Grade 2 Biology title page -Kit resources: From the Mountains to the Sea We Are a Community –...
Transcript of Grade 2 Biology title page -Kit resources: From the Mountains to the Sea We Are a Community –...
BiologyGrade 2
Biol
ogy
BiologyGrade 2
Grade 2 Science - Biology
Big Idea
Content
Area of Learning: SCIENCE Grade 2
BIG IDEAS
All living things have a life cycle. (Questions to
support inquiry with students; Why are life cycles important? How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and
different?)
Materials can be changed through physical and
chemical processes.
Forces influence the motion of an object.
Water is essential to all living things, and it cycles through the environment.
(Questions to support inquiry with students; Why is water important for all living
things? How does water cycle through the environment?)
Learning Standards
Curricular Competencies Content
Students are expected to be able to do the following: Questioning and predicting (*Cycles are sequences or series of events that repeat/reoccur over time. A subset of pattern, cycles are looping or circular (cyclical) in nature. Cycles help scientists make predictions and hypotheses about the cyclical nature of the observable patterns. Key questions about cycles: How do First Peoples use their knowledge of life cycles to ensure sustainability in their local environments? How does the water cycle impact weather?)
• Demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world • Observe objects and events in familiar contexts • Ask questions about familiar objects and events • Make simple predictions about familiar objects and events
Planning and conducting • Make and record observations • Safely manipulate materials to test ideas and predictions • Make and record simple measurements using informal or non-standard methods
Processing and analyzing data and information • Experience and interpret the local environment • Sort and classify data and information using drawings or provided tables • Compare observations with predictions through discussion • Identify simple patterns and connections
Evaluating • Compare observations with those of others • Consider some environmental consequences of their actions
Applying and innovating • Take part in caring for self, family, classroom and school through personal approaches
Students are expected to know the following: • metamorphic (metamorphic life cycles: body
structure changes (e.g., caterpillar to butterfly, mealworm transformation, tadpoles to frog)) and non-metamorphic (non-metamorphic life cycles: organism keeps same body structure through life but size changes (e.g., humans)) life cycles of different organisms
• similarities and differences between offspring and parent (a kitten looks like cat and a puppy looks like dog but they do change as they grow; salmon change a great deal as they grow and need fresh and salt water environments to survive)
• Aboriginal knowledge (stewardship: sustainably gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns; sustainable fish hatchery programs run by local First People) of life cycles
• physical (physical ways of changing materials: warming, cooling, cutting, bending, stirring, mixing; materials may be combined or physically changed to be used in different ways (e.g., plants can be ground up and combined with other materials to make dyes)) ways of changing materials
• chemical (chemical ways of changing materials: cooking, burning, etc.) ways of changing materials
• types of forces (contact forces and at-a-distance forces: different types of magnets; static
• Transfer and apply learning to new situations • Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving
Communicating • Communicate observations and ideas using oral or written language, drawing, or role-play • Express and reflect on personal experiences of place
electricity; balanced and unbalanced forces: the way different objects fall depending on their shape (air resistance); the way objects move over/in different materials (water, air, ice, snow); the motion caused by different strengths of forces)
• water sources (oceans, lakes, rivers, wells, springs; the majority of fresh water is stored underground and in glaciers), including local watersheds
• water — a limited resource • the water cycle (The water cycle is driven by the sun
and includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The water cycle is also a major component of weather (e.g., precipitation, clouds).)
Suggested Ways to Engage Students in Science Inquiry:
A Driving Question: Why are life cycles important?
Significant Content: How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and different?
-Life cycle models; Life cycle sequence cards; seasons cards Strong Nations included in this kit.
-supplemental, locally developed LRC kits available to support research on lifecycles (search Destiny):
Animals Grow Up: Determining Importance Animal Life Cycles Bee Curious I Wonder Why Pine Trees Have Needles and Other Questions About Forests
Follow your student’s interests and explore non-fiction kits from LRC (search Destiny): Dog Breeds (non-fiction quadrant for note making) Farm Animal Inquiry: What Do We Know About farm Animals? (KWL strategy) Snakes Alive (non-fiction quadrant for note making)
In-depth Inquiry: At the heart of inquiry is wondering and questioning!
-Kit Book: Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package. To launch inquiry, use a question such as: What is nature’s perfect package?
-See Perfect Pairs by Melissa Stewart resource in LRC, for life science lessons that pair with fiction picture books. All paired titles along with lesson outlines are available from LRC. Recommended lessons: How Animal Parents and Young Interact; How Young Animals are Like Their Parents; How Plants Change as They Grow; How Butterflies Change as They Grow; How Wind, Water, and Animals Disperse Seeds (Search on Destiny)
Authentic Purpose: Place Based Learning:
Experiences: Meal worm kit, butterfly life-cycle kit, chicks kit all available from the LRC
Field Trip Ideas: Bison Farm, Fish Hatchery, Butterfly World, pond walk, river/stream walk, Seaview Farm, Trumpeter Swans, School Garden activities, Pumpkin Patch, Miracle Beach Nature House, Fanny Bay Oysters
Suggested Ways to Embed Assessment for Learning Strategies:
Clear Learning Intentions:
-I can observe and investigate the life cycles of various local plants and animals.
