and decide which parts are living and
which parts are nonliving.
Activity
Form a circle with your group. Have everyone stand facing the inside of the circle.
Hand
each student a small piece of paper and a few crayons. Tell the
students that you are going to teach them how to draw a picture that
shows what sounds look like.
Ask your students to listen to the sounds around them without talking for 30 to 60 seconds.
Have
the students raise their hands to tell you about one sound they heard.
Call on three students and discuss the qualities of the sounds they
share. For example, was the sound loud or soft, high-pitched or
low-pitched? Was the sound heard only once or was it repeated? Was it
made by something living or nonliving? (Answers will vary depending on
the sound being discussed.) For the first two sounds discussed, show the
students how they might make marks on their paper that go with the
sounds. Dots might represent a tapping sound, straight lines might
represent the sound of wind, and a wavy line might look like the sound
of a bird’s song. For the third sound discussed, ask students for their
ideas on what kind of mark should go with the sound. NOTE: If drawing
symbols is too abstract for your students, have them draw things such as
birds or leaves to represent what they hear.
Explain
to your students that they are each going to make their own drawing of
the sounds they hear. Make sure they understand that there is no right
or wrong answer. Each paper will look different when they are done.
Remind them that there should be no talking during this activity because
they will be listening carefully to the sounds around them. Ask the
students to take two big steps backward, turn around, and sit down
facing the outside of the circle. Allow them several minutes to listen
and make marks on their papers.
After several minutes have passed, ask the group to return to their original circle and sit down facing the inside.
Lead
them in a discussion about their listening experience. Begin by asking
one student to explain his/her drawing to the group. When that student
is finished, ask the rest of the students if they heard any of the same
sounds. If so, ask one or two of those students how they depicted the
sounds on their paper. If there is time, continue to ask other students
to explain their drawings to the group. Prompt students by asking if
they heard the sound of wind in the trees, branches scraping, birds,etc.
Throughout the discussion, be sure to ask the students to tell you
which of the sounds were made by living things, and which were made by
nonliving things.
*** Lesson from University of Wisconsin Stevens Point forestry education. Click here for the printable lesson.
What Color is Your Leaf?*
What Color is Your Leaf?*
Objectives
Students will:
Students will:
- make observations and record information in a schoolyard and/or garden setting to describe leaf patterns in the natural world.
- make inferences on how the sun and shade contribute to differences in leaf color and texture.
-clipboards
-student data sheet (1 per pair)
-pencils
-color pencils or crayons (shades of green, brown, red and green)
Teacher Prep
Prior to the activity, identify a sunny and a shady location in the school garden, yard, or neighboring area to use for observations and data collection. Keep in mind to choose plants in the sunny location that show traits that are responding to the sun, as described in Background for Educators below. It doesn’t have to be the same species, but kudos if the same species is found in both the sunny and shady location.
-student data sheet (1 per pair)
-pencils
-color pencils or crayons (shades of green, brown, red and green)
Teacher Prep
Prior to the activity, identify a sunny and a shady location in the school garden, yard, or neighboring area to use for observations and data collection. Keep in mind to choose plants in the sunny location that show traits that are responding to the sun, as described in Background for Educators below. It doesn’t have to be the same species, but kudos if the same species is found in both the sunny and shady location.
If your schoolyard does not have much plant material, here are tips to start the process of naturalizing part of your schoolyard the cheap and easy way.
Teacher Tip: You can also make observations by looking at leaves in trees and larger shrubs. Note that this activity can still be accomplished if students are looking at only one plant. Students can observe leaves from the outermost parts of the tree that are exposed to direct sun and compare them to leaves growing in the shady inner reaches of that tree.
Introduction
Teacher Tip: You can also make observations by looking at leaves in trees and larger shrubs. Note that this activity can still be accomplished if students are looking at only one plant. Students can observe leaves from the outermost parts of the tree that are exposed to direct sun and compare them to leaves growing in the shady inner reaches of that tree.
