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Junior STEM Kits

“Get Moving”

These activities are from the Leader’s Guide Book, “How to Guide Juniors Through ‘Get Moving!’” These activities correlate directly with the science activities found in your Leader Guide. Your STEM kits in a box contain the sup-plies necessary to complete each of these activities, except where noted.

You will use the material in these kits to help the girls achieve their Journey badges as Juniors. These activities MUST be completed as part of their Journey throughout the course of the year.

Each activity includes a leader guide that gives back-ground on the information covered in the activity.

Chris Simon, STEM CoordinatorGirl Scouts – Western [email protected]: 405-528-4475 or 1-800-698-0022

This kit is provided through an award from the Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR programand is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IIA-1301789. Project title: “Adapting Socio-ecological Systems to Increased Climate Variability.” Any opinions, findings & conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. www.okepscor.org

“It’s Your Planet - Love It!” Journey STEM Activities

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OK NSF EPSCoR Content Reviewers: Dr. Jody L. Campiche, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and Extension Economist, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Renee McPherson, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Sustainability and Girl Scout, University of Oklahoma

“Observation ofAnimals”

Junior STEM Kits

Arrange to get out in nature where you can observe animals. This could be the local animal museum, a park, an animal shelter, the zoo, a butterfly park, or a horse stable. If your group can’t get out in nature, they could watch a nature movie or a TV nature show. Encourage the girls to jot down their thoughts and notes and make drawings of everything that they see, hear, and smell.

After the girls have finished their allotted time observing animals, guide them in a discussion about what they have seen. Some questions you might ask them are:

• What sort of animal movement did you see? • How is movement necessary to an animal’s survival? • How do animals use sound? • How do humans use the energy of animals? • Why do we like certain animals enough to try to protect them? • What animal or animals you are most familiar with? • Do cats and dogs or other pets get as much chance as deer or prairie dogs or other wild animals to run around and move freely? • What happens when pets don’t get to use their energy properly? • How can people make sure pets get enough exercise? Do you know that exercising a pet gets you some exercise, too?

Session 3“Get Moving”

Leader Guide, Page 44

Junior STEM Kits

“Get Moving”

(If you decide to utilize the “Observation of Animals” video available from Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, then use the following guide and questions as they apply directly to the video content)

Video Segment 1 - Dolphins:

(Before playing video segment)

SAY: Accurately observing dolphin behavior in nature can be tricky if you can’t tell the individual dolphins apart. Who just ate a fish? Who is nursing a baby? Was it the same dolphin? Was it a different one? Anyone who works with dolphins, whether it’s a dolphin trainer or a wildlife researcher out at sea, needs to be able to identify individuals within a group in order to do their job well. While all dolphins may look alike to you the first time you see them, there are uniquely identifying characteristics of each animal that can help you to tell them apart.

Nicks and Notches

SAY: The dorsal fin on the dolphin’s back provides stability for the animal as it is propelled quickly through the water with the power of the tail flukes. Neither the dorsal fin nor the tail fluke has bone inside of it, only connective tissue similar to the cartilage in your ear. Because of this softer structure, these appendages are prone to receiving nicks and notches as the animal interacts with its environment and other dolphins. These nicks and notches serve to create a unique “fingerprint” for each dolphin, allowing them to be identified with just a quick glimpse as they break the surface of the water.


Session 3


Junior STEM Kits

“Get Moving”

Colors and Patterns

SAY: Between varying shades of grey and different patterns of freckles and stripes, each individual dolphin really does look different. If you’re lucky enough to get a close look at a dolphin’s head, you’ll see stripe patterns across their melon and even around their eyes. If the dolphin rolls over and gives you a glimpse of its stomach, you’ll see skin that ranges fromlight grey to white to pink, and may or may not be covered in freckles. All of these variations in appearance can help you to identify different dolphins.

Observation

SAY: Spend a few moments quietly observing the dolphins in our “Animal Observation” video. Most of what we now know about wild animals came from people who took the time to quietly watch those animals for hours, days, even years.

(Start video segment)

(After video segment)

ASK: Where do these dolphins live? (They live in a water environment.)

