Method Students portray deer and habitat components in a physical activity.

Transcription

1 Oh Deer A game f animal ppulatins (adapted frm Prject Wild K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide) Objectives - Students will be able t: 1. Identify fd, water and shelter as three essential cmpnents f habitat. 2. Describe factrs that influence carrying capacity (hw large a ppulatin a habitat can supprt) 3. Define limiting factrs and give examples 4. Recgnize that sme fluctuatins in ppulatins are natural, while thers result frm human impact Methd Students prtray deer and habitat cmpnents in a physical activity. Materials an utdr area large enugh fr students t run (ideal: playing field) cnes t mark bundaries, paper and writing utensil (fr teacher r adult chaperne t recrd data) ptinal: habitat cmpnent cards Backgrund Students ften think f a healthy ecsystem as balanced, nt realizing that every relatinship and ppulatin is dynamic and changing ver time as a result f many different envirnmental r cultural variables. Wildlife ppulatins are nt static; they fluctuate in respnse t a variety f stimulating and limiting factrs. Carrying capacity is the dynamic balance between the availability f resurces and the ppulatin a habitat can supprt. Many factrs related t carrying capacity determine the ability f a species t survive and t successfully maintain a strng ppulatin. All animals are dependent upn habitat, and the fur basic cmpnents f habitat are fd, water, shelter and space in a suitable arrangement. This activity emphasizes three f thse habitat cmpnents fd, water and shelter but the students shuld nt frget the imprtance f the animals having sufficient space in which t live, and that all the cmpnents must be in a suitable arrangement fr wildlife ppulatins t reach their maximum size. In nature, ppulatins are prevented frm reprducing t frm a larger ppulatin than the habitat can supprt by limiting factrs. Disease, predatrs, weather cnditins and habitat destructin and degradatin all limit the size f a ppulatin. Prcedure Ask the students t define habitat. Ask if humans have a habitat. Hw abut dmestic animals? Ask if humans share habitat with wildlife.

2 Review the fur essential cmpnents f habitat: fd, water, shelter and space in a suitable arrangement. Tell the students they will be fcusing n three f the habitat needs f deer in this activity. The essential cmpnents fr survival f deer are fd, water and shelter and space in a suitable arrangement, but in this activity we will assume the deer have enugh space. Ask the students t cunt ff in furs. Have all the nes g t ne area; all tws, threes, and furs g tgether t anther area. Mark tw parallel lines n the grund ten t twenty yards apart. Have the nes line up behind ne line; the rest f the students line up behind the ther line facing the nes. The nes becme deer. All deer need gd habitat t survive. Again, ask the students what the essential cmpnents f habitat are fr a deer (fd, water, frest fr shelter, and fields fr brwsing). The deer need t find fd, water, shelter, and space in a suitable arrangement t survive. In this activity we will assume the deer have enugh space in which t live. When a deer is lking fr fd, the student shuld place his "hves" ver his stmach. When a deer is lking fr water, the student places his hves ver its muth. When a deer is lking fr shelter, the student shuld put his hands tgether ver his head, making an arch. A deer can chse t lk fr ne f these needs during each rund f the game; the deer cannt, hwever, change what it is lking fr (e.g. when it sees what is available during that rund). It can change what it is lking fr in the next rund if it survives. The tws, threes and furs are all cmpnents f habitat: fd, water and shelter. Each student is allwed t chse at the beginning f each rund which cmpnent he will be during that rund. The students depict which cmpnent they are in the same way the deer shw what they are lking fr (i.e. hands n stmach fr fd, and s n). The activity starts with all the players lined up behind their respective lines (deer n ne side, habitat cmpnents n the ther side) and with their backs facing the students alng the ther line. Begin the first rund by asking all f the students t make their signs - each deer deciding what it is lking fr, each habitat cmpnent deciding what it is. Give the students a few mments t put their hands in place-ver stmachs, ver their muths, r ver their heads. NOTE: Switching symbls in the middle f a rund can be avided by having the students put n habitat cmpnent cards that shw an illustratin f what they are lking fr, r what they represent. At the start f each rund, students chse ne f the cards. When the students are ready, say, Oh, Deer! Each deer and each habitat cmpnent turn t face the ppsite grup, cntinuing t hld their signs clearly. When the deer see the habitat cmpnent they need, they shuld run t it. Each deer must hld the sign f what it is lking fr until getting t the habitat cmpnent with the same sign. Each deer that reaches its necessary habitat cmpnent takes the fd, water, r shelter" back t the deer side f the line. Capturing a cmpnent represents the deer successfully meeting its needs and successfully reprducing as a result. Any deer that fails t find fd, water, shelter

