Life Cycles in the Delta

Transcription

1 DELTA STUDIES CURRICULUM Life Cycles in the Delta 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death San Joaquin County Office of Education STEM Programs Funding provided by California Bay-Delta Authority

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3 3-LS1-1 Life Cycles in the Delta Acknowledgements Project Director Judi Wilson, San Joaquin County Office of Education Project Coordinators Heather Fogg, San Joaquin County Office of Education Julie Schardt, San Joaquin County Office of Education Project Facilitator Olga Clymire, Lake County Office of Education Principle Curriculum Writer Jay Bell, Lodi Unified School District Other Writer John Coulter, Stockton Unified School District Field Testers Donna Flores, Stockton Unified School District Sheila Flores, Manteca Unified School District Jennifer Kacyon, Lammersville Elementary School District Lori de la O, Stockton Unified School District Reviewers for Technical Accuracy Jay Bell, Lodi Unified School District Olga Clymire, Lake County Office of Education Suzanne Deleon, California Department of Fish and Wildlife John Fulton, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Donna Snell, Ceres Unified School District James Starr, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Steve Stocking, San Joaquin Delta College Illustrator Kathleen Bell 3

4 Layout Artist Jo-Anne Rosen, Wordrunner Technical Assistant Melanie Newsome, San Joaquin County Office of Education Community Partners Suzanne Deleon, California Department of Fish and Wildlife John Fulton, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Lynn Hansen, Modesto Junior College Renee Hill, San Joaquin County Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division Donna Hummel, U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Dale Sanders, Environmental Educator James Starr, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Steve Stocking, San Joaquin Delta College Other Acknowledgements Dr. Fredrick Wentworth, Superintendent, San Joaquin County Office of Education Dr. Gary Dei Rossi, Assistant Superintendent, San Joaquin County Office of Education California Bay-Delta Authority 4

5 LIFE CYCLES IN THE DELTA CONTENTS Next Generation Science Standards 7 Overview 8 Story Line 9 Instructional Materials Required 10 Investigation 1 Blossoms to Berries 11 Investigation 2 Where s My Mom? 19 Investigation 3 A Caterpillar Takes Wing 23 Investigation 4 Life Inside the Egg 33 Investigation 5 - Make Room for a Salamander 37 Assessment 39 California s Environmental Principles and Concepts 43 5

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7 LIFE CYCLES IN THE DELTA Next Generation Science Standards Science and Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models: Collaboratively develop and/or revise a model based on evidence that shows the relationships among variables for frequent and regular occurring events. Develop a diagram or simple physical prototype to convey a process. Disciplinary Core Ideas: Life Science LS1 From Molecules to organisms: Structures and Processes. LS1.A Organisms have both internal and external macroscopic structures that allow for growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. LS1.B Reproduction is essential to every kind of organism. Organisms have unique and diverse life cycles. Crosscutting Concept: Patterns Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them. Working towards Performance Expectation: 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. [Clarification Statement: Changes organisms go through during their life form a pattern] Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy RI.3.7 SL.3.5 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). (3-LS1-1) Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details. (3-LS1-1) Mathematics MP.4 Model with mathematics. (3-LS1-1) 3.NBT Number and Operations in Base Ten (3-LS1-1) 3.NF Number and Operations Fractions (3-LS1-1) 7

8 LIFE CYCLES IN THE DELTA OVERVIEW UNDERSTANDINGS Organisms produce offspring of their own kind, which eventually resemble the parents. Different living things of the San Joaquin Delta have different life cycles. Living things have specific needs to complete their life cycles. Flowers and fruits are associated with reproduction in plants. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How are life cycles of one group of animals or plants similar and different from another group of animals or plants? What does a living thing need to survive? How are flowers, fruits, and seeds related to each other? KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: Students will know: the life cycle stages of several animals, including the butterfly and wood duck. the life cycle of the blackberry plant. basic life needs of plants and animals. the relationship between flowers, fruits, and seeds. Students will be able to: Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles, but all have in common, birth, growth, reproduction, and death. sort groups of animals by the type of life cycles they go through. list the basic survival needs of living things. explain the stages of plants from flower through fruit to seed. 8