What do you notice about the dolphins that help them to live there? (Their shapes, fins, and tails help them move easily through the water.)

What do you think these adaptations help the animal to do? (Avoid predators, Catch prey)


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“Get Moving”

Junior STEM Kits

Video Segment 2 - Sea Otter:


Sea Otter Facts

SAY: The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 31 and 99 lbs, making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter's primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter lives mostly in the ocean.

SAY: The sea otter inhabits offshore environments, where it dives to the sea floor to forage. It preys mostly on marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various mollusks and crustaceans, and some species of fish. Its foraging and eating habits are noteworthy in several respects. First, its use of rocks to dislodge prey and to open shells makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools. In most of its range, it is a keystone species, controlling sea urchin populations which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to kelp forest ecosystems. Its diet includes prey species that are also valued by humans as food, leading to conflicts between sea otters and fisheries.



ASK: How is this otter like the dolphins? (It also lives in or near a water environment. It also has a smooth shape that helps it swim easily. Also, they are both mammals.)

How is it different from the Dolphins? (The otter spends a majority of its time on the surface of the water; the dolphin spends a majority of its time below the surface of the water.)

How is it different from them? (It has fur and it lives on land and sea.)

Why did the sea otter place it’s cub on the perch of the boat? (To protect it from predators while it hunts.)


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“Get Moving”

Junior STEM Kits

Video Segment 3 - Great Egret:


Great Egret Facts

SAY: The great egret is a large, widely distributed egret. It is distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. In North America it is more widely distributed, and it is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States. The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest (the geographic southern United States). We do have Great Egrets in the extreme southern part of Oklahoma.

SAY: The great egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing them with its long, sharp bill most of the time by standing still and allowing the prey to come within its striking distance of its bill which it uses as a spear. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.



ASK: What kind of place do these birds live in? (It appears to be warm and they’re near water.)

What do you notice about these birds? (Encourage the girls to point out the birds’ feathers and how it grooms itself, beaks, wings, and other physical features.)

What do you notice about the bird that helps it to live in this place? (These birds have long legs that help them walk in water and light feathers that help keep them cool.)

Do the color of it’s feathers help it to live in this environment? (Yes, the white color reflects light and helps to keep the bird cool.)

Great Egrets are visual hunters. What problem do you think they would have to overcome in order to hunt prey in the water? (Refraction causes fish to appear to be in a place that they are not. The Egret has to accommodate and aim where the fish is really located as opposed to where it appears to be.)


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“Get Moving”

Junior STEM Kits

Video Segment 4 - Penguins:


Basic Facts about Penguins

SAY: Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds that are highly adapted to life in the water. Their distinct tuxedo-like appearance is called counter shading, a form of camouflage that helps keep them safe in the water. Penguins do have wing-bones, though they are flipper-like and extremely suited to swimming. Penguins are found almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, where they catch their food underwater and raise their young on land.

SAY: Penguins can spend up to 75% of their lives in the water. They do all of their hunting in the water. Their prey can be found within 60 feet of the surface, so penguins have no need to swim in deep water. They catch prey in their beaks and swallow them whole as they swim.

SAY: Each penguin has a distinct call, allowing individuals to find their mate and their chicks even in large groups.

(Start video segment)(After video segment)

ASK: What sort of environment do these penguins live in? (Freezing, cold)

How are they like the Egrets you just saw?(Encourage students to notice that both are birds, both have feathers, both have beaks.)

How are they different from the Egrets? (Answers will vary. Encourage students to notice physical features such as size, feathers, etc.)

How does the color of the penguins feathers help them survive in this environment? (Their feathers are black and white. The black feathers absorb heat which helps to keep them warm.)

What are penguins like? (Penguins are social birds. Many species feed, swim and nest in groups.)

Based on the video you saw, where do penguins spend most of their time? (On land, huddled together for warmth during extreme cold, or swimming in the water hunting for prey.)

