OUTDOOR EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
FOR K-12 EDUCATORS
By
Gerald L. Piche, Jr
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Randy Showerman for all of his help and friendship
since I began my career as an Agriscience teacher. I would also like to thank all of the
support staff in the ANRECS department for their help and advice throughout the years.
A special thanks to my family and to the friends I have made while attending MSU.
Finally, I would like to thank my fiancée Nicole who has supported me with this
endeavor. Your cheerful attitude and understanding made all the difference.
ABSTRACT
Agriscience education has always tried to make connections between what is
being taught in the classroom and what students will encounter when they leave the
classroom setting. It has been argued that students who are able to put into practice the
materials presented to them will have a better understanding of the subject, retain more of
the information and will therefore get more out of the experience. Parents, administrators
and the community on a whole who are aware of this idea have begun to expect this type
of teaching method from all educators.
This curriculum will serve as a guide to teachers of all subjects in grades K-12 to
help them expand their classrooms beyond the four walls of the school and offer ideas to
use the outdoors in teaching to their students.
Chapter IV: Project
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The purpose of this project is give educators activities that they can use in the
outdoors to supplement their classroom instruction. It will focus specifically on activities
to be used by K-12 educators. These activities will use natural resources as a medium to
teach a variety of subject matter. Educators can use the activities as they are or modify
them as they see needed.
The methodology used in this project will be to present activities that can be used
for studying many different subjects, and not one specific subject. Subjects that have
been included in this project are math, science, art, english, social studies, and geography.
These activities will be highly adaptable for any teacher. All classrooms vary
significantly due to subject matter, learning styles, maturity levels, learning disabilities
and many other factors. Due to these variances it will be valuable to have activities that
may be altered for use in many different ways. The lesson that the activity is
demonstrating should remain the same regardless of the group.
The method chosen for this project is activities that can be used by teachers in the
following groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. This was chosen because the Michigan
Agriscience and Natural Resources Curriculum is set up with these groupings under its
Career Pathways.
Outdoor Activities for K-12
The following activities are primarily designed for the use with students who are
in kindergarten through twelfth grades. These activities are written in an easy to read
format and follow this basic form.
1. Activity Name
2. Objectives: desired outcomes for the students
3. Materials needed: lists all things needed before starting
4. Instruction: step-by-step description of what is to be done
5. Questions for Study: questions to pose to students at the end of the activity to
make them reflect on what they have just completed.
There are five activities for each of the groupings previously listed except for the
9-12 grouping. For the 9-12 group, there are 5 activities specific to each of the following
subject areas: social studies, math, science, art, and language. The activities for K-2, 3-5,
and 6-8 are not grouped by subject area, but have an intended area that is listed by the
activity name.
Activities for Students
In Grades K - 2nd
Tree Leaf I.D.
……………………………………………………………………..……………………..39
Tree Tag
……………………………………………………………………………..……………..41
Wind Trackers
…………………………………………………………………………………..………..42
Quest for Camouflage
……………………………………………………………………………………………44
Pondering Puddles
…………………………………………………………………………………................46
K-2nd Grades
Activity name: Tree Leaf I.D.
Objectives:
To learn about trees by collecting and identifying their leaves.
Materials needed:
paper bags (sack lunch size)
posterboard
pencils
glue
Prior to activity:
Collect several leaves from the area that you are going to bring the students in to.
Photocopy the leaves and make a poster using the pictures (don't forget to label them) so
that students will be able to match leaves they collect to help them identify the trees they
came from.
Instructions:
- Have students collect leaves in paper bags while hiking outdoors. Stress that
they are to pick the leaves off the ground, not off the trees.
- Back in the classroom, students are to match the leaves with the photocopied
leaves to identify the trees they came from.
- Have students make their own leaf collection poster, complete with names,
using the glue and posterboard.
Questions for Study:
- What materials do we get from trees?
- What are other parts of trees?
- How many different types of leaves were found? (Leads into discussion of
trees that loose leaves and those that don't).
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Tree to Tree)
K-2nd Grades
Activity name: Tree Tag
Objectives:
Reinforce student's knowledge of local tree identification.
Materials needed:
None
Prior to activity:
Make sure student's know the difference between the different types of trees in the
"tag" area and can identify them by sight.
Instructions:
The player who is "It" calls out a kind of tree and it is the safe tree, such as maple.
Students touching maple trees cannot get tagged. However, "It" can change the kind of
safe tree three times. If another kind of tree is called, the maple is no longer safe. Anyone
who is tagged becomes "It's" helper. The last one caught becomes the next "It".
Questions for Study:
- How can you tell different trees apart?
- What are some similarities between all trees?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Tree Tag)
K-2nd Grades
Activity name: Wind Trackers
Objectives:
1) Students will learn about wind patterns in the local area.
2) Students will create a model of wind patterns using maps and thumbtacks.
Materials needed:
3 x 5 index cards
balloons
helium tank
string
permanent markers
paper punch
map of local area, state and extended area
thumbtacks
Prior to activity:
Teachers should cover how wind moves in patterns around the world. Teachers
might also want to explain what causes wind to form and why wind from the north is
colder while wind from the south is warmer.
Instructions:
- Using the index cards, have students print the school name, teacher's name and
grade and the school's address in permanent marker.
- Also included on the card should be these directions: That whoever finds the
card, please write a note back to the school with the location of where the card
was found.
-
Using the paper punch put a hole in the card far enough from the edge so that
it will not pull through.
- Fill balloons with helium and tie.
- Attach the string to the bottom of the balloon and then to index card. The card
should be attached as close as possible to the balloon to minimize the chances
of it becoming entangled in trees, wires, etc.
- Release the balloons outside, preferably on a fairly windy day.
- When replies come back, use the maps and thumbtacks to plot the direction
balloons had taken. Explain that this is the wind pattern.
Questions for Study:
- What creates wind?
- How does wind shape the environment?
- How do people use wind?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, inspired by Michael Link's Meteorology section)
K-2nd Grades
Activity name: Quest for Camouflage
Objective:
To help students realize the importance camouflage plays in helping animals
avoid detection.
Materials needed:
Pencils of differing colors
Prior to Activity:
Explain to the students what camouflage is. Discuss with students the importance
of camouflage as a defense mechanism for many animals.
Instructions:
- Have the students work in partners or small groups.
- Each student in the group has a different colored pencil.