9 LIFE CYCLES IN THE DELTA Story Line All plants and animals have predictable life cycles and needs for survival. Some animals change relatively little between the immature and adult stages of life. Other animals undergo a quite drastic change (called metamorphosis) as they mature to adulthood. Throughout all the stages in their life, plants and animals have needs that must be met for their survival. Lesson 1, Blossoms to Berries, introduces the concept of life cycles, using plants as the example. It is shown that new plants grow from seeds, seeds are formed in fruits, and fruits develop from flowers. Lesson 2, Where s My Mom?, shifts the life cycle focus to animals. The activity illustrates that animals exhibit a variety of life cycles, with some baby animals resembling their parents, and some baby animals undergoing metamorphosis in their development to adulthood. Lesson 3, A Caterpillar Takes Wing, focuses on the concept of metamorphosis, using the butterfly as the example of an animal that undergoes metamorphosis. Students illustrate the various stages in the life cycle of the butterfly. To survive through the various stages of life, all animals and plants have specific requirements, including a satisfactory surrounding temperature, available oxygen, a supply of food, relatively clean water, suitable shelter, and a method of getting rid of waste products. Lesson 4, Life Inside the Egg, addresses the concept of specific requirements of oxygen, water, food, and suitable temperature for survival. The lesson relates the survival needs to a Wood Duck in an egg, which mirror the survival needs of the adult. Lesson 5, Make Room for a Salamander completes the unit by further developing the survival needs of animals. The lesson utilizes a book titled The Salamander Room, which looks at the habitat needs of animals. The lesson, and the book, can also be used to help lead students to a realization that they, as humans, have a responsible stewardship role in their relationship to the nature around them. 9

10 LIFE CYCLES IN THE DELTA Instructional Materials Required Investigation 1 A bag of fresh or frozen blackberries Several types of fruit (at least an apple, orange, tomato and bell pepper) Class set of paper plates and aplastic spoon (or resealable sandwich bags) Class set of magnifying lenses Investigation 2 Book: Are You my Mother? By Dr. Seuss Investigation 3 One package each of the following: dried peas, twistee or rottoni macaroni, large shell macaroni, and bow tie macaroni Bottle of rubbing alcohol Food coloring (green, brown, and red or yellow) Investigation 4 No special materials needed. Investigation 5 Book: The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer A small potted plant and a small live animal such as a goldfish, spider or earthworm (Make certain that the plant or animal is provided with everything it needs to live comfortably.) Other Helpful Resources From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons What Is a Life Cycle? by Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langill A New Butterfly: My First Look at Metamorphosis by Pamel Hickman A New Duck: My First Look at the Life Cycle of a Bird by Pam Hickman 10

11 INVESTIGATION 1 Blossoms to Berries OBJECTIVE The lesson will develop the concepts that new plants grow from seeds, seeds are formed in fruits, and fruits develop from flowers. BACKGROUND Plants make new plants by producing seeds. The process starts when the plant makes a flower. Pollen gets on the flower through the action of wind or animals. The bottom part of the flower (the ovary) then begins to grow into a fruit with seeds inside. When the fruit is carried away or eaten by an animal, the seeds are spread to a new place where they can grow into new plants. The fruit is important to the plant because it provides a place for the seeds to develop. The fruit also encourages an animal to move the seeds to a new place. Additionally, the fruit can provide moisture and nutrients to the seed in its new home. When people think of fruits, they generally think only of such things as apples, oranges, peaches, and cantaloupes. However, cucumbers, bell peppers, green beans, and tomatoes are also fruits. A fruit is defined as the ripened seed-containing ovary of a flower. A vegetable is defined as any part of a plant that humans eat. All fruits are vegetables - but only vegetables that contain seeds are fruits. The seed is obviously important to the plant as a way to make more plants. Plants only live for a certain amount of time. Therefore, for a particular type of plant to continue to be in an area, the plant must reproduce itself. One of the main means through which plants reproduce themselves is the dispersal of seeds. A very common plant in the Delta is the blackberry. In natural areas and the edges of cultivated areas, if there is sufficient water, blackberry thickets can be found. The thickets serve as home for a wide variety of animals. Two types of blackberry grow locally. The more common is the Himalayan blackberry, which was introduced from Europe. Less common is the California blackberry, a native plant that was enjoyed by Native Americans and early settlers. The Himalayan blackberry has thicker, longer stems and its protective spines on the stems are much larger, the leaflets are in sets of five and the berries are larger and juicier. The California blackberry has leaflets in sets of three or five and has more spines, but each spine is smaller than that of the Himalayan blackberry. 11