How do penguins' bodies help them survive? (They have dark feathers to absorb heat for warmth; they have insulating feathers that help to hold warmth close to their bodies. They also have a substantial amount of body fat for warmth also.)

Why are penguins good parents? (They hold their eggs close for warmth, and keep the little ones close to their sides.)

What kinds of things do penguins do?


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“Get Moving”

Junior STEM Kits

Video Segment 5 - Lions:(Before playing video segment)

Basic Facts about Lions

SAY: Renowned for its majesty and nicknamed "the king of the jungle," the lion possesses both beauty and strength. Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellow-brown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting.

SAY: Most members of the cat family usually live solitary by nature, interacting briefly only for mating purposes and occasionally to share their kill. Lions are the only social member of the cat family, lions live in large groups called "prides," consisting of about 15 lions. Lions within a pride are often affectionate and, when resting, seem to enjoy good fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, licking and purring. Both male and female lions roar. Their roar can be heard up to 5 miles away! Females do almost all of the hunting. They are mainly nocturnal and work in teams to stalk and ambush prey. Lions are the second largest living feline species, second only to the tiger.



ASK: What kind of place do you think these lions live in? (It looks warm. Lions inhabit grassy plains, savannahs, open woodlands and scrub country. These landscapes allow them to creep stealthily through vegetation and leap upon their unsuspecting prey..)

What features do the lions have that help them live in this place?(They’re light colored like the grass around them, which helps protect them from their enemies, and their fur is short, which helps keep them cool.)

Based on the video, what do you think lions spend most of their day doing? (Lions rest for 17-20 hours each day. It requires a lot of energy for lions to hunt. Most hunts end in failure. In the wild, most lions only eat around once a week. If you only eat once a week, and must expend a lot of energy catching that meal, it makes sense to conserve energy at other times.)


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“Get Moving”

Junior STEM Kits

Video Segment 6 - Elephants(Before playing video segment)

Basic Facts about Elephants

SAY: The elephant is the largest land animal on Earth. The African species stands about 8.2 to 13 feet tall and weighs 5,000 to 14,000 pounds. Slightly smaller, the Asian elephant stands about 6.6 to 9.8 feet tall and weighs 4,960 – 12,125 pounds.

SAY: Elephants don't start out small like some mammals. Instead, a baby elephant typically stands about 3 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds.

SAY: The most distinguishing features of the elephant are its long nose (or trunk) and large, floppy ears. The elephant's trunk does more than smelling and breathing like a normal nose — it's also used for drinking, snagging food and sending out loud trumpeting noises.

SAY: Elephants' floppy ears also do more than hear. With loads of tiny veins transecting their surfaces, carrying blood to the rest of the body, elephant ears act like a cooling system. As they flap their wet ears the blood in these veins is cooled, and the cooled blood is circulated around the elephant's body.

SAY: Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and have memories that span many years. They also display signs of grief, joy, anger and play. The average lifespan of an elephant in the wild is 60 to 70 years. (Start video segment)(After video segment)ASK: What kind of place do these elephants live in? (It looks hot and dry. It is also close to a small body of water. It’s a land environment.)

How are the elephants like the lions? (They live in a hot, dry, land environment.)

Based on what you observed in the video do you think elephants are herbivores (plant eaters), carnivores, (meat eaters), or omnivores (plant and meat eaters)? (As herbivores, elephants eat bark, grasses, fruits and roots. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food in one day.)

Why do you think the elephants were throwing dirt on their backs? (The natural behavior of dusting is what elephants do to protect their skin from sunburn, insect bites and the cold)

Why do you think the elephants were rolling around in the mud? (Believe it or not elephants have very sensitive skin. To help protect their sensitive skin the elephants will roll and coat themselves in mud to act as a sunscreen and an insect barrier. They also use it to try and cool themselves off.)

Why do you think the elephant pushed over the tree? (Both female and male elephants push down trees. Young, strong bulls test strength by pushing over trees, but this technique is also used to attain food.)


Session 3


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Sponsored By Junior - · PDF fileSponsored By Junior ... light grey to white to pink, ... What do you notice about the dolphins that help them to live there? (Their shapes,