3 dies and becmes part f the habitat. That is, any deer that died will be a habitat cmpnent the next rund and s is available as fd, water, shelter t the deer that are still alive. NOTE: When mre than ne deer reaches a habitat cmpnent, the student wh arrives first survives. Habitat cmpnents stay in place until a deer chses them. If n deer needs a particular habitat cmpnent during a rund, the habitat cmpnent just stays where it is in the habitat. The habitat cmpnent can, hwever, change which cmpnent it is frm rund t rund. Recrd the number f deer at the beginning f the game and at the end f each rund. Cntinue the activity fr apprximately 15 runds. At the end f 15 runds, bring the students tgether t discuss the activity. Encurage them t talk abut what they experienced and saw. Discuss what rle limiting factrs played (when there was less f ne habitat cmpnent available). Discuss hw a larger ppulatin further depletes the habitat, and then a "die-ff" ccurs, reducing the ppulatin and bringing the tw back int balance. Yu can intrduce natural selectin by pinting ut hw the fastest (r smartest) deer gt t limited resurces befre the thers. Fllw-up Classrm Activity: 1. Back in the classrm, use an verhead prjectr, flip chart, r chalkbard t pst the data recrded during the activity. The number f deer at the beginning f the activity and at the end f each rund represents the deer in a series f years. The students will see frm this graph that a ppulatin is dynamic. The prcess is natural as lng as the factrs that limit the ppulatin d nt becme excessive t the pint where the animals cannt successfully reprduce. The wildlife ppulatins will tend t peak, decline, and rebuild; peak, decline, and rebuild-as lng as there is gd habitat and sufficient numbers f animals t reprduce successfully. 2. Ask the students what is realistic and unrealistic abut this simulatin? (Deer that d nt survive d becme recycled as nutrients but it is nt instantaneus. Deer need all habitat cmpnents t survive. Pr habitat usually results in a weakened individual that succumbs t disease, nt instant death). 3. In discussin, ask the students t summarize sme f the things they learned frm this activity. What d animals need t survive? Hw d these cmpnents influence carrying capacity? What are sme limiting factrs that affect the survival f animals? Hw d factrs that limit carrying capacity affect the health, numbers, and distributin f animals? Hw d these factrs affect cmpetitin within a species? Why is gd habitat imprtant fr animals? Are wildlife ppulatins static, r d they tend t fluctuate as a part f an verall balance f nature? Is nature ever in balance r are eclgical systems invlved in a prcess f cnstant change? Variatins 1. After the students have played several runds f Oh, Deer, intrduce a predatr, such as a human hunter, muntain lin r wlf. The predatr starts in a designated predatr den area ff t the side. The predatr has t skip r hp. This impediment reduces the pssibility f vilent cllisins between deer and predatr. The predatr can tag deer nly when they are ging tward the habitat and are tagged between the habitat and the deer lines. Once a deer is tagged, the predatr escrts the deer back t the predatr den. The time it takes fr the deer t be taken back t the den simulates the time it takes t be eaten. The eaten deer is nw a predatr. Predatrs

4 that fail t tag smene die and turn int habitat. That is, in the next rund the predatrs that died jin the habitat line. They will becme fd, xygen, r shelter. During each rund, keep track f the number f predatrs as well as the number f deer. Incrprate thse data in the graphs. 2. After the students have played several runds f Oh, Deer, create different envirnmental scenaris which will alter the habitat available t the deer. Huddle the habitat cmpnents and tell them the situatin and the limiting factr. Be certain the deer cannt hear yu. Run thrugh the cnstructed rund with the limiting factr and then tell the deer the scenari. Have the students discuss these events and hw they alter the graph. Prpsed Scenaris: 1. A severe drught ccurs and ak trees prduce few acrns in the fall. Limiting Factr: Fd. N habitat cmpnents chse t represent fd. 2. Humans build a subdivisin, replacing farm fields and frest with huses and lawns. Limiting Factr: Shelter. N habitat cmpnents chse t represent shelter. 3. A factry is built which discharges txic waste int a stream. Limiting Factr: Water. N habitat cmpnents chse t represent water. 4. A frest fire ccurs, burning all vegetatin. Limiting Factrs: Shelter and fd. N habitat cmpnents chse t represent shelter and fd.

