Download FF-12C: Foothill Banner - Environmental Volunteers

FF-12C: Foothill Banner
An activity from the
Environmental Volunteers
Program Area:
Foothills Ecology
Grade Levels:
4-6
EV Learning Objectives:
1. Students will learn about
the local animals and how
they are in the food web
2. They will learn how
energy travels through and
is recycled in nature
EV Sustainability
Principals:
E. Understanding the beauty
of our planet, the elegance of
natural systems, and the
interconnectedness of all its
parts.
Overview: Study of how the inhabitants of the local chaparral,
riparian, grassland, and woodlands ecosystems form food webs inside
their ecosystems.
MATERIALS LIST
Pictures of each habitat
Pictures of all the animals, plants, birds, etc, in each community
List of species by community
Chaparral: beetle, Bewick's Wren, ceanothus, cotton tail rabbit,
coyote bush, fox sparrow, gray fox, honey bee, Manzanita (tree
and blossom), orb spider, rufous sided towhee, song sparrow, tick,
toyon (tree and berry), Western fence lizard, wrentit.
Riparian habitat: alder (tree and leaf), Anna's hummingbird,
blackberry, field horsetail, frog, mosquito, mud dauber wasp,
Pacific tree frog, poison hemlock, yellow monkey flower.
Mixed woodlands habitat: acorn woodpecker, buckeye (tree and
seed), CA bay laurel (tree and leaf), coast live oak, Pacific
madrone, poison oak, raccoon, Redwood (tree and cone), scrub jay,
stellars jay, valley oak.
Grassland habitat: black tailed deer, blue lupine, bobcat,
bumblebee, buttercup, California poppy, California quail, carpenter
bee, clover crimson, cottontail rabbit, coyote, gopher snake,
grasshopper, harvest mouse, monarch butterfly, mustard black,
mustard shortpod, pocket gopher, rattlesnake, red fox, red tailed
hawk, rubber boa, skunk, tarantula, western grey squirrel, wild
grasses, wild wheat.
General species: Alligator lizard, great horned owl, lichen (on a
rock and a tree), mountain lion, red shouldered hawk.
Decomposers: Banana slug, earthworm, horsefly, mushrooms,
Turkey Vulture
Note: These are all the pictures available in the kit. It is not
necessary to talk about all the species listed above, focus on the
ones you know and that will illustrate the learning objectives the
best for you.
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CALIFORNIA EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
All standards are for science unless otherwise noted. 1
Fourth Grade
• 2b. Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and
decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other
for resources in an ecosystem.
• 2c. Students know decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms,
recycle matter from dead plants and animals.
EEI Learning Objectives
• 2b-1. Recognize that plants and animals, including humans, can be classified by the
sources of energy and matter (food) they consume.
• 2c-1. Give examples of organisms that are decomposers.
• 2c-2. Explain the role of decomposers in an ecosystem.
Sixth Grade
• 5d. Students know different kinds of organisms may play similar ecological roles in
similar biomes.
EEI Learning Objectives
• 5d-3. Provide examples of different organisms playing similar ecological roles
(herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers ) in similar biomes.
ACTIVITY
INTRODUCTION
(Time required: 3-5 minutes)
When we go to (Jasper Ridge, Stevens Creek Park, Foothills Park, whatever is appropriate), we
will see different habitats and animals and plants that live in those habitats. We will be looking at
the plants and animals in each habitat from the perspective of energy and the food-web.
Who knows what the four categories of the food web are? (Producer, Primary Consumer,
Secondary Consumer, Decomposer). What are Producers (Plants, things that get their energy
from the sun). What are Primary Consumers? (Animals or Insects that get their energy from
plants, such as rodents (rabbits, gophers), most birds). What are Secondary Consumers?
(Animals that consume Primary Consumers) What is an example found around here? (Bobcat,
Coyote, Red-Tailed Hawk).
Now, there is a last category: Decomposers. What do decomposers do? Decomposers are a way
to make sure all nutrients in nature are put back into the soil, they are nature’s recycling center.
There are two types: scavengers and decomposers. Scavengers eat dead animals, who can name a
scavenger? (vultures, flies, some wasps).