Introduction
You may begin the lesson by reviewing what plants need to grow and survive.
Explain to the class that they will be scientists using their science eyes to observe plants in two different environments (a shady environment and a sunny environment).
Discuss how sometimes plants don’t change the way they look because they have developed ways (over many years) to survive, however, sometimes plants could respond to or react to their environment (where they live) in a way that changes how they look.
Teacher Tip: Remember, the focus is on the response to the environment rather than adaptation. You can go into adaptation as little as possible if you’d like. This of course will depend on your curriculum and/or grade level.
Tell students they will be observing and recording leaf patterns (color and texture) while thinking about the following question: In what way does the sun change the color and texture of a leaf?
Explain to students the observations they collect in their data sheets will be used to discuss and observe patterns that relate to how leaves are responding or reacting to where they live.
Explain to the class that they will be scientists using their science eyes to observe plants in two different environments (a shady environment and a sunny environment).
Discuss how sometimes plants don’t change the way they look because they have developed ways (over many years) to survive, however, sometimes plants could respond to or react to their environment (where they live) in a way that changes how they look.
Teacher Tip: Remember, the focus is on the response to the environment rather than adaptation. You can go into adaptation as little as possible if you’d like. This of course will depend on your curriculum and/or grade level.
Tell students they will be observing and recording leaf patterns (color and texture) while thinking about the following question: In what way does the sun change the color and texture of a leaf?
Explain to students the observations they collect in their data sheets will be used to discuss and observe patterns that relate to how leaves are responding or reacting to where they live.
Activity
Have students make a prediction. What do they think they will see in the two different environments or locations?
Head outside with groups. Hand out one data sheet per group.
Students break up into pairs or small groups and are assigned a plant and location (sun or shade) to become experts on, by looking at the leaves.
Ask groups to draw and record their leaf observations on their data sheet. Allow at least 10 minutes for this. Encourage groups to not remove the leaves from their plant (plants are living things too), but rather look and gently touch.
Pair up groups from differing environments (for example: shade vs. sun) to share and describe their observations with each other.
Reconvene and return to the classroom to collect the data.
Have each group present and collect their data by capturing it on the board for all students to see. Check out example below.
Collect their drawings to visually observe the patterns of leaf color by hanging them around the room.
As each group presents, collect each group’s data by plotting it on the board for all students to see.
Encourage the class to review the graph of all the leaf observations. Then discuss possible patterns as a group.
Wrap Up
Discuss the following questions: Use connections as described below to help students make connections as to why they saw what they saw. What do you notice? What do you wonder? What color(s) did we see the most today?
What kinds of patterns do we see in the different environments (shade vs. sun)?
Do any of the observations today surprise you?
Did you notice leaves that had dark spots? Why might this happen? Were these leaves in the sun or shade?
Teacher Tip: Have students think about what happens to their skin if they get too much sun.
Let's take a look at the data we collected (graph and/or drawings). In what ways were leaves similar and/or different?
Scientific Terms for Students
environment: the area in which something exists or lives.
Head outside with groups. Hand out one data sheet per group.
Students break up into pairs or small groups and are assigned a plant and location (sun or shade) to become experts on, by looking at the leaves.
Ask groups to draw and record their leaf observations on their data sheet. Allow at least 10 minutes for this. Encourage groups to not remove the leaves from their plant (plants are living things too), but rather look and gently touch.
Pair up groups from differing environments (for example: shade vs. sun) to share and describe their observations with each other.
Reconvene and return to the classroom to collect the data.
Have each group present and collect their data by capturing it on the board for all students to see. Check out example below.
Collect their drawings to visually observe the patterns of leaf color by hanging them around the room.
As each group presents, collect each group’s data by plotting it on the board for all students to see.
Encourage the class to review the graph of all the leaf observations. Then discuss possible patterns as a group.
Wrap Up
Discuss the following questions: Use connections as described below to help students make connections as to why they saw what they saw. What do you notice? What do you wonder? What color(s) did we see the most today?