5 Nature Walk Bing Cards Objectives: Encurage students t bserve everything arund them n the nature trail using their sense f sight, hearing, tuch and smell. Familiarize students with a few f the mre cmmn sights in the Virginia frest. Materials: One cpy f the Nature Walk Bing Card fr the facilitatr (r tw can be used, if there is ne adult at the frnt and ne at the back f the grup f students). Markers/Pencils Preparatin: Have 1 r 2 cpies f the Nature Walk Bing Card available fr each grup f students. The cards can be laminated and used mre than nce with wet erase verhead markers. Prcedure: Tell the students they will be taking a shrt walk n the Camp Albemarle nature trail. They will be asked t bserve everything arund them using their eyes, their ears and their senses f tuch and smell. Whenever smene finds smething n the card, they are encuraged t share it with the grup, and will be given the card t mark ff the item. Finding (r failing t find) items n the cards can be an pprtunity fr discussin with the grup abut varius envirnmental tpics. Alternate Prcedure: Have cpies f the Bing Cards fr each pair f students t mark. Draw up and cpy any variatin f the cards yu want t discuss, can include gelgy, bird sunds, sils, shapes.

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7 Tree I.D.: This bk (Frest Trees f Virginia) is available at TJSWCD ffices. Tree ID can be dne in the pavilin at Camp Albemarle, with a gd selectin f trees nearby. Beech Leaves 3 t 4 inches lng, pinted at the tip and carsely tthed alng the edge. Bark is distinctly smth. Black Birch Leaves alternate, 3 t 4 inches lng. Break a twig fr the distinctive smell f "rt beer". Dgwd Leaves ppsite, 3 t 5 inches lng, wavy alng the edge. Bark brken up int small 4-sided blcks. Red Maple Leaves 2-5 iches lng with 3 saw-tthed lbes. Seeds are winged and fall in a spiral mtin.

8 Tree I.D (cntinued) Sassafras Leaves can have 1, 2 r 3 lbes f the shapes shwn abve, 4 t 6 inches lng Tulip Pplar (r Yellw Pplar) Leaves are 4 t 6 inches lng, with 4 lbes. Tulip-shapes flwers appear in April. White Oak Leaves alternate and 5 t 9 inches lng, deeply divided int 5 t 9 runded finger-like lbes. Wild Cherry (r Black Cherry) Leaves are alternate and pinted with edges brken by many fine, incurved teeth. Bark has a bitter-almnd taste.

9 Shad Game r Hks and Ladders This game designed riginally t teach abut salmn can be used fr shad which are being restred in ur area. (Surce: Overview In this activity, participants act ut the shad jurney frm spawning grund, t the pen cean, and then back t spawning grund. In ding s, they begin t understand the unique characteristics f shad. Backgrund Infrmatin This activity intrduces participants t the interesting life cycle f shad by acting ut a simplified versin f it. Migratry fish face many challenges thrughut their life cycle, including silt smthering the eggs, predatrs, pllutin, disease, xygen-pr water, high water temperatures, lack f fd, and barriers such as dams and culverts. Only ne r tw frm an egg nest (1/10 f 1%) make it back t their hme streams t spawn. Objectives Participants will: (1) simulate the shad s jurney frm spawning grund t the cean and back, and (2) identify bstacles these fish face at different parts f the jurney. Materials Large playing area (at least 50 feet x 100 feet) One lng jump rpe and tw shrt nes Existing painted lines, rpe, traffic cnes r ther bundary markers Tw cardbard bxes 100 tkens (try t use bidegradable tken cardbard disk fr example) Whistle (ptinal) Advance Preparatin Set up the bundaries fr the game as shwn in the illustratin belw Abut ne-furth f the playing area will be fr the dwnstream jurney t the cean. It will include a dam turbine (lng jump rpe) and predatrs. Half f the playing area will be fr the pen cean, and will have tw fishing bats (bxes) with fishers. The remaining ne-furth f the playing area will be fr the upstream jurney back t the spawning grund. Here fish will pass thrugh a fish ladder (cruching participants) and jump ver a waterfall (brad jump). 2. The prcedures fr this activity assume a grup size f abut 30 participants. As yu plan fr the activity, add r subtract ne predatr and ne fishing bat t adjust fr a larger r smaller grup. 3. Place the materials fr the activity as shwn: Put the lng jump rpe in the turbine area. Place the tw cardbard bxes in the pen cean area.

10 Scatter half the tkens n each side f the pen cean, just utside the bundary. Use bidegradable tkens please. Psitin the tw shrt jump rpes at the waterfall area. They shuld be far enugh apart t prvide a challenging, but realistic, brad jump. Lifecycle Game Setup Setting the Stage 1. Begin by asking participants, Why have peple celebrated shad thrughut the ages and why d they cntinue t celebrate shad? What makes these fish s special? 2. Ask them, What des the wrd migratin mean? What are sme reasns that peple migrate? Why might shad migrate? 3. Tell participants that t help them understand these questins, they will be acting ut the amazing jurney f the shad migratin frm the spawning grund t the cean and back again, and including sme f the bstacles that shad face alng the way. Cnducting the Activity 1. Take participants t the playing area and explain that mst f them will act as shadfr the activity. Describe the jurney that these shad must take: Spawning Grund: All the shad start in the spawning grund. When yu blw a whistle (r give ther signal), they will start their jurney dwnstream. Dam Turbine: After they begin their jurney, the shad face their first hazard - a dam turbine represented by tw participants swinging the lng jump rpe. All shad must g thrugh the turbine. If a shad is hit by the jump rpe r a turbine peratr s arm, it dies. Dead shad becme part f the fish ladder (see Fish Ladder). The turbine peratrs may change the speed f the turbine t try t catch shad.

