Cosmo s World Biodiversity Overview

Transcription

1 Cosmo s World Biodiversity Overview Overview: The purpose of this program is to introduce fourth grade students to the importance of biodiversity. Vocabulary: Biodiversity: The variety of life on earth Aquatic: Referring to animals that live primarily in water Terrestrial: Referring to animals that live primarily on land Ecosystem: A collection of living things and the environment in which they live. Questions for Review: 1. Why is biodiversity important? 2. What happens when biodiversity declines? 3. Describe a healthy environment? 4. What can be done to preserve biodiversity? Academic Standards: 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands 4.3 Environmental Health 4.6 Ecosystems and their Interactions 4.8 Humans and the Environment 1

2 How Much Do You Know About Pennsylvania? 1. Pennsylvania is found in what biome? 2. What are the major types of ecosystems in Pennsylvania? 3. In what Pennsylvania physiographic province is your community located? 4. What are the major types of ecosystems in your area? 5. In what watershed is your school located? 6. Where does the drinking water in your area come from? 7. Where does the trash from your school go? Is anything recycled? 8. When does your community get the most precipitation? 9. What is the average air temperature in July and December in your area? 10. How long is the growing season in your community? 11. List two birds that live in your schoolyard or community in the summer, but migrate south for the winter. 12. What insects or other invertebrates do you usually see in the schoolyard? 13. Give an example of an animal found in your schoolyard or community that hibernates in the winter. 14. Give an example of a wild fish, reptile and amphibian that live in your community. 15. What wild mammals live in and around your schoolyard or community? 16. List three native trees found in your schoolyard or community. 17. List one example of a plant or animal in your community that is a decomposer. 18. List one example of a plant that grows in your area that is considered poisonous or causes problems for people. 19. List one example of a plant that grows in your community that is good for people or wildlife. 20. List two organisms that are endangered in Pennsylvania. Windows on the Wild, published by Pennsylvania Biological Survey (PABS), for additional resources visit: 2

3 Cosmo & Terra s Word Search Pennsylvania Biodiversity 3

4 Biodiversity Hula Hoop Ecosystems Biodiversity on an environmental level is important, because many species depend on another species for survival. For example, a monarch butterfly will only eat the milkweed plant. If there is no milkweed in an area, there won t be any monarch butterflies making their home there. Many species can adapt to new sources of food, but it may mean a dip in the population until the adaptation is complete. In this activity, we will take a look at the simple ecosystems around us, and record the different species of plants and animals we find. Goal: To observe and record the different species found in a small area, commonly known as a transect. To observe which type of environment is most supportive of a variety of species and which seem to hinder their survival. Hypothesis Which type of ecosystem do you think will have the most biodiversity: street/sidewalk, lawn, flowerbed, wooded area, meadow, or pond (if available). If we know that most wildlife needs open areas of plants and water to survive, then we think that there will be more diversity in a area. Materials (per group) hula hoop magnifying lens spoon or small shovel small jars, for holding insects for observation paper pencils colored pencils or crayons Procedures 1. Go outside, and find an area where there is part grass, part sidewalk, and if possible, part bushy (flowerbeds are good). You might be able to find this right outside your school or home. If you can get to the edge of a wooded area, even better. 2. Have different groups toss their hula hoops onto the ground. The area inside the hula hoop will be your transect area for study. Try to make sure that different areas are covered. 3. Examine your area carefully and draw and record the different plants and animals you see. At this level, the animals you see are most likely to be insects, spiders, worms, etc. You may also record any animal that you see definite signs of having been in the area, such as tracks, fur, droppings, or shelters. For example, if you are at a pond and see a dam but no beavers, you can record beavers anyway. 4

5 Biodiversity Hula Hoop Ecosystems 4. Use the spoon or shovel to dig up a small portion of the dirt. Examine with the lens and if possible, put samples in jars with air holes. Draw the specimen, then release as quickly as possible. Remember to match colors as best you can. 5. Draw and describe the area you are in as well as any plants or animals you find. 6. Compare your findings with other groups. Analysis 1. Make a chart of the species you found. Put plants under the heading of Flora and animals under Fauna. 2. Which group had more biodiversity, plants or animals? 3. Compare your findings with the other groups. Which type of ecosystem had more variety of species? What is there about this ecosystem that encourages more biodiversity? (Think of the basic needs an organism needs to live.) 4. What might happen to some of these ecosystems if one or more of the species was removed? Do you think other things might change also? Make a poster of the different types of species you found in your hula hoop ecosystem. Decide which type of ecosystem is best suited to support any type of wildlife. Conclusion To keep biodiversity at its highest levels, what type of ecosystems should we try to save? What type of ecosystems should we try to keep to a minimum? How can you help encourage more biodiversity, even in your own backyard? Extension Activity Change one thing in your ecosystem. You might want to add water, shelter, or pull weeds. What happens to the biodiversity as you add things that help organisms grow and flourish? Carole Ondrovic

