Life Systems

Grade 6: Life Systems

Biodiversity

For PDSB Educators: if you are looking to reach out to the Peel Field Centres for further ways to connect your learning to the environment visit the PDSB Field Centre Share Point site.

Nature Journaler: @billiejooutdoors

Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...

IF YOU ARE NEW TO NATURE JOURNALING PLEASE LOOK AT OUR NATURE JOURNALING PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Nature Journaling is an incredible tool for students to investigate the biodiversity in their school yard and community and to determine the importance of biodiversity in the environment. Their nature journal allows them to write/draw their observations helping to cement the concepts being taught.

At this age all three prompts "I notice..., I wonder...?, and "It reminds me of..." become very intuitive. However the last statement becomes very important for connection making. Encourage students to begin writing using single words, simple sentences, lists, point form, paragraphs and even poetry. Please note that spelling is not a focus in the nature journal. At this age you may start to see art fears - please ensure you are re-iterating it is not about a pretty picture. It is about their observations. Please see the link feedback at the bottom of this lesson for tips on this. Using words, pictures and numbers allows the students multiple tools to document their observations. With permission Bethan Burton has allowed us to link to her website as she has written a blog post for Teaching nature journaling at all ages.

Here are some more ideas to get you started.

Engage the fives senses (whenever possible)
Make leaf prints ( paint the leaf and press the print into the journal)
Make leaf rubbings
Trace the items they are looking at
Add leaves into the journal using tape
Count the birds/squirrels/insects etc.
Measure as much of the phenomena as the students can using non standard and standard units of measurement.

Here is a downloadable lesson from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. All resources shared with permission. "I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of..."

GIVING FEEDBACK here is a fantastic resource from Jack and Emilie

NOTE: You are encourage to spend time in the outdoors Nature Journaling. However, you can also bring nature inside, look out your wonder window, have a refrigerator Safari or even observe a house plant or pet.

Prof. Marc Johnson, Tamarack and their children Mae and Oscar invite us into their backyard how to find our hidden neighbours. Check out their YouTube channel, Biology in Your Backyard!

Photos by: @billiejooutdoors

Biodiversity in your backyard

This activity will take place over three days.

You will be looking at the biodiversity in your yard or neighbourhood. If you are unable to go outside, choose a window where you are able to see the most wild species, this includes plants. You will be looking at a space about 5m x 5m. Follow the instructions below to conduct your study and then answer the follow up questions based on your observations.

Procedure:

Go into or look at the space you have chosen with a notebook, sketchpad (or paper). Optional items, a magnifying glass, gloves and camera. Choose a space of about 5m x 5m. You will visit your area and record the information a minimum of five times over the course of three days.
In your notebook, record the date and time.
Take notes and sketch or take pictures of the living species you observe. Make note of the following things:
- What kind of species are they? For example: squirrels, birds, butterflies, plants, fungi, etc.
- How many of each did you see? Come up with a graph of your choosing to illustrate this.
- Make notes on their behaviour, were they
  - Flying
  - Eating at a feeder or plant
  - Drinking water
  - Sitting on a plant
  - Sitting in a tree
  - Any other behaviours you notice
- You will look closely at a minimum of six different species and give a more detailed description of them. You will use the internet, books or apps to help you identify them (there are resources at the bottom of the lesson). Here is an example of a template but you can be creative with this:
  - 1. Animal: frog
    2. Color: tan with six black spots on each side
    3. Size: 2 cm long
    4. Shape: large, triangular head about ½ the size of the body
    5. Sound: croaking noise that stopped when the frog was caught
    6. Smell: no distinctive smell (minimum 6, see Part A for template ideas)
- Separately you will observe and sketch a minimum of six plants and identify them as well. You can also collect leaves. If you have a camera, you can take pictures as well.

TIPS for observing animals:

- Be patient
- Find a comfortable place to sit and be still
- When looking for insects make sure to look on the ground, in the trees on plants and flying. *check out the YouTube video for more tips
- You can also place a white piece of paper on the ground underneath a plant and give the plant a little shake, some of the insects will land on the paper making them stand out for you to observe.
- When observing mammals and birds being patient and still will be of utmost importance.

Resources for Identifying

General website list of Ontario insects (great photos)
Seek app by iNaturalist - Look here for more information and it can be downloaded to a device for free
Website for plant identifications
Ontario Trees & Shrubs
Summer Dichotomous Tree Guide (if it already has leaves or you remember what they look like)
Sometimes parents and other family members are amazing resources when trying to identify things. You would be surprised how much a younger sibling knows about spiders or a grandparent knows about a type of tree.
If you have other resources around your house feel free to use them as well this is just a small list. Make sure that any resource you are using is for Ontario.

