See instructor notes and feedback below
This lesson has a lot of "activities" and "games" that have been used for years - the instructors cut out "Oh Deer" (a Project Learning Tree/Project Wild activity) my first year.Â
The One Square foot activity is neat, but somewhat contrived as each hula hoop is "seeded" with items, but it does get kids out exploring and recording. We changed this lesson in 2019 by simply NOT seeding the hoops - it worked much better and was more authentic as the students had to look closer.Â
The Meadow Meander/Garden Party is fun, and might be a good intro/ice breaker. Web of Life can be a management problem with large groups and is also fairly contrived, but is also a good physical representation of connections.
There used to be an Ecosystem Comparison lesson with data collection comparing Riparian and Desert Ecosystems - I've done a lesson like that in the past and it was great - I'd love to see a more nature-centered and student-centered lesson get developed for Ecosystems. We have soil sifters, soil, air, and water thermometers, soil moisture meters, and other tools that could be used.
IMPORTANT: The *Branching Out lessons below are taught in the 5th-grade - so they either had it last year or will have it later this year, but elements of these can be incorporated and brought in as reminders.
One Square Foot
Garden Party
Garden Party Cards
Oh Deer
Notes from Dannique
Notes from Amanda
Notes from Kathi
Notes from Veronica
For the hula hoop lesson - you can still do this, but don't "seed" with anything - instead, give students hand lenses and use their observation routine (INIWIRMO, which they should be doing all the time) to see how many things they can find, then classify together. Or give students a string circle to choose their OWN areas to oberve and compare. Use the gradient from the stream (IN the stream, on the bank, x feet away, farther way, etc, to see the different composition of ecosystem parts.)
Lesson Components - take advantage of what's in your environment, be ready to change and adapt, and follow your students' interest. If you see deer, do the "What Lives Here?" observation activity. Use journals for drawing and listing. Use the checklists - and add anything not included.Â
Plan to do Discovery Swap and focus on ecosystem and adaptations. Bark Beetle exploration works up at Big Jeff really well - all the stumps have galleries. Use the Ecosystem Literacies and Exploration Guides to do guided explorations in different environments. Compare and contrast ecosystems, and have students apply their learning to different ecosystems, e.g., do a plant discovery swap after the one in the pond or stream.
Ecosystem Literacies & Exploration Guides
Bark Beetle Exploration
Bark Beetle Exploration video
Discovery Swap
Discovery Swap Video
*String Safari Lesson from 5th-grade Branching Out
*String Safari from "How to Teach Nature Journaling"