11 Predatrs: Once they pass the turbines, the shad must face tw wildlife predatrs (wh may be larger fish, birds, r mammals). These predatrs must use bth hands t catch the shad. Upn catching a shad, the predatr must escrt the dead shad ver t the fish ladder area (see Fish Ladder) befre returning t catch mre. Open Ocean: All shad that make it past the predatrs reach the pen cean. Here, shad can be caught by fishers in fishing bats (bxes). The fishers must keep ne ft in their bx, but can slide the bx arund. As with the predatrs, they must catch shad with bth hands and must escrt any dead shad t the fish ladder area (see Fish Ladder) befre returning t the cean. Year Tkens: Shad must swim back and frth acrss the cean area and cllect fur tkens t represent fur years f living in the cean. They must crss the entire cean befre they cllect a tken, and they can nly cllect ne tken at a time. Heading Upstream: After safely cllecting fur tkens, shad may start upstream. Here they encunter the fish ladder. Fish Ladder: The fish ladder is made up f all the participants wh were caught by predatrs r fishers. T make the fish ladder structure, participants cruch n all furs in a rw, with a yard-wide space between them. The shad heading upstream must step ver each persn in the fish ladder. Predatrs may nt harm the shad in the fish ladder. Waterfall: After making it thrugh the fish ladder, the shad must nw jump ver a waterfall. A shad must successfully brad jump the entire width f the waterfall t cntinue. If a shad fails, it returns t the bttm f the fish ladder t try again. Predatrs: At the tp f the falls, the shad must nce again get past sme predatrs (bears r eagles). Predatrs must catch the shad with bth hands. If a predatr catches a shad, it must escrt the dead shad t becme part f the fish ladder. Spawning Grund: A shad surviving the entire curse reaches the spawning grund and finishes the game. 2. Assign rles t participants: Chse tw participants t be turbine peratrs. After all the shad have gne thrugh the turbine, these participants mve ver t the waterfall t mnitr the brad jump there. Chse tw participants t be predatrs. They patrl belw the turbines t catch shad heading dwnstream. When all the shad reach the cean, these participants mve t the tp f the waterfall t catch shad befre they enter the spawning grund. Predatrs must catch the shad by tuching them with bth hands. When they catch a shad, they must escrt the dead shad t the fish ladder befre they can catch mre. Chse tw participants t be fishers in fishing bats. The fishers must keep ne ft in their bat (cardbard bx). When they catch a shad, they must take the dead shad t the fish ladder. All ther participants are shad. 3. Have participants g t their starting places. Blw the whistle (r give anther signal) and help the grup as it des the activity. The activity ends when all surviving shad reach the

12 Wrap-Up spawning grund. 1. After ding the activity, lead participants in a discussin abut it: Hw many shad did we have at the beginning f the activity? Hw many did we have at the end? D yu think this survival rate is realistic? Why, why nt? Which bstacles were the mst difficult fr the shad in ur activity? Which caused the mst lsses? Which bstacles d yu think are the mst treacherus fr real shad? What are sme f the rganisms that depend n shad? In what ways was this simulatin realistic? In what ways was it unrealistic? What threats and bstacles d shad face in their life cycle that are nt represented here? Enrichment Ask fr participant suggestins fr hw t mdify the game t add ther bstacles r elements. Play the activity again with the mdificatins. Research ways that dams can be designed r mdified t be mre fish-friendly, allwing migrating fish t g dwnstream and upstream safely.

13 SCAVENGER HUNT Write dwn what yu find r tick ff each item as yu find it 1. Listen fr sunds nt made by peple r machines name 3 f them 2. Lcate smething smth 3. Lcate smething rugh 4. Find a spider r a spiders web 5. Find sme flwers, what clr are they? 6. Find items in nature with the clrs f the rainbw: Red: Yellw: Blue: Orange: Green: Purple: 7. Lcate a birds nest in a tree Find a twig that lks like a letter Find a rck in the shape f an arrw head. 10. Lcate sme insect hles, what insect made them? Lcate signs f animals, what animal is it?. 12. Find three things that smell different, what are they? Make ne ther bservatin f yur wn, what have yu nticed tday?

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