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Name: Brittany Bowman
Portfolio Table of Contents
Journal entries
Opinion of teaching science (x2)
Natureography (x2)
Scienceography (x2)
Animal Prediction
Observations/ Library Research
Appreciating Nature (1 sitting in grass at WSCE, 1 at home, 1 at night)
Observing Nature (picture/paragraph detailing plant life in summer, fall, winter)
Who is Science?
Science Today
Samples from the Field
Activities/Labs
Grab Bag
Measurements
Microscopes
Colors of Nature
Sweet Treats (Dichotomous Keys x2)
Owl & Mouse
Helping Hands
Natural Selection Pasta
Fat Layer/Blubber Bags
Build A Bug (The Great Race)
Spider Enzyme
Nocturnal Animals/Are You My Pup?
Cell Division Flipbook
Egg Osmosis
DNA Magnets
Science Standards/Activities
1. Tennessee Science Standards K-7 (sample)
2. Summary sheet(s) *If you have a single file with all the summaries, if you have individual
summary sheets for each activity, they should be placed in front of the corresponding activity.*
3. Activities for standards:
(In the blanks, include the title and citation for each activity you add. That will be one
activity per bolded standard for a total of 12 standards added to the following individual
and group projects. Indicate with * the 2 that are technology based and ** for the two
that are inquiry based. If you are using an activity that you presented, place the grade
sheet in your portfolio as your activity and place a copy of the activity where it is listed
below.)
Standard 1 - Cells
1.1 – Work Together
Source: Mrs. Whitehead, 6th Grade, Mosheim Middle, revised by Brittany Woods
0007.1.1: Pinecone Turkeys—Kaley Parvin
0107.1.1: Do You Want to Build an Owl?—Brittany Harvey
0207.1.1: Plants and Animals—Samantha Taylor, MacKinzie Kitts, Katie Sargent, Lauren Madon
0307.1.1: Fix-A-Flower—Kasey Vaughn
0407.1.1: I Am Made of Building Blocks—Laura Stanton
0507.1.1: The Cell—Kaitlyn Martin
1.2 – Look at Us! *
Citation: Brittany Woods
0107.1.2: Indoor Nature Walk, Make Your Own—Kimberly Slayton
Standard 2- Interdependence
2.1 - Plates of the Food Chain
Citation: http://thirdgradethinkers8.blogspot.com/2012/03/animal-research-printables-
and-food.html
0007.2.1: Living and Non-living—Lauren Madon
0107.2.1: Living and Non-living Activity—Samantha Taylor
0207.2.1: Where is Your Home?—Bethany Spoone
0307.2.1: Living vs Non-Living—Brittanee Collins
2.2 -
0007.2.2: Five Senses Sorting Game—Katie Sargent
0207.2.2: What Living Thing Am I?—Jennifer Bowling
2.3- ______________________________
______________________________
2.4 - ______________________________
______________________________
0607.2.4: B-I-N-G-O—Hollie Lamb
Standard 3 - Flow of Matter and Energy
3.1 – Grow Your Own Bean Plant
Citation: Suzannah Mason
0007.3.1: Plants & Animals With vs. Without—Hannah Lawson
0107.3.1: Find Your Match—Hannah Lawson and Brittanee Collins
0207.3.1: Inside the Mouth of an Herbivore, Carnivore or Omnivore—Lauren Martin
0307.3.1: Time to Eat---Where Do I Go?—Cassandra Norvell
0407.3.1: Grow Your Own Bean Plant—Suzannah Mason and Brittany Woods
0507.3.1: Food Chain Links—Katherine Lewis, Katelyn Inman, Laura Stanton
3.2 - ______________________________
______________________________
0407.3.2: The Hunger Games—Siarha Jinks and Ashley Newell
Standard 4 - Heredity
4.1 – The Life Cycle
Citation: Pinterest revised by Brittany Woods
4.2 - Pick a Trait
Citation: Pinterest
0507.4.2: Life as a Narf—Katelyn Inman
Standard 5 - Biodiversity and Change
5.1 - Let's Make a Group
Citation: Brittany Woods
0207.5.1: Habitat Bingo—Cassandra Norvell, Kimberly Slayton, Jennifer Bowling
5.2 - What is This? **
Citation: Brittany Woods
0107.5.2: The Fossilization Game—Siarha Jinks
0307.5.2: Thriving, Threatened, Endangered, or Extinct—Amanda Drinnon and Lauren Martin
Field Trips /Integrated Assignments
Nature Walk Notes
ZooMobile Write-Up (x2)
Zoo Scavenger Hunt
Zoo Write-up
Individual Presentation Grading Sheet
Group Presentation Grading Sheet
Cell Project Grading Sheet
Leaf Collection Grading Sheet*
Poster Grading Sheet*
Book Poster Grading Sheet*
*You may not have these to place in the portfolio, so they will not be counted against you!
Opinion of Teaching Science (1)
I had done it! I'd finally landed my dream job of being a teacher at the local high school! I was so
excited that I didn't even ask the principal what class I would be teaching. When I arrived at the school,
I walked into the office and the principal greeted me with a smile and a handshake.
"Mrs. Woods," he said, "I'd like you to teach our 9th grade biology class. How does that sound to
you?"
Little did he know, science is what I wanted to teach anyway! I was ecstatic! And thanks to the
Biology concepts class I had taken with Mrs. Goodfriend, I had all sorts of fun activities to engage my
students with.
Science is something that I have always felt got the brain working, but could be challenging and
interesting. I feel as though everyone should know at least a little of how their own bodies work and
about the world around them. For me to be the one to teach these students about it makes me feel like
I've done some good in the world! So teaching that science class sounds perfect to me!
Opinion of Teaching Science (2)
This was my first day as a teacher at the middle school. I walked into the office and introduced myself
to the secretaries and met with the principal. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me I would be
teaching 7th grade science! That was my dream position anyway! Throughout the course of my Biology
concepts class, I have learned all sorts of interesting ways to keep students engaged in science! I felt
very prepared and confident about the following year!
Natureography 1
When I was in the sixth grade, I went on a nature hike with my father, brother, and his cub scout
troop. I was always trying to do their fun activities with them. We hiked 3 miles up a mountain and
over a creek. We passed over the creek several times on our hike, and some of the boys wound up
falling in. It didn't help matters that it was almost winter and very cold. Needless to say, they wound up
a little sick after that.
Natureography 2
When I was 23 years old, my (then) boyfriend and I went to the park and took a walk. We
passed over the creek and saw frogs in it. There was a large rock that was shaped like a turtle. We
jumped over the creek, and I almost fell in because of my short legs. As we walked, I was making it a
point to crunch the leaves that had fallen. Some of them weren't as crunchy as others. Then, when we
finished our walk, that's when he proposed to me and we wound up married!
Scienceography 1
When I was around 3 or 4, I had to have tubes put in my ear. My parents took me to the hospital
and they put me to sleep. The tubes were to help my ears drain fluid out. I had a very bad ear infection
that cost me the hearing in my left ear. I remember waking up being carried by someone and I was
wrapped in a warm towel.
Scienceography 2
When I was 18, I had to have a kidney biopsy because my kidneys were failing. They had
already begun repairing themselves because kidneys are very resilient. To do a biopsy, the doctors gave
me an anesthetic and put me to sleep, then they put a needle in my back and into my kidneys and took a
small sample. What they found was that my kidneys aren't filtering like they should be. The cells in my
kidneys have a problem, and they allow protein to seep out of the kidneys and into my tissues. It is a
disease called nil lesion, or minimal change disease.
Animal Prediction
In the year 2050, things are probably going to be a little different than they are now. Animals are
going to have to adapt to say alive. I think that one adaptation will probably be made by fish. I think
fish will wind up being able to breathe air. The way we're going now, the waters will be too polluted for
fish to breathe underwater anymore, so they're going to have to learn to breathe air in order to survive.
Observations/ Library Research
Five Minute Observations
At Walters State
I see:
A drone fly by overhead
The green grass
The pine trees
Lamp posts
Other students
Other buildings
Bugs jumping from blade to blade of grass
I hear:
A drone flying by overhead
Feet walking by on the sidewalk
Students opening and closing doors
Cars going by on the road
Chattering of passing students
I feel:
A bug crawling on my leg
The grass
Warmth of the sun shining down and burning my skin
The soft breeze
I smell:
The grass
The breeze
Someone's perfume catching on the breeze
I taste:
The air
Five Minute Observations
At Home At Day
I see: My dog chewing grass
The neighbor's dog laying in the grass
Cars go by on the road
My garden partly growing and partly dying
The neighbor's flowers
Dark clouds in the sky
Dog in the other apartment building
The other apartment buildings
Trees
I hear: A yappy dog
Cars go by
Bugs and squirrels in the woods
My dog chewing grass
The neighbor's t.v.
Birds
The other neighbor's dog
Neighbors talking
I feel: A mosquito bite me
Itchy thanks to the stupid mosquito
Cool concrete of my porch
The Cool breeze
I smell:Dirt
Grass
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Whatever flowers the neighbor is growing
Dog
I taste: Nothing
Five Minute Observations
At Home At Night
I see: The moon and stars
Street lamps
Cars go by on the road
The neighbor's flowers
Dark clouds in the sky
The other apartment buildings
Trees
I hear: My dog barking
Cars go by
Crickets and other bugs in the woods
The neighbor's t.v.
The other neighbor's dog
I feel: Cold
Cool concrete of my porch
The Cool breeze
I smell:Dirt
Grass
Whatever flowers the neighbor is growing
Dog
I taste: The night air
Plant Observation: Summer
This plant is covered in green leaves and purple/pink blooms on it. It's a short bush that is also
surrounded by tall grass.
Plant Observation: Fall
Who is Science?
One scientific development that I don't think I could live without is the air conditioner. It was
created by Willis Havaland Carrier in July of 1902. Carrier was born in New York on November 26,
1876. He graduated from Cornell University in 1901 with a BS in engineering.
On July 17th, 1902, Willis Carrier submitted the drawings for the first air conditioning system
due to problems the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company of Boston was having.
With these plans, air conditioning authorities deicided that there needed to be four basic functions that
air conditioners needed to be able to accomplish. They need to be able to control temperature, they
need to have the ability to control how humid it is, they need to control air circulation and ventilation,
and they need to be able to filter the air.