12 Preparation Bring to class a bag of fresh or frozen blackberries. Gather a few types of fruit for the Introduction (at least an apple, orange, tomato, and bell pepper). Make copies of the two Blossoms to Berries sheets (one of each for each student). Enlarge the individual pictures of the Blossoms to Berries sheet for class discussion or make a transparency of the entire sheet. To limit the messiness of the berries, consider placing each blackberry into a resealable sandwich bag. Then have students separate the seeds from the berry pulp while the berry is in the bag. Materials For Each Student: A blackberry on a paper plate Optional: resealable sandwich bag (a plastic spoon and paper towel would not be needed if the sandwich bag is used) A plastic spoon A paper towel Both Blossoms to Berries sheets (the one with the illustrations and the one with the numbers) Pair of scissors Crayons (particularly purple, blue, green, and brown) Glue stick Magnifying lens Time Preparation: 15 minutes Lesson: 60 minutes Note: This lesson can also be separated into three shorter lessons: one lesson could focus on the differences between fruits and vegetables; the second lesson could involve counting the seeds in the blackberries; and the third lesson could have students complete the Blossom to Berries sheet. 12

13 Instructional Sequence: Phenomenon: Show Smithsonian Channel video of exploding seeds or google unbelievable footage of exploding plants Smithsonian or from ngssphonomena.com site In small groups, have students list on sticky notes three or four questions they have after viewing the video. Have them share their notes with the whole class and group the questions by similarities. If not mentioned, elicit questions involving why seeds need to be dispersed, other types of seeds they have seen, and lead into seeds that they see every day in their food. DELTA BLACKBERRY PROCEDURE Introduction 1. Display the fruits listed in the Preparation portion of the lesson. Ask the students which of the displayed items are fruits; then ask which are vegetables. 2. Ask the students to explain the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. 3. Explain that all of the items are vegetables and that all the items are fruits. 4. Share with the class the distinctions between fruits and vegetables as outlined in the Background section of the lesson. Ask students: Is a green bean a fruit or a vegetable? (Both) Why can t we call a head of lettuce a fruit? (It wasn't once the bottom part of a lettuce flower; it doesn't have seeds inside it.) How many fruits do we eat when we eat a hamburger? (Usually at least two: a pickle and a tomato) 5. Tell the students that a fruit is how a plant makes more plants. Ask the class to explain what a fruit is before it is a fruit. After discussion, explain the process of flower to fruit as outlined in the Background section. Make certain to include the following steps in the process. A plant makes a flower. 13

14 Pollen gets on the flower from another flower. Pollen makes the bottom part of the flower get larger. Seeds develop inside the growing bottom part of the flower. The bottom part of the flower, with the seeds inside it, becomes a fruit. The fruit falls from the plant or is carried away by an animal. The seeds spread to a new place where they can grow into new plants. 6. Explain to the students that the blackberry plant is very common throughout the San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Tell the class that in today s activity they will look at the blackberry and learn how it changes from a flower to a fruit. Activity 7. Distribute a blackberry, plastic spoon, hand lens, and paper towel on a plate to each student or pair of students. Caution the students that blackberry juice will stain their skin and clothes, so they need to be careful. If plastic resealable bags are used, then a spoon and plate are not necessary because students will locate the seeds by separating the berry while it is in the bag. 8. Have the students carefully cut up the blackberry with their spoon to find the seeds. 9. Direct the students to count the number of seeds they find. Then ask students to recount the seeds to make certain that their count is correct. 10. Record on a class graph the numbers of seeds found for comparison and discussion. 11. Distribute the Blossom to Berries sheets, scissors, crayons, and glue stick to the students. 12. Instruct the students to cut out the individual pictures (leaving a small border around each picture) and then arrange the pictures on the other sheet in order. The order should go from flower buds to the fruit being carried away by a bird. 13. Instruct the students to not glue any of the pictures until after class discussion. 14. Once all the students have arranged their pictures in what they believe is the correct order, lead a class discussion using the enlarged pictures or a transparency, mentioned in the Preparation section of the lesson, to outline the correct sequence of events: (1) Flower bud to (2) flower to (3) early berry to (4) growing berry to (5) ripe berry to (6) berry being plucked by a bird. You might need to explain 14

