Life
Cycling -
Post-site Activities/Teacher Led
Grade Level: 2
Content
Area: Science
Time to Complete: 1 to 2
class periods
Title of Lesson:
Life Cycling
Procedures:
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1. |
Using the
data, make a number line (ruler) showing lengths of animals
measured, similar to that used in the pre-visit measuring activity.
The same can be done with thermometer measurements. Discuss how
much an animal might grow in size at various temperatures, or at
certain stages of its life cycle, and whether certain animals might
be about ready to become an adult. |
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2. |
Take student
data sheets back to the classroom, and classify the animals you
found in the water: insect, spider, fish, amphibian (tadpoles &
salamanders). This can be made into a bar graph. |
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3. |
Using the
Internet or field guides, students can look up information about
some of the animals they found. For example, the keyword ‘dragonfly
nymph’ yields lots of information and pictures. |
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4. |
Using data
gathered at the park, and the above resources, create a notebook of
your class findings by drawing and writing descriptions of the
organisms found. |
|
5. |
Discuss how
a toad needs clean water as an egg, as a tadpole, and as an adult
(did you know that toads ‘drink’ by soaking up water through their
skin?). Students can then write and/or draw to communicate this. |
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6. |
Choose one of
the following situations to draw or write about, from the animal’s
point of view.
|
a.
|
A day in
the life of a tadpole (or dragonfly nymph, etc.) in
spring, summer, winter and fall. |
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b.
|
A
nesting duck’s response to a loose dog in and along the
lake. |
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c.
|
A
fish’s story before and after the trees near its home are
cut down. |
|
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7. |
As a class,
students name every living thing, (animal, trees, etc.), they can
think of that they saw on their trip to Paris Mountain State Park.
Then assign each student to be one of those living things. On a
piece of paper, each student should draw and label what they are.
Now it’s time to make connections between living things at various
stages of their life cycle. Put two students together, for example
a tree and a water turtle. How does the turtle need the tree? The
tree holds in soil, which keeps the water cleaner. If the turtle
lays eggs, the leaves from the tree may help create a soft place
that is easily hidden to dig a hole for the nest. A bulletin board
display can be made to show connections, with the title: Its All
Connected! A variation would be to have everything connected to a
tree. |
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8. |
Teacher, bring
in a picture of your self as a baby, and as a second grader.
Compare the changes in you over time to changes that some animals at
the park go through in their life cycle.
|
|
9. |
Write the title,
“Everything is perfectly suited to live in its habitat,” and discuss
what that means. Three angles to look at: 1)Some animals have a
different habitat at different stages of their life cycle; 2)What
happens when the habitat changes, through manmade or natural causes?
And 3)What can we do to help animals have a good habitat at all
stages of their life cycle? |
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10. |
The Aquatic
Project Wild game, “Are You Me?’ is a great post-visit activity.
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