On January 2nd, 1906, Carrier was finally granted a patent for his invention. Sales of the air
conditioner were going smoothly, that is until the great depression hit. Then sales went down for a
while, but during the economic boom of the 1950's, sales rocketed!
In 1935, Carrier was recieved an honorary engineering degree from Lehigh University. In 1942,
he recieved an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Alfred University. Also in 1942, he was
awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal. In 1985, Carrier was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of
Fame, and in 2008 he was inducted into the Buffalo Science Museum Hall of Fame, both
posthumously.
Carrier never had any children, even though he had plenty of opportunity since he was married
three times. All three of his wives are buried with him in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.
Science Today
Samples from the Field
Brittany Collins – Brittany has a mutt named Molly. She loes to take rides, take baths, and play with
toys.
Activities/Labs
Grab Bag
Topic: *Curiosity building or the five senses
Materials: *Brown Paper Bags
*Miscellaneous stuff
Instructions: *Put random things in small brown paper bags
*Seal the tops
*Give students the paper bags, but tell them NOT to open them!
*Tell them to figure out what's inside without opening it.
*They should be feeling, shaking, looking (except in the bag), and even smelling.
Comments: *Can be edible or non-edible
*If you're going to re-use it, don't tape or staple the bags, just fold them over.
Measurements Lab
Exercise 1
USING MEASUREMENTS IN THE BIOLOGY LAB WORKSHEET
In this exercise you will become familiar with the various units used for measurement in the biology
laboratory. Biologists use the International System of Units, SI, which is a metric-based system. Table
1.1 lists the units that will be used in your biology exercises.
Table 1.1 Sl Units
Physical quantity Name of Unit Symbol
Mass Gram g
Length Meter m
Volume Liter L or l
Temperature Celsius C
Many times the measurement will require the use of prefixes to show values larger or smaller that Sl
base unit. Table 1.2 lists the prefixes that will be used in your biology exercises.
Table 1.2 Sl Prefixes
Prefix Symbol Factor Example
Kilo- k 103, or 1000 Km, Kg
Centi- c 10-2, 0.01, or
1/100
cm
Milli- m 10-3, 0.001 or
1/1000
mm, ml
Micro- 10-6, 0.000,001
or 1/100,000m, l
Nano- n 10-9,
0.000,000,001 or
1/100,000,000
nm
Practice Metric Conversions
Since the metric system is based on units that differ from each other by factors of 10, we will review
how the decimal position moves when converting within metric units. When converting large metric
units into small metric units move the decimal to the right by the number of 0’s in the smaller unit
prefix. You are in effect multiplying in units of 10. Example: convert 12.0 grams (larger) to milligrams
(smaller), milli equal 1000, move decimal 3 places to right, 12,000.0 mg. When converting small
metric units into larger metric units move the decimal to the left by the number of 0’s in the smaller
unit prefix. You are in effect dividing in units of 10. Example: convert 12,000.0 mg (smaller) to grams
(larger), milli equal 1000, move the decimal 3 places to the left, 12.0 grams
Assignment 1 – Dimensional Analysis Convert the following:
0.35 meter = ______ cm = ______ mm = ______ m = _______ nm
748,000 L = ______ mL ______ L
350 mg = ______ g = ______ kg
2.5L = ______ mL = _______L
0.01 kg = ______ g = ______ mg
Additional “Practice” can be found in the Metric System on General Biology I Laboratory Study Disc.
Excel is required to utilize this link.
Assignment 2 - Measuring Length, Area, and Volume Activities
1. Length
Using the meter stick, measure the following items to the nearest unit shown below:
Length of your foot = _________ cm = ________ m
Your height = _________ cm = ________ m
2. Area
Using the meter stick, measure the following items to the nearest unit shown below:
Laboratory tabletop Length = ___________ cm
Width = ___________ cm
Area of the laboratory tabletop = ________ cm X ________ cm = ________ cm2
Floor tile Length = ___________ cm
Width = ___________ cm
Area of the floor tile = _______ cm X ________ cm = __________ cm2
3. Volume
Using the mm ruler, record the width, length and height of the block provided. Determine the
volume of the block.
Block: Width _______ mm = ________ cm Work
Length _______ mm = ________ cm
Height ________ mm = ________ cm
The volume of this block in: _________cm3 (cc) = ________ml
(cm x cm x cm = cm3 also called cubic centimeter, cc)
Assignment 3 - Measuring Mass Activities
1. Determine the weight of the block provided.
Block weight = __________g
2. Determine the density of the block provided. Work
Block density = __________g/cm3
3. Would this block float in water? (Water density = .9965g/cm3 at room temperature)
Assignment 4 - Measuring Liquid Volume Activities
Become familiar with the following containers used to measure volume:
Graduated Cylinder Beaker Erlenmeyer Flask .
I used a _____________________
1. Weight of __________________ prior to adding water _______g Work
Weight of __________________with 50 ml of water ______g
Experimental weight of 50 ml water _______g
Actual weight of 50 ml of water _______g
Which instrument was the most accurate?
2. Could you have predicted this reading? Certain units in the metric system are identical with respect
to a standard reference such as water.
1ml = 1g = 1cm3
H2O H2O H2O
3. Using this information, how could you determine the volume of a sphere such as a marble or a golf
ball?
4. What is the volume of the bolt provided?
Assignment 5 - Temperature Conversions
C = F - 32 x 5/9 F = C x 9/5 + 32
Practice conversions: Work
1. 78 F = _______ C,
9 C = ________ F
2. Use the thermometer to determine the temperature in Celsius of each of the following:
Ice bath = ________ C
Room air = ________ C
Boiling water = ________ C
Note: See “Temperature” slide in The Metric System on the General Biology I Study Disc.
Microscopes
Exercise 2
USING THE MICROSCOPE IN BIOLOGY
The study of living organisms often involves observing structures too small to be seen with the naked
eye. A system of magnification had to be developed if biologist were ever going to learn about these
small structures as well as single cell organisms that are also too small to be seen with the naked eye.
The Compound Light Microscope is the most common magnification system used in the biology
laboratory. Images can be magnified up to approximately 1000xs with the compound light microscope.
The compound light microscope utilizes two magnifying lens, the objective lens and the ocular lens.
Other systems of magnification such as the transmitting electron microscope and scanning electron
microscope are utilized for more detailed study of cellular materials at much greater magnifications
than possible with the compound light microscope but these will not be used in your lab. For less detail,
depth and low power magnification but with the larger field of view, the dissection microscope may be
used in lab.
Assignment 1 - Getting to Know the Compound Light Microscope
Become familiar with the following parts and their function by examining your microscope and see
photo on Biology Lab Study Disc.
1. Ocular lens top-most lens that your eye looks through. Magnifies 10xs.
2. Body tube narrow tube that supports the ocular lens
3. Nosepiece revolving part to which objective lens are attached
4. Objective lens typically 4x, 10x, 40x magnifying lens in the general biology lab
4x scanning power
10x low power
40x high power
5. Mechanical stage support slide while viewing and allowing easy slide movement
6. Iris diaphragm lever located underneath stage regulating light intensity to slide
7. Condenser located above diaphragm to concentrate light to slide
8. Arm supports body tube, used to carry microscope
9. Base support, always place hand under when carrying microscope
10. Coarse adjustment larger knob that raises or lowers the stage or body tube depending on brand
of microscope, use with 4x or 10x objectives
11. Fine adjustment smaller knob that provides final, optimum positioning of specimen for
viewing.
12. Light source lamp located in base
What is the total magnification? Total magnification is the magnification of the ocular lens times the
magnification of the objective lens being used (4x, 10x or 40x). If the 10x ocular lens is used with the
4x objective lens, then the object being viewed will be magnified or enlarged 40 times
10 x 4 = 40). Fill in the blanks in Table 2.1 using the ocular and objective lens on the microscope you
are using.
Table 2.1
Ocular Lens Objective Lens Total Magnification
10x
10x
10x
4x
10x
40x
_________x
_________x
_________x
Assignment 2 - Viewing a Prepared "e" Slide
1. Obtain a microscope slide labeled "letter e."
2. Plug your microscope in and switch on.
3. Rotate the 4x objective into the viewing position, feel the objective click into place.
4. With maximum distance between the 4x objective and the stage, place "letter e" slide, with the tail
of the "e" pointing toward you, between the mechanical stage clips.
5. Move the slide to center the "e" over the light source while looking from the side.
6. Open the iris diaphragm, if necessary, for additional light.
7. While looking through the ocular lens, turn the coarse adjustment knob so that the slide is brought
closer to the objective lens. Continue until the "e" or part of the "e" becomes visible. The slide may
need centering again before continuing.
8. Turn the fine adjustment knob to bring the "e" into sharper focus.
9. How has the orientation of the letter "e" changed when viewed through the ocular lens compared to
the orientation of the "e" on the slide?
10. Move the slide to the right while viewing the "e". Which way did the "e" move?
11. Move the slide away from you while viewing the "e." Which way did the "e" move?
This is called INVERSION, referring to how objects appear upside down and backwards when viewed
through the microscope.
1. Center the "e" in your field of view.
2. Rotate the 10x objective into place.
3. View the "e" now.
4. How has the field of view changed?
5. Rotate the 40x objective into place.
6. View the "e" now, you may need to slowly move the stage to see any part of the "e."
7. How has the field of view changed now?
As the magnification increases, the diameter of the field of view decreases. For this reason, as you
change objective lens to increase magnification, the object you wish to view must be centered in the
field of view.
Assignment 3 - Determining Field Size
1. Place a plastic metric ruler on the microscope stage over the light area. Viewing through the 4x
objective bring the mm division marks on the ruler into focus. Move one mark to the side of the
field of view and then determine the size of the field by counting the number of mm across.
Estimate fractions of a mm by tenths.
Scanning field (total magnification 40x) = ________mm
2. The approximate field size at higher magnification can be determined once the field size at a lower
magnification has been determined using the following:
Field mm (scanning) x total magnification = Field (higher power) x total magnification (higher
power).
Field mm (higher power) = Field mm (scanning) x total magnification
total magnification (higher power)
Determine the approximate diameters of the field of view in m for your microscope and enter in table
2.2.