Create interest and excitement by reading some of the books in the kit, introducing small creatures to observe (i.e.,
mealworms), and giving opportunities for students to explore outdoors using various tools such as magnifying glasses,man-
made rulers, clipboards etc..
Co-constructed Ideas:
-I can demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world.
Discuss with class how we demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder. Create and post a Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like ‘y’ chart.
Questions:
- I can ask questions about familiar objects and events. Kit book: Questions Questions by Marcus Phister
This book could be used as starting point for inviting and inspiring curiosity around the topic of life cycles. In order to activate background knowledge students can think/pair/share what they are wondering about life cycles. These ideas can be recorded and revisited throughout this unit.
Peer and Self Assessments and Descriptive Feedback: -I can compare my observations with those of others in a polite and respectful manner. -Use learning maps to help make learning intentions and criteria explicit for self-assessment and reflection. -Provide opportunities for kids to share observations and work collaboratively, teaching and modeling respectful interactions.
Suggested Ways to Weave Aboriginal Ways of Knowing:
First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge.
How do First Peoples use their knowledge of life cycles to ensure sustainability in their local environments?
Examining Stewardship: -gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns -sustainable fish hatchery programs run by local First Peoples -Seasonal Round resource by FENESC -First Nations Traditional Foods and Fact Sheets (available in kit - a wealth of information on animals, plants, and food)
Place-based Learning Opportunities: -salmon hatchery -Comox Estuary Fish Trap Field Study (Connect with the Aboriginal Education CSTs & Estuary kit available at LRC) -Goose Spit & tidal explorations -Forest and plant walks (take locally developed traditional plant identification cards outside; available from Print Shop)
SD71 Lesson Links: -“Learn 71” → “District Programs “→ “Aboriginal Education” → “Resources” → “K-3” → “Animals Lessons 1 and 2.” These lessons explore how animals are important in the lives of Aboriginal People. They describe how Aboriginal People use all parts of the animal as a natural, sustainable part of their culture.
Aboriginal Resources website: Nutrient values of indigenous plants in Coast Salish Territory BCTF resources
http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/other/ai215e/ai215e05.htm
Grade 2: Biology
Big Idea (understand) : All living things have a life cycle.
Why are life cycles important? How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and different?
Content (know) 1. Aboriginal Knowledge of Life Cycles -stewardship: sustainability gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns -sustainable fish hatchery programs run by Local First Peoples -Kit resources: From the Mountains to the Sea We Are a Community – salmon life cycle Salmon Creek Annette Le Box & Karen Reczuch Fraser Bear – A Cub’s Life Maggie de Vries Salmon Stream Carol Reed-Jones First Nations Traditional Foods FACT SHEETs My Seasonal Round – an integrated Unit for Elementary Social Studies and Science Strong Nations books and photo cards
2. Metamorphic and Non-Metamorphic -metamorphic life cycles: body structure changes (e.g., caterpillar to butterfly, meal worm transformation, tadpoles to frog) -non-metamorphic life cycles of different organisms: non-metamorphic life cycles: organism keeps same body structure through life but size changes (e.g., humans)
Animal Life Cycle- Books and models available in kit. Other Life Cycles locally developed resources available on Destiny.
All animals reproduce young of the same kind. Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, insects each have their own unique way of reproducing life. There are many life cycles in the animal world. Mammals – the stages of life in most; fertilized egg→ infant→ juvenile→ adult
Deer are an excellent example of a simple life cycle that is the life cycle of most mammals, including humans. Infant stage baby looks very similar to its parents and is dependent on them for survival. The next stage is that of a youth; becomes more independent; final stage is that of adult.
Birds - egg→ chick→ adult Amphibian – born alive from their mother or hatched from eggs, spend their childhood under water, breathing with gills and later change to an adult form and breathe at least partly through lungs. Certain species of amphibians, particularly among the salamanders, remain in larval form all their lives Insects -egg→ larva→ pupa→ adult Studying life cycles helps scientist make sure that the environment needed is there for animals at their different stages of development. It helps them control things such as disease transmission which might only occur during a certain stage of the life cycle of an organism, or in the case of farmers, be able to recognize the life stages in their crops to know when to harvest, fertilize or treat their crops. Source: Virginia Dept. of Education 2012
Plant Life Cycle (Science World resources)-
Seed Dissection
All living things go through stages in life. Each type of plant and animal has its own life cycle, and the stages vary from species to species. A common plant life cycle begins when a plant produces a seed. This seed gets buried in the ground, taking in water and nutrients from the soil to grow. The seed grows small roots and shoots that push through the surface of the soil. The shoots develop into a small seedling—branches with leaves. The seedling grows into a mature plant and grows flowers, fruits, leaves or nuts that contain seeds.