- Every student shall take a turn hiding their pencil within a given area. Give
each student approximately 30 seconds to find it a good hiding spot while the
rest of the group has their eyes shut.
-
Important: the pencils can not be completely covered up, some of it must be
visible.
- The group then searches out the student's pencil that was hidden. The activity
continues until all students have gone. They may wish to play again as they
become more creative with their hiding places.
Questions for Study:
- What pencil colors were hardest to find?
- What pencil colors were easiest to find?
- What makes a good hiding place?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Treasure Hunt)
K-2nd Grades
Activity name: Pondering Puddles
Objective:
Apply basic measuring techniques and use a combination of basic measuring
techniques to complete other measurements.
Materials needed:
Yardsticks
String
Clipboards & Paper
Pencils
Sticks (about 1 foot in length and 1/2 inch in diameter)
Prior to Activity:
Explain how to take measurements with a yardstick, using terms such as inch,
centimeter, 1/2 inch and others. Circumference and depth are also terms that need to be
defined before the students begin. This activity is limited by the need for puddles, which
can be formed naturally or by the teacher in a designated spot.
Instructions:
- Have students work in small groups.
- Students are to place the string around the edge of the entire puddle and can
either mark the string in that spot or can simply cut the string when it encircles
the puddle.
- Using the yardstick, students are to measure how much string it took to go
around the puddle. This is the puddle's circumference.
- Next, take the sticks and poke it into the center of the puddle until it hits the
ground. This is the puddle's depth. (Other parts may be deeper, but for ease of
instruction the center is used.)
Questions for Study:
- How long do you think that the puddle has been there?
- When do you think that it will be gone?
- Where will the water go?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Pondering Puddles)
Activities for Students
Grades 3 - 5
Seed Dispersal
……………………………………………………………………………………….49
Life in a Dead Log
………………………………………………………………………………….51
Tree Leaf I.D.
………………………………………………………………………………………..53
Rock Collections
……………………………………………………………………………………..55
Tree Detective
………………………………………………………………………………………..57
3rd-5th Grades
Activity name: Seed Dispersal
Objectives:
1) To identify the different ways that wild grass seeds are sown.
2) To have students gather, organize, and classify information.
Materials needed:
- paper sacks (lunch bag size)
- poster board
- clear tape or glue
Instructions:
- Have students search out for as many different wild grass seeds as they can
find and collect them into the sacks. Instruct them to collect the seeds without
hurting the rest of the plant.
- Back in the classroom, separate the seeds into different dispersal categories,
such as: wind dispersed, sticktights, tumbleweeds, animal dispersed, and
others.
- Organize the poster board into as many sections as the students have
categories, then have them place the samples into the correct section with the
tape or glue.
- Allow students to explain their posters to the rest of the class.
Questions for Study:
- Are some seeds dispersed by more than one method?
- Which methods of dispersal do you think are the most effective? Why?
- Can you identify all the seeds that you have collected?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, inspired by Helen Russell's Ten-Minute Field Trips)
3rd-5th Grades
Activity name: Life on a Dead Log
Objectives:
1) To show students that decomposing matter is habitat for many plants and
animals.
2) To show students the interdependence of things in nature.
Materials needed:
- clipboards
- work gloves (cotton work well)
- dissecting sticks (small stick used to move the log and/or lift up parts of it)
Instructions:
- Have students pick a log that is decomposing and can easily be reached.
- Answer the questions on handout 4 by examining the log using the dissecting
sticks and while wearing the gloves.
- After completing the handout, have the students return the log to its original
state as much as possible.
Question for Study:
- What types of trees decompose the fastest?
- What are the factors that effect decomposition?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, from Michael Link's Tree Projects)
Activity Handout 4: Life on a Dead Log
Name__________________
Date___________________
1. This log was originally what type of tree?
_______________________________________________________________
2. List the different types of plants that are now living off your log.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. List the different types of animals that are now living in or on your log.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Can you tell how old your log is? Estimate the age of your log and explain why you
think so.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. What are the plants and animals that live on the log doing to the log? Why is this
important in nature?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3rd-5th Grades
Activity name: Tree Leaf I.D.
Objective:
To learn about trees by collecting and identifying their leaves.
Materials needed:
paper bags (sack lunch size)
posterboard
pencils
glue
Prior to activity:
Collect several leaves from the area that you are going to bring the students in to.
Photocopy the leaves and make a poster using the pictures (don't forget to label them) so
that students will be able to match leaves they collect to help them identify the trees they
came from.
Instructions:
- Have students collect leaves in paper bags while hiking outdoors. Stress that
they are to pick the leaves off the ground, not off the trees.
- Back in the classroom, students are to match the leaves with the photocopied
leaves to identify the trees they came from.
- Have students make their own leaf collection poster, complete with names,
using the glue and posterboard.
Questions for Study:
- What materials do we get from trees?
- What are other parts of trees?
- How many different types of leaves were found? (Leads into discussion of
trees that loose leaves and those that don't).
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Tree to Tree)
3rd-5th Grades
Activity name: Rock Collections
Objectives:
1) Investigate and display rocks from the local area
2) Compare colors and textures of rocks in order to sort them
Materials needed:
- pieces of cardboard approximately 2 ft X 2 ft
- glue (liquid glue works better than paste or stick glue for this)
- a mild liquid soap (dish soap works well)
Instructions:
- Take students on a hike through a gravel pit or along a dirt road.
- Have students collect rocks of different colors, shapes and textures. Tell them
that the rocks need to be "golf ball" size or smaller.
- Back at the school, use the soap to clean the rocks of dirt and debris.
- Tell the students to sort their collections based upon either luster (amount of
sparkle and shine it has), streaking ability (does it leave a colored mark on the
sidewalk) or smell (when striking a hard surface does the stone smell). These
are all ways of categorizing rocks.
- Attach the rocks to the cardboard using the glue to create a display of their
rock collection.
Questions for Study:
- Where do rocks come from?
- Are rocks being formed today?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Rock On)
3rd-5th Grades
Activity name: Tree Detective
Objectives:
1) Students will use different senses to identify a specific tree.
2) Students will use careful observation techniques.
Materials:
- clipboard
- handout 1
Instructions:
- Have students work alone or in pairs.
- Each student is assigned a specific tree to study and fills out the handout based
on that tree.
- Collect handouts as they are completing them, or have the students report their
findings to the rest of the class.