Table 2.2
Objective Lens Total Magnification Diameter of Field in m
Scanning
Low Power
High Power
_________x
_________x
_________x
_________ m
_________ m
_________ m
Assignment 4 - Estimating Size of Objects
1. Obtain prepared slide labeled "Volvox."
2. Focus the slide under low power.
3. Estimate the % size of the organism relative to the diameter of the field. Is the organism
approximately 25%, 50% or 80% of the diameter of the field? Multiply the estimated % of the
organism by the diameter of the field in m to estimate the size of the organism in m. Example:
0.25 x field in m - est. size in m. Record results in table 2.3.
Table 2.3
1. Diameter of field (See Table 2.2) _________ m
2. Relative size _________ %
3. Size of organism (lines1x2) _________ m
Assignment 5 - Depth of Focus - Which thread is on top?
A change in magnification not only affects the diameter of the field of view but also affects the depth of
focus. Depth of focus decreases as magnification increases.
1. Obtain a slide labeled "colored threads" which will have 3 different colored threads.
2. Center the threads over the light.
3. With maximum distance between the nosepiece and stage, click the 4x objective into place.
4. Using the coarse and fine adjustments focus on the filaments of the threads.
5. Move the slide to where two threads intersect.
6. Turn the fine adjustment so that the thread moves away from the objective lens.
7. Stop when the thread is just out of focus.
8. Now slowly bring the threads back into focus.
Which colored thread came into focus first? This is the one on top at this intersection. Thread on top at
this intersection _______________
9. Move to another intersection and repeat steps 6-8 above.
Which colored thread came into focus first? This is the one on top at this intersection. Thread on top at
this intersection ________________
Now you should be able to tell which colored thread is on top, in the middle and on the bottom.
Top ________ Middle ________ Bottom ________
Assignment 6 - Preparing a Wet Mount
1. Obtain a clean glass microscope slide and coverslip.
2. Place a drop of water and proceed to step 3 or a drop of the sample on your slide and proceed to
step 4.
3. Add your specimen to the water drop.
4. Hold one edge of the coverslip to one side of the drop and lower the coverslip to cover the
material.
5. If done carefully very few air bubbles will appear.
4. Beginning with the scanning objective, locate the specimen and bring into as sharp of focus as
possible. Center the specimen in the field of view and move to the 10x objective. Slowly rotate
the 40x objective into place. Be sure the 40x objective does not touch to slide!
5. After the 40x objective is in place observe the image remains somewhat in focus. This
microscope is parfocal, meaning that the image remains nearly in focus as you move from one
objective to another.
7. Draw your specimen in the space provided below.
4X View 10X
40X
Assignment 7 - Finishing up and Storing the Microscope
1. Rotate the 4x objective into place.
2. Clean all lenses with lens paper only.
3. Put cover, if available, over microscope.
4. Pick microscope up with one hand on arm and one hand under base.
5. Return to the storage cabinet.
6. Return all materials to the designated location in the lab.
7. Clean your work area for the next lab students.
Colors of Nature
Topic: *Biodiversity and colors
Materials: *Half an egg carton
*Paint or Markers
Instructions: *Paint each egg holder a different color
*Find something in nature the same color as each holder & put it in the holder
Comments: *With this activity, you can go over how diverse nature is. It makes kids get
outside and explore.
Sweet Treats
Dichotomous Key
1a: Round........................................................................................................................................ Tomato
1b: Not round.................................................................................................................................. Go to 2
2a: Flower........................................................................................................................................ Go to 3
2b: Not a flower............................................................................................................................... Go to 4
3a: White............................................................................................................... Banana Pepper blossom
3b: Yellow..................................................................................................................... Cucumber blossom
4a: Black............................................................................................................................................... Dirt
4b: Not black................................................................................................................................... Go to 5
5a: Red.................................................................................................................................... Cyan Pepper
5b: Green............................................................................................................................. Banana Pepper
Owl and Mouse
Topic: *Interactions between predator and prey
* Energy needs
Materials: *Blind folds
*Squishy, soft balls (Nerf balls or Pool balls)
*Paper wads
* Candy for a reward (optional)
Instructions: *Sit the class in a circle
*Choose a volunteer to be the “owl”
*Make the owl stand in the middle of the circle, and drop the paper wads (which
will be called cheese) at their feet
*Blindfold them and give them the two squishy balls
*Explain that the balls are the owl's energy. If it runs out of energy without
catching mice (food), it dies.
*Silently, tap a student on the shoulder to be the “mouse”
*The mouse must quietly sneak up to the owl and grab a piece of cheese, then try
to return to their seat
*If the owl hears them, he or she must throw the ball and try to hit them while
blindfolded.
*If the owl misses the two chances, then it “dies”
*All mice and owls that get food get candy as a reward
Comments: *A somewhat large space is best for this activity.
Helping Hands
Topic: *Mutualism, symbiotic relationships
Materials: *Stuffed animals or foam pieces glued in a tube shape
*Large table
*Poker chips (Enough for each student)
*Blindfolds
*Three legged bands (Or something to connect two students ankles)
Instructions: *Spread the stuffed animals and/or foam pieces on the table. This will be called
“food,” and the table is going to be a “coral reef”
*Students should pick a partner. One will be a “Noseeum” and the other will be a
“Ferocious Feeler”
*Don't tell them what each is before hand
*This activity will be done in two rounds, one individually, and one with the
partner the student chose
*Give each student a poker chip. This signifies their “home”
*Tell them to put their home somewhere else around the room (not too close to
the reef)
*The objective is to start at home, then go to the reef, gather food, and take it
back home
*No one can steal food from another person's home. It must come from the reef
*The Noseeums will be blindfolded and trying to get food
*The ferocious feelers must put their hands behind their heads and only use their
elbows to gather food
*Make sure to tell the children to KEEP CALM; walk, don't run; and that they
can only pick up one piece of food at a time
*Set a timer for thirty seconds, then let them go
*After the thirty seconds is up, have them count their pieces of food
*Anyone who got over 8 lived.
*For the second round, connect a Noseeum to a Ferocious Feeler using the three
legged band.
*If the band breaks, it's the same as coral bleaching. Both partners “die”
*The rest of the rules are the same, except, when they count their food at the end,
whichever teams have over 12 pieces of food live
*This shows how working together helps more organisms survive in a coral reef
Comments: *You can reward the students who lived with candy or some other prize.
Natural Selection Pasta
Topic: *Natural Selection
Materials: *Rainbow pasta (Can be bowtie or rotini, as long as it's rainbow)
Instructions: *Count out a specific number of noodles of each color (i.e.; 25 red, 25 yellow, 25
green, 25 orange)
*Put them all together in a bag
*Take the class outside in the grass (preferably green grass, so the green pastas
can hide)
*Put the students in a circle, and then empty all the noodles into the grass
*Give the students ten seconds to grab the first noodle they see. ONLY ONE this
first time
*After that ten seconds, do a quick survey of how many got each color. They
should start to see that the green ones are more difficult to find.
*Give the students another ten seconds to get as many noodles as they can find.
*Do another survey.
*Green should be the least color found because it hides well in the grass
Comments: *Can also be used with a math tie in – making graphs/pie charts
Blubber Bags
Build a Bug (The Great Race)
Topic: *Insects, Arthropods, Millipedes, Centipedes
Materials: *Students
Instructions: *Split the students into two groups – Millipedes and Centipedes
*Have the centipedes stand in a single file line with their hands on the student in front of
them's shoulders. This is because centipedes have one set of legs per section
*Have the millipedes stand back to back and interlock elbows. This is because
millipedes have two sets of legs per section,
*Have them race to a finish line and see who makes it first.
Comments: It would work best outside. Centipedes usually win because they're made for speed.
Millipedes will probably want to do it over and over to try and win.
Spider Enzyme
Topic: Spiders
Materials: *Measuring Cup
*Water
*Gatorade Powder
*Straws
*Little Cups
*Sugar Cubes
Instructions: *Ahead of time, mix the water and gatorade powder together, going heavy on the water
*The cups are going to be “spiderwebs”
*You can cut the straws in half to save materials
*The sugar cubes are going to be “flies”
*Give the kids a cup with a sugar cube in it and straw and tell the kids to try to suck the
sugar cube through the straw as is.
*When they realize they can't do it, pour a little bit of gatorade in the cup with the sugar
cube.
*Distract the class while the sugar cube dissolves. You can do this by building a spider.
*Get 4 volunteers to be the legs. Stand them two by two, back to back.
*Get one volunteer to be the spinner. Explain to the students what spiders use
spinners for.
*Get one more volunteer to be the head. It helps to have a silly hat with velcro
sticky dots glued on it and googly eyes to stick to it to explain how many eyes
spiders have.
*After you build a spider, have the students go back to their seats, and they should notice
that their “flies” are dissolved.
*Now have the students try to suck it up.
Comments: This explains how a spider uses an enzyme that it injects into its prey, once it gets caught in
the web, to dissolve it from the inside out so it can eat the fly.
Are You My Pup?
Topic: *Animal Senses
Materials: *Containers (like test tubes or M&M tubes), have them in matching pairs
*Flavor extracts or essential oils (for smells)
*Noise makers (Like beads and sand)
Instructions: *Put a noise maker and/or smell in each container, making sure that the containers that
are paired have the same smell and sound maker.
*Take the students outside or to a large room
*Split the students up into a “Parent” Group and a “Pup” group. There should be one
parent and one pup from the matching containers.
*Blindfold everyone and tell them to find their match using only the sound and smell of
the container.
Comments: *For a short version, just do the sounds and don't blindfold the students.
*Make sure to tell the students DO NOT RUN.
Cell Division Flipbook
Egg Osmosis
Egg Osmosis
Terms
Diffusion: The movement of molecules from a higher concentration to a lower concentration.
Osmosis: The diffusion of water
Passive Transport: Results from the random motion of molecules causing a net movement of
molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration; no energy
expenditure
Active Transport: Use of a plasma membrane carrier protein to move a substance into or out of
a cell from lower to higher concentration; requires energy expenditure
Solute: Substance that is dissolved in a solvent, forming a solution
Solvent: Fluid, such as water, that dissolves solutes
Isotonic solution: A solution with an equal concentration of solute and solvent
Hypotonic solution: A solution with a lower concentration of solute, a higher concentration of
solvent
Hypertonic solution: A solution with a higher concentration of solute, a lower concentration of
solvent
Eggs possess a selectively permeable membrane. Therefore some materials may pass through
while others cannot.