Objectives:
Observe and draw the inside of a seed (lima bean) that is beginning to grow.
Describe what seeds need in order to grow into healthy plants and identify the parts of a seed. https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/seed-dissection
Seed to Food Match Up
In this activity, students will match common food from the grocery store with the seeds that produce that food. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of their food as they learn about the plants they rely on as food.
All plants start as a seed. Seeds contain all the nutrition and information needed for the rest of the plant’s growth. After flowers are pollinated, the ovules or eggs are fertilized. The ovules will develop into seeds and become the beginning for the next generation.
Many people can easily identify the name of the plant-based food they eat, but it is a greater challenge to identify what the seeds that produce the particular food look like. Working in groups, students will discover that this challenge is achievable through critical thinking and discussion. (cards in kit)
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/seed-food-match
Tree Cookies
In this activity, students learn about tree rings and how a tree grows wider each year.
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/tree-cookies
Moss Propagation
How do mosses grow and reproduce? Mosses are incredibly slow growing and live in challenging environments.
Mosses have many methods of dealing with such harsh living conditions. (materials not provided in kit)
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/moss-propagation
Plants All Around Us
Daily, we see a countless variety of plants growing in our neighbourhoods, in our parks, in our forests, but most of us
pass these without taking a moment to observe their beauty and diversity. Using our local environments as the
sites for place-based scientific learning can give us the opportunity to apply our knowledge to the world around us.
The activities in this unit will guide students through learning about the nature within our local environments.
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/units/plants-all-around-us
Can You Make a Bead Fly? Plant seeds are usually transported by animals, wind or water. Plants that produce seeds to be easily dispersed by wind, often produce a lot of seeds to ensure that some seeds are blown to areas where they can germinate. Seeds that are dispersed by wind tend to be small and have wings or other hair-like or feather-like structures. (you’ll need a fan from home)
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/can-you-make-bead-fly
3. Similarities and Differences Between Offspring and Parents -a kitten looks like cat and a puppy looks like a dog but they change as they grow; salmon change a great deal as they grow and need fresh and salt water environments to survive -Animals Grow Up (locally developed Determining Importance kit available through Destiny)
-puzzle in kit -National Geographic has a beautiful web site Gallery of Baby Animal Photos
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/baby-animals/#/baby-leopard_231_600x450.jpg
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/your-puppy-pictures/#/two-golden-retriever-puppies_34716_600x450.jpg Information from Discovery Education Science: • In plants and animals, offspring show many traits of their parents • Inherited traits (features and behavior) are those passed to offspring • Parents must have a way to transfer inherited traits to their offspring • Not all traits are inherited.
Additional information for in-depth inquiry:
Pollinator syndromes (sustainability) In this activity, students match different types of pollinators to their preferred flowers and discover how pollinators have co- evolved with plants. https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/pollinator-syndromes
View National Geographic Pioneer May 2016 projectable edition for ‘just right’ text exploring Into the Hive. Teacher guide also available.
Into the Hive – May 2016
http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/pioneer/
Projectable text:
http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/pioneer/
April 2016 Pioneer Edition: Looking at Eggs
~ observe and describe the properties of some different animals’
eggs
Feathers, fur or fin? Most animals have more than one special feature to help them survive. Animals that live in the same sort of conditions may have
similar features. For example, most mammals that live in the northern Pacific Ocean (whales, sea lions, seals) grow a thick layer
of blubber to protect their body from the cold. Sea Otters don’t have a layer of blubber; instead they have very thick fur that
they blow air into to create a layer of insulation. (available online not in kit)
http://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/feathers-fur-or-fin
Plant parts relay Students play a game to learn the different parts of different types of common food plants. What humans eat as different fruit and vegetables are actually parts of plants:
Roots hold the plant in the ground, especially when it’s windy. They also soak up water and nutrients for the plant. Examples: carrots, turnips, radishes.
Bulbs are underground stems that store lots of food in their leaves. Examples: leek, onions, garlic.
Tubers are underground stems that are swollen with stored nutrients. Examples: potatoes, sweet potatoes.
Leaves catch the sunlight and make food for the plant. Leaves also let water and gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the plant. Examples: lettuce, cabbage, spinach.
Fruits are made by the flower parts and have seeds inside them. Examples: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, oranges, apples, grapes, string beans.
Seeds store food inside for the plant embryo and grow into mature plants. Examples: sunflower seeds, coconuts (one of the world’s biggest seeds), sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coffee beans, lima beans.
Stems help plants stand up and move food and water to all of the other parts. Example: asparagus.
Petioles are special stems that hold the leaves. Examples: celery, rhubarb.
Objectives:
Identify the parts of a plant. Lesson and cards included in kit.
https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/plant-relay-game
All Living Things Have a Life Cycle:
Investigating Patterns in Nature
Yellow: I can do this independently.