15 to students the role of the bird in the Blackberry s life cycle. (The bird eats the fruit, flies off, and later deposits, as a bird dropping, the non-digestible seeds in another location where they could grow.) Note: The letters on the blackberry pictures in the correct sequence will spell out the word FLOWER. Closure 15. Ask the students how this chain of events for the blackberry would compare to the formation of a tomato, bell pepper, or cucumber. The answer is that the chain of events is basically the same for all four plants. The only difference might be what happens to the fruit once it is ripe. Reinforce the fact that fruits, with their seeds inside, are what once was the bottom part of a flower. The seeds inside the fruit will grow into more plants that will eventually make more flowers. EXTENSIONS Rinse an avocado seed, stick toothpicks into its sides, and suspend it in the mouth of a jar. Keep the water level to the halfway point of the pit. Roots, stem, and leaves will form. Give each student a peanut in the shell. The shelled thing is a dried fruit and was once the bottom part of a peanut flower. Have the students open the shell and remove the two seeds. Have them pull the two sides of one seed apart. If they look carefully at one end of one of the seed halves, they will see a baby plant, complete with stem, leaves, and root. Have the students make a class list of some fruits that do not have seeds. Examples might be seedless grapes, navel oranges, and seedless watermelons. Ask the class why these fruits do not have seeds. The answer is that people made these kinds of plants not to have seeds so that they would be easier for us to eat. Encourage students to ask their parents, look in books, or ask on the Internet to find out how these plants make more plants. RESOURCES Books Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons Miss Rhumphius by Barbara Cooney The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle What Is A Life Cycle? by Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langille (The Science of Living Things series) 15

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19 INVESTIGATION 2 Where s My Mom? OBJECTIVE The lesson will familiarize students with the concept that animals exhibit a variety of life cycles; some baby animals resemble their parents, and some baby animals undergo metamorphosis in their development to adulthood. BACKGROUND Many animals start life as miniature versions of their parents. Some amphibians and insects dramatically change in appearance as they mature from baby to adult. They do this through a process called metamorphosis. There are two types of metamorphosis: complete and incomplete. An animal that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis looks basically the same as a baby and as an adult. The major changes involve the addition of wings and sexual organs as the animal matures. Grasshoppers undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with its three stages: an egg, a nymph (which looks like a small adult without wings), and an adult. Complete metamorphosis involves a drastic change between the young and the adult; the entire outward appearance of the body changes. In addition, internal organs undergo radical remodeling. Frogs, toads, houseflies, mosquitoes, dragonflies, moths, and butterflies all undergo complete metamorphosis. Insects that undergo complete metamorphosis have four stages in their life cycle: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. The mosquito begins life as an egg floating in quiet water. When the egg hatches, the larva hangs head-down under the surface, breathing air through a tube at the rear of its body. It filters organic material from the water. As the mosquito changes to an adult, it rises from the water, and flies away to suck plant juice with its piercing mouth. When the time comes for the female to produce and lay eggs, she needs protein, which she gets by finding a meal of blood. The dragonfly adult is most commonly seen flying above wet areas catching mosquitoes and other insects for its food. However, young dragonflies (called naiads) live underwater, many for over a year. They catch small fish, tadpoles, and other aquatic animals by quickly extending their unique, hinged lower lip. Naiad dragonflies have been called tigers of the pond. 19