Materials
egg
300 mL distilled white vinegar
300 mL light corn syrup
300 mL distilled water
600 mL beaker
Parafilm
Spoon
Balance
Weigh Boat
Hypothesis: Altering the solute concentration will result in a change in the weight and appearance of
the egg.
Procedure
Day One
1. Obtain a beaker and label with group name (name decided upon by group members), egg, balance,
weigh boat.
2. Place weigh boat on balance and zero balance. Place egg in weigh boat and find weight of egg.
Record on Table One.
3. Pour 300 mL distilled white vinegar into 600 mL beaker. Place egg gently into vinegar. Cover the
beaker with Parafilm. Let sit for 24-36 hours. This process will remove the shell from the egg,
exposing the selectively permeable membrane.
Day Two
4. Place weigh boat on balance and zero balance.
5. Using spoon, gently remove egg from the vinegar and place into weigh boat. Be careful with egg
from this point on—It is VERY fragile and will burst easily. Record weight on Table One.
6. Rinse 600 mL beaker until clean. Gently place egg into beaker.
7. Pour 300 mL corn syrup into beaker, covering egg.
8. Cover beaker with Parafilm once more. Sit aside for 24-36 hours.
Day Three
9. Place weigh boat on balance and zero balance.
10. Using spoon, gently remove egg from the corn syrup and place into weigh boat. Be careful with
egg—It is VERY fragile and will burst easily. Record weight on Table One.
11. Rinse 600 mL beaker until clean. Gently place egg into beaker.
12. Pour 300 mL distilled water into beaker, covering egg.
13. Cover beaker with Parafilm once more. Sit aside for 24-36 hours.
Day Four
14. Place weigh boat on balance and zero balance.
15. Using spoon, gently remove egg from the distilled water and place into weigh boat. Be careful
with egg—It is VERY fragile and will burst easily. Record weight on Table One.
Table One
Weight (g) Appearance
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Questions
6. What material was passing through the selectively permeable membrane?
7. Was this an example of passive transport or active transport?
8. What was the hypotonic solution used?
9. What was the hypertonic solution used?
10. Did the egg swell in the hypotonic or hypertonic solution?
11. Did the egg shrivel is the hypotonic or hypertonic solution?
DNA Magnets
Science
Standards/
Activities
TN.Gov Sample
Work Together
GLE 0107.1.1
Topic: Recognize that living things have parts that work together.
Materials: Students, blindfold, bottle of water, cup, towel
Instructions: *Pick 3 student volunteers
*Hide a bottle of water in the classroom somewhere (fairly easy to find)
*Have student 1 stand in the middle of the room. This student is going to be the “brain.”
*Blindfold student 2. This student is going to be the “arms.”
*Student 3 is going to be the “eyes.” Have them put their arms behind their back.
*Start by having student 3 look around the room to find the bottle of water. They are not,
however, to touch or move it!
*When student 3 finds the bottle, they should go back and tell student 1 where it is.
*Then, student 1, the “brain,” should take student 2, the “arms,” to the water bottle and
have them grab it.”
*Next, have the brain take the arms and eyes to a table with the cup on it. (You might
want to have a towel handy. This could get messy.)
*Okay, now have the eyes whisper instructions to the brain on what the arms need to do
to open the bottle of water.
*The brain then tells the arms, word for word what the eyes told them.
*The arms follow the instructions, no matter what the brain/eyes may have said.
*The eyes and brain need to give the arms instructions on pouring the bottle of water in
the cup.
*When they're done, have the arms take off the blindfold and see how they did!
Comments: This exercise shows how the body parts work together every day to perform simple tasks.
Source: Mrs. Whitehead, 6th Grade, Mosheim Middle, revised by Brittany Woods
Kaley Parvin
Title: Pinecone Turkeys
GLE 0007.1.1
GLE Description: Recognize that many things are made of parts
Materials Needed: Pinecones, colorful cure pips, googly eyes, pieces
of foam, glue
Activity Description: Put the feathers on(pipes), eyes, and nose with
glue to make a turkey. They can do any colors they want.
Citation: Pinterest
Do you want to build an Owl?
GLE Number:
0107.1.1
Description:
Recognize that living things have parts that work together
Materials Needed:
Candy corn ( 1 piece for each child)
Reese Cups cut in half ( 2 halves for each child)
Oreos ( 2 for each child)
M&Ms ( 2 pieces for each child)
Brownies cut in squares
Ziploc bags
Gloves
Plates
Instructions:
Place one piece candy corn, a Reese cup cut in half, two Oreos, and two M&Ms in a Ziploc bag
for each child and cook, or buy, the brownies the night before
Go over how living things have parts that work together
Give each child a plate
Put gloves on so you do not touch the food
Give each child a brownie
Next, give each child a Ziploc bag with the other pieces in it
Tell the kids that they are going to build an owl
First, tell the kids to easily pull the tops off the Oreos and place the crème halves side by side to
make the owls eyes
Next, tell the kids to place the candy corn with the flat end next to the eyes to make the nose
Then, tell the kids to take their M&Ms and place in the crème of the Oreo to make the pupil of
the eye
Then, tell the kids to take their thumb and make an indent halfway down the brownie on both
sides
Next, tell the kids to place to the two Reese cup halves in those indents and they have made
their owl
Review how each little piece came together to make the owl and then let the kids eat it
Citation:
Brittany Harvey
Plants and Animals
Samantha Taylor, MacKinzie Kitts, Katie Sargent, & Lauren Madon
GLE # 0207.1.1
GLE Description: Recognize that plants and animals are made up of smaller parts and use food, water,
and air to survive.
Materials: Flower flip book, crayons, scissors, animal needs worksheet, power points and review game.
Activity description: After viewing the power points, students should be able to complete both
activities and play the review game.
Instructions:
Go through both of the power points allowing students to learn about how plants
and animals use their different parts to survive.
Let them do the animal worksheet.
They then need to do the plant flipbook.
To do the flip book, they need to color their flowers, cut on the dotted lines on the
front of the book, and fill in the blanks inside to describe what those parts do.
After all of this is complete, they can play the review game.
The review game is made of a poster board that has two sides with the different
things plants and animals need to survive.
Fix-a-Flower
GLE 0307.1.1
Identify parts of a plant and be able to describe their function.
Materials
Cut outs
Blank Paper
Glue
Crayons/markers
Labels
Scissors
Instructions
Have the students color and cut out the different parts of the plant. They will
need to glue down their plants onto the blank page, and have them glue the labels next to
their part of the plant.
Discussion
Which part of the plant grows underground to take in water and nutrients from the soil?
What is the part of the plant that grows above the ground and helps hold the plant up?
Which part of the plant grows out of the stem and is where the plant makes food?
What part of the plant attracts animals and insects to spread seeds for reproduction?
How does water from the ground travel to the leaves of the plant?
*Found at
https://bethbarger.wikispaces.com/file/view/DI+Activity+.docx
I am Made of Building Blocks
Laura Stanton
GLE #: 0407.1.1
GLE Description: Recognize that cells are the building blocks of all living things.
Materials Needed: Cell worksheet, brain pop video about cells, Velcro sticky dots, pictures of things
that have cells (living things) and pictures of those that do not have cells (non-living things), two poster
boards.
Activity Description: Students should be able to recognize that cells are the building blocks of life and
know the basic parts of a cell.
Instructions: First, play the BrainPOP video for the students. Next, label one board as “has cells” and
the other board as “no cells.” Use an envelope to hold the different pictures of living and non-living
things and let students come up and randomly pull out a picture. Let them decide which board it will go
on. After that, give each student a cell activity handout and let them fill it out and color the cell picture
if they want.
Citation: Worksheet activity: https://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cells/activity/
BrainPOP Video:
https://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cells/
The Cell
Name: Kaitlyn Martin
GLE 0507.1.1
GLE Description: Distinguish between the basic structures and functions of plant and animal cells.
Label drawings of plant and animal cells.
Materials: Worksheets from website. Tin cans (altoid/mint tins). Crayons or markers. Glue, you could
use Velcro sticky dots too.
Activity Description: Glue or tape the title on the front of the tin. Open up the tin, color the different
parts, then glue them in the correct place. After they are glued, take the labels from the bottom of the
tins (you can either cut them OR fold them up) and write the correct definition.
Citation:
“Got to Teach!: 3D Mint Tin Cell Model.” Got to Teach!: 3D Mint Tin Cell Model. Web. 13 Oct.
2015.
Look at us!
GLE: 0107.1.2 – Use tools to examine major body parts and plant structure.
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes (depending on how long you want to give students to draw)
Topic: *Body and plant parts
Materials: *Mini magnifying glasses
*Paper and pencils/crayons/etc.
Instructions: *Give each child a magnifying glass and let them look at a variety of plants, also
let them look at each other.
*Tell them to pick one body part on another student (eye, tongue, hand) and one
plant part (petals, stem, leaves) and draw a picture of what they see when its magnified and when they
look at it regularly to see the differences.
Comments: *If you want to make it quicker, don't do the drawing part.
Citation: Brittany Woods
Kimberly Slayton 10/16/15 Individual Presentation
GLE 0107.1.2 Use tools to examine major body parts and plant structures.
TITLE: The Plastic Bottle Lens
TOPIC: Getting a better look at living things
MATERIALS: Empty water bottle, scissors, marker, water
INSTRUCTIONS: Have students draw a circle on the part of the water bottle that’s near the neck
and has the deepest curve, and then cut it out. Have students hold the little mini
cup while you pour a small amount of water into it. Tell students to look through
the water at words on paper.
EXPLANATION: The disc shape you have cut out curves outwards, so is a convex shape. By
adding the water the light that passes through is refracted meaning that it is bent
inwards, creating a lens effect and enlarging the size of the letters. So you have
then created your very own magnifying glass!