Blue: I can do this with guided support.
Orange: I can do this with direct support.
Science Inquiry (Do)
I can observe changes in the life cycles
of various plants and animals.
I think we learn about life cycles because
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
I still wonder
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
I can compare life cycles.
I can compare my observations with
those of others in a polite and
respectful manner.
Science Content (Know)
I can explain how the life cycles of
plants and animals are similar and
different.
I can explain how First Peoples use
their knowledge of life cycles to
interact with the environment.
Notice, Think, and Wonder Please make time for the books within this science unit to be shared among students in an
informal way. During silent reading time, books from this kit and from those gathered at
your school library may be shared in a casual buddy reading/sharing format. As students
share these books, who knows what might occur … students may naturally launch into requests
of, “Can we try this?” Inquiry is born from subtle suggestions toward an intended destination!
“Maybe … perhaps … or I think … “ Exploratory talk like this brings multiple minds together to
work on the same problem in powerful ways.
Peter Johnson author of Choice Words
Acknowledge and affirm the question and the curiosity. Use the ‘language of possibility’ …
‘maybe’, ‘could be’, ‘what if’… Experiment, explore, discover, wonder, persist, re-think, model,
wonder aloud … then walk away and see what happens!
Kath Murdoch author of Collaborative Inquiry
Activity Length:
10 mins.
Salmon in the Food WebGo BackPrint
Introduction
This activity demonstrates how salmon play an important role in our coastal food web.
Salmon are considered keystone species on the B.C. Coast, meaning there are many species thatrely on salmon. Because so many organisms rely on salmon as an essential food source, thesalmon population is very important in maintaining biodiversity on the B.C. Coast. Salmon gain alot of their mass while in the ocean. When they come back to their spawning grounds inthousands of numbers, they bring millions of pounds of nutrients from the ocean to the riverecosystem. Simply put, the salmon migration during spawning season helps replenish the entireecosystem, from the animals that eat the salmon, to the decomposers who break down their deadbodies, to the trees that grow from their broken down nutrients. With a decline in salmon, manyother coastal organisms suffer as well. This activity is a simple introduction to a deeper discussionabout how salmon are important for the entire ecosystem.
The deck of card used in this activity come from a free ecologicalbased education card gamecalled Phylo. The Phylo Game can be used as a tool for ecosystem understanding, interactionswithin food webs or in any other creative ways.
The provided cards represent three food sources of salmon, zooplankton, earthworms and pacifickrill (and other aquatic invertebrates.) As salmon get bigger they also eat smaller fish and fisheggs, but the three food sources given are major food sources for salmon.
Predator cards are the killer whale, the black bear, humans, river otters, ringed kingfishers, bald
Objectives:
Identify each stage of the salmon life cycle.Identify factors (natural and humanmade)that affect salmon survival.
Materials:
1 set of specific Phylo cards1 game board
Key Questions:
If salmon are removed from this food web,how are the other organisms affected?How do salmon help the trees in the forest?
Extensions:
Visit the Phylo website. Download the BeatyBiodiversity deck and play a game to learnabout our ecosystem here in B.C.Think of creative ways to use Phylo cards,and send your thoughts to the Phylo team.
eagles and harbor seals. These predators eat salmon when the salmon are found in theirecosystem. Ocean predators of salmon are seals, and killer whales. Ocean/freshwater predatorsare eagles and humans. Freshwater predators of salmon are river otters, ringed kingfishers andblack bears.
One trick card is the western red cedar. Although trees do not eat salmon, salmon do turn intofood for trees. Shortly after salmon spawn and contribute to the next generation, they die. Withsuch a large influx of dead fish, a large amount of decomposition occurs, turning the bodies intoavailable nutrients for trees. These nutrients become incorporated into the soil around rivers, andall nearby trees benefit greatly from these salmon nutrients.
What To Do
Set up
1. Place the salmon card in the center of the game board.2. Place the other cards in a pile on the table.
Challenge
1. Try to construct a food web using all the cards. All cards are one step away from salmonand represent a salmon food source or possible predator.
Other Resources
Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Life of a Salmon Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Coastal Connections Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Decomposers Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Urban Wildlife
Activity Length:
20 mins.
Salmon Life Cycle Mix & MatchGo BackPrint
Introduction
In this activity, students learn the different life stages of the Pacific salmon.
The life cycle of Pacific salmon follows six distinct stages. At each stage of life, the fish needdifferent environments and face different threats.
What To Do
Preparation
1. Cut out pictures and names/descriptions separately. Laminate these to last longer if you like.
Objectives:
Identify each stage of the salmon life cycle.Identify factors (natural and humanmade)that affect salmon survival.
Materials:
Per group:1 set of life cycle cards (stage pictures andstage names with descriptions)
Key Questions:
What life stages are found in freshwaterareas?What life stages are found in saltwateroceans?Where are eggs found? Where do spawnersgo?Where do salmon live the longest?Why might a spawner look so different?
