"Getting children comfortable in the outdoors may be one of the greatest gifts we can offer the next generation. Given what we know about the physical and psychological consequences of a sedentary, electronic media-dominated lifestyle, it also might be one of greatest health tips we can offer. A childhood rich in outdoor experiences provides an inexpensive antidote for a number of medical problems, including depression, attention deficit disorder, and obesity.
But there is more. Letting young children freely explore their world outdoors can instill a lifelong connection to the natural world." That is the view of the people at www.gametime.com, and I would guess that it resonates with most of us.
Curriculum expectations are always 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.
Overall Expectations:
- assess human impacts on biodiversity, and identify ways of preserving biodiversity;
- investigate the characteristics of living things, and classify diverse organisms according to specific characteristics;
- demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity, its contributions to the stability of natural systems, and its benefits to humans.
Activity 1. Identification
Go on a nature walk and see if you can spot any of these spore-producing plants. Record where you see them and what the surrounding environment is like. Mosses are low-growing plants with tiny leaflets. They coat the ground like velvet. They are one of the few plants that are green in the (late) winter.
Activity 2. Searching for spores.
Because these plants make spores instead of seeds, it is fun to see if you can find the structure that produces spores, the sporangium. If you don't have any of these plants growing nearby, check with your local florist. They sometimes use ferns in bouquets. See the dark dots on the underside of the frond? Those are the sporangia.
What is the difference between a seed and a spore? A spore is a single cell, so it is tiny. In comparison, a seed contains many cells making up the embryo of the plant, the food that is stored with it, and a cover or coat.
When you went on the nature walk, where did you find these plants? Did you find them mostly in wetter areas? Were any growing in the forest? These plants need moist environments to grow. They can often be seen on the north side of buildings or in other shady places.
Your students have already been learning about biodiversity. This lesson points out that the greatest biodiversity is found on the edges where two ecosystems overlap and in landscapes with multiple vertical layers. If your schoolyard has a woodlot or creek, or is near one, you have the opportunity to explore the edge effect. At the water's edge or a forest's edge is the most life, because in the area where they overlap, species from both ecosystems can be found. Check it out!
In a forest, biodiversity is heavily dependent on a healthy understory and shrub layer. Take a walk in a forest or woodlot with your students to observe more mosses, fungi and mushrooms. For more information, take along this booklet.
Of course, most schools do not have a woodlot at or near their location. Some people at Virginia Tech put a great deal of work into designing a meaningful study of biodiversity in the schoolyard, and they made it freely available. Please find here An Inquiry Field Guide to the Natural History of Schoolyards, Backyards and Parks. To do a quadrant study, see p. 37-140. Pages 37-88 is for the school lawn; pages 89-140 is for a fence row or an overgrown area.
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