Questions for Study:
- What are some similarities between the trees?
- Did the time of day or time of year have an effect on the animals they you saw
or heard?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's From Tree to Tree)
Activity Handout 1: Tree Detectives
Name_____________________
Date______________________
1. Your tree is a __________________________________________.
2. Describe the bark:
a.___________________________ b._______________________________
c.___________________________
3. Make a bark rubbing here:
4. Describe the leaf:
a.__________________________ b._______________________________
c.__________________________
Trace the leaf here:
5. List any sounds you hear coming from your tree:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
6. List all the colors you find on your tree:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
7. Smell the bark and leaves of your tree. What does the smell remind you of?
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
8. Does your tree have any seeds, nuts, berries, flowers or cones?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Activities for Students
Grades 6 - 8
Soil Temp Investigation
…………………………………………………………………………….61
White Clover Investigation
………………………………………………………………………..64
A Crack in the Road
………………………………………………………………………………….65
Who's Been Eating
Here…………………………………………………………………………….68
Constellation in a Can
……………………………………………………………………………….70
6th-8th Grades
Activity name: Soil Temp Investigation
Objectives:
1) Illustrate that soil temperatures can be influenced by many factors, including
shade, exposure, vegetation, etc.
2) Show that soil temperatures may vary at different depths.
Materials needed:
- Activity Handout 3
- Clipboard
- Soil thermometers
- Graph paper
Instructions:
- Have students take a series of soil temperature readings at a depth of one inch
and three inches at the following locations:
a. North side of the school building between the building and the sidewalk.
b. South side of the school building between the building and the sidewalk.
c. Twenty feet in front of the building in a grassy spot.
d. In exposed bare soil at least twenty feet in front of the building.
- Have students make a bar graph using the data they have collected from each
of the locations on the graph paper.
- Have students complete the Activity Handout 3.
Questions for Study:
- Will turning the soil over have an effect on the soil temperature at two inches,
at one foot? Why?
- Should soil temperature be considered in selecting plants and planting an area?
Why?
-
What effect does soil temperature have upon living organisms within and on
the soil? Why?
(Developed by Jerry Piche, modified from State of Utah's Ten-Minute Walk Guide Sheet
No. 5)
Activity Handout 3: Soil Temp Investigation
Name__________________
Date___________________
1. If soil temperatures at the same depths vary between the north and south sides of the
building, how do you account for the variation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. If soil temperatures at the same depths vary between the grassy area and the bare soil,
how do you account for this variation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. If soil temperatures vary at different depths, how do you account for the variation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Will water remain longer in cold or warm soil, all other factors being equal?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
6th-8th Grades
Activity name: White Clover Investigation
Objectives:
1) Observe the nodule of a white clover plant to show how Nitrogen gets put into
the soil.
2) Use the white clover plant to show how plants anchor soil.
Materials needed:
- lawn area containing white clover
- magnifying glasses
- clipboard & paper
Instructions:
- Have students locate a white clover plant and make observations about the root
structure of the plant without disturbing it.
- Have the students pull up a few of the roots and find the nodules.
- Have students use the magnifying glass to see the nodules more in detail and
have them draw the nodule on their paper.
Questions for Study:
- How is Nitrogen fixed into the soil?
- How do the roots of white clover help in anchoring the soil?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Helen Russell's Ten-Minute Field Trips)
6th-8th Grades
Activity name: A Crack in the Road
Objectives;
1) To learn about the pressures from growing plants, freezing & thawing, and the
movement of the earth's crust on pavement.
2) To see the cracks in sidewalks as habitats.
3) Learn how man has attempted to accommodate for pressures.
Materials:
- Clipboard
- Handout 2
Instructions:
- Have students locate 5 different cracks in the sidewalks or parking lot of the
school grounds.
- Have students locate a man-made joint in the sidewalk.
- Tell students to look closely and examine each crack located and answer the
questions in handout 2.
Questions for Study:
- What forces could cause cracks?
- What would a sidewalk look like at the end of ten years if left untouched by
man?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from State of Utah's Ten Minute Walk Guide
Sheet No. 8)
Activity Handout 2: A Crack in the Road
Name _________________
Date___________________
1. What does a crack indicate?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. Do cracks increase in length and width? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What do you find in the cracks you examined? Explain the presence of the material
found in the cracks.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
4. Did you find any plants growing in any of the cracks? What effects might plants have
on cracks?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5. Why do plants grow in the cracks and not on the concrete or asphalt?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
6. Did you find any animals in the cracks? If so, why were they there?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
7. What is the purpose of the man-made joints?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
8. How did the plants in the crack start growing?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
6th-8th Grades
Activity name: Who's been eating here?
Objective:
Show differences in animal adaptations to food gathering and eating.
Materials needed:
- paper sacks (lunch bag size)
- paper & pencils
Prior to Activity:
Instruct students on what to look for and where to look for mice feeding and
squirrel feeding areas. Squirrels will often have feeding lookouts on rocks, walls, or limbs
where they can look out for danger. Mice will nibble holes in the sides of nuts and fruit
pits while squirrels will crack the nuts and fruit pits open.
Instructions:
- Have students work in groups to search for evidence of mice feeding and
squirrel feeding.
- Have students collect samples of each feeding type in the paper sacks.
- Back in the classroom, have the student groups separate their samples into
either mice feeding or squirrel feeding samples.
- On a piece of paper, have students make 2 columns. One labeled mice and the
other labeled squirrel. Have students write observations that they notice about
each sample in the correct column.
- On another piece of paper, have students write similarities and differences they
notice based upon the lists they previously made.
Questions for Study:
- What was eaten by both species?
- Where did they get the food from?
- What areas were mice feeding grounds most prevalent?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Helen Russell's Ten-Minute Field Trips)
6th - 8th Grades
Activity name: Constellation in a Can
Objectives:
1) Have students create representations of constellations they have observed.
2) Have students' practice making models using proportions and comparison.
Materials needed:
Soup cans (10 3/4 oz size works well, but larger ones can be used)
Nails of varying diameters
Hammer
Markers
Paper
Drawing compass
Flashlights
Book of common constellations (used as a guide)
Prior to Activity:
Teachers should instruct students to watch the night sky and look for
constellations. Have students bring in lists of constellations along with a sketch of the
constellations.
Instructions:
-
Instruct students to trace the bottom of their soup can onto a piece of paper.