6 Biodiversity Micro hike Take a micro hike into a tiny world and discover what lives there. What You'll Need: String Safe scissors Short stakes Magnifying glasses Paper and toothpicks (optional) Step 1: Measure out about 20 to 30 feet of string. Tie each end to a short stake, such as a tent stake. Step 2: Take your string and stakes outdoors and stretch the string across an area with some variation. You might run it across part of a lawn, under an arching shrub, and alongside a flower bed. Step 3: Secure the line with more stakes if necessary. Keep in mind that the string doesn't have to be straight; it can run along the base of a fence or beside a pond or stream. Step 4: Start at one end of the string on your hands and knees. Make sure that you and every person who will be "hiking" with you has a magnifying glass. Use your magnifying glasses to examine everything under the string. Step 5: Look for different kinds of plants, including moss between the grass blades or under a shrub. Look for fungi of different forms. Find animals such as insects, spiders, and worms. Step 6: Move slowly down the string, searching for every living thing you can find. You might end up taking a whole hour to hike! You never know what interesting things you'll find. Step 7: When you're done, write down what you've seen or compare your observations with those of others who hiked with you. What interesting things did they see that you missed? Step 8: After discussing your discoveries, use paper and toothpicks to make tiny signs to mark the most interesting ones. Then invite others to take your hike! 6

7 Biodiversity a Pizza Supreme Activity Using pizza slices and the toppings, students will be able to create scenarios that are consistent with situations in a real biodiverse (or not so diverse) environment. Objectives Students will be able to visualize the importance of biodiversity using pizza slices. Materials A pizza supreme and a good imagination! Background What's a supreme pizza? A tasty pizza with everything on it! It starts out with a thin, thick, or crispy crust. Then, you add some tomato paste, cheese (lots of cheese!), sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and so on. It's the perfect combination. Imagine, for a second, the pizza without the cheese that holds it together. Or, imagine the pizza without a crust or even without the tomato paste. It would not be a pizza at all. Now, imagine our planet as a huge pizza. The land is the crust, the cheese is the air we breathe, and the tomato paste represents the rivers and oceans that supply our planet with the water and places for a variety of plants and animals to live and grow (not to mention humans). These plants and animals that live and grow in the oceans, in the rivers, and on land are the sausage, pepperoni, peppers, and mushrooms of our planet! When the pepperoni and mushrooms are removed, you don't quite have a supreme pizza anymore. Take away the peppers and sausage and you're left with a plain cheese pizza. This is what happens in life. When people overfish the oceans, kills animals unnecessarily, and cut down entire forests to build more homes or shopping malls the earth is no longer as diverse or full of variety as before. Animals become scarce and are forced to look elsewhere for food and shelter. Pollution is a quick way to kill plants and animals that share this planet with us. It is actually happening today! Even the simple act of removing a plant that appears insignificant and planting something pretty and exotic in its place could seriously affect the plants and animals that depended upon that plant for food. Since the animals do not recognize this plant, they will search elsewhere to eat. These pretty plants could even grow so successfully that they will eventually replace the original native plants that were naturally important as food and shelter. Over time, pollution and actions such as cutting down trees and innocently removing special plants, caused certain plant and animal species to fight extra hard to grow or to find food. Eventually, some of these plants and animals lost the fight and began to die out. These plants and animals became so rare that the U.S. Government decided to do something about it! In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed. This is a law that protects these plants and animals and the habitats in which they live and grow. This law teaches us that every plant and animal is important to our planet and to each other. Whenever animals or plants become extinct, a gap is left in the food web. The animals or plants that depended upon them for survival will need to look somewhere else for food and shelter. Sometimes, these other animals are not successful and they, too, will eventually die out. If this were to continue, what could eventually happen? 7