1
Note about EEI Learning Objectives: this learning station supports these objectives of the Education
and the Environment Initiative’s Environmental Principles and Concepts. As the learning objectives do
not have their own numbering convention, the one used here show the number of the standard before the
dash and the number after the dash is the bullet point from the list of objectives for that standard.
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Some decomposers prefer dead animal matter. Can anyone name one? (beetles, some other
insects, and microorganisms.). What are microorganisms? (One-celled things like bacteria, mold,
and small forms of fungi)
There are decomposers that only eat plant matter. Can anyone name them? (Fungi, earthworms,
microorganisms) These are in every habitat, but earthworms are found in greater abundance in
moist areas, does anyone know why? (Earthworms have moist skin and they can’t dry out). Now
everyone, pause and think about all the dead leaves that fall from trees every year. Now think of
them falling the next year and piling up. Does the forest floor just increase every year? No,
microorganisms, earthworms, and fungi all work to break down the leaf litter and make it a part
of the soil.
ACTIVITY 1: Habitat exploration
(Time required:10-12 minutes)
After talking a little about each of the communities in the picture try and have the students
brainstorm the plants, animals, and even decomposers that could be found in each habitat. Also,
talk them through the first two food webs, then try and have them brainstorm possible ones.
Chaparral
Look at this picture, it is in the foothills, and not near the river. What do you think the
weather/climate is like here? (Has a hot/dry climate with little water). What do you not see in the
picture? (trees, plants that like shade). Can you name this type of community? (This is a
chaparral community)Why do you think there are no trees? (Too hot and not enough water)
The plants are mostly shrubs, not trees, with very small leaves so that there is very little shade for
smaller plants. Why do they have such small leaves? (to conserve water. plants lose water
through the surface area of their leaves). Can anyone name a producer that lives in a chaparral
community? (manzanita, coyote bush, toyon) Some of the branches and leaves are spiny. (Pass
out pictures.)
Why are chaparral leaves and bark so prickly and thorny? Because it is a huge cost in water
resources for the plant, and it wants to protect the leaves and bark as best it can from being eaten.
What could live here and be able to consume those thorny plants, ie. be a primary consumer
here? (insects like grasshopper and beetles, some rodents but we’ll talk about them later).
Some of the animals around here only eat insects, an animal that eats insects is called an
insectivore, what category does that fall into on the food web? (Secondary consumer) can you
name any animals that are insectivores? (lizards, wrens)
When they name an animal have them find the picture of it and stick it on. Can you name one
animal that is a tertiary (meaning third) consumer? (rattlesnake)
Now, do you think there is a lot of leaf litter on the ground if it is a high cost to produce them?
Do you think there is a lot of dead matter on the ground? Some. Who are the decomposers in this
habitat? (beetles, other insects, microorganisms). They have to survive without a lot of water, so
the decomposition process happens very slowly, usually during which season in California? (The
wet season)
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Below is an example of a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer,
and decomposer. (Notice that some beetles are primary consumers, and some are decomposers).
Other than that, this is a very straightforward food-web.
Coyote bush
beetles
decomposing matter
western fence lizard
rattlesnake
beetles/microorganisms
Riparian (stream site): Note: this food web is more complicated.
In contrast to the chaparral community, what is the biggest difference in this site? (Water!).
What do you see that this community centers around? (A stream). Scientists give the habitat
around a stream a special name--riparian. The name refers to the plants and animals that live
beside the stream, not just in it. What would this riparian environment be like? (Cool, shady,
wet.)
What do you notice about the plants? (Taller, much bigger leaves, no thorns or spikes). Why do
they have bigger leaves? (Because they don’t need to conserve water). Do you think trees could
grow here? (Yes)
What plants can you think of or find in the set of pictures that belong here? (hemlock,
blackberry, alder)
If there are a wider variety of producers, and there is less protection on their leaves, what effect
does that have on the consumers? (there is a greater diversity) Have you noticed that there are a
lot more insects by a stream-bed than in a very sandy dry area? Name some primary consumers:
(wrens (they eat the blackberries))
What would be some secondary consumers here? What animal might be a secondary (or tertiary)
consumer here? (2nd-frogs, 3rd raccoons)
Now, what decomposers could you find here? (earthworms, fungi, microorganisms). What
scavengers could we find here? Hint: it would be too dense for a Turkey Vulture (beetles and
other insects)
This example is more complicated to show the students that it is not always a straight line, and
the food web can be complicated.