Extensions:
Create pictures of typical environments foreach stage in the salmon life cycle. Oncestudents have the salmon life cycle in thecorrect order, have them match each stage toits environment.Create pictures of typical threats for eachstage in the salmon life cycle. Have studentsmatch a couple of major threats to eachstage.Look at a map of the BC coast. Pin the lifestages to places where they might be found,or act out their life, showing where and whenthey change to the next life stage.Explore the significance of salmon in coastalFirst Nations cultures. The importance ofsalmon in traditional First Nations lifestyles isreflected in art and storytelling traditions.
Set up
1. Divide students into groups.2. Give each group a mixed up set of the Pacific salmon life cycle stage picture and name
cards.
Instructions
1. As a group, have students match the pictures to the name card.2. Have students place the pictures in the order of the youngest stage to the oldest stage.3. Have groups share their results.
Activity Length:
45 mins.
Salmon Stream DesignGo BackPrint
Introduction
In this activity, students create a model of a salmon stream habitat.
A good Pacific salmon rearing area should have:
different types of habitat for cover for fishfew floods and droughtsmoderate summer temperaturesfew predatorslots of insects for food
In a good spawning area, adult salmon should be able to reach spawning gravel that has freeflowing water and is free of silt.
What To Do
1. Hand out paper and pens.2. Have students draw (or otherwise represent) their ideal habitat for salmon egg/alevin/fry
survival.
Drawings could include: • trees/vegetation on the banks
Objectives:
Identify each stage of the salmon life cycle.Identify factors (natural and humanmade)that affect salmon survival.
Materials:
paperdrawing or collage materials
Key Questions:
What does an egg need to protect itself?What kind of habitat does an alevin need tohide from predators?What conditions does a fry need to survive?
Extensions:
Using local maps discuss how humans haveimpacted salmon streams.
• tree debris in the stream • overhanging trees and brush • rocks in the stream • pools for shelter • gravel bed free of silt/sediment/pollution • water riffles indicating a fast flow (therefore good oxygen quality) • good water level • good temperature • supply of insects, including larvae • absence of predators (including "no fishing" signs) • dogs onleash • litter bins to prevent trash in the stream
Other Resources
Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Life of a Salmon Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Coastal Connections Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Urban Wildlife Science World at TELUS World of Science | Ken Spencer Science Park Science World at TELUS World of Science | Search: Sara Stern Gallery
Life of a SalmonGo BackPrint
Introduction
In this unit, students will identify each stage of the salmon lifecycle as well as factors that affectsalmon survival.
A watershed is a section of land where all of the area’s water is collected and funnelled into thesame waterway. A watershed is made up of a unique mixture of habitats that influence each other.These habitats include forests, wildlife, creeks, rivers,lakes, farms and cities or towns. Watersheds come in allshapes and sizes.
Many human activities can negatively affect animals,particularly wild salmon, in their natural watershedhabitat. Urban development can cause runoff. Runoff iswater that runs off quickly into storm drains, ditches andsewer systems, eventually ending up in rivers and lakes,polluting water and killing fish. The more runoff, thehigher the risk of flooding, which can erode stream banksand destroy spawning beds. The health of the watershedanimal populations, including that of salmon, depends onthe health of their natural habitat.
LIST OF ACTIVITIES
Salmon Life Cycle Mix & Match How to Make a Redd Salmon Life Lottery Salmon in the Food Web
Salmonopoly: Design Your Own Board Game Impossible Salmon Tag Salmon Life Cycle Hexaflexagon Salmon Migration Obstacle Course Salmon Stream Design The Adventures of Salmon: A Colouring Book
Objectives:
Identify each stage of the salmon life cycle.Identify factors (natural and manmade) that affect salmon survival.
Background:
Salmon Overview
Wild salmon have lived in the cold, pristine Pacific waters for thousands of years and have beenan integral part of the Pacific Northwest's history, culture and economy for as long as humanshave lived here. Historically, B.C.’s First Nations have relied on salmon as a major food source.
Five species of salmon, and two closely related trout, are native to the North Pacific and eachspecies has a life cycle ranging from two to seven years. These fish, collectively known assalmonids, are anadromous, meaning they are born in fresh water and migrate downriver to thecold open waters of the Pacific Ocean. They often travel for thousands of kilometres thenmiraculously return to the river of their birth. It's still a mystery exactly how salmon find their wayhome, but they seem to rely on a combination of genetic coding, celestial navigation,electromagnetic currents and a strong sense of smell.
All salmonids start out as fertilized eggs, found in gravel regions of streams and lakes. Theyremain there while they are alevin, absorbing their egg sac. While they are fry they eat aquaticinvertebrates. They undergo large physiological changes when swimming to the ocean as smolts,and live in the ocean for many years, growing into a large adult. Once fully developed, the adultsphysiologically change again allowing them to move from salt water to freshwater as spawners toreach their home stream or lake. There they will spawn and lay eggs for the next generation.
