En-WareOutdoor

Education

All content property of Papillion-La Vista School District.

First Edition

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En-WareThrough participation in the awareness activities, the student, using his senses, will view the environment as an influence and discover the relationship of nature and man's union with it.

En-Ware

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Time: 5 minutes

Objective: 6.1.10 Describe how plants and animals respond to environ-mental stimuli.8.3.3.g Identify the negative and positive effects of natural and human activity on the environment.

Procedure:1. Divide the group into pairs on the trail facing each other. 2. One partner starts by saying, am aware..." filling in the

sentence with observations of happenings noted imme-diately over and behind the partners shoulder standing along the trail. Note all sounds, sites, movement, and smells of the environment.

3. After 2-3 minutes, the other student does the same fo-cusing on the happenings around and behind the oppo-site partner.

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Section 1

I Am Aware

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Time: 15-20 minutes

Objective: 6.1.1 Explain that ecosystems contain biotic and abiotic compo-nents that interact.

Materials:• blindfolds for each student• one long rope

Procedure:1. Explain: "We're going to cut off one of your senses so that

you can increase perception of other senses. Put this blind-

fold on securely and comfortably so that no sight is possible. The leader will help you. Each of you is to hold onto the rope with one hand, alternating sides of the rope."

2. Walk a distance: "What sounds do you notice first? What was the first sensory impression you had?"

3. Continue until you reach an incline. "How can you tell the path is changing?"

4. Pass through a shaded area and through a spot of sunshine, and ask what environmental conditions they have noticed.

5. If leaves are present, tear two different kinds of leaves in half and have the counselors pass down the line. Or pause along the way whenever a noticeable scent can be discussed.

6. Continue until there is an area for all to sit down. Have them face your voice. Have them dig their fingers into the soil along the trail and note feel, smell, and temperature.

7. Have the students remove their blindfolds and look back down the trail, noticing the trees, growth patterns, and terrain that was covered.

Section 2

Blindfold Walk

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Time:On going

Objectives: 6.1.9 Evaluate how different organisms are helped or harmed by their symbiotic relationships with other organisms in a com-munity.8.3.1.e Plants and animals respond to environmental stimuli.8.3.3.g Identify the negative and positive effects of natural and human activity on the environment.8.3.3.b Compare the roles of producers, consumers, and de-composers in an ecosystem8.3.3.f Identify symbiotic relationships among organisms.8.3.4.b Recognize the extinction of a species is caused by the inability to adapt to an environmental change8.3.4.a Describe how an inherited characteristic enables an or-ganism to improve its survival rate 8.3.4.b Recognize the ex-tinction of a species is caused by the inability to adapt to an en-

vironmental change8.4.2.e Compare and contrast constructive and destructive forces (deposition, erosion, weathering, plate motion causing uplift, volcanoes, earthquakes) that impact Earthʼs surface.

Materials:• record• sheet pencils

Activity:1. Teacher defines indigenous as items that are native to Ne-

braska. Those that are considered introduced were brought into the state by those that settled here.

2. Have the students take a moment to read through their Nature Treasure List.

3. Whenever someone spots an item listed on the Record Sheet, they snap their fingers to get everyone's attention without using their voices.

4. Stop, quickly share and discuss the item observed, check it off.

5. Proceed on the trail.

Section 3

Natureʼs Treasures

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Natureʼs Treasures?

acorn/oak barbed wire leaf with gall

hickory locust tree two kinds of seeds

Kentucky coffee bean tree rhizome grasses fungi

moss sweet clover four geometric patterns

elm acacia evidence of odd growth for light

coral berry bush pheasant insect egg

gooseberries path plant succession

prickly ash road lichen

smooth sumac erosion (broken soil) snail shells

Jerusalem artichoke evidence of poor conservation evidence of an insect at work

clump grasses evidence of a litterbug insulator (for electric fence)

mullein labeled (on bark) tree evidence of good conservation

birdʼs feather animal tracks

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Time: 15 minutes

Objective: 8.3.4.a Describe how an inherited characteristic enables an or-ganism to improve its survival rate8.3.4.b Recognize the extinction of a species is caused by the inability to adapt to an environmental change

Materials:• 2 boxes of colored toothpicks • Record Sheet

Procedure:1. Before the activity begins, the leader or the counselors scat-

ter colored toothpicks in 2 different areas. You may choose

one grassy area/ one forest.2. Lead the students to the area, direct them to be birds looking

for their food in the form of the scattered toothpicks.3. After 30 seconds has expired, the students will then fill in

numbers 1 and 2 of their Record Sheets Then the rest of the sheet may be answered.