20 The animals depicted in the cards are: snake and baby snake, mosquito and larvae, butterfly and caterpillar, frog and tadpole, turtle and babies, river otter and baby, fly and larva, duck and babies, pelican and baby, dragonfly and larva, beaver and babies, Osprey (fish hawk) and babies. PREPARATION AND MATERIALS Materials If available, the book Are You My Mother? by Dr. Seuss Per Student or Pair of Students: The four Where s My Mom? sheets (if possible, copy on cardstock or provide cardstock on which students could glue the illustrations) One pair of scissors Crayons (optional) Time Preparation: 15 minutes Lesson: 45 to 60 minutes PROCEDURE Introduction 16. Ask the students what a puppy is when it grows up. Ask the students how the puppy is different from its parents, and how it is similar. Ask the students to name other baby animals that look similar to their parents. Tell the students that many baby animals, including dogs and cats look like adults, just smaller. 17. Ask the students to name some animals that change a lot when they grow up. Two well-known examples are the butterfly and the moth. Other good examples are frogs, toads, mosquitoes, ladybugs, and dragonflies. Tell the students that these animals go through metamorphosis. 18. If available, read to students the book Are You My Mother? by Dr. Seuss. Instruction 19. In your own words, tell the students the information in the Background for this lesson. Spend particular time on the concept of metamorphosis. Also outline the life cycle of the mosquito and dragonfly in sufficient detail. 20

21 Activity: 20. Distribute the materials to the students. The students may first color the animals on the activity sheets. 21. Direct the students to cut the four Where s My Mom? sheets into 24 individual cards. 22. Have students separate the Where s My Mom? cards into two sets: one of parents only and one of babies only. 23. Ask the students to match each baby animal with its parent. (The correct matching of baby to parent is: Snake 1C, Mosquito 2H, Butterfly 3E, Frog 4K, Turtle 5A, River Otter 6D, Fly 7J, Duck 8B, Pelican 9L, Dragonfly 10G, Beaver 11I, Osprey 12F.) 24. Discuss with the students ways in which a specific baby is similar to, or different from, its matching parent. 25. Play a game of concentration using the cards. Place the cards face down on the table and turn over two cards. If they match, the player puts them in her or his pile. If the cards do not match the cards are turned back over in their original position. The other player then repeats the process. 26. When all cards are matched, the game is over and can be replayed, with the cards in new positions. Closure Note: The answers in italics are examples of students answers. 27. Ask students: What do animals that look like their parents share, in addition to looking like their parents? (They are cared for by their parents. Animals that go through metamorphosis are not cared for by their parents.) What are some reasons a frog or dragonfly might have for such a different appearance and such different habits from its parents? What is the advantage of the baby being so different from the parent? (They don t have to share a place to live or the same food. They live in a different place and eat different food.) 21

22 EXTENSIONS Ask children to bring in pictures of their parents or adult friends as children and as adults. See if the class can match the children to the adults. Read Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino. Have a discussion about the possibilities and problems for a child raised by a parent of another species. Raise silkworms in the classroom. Contact the local Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control about their classroom mosquito raising kit. Have the students use a microscope to look at features of larval and adult mosquitoes. Ask students to research thenames of young for various animals (e.g., kit and beaver; moth and larva, puppy and dog, kitten and cat). Have them draw the animals and label them, and place them into a booklet. RESOURCES Books Are You My Mother? by Dr. Seuss Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino What Is A Life Cycle? by Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langille (The Science of Living Things series) Other Resources The Great Valley Museum in Modesto has animal kits/suitcases for teachers to checkout that would allow the children to touch and feel pelts and skins. 22