producer-Blackberry, primary consumer-wren, 2ndary consumer-mosquitoes (suck blood from
wren), 3rd-frogs, 4th-Raccoons. Decomposing matter, decomposers-banana slugs, 2nd-Raccoons.
blackberry
wren
decomposing matter
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mosquitoes
frogs
banana slugs
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raccoons
raccoons
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Grasslands:
This community receives a lot of sun, what is the major producer? (grass). What do you think is
the name of this habitat (grasslands). Can someone briefly describe the climate here?
There is a very large amount of these producers, therefore what consumers could live here, eat
here? Can you name one (deer). What other plants might we find in the grass (California
poppies)
Can you name a common producer that would belong in this community? hint: you see the
domesticated variety every day (Wild oats). There could also be a few trees here, one of them is
the CA walnut, can anyone describe the tree?
What does this area remind you of? (A big, open field). Now, what are some of the primary
consumers that could feed off of these plants? (western grey squirrel, grasshopper, gopher, deer).
Secondary consumers? (Moles, bobcat).
What decomposers and scavengers? (Turkey vulture, flies, possibly some earthworms, tiny
fungi, microorganisms).
What would be a possible foodweb here with these or other animals?
Encourage the students to figure out a food web here, as there are many possibilities, then talk
them through the example.
CA poppy
Cottontail Rabbit
Bobcat
Turkey Vulture
Woodland:
Who can give this community its name? (Mixed woodlands.) Tell me what the weather/climate
is like here? (Cool, shady.) What are some of the plants that grow in this kind of environment?
Remember, plants come in all sizes, from very big and tall to very small.
Producers: (Oak any species, Redwood, madrone, buckeye)
What would be a bird that would really like all these trees? (woodpecker, any species). Is it a
Primary Consumer or Secondary Consumer? (Both-eats acorns and insects)
What other insects or animals live here? (beetles, opossum)
Now, what decomposers could you find here? (earthworms, fungi, microorganisms, similar to
Riparian, though probably less abundant). And scavengers: Turkey Vulture
Have them try and create a food web. There are multiple options. Below is an example.
Oak (any species)
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beetles
woodpecker/opossum
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There are some of the species that live in more than one of these communities, can we decide
which category they fall into? General species: wren, poison oak, great horned owl, stellar jay,
lichen.
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
(Time required: 2 minutes)
Have students review the key concepts and vocabulary.
ALTERNATE SCRIPTS
There are three scripts for this kit. Each is focused on a specific age group.
• FF-12a: K-1
• FF-12b: 2-4
• FF-12c: 4-6
HELPFUL HINTS
Although there are four communities in the script if you are pushed for time it is not necessary to
do all of them, just get to the ones you have time for. Also, it is not necessary to do all of the
species in each community. The names of the plants and animals enclosed in parenthesis are
possible correct answers, and the ones we have pictures for, there might be many correct answers
to the questions.
GLOSSARY
Food chain: the organisms in line of being eaten from a food source to the ultimate consumer
Food web: a series of organisms related by predator-prey interactions; the combination of
multiple interrelated food chains
Producer: Organism that produces food from the sun
Consumer (primary, secondary, tertiary): Organism that receives energy from eating producers,
or levels of consumers
Chaparral: A habitat characterized by hot dry summers and cool moist winters with a dense
growth of mostly small-leaved evergreen shrubs
Riparian: a habitat on the banks of a stream or other body of water
Woodland: habitat with a variety of tree and shrubs
Grassland: habitat with a variety of grasses
Decomposer: an organism that feeds on and breaks down dead animal or plant matter, which
releases the nutrients into the soil
Scavenger: animal/insect that eats dead animals
Microorganism: a very small organism, one that can only be seen through a microscope: eg
bacteria etc.
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SCIENCE BACKROUND
EV SUGGESTS- TIPS, TRICKS, AND NEWS
REFERENCES
Woodlands photo courtesy of Flickr user BrotherMagneto
Riparian photo courtesy of Flickr user tychay
Grassland and chaparral photos courtesy of EV staff Brittany Sabol
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