This will be used as the guide.
- Have students pick out their favorite constellation and sketch it on the piece of
paper within the outline from the soup can bottom. Stress that it should be
drawn as accurately as possible and to scale.
- Place the drawing over the can bottom and secure it in place.
- Using the nails and hammer, punch through the bottom of the can on the
marked spaces (stars). Use larger nails for brighter stars, smaller nails for
dimmer stars.
- After all the marks have been punched through, remove the paper.
- Use the flashlight to project the constellation on a wall or dark material. Have
the students try and guess what each others constellations are.
Questions for Study:
- What stories and legends are associated with the various constellations and
stars?
- How are the distances measured to the stars?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, inspired by Michael Link's Astronomy section)
Activities for Students
Grades 9 - 12
Math
Pace Yourself!
………………………………………………………………………………………...73
Making a Square
……………………………………………………………………………………..76
No Straight Line
………………………………………………………………………………………79
Soil Temperature
……………………………………………………………………………………..81
Estimation Station
………………………………………………………………………………….…85
9th-12th Grades: Math
Activity name: Pace Yourself!
Objective:
Students will determine the length of their stride.
Students will learn to average using measurements taken.
Materials needed:
- 100 foot measuring tape
- 2 wooden stakes or poles
- Activity Handout 5
Prior to Activity:
In the schoolyard or nature site, use the 100 foot tape to measure out 100 feet.
Place a wooden stake at either end to mark it off. Explain to students that pacing
is done at a normal walk and that they count one pace every time their right foot
hits the ground, if they start walking with their left foot first. If they begin with
their right foot, then count the paces every time the left foot hits the ground.
Instructions:
- Have students count the number of paces it takes them to walk the 100 foot
distance. They are to do it three times and remember how many paces it took
for all three times.
- Have students fill out Activity Handout 5 at the completion of their third trial.
Questions for Study:
-
If your numbers differed for the three trials, what factors could be used to
explain the variation?
- Would the pace be different if you ran the 100 foot distance instead of walked
it? Why?
- What are some purposes for learning how to pace? What was it used for in the
past?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Darst & Armstrong's Activity #2, Exercise #1)
Activity Handout 5: Pace Yourself!
Name__________________
Date___________________
Number of Paces to go 100 feet:
1st trial __________________
2nd trial __________________
3rd trial __________________
Total __________________
Total/3 = _________________________ = Average # of paces for 100 feet
Average length of Pace:
100 feet / Average # of paces for 100 feet = Average number of feet per pace
100 feet / ______________ = ________________ Average # of feet per pace
Explain any variations between trials 1 - 3. What factors could account for these
differences?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Math
Activity name: Making a Square
Objectives:
1) Use a compass to measure out a square.
2) Use careful measurements to arrive at a specific point.
Materials needed:
- orienteering style compass - one per team
- wooden stake or marker of some type
Prior to Activity:
Make sure students know how to pace, and also know their average feet per pace
amount. Students should also know how to use a compass. Find a spot in the
schoolyard or nature area where there are no obstructions in any direction for at
least 50 feet.
Instructions:
- Have students first determine the number of paces required for them to go 50
feet. (if your pace is 5 feet, then 50/5 = 10 paces)
- Place the stake in the ground and stand right next to it, this is their starting
point.
- Set any bearing they wish on their compass.
- Starting from the stake, walk 50 feet in the direction they have selected and
STOP.
- Tell them to add 90 degrees to their current compass reading and go 50 feet in
the new direction and STOP.
- Have them add another 90 degrees, get the new direction and go another 50
feet and STOP.
- Have them add another 90 degrees, get the new direction and go 50 feet again.
- They should be back to where they started from if they haven't made too many
errors.
- Have students complete the Activity Handout 6.
Questions for Study:
- Why might being able to complete accurate readings be important?
- Where might a person use the information from this activity?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Darst & Armstrong, Activity #2, Exercise #2)
Activity Handout 6: Making a Square
Name ________________
Date__________________
1. How many of your paces are required to go 50 feet?
_________________________________________________________________
2. What was the original reading that you selected with your compass?
_________________________________________________________________
3. How far were you from your starting point when you finished? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. If you increased the distance of the legs of the square from 50 feet to 100 feet, would
you expect to be closer or farther from the starting point? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
5. Complete another square with 100 foot legs. Where your predictions accurate? Why
or why not?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Math
Activity name: No Straight Line!
Objective:
To show students that instruments are needed to walk in a straight line.
Materials needed:
- Blindfolds
Prior to Activity:
Explain to students that most people when lost will travel in a circle. This is due
to the fact that nearly everyone has one leg that is slightly longer than the other.
On level ground, the person would veer (turn) away from their longer leg.
Instructions:
- Have students work in pairs.
- Students should find a tree or other obstacle and place their back against it.
Next, have them sight towards an object on the horizon at least 100 yards
away.
- Students should face directly towards the object on the horizon, then place the
blindfold on and begin walking towards the object.
- The partner should walk about 5 feet away and keep them from running into
objects, but should not give hints to the direction you are going.
- When students have walked about 100 yards, have them remove the blindfold
and sight back to their starting point to see if they walked a straight line or
not.
Questions for Study:
- Did you walk in a straight line or a circle?
-
If you walked in a circle, which leg do you think is the longer leg?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Darst & Armstrong, Activity #2, Exercise #3)
9th-12th Grades: Math
Activity name: Soil Temperature
Objectives;
1) Have students take accurate measurements.
2) Have students graph figures they have collected.
Materials needed:
- Soil thermometers
- Activity Handout 7
Prior to Activity:
Before students begin this activity, make certain that they can take accurate
temperature readings with a thermometer. Graph making should also be covered.
Select several sites around the school and label them so students will be able to
distinguish between them. Pick areas on different sides of the building, grass v.
bare ground, etc. Install a soil thermometer at each location.
Instructions:
- Have students go to the different "stations" to collect temperature readings
every week for as many weeks as is possible.
- Have them record their data on the handout. At the end of the project, they are
to answer the questions on the handout and make a graph showing the
temperature (y-axis) and date (x-axis) for each station.
Questions for Study:
- What pattern could be formed from the data collected at each site?
- Were there any differences between areas based on location?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, inspired by Hammerman's Arithmatic)
Activity Handout7: Soil Temperature
Name___________________
*Students will need a copy of this sheet for every station.