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27 INVESTIGATION 3 A Caterpillar Takes Wing OBJECTIVE The lesson will support the development of the concepts of metamorphosis as it relates to the life cycle of butterflies. BACKGROUND Metamorphosis is an abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal after the animal has been born or has hatched from an egg. Butterflies and moths undergo a complete metamorphosis as they go from a young animal, or larva, to the adult stage. Not only does their outward appearance change, but their inside structure drastically alters also. The immature, wingless stage of a butterfly or moth is called a larva (plural is larvae). The larval stage is also called the "feeding stage" because it is at this stage that the animal does the majority of its eating and growing. When the butterfly or moth has completed its larval stage, it transforms into a pupa (pupae is the plural). The pupa of a moth or a butterfly is encased in a hard shell, which is termed a chrysalis. Moths spin a silky envelope, called a cocoon, around the chrysalis. It is in the pupa stage that metamorphosis takes place. Where did the term butterfly originate? Many sources maintain that the term originated from the fact that these pretty little animals would flutter by. The exclamation Look at that little gem flutter by gradually changed, through use, to Look at the butterfly. PREPARATION AND MATERIALS Preparation Purchase and color the macaronis two to three days prior to teaching the lesson. To color the macaronis, empty a small dropper bottle of food coloring into a container that can be sealed. Add one or two tablespoons of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing). Close the container and shake it well. Immediately remove the macaronis and spread them on thick layer of newspaper to dry. The food coloring and alcohol will tint the macaronis and the alcohol will quickly evaporate, leaving the pasta colored, but still hard. The large shell macaronis don t have to be dyed (could be left in their natural color) but to make them darker coffee could be used. 27

28 Materials Alcohol Food coloring One package of the following: dried peas, twistee or rottoni macaronis, large shell macaronis, and bow tie macaronis Per Student: One Butterfly Life Cycle sheet Three dried peas Three twistee or rottoni macaronis (colored green) Three gnocchi or large shell macaronis (left natural or colored brown) Three bow tie macaronis (colored red or yellow) Glue Crayons (green, brown, yellow, and red) Piece of construction paper (or tagboard) Time Preparation: 30 minutes to dye pasta Lesson: 40 minutes PROCEDURE Introduction 28. Ask students in what ways a baby butterfly is different from an adult butterfly. Chart their responses. In small groups, have the students come up with questions about butterflies and write them on sticky notes. Have them come back and share them with the large group. Instruction 29. Tell the students that butterflies go through metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is a big word. It simply means a big change that an animal goes through between being a baby and an adult. A baby butterfly is a long, fat caterpillar. It has six legs near the front of its body, but no wings. It eats plant leaves. At the end of its caterpillar stage, the baby butterfly changes into a pupa inside a protective shell called a chrysalis. As a pupa, the animal performs the change into a butterfly. The new butterfly has a long thin body. It also has wings and a mouth that is now built for drinking nectar from flowers. Female butterflies then lay eggs, which hatch into new baby caterpillars. 28

29 Activity 30. Distribute the materials to the students. Have students sort each material (pasta and peas) and tell what it represents (e.g., peas are eggs, rotini pasta are caterpillars). 31. Have the students first color the branches and leaves on the activity sheet. 32. Then have students glue the dried peas and macaronis in the appropriate boxes: The dried peas will be eggs on the leaf in box 1. The twistee or rottoni macaronis will be caterpillars on the chewed leaves in box 2. The gnocchi or shell macaronis will be chrysalises on branch in box 3. The butterfly macaroni will be butterflies on the flower in box 4. The resulting page will illustrate all the stages in the life cycle of a butterfly. Closure 33. Life is amazing. A caterpillar changing into a butterfly is incredible. That particularly incredible series of events is called metamorphosis. If you could undergo metamorphosis to become something else when you grow up, what would that something else be? Unfortunately, you can t go through metamorphosis the way a butterfly or frog can; you will grow up to be a bigger you. However, you can change your inner self to become a more positive, aware, caring person. ASSESSMENT Note: The answers in italics are examples of students answers. Have students draw and/or describe in writing the steps of the metamorphosis using the activity sheet they completed as their guide. Discuss with students: - What is the name for the big change a butterfly does to become an adult? (metamorphosis) - What does a caterpillar make before it becomes a butterfly? (chrysalis) - What is the name for a baby butterfly? (caterpillar) - Have them put the appropriate names on the parts of their drawing. RESOURCES Books A New Butterfly: My First Look at Metamorphosis (My First Look at Nature Series) by Pamela Hickman. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. 29

30 Butterfly ABC Book (needs author s name) Butterflies by Ruth Heller Chickens Aren t The Only Ones by Ruth Heller (use the pages on insects) I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe What Is A Life Cycle? by Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langille (The Science of Living Things series) Sample of a completed butterfly life cycle project 30

