Essential Questions to consider for forest excursions:
- How and why does the surface of the earth change over time?
- What factors limit the growth of a population?
- How might the environment affect the type and number of species?
- How does energy flow from one organism to another?
- What are different types of interactions between populations within a community?
- What adaptations do different species have that allow them to survive in various environments?
- Describe causes of pollution and its effects on the environment.
- How do humans affect animal (or plant) population size?
- Discuss how human activity can contribute to environmental pollution.
- Propose possible solutions to reduce negative human impact.
At each location students will collect the following information or data.
• Evidence of the earth's landscape changing.
• Survey of abiotic and biotic factors.
• Evidence of the different types of organisms living in the ecosystem.
• Evidence of different types of organisms interacting.
• Estimation of population sizes at each location.
• Evidence of human impact on ecosystem (positive and negative).
• Keep route and waypoints logged on GPS and topographic map.
• Keep track of where on the map pictures and video were taken.
Evidence can be taken in the form of written or recorded oral observations and pictures, drawings or video tape from each area. Other physical measurements that could be taken are: water pH, soil pH, soil composition, water quality, water temperature, air temperature, elevation,
Using the GPS students will mark elevations and temperatures at each waypoint. The latitude and longitude of each waypoint will be logged so future science classes can visit the same locations to develop longitudinal studies about the change occurring in the ecosystem over time.
Assessment--- Scoring Guide
Students will spend a few days collecting and organizing data, importing their pictures, video and voice recordings. They will also conduct research about the history of the park so they can get an idea how the park has changed over time.
Using the internet, and library resources students will also conduct research about:
• Abiotic and biotic factors
• Limiting factors
• Energy flow within an ecosystem
• Positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems
• Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, (Geological-(Karst), Human populations and plant and animal populations)
Using the data collected in the park and research conducted in the classroom student teams will create a presentation that answers 3 or 4 of the essential questions listed above. Students can choose which questions they wish to focus on for their presentation. Each class will create their own scoring guide as a guideline for the development of the presentations.