Forest Ecology - On-site Activities/Interpreter
Led
Grade Level: 5
Content Area: Life Science
Time
to Complete: 1.5 - 2 hours
Title of Program: Forest Ecology
South Carolina State Standards Addressed:
|
5-1.1 |
Identify questions suitable for
generating a hypothesis. |
|
5-1.4 |
Use appropriate tools and
instruments safely and accurately
when conducting a controlled
scientific investigation. |
|
5-1.6 |
Evaluate results of an investigation
to formulate a valid conclusion
based on evidence and communicate
the findings of the evaluation in
oral and written form. |
|
5-1.8 |
Use appropriate safety procedures
when conducting investigations. |
|
5-2.2 |
Summarize the composition of an
ecosystem, considering both biotic
factors and abiotic factors. |
|
5-2.3 |
Compare the characteristics of
different ecosystems. |
|
5-2.4 |
Identify the roles of organisms as
they interact and depend on one
another through food chains and food
webs in an ecosystem, considering
producers and consumers,
decomposers, predators and prey and
parasites and hosts. |
|
5-2.5 |
Explain how limiting factors affect
populations in ecosystem. |
Lesson Description:
Students will hike along one of the trails at Table
Rock State Park and record observations about the
habitat layers of the forest to determine the
interdependence between living things and the role
of abiotic factors in the forest ecosystem.
Natural processes such as decomposition and
succession will be
observed and discussed.
Focus Questions For Students:
|
1. |
What is a forest and why are forest important? |
|
2. |
What is ecology? |
|
3. |
How does a forest provide habitats and support populations for plants and animals? |
|
4. |
How do the five forest layers become a part of various food webs/chains? |
|
5. |
What are producers, consumers and decomposers and what role do they play in the forest? |
|
6. |
What positive or negative impacts do people have on a forest? |
Culminating Assessment:
See
Post-site activities.
Material/Equipment/Resources:
Procedures:
|
1. |
The students will hike a portion of trail to learn about the
interdependence of the forest ecosystem. |
| |
Emphasis will be
directed toward habitat layers in the forest, producers & consumers,
populations, decomposers, succession, and abiotic factors. |
|
2. |
Students will
record notes and data and will be encouraged to make sketches of
their observations. |
Differentiation of
Instruction:
Students with physical
disabilities that will prevent them from walking on the trail can complete
similar observations near the trailhead and day use area. | 