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33 INVESTIGATION 4 Life Inside the Egg OBJECTIVE The lesson will develop the concept that all animals, including those still in the egg stage, have specific requirements for survival, including a correct temperature, oxygen, food, water, and a method of getting rid of waste. BACKGROUND Animals all share specific requirements to maintain life. Each animal generally requires: a comfortable temperature, oxygen in the air (or water) for the animal to breathe, a method of waste removal, some type of food source, and water. These same needs are constant throughout the animal s life. However, the amount of any life-sustaining substance may vary daily or seasonally depending on an animal's activity level. For instance, in winter many animals hibernate. This lack of physical activity greatly affects their individual requirements to maintain life. Survival needs must be met for an animal while it is still in the egg. Everything the adult animal needs to survive must somehow be provided to the baby animal while it is waiting to hatch out of the egg. A bird in the egg stays at the correct temperature by the parent sitting on the egg. The baby breathes through minute holes in the eggshell. The baby gets food by soaking in the egg yolk that it is lying on. The baby gets water from the water in the yolk and also the white part of the egg called the albumen. The male Wood Duck is one of the most beautiful of all birds in the San Joaquin Delta. This shy bird is found along the edges of waterways. Of particular interest is the fact that this bird nests in tree cavities between 8 14 feet above the water. When the babies hatch, the mother calls them to the edge of the nest hole. The babies then jump and tumble out of the hole to the ground and follow the mother, who is less colorful than the male, into the protective cover of the water s edge. 33

34 PREPARATION AND MATERIALS Materials Per Student: One Wood Duck Worksheet Crayons (especially green, brown, yellow, and red) Pencil Time Preparation: 10 minutes Lesson: 30 to 45 minutes PROCEDURE Introduction 34. Have the students work in small groups to write on sticky notes what they need to stay alive. Chart their responses. If they neglect to mention any of the needs listed in the background, lead the students, through discussion to include the missed items. Instruction 35. Tell the students that birds have all the same life needs for survival that we, as humans, have. Also, tell the students that a baby bird in the egg has the same needs as the adult bird. Activity 36. Distribute the worksheet and crayons to the students. 37. Have the students first color the picture of the male Wood Duck picture according to the numbers on it and the key at the bottom. 38. Next, lead the students, through discussion of the material in the fourth paragraph of the Background section, to complete the activity sheet through the following (or similar) steps: Draw an arrow to the thing that keeps the baby bird in the egg at the correct temperature (the parent). With your pencil, make a lot of dots on the eggshell part of the egg picture. These dots are the tiny holes that are in every eggshell. Air for the baby bird to breathe goes into, and out of, these holes. With your yellow crayon, color the part of the egg from which the baby bird gets its food (yolk). Write the word water on the part of the egg from which the baby gets water. 34

35 Closure 39. Share with the students that they each require certain things to stay alive. Those required things (such as air, water, a correct temperature, and a way to get rid of wastes) are also needed by all animals, including those that are waiting to hatch from their egg. ASSESSMENT Ask students the following questions: - Is the picture you colored a male or a female Wood Duck? (male) - Why would the female Wood Duck be less colorful than the male? (to better hide with her babies) - What would happen if the egg got covered with wax? (the holes in the shell would be covered and the baby inside would die from lack of air) - What do you think the mother duck might do if the eggs are getting too warm? (get herself wet, then get that water on the eggs; not sit on the eggs) - From what type of bird does an egg from the grocery store come? (chicken) Discuss or have students draw the life cycle of a duck. EXTENSIONS Raise a fertilized chicken egg in the classroom to help students to conceptualize an egg turning into an animal. Build Wood Duck nesting boxes and put these up in a suitable habitat (check with the California Department of Fish and Game for appropriate locations). RESOURCES Books Chicken Aren t the Only Ones by Ruth Heller New Duck: My First Look at the Life of a Bird by Pamela Hickman Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Websites video shows inside of the box as the babies jump out video shows the babies jumping from the box down to the water. Information on wood ducks. Ducks Unlimited website that has information about wood ducks and shows how to build wood duck nesting boxes. 35