Salmon must protect themselves from predators. They are particularly susceptible to predatorswhen migrating so they seek deep pools for protection. In the ocean, some salmon stay togetherin a school, confusing predators with their flashy sides and causing them to be mistaken for asingle large predator. A salmon’s predators change at different stages of its lifecycle, because ofthe salmon’s change in size and environment. Salmon fry are eaten by other fishes, members oftheir own species, snakes and birds. Once in the ocean, salmon are prey to killer whales,dolphins, seals, sea lions, other fish and, of course, humans. A spawning salmon is at risk ofbeing scooped up by bears and birds.
A salmon's diet depends on its species and region. Typically, juvenile salmon eat zooplankton and
aquatic invertebrates, like krill, mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and worms. In the ocean, salmoneat smaller fish such as herring, and crustaceans like krill.
Humans have strong and often negative impacts on salmon. Overfishing has led to a decline insome salmon stocks. Land development and dam building have damaged habitats and impactedsalmon runs. This development has led to a decline in salmon populations in some areas.
In 1985, the Canadian and U.S. governments established the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The treatyoutlines the conduct of fisheries, salmon management and research and enhancement programs.
Salmon Habitats
Streams and lakes provide living, feeding and spawning areas for salmon and related trout. Agood water body for salmon has many different characteristics. Although young fish may not havethe same needs as spawning fish, all salmon require an adequate flow of clean, cool water. Bothyoung and older salmon rely on streams and river features: pools and riffles. Pools are areas ofa stream or river where the water is deep, slow moving, and silt or clay lay on the bottom. Theseare important for salmon to hide from predators or relax in cooler water. Riffles are areas of astream or river where the water is shallow, fast moving, and gravel or rocks lay on the bottom.Salmon rely on these for laying their eggs, and for adding oxygen to the water.
Unfortunately, waterways can be easily and seriously damaged. Damage can be caused bycarelessness in logging and mining practices, or by poorlyplanned city and community growth andthe pollution that accompanies it. Healthy streams and rivers are important to fish and otheraquatic animals and plants and should be treated with care and respect.
Salmon Struggles and How We Can Help
Salmon have struggles throughout their entire life. Most will die before they come back to spawn.Many of these factors that make their lives challenging are beyond our control, but there are alsosome ways in which we can help.
For instance, while many factors that damage watershed ecology and water quality are beyondour control, there are ways we can help save and preserve our streams:
Plant vegetation on the sides of lakes and streams to stabilize the banks.Leave natural plants and debris such as stumps, fallen trees or boulders where they are.Leave all animal life where it is.Keep pets and livestock away from the water.Use garden and lawn chemicals sparingly and with care.Remove garbage from the stream area.Direct soap suds, detergents, waste oil, gasoline or other household chemicals ontoabsorbent ground away from streams, not down storm drains or into roadside ditches.
Vocabulary:
Plants All Around UsGo BackPrint
Introduction
Daily, we see a countless variety of plants growing in our neighbourhoods, in our parks, in ourforests, but most of us pass these without taking a moment to observe their beauty and diversity.Using our local environments as the sites for placebased scientific learning can give us theopportunity to apply our knowledge to the world around us. The activities in this unit will guidestudents through learning about the nature within our local environments.
LIST OFACTIVITIES
FlowerDissection Seed to FoodMatchup Tree Cookies Plant RelayGame PlantClassification MossPropagation Pressed
Flowers/Plants
Objectives:
Identify some examples of local plants and some of their uses.Increase their observational skills of natural objects.Describe how a tree grows throughout the years.Study different aspects of the life cycle of plants.
Background:
The Importance of Observation
The ability to look at plants around you, to study them and to think critically about how they grow,reproduce and adapt to their environments over time are very important scientific skills. Many ofthe greatest scientists throughout history have come upon their theories through simpleobservation of the plants around them.
Three historically important botanists are Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin and Alfred Wegener.Through his observation of plants, Linnaeus came up with our current genus and speciesclassification system. Darwin theorized evolution and Wegener theorized continental drift afterobserving plants, fossils and other living things. Together, these are some of the most profounddiscoveries in historical science, and have all arisen from careful observation of the living world.
The Plant Life Cycle
Flowering plants typically go through a life cycle. A plant grows from a seed, which containsgenetic information and nutrients that a plant needs to turn into a seedling or a baby plant. Then,plants take energy from the sun, which is used in chemical processes to produce sugars for theirgrowth.
When a plant is reaching the end of its life, or it is reaching the end of a growing season, it willmake many flowers. Then through reliance on wind currents, or animal pollinators, pollen from themale part of a flower, the stamen, is transferred to the female part of a flower, the stigma. Whenthe pollen reaches the eggs, it will fertilize them. The eggs will develop into seeds, which oncepropagated will grow and the plant life cycle will then continue.