Complete the chart as you gather your information.
Station
Temperature
Date
Weather
Describe this station's location, environment and any other factors that you think might
have an effect on its soil temperature.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Activity Handout 7: Soil Temperature continued
Name________________
Date_________________
1. After graphing each station's data, where there any times when the temperature did
not follow a pattern? What might have caused these differences?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. Were there significant differences between any of the stations? What might have
caused this?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. How did the weather effect the temperature readings, if at all?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
9th-12th Grade: Math
Activity name: Estimation Station
Objectives:
Get students to estimate distances using known objects.
Materials needed:
- Yardstick or ruler
- Activity Handout 8
- Clipboards
Prior to Activity:
Show how to measure the height of an object by hand lengths or pencil lengths.
Place an object (student) next to the object (tree) that is going to be estimated.
Have the other students back up until the student's height is the same as one hand
length or pencil length when it is directly in front of them. Tell them that if they
count how many hand lengths they need to reach the top and then multiply that by
the height of the student, they can estimate the height of the tree.
Circumference can also be estimated using hand lengths by going around the tree
and counting the number of hands needed, then multiplying that number by the
length of the hand.
Instructions:
- After teaching students to estimate height, have them pick several other trees
to practice on. They should work in pairs (one stands by the tree, one is the
estimator) and take turns estimating all three trees.
- Complete Activity handout 8 as they work on the activity.
Questions for Study:
- Do you think that estimating is an accurate method for measurement?
- When would estimating be a preferred way for measuring something?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Rebecca Olien's Measure Up)
Activity Handout 8: Estimation Station
Name________________
Date_________________
1. Your hand length equals ______________ inches.
2. Your partner's height equals ____________________ feet. Partner's name is:
_________________________________________________
TREE #1
Circumference = ____________ hands
__________ hands X __________ inches = ________________ estimated tree
circumference in inches
______________ (hands tall) X ______________ (height of student) =
____________________ estimated height of tree
TREE #2
Circumference = ____________ hands
__________ hands X __________ inches = ________________ estimated tree
circumference in inches
______________ (hands tall) X ______________ (height of student) =
____________________ estimated height of tree
TREE #3
Circumference = ____________ hands
__________ hands X __________ inches = ________________ estimated tree
circumference in inches
______________ (hands tall) X ______________ (height of student) =
____________________ estimated height of tree
Compare the height of the trees to the circumference of the trees.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
When would being able to estimate a height be useful?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Activities for Students
Grades 9 - 12:
Art Projects
Waxed Paper Sandwiches
……………………………………………………………………..…90
Natural Pictures
……………………………………………………………………………………...92
Catching Spider Webs
……………………………………………………………………………..94
Window of Time
……………………………………………………………………………………..96
Colors in Nature
……………………………………………………………………………………..98
9th-12th Grade: Art
Activity name: Waxed Paper Sandwiches
Objectives:
Create displays of local flowers and leaves with a permanent covering.
Materials needed:
- waxed paper
- leaves and/or small flowers
- assortment of colored crayons
- scissors
- electric iron
- ironing pad
Instructions:
- Have students cut a piece of waxed paper to the desired size and lay it waxed
side up on the ironing pad. Place an arrangement of leaves and /or flowers in
the center of the paper.
- Cut several small pieces of different colored crayons and place the pieces on
the waxed paper surrounding the arrangement of leaves or flowers.
- Cover with another piece of waxed paper (waxed side down) of the same size.
- Apply a warm (not hot) iron to the paper. Lift the iron to move it from one
spot to another. The ironing will melt the crayons and melt the wax papers
together.
Questions for Study:
- What are the roles of flowers in nature?
- What animals do the different flower colors attract?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from George Donaldson's A Wax Paper Leaf
Sandwich)
9th-12th Grade: Art
Activity name: Natural Pictures
Objective:
Use materials in nature to form a picture.
Materials:
- Backing material (cardboard or masonite)
- Glue
- Poster paint
- Natural materials (dried grasses, corn kernels, seeds, twigs, flowers, sand, etc.)
- Knife
Instructions:
- Cut a piece of cardboard (or the backing) to the desired picture size.
- Paint the background a solid color or spatter paint on it.
- Place natural materials on the dry painted background to form a picture. When
the desired design is made, glue the material to the backing.
Additions:
- Paint clouds, sky or lakes on the background and then fill in the picture with
natural materials.
- Create a three-dimensional picture using a cardboard box.
Questions for Study:
- How does using natural materials make the picture different from using only
paint, pencils, etc?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from George Donaldson's A Nature Picture)
9th-12th Grades: Art
Activity name: Catching Spider Webs
Objectives:
Compare patterns of different spider webs.
Materials needed:
- can of spray paint (not quick-drying)
- colored construction paper
- spider webs
Instructions:
- Have students search for good spider webs that are fairly accessible. Webs
found between tree limbs often work very well. Make sure the spider is gone
and that there are no insects caught in it.
- Keeping a distance of about 12 - 18 inches from the web, spray one side and
then the other.
-
Immediately after spraying, bring the construction paper up to the web from
the back. The painted web will stick to the paper and if you use different
colored construction paper (as compared to the paint) it will have good
contrasting.
- Place finished projects next to one another to compare spider web designs.
Questions for Study:
- What man-made objects have similar designs to the spider webs?
- Does the size of the web influence the design of the web?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from George Donaldson's A Spider Web Print)
9th-12th Grades: Art
Activity name: Window of Time
Objective:
Students will see how the same scene can change over the coarse of a year.
Materials needed:
- drawing paper
- boards (heavy cardboard, masonite, etc)
- sketching materials (soft pencils, chalk, crayon, or other)
- soft eraser
Instructions:
- Have students choose an outdoor scene in the beginning of the school year and
sketch it, making sure to note the date.
- Half-way through the year, have students return to that same area to sketch it
again. Make sure the date is recorded.
- Towards the end of the year, have students once again sketch the same area
and record the date.
- Have students compare the three sketches for similarities and differences that
have occurred due to the changing seasons.
Questions for Study:
- Does the area being sketched change dramatically from one time of year to
another? If so, how?
- How does sketching the area during different times of the year compare to
having photographs taken at different times of the year? What impact on the
artist for choosing one way over another?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
9th-12th Grades: Art
Activity name: Colors in Nature
Objectives:
1) To show students the range of colors found outdoors.