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37 INVESTIGATION 5 Make Room for a Salamander OBJECTIVE The lesson will develop the concept that all living things have specific needs, which must be met in order to insure the individual's survival. BACKGROUND Every living thing has specific needs that must be met for the organism to stay alive. In general, green plants need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide with which to produce their food, gain energy, and grow. Plants also generally need soil from which to draw water and minerals. In addition, plants must live within a certain temperature range. Generally, animals must have a source of food. Some eat plants; others eat animals. Additionally, animals must be able to get oxygen. They also need some sort of shelter as protection from other animals and from extreme weather conditions. Similar to plants, animals need the correct temperature for survival. Any drastic change in the availability of any of the specific needs for a plant or animal will endanger the survival of that particular plant or animal. When a plant or animal is taken from nature by a person, that person must make certain that all of the organism s required needs are met. PREPARATION AND MATERIALS The teacher should pre-read, and be familiar with, the book, The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer. Bring to class a small potted plant and a small live animal, such as a goldfish, spider, or earthworm. Make certain that the plant or animal is provided with everything it needs to live comfortably. Bring to class the book, The Salamander Room. Paper Time Preparation: 30 minutes Lesson: minutes 37

38 PROCEDURE Introduction 40. Tell the class to suppose that your neighbor s pet fish died last night. The neighbor woke up this morning and his favorite pet fish was dead. The neighbor isn t very good about taking care of things. Ask for suggestions as to why the neighbor s fish died. Instruction 41. Tell the students that every living thing has certain things it needs in order to stay alive. Share the information about the needs of plants and animals life as discussed in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Background for this lesson. Activity 42. Read the title of the book The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer to the students and encourage for discussion regarding what the book is about. 43. Read the book to the class. Do not discuss the storyline with the students at this time. Simply read the story in its entirety. Note: The answers in italics are examples of students answers. 44. Now go back and read the story again, one page at a time, with time spent for class discussion. Use the following prompts or prompts of your own. Do you think Brian did the right thing by taking the salamander home? Why? Why not? Would there be any problems in bringing the crickets and bullfrog home? Do salamanders play? Is play one of their life needs? Do salamanders spend a lot of time in the sun? (no, amphibians have no special covering on their skin to protect them from drying out. Therefore, they dry out easily.) Do you think salamanders or frogs have friends? (no) Is Brian trying to make the salamander comfortable? (yes) What problems might all these insects make for Brian? Is Brian actually going to be able to have trees in his room? What would he need to do to make certain that the trees would be able to live? What problems will that make for Brian? (Rain, cold weather, wind) What is Brian s room beginning to look like? (The place where he found the salamander.) 38

39 Instead of bringing the salamander to his room and then making his room look like where he found the salamander, what should Brian have done? (Looked at the salamander, learned about it, and let it go where he found it.) ASSESSMENT Name two things a plant needs to stay alive. (sunlight, carbon dioxide, water) Name two things an animal needs to stay alive. (oxygen, food, water, correct temperature) What are some things a salmon in the Delta needs to stay alive? (food, oxygen in the water, water in which to live, the right temperature) Draw or create an illustration of a suitable habitat for an animal of your choice that would supply all of the animal s needs. EXTENSIONS Read The Snail s Spell by Joann Ryder and have students act out the role of the snail. Read A Log s Life by Wendy Pfeffer. Have students select a Delta animal and draw a picture that details the animals food source and other parts of its habitat. Take students on a field trip to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova to learn about the life cycle of a salmon. RESOURCES Books The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer The Snail s Spell by Joann Ryder A Log s Life by Wendy Pfeffer Websites

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41 Self-Assessment What do you know about metamorphosis? How do you know this? Tell what you know about an animal s life cycle? What other questions do you have about an animal or plant life cycle? How will you change during your life cycle? How do you know this? 41

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43 California s Environmental Principles & Concepts Principle I: The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services. Principle II: The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies. Principle III: Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from, and can alter. Principle IV: The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the long-term functioning of both. Principle V: Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are based on a wide range of considerations and decision-making processes. 43