Hands in the River Lesson 3: Outdoor Field Study at McCarran Ranch

Sierra Nevada Journeys Hands in the River Unit

Lesson 3: Outdoor Field Study at McCarran Ranch

Enduring Understanding: 

Students will understand the importance of a watershed, which is tied directly to the water cycle, and the impact environmental factors and humans can have on this system and what impact this has on humans. & Students will gather evidence and research in order to answer/address questions with empirical evidence.

Essential Questions: 

How do we know a watershed is healthy? How can an invasive species impact a watershed?

Objectives:

• Students will explore the local watershed to better understand the health of the river.
• Students will be able to collect and analyze data accurately.
• Students will be able to work as a team and understand how teams work collaboratively.

Standards:

5-ESS2-1: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constrains of the problem.

Disciplinary Core Ideas:

ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems: Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.

Materials:

• Notebooks
• Large chart paper
• Hand lenses
• Nets
• Small clear containers
• Macroinvertebrate ID keys
• Markers

 Key Vocabulary:

• Observation
• Macroinvertebrates
• Data
• Sensitivity levels
• Sensitive
• Tolerant

Invitation (to the whole day): Mind Pie (10 minutes)

1.    Have students sit in a circle around the Mind Pie poster to explain the activity. Tell the students that this activity will help give everyone a sense of what the group already knows about, feels comfortable doing, and what things will be really new. It will also give them a change to hear about what they will be learning about today.

2.    Give students a brief overview of each section of the Mind Pie.

3.    Tell students that if they feel really comfortable and “solid” with a topic, they should set a pebble in that section. If they know what a section means, but they know they can learn more, they should put a small piece of a stick in that section. If there is something they have not heard of before or don’t know much about it, they should leave it blank.

4.    Remind them that the Mind Pie is meant to help them think about their own learning, and for the instructor and students to get an idea about the group’s experience and understanding. Explain that sometimes students put all or mostly stones, because they think that putting plants might make them look bad, but then the activity is useless.

5.    Have the students do the activity.

6.    Ask the students the following questions to see what they notice about the group as a whole.

• What do you notice about our mind pie?
• What areas does this group seem particularly strong in?
• Are there any areas where there is more room to grow?

7.    If you notice any topic in particular that make students feel uncomfortable, reassure them that it is alright and that we all have room to grow in what we know.

*This activity adapted from the Lawrence Hall of Science BEETLES program.

Exploration: Walk and Talk

1.    Have students form 2 parallel lines standing next to each other so each person has a partner across from them. Include yourself and adults if possible. Have the students identify their partner with a high five or handshake.

2.    Explain that you will be giving them a question to talk about with their partner. Each pair will discuss the question as we walk, until they feel the touch of silence. The instructor starts the touch of silence by gently touching the shoulder of the first two students behind them. These two will gently pass the touch down the line until the entire group is silent.

********This can be done at any time during the day***********

***Before the next activity ask the students what it means to work together. Take some hands and discuss how teams work together. Explain that for the day we are a team and there are things that teams do that helps them work well together.

I Notice, I Wonder, It reminds me of:

Invitation:

1.    Ask students if they know someone or have read about someone who was really good at noticing things other people didn’t notice. (Detectives, etc.)

2.    Ask the students what made them good at noticing things better than others.

Exploration:

1.    Have the students go out in a close area and find something interesting to them and find something unique about it. Have them share it with a partner.

2.    Ask what is important in order to work well with a partner. What are some things that make working in a team difficult? How can we overcome those challenges?

Concept Invention:

1.    Gather students back to one area.

2.    Ask the students what observation means. Talk with them about how an observation is something you notice with your senses. Tell them that we will not taste anything without checking with the instructor first.

• Observations are what you observe, not what you already know.
• Observations are descriptive.

3.    Give students the first prompt “I notice…” They will be making observations out loud to a partner about a plant they think is neat. They should say as many things as they can, even if they’re obvious.

Application:

4.    Tell students that they will have about a minute to make observation. After a minute call for attention.

5.    Have a few students share their observations with the group. Ask students what new observations they learned from their partner, one they both made, or one that they think no one else made.

Concept Invention:

1.    Give students the new prompt “I wonder…” This time they will be speaking as thoughts come into their head, but know they should be asking questions.

Application:

1.    Give them another minute to make observations using “I wonder…” and then call them back.

2.    What were some of the best questions you came up with? Have a few students share.

• Pick a question that could be answered through observation and discuss possible answers and how it could be explored further.
• Pick a question that could be answered through and investigation. Ask, how could you answer this question? How long would it take?

3.    Give students the third prompt: “It reminds me of…” Remind students that they will be completing this sentence starter out loud with their partner, and they should try to come up with as many statements as possible. This round they will be making connections to other things they already know about by using the phrase, “it reminds me of.”

• Give about 1 minute for sharing, and then call for students’ attention.
• Ask a few to share their “It reminds me of” with the group.

**This activity  (I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of) adapted from the Lawrence Hall of Science BEETLES program. 

Reflection:

1.    Point out that they will be using this throughout the rest of the field day. Challenge them to keep this way of observing in their minds.

2.    Have students share what they did that made their team work together well, what did not go so well, and what we can improve on in our teams.

 Invitation: Macroinvertebrate Collection

1.    Ask the students what they think lives in the river. Have a few students share out what they think and see if other students agree with them.

Exploration:

1.    Explain that the students will be looking for living things in the river.

2.    Show the boundaries for your area, and explain that they are not to get into the water.

3.    Have the students get in groups of 2-3. Each group will get a net and a small container to hold what they collect. Make sure to talk about keeping water in the container and they can hold on to what they collect to share with the group after.

4.    Give them about 10-15 minutes to look for living things.

5.    Before sending the students off, talk about the different roles and take student ideas about how they can make sure that everyone is participating and fully involved.

Concept Invention:

1.    Ask the students to share some of what they found.

2.    Have them think about what they did during I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of. They will be continuing to use this vocabulary during the day.

3.    Explain that most of what they found were macroinvertebrates. Ask if they know what that means. Macroinvertebrates are large enough to see with the naked eye and they don’t have a backbone.

4.    Tell the students that they will be using macroinvertebrates to test how healthy the river is.

5.    Explain sensitivity levels and show the chart they will be using and how they will use it. They will be identifying the macroinvertebrates that they find and listing them based on their sensitivity level on the chart paper.

6.    Make sure to point out that they need to be on the lookout for New Zealand Mud Snails. We want to know if they are in the area.

7.    The students will be using the data collected today and in the next class.

Application:

1.    Hand each group a Macroinvertebrate ID Key paper. Give the students about 20 minutes for this activity.

2.    When they find a macroinvertebrate they can write it on the paper. Once a species is found and recorded they no longer need to record it on the chart (no tallying).  

3.    Walk around to each group and help where needed. Make sure that the students are recording their data in the chart each time they find another macroinvertebrate. 

4.    Remind students that while they are looking for macroinvertebrates they also need to be looking for New Zealand Mud Snails. They will be tracked and counted on the bottom of the chart separately. However, before they can record it, they must show the instructor and get approval before they can mark it on the chart.

5.    Chart set up example:

New Zealand Mud Snails:

Reflection

1. Ask students to share some of the things they learned today. Has what they did today impacted how they will think about the river in the future? How?
2. Mind Pie
3. Walk and Talk
4. Have students reflect on their teamwork today. Is teamwork something that you always have to work on? What are some things that are hard about working in a team? How can we overcome those things?