Investigating the Stories of the Land

Kim Swanson
Triton High School
Dodge Center, MN
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Summary

In this biology field investigation, students will use observation skills to describe different types of terrestrial landscapes and compare them with one another. They will utilize these data in order to begin to put together the stories of the land - discovering what made it how it is, and what characteristics of land are associated with which flora and fauna.

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Learning Goals

This activity is designed for students to practice and continue to develop their observation skills. Students will also discover and connect different types of soil and ecosystems, including xeric, mesic, and wet areas.

Context for Use

This activity would work well in an ecology unit or in a botany unit, and could be changed easily to meet needs in individual areas.

Description and Teaching Materials

Students will spend time in three different types of ecosystems in the area. One of these areas should be a coniferous forest, one a deciduous forest, and the other a prairie/wetland area. This will not only incorporate all the major biomes in Minnesota but will also represent a variety of soils.
Students will spend one class period (in my case 45 minutes) in each site with a variety of tools (which may include, but are not limited to - soil augers, notebooks, field guides to plants and animals of the area, nets, string, etc). Not all tools need to be used, and no specific info on their use will be given.
Students will make observations in their notebooks in as much detail and covering as many qualitative and quantitative observations as possible.
After observations are made, we will discuss these observations and students will work in small groups to compare and contrast each area, finally synthesizing a full description of each area.
Using these descriptions, we will move into adaptations for each area, and I will introduce terminology such as xeric, mesic, etc in terms of soil types and the things that can grow there.

Teaching Notes and Tips

Make sure your students have clear expectations before entering the field. Make it clear that making as many observations as possible is helpful!

Assessment

Student work that is checked includes their field observations (in their field journals) and their definitions of each of the biome types that we examine.

Standards

I.B - scientific inquiry
IV.C - interdependence of life

References and Resources