Citation: http://www.science-sparks.com/2012/05/21/make-your-own-magnifying-glass/ TITLE: Indoor Nature Walk
TOPIC: Getting a closer look at living things
MATERIALS: Station 1, sea shells, sand, etc. Station 2, Stones, rocks, etc. Station 3, Any type
of plants, grass, leaves, pinecones. Station 4, Bug shells, butterfly wings, snake
skin, feathers, etc. Station 5, wood pieces, bees nests, etc. Magnifying glasses.
(Oriental Trading $3.99/dozen plus tax)
INSTRUCTIONS: Set up room beforehand with the different stations. Have students break into
groups. Before they get into exploring the items in the stations, have them look
at their own nails and skin, and another’s hair and eyes. Then let them explore
each of the stations for an allotted amount of time.
“ While the students are exploring share discoveries with them. Encourage the use of descriptive
words. Ask questions about textures, colors, shapes, etc. Have students draw one object and include
the details seen using a magnifier (Encourage;draw, look, draw, look). Ask questions such as, “How
might that help the plant or animal?” and, “What does it remind you of?’”
Citation: http://www.wnps.org/education/resources/documents/K-5_Q&E/1st_grade/1-2.pdf
And myself, the source suggests an outdoor nature walk, I thought an indoor “walk” could add much more variety
to what could be seen and explored by the students. Indoor Nature Walk
Station 1 Shed Items:
Which item did you learn the most about or saw something you hadn’t noticed
before using the magnifying glass?
Station 2 Sea Items:
Which item did you learn the most about or saw something you hadn’t noticed
before using the magnifying glass?
Station 3 Stones Items:
Which item did you learn the most about or saw something you hadn’t noticed
before using the magnifying glass?
Station 4 Seed Items:
Which item did you learn the most about or saw something you hadn’t noticed
before using the magnifying glass?
Station 5 Shelter Items:
Which item did you learn the most about or saw something you hadn’t noticed
before using the magnifying glass?
Out of all the stations which item did you learn the most about?
Out of all the stations which item was your favorite to look at?
Plates of the Food Chain
GLE: 0607.2.1 – Examine the roles of consumers, producers, and decomposers in a biological
community
Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Topic: * Consumers, producers, and decomposers
Materials: * Paper Plates
* Crayons, markers, etc.
Instructions: *Give each student a paper plate and assign them something to draw from this
list:
-sun (x3)
-grass (x2)
-deer
-bear
-decomposers (x3)
-zebra
-lion
-plankton
-small fish
-tuna (or other big) fish
*You may have to double some to accommodate all the students.
*After they draw the animal/plant/sun, have them break into groups, matching
their sun and grass to the proper consumers
*Have them make a food chain starting with the sun and ending in the
decomposers.
Comments: *You can also use this to have kids separate animals into different habitats.
Citation: http://thirdgradethinkers8.blogspot.com/2012/03/animal-research-printables-and-
food.html
Living and Non-Living
Lauren Madon
GLE 0007.2.1: Recognize that some things are living and some are not.
Topic: Living and Non-living.
Materials: Activity print out and worksheet found at
http://files.havefunteaching.com.s3.amazonaws.com/activities/science/living-and-nonliving-
activity.pdf, scissors, glue
Activity Description: When shown pictures of different things, be able to recognize that some of those
things are alive, and some are not. Be able to put them into the correct category of living or non-living.
Instructions: Cut the pictures, and then sort them into either the living or non-living category. Then,
take the tic-tac-toe boards, have one person use the living pictures and the other use the non-living
pictures, and play tic-tac-toe with them. This can be done in groups of two or groups of four. Finally,
cut the pictures out on the worksheet, and place them in the correct category of living or non-living.
Citation: activity by havefunteaching.org and is found at the link listed above
Living and Non-living Activity
Samantha Taylor
GLE # 0107.2.1
GLE Description: Distinguish between living and non-living things in an environment.
Materials: pictures of living and non-living objects, Poster board or printouts labeled living and non-
living, and a bowl to mix up pictures for students to choose one
Activity description: the students will have to decide if the object they picked is living or non-living
and go to the correct place.
Instructions:
1. After cutting out the different pictures fold them and place them in a bowl (or something the students
can draw one picture out of).
2. Allow each student to draw one paper from the bowl.
3. After they look at their picture they must determine if it is living or non-living and go to the correct
poster labeled living or non-living.
4. Collect all pictures and play again if desired.
5. After playing the game, let the students do the worksheet to check their understanding of the game
they just played.
Note:
You could also use index cards with the names of different objects on them but make sure the students
can read them. I just searched online to find enough pictures to ensure everyone would have an object.
Citation:
http://www.themailbox.com/magazines/editorial/living-or-nonliving pictures and a worksheet
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Living-and-Nonliving-Things-1664775 Living and
non-living labels
Where Is Your Home?
By: Bethany Spoone
Interdependence
GLE 0207.2.1: Investigate the habitats of different kinds of local plants and animals
Topic: Habitats
Materials: 3-5 Poster boards, Velcro dots, plastic animals/animal pictures, and décor items (e.g.
letters, streamers, cloth/spray paint, pop-sicle sticks)
Activity description: The idea of this activity is to make the children think like the animal that
they randomly choose. Each boy or girl can pick an animal once (or how many ever times you
would like for them to do it) and then they will go and stick it to the board as to where that
animal belongs. After the activity the students must to do a write up about their favorite animal
and include facts about their animal, ex. Which habitat they live in, what they eat,
characteristics about that animal then have them explain why they chose that animal.
Instructions: Take a bowl and put the plastic animals or picture of the animals in there,
let each child choose one animal and have them take that animal and Velcro it to the
correct habitat. You could let the children do this as many times as you felt like it is a
short, fun activity. After they are done to in cooperate reading and writing into the lesson
have them write a description about the animal of their choosing. The students write up
should include what their favorite animal is and include facts about their animal, ex.
Which habitat they live in, what they eat, characteristics about that animal then have
them explain why they chose that animal.
Living VS. Non-Living
Brittanee D. Collins
Presentation day: September 25th, 2015
GLE #: 0307.2.1
GLE Description: Categorize things as living or non-living.
Materials: Flash cards, magnets, folder to keep pieces together, metal pans (2 per group), sticky letters to label each pan, and candy for rewards and participation.
Activity Description: This activity will need a few items that you may need to go to dollar general or dollar tree to get. You need to get multiple living items and
multiple non-living items, what I used for this was at the dollar general they have flash cards to help kids learn their ABC’s, colors, and numbers and they all had
different animals and creatures and they also had many miscellanies items like cars, balloons, food, etc. I took the flash cards and I took magnets and glued to
the back of each one and that way they will hang on metal pans. I then would have two pans per group and I would label one pan living and one pan non-living
and then I would have the pieces of flash cards with the magnets on the back of them and I would have a folder with the pieces for each group in them. This is a
good way to make sure you have all your pieces together and you don’t lose any.
I would then put the class into 4 or 6 groups and I would have them sort the pieces on the metal pans as living or non-living. This is a good activity to get the
kids up and moving and also to get them active with other student in their classroom. Also this activity is teaching them about living and non-living things
and categorizing them with their group members. This activity makes them work as a team and also allows them to learn what each item would be categorized as.
Citation: Brittanee Collins
Title
GLE: 0507.2.2 – Explain how organisms interact through symbiotic, commensal, and parasitic
relationships.
Estimated Time:
Topic: *
Materials: *
Instructions: *
Comments: *
Citation: http://www.mce.k12tn.net/science/life_science/interations/interactions.htm
Five Senses Sorting Game
Katie Sargent
GLE: 0007.2.1 K
GLE Description: Know that people interact with their environment through their senses
Topic: Identify the five senses (taste, touch, smell, hear, and see) and have them categorize pictures for
each sense.
Material: Poster board, pictures, my five senses book, and an envelope
Procedure: Have students come up one at a time and let them select a picture from an envelope and
have them match it with one of the five senses.
Time: approx. 5-10 minutes
Citation: www.lakeshorelearning.com
What living thing am I?
GLE 0207.2.2 Investigate living things found in different places.
Topic: figuring out what am I?
Materials: What you will need index card, expo marker, and white board names of different animals,
research the animals, then find some picture or name of plants do the same for the plants, and insects
Activity Description: have the students to figure the different type of animal and other living things
they are in the world.
Instructions: have one student to come up in front of the whole class and draw a card. Then act, draw
doing anything but say their living thing name that is on their card. The student has act or draw three
thing about their living thing. If the class figures out what living thing are you gets a piece of candy.
Citation: activity by Jennifer Bowling
Title
GLE: 0207.2.3 – Identify basic ways plants and animals depend on each other
Estimated Time:
Topic: * Plant and Animal dependancy
Materials: *
Instructions: *
Comments: *
Citation:
Title
GLE: 0607.2.4 – Analyze the environments and the interdependence among organisms found in
the world's major biomes
Estimated Time:
Topic: *
Materials: *
Instructions: *
Comments: *
Citation:
Bingo
Name: Suzannah Mason and Brittany Woods
Project: Grow Your Own Bean Plant.
GLE met: 0407.3.1 demonstrate that plants need light and energy to grow and survive.
Supplies: Beans, plastic cups, paper towels, and water. And a sunny windowsill to place your plants in!
Instructions: Hand out cups, two beans each, and paper towels. Place your paper towels in your plastic
cups then pour a tiny amount of water in them (which the teacher will come around with a bottle of
water). Have the children place their two beans in the bottom of their cups and place them in a sunny
spot. Throughout the week check on your beans and replace water as needed. By 4-5 days you should
have bean sprouts coming out of your cups!
Comments: To make this an experiment, have the students do two cups each. Put one in a sunny place
and the other in a dark place, such as a closet. This allows the students to see how much plants depend
on sunlight.