2) To get students to describe images on paper.
Materials needed:
- paper & pencil
- clipboard
- paper sacks
Instructions:
- Have students go into the nature area searching for as many shades of as many
different colors that they can find.
- When possible, put a sample of the color in the paper bag to be brought back
to the classroom. Remind students not to bring in animals or to pick plants
that are protected.
- For colors that cannot be sampled, simply write the object and a description of
the color on the sheet of paper. When back in the classroom, try to recreate the
color.
Questions for Study:
- What would happen if the colors in nature changed?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
Activities for Students
9th - 12th Grades:
Language
Tree Story
………………………………………………………………………………………100
2-Minute Poems
……………………………………………………………………………………..101
Mini-Field Study
………………………………………………………………………………………102
Fieldtrip Report
………………………………………………………………………………………104
Scenery Changes
……………………………………………………………………………………106
9th-12th Grades: Language
Activity name: Tree Story
Objectives:
1) To enhance student writing skills.
2) To have students write from a different perspective.
Materials needed:
- Paper & pens
- Clipboards
Instructions:
- Take students to a nature area and have them locate a tree. You might suggest
that they choose a tree that is particularly interesting in shape, size or has
some feature that is unique.
- Tell the students that they are to write the life story of their tree from the tree's
perspective. They are to explain how it (they) formed, why it (they) looks the
way it does and any other bits of information they can deduce by looking at
the tree.
- The students should write the story while sitting underneath their tree and
should use correct grammar and spelling.
Questions for Study:
- What is the history of your local nature area?
-
What is the impact of the loss of one tree to an area?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
9th-12th Grades: Language
Activity name: 2-Minute Poems
Objectives:
1) Students compose short, impromptu poems.
2) Students practice oral presentations by reciting poems to the rest of the class.
Materials needed:
-
Index cards
- Pencils
- Stopwatch
Instructions:
- Students are put in a semi-circle within a nature area.
- First student is chosen at random to make up a poem about something in
nature that they can see from where the group is sitting. The student is given 2
minutes to prepare the poem and then must recite it to the class.
- The poem can be in any style the teacher or student chooses.
- The student then gets to pick the next student to perform.
Questions for Study:
- How would changing the setting of the class (brought indoors) have effected
the outcome of the poems about nature?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
9th-12th Grades: Language
Activity name: Mini-Field Study
Objectives:
1) To have students work on observation and note-taking skills.
2) To have students prepare a report based on observations.
Materials needed:
- clipboard & paper
- Popsicle sticks
- rulers
Instructions:
- Students are given a ruler and four Popsicle sticks. They are to make a one
foot square mini field study plot and mark the corners with the Popsicle sticks.
- Students are to make careful observations about what is happening in their
area and take notes of what they see. They should make lists of the different
plants and animals they see, along with describing what the area looks like.
Tell them that the more they look at the area, the more they'll notice.
- They should observe the area for one class period.
- During the next class period, have them rewrite their notes into a report
(should be at least 2 pages in length). Have students staple their notes to the
report to be graded as well.
Questions for Study:
-
If given more time to study the area, would your report be more specific?
What other things might it include?
- How does the note taking help with the report writing?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Orville Jones's A "1.000-Square Centimeter"
Field Trip)
9th-12th Grades: Language
Activity name: Fieldtrip Report
Objective:
To have students give oral presentations based upon a recent field trip.
Materials needed:
None
Instructions:
- Before going on a nature walk or fieldtrip, tell the students that they are going
to have to present to the class something they found interesting while on the
trip.
- The walk could just be a quick trip out around the school, or it might be a
more structured trip revolving around a piece of literature they've recently
finished reading.
- Once back in the classroom (or better, outdoors) have them give a short
presentation on something that they found interesting on the trip.
Questions for Study:
- Compare things talked about in your presentations with ideas that Thoreau,
Hemingway, and Longfellow wrote about. What are the similarities?
- Does the time of day have an effect on the items presented by the class?
Would going for the same walk at night change what was discussed?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
9th-12th Grades: Language
Activity name: Scenery Changes
Objectives:
1) Improve student reading and comprehension of material.
2) Provide a connection between the written word and the outdoor world.
Materials needed:
- wildlife, nature or environmental poems and/or stories
-
Clipboards & paper
-
Pencils
Instructions:
- Distribute a copy of a wildlife or nature poem/story to each student and have
them read through it in the classroom.
- Without discussing the article, move the entire class outdoors to a picturesque
area and have them reread the article.
- After they are finished reading the article, have them write down their personal
reactions to the article from the first time they read it indoors to the second
time they read it outdoors.
- Discuss as a group any changes the students noticed about their perceptions
and feelings towards the article based upon the location of where they read it.
Questions for Study:
- How does changing the setting influence the appreciation of certain articles?
- Do they feel like they understand the material more because of being able to
visualize a place along with the article? Why or why not?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
Activities for Students
Grade 9 - 12
Social Studies
Cemetery Search
………………………………………………………………………………..109
Courthouse Investigation
…………………………………………………………………….115
Shopping Center Study
……………………………………………………………………….116
Local History Tour
………………………………………………………………………………119
People Everywhere!
……………………………………………………………………………120
9th-12th Grades: Social Studies
Activity name: Cemetery Search
Objectives:
1) Learn local history of the area through the studying of gravestones.
Materials needed:
- Activity Handout 9
- Clipboards & pencils
Instructions:
- Tell students that the cemetery is a sacred place and they should be respectful
of others as they search for information.
-
Inform students that insights into the past can be found by looking at the
writings on the headstones, as well as looking at the materials that make up
the headstones.
- Have students complete the Activity handout.
- Have a class discussion about what was discovered at the end of the trip before
you leave the cemetery.
Questions for Study:
- How did the nationality of early settlers help to form the structure of the
community?
- Could evidence of disease, plagues, etc be found at the cemetery? How do you
know?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Robert Facklam's The Cemetery)
Activity Handout 9: Cemetery Search
Name _________________
Date___________________
Compile a list of those who lived in the 19th Century and those that lived in the 20th
Century.
1800 - 1899 THE 19th CENTURY
Full Name
Birth
Death
Ex. Jebidiah Smith
1830
1877
1900 - 1999 THE 20TH CENTURY
Full Name
Ex. John Smith
Birth
1903
Death
1973
Age
47
Age
70
Using the information from the two tables above, group the ages of the people.