4. Return to the feeding area to collect any remaining tooth-picks. Then go back to answer questions 4 and 5.

OPTIONAL:Scatter the toothpicks again:

a)Pretend you are looking ONLY for beige (natural) col-ored ones because that's all you eat!

orb)Students count off from 1-5 forming 5 groups. Each group is assigned to search for a particular color of tooth-picks.

DISCUSSION:If critters live in a shared area, the competition for food makes it necessary for:• finding new areas• living and choosing specific foods only (not chosen by others)• living in and at different heights (elevations)• being versatile (eating anything left)• starvation of some so others of the species survive

Section 4

Camouflage - Adaptations for Survival

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Camouflage - Adaptations1. Pretend you are a bird. How many toothpicks of each color did you find?

_____________ __________ ____red " brown " blue"__________ ___________ ___yellow " white " green"

2. If these were worms or bugs of various colors, which color is most likely to;

escape? to be part of a bird's diet?to be chosen on a second look at the area?WHY?

3. On the second look of the area, how do your results change?4.Besides color, what other characteristic helps make the tooth-pick difficult to find?

5. Find a critter:a) _______________________What size is it?"b) _______________________What shape is it?"c) _______________________What color is it?"d) Will it be easily picked out by a predator or not? Why?

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Time: 15 minutes

Objective: 8.3.1.e Plants and animals respond to environmental stimuli.8.3.4.a Describe how an inherited characteristic enables an or-ganism to improve its survival rate8.3.4.b Recognize the extinction of a species is caused by the inability to adapt to an environmental change

Procedure:This activity is done primarily to introduce the concept of structural adaptation.1. Along a designated 40- to 50-foot section of trail,

marked with a bright-colored yarn, will be placed 12

man-made objects, some of them will stand out brightly, other objects will blend with their surroundings; there-fore, some objects will be more difficult to pick out.

2. The students should walk over the section of the trail one at a time, having a 3 second interval between each student, spotting and recording as many of the objects as they can. DO NOT PICK UP OR MOVE ANY ITEMS! When they reach the end of the trail, they whis-per in the Leader's ear or show their records. If no one saw all of them, tell everyone how many were seen, and that "There are still more!" Then let them start over.

3. End the activity with a discussion of the ways structural adaptation and protective coloration help animals. Con-tinue searching for small camouflaged animals (insects, spiders, etc.).

Suggested items: dowel, green Sprite liter bottle, comb, almond colored plastic ware, hand heel paper fan, hanger, GI Joe, green plastic pen,

pencil metallic mirror, barrette, twine, Frisbee.

UNNATURE TRAIL(PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP OR MOVE ITEMS!)

NAME OR DESCRIBE CLEARLY THE ITEMS FOUND.

1.2.

Section 5

Un-Nature Trail

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3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.Continue searching for small camouflaged animals (insects, spi-

ders, etc.) Write or draw your findings.

<Student Drawing>

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Objective: 8.3.3.g Identify positive and negative effects of natural and hu-man activity on an ecosystem Native Americans, most likely the Pawnees, lived in this site around the 1300's. They had limited technology to alter the land and soils to produce items they needed.

Procedure:1. Divide students into small groups of 3 or 4.2. Students are to find available resources needed for sur-

vival which must include sources of food, water, shelter, and space and record these findings. (On Survival Re-cord Sheet)

3. Imagine that you are a Native American and you are stranded in this area for a period of time.

4. In the small groups, select 10 findings from your Sur-vival List and rank them in order of importance. (On Survival Record Sheet)

5. A discussion will follow about the reasons for select-ing the items. Make sure there are enough to survive and that your choices are basic needs.