Citation: Suzannah Mason
Plants & Animals With vs. Without
Hannah Lawson Presentation Day: October 14, 2015 GLE #: 0007.3.1 GLE Description: Recognize that living things require water, food, and air. Materials: A pair of laminated pictures of plants and animals (one of the plants alive and one dead, one of the animals healthy and one lacking food, etc.), Velcro sticky dots, two poster boards, and stickers to label the boards or you can just label them with a marker. It would also be a good idea to have some type of candy for reward. What to Have Prepared Before Class: Label one of the boards “With” and the other “Without”. Have a count of how many pictures/pairs you will need to make in order to coordinate with your class. Put the Velcro sticky dots on both the pictures and boards so they can stick them on the boards when they do this activity. Label both of the cards with the same number so they will know if they match correctly. Instructions: Separate the class in half. Give half of the class the pictures of the dead plants and the skinny animals that have been without the water, food, and air. Give the other half of the class the healthy plants and animals. Have them find their partner and discuss why they think each is the way it is. After they have done this have each determine if theirs should go on the board labeled “With” meaning that it has had the required water, food, and air or if it should go on the board labeled “Without” meaning that it has not had the requirements. When they have determined this let them put theirs on the board. Reward with some type of candy afterwards. Citation: Hannah Lawson
Find Your Match
Brittanee Collins & Hannah Lawson
October 19, 2015
GLE #: 0107.3.1
GLE Description: Recognize that plants and animals are living things that grow and
change over time.
Materials: Miscellaneous items in a pair, some animals and some plants, and blindfolds.
Examples: butterflies, dogs, trees, rabbits, apples, and grapes.
Activity Description: Put your class into two groups and pass out the flash cards to the
class and make sure that each person in the class has a match, but don’t let the students
see each other’s cards. Blindfold students and have them either make the animal sound
to find one another or say facts about their plant. Once they have found their match they
can then take their blindfold off and discuss with one another how that animal or plant
are living things and how they change overtime throughout their lives. Also, make sure
this activity has plenty of room.
Citation: Brittanee Collins & Hannah Lawson
Inside the Mouth of a Herbivore, Carnivore, or Omnivore
Lauren Martin
GLE 0207.3.1 for 2nd grade
GLE Description: Recognize that animals eat plants or other animals for food.
Topic: Identify that an animals eats plants, meat, or both. This activity does that by taking a look at the
shape of their teeth to identify what they eat.
Material: Constriction paper, pictures of different animals, paper or Styrofoam bowls, candy corn, and
chocolate bars.
Procedure: Each student is given an animal along with a mouth cut out. Using the supplies of candy
corn (K-9 teeth for tearing meat) and flat chocolate bar (smooth teeth for plant eaters) on their tables,
they will make the inside of the mouth of the animal they were given. If the animal has candy corn only
teeth it is a meat-eating animal. If the animal has chocolate bar only teeth it only eats plants. If the
animal has both candy corn and chocolate teeth it is a meat and plant-eating animal.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Citation: Pinterest
Time To Eat… Where Do I Go?
Cassandra Norvell
Day Presented: October 16, 2015
GLE: 0307.3.1
Describe how animals use food to obtain energy and materials for growth and repair.
Materials: Poster board, Velcro sticky dots, 4 paper plates, laminated pictures of decomposers,
omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores; and foam letters to use for the title.
Preparing activity: place the title in correct spot. Glue down or tape down the paper plates so that they
will stay on poster when it is held up. Label each plate with decomposers, herbivores, carnivores, and
omnivores. Then place five Velcro dots in each plate
Activity description: 20 students will have a card with a picture on it they have to decide which plate
the picture goes in. Then they have to guess at which group takes more energy to survive.
Citation: Cassandra Norvell
Food Chain Links
GLE: 0507.3.1- Demonstrate how all living thing rely on the process of photosynthesis
to obtain energy
Topic: Flow of Matter and Energy
Materials: scissors, construction paper, and tape
Instruction:
Cut the construction paper into strips, that can be made into rings
Divide the class into different some of them are producers, that use
photosynthesis, some that eat those producers, some that eat those that eat the
producers, etc,
Have them make a food chain of which eats which
Hang the food chain so that the producers at the top
When it is hung up take the scissors and “kill” the producer by cutting it in half,
the rest of the food chain will fall because it was relaying on that one part of the
chain to function
Comments:
You could have students draw the different animals or plants that they are
Source:
Katherine Lewis
Title
GLE: 0407.3.2 – Investigate different ways that organisms meet their energy needs
Estimated Time:
Topic: *
Materials: *
Instructions: *
Comments: *
Citation:
The Hunger Games:
Members:
Siarha Jinks
Ashley Newell
GLE 0407.3.2:
Investigate different ways that organisms meet their energy needs.
Topic:
Interdependence/ biodiversity/ predator-prey
Approximate time:
10-15mins
Materials:
Paper wads (food)
Instructions:
Spread the wads out on the grass away from the students.
Have a few students be the carnivores and the rest be the herbivores.
The herbivores must race past the carnivores to collect their food and must make it back to their
“home.” The carnivores must try to catch (tag) the herbivores. * For ease of calculating, any
herbivore that is tagged must freeze next to the carnivore. The carnivore cannot chase
anymore for he/she has already obtained enough food.
At the end of the round, see how many herbivores and carnivores got something to eat.
Comments:
This works best outdoors and is good exercise.
Boundaries need to be set so the herbivores know how far they can run.
Be sure to mention no rough-housing, tagging is okay.
Make sure there isn’t enough wads for every student to demonstrate how they must compete.
Also make sure there aren’t as many carnivores as there are herbivores.
An herbivore is out if he/she didn’t collect any food, and a carnivore is out if he/she didn’t catch
any prey.
Source:
Siarha and Ashley
The Life Cycle
GLE: 0107.4.1 – Observe and illustrate the life cycle of animals
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Topic: *The life cycle of caterpillars
Materials: *A piece of paper with a circle drawn on it
*Construction paper cutouts of a leaf, a branch with a leaf, a tree, and a cloud (or
something that represents flying)
*Mini marshmallows (a few per student)
*Gummy worms (a few per student)
*Tootsie Roll Midgies (a few per student)
*A butterfly-ish shaped cracker (one per student)
Instructions: *Hand out the paper with the cycle on it to each student
*Hand out all of the candies and cutouts (I would put them in sandwhich bags the
day before to make things go quicker.)
*Tell the students to match each candy with the cutout it goes to, then put it on
the stage of the life cycle it represents
*Go around and check everyone's work as they say they're done
*When they get them all right, they can eat the candy
Comments: *If you can't find butterfly shaped crackers, and snack shaped remotely like a
butterfly will work. If your class is small enough, or if you feel nice enough, you can get cupcakes
decorated with some kind of butterfly.
Citation: Pinterest, revised by Brittany Woods
Pick a Trait
GLE: 0507.4.2 – Recognize that some characteristics are inherited while others result from
interaction with the environment
Estimated Time: 10-20 minutes
Topic: * Inherited and learned traits
Materials: * A list of about 10-20 inherited traits and 10-20 learned traits.
*A poster board with two sections titled “Inherited” and “learned”
*scissors
*velcro sticky dots
Instructions: * Cut out the lists and put a velcro sticky dot on the back, then put them in a bag
*Also put an equal amount of velcro sticky dots on the poster board under each
category
*Have one student come up and pick out a trait
*Have that student determine whether it is inherited or learned and place it in the
right section
*To pick the next student that gets to come up, have the fist student find one that
has the trait he/she selected (i.e. if the first student picked “blue eyes,” he/she would pick someone with
blue eyes to go next.)
Comments: * You could cross this with math if you wanted to keep a tally on how many
students have each trait.
Citation: Pinterest
Life as a Narf
GLE 0507.4.2- Recognize that some characteristics are inherited while others result from interactions
with the environment.
With this lesson, the students will be given cards both with inherited traits and learned behaviors. They
will create their own creature and have to decide whether or not their creature was breed to survive in
said situations or if their learned behavior can possibly save them.
Material: cards with multiple inherited traits and learned behaviors.
Background information:
You are all a member of a species known as Killus narfus, commonly known as the Narfs.
Narfs are very intelligent creatures with many amazing abilities. They are about 3 feet tall. They come
in a variety of colors, but the two most common varieties are blue and green. They live in rainforest
environments. Remarkably, they have the ability to learn skills very much like humans do. It is not
uncommon to see them painting or playing basketball. Narfs are typically gentle creatures, but are
sometimes fierce when challenged by a predator. Narfs are slow creatures, and they do not migrate
unless forced out by unforeseen circumstances. They typically stay in the lower branches of trees.
Narfs are omnivorous and will eat nearly anything. They have teeth very similar to human teeth. They
prefer fruits from the trees, but can also eat small animals. Small animals are sometimes difficult for
them to eat if their teeth are not extremely sharp.
Rules of the game:
You will draw four inherited traits. These are traits that are part of your DNA and cannot be
changed. Once they are drawn, there is nothing you can do about it. For each round, you may also
draw one learned behavior. Perhaps this newly acquired skill will allow for survival, perhaps not. A
situation will be read to you. Based on the situation, you will have to determine whether you will
survive or not.
Traits:
Inherited traits Learned behavior
Situation 1:
Situation 2:
Situation 3:
Situation 4:
Situation 1:
Would your inherited traits help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Would your learned behavior help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Is it likely that you would survive this situation?______________________________________
Situation 2:
Would your inherited traits help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Would your learned behavior help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Is it likely that you would survive this situation?______________________________________
Situation 3:
Would your inherited traits help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Would your learned behavior help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Is it likely that you would survive this situation?______________________________________
Situation 4:
Would your inherited traits help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Would your learned behavior help you survive?
(yes or no)
Why?
Is it likely that you would survive this situation?______________________________________
SITUATIONS (Teacher reads):
Situation 1: All is well in the lush green rainforest. All Narfs are enjoying a nice climate and abundant food
sources. All of a sudden, disaster strikes! A giant Narf eating monster attacks! The monster is
scientifically knows as Killus Narfus and commonly known as the sharp tooth. The sharp tooth is far
superior to other animals physically. It is extremely fast and very strong. It can jump high enough to
reach the lower branches of trees in a single leap. The sharp tooth, as its name suggests, has very large
sharp teeth for its carnivorous eating habits. The teeth look similar to that of a lion. The sharp tooth
does, however, have poor eyesight. It can see mostly differences in color, but cannot make out shapes
very well. It has an average sense of smell, but impeccable hearing. The sharp tooth does have one
major weakness, music. Any music will put the sharp tooth immediately to sleep for long periods of
time.
Situation 2: Unfortunately, things are not going well for the entire Narf species. Human poachers have been killing
Narfs for their incredibly soft fur. Many people enjoy Narf fur coats, or even Narf skin rugs. The green
Narfs have been particularly targeted. The green Narfs have much softer fur. The poachers typically
hunt with bow and arrow because guns will draw attention to their illegal poaching practices. Some
Narfs have extremely thick skin, which is difficult to penetrate with an arrow.