0 - 10 ______________51 - 60 _______________
11 - 20 _____________61 - 70 _______________
21 - 30 _____________71 - 80 _______________
31 - 40 _____________81 - 90 _______________
41 - 50 _____________91 - up _______________
Complete each of the following tables.
Name
STONE TYPE
GRANITE
MARBLE
LIMESTONE
CONCRETE
OTHER
RESIDENTS FROM OTHER LANDS
Country
GRAVESTONE TALLY
TALLY
NUMBER
EPITAPHS (sayings in stone in memory of the deceased):
1.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
5.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Organizing Your Results
1. At what "age group" did most people die? ____________________
2. What could be a possible reason for this?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. What was the name of the oldest person whose stone was found?
_______________________________________________________________
4. What was the name of the youngest person whose stone was found?
_______________________________________________________________
5. What was the name of a soldier whose grave was found? What war did they serve in?
_______________________________________________________________
6. What kind of rock or stone was most used for tombstones in the 1800's?
_______________________________________________________________
7. What was the most unusual or interesting epitaph you found?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
8. In what year did many of the deaths occur? What might have been the reason for this?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Social Studies
Activity name: Courthouse Investigation
Objectives:
1) Show students the organization of the local government.
Materials needed:
- list of offices at courthouse
- questions to be asked to employees
Instructions:
- Have students first look at the list of offices located within the courthouse.
- Ask the students why these offices located here (relevant location to on
another).
- Have the students compile a list of questions (with your help) to be asked to
the different offices, then visit the courthouse.
- Back at the school, go through the questions with the students to see if they are
satisfied with the results of the trip.
- Conduct a class discussion on the importance of having government agencies
within a close proximity.
Questions for Study:
- What is the job of a county supervisor (or commissioner)?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from George Donaldson's Investigate the
Courthouse)
9th-12th Grades: Social Studies
Activity name: Shopping Center Study
Objectives:
Show the effects a shopping center has on the surrounding area in relation to
environmental and economic conditions.
Materials needed:
- list of questions to ask retail personnel (Activity Handout 10 has some sample
questions)
Prior to Activity:
Set up interview times with managers of several stores, making sure to tell them
the types of questions that will be asked. This allows them to research some
information and make the experience more worthwhile.
Instructions:
- Have the class divided into small groups. This will make it easier to move
around the mall, and will also make the interviews with the personnel easier to
facilitate.
- Have students watch interactions between customers and salespersons,
between different customers, and between different salespersons.
- Back in the classroom, compare observations of students and talk about the
responses gained from the interviews.
Questions for Study:
-
In what ways does the shopping center represent a small city?
- Ask residents close to the shopping center to describe changes they've noticed
in the neighborhood since it opened.
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from George Donaldson's Study a Shopping Center)
Activity Handout 10: Shopping Center Study
Name ________________
Date _________________
The following are suggested questions to be asked while doing a shopping center study.
1. How many acres does the center cover? How much land is devoted to parking lots?
How much to buildings?
2. What materials were used in the buildings? In the parking lot? Where did they come
from?
3. What retail outlets are represented? Can a family live entirely with goods purchased
in the center?
4. What is the environmental impact of the center? On water run-off? On oxygen
consumption? On transportation routes and traffic?
5. What has been the economic impact on "neighborhood" stores?
6. How are the wastes generated at the center treated? Where does it go?
7. How many people work at the center? What are the qualifications for the jobs that are
available?
9th-12th Grades: Social Studies
Activity name: Local History Tour
Objectives:
1) Have students become aware of the local history where they live.
2) Have students become more informed citizens.
Materials needed:
- library or research materials
- clipboards, paper & pencils
Instructions:
- Have students first do research on local spots of historical interest. This can be
done at the library, through communication with others, or from the tourist
commission.
- Set up trips to the local sites and have students record what they observe from
the sites and from discussions with people at the sites (have them ask tourists
as well as personnel questions).
- Just before leaving the site, discuss what were some of the things that the
students noticed or maybe something that someone said.
Questions for Study:
- Why is this site considered to be a historical spot?
- How has this site effected the local area?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
9th-12th Grades: Social Studies
Activity name: People Everywhere!
Objectives:
1) Have students study local land use problems.
2) Have students study local human migration patterns.
Materials needed:
- census information for the local/state area
Instructions:
- Have students research human population numbers for the area to determine if
it is increasing or decreasing.
- Bring students out to housing development sites to observe the transformation
of an area into human habitat.
- Have students talk with elderly people in the community to see how the area
(landscape) has changed in their lifetime.
- Have students report their findings to the class in a presentation style of your
choice.
Questions for Study:
- What caused the shift in population for this area?
- What do you predict for the future of your area, more or less development?
(Designed by Jerry Piche)
Activities for Students
Grades 9 - 12
Science
Micro-Habitat Study
……………………………………………………………………………….122
Forest's Edge
………………………………………………………………………………………..125
Snow Density
………………………………………………………………………………………..128
Icicle Inquiry
…………………………………………………………………………………………130
What a Waste!
…………………………………………………………………………………..….133
9th-12th Grades: Science
Activity name: Micro-Habitat Study
Objectives:
1) Learn observation skills.
2) Show how small areas serve as habitats for smaller organisms.
Materials needed:
- Frisbees, disks, Hula Hoops, or an object that can be easily tossed and will not
harm the area it lands on.
- Clipboards, paper & pencils
Instructions:
- Have students work in partners.
- Toss the disk out into the nature area at random. The spot where it lands is the
area they are to study.
- Have students complete the Activity Handout 11 and compare their findings
with the others.
Questions for Study:
- How can principles from this activity be applied to a larger environment?
- Would the time of year have an effect on the results of the study?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Sonia Vogl's Micro-Habitat Study)
Activity Handout 11: Micro-Habitat Study
Name________________
Date_________________
1. What is the dominant plant?
_______________________________________________________________
How many of these plants are there?
_______________________________________________________________
What percentage of the area do they cover?
_______________________________________________________________
2. List all other plants in the plot.
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
How many are there?
_______________________________________________________________
What percentage of the area do they cover?
_______________________________________________________________
3. What animals are present?
_______________________________________________________________
How many of each is there?
_______________________________________________________________
4. Examine the soil and describe it.
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What indications of human interference can you find?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. Name the plot.
