Sampling Arthropod Diversity of a Schoolyard

J McClelland
Maple Lake High School
Maple Lake MN
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Summary

Summary: This inquiry activity allows students the opportunity to practice developing their understanding of the scientific method. Students will make initial observations, as they learn some different arthropod sampling techniques. From there, they will develop a question, make a prediction, and test their prediction experimentally. The experiment must offer quantitative data to be graphed somehow. Each group will summarize their findings for the class.

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Learning Goals

Learning Goals: This activity is designed for students to:
1. Make Scientific Observations
2. Develop Scientific (testable) Questions
3. Develop Possible Hypotheses
4. Practice Experimental Design
5. Collect, Display, & Communicate Data
Key Concepts:
1. Students will understand that the scientific method varies according to the question being investigated and the scientists designing the experiment.
2. Students will understand that all questions are not suited for scientific experimentation.
3. Students will understand that scientists' questions, hypotheses, and experimental design need to align to one another.
Key Terms:
1. Quantitative Experiment (vs. qualitative)
2. Experimental Variable
3. Dependent Variable

Context for Use

Context: This activity is designed for students in groups of no more than 4, where each is assigned a specific group role. This happens very early on in the school year with general high school biology students, specifically working on the scientific method. Based on pre-assessment, you may make this more or less open-ended for students, regarding their choices made during experimental design (example, each group should formulate their own question, or focus on one all-class question)

Description and Teaching Materials

Activity Description:
Materials Needed: Trowel, Plastic cups, Plastic Petri Dish Tops or Plastic Container Lids, Tanglefoot (425g tub), Popsicle sticks, insect sweep net, black permanent marker, roll of masking tape, kitchen garbage bags, forceps, magnifying lens or dissecting microscope, insect field guide, white table top or white paper table cloth, Freezer, 5 gallon bucket, marking flags, tape measure, other materials based on group plans & availability

Lead-In: Students need inquiry opportunities to observe various arthropods (teacher provided samples?), and get familiar with the basic anatomy of common arthropods. The teacher should demonstrate the three insect sampling techniques: sweep netting, pit traps, and sticky traps. Familiarity to sampling sites on the schoolyard are also essential. Introduction to experimental design should take place prior to this as well, via handouts, discussion, and/or prior inquiry activities.

Primary Activity: Students will be put in groups of no more than 4, as directed by the teacher. The teacher will assign group member roles, to encourage engagement by all students. The roles will be facilitator, materials handler, recorder, and time manager. Within their group, students will discuss earlier arthropod observations, and develop 5 questions they have about arthropods, sampling techniques, and areas of our schoolyard. Collectively, they will combine their ideas and divide them into testable questions (within our time frame & circumstance) and non-testable questions. Groups will rank their testable questions in priority order, and consult the teacher for approval.

Upon approval, students will begin development of hypotheses that are possible based on their question. Development will continue on designing an experiment to test their hypotheses against. This may involve some background research for some groups. When the teacher is satisfied with basic design for each group, time will be set aside for carrying out investigations. Acceptance will be partially based on clear experimental & dependent variables, alignment of question, hypotheses & design, and a clear mode of quantitative data collection.

Experiments will be carried out and data will be collected. Students will spend time organizing their data and analyzing it. Conclusions will be developed, and students will discuss ideas for further study or possible improvements.

Closure Strategy: Whole class discussion will follow our poster session, focusing on several questions (reflected in science notebooks). What did you learn from this experience that you didn't know before? Looking at other groups' posters, what did you like about their work? What confused you about their work? How was it to take part in a poster session, as a speaker and as a questioning observer? Can we draw any conclusions about the scientific method from this whole experience?

Teaching Notes and Tips


Assessment

Assessment: Assessment will take 3 forms. Each student will be recording their work and progress in their science notebook. Groups will also develop a scientific paper (using a basic format previously introduced). Finally, groups will develop a poster for display and take part in a poster session with the entire class. Rubrics and specific summative assessment plans are still being developed.

Standards

Standards Match: This activity fulfills the following MN State Standards
I. B. Scientific Inquiry, benchmarks 1-4 (experimental design, quantitative vs. qualitative, use of math to analyze data, identifying possible sources of error)
IV. B. Diversity of Organisms, benchmark 3 (experimental evidence to classify organisms)

References and Resources