Analysis:

Answer the following questions once your observations are complete

What does biodiversity mean?
What is an ecosystem?
Why is biodiversity important? What are some of the benefits of biodiversity?
How are we losing ecosystems today?
How can we protect biodiversity as a society?
How can you as an individual, increase the biodiversity found in your area?

Curriculum Extensions:

See Writing - Plant Research
See Data Management - Planting
See Visual Arts

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

Activity was adapted, with permission, from Natasha Demme, Peel District School Board

Backyard Beekeeping with Mr. Jonathan, with permission for sharing, posted April 29, 2020.

This activity can be done over the course of a number of days.

1) Watch the above video and consider the following:

Do we need to be afraid of honeybees? To what extent?
What jobs are involved in a hive?
Which of the honeybees leave the hive to get nectar and pollen?
Why should we care for and respect honeybees?

2) Read the adjacent excerpt about honeybees and consider:

Where did honeybees originate from?
Why are honeybees an important part of the ecosystem?

3) Get outside and look for bees on the search for pollen and nectar. Where is the best place to find honeybees?

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

Honeybees

The below excerpts are from the article The Honey Bee compiled by Glen K. Hester

Background

"Honeybees have been present on the Earth for millions of years. One of the oldest agricultural pursuits known to man is beekeeping. Early settlers to North America had a limited and expensive source of sugar, so honeybees were exported from Europe to establish apiaries here. The honey and beeswax gathered were used for many purposes. Today, many advances have been made in this aspect of agriculture. Some people derive their income from their apiaries while many others keep honeybees as a hobby."

Pollination

"Honeybees need plants that produce flowers, and flowering plants need pollinators. The main value of honeybees to mankind, is in the cross-pollination of flowering plants and fruit blossoms. Most of our fruit and seed crops would not produce if it was not for the transfer of pollen from one blossom to another. About one-third of the total human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect pollinated plants. The value of pollination to agriculture has been estimated to be far greater than the value of hive products. Honey bee activity supports several industries. The pollination of flowering crops would not occur without their foraging. Crops for animal stock or human consumption require it for food production and the propagation of their seeds for future plantings. Therefore, it is important for beekeepers and growers to understand pollination, seed and food production, and the importance of bees."

Photos by: @billiejooutdoors

Nature Journaling: Biodiversity Inventory

In the activity Biodiversity Inventory from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren's book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. "Students record the diversity of species in two study areas and use graphs and diversity indices to describe and analyze the data."

All resources shared with permission.

Curriculum Links:

Fisher StoryLESSONS FROM THE EARTH & BEYOND

The Fisher Story

You will need to use the PDSB BYOD Library or other sources to help with this activity.

Watch the Fisher Story. This video is from Issac Murdoch and the Lessons From the Earth and Beyond website which is designed to help us understand and discuss the importance of Indigenous knowledge.

1) What are some positive characteristics and features of the animals in this story?

Choose and research an animal that best represents your personality and compare 3 traits you feel are similar to you (body shape, personality, behaviour, features, adaptations, etc.). Make sure you have researched the actual animal and do not base your knowledge on what you have seen in media
How does this bird/mammal/amphibian/reptile/plant/tree help the earth?

2) Choose an ecosystem of your liking (land, water, wetland, forest, space, garden, etc.)

Choose at least three characteristics/adaptations that you feel would help a creature in your chosen ecosystem have the best chance of survival. For example, in a water ecosystem the creature could breathe underwater or be able to hold their breath for extended periods of time, but also breath on land if needed - you choose what you feel would be more beneficial. Perhaps it is a new creature with different abilities to help it survive.
What do you believe this creature has within itself to benefit the earth? Not the people of earth, but the actual earth.

3) Consider this thought, if all creatures had the same characteristics or attributes would the earth survive? In reflection of the animal you created, what are the ways, positive or negative, it would impact the earth and, in turn, our society?

If your animal was taken out of your ecosystem and moved to another planet what would be the effects on Turtle Island (North America)?
What would your creature need in order to survive on another planet?

Where Is Here?

Biodiversity

Before beginning this activity complete the activities in Geometry & Spatial Sense, Writing and Oral Communication.

You have succeeded in reaching one alien but why not more? It is a well known fact that aliens are concerned about the environment. Get outside and/or research your local environment to find the following information:

The landscape: What can you actually see? What natural vegetation exists (flora)? What kinds of colours and patterns are visible? What local natural zones exist nearby? Is the land around the place flat or mountainous? What is the nearest water source?
The climate/weather: What is the weather like at that moment? What are typical patterns of weather?
The (wild) life (fauna): Who lives in the neighbourhood?

Knowing all of the above information, what type of biodiversity is in your area that you could share with the alien race to help attract them to your location. Explain why a rich biodiversity is important to the health of your community.

Want to increase the chances of reaching more aliens? Check out the activity in Media Literacy.

Curriculum Links:

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

Where is Here? is an activity that originated from Gillian Judson's A Walking Curriculum. Source

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