Situation 3: Deforestation practices have been destroying the trees where Narfs live and the fruits that they
commonly eat. Some Narfs are able to change food sources, but most Narfs are not fast enough to
catch live animals nor do they have sharp enough teeth. Some Narfs have learned to garden and grow
food which has allowed for the survival of some, but not the ones that do not know how to grow food.
Situation 4: Many trees in the area where the Narfs live have been destroyed. This has caused heavy flooding due
to high levels of rainfall. Before, the rainfall would have been regulated by the dense trees and
vegetation. This has caused pools of water to form in the area where the Narfs live. Some of these
pools can be quite deep, 6 feet or more. There are some food sources available at the bottom of these
pools, so Narfs that can dive or swim can easily get this food.
Inherited traits (cut out)
Blue Fur
Green Fur
Extremely sharp teeth
Human-like teeth
Sharp claws
No claws
Thick skin
Thin skin
Blue eyes
Brown eyes
Able to digest meat
Unable to digest meat
Long legs
Short legs
Long arms (more than 3-5 ft)
Short arms (3 feet or less)
Webbed toes
Not webbed toes
Large lung capacity (can hold their
breath for more than 1 minute)
Small lung capacity (can only hold
their breath for less than 1 minute)
Learned Behaviors
Playing Piano Gardening Swimming
Playing the ukulele Archery Painting
Sewing Fencing (sword fighting) Long distance running
Weight lifting Playing basketball Singing
Campfire Cooking Woodworking Parkour
Drawing Ride a unicycle Juggling
Ballet Dancing Good at Math Fast reader
Playing guitar Knitting Nun chuck skills
Comments: This could easily be related to math by gathering the information after each situation and
putting them into graphs like listed below.
Class Data Chart
How many
students
survived? List as
a fraction
What percent of
the class is this?
First Situation
Second Situation
Third Situation
Fourth Situation
Graph
Create a bar graph that shows what percent of students survived each of the four situations.
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
Conclusion Questions:
Were you able to change any of your inherited traits at all in the game? Why or why not?
Were there certain traits that seemed to help you survive better then others?
Were there certain situations that seemed easier for the class to have survived then others? If so
why do you think so?
Was it beneficial for you to be able to draw a new learned behavior for each situation?
What is the main difference between a learned behavior and inherited traits?
Let's Make a Group
GLE: 0807.5.1 – Identify various criteria used to classify organisms into groups
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Topic: * Classifying animals
Materials: * Paper cutouts of animals
Instructions: * Have the students group the animals according to any criteria they would like
*When everyone is finished, have the students tell how they grouped them
*The goal is to have many different reasons for grouping them the way each
student did.
Comments: *If short on time, put the students in groups and give each group a way to group
the animals, just so they can see the different ways.
Citation: Brittany Woods
Kimberly Slayton
Cassandra Norvell
Jennifer Bowling
Habitat Bingo
Standard 5
Grade 2
GLE 0207.5.1: Investigate the relationship between an animal’s characteristics and the
features of the environment where it lives.
Materials Needed:
Bingo Cards
Habitat Tokens – for students
Habitat Tokens – to draw from
Answer Key
Background Information
Activity Description: While students play a game of bingo they can learn about the
different habitats/biomes and the animals and plants associated with them.
Citation: www.starteaching.com/HabitatBingoLesson2.pdf
Bingo cards modified by Kimberly Slayton
HABITAT BINGO
SYNOPSIS Students will learn about different habitats (or biomes) and some of the animals
that are adapted to live there. Participation in the “Habitat Bingo” game will
reinforce the content learned.
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
• state the characteristics of five different habitats/biomes
• identify the habitat/biome in which ten different animals live
VOCABULARY/CONCEPTS
• biome • rainforest • temperate deciduous forest
• grassland • tundra • wetland
• taiga • temperate evergreen forest
MATERIALS (all included in this document)
• bingo cards (5 different ones) • answer key (last page)
• habitat tokens - for students • background information
• habitat tokens - to draw from
PROCEDURE
1. Depending on the students’ academic level, introduce the concept of habitat/
biome (see background information on following pages.)
2. Have the students engage in hands-on activities, language arts lessons, library
research, etc., so they can learn about the different habitats/biomes and the
animals and plants associated with them.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING - BINGO GAME
1. Hand out one bingo card and several of each ecosystem tokens to each student.
2. One at a time, “draw” out a habitat token and hold it up for the students.
3. The students are to take the matching habitat token, find an animal on their
bingo card that could live in that habitat, and place their small token on it.
4. The first student that gets 5 across “wins.” The student should verbally share
the five matches. Habitats in Various Biomes/Characteristics
Variations: Regions around the world are divided into different biomes (major communities of organisms
that have a characteristic appearance and that are distributed over a wide land area defined
largely by regional variations in climate). The variations in climate are mainly due to the amount
of available moisture and the temperature. You can predict which biome will be supported in a
particular area based on the amount of precipitation and the mean annual temperature.
Productivity/Life Forms The productivity of an ecosystem is strongly influenced by the amount of precipitation and the
mean annual temperature.
Biomes
Grasslands
• Halfway between the equator and the poles
• Once covered much of the interior of North America, and were widespread in Eurasia and
South America
• Many of these areas have been converted into agricultural land
• In North America, huge herds of bison and pronghorns once lived on the prairies.
Deserts
• Dry places where less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain falls in a year
• Very little vegetation
• Survival depends on water conservation (adaptations that allow for this)
• Most desert vertebrates live in deep and cool burrows
• Many animals are active only at night
• Some animals, like camels, can drink a lot of water when it is available, and then survive long,
dry periods
• In general, in the interior of continents (including the Sahara in Africa, the Gobi in Asia, and
the Great Sandy Desert in Australia)
Rainforests
• Receive 140 to 450 centimeters (55 to 177 inches) of rain a year
• Richest ecosystems on earth
• Contain at least half of the earth’s species of terrestrial plants and animals (more than 2 million
species)
• In South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
Forests Temperate Deciduous Forests
• Warm summers and cool winters
• Plentiful rains
• Deer, bears, beavers, and raccoons live in temperate regions
• Eurasia, northeastern United States, eastern Canada
Temperate Evergreen Forests
• Cold winters and a seasonal dry period
• The pine forests of the western United States, the California oak woodlands, and Autralian
eucalyptus forests are typical evergreen forests
• Many of these forests are endangered by overlogging (especially in the western U.S.)
Taiga
• Winters are long and cold; most of the limited precipitation falls in the summer
• Northern forests of coniferous trees
• Extends across vast areas of Asia and North America
• One of the largest ecosystems on earth
• Few people live there (growing season is short)
• Many large mammals live here (elk, moose, deer, wolves, bears)
• Fur trapping and logging have been extensive in this region
• Marshes, lakes, and ponds are common
• Most of the trees occur in dense stands of one or a few species
Tundra • Far north
• Few trees grow
The grassland (called tundra) is open and windswept
• Covers one-fifth of the earth’s land surface
• Very little rain or snow falls
• Large mammals live here (musk-oxen, caribou, wolves, foxes)
Habitats Not Considered “Biomes”
Mountains/Mt. St. Helens/Dwarf plant varieties • Above a certain elevation, trees no longer grow
• Plant growth is sometimes stunted resulting in “dwarf” varieties that are much shorter than the
normal plants
• Resources (food, water, shelter, space) are limited and the plants compete for them.
Oceans/Coral reefs/Marine life
• Salt water
• Animals are adapted to salt water habitat
• 40% of the world’s photosynthetic productivity is estimated to occur in the oceans
Wetlands
• Areas of land that have permanent standing water
• Very important as habitat for migrating birds
• Water source for animals
Estuaries
• Wetlands where fresh water and salt water mix
• Plants must be adapted to tolerating salt
• Some plants “sweat” out the salt (salt grass), others shun it to certain parts which then fall off
(pickleweed)
Freshwater ponds
• Have three zones where organisms occur (distributed according to the depth of the water and
its distance from shore)
• Found where there is permanent standing water
• The water table is just at or just above the surface
• Saturated soil
• Water-loving, non-woody, short, plants
• Animals rely on ponds and lakes as water sources
Habitat Bingo Answers
(although there are always exceptions!)
Animal Ecosystem/Habitat Alligator Lake/wetland
Armadillo Savanna/grassland
Bat Mountain forest
Beaver River
Butterfly Any but desert
Cactus Desert
Camel Desert
Chimpanzee Tropical rainforest
Coyote Desert
Crab Ocean
Deer Mnt. forest, savanna/grassland, desert
Dolphin Ocean
Duck River, lake/wetland, ocean
Eagle Lake/wetland
Elephant Savanna/grassland
Frog River, lake/wetland
Giraffe Savanna/grassland
Gorilla Tropical rainforest
Hippopotamus Lake/wetland, river
Hummingbird Savanna/grassland, river, mountain forest
Kangaroo Savanna/grassland
Killer whale Ocean
Leopard Savanna/grassland, mountain forest
Lion Savanna/grassland
Monkey Tropical rainforest
Moose Tundra
Owl Mountain forest
Parrot Tropical rainforest
Pelican Ocean, lake/wetland
Polar bear Ice caps
Rabbit Any but rainforest
Rhinoceros Savanna/grassland
Sea horse Ocean
Sea star Ocean
Seal Ice caps, ocean
Snake Any
Spider Any
Squirrel Mountain forest
Tiger Savanna/grassland, mountain forest
Toucan Tropical rainforest
Turtle Ocean, lake/wetland, river
Vulture Savanna/grassland
Zebra Savanna/grassland
What is this?
GLE: 0807.5.2 – Use a simple classification key to identify a specific organism
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Topic: * Characterizing organisms
Materials: * A few random objects and a dichotomous key to go with them
Instructions: * Group the students up and give them one of the objects from the key
*Have them answer the questions and use the dichotomous key to figure out what
their object is.
Comments: * You could change this up by hiding the object and just giving the students a list
of characteristics of the object and have them ask questions to figure it out.
Citation: Brittany Woods
The Fossilization Game
GLE 0107.5.2:
Recognize that some organisms which formerly lived are no longer found on earth.