Samples of Discussion Questions:A.What are you lacking for survival? (If anything?)B.What are your choices if you are to continue survival due

to the lack of this resource?C.Take away one of the resources. How would this affect

your life?D.How many of you would move away from the site? How

Section 6

Human Impact

Food Water Shelter Space

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many would go elsewhere for the resource and bring it back?

Survival ListRank order these four with survival in

mind:1._______________________

2._______________________

3._______________________

4._______________________

TEACHER INFORMATION - HUMAN IMPACT

" Nebraska comes from the Oto Indian word, "Nebathka" meaning flat water. It was the Native American's name for Ne-braska's chief river, the Platte." The idea that this was a land of plenty continued through the 1600's. Fur trappers and traders found this area a land of abundance. Fur pelts, fertile soils, and timber were reported to be obtainable from the land." The first Homestead Act was passed in 1862 which urged settlers westward. They brought with them the plow to stir up the soil, barbed wire to fence the land, and their own plants to beautify their claims. The Nebraskans farmed corn, soybean and alfalfa. The farmer brought with him cattle and hogs for their food. The rancher brought cattle for pasturing which re-placed the deer, elk, and antelope. Hard times, insect pests, and drought discouraged them, so many settlers abandoned

homesteads and returned east." There was a high population of prairie chickens and grouse throughout Nebraska. Prairie chickens were hunted and shipped in salt brine to the East, where they were served as a delicacy in New York. The species nearly disappeared from the area. Contrary to popular belief, pheasants are not indigenous to Nebraska. Pheasants, obtained from China, were introduced to replace the prairie chicken." When people came to settle in an area, they also brought trees from the East with them. Examples of introduced species are: the honey locust, Russian olive, and box elder. These are examples of species not native to Nebraska that increased abundantly and crowded out the native species; such as the oaks, hickories, ironwood, and cottonwood.

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Objectives: 8.3.1.e Describe how plants and animals respond to environ-mental stimuli 8.3.3.d Determine the biotic and abiotic factors that impact the number of organisms an ecosystem can support 8.3.3.e Recognize a population is all the individuals of a spe-cies at a given place and time 8.3.3.g Identify positive and negative effects of natural and hu-man activity on an ecosystem

Prerequisite: Treasure Hunt must be completed by now!1. Using the Nature's Treasure List, the students now group the

items as indigenous or introduced.2. Have each student draw a card, either a blue or a yellow.

3. Have all students holding the indigenous items (blue cards) form a circle facing outward.

4. All those with introduced items (yellow cards) form a line out-side the circle.

5. One-by-one, have these students find the indigenous item they influence in the circle, then tap the person with that item.

6. The person tapped then sits down, as they tell how they are affected by the introduced item. Example: I am affected by the introduced (honey locust) because... (It was crowding me out).

7. Now, if we could turn back the hands of time, how could we prevent this from happening or continuing to happen?

8. We are having the same type of problems today that we've had in the past with herbicides and excessive non-biodegradable garbage generated by people.

9. Suggestion: This topic may be further elaborated on in the classroom, Chapter 10- of the Silver, Burdett and Ginn sci-ence textbook.

Teacher Background Sheet on next page

Section 7

Invasion Simulation

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TEACHER’S BACKGROUND SHEET WITH POSSIBLE ANSWERSInvasion Simulation

INTRODUCED INDIGENOUS USE OR IMPORTANCE brome grass (rhizome coralberries bird, animal foodgrass)- transported by man gooseberries people, animal food

clump grasses (Big Blue food, coverStem and Little Blue Stem)

Jerusalem artichoke people foodMullein Indian toilet paper

cattle (food; income) seedlings-oak, saplings, food for people and wildlife

elk, antelope predator foodalfalfa (animal food) clump grasses (see above) bird food, coveracacia (beautification) coralberries, gooseberries animal, people foodlocust trees (beautification) Kentucky coffee bean, drink

Hickory roastedfields (food) prairie habitat food, coverpheasant (food) - replace prairie chicken people food

prairie chicken quail ] these can make a people foodGrouse] comeback people food

sweet clover (cattle feed) prairie cloverroads, paths all plant life various(transportation)barbed wire (control) elk starvation, tree injuryelm disease (transported elm trees provides habitat for Morelby Japanese beetle) mushrooms

moss deer foodprickly ash deer food

prickly ash pain, reliefacorns flour

as fences for cattle/hogs,

cover for wildlifesmooth sumac drink

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Objectives:8.3.3.f Identify symbiotic relationships among organisms 8.3.4.a Describe how an inherited characteristic enables an or-ganism to improve its survival rate

Materials:• activity sheet• pencils• 1 hand lens per student, if possible

Introduction: Group on the ridge with a view of the entire area to be investi-

gated.1. Note the different colors, textures, and patterns. What

gives the area these? (The different types of plants grow-ing there.)