Conifer or conebearing trees, like the Western Red Cedar, and sporebearing plants, like ferns ormosses, have different lifecycles, but still follow the same concept of two sexual parts meeting andforming the beginnings of a new plant.
What Are Weeds?
Not all plants are considered beautiful or useful by humans. For example, weeds are plants thatgrow where we do not want them to be growing, but not all weeds are bad. Some commonweeds are more nutritious than spinach, and others are medicinal. Learning more about the plantsaround us, including weeds, can help us to gain respect for more of the plants we see.
Vocabulary:
References:
Other Resources:
Activity Length:
15 mins.
Seed to Food MatchupGo BackPrint
Introduction
In this activity, students will match common food from the grocery store with the seeds thatproduce that food. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of their food as theylearn about the plants they rely on as food.
All plants start as a seed. Seeds contain all the nutrition and information needed for the rest ofthe plant’s growth. After flowers are pollinated, the ovules or eggs are fertilized. The ovules willdevelop into seeds and become the beginning for the next generation.
Many people can easily identify the name of the plantbased food they eat, but it is a greaterchallenge to identify what the seeds that produce the particular food look like. Working in groups,students will discover that this challenge is achievable through critical thinking and discussion.
What To Do
Preparation
1. Choose foods that are easily recognizable, but with a range of difficulty matching the foodwith the seed. Include only a couple of challenging pairs to ensure that the group can havea chance at matching most seeds with the foods. For example, tomato and pumpkin will beeasier to match, but radishes and lettuce will be more difficult to match with theircorresponding seeds.
2. Place one seed in each tray. Position all the trays and the pictures on a table, in noparticular order.
Challenge
1. Have students observe the different seeds, and as a group, have them match up the seedswith the corresponding food we eat.
2. Have them discuss amongst themselves until they are all certain they have a match.
Objectives:
Study different aspects of the life cycle ofplants.
Materials:
810 pictures of everyday foods (Use samplesof real plants when/if possible.)1 seed per food (e.g. Tomato, peanut, pea,zucchini/cucumber, watermelon, lettuce, beet,onion, lentil, wheat.)1 tray per seed type
Teacher Tip: If working with youngerstudents, separate and put the seeds inplastic baggies so that they are notaccidentally dropped or mixed.
Key Questions:
Have you ever grown any of these plantsfrom seed?Have you ever seen any of these seedsbefore?How did you figure out the ones you wereuncertain about?
Extensions:
Plant the seeds and watch the plants growthrough their entire life cycle.Try the same activity with matching the foodwe eat with pictures of the plant that it comesfrom.Visit the UBC Farm through their FarmWonders program.
Other Resources
Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Plants All Around Us Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Pollinators Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Plants We Eat Science World at TELUS World of Science | Ken Spencer Science Park
Activity Length:
1520 mins.
Tree CookiesGo BackPrint
Introduction
In this activity, students learn about tree rings and how a tree grows wider each year.
Each ring of a tree cookie represents one year of growth for the tree. The first year is at thecenter, while the last year’s growth is where the wood meets the bark. All of these rings aremade up of cells that are actually dead, but act like tunnels for transporting water to other growingcell. Much of the trunk is devoted to water transportation because of the quantity of water neededby all the growing parts of large trees.
The area where the bark meets the wood is a layer of cells called the vascular cambium. This isthe only living part in the trunk of the tree. Vascular cambium produces bark in one direction andwood in the other. This living layer is also where sugars move to all parts of the tree. This can beobserved as a slimy layer found if bark has been peeled off a tree.
Warning: Peeling off a full horizontal strip of bark will kill a tree because it will not be ableto transport sugars.
Looking at the rings of a tree can tell us a lot about environmental conditions in the region thetree was grown. The lighter part of each ring is the spring season’s growth and is where most ofthe growth happens. The darker part of the ring is the summer or fall growth, which is when therate of growth slows. The darker colour is made by cells growing smaller, closer together, and withthicker cell walls. Black parts can show when a fire has reached a tree and large rings show arainy season.
What To Do
Set up
1. Hand out a tree cookie to groups of 34 students.2. Hand out a hand lens to each student.
Activity
1. Have students investigate the tree rings with the hand lenses.2. Have them find the first year growth of the tree.3. Then, find the last year growth of the tree.4. Finally, have students count the rings to find out the age of the tree.
Objectives:
Describe how a tree grows throughout theyears.
Materials:
Per group:1 tree cookie (You can make them like this ororder them from a science supply store.)
Per student:1 hand lens (optional)
Key Questions:
How are tree rings created?Where is the tree’s first year’s growth?Where is its last year’s growth?Where is the wood growing from?How old was this tree when the tree cookiewas made?Do all the rings look the same? What aresome of the differences you see? Why do youthink these differences exist?How could this trunk be useful for a tree?What might it transport up and down thetree?