Topic:
Extinction/ fossilization
Materials:
Fossilization cards
Instructions:
Choose environment. The game begins with the class or smaller group choosing an environment
in which there is a depositional setting such as a lake, pond, stream, river in a forest, or sea
floor.
Choose roles. Roles that the participants choose for themselves are possible animal or plant
inhabitants of the chosen setting.
Begin play. When play begins, the children act out their roles, with each one given a turn to
make vocalizations or gestures. *They can also interact with each other as they would in
their natural environment.
"Freeze" and decide the fate of the characters. The students draw cards which tell their fate.
Discuss what happened to the organisms and some reasons as to why they might not have
survived. Would they have had a better chance at survival if they had different adaptations?
Comments:
Better if played outdoors
Mention no rough-housing if they want to interact with each other. Source:
Brent H. Breithaupt
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fosrec/Breithaupt2.html#FIG3
Thriving, Threatened, Endangered, or Extinct
Name: Amanda Drinnon and Lauren Martin
Topic: Thriving, Threatened, Endangered, or Extinct
G.L.E.: 0307.5.2
GLE Description: Classify organisms as thriving, threatened, endangered, or extinct
Grade Level: 3rd
Date Presented: Monday, September 28, 2015
Materials: Tri-fold board, paint, pictures of animals, Velcro, envelope, PowerPoint
Procedure: Begin by teaching the topic of thriving, threatened, endangered, or extinct animals to the
students with the use of the PowerPoint. After the students have a good understanding of the topic tell
them about the activity that goes along with it. Open the tri-fold board and then ask for a volunteer.
When a student is chosen let them pick one animal out of the envelope and instruct them to Velcro the
animal to its correct habitat. Continue choosing volunteers until there are no more animals left.
Time: Approximately 15 minutes
Citation: Amanda and Lauren
kphllps.weebly.com/uploads/1/6/8/4/…/instructional_powerpoint_ppsx
Nature Walk Notes
ZooMobile
Small Group
When the Zoomobile came to West Elementary, the first thing we were told by Louise is that we
would be learning about animal senses and comparing them to the five human senses. She went over
the five senses with the students-taste, touch, smell, see, and hear. She then explained how animals
senses are much stronger and why they need to be that way. Then she told us that living creatures need
four things to survive. They need food, water, shelter, and air. Animals have particular senses that excel
so that they can have these four basic necessities.
For seeing, Louise brought out Bucky the owl. She explained that he has huge eyes so he can
see in the dark because he is nocturnal. If our eyes were the size of owl's eyes in proportion with our
heads, they would be the size of our fist! Owls move their whole heads around because they can't just
move their eyes. They have twice as many bones in their necks as humans do to accomplish this. Bucky
can hear a mouse two football fields away! Louise then explained to us that Bucky has predator eyes,
which means his eyes face forward. Prey eyes means the animals eyes are on the side of their head,
which gives them a better peripheral vision to watch for predators sneaking up on them.
For hearing, we got to see Hugo the rabbit. We then did a hearing activity to compare a rabbit's
ears with ours. We cupped our hands and put them to our ears. More sound was captured in our hands
and guided into our ears that way!
Bears have the best sense of smell in the world! We didn't actually get to see a bear, but Louise
told us about them. Bears will bury their uneaten food to hide it from other animals, then sniff it back
out later.
Biff the snake was our taste representing animal. He eats smaller snakes and eggs. Biff is a
constrictor, which means he wraps around his prey and squeezes them to death. Snakes have forked
tongues, which help them to smell in different directions. He only uses his nose for breathing, not
smelling. Biff also uses his entire body to hear. He hears via the vibrations caused by moving things.
Any animal with whiskers is a good example for touch. Predator eyes have a blind spot at their
mouth. They can't see right in front of their own mouths. That's what the whiskers are there for! They
also help the animal see in the dark.
We then reviewed what we learned about the animals and their senses, then Louise let the
children pick and animal to pet. They picked Hugo the rabbit!
ZooMobile
Large Group
In the large group presentation, we learned about amazing animal adaptations. An adaptation is
something to help the animal survive in the wild.
Zebras have stripes, which is a form of camouflage. They aren't actually black and white, but
dark brown and a dirty off white color. Zebras also have dark skin under their fur because it keeps them
from burning in the hot sun.
Tigers also have stripes for camouflage. They use it to hide from prey. Louise had a tiger skull
biofact. She had a student volunteer to hold their arm out while she put the tiger's jaws on it like the
arm was being bitten. The student couldn't pull her arm out because of the way the teeth were curved to
keep prey from escaping.
Hugo the rabbit was brought out again. Hugo is from Germany, and his particular breed was
bred to be very large so people could eat it. Hugo's ears turn in every direction so that he can hear
better, and his prey eyes are an adaptation that help him see predators that are hunting him. The fast and
strong legs rabbits have help them to escape these predators.
Feathers are another adaptation. Ambian Condors have a 12ft wingspan. Their wings are so big
to accommodate for their large bodies. Birds have hollow bones to make it easier for them to fly.
Condors are scavengers, which means they eat dead animals. They have adapted to having no feathers
on their heads to keep from making a mess. They use their feet to rip carcasses apart, so in order to
clean them, they poop on them. As a defense adaptation, condors will puke on predators.
Bucky the barn owl can hear and see a football field away to help him find his food. He flies
quietly to sneak up on prey. In order to keep their bodies light for flight, birds poop a lot. Bucky's big
eyes are an adaptation to help him see in the dark. He has sharp claws for catching mice. Owls don't fly
very fast because it makes them quieter.
Water turtles shells are smooth to help them glide through the water. Their hard shell is an
adaptation for protection. It is the spine and ribs of a turtle. Turtles lay a bunch of eggs at once in order
to get at least a few to survive to adulthood.
The African Rock Python only has to eat one to two times a month.Their skin has adapted to
being water proof to help them survive in the desert. The water proof skin keeps water from getting out.
They have an unhooking jaw so that they can swallow bigger prey.
Mia the Red Tailed Boa is from South America. She gets two rats once a month.
Her skin is a camouflage. At the end of this presentation, the kids all got to pet her.
Knoxville Zoo Website Scavenger hunt
Go to Knoxville-zoo.org and find the following information.
1. What are the zoo hours?
Monday - Friday: 9:30 - 4:30
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 - 6:00
2. Directions to the zoo.
Driving directions
Walters State Community College
500 South Davy Crockett Parkway, Morristown, TN 37813
12. Head southwest on US-25E S/S Davy Crockett Pkwy toward Alex Hall Ln
5.4 mi
13. Use the right lane to take the Interstate 81 S ramp to Knoxville
0.3 mi
14. Merge onto I-81 S
7.2 mi
15. Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 1B to merge onto I-40 W toward Knoxville
29.6 mi
16. Take exit 392A to merge onto US-11W S/Rutledge Pike toward Knoxville Zoo Dr
0.3 mi
17. Merge onto US-11W S/Rutledge Pike
0.1 mi
18. Turn right onto Timothy St
0.2 mi
19. Continue onto Knoxville Zoo Dr
0.4 mi
20. Turn right to stay on Knoxville Zoo Dr
Destination will be on the left
3. How much is parking?
$5 per vehicle
4. What is the general admission for an adult.
$19.95
5. Will we be able to see the birdshow in the Forest Ampitheater when we go to the zoo on October
2nd? If so, what times are the shows? If not, when could we see it?
No. Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
6. What is the zoo phone number?
(865) 637-5331
7. Print a School Group Registration form.
8. How far in advance would you need to schedule a zoo field trip for your 2nd grade class?
Two weeks
9. How much would it cost your 2nd graders if they go with the school? How much for the teachers?
$11.95 a piece for the kids, and $14.95 for the teachers.
10. What are “EdZOOcational programs”? Give two examples of these programs?
EdZOOcational programs are a variety of fun and edcational programs for teachers and classrooms.
Two examples of these would be the zoo-mobile and the self-guided safari.
11. What is “Bedtime with the Beasts”?
Bedtime with the beasts is a program where kids can spend the night at the zoo and see what the
animals do after dark.
12. What are some of the topics of “Zooboxes”?
Amphibians, biodiversity, coral reefs, Discover Bats!
13. How much will it cost to have the Zoomobile Outreach program come to Whitesburg school for 6
programs (2 classroom programs, 2 team programs, and 2 assembly programs)?
$125 for classroom, $165 for teams, $395 for assemblies
$685 total
14. What are 2 Zoomobile Outreach topics available for your 2nd grade class?
“Scales, Feathers, and Fur” and “Crawl, Slither, and Fly”
15. What is the SSP program?
A program in which the Zoo is given particular animals that are endangered to keep healthy and
thriving.
Zoo Trip
We got there, met with Steve, then went to the conference room.
-The Zoo has many different options for teachers
-Field Trips
-the zoo is basically a 52 acre classroom
-keeper chats
-at certain times of the day, keepers are out to talk about the particular animal
they work with
-zoomobile
-the zoo comes to your school and brings animals to do a program about any
number of things that animals can relate to
-if there isn't a program for what you're specifically teaching, with enough notice
they can come up with one
-bedtime with the beasts
-get to the zoo in the afternoon, learn about nocturnal animals, spend the night at
the zoo, go on a tour the next morning
-Other Educational Aides
-biofacts
-things like turtle shells or skulls that help teach about animals
-zoo boxes
-boxes that are free to use (with $25 refunded deposit) that are filled with tools to
teach a particular lesson
-story telling
-Steve told us a story about life cycles, and got us involved in the story
-Nature walk
-We went on a nature walk outside where we were given a paper with something
written on it (mine said “produces energy”), and we were to find things that
corresponded with that paper.
-sifting through leaf litter
-We took two plastic boxes, one with the bottom cut out and replaced with wire,
and filled the wire bottomed one with leaves and dirt, then sifted it out into the
other one, then looked at what we found through lenses
After we did these activities, we went inside the zoo and walked to the Red Wolf
exhibit. We learned that red wolves were almost extinct, but by capturing the remaining living ones and
with the SSP program, they were bred to a new population of over 100. They have been doing captive
releases. They tried to in Cade's Code, but it went wrong and they had to be brought back into captivity.
There weren't enough resources to support a growng population.
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