What kinds of patterns do we see in the different environments (shade vs. sun)?
Do any of the observations today surprise you?
Did you notice leaves that had dark spots? Why might this happen? Were these leaves in the sun or shade?
Teacher Tip: Have students think about what happens to their skin if they get too much sun.
Let's take a look at the data we collected (graph and/or drawings). In what ways were leaves similar and/or different?
Scientific Terms for Students
environment: the area in which something exists or lives.
adaptation: what a plant or animal has or does that helps them live.
response: how a plant behaves toward conditions in its environment (such as exposure to sunlight) that can change how it looks and feels.
Background for Educators
Background for Educators
Plants have basic needs just like all living things. Plants require light, air, water, and nutrients, (known as the acronym, LAWN) for survival. Plants meet the needs of their environment in a variety of ways. For instance, leaf adaptations aid in a plant’s survival in different environments.
In hot, sunny, dry environments plants have developed adaptations to respond to high levels of sunlight and heat and very little water. Leaves are important for retaining valuable water and preventing excess heat absorption. Leaves tend to be small, leathery, or light in color, to protect themselves against the sun’s rays. In moist, shady environments, the reverse occurs - light is now a limiting factor and water is more abundant. Leaves are often large and a rich to dark green color, to maximize sunlight absorption. These inherited characteristics are traits that are consistent for the plant from year to year.
Leaf characteristics are not entirely based on a plant’s adaptation to its environment. Environmental conditions, such as water (drought, storms), soil nutrients, sunlight and weather, can all affect how a plant responds and grows. Leaf color and texture can change as a response to environmental conditions. These non-inherited characteristics are traits that can vary from year to year depending on the environmental conditions.
Leaf color can sometimes be indicative of whether a plant is stressed in its environment. If a plant is exposed to extreme heat and sunlight, leaves will display signs of heat stress and can even get sunburned! Excessive heat can cause an imbalance in transpiration (the process of giving off vapor containing water and waste products, especially through the stomata on leaves). Evaporation rates will exceed the rate that a plant can take in moisture, and the plant becomes dehydrated. Leaves can feel leathery and begin to show signs of yellow as the chlorophyll (the main photosynthetic pigment) deteriorates. And just like with humans when we get sunburned, leaves can take on a reddish purple tint, or develop what looks like freckles (dark red to brown spots).
In hot, sunny, dry environments plants have developed adaptations to respond to high levels of sunlight and heat and very little water. Leaves are important for retaining valuable water and preventing excess heat absorption. Leaves tend to be small, leathery, or light in color, to protect themselves against the sun’s rays. In moist, shady environments, the reverse occurs - light is now a limiting factor and water is more abundant. Leaves are often large and a rich to dark green color, to maximize sunlight absorption. These inherited characteristics are traits that are consistent for the plant from year to year.
Leaf characteristics are not entirely based on a plant’s adaptation to its environment. Environmental conditions, such as water (drought, storms), soil nutrients, sunlight and weather, can all affect how a plant responds and grows. Leaf color and texture can change as a response to environmental conditions. These non-inherited characteristics are traits that can vary from year to year depending on the environmental conditions.
Leaf color can sometimes be indicative of whether a plant is stressed in its environment. If a plant is exposed to extreme heat and sunlight, leaves will display signs of heat stress and can even get sunburned! Excessive heat can cause an imbalance in transpiration (the process of giving off vapor containing water and waste products, especially through the stomata on leaves). Evaporation rates will exceed the rate that a plant can take in moisture, and the plant becomes dehydrated. Leaves can feel leathery and begin to show signs of yellow as the chlorophyll (the main photosynthetic pigment) deteriorates. And just like with humans when we get sunburned, leaves can take on a reddish purple tint, or develop what looks like freckles (dark red to brown spots).
*lesson found at the California Academy of Sciences. For printable data sheet and lesson plan, click here.
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