2. What are the 4 main types of plants seen? (Herbaceous plants with non-woody broad leaves, annuals; bushes, trees, and grasses. In the forest undercover density is due to the amount of light filtering through.)

3. If an area has a variety of plants, then what does this in-vite? (A variety of critters,)

Procedure:1. Begin along any trail leading to the turn-off into the

forest.2. Divide students into teams. Direct them to investigate areas

they think critters would be found. (Remind them to proceed cautiously and not to destroy plants and other animals.) Even under the chips could be someone's home.

3. If it has many different foods, what does it invite critters to do there besides feed? (Build homes and claim territories).

4. What 4 items are necessary for a critter to live in an area? (Water, remember most can get this from plants eaten or dew; food, shelter, or protection from harsh conditions and predators and homes, materials necessary to make a "nest".

5. Direct students to cautiously find a critter for study.

Section 8

Critter Close-Up (optional)

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Discussion for follow-up:1. List critters students found. (Use later to make a food

chain and food web.)2. Which critters do you think eat plants? Why -

any evidence?3. Which critters live on the plants? Under the leaves? In

the ground?4. Why did it chose this particular spot to live in or on? (Re-

member environmental factors of wind, temperature, rain, and light.)

5. Why do you think it can live so close to another critter? (They do not compete for the same food or there could be so much food available it's not competitive feeding.)

6. Is the plant on which the critter was found helped or harmed by the animal? How?

7. How does the weather influence the number and maybe kind of critters there? (Rain-destroy eggs; storms- kill insects; winds- dislodge homes, etc.)

8. Did any specific critter prefer one type of plant over an-other? Give examples of observations or if more than one student studied the same critter, notes can be com-pared.

9. Do some critters seem to prefer the shade or sunshine area? Which ones?

10.What patterns of color did you notice? (Camouflage present? Most blend with the vegetation- give an exam-

ple you saw.)11.What patterns of shape did you notice? (In grasses crit-

ters are long or narrow, etc.)12.Do critters found have anything in common? What? (All

live and share this community; dependent on its survival; influenced by same weather factors, etc.

Critter Close-Up Worksheet on next page

CRITTER CLOSE-UP WORKSHEET

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What is it? Or draw apicture.Where is it? Be specific: on, under, towards plant top, etc.What was it doing when spotted?Color, shape, size-compare it to anobject-peaDescribe eyes and legs. How does it move?Describe what it does in 5 min. of observation.Describe any evidence of critter on this plant or in the area.Why do you think it's in this spot?What do you think it eats?

Student fills in

Student fills in

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Time:20 minutes

Objective: 8.3.3.g Identify positive and negative effects of natural and hu-man activity on an ecosystem

Activity 1:Have students work alone to pick and describe the spot

they would choose to build their village if they were Native Americans. Have them report on their sites and why they picked it.

Questions:a. What kinds of food are available?b. What kinds of building materials would you

use? Are there other types of building materials more readily available?

c. Is water available?

d. Is the location defensible from attack?e. Is there evidence of flooding in your area?f.Would the Native Americans in your area have been hunters or farmers?

Activity 2:Have the students draw pictures of what a Native Ameri-

can village at their site would look like. When finished, explain to the students about a Native American village site that made-up a Pawnee village.

Activity 3:The Native Americans believed animals had human quali-

ties. Send the students out solo to observe and describe it in hu-man terms. (e.g.: selfish, lazy, nervous, timid, talkative, brave, etc.) Have the students read their descriptions of the animals for the other students so they can try and identify the animal be-ing described.

Section 9

Rain-out Activity (optional)

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