Extensions:
Use the tree rings to make a timeline ofweather through the years that the tree grew.
Other Resources
Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Plants All Around Us Science World Resources | Full lesson & Other activities | Plants We Eat Science World at TELUS World of Science | Ken Spencer Science Park Science World at TELUS World of Science | Search: Sara Stern Gallery
Activity Length:
30 mins.
Moss PropagationGo BackPrint
Introduction
How do mosses grow and reproduce? Mosses are incredibly slow growing and live in challengingenvironments. Mosses have many methods of dealing with such harsh living conditions. Forexample, their small size allows mosses to absorb a lot of water through capillary action andreduce the amount of energy use.
Another method of survival is fragmentation. Fragmentation is a form of asexual reproductionwhere a part of the moss can grow to form a new moss. This is used by mosses to help ensuretheir survival.
Not all plants can reproduce from any part of their body, but moss is a great example of a plantwith this unique ability. As a moss plant is ripped up, each new piece can grow into a newplant. This allows moss to propagate over a large space (like a forest, or a lawn) even with theirslow growth.
What To Do
Preparation
1. Prepare the sample: Blend 1 1/2 cups of moss and the buttermilk for only 1020 seconds onlow in the blender.
2. Add water until it becomes a thick soupy consistency (about 1 1/22 cups of water).
Objectives:
Study different aspects of the life cycle ofplants.
Materials:
Per class:510 large clumps of moss that grew onconcrete or rocks. (~1 1/2 cups)waterblender250 g of buttermilkOptional: 1 tsp sodium polyacrylate (useful forits absorbing ability) Soak the sodiumpolyacrylate with 1 cup of warm water for 510 minutes.
Per student:1 handsized rock1 wide paintbrush
Key Questions:
Moss can reproduce just by breaking apartand having their fragments grow. How couldthis be useful to cover forests like they do?How could this help explain how moss canspread all over a lawn?
Extensions:
Make a moss terrarium.Find moss that grows on branches and trees.Get the class to grow the moss on the piecesof bark. How does this moss differ from themoss growing on the rocks?
3. Pulse to rip not to puree. (Optional: Add the soaked sodium polyacrylate at this time.)
PreActivity
1. Discuss the ways in which plants can reproduce (i.e. pollination, seeds, cones, spores, etc.)2. Introduce fragmentation and why plants may use it to survive and grow.3. Give groups a container of the moss mixture.
Activity
1. Have students paint the moss mixture on their rocks with any shape or design they choose. 2. Have students take their rock home and spray it daily. Watch the moss grow!
Teacher Tips:
If the moss mixture is too moist, there is a possibility of growing mold on the rocks. Havestudents closely monitor the growth of their moss.Moss propagation can take a long time. Please remind students to remain patient as theyobserve their moss grow.
Activity Length:
30 mins.
Can you make a bead fly?Go BackPrint
Introduction
Plant seeds are usually transported by animals, wind or water. Plants that produce seeds to beeasily dispersed by wind, often produce a lot of seeds to ensure that some seeds are blown toareas where they can germinate. Seeds that are dispersed by wind tend to be small and havewings or other hairlike or featherlike structures.
What To Do
1. Present the students with a bead. Will it fly? What if the electric fan was turned on?2. Separate students into groups. Distribute beads and pipe cleaners. Each group receives a
selection of fabrics. Have students alter the beads with the materials available to make aflying bead.
3. Have students test out their modifications by dropping the bead in front of the rotating fan.
Objectives:
Observe how seeds might be dispersed bywind.
Materials:
Adjustable electric fan, with paper tubewrapped around head, extending about 10cm.Light wooden beads, 15mm–20mm in sizePipe cleaners cut to 3 inches in lengthVarious light fabrics cut into 5 inch squares,i.e. parachute material, light nylon, chiffon,gauze or tulle
Key Questions:
What makes the ‘seed’ fly?We added mass to the ‘seed’. Why did it fly?What could you change to make the ‘seed’more successful?
Extensions:
Relate this activity to the mechanics of seeddispersal.Explore a local garden or park and havestudents observe the plants, to see if thestudents can identify how the plant seedsmight be dispersed.
Other Resources
Science World Resources | Plants We Eat | Seed Dissection
An electronic copy of this teacher guide can be found on Learn71 athttps://portal.sd71.bc.ca/group/wyhzgr4/Pages/default.aspx
Contributors: Cheryl Adebar, Thea Black, Noah Burdett, Doug David, Kara Dawson, Colleen Devlin, Allan Douglas, Gerald Fussell, Nora Harwijne, Sarah Heselgrave, Debra Lovett, Kim Marks, Gail Martingale, Dale Mellish, Heather Mercier, Jane Rondow, Teri Ingram, Debbie Nelson, Joan Pearce, Stewart Savard, Laura Street, Lynn Swi�, Carol Walters.
School District No. 71 (Comox Valley) grants permission for teachers to use these resources for educational purposes.
Published July 2016