______________________________________________________________
6. How will this area look in a year?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
In five years?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
7. What can you do to improve or preserve the area?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Science
Activity name: Forest's Edge
Objectives:
1) Show plant succession from forest to field.
2) Have students use observation skills.
Materials needed:
- piece of rope about 60 feet long
- clipboards, activity sheet 12 & pencils
Prior to Activity:
Use the rope to lay out a line transect, locating one half in the forest and the other
half in the field. Mark off intervals along the line (about every 5 yards) and take
the measurements off these marks.
Instructions:
- Have the students work in pairs and assign them to one of the marked
intervals. Two groups can be on the same interval, one on either side of the
line.
- Give students the activity handout 12 to complete.
- Discuss the results in the field.
Questions for Study:
- Where else around the school could you implement a transect line?
- How many different ecosystems can you find in the local area?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Sonia Vogl's A Changing Forest Edge)
Activity Handout 12: Forest's Edge
Name_______________
Date________________
1. Identify and count all trees whose branches are within 1 yard of the line.
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. Identify and count all shrubs with branches within 1 yard of the line.
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. Identify and count herbaceous plants growing within 1 yard of the line.
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. Identify and count animals that are in or pass through an area within 1 yard of the
line.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. Name your area. (Usually ecosystems are named after the predominant plant species
in that area.)
_______________________________________________________________
6. Compare your results with the results from the rest of the transect.
7. Which areas have the greatest diversity of plant life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Of animal life?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
8. If undisturbed, how might this area look in five years?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
In ten years?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Science
Activity name: Snow Density
Objectives:
1) To practice using careful measuring techniques.
2) To study how snow density can change based on factors such as age of snow,
air temperature, and wind.
Materials needed:
- 5 large coffee cans per group, one can that has both ends removed, four that
have only one end removed
- rulers
Instructions:
- Have students collect four samples of snow: freshly fallen snow, snow from a
previous storm, snow from a drift, snow that has been plowed, etc.
- Collect samples by pushing the can with no ends into the snow till it is
completely submerged. Pull out the can and level the snow off to the ends of
the can. Dump the snow into one of the other cans. Repeat for the remaining
areas. Make sure to label the cans correctly.
- Bring the cans of snow inside and allow the snow to melt.
- After the snow has melted, measure the amount of water in the can and record
it.
- For each sample, divide the depth of the snow by the depth of the water in
each can to find the snow to water ratio.
- Record the ratios of each sample.
Questions for Study:
-
If the ratio was not constant for all four samples, explain why.
- Would snow from different altitudes have different densities than those from
the same altitude?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Sonia Vogl's Snow Density)
9th-12th Grades: Science
Activity name: Icicle Inquiry
Objectives:
1) Have students practice observation skills and record data.
2) Have students formulate opinions based upon observations.
Materials needed:
- rulers
- magnifying glasses
- coffee filters
- activity handout 13
- clipboards & pencils
Instructions:
-
Locate a building that has lots of icicles on it. The icicles should also be within
easy reach.
- Read through the activity sheet so the students know what is to be expected of
them.
- Complete sections 1 - 3 of the activity handout out in the field, and part 4 back
in the lab.
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Sonia Vogl's Icicles)
Activity Handout 13: Icicle Inquiry
(TO BE COMPLETED OUTDOORS)
Name _______________
Date_________________
1. What is the age of the building? How might the building's age affect icicle formation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
What color and material is the roof? How might these affect icicle formation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
On what side of the building are the most icicles? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Measure the icicles and record your data.
Longest Icicle
Thickest Icicle
Length
Base
Circumference
Ratio Length to
Base
Where Found
Thinnest Icicle
Are the ratios the same for all icicles? Explain.
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What did you find to suggest that the wind has an effect on icicle formation?
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. Break an icicle, and using a magnifying glass, observe the layers of ice. How do the
icicles form?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
THIS SECTION TO BE DONE BACK IN THE LAB
Melt an icicle and pour the water through filter paper (coffee filter). Use the magnifying
lens to examine what is left in the filter.
4. What did you find is in the filter?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
5. What does this say about why we should not eat icicles?
_______________________________________________________________
9th-12th Grades: Science
Activity name: What a Waste!
Objectives:
1) Have students be able to explain the meaning and importance of the terms "no
impact" and "non-consumption" land use.
2) Compare and contrast the types of evidence found in two specific locations.
Materials needed:
- Activity Handout 14
- Clipboard & pencil
- Plastic bags
Prior to Activity:
Discuss with students the meaning of "no impact" with the students. This means
that there is no evidence of human activity in the area. Students might have heard
of "low impact" camping. Non-consumptive uses of the land mean that there is no
loss or reduction of natural resources (picture taking, hiking, bird watching, etc.).
Consumptive uses mean there is a loss of natural resources (picking a flower,
chopping down a tree, burning wood, etc.).
Instructions:
- Bring students to an area that has two adjacent lots, both receiving different
types of human activity.
- Have students pair up forming a long line (outstretched arm-length distance
apart) and alternately count off one and two.
- Have the students walk over the area. Instruct the number one's to record the
findings on the activity sheet, and the number two's to collect the evidence of
human use in the bags.
- When they reach the end, have them return to the starting place and report
their findings to the group.
- Have the partners quiz one another on the terms "no impact" and "nonconsumptive" land use.
- Have each student write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the examples
of human evidence found in the two area.
Questions for Study:
- How can an area be protected from human degradation?
- What federal agencies help to protect natural resources?
- What global agencies help to protect natural resources?
(Designed by Jerry Piche, modified from Clifford Knapp's Leave Only Footprints)
Activity Handout 14: What a Waste!
Name_______________
Date________________
Evidence
Found
Human Evidence Data Collection Sheet
Possible Human
Consumptive
Activity
Use (X)
Non-Cons.
Use (X)
Additional Resources for
Information on Outdoor Education
Federal Agencies
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C. 20240
Washington, D.C. 20240
Fish and Wildlife Service
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C. 20240
Washington, D.C. 20240
Forest Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250
National Organizations
National Wildlife Federation
1412 16th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
National Audubon Society
1130 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
Project WILD
Project Learning Tree
5430 Grosvenor Lane
1250 Connecticut Ave Suite 320
Bethesda, MD 20814
Washington, D.C. 20036
(301) 493 - 5447
(202) 463 - 2455
National Project WET
Culberston Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717
(406) 994 - 5392