Download Student Activity - Parker Jordan Metropolitan District

The Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park Activity Book and accompanying Teacher’s Guide
were designed for Parker Jordan Metropolitan District by Valerian llc. Booklets are being
paid for by the Parker Jordan Metropolitan District with public funds. Please contact
R.S. Wells LLC, District Manager, at 303-779-4525 if there are any questions or concerns.
This book is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may be reproduced or
disseminated only with the prior written consent of the Board of Directors for the Parker
Jordan Metropolitan District, Arapahoe County, Colorado.
Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park is owned and
managed by Arapahoe County Open Space Park and Trails
in cooperation with Parker Jordan Metropolitan District.
Copyright © 2008 Parker Jordan Metropolitan District
Second Edition 2008
You Are Part of Nature
Do you know what a seed is? Of course you do. And you also
know that every seed needs to be planted and nurtured to
grow up and be a healthy plant. Well, the same is true for
you and everything else in nature. Nature is made up of all
living things. The universe, earth, plants, and animals are
all a part of nature. All living things are divided into two
kingdoms: animals and plants. All animals need food, water,
shelter, and habitat to survive. All plants need light, water,
soil, and habitat to survive. Come explore the Cherry Creek
Valley Ecological Park and be sure to show respect for the
park and the creatures that live here.
1
You Make a Difference
You have completed your Activity Book. You can make a
difference and keep nature and the Eco Park a special
place for everyone. There is much more you can learn about
ecosystems. Always remember the seed and what it needs
to grow, just like you. You can make a difference!
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Your Activity Book
Make A Difference!
This is your Activity Book. It will help you learn more about
the Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park (Eco Park).
The Eco Park is a place where animals and plants share a
place that provides energy, water, shelter, and space. This
place is something called an ecosystem.
What is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a group of plants
and animals that live together in one place. These are special
groups that have adapted to live together. You are part of
the ecosystem. To enjoy this park safely, please take a few
simple steps to be prepared:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hat
Whistle
Water
Snack
Notebook
Pen/Crayon
Stay on the trail unless you are with an adult guide.
Energy, Water, Soil,
and Place
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2
Today is:
3
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Now You Know Your Park
Seasons in the Park
Well, you have almost completed the book. On the next page
is a fun word search to help you remember some of the
things you learned from completing the previous activities.
Complete the Eco Word Search and you will have completed
the book! What do you think of when you think of the Eco
Park?
The Earth is always moving and changing. The Earth travels
in a circle around the sun. Each trip around the sun takes
one year. One way that we can tell the Earth is spinning
is by observing day and night. As the earth takes its path
around the sun, sometimes we get more energy from the sun
(summer) and sometimes we get less (winter). In Colorado
we have four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer.
Circle the answer that best fits each question.
1. Which season is it now?
A. Fall
B. Winter
C. Spring
D. Summer
2. The sun is...
A. shining.
B. covered by clouds.
3. The sun is...
A. high in the sky and warm.
B. low in the sky and cool.
4. What do the clouds look like? (Draw a picture below of
what you see.)
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4
5
Fall Equinox
Biotic or Abiotic?
Around September 20th, days and nights are of equal length.
Days are getting shorter and soon there won‛t be enough
sunlight to keep the leaves green. Trunks, branches, and
roots will stay alive and grow new leaves when there is more
light in the spring. Trees and plants adapt to the energy
shortage by dropping their leaves. How do you save energy?
Circle the abiotic things found in this picture. These are the
things that are not alive. Have you seen any other abiotic or
biotic things on your visit to the Eco Park today?
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What is Here Today?
The Eco Park is a very special place where plants and animals
and their homes are protected. It is a place for people to
have fun and a place to explore nature. There are many
living and non-living things that can be found in the Eco Park.
Living things such as grass, leaves, and butterflies are called
biotic. Non-living things such as rocks, a sign, or a bench are
abiotic. What is in the park now?
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Colors of Fall
One of the first signs of fall is that the leaves start to
change color and drop to the ground. Find a leaf and trace
the shape. Use crayons to show the color of fall.
6
Settlers
Winter Solstice
Around December 20th, days are short and nights are the
longest of the year. How do you know when winter is here?
The nights are long and the days are short. The sun is low in
the sky. Are we getting much energy from the sun? Many
trees have no leaves. Instead of rain there is snow! When
you are outside on a winter day blow in the air and see your
breath! How do other animals adapt to the winter weather?
How do you adapt to winter weather?
Settlers used wagons and pack animals to move all of their
belongings. What do you think the settlers brought with
them? What do you think the settlers ate?
Bison
Deer
Oats
Corn
Berries
7
Pig
Chicken
44
Settlers
Almost 200 years ago, more people moved here from
Europe and the Eastern United States. Settlers from the
East traveled West along rivers, creek, and streams. The
settlers followed Cherry Creek as they made their way to
new homes in Colorado. Why would they follow the Cherry
Creek? Look around the park. If you were settling here,
what would you use for food, water, and shelter?
Measuring Your Shadow
Materials Needed:
- pen or pencil
- yard stick or measuring tape
- a friend
Your shadow varies in its size and direction depending on the
time of the day.
Procedure:
1. The first measurement you take of your shadow should
be early in the morning. With the help of a friend, stand
in a place where it is easy to measure your shadow.
2. Record the measurement in your notebook and note the
time you took the measurement and the direction your
shadow was going.
3. Mid-day take a second measurement of your shadow and
record the results in your notebook.
4. At the end of the day take a third measurement of your
shadow and record the results in your notebook.
Stand in the same place and face the same direction each
time.
Conclusion:
What are the differences of the 3 recordings?
Why do you think they are different?
Time
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Length of Shadow
Direction of Shadow
8
Spring Equinox
Around March 20th, days and nights are of equal length.
Spring, leaf, flower, here come the rain showers! In the
spring (the Vernal Equinox) days get longer and trees and
plants turn green and grow new leaves! The days get warmer
and the creek fills with water from rain and snow melt. Song
birds and water birds return to the park and many start to
prepare for new babies. Spring is a great time to visit the
park to see everything begin to bloom and grow!
Native Americans
Native Americans had very colorful clothes and some lived
in teepees. The color and patterns they put on their clothes
and teepees communicated to others who they were.
How do you communicate to others about who you are?
Draw colorful patterns and
designs on the teepee that
represent you.
Have fun when you visit the Eco Park
but it is also important to follow these
important rules:
• Be careful around the open water.
• Stay on the trails.
• Try not to disturb animal families,
they need their privacy.
9
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41
Native Americans
I Spy!
A long time ago, there were people who lived here in groups
called tribes. Each tribe had a name. Some tribes were
called Arapaho and others were called Cheyenne. The people
lived off the land. They hunted bison, gathered roots,
berries, and plants to eat. They used bones, stones, and
plants to make toys, tools, and decorations. They made
clothes and made their own shelter using bison skins.
Time to explore new places and things. See how many of
these things you can find. Cross out the items with an “X” as
you find them.
Gazebo
Flower
Bridge
Insect
Creek
Animal Tracks
Bird
Leaves
Boardwalk
10
Summer Solstice
After spring comes summer! Around June 20th, days are
the longest of the year and the nights are the shortest.
One sign that summer is here is that days are long and hot
because the sun is high in the sky. All energy comes from
the sun. Plants get energy from the sun. Animals get energy
from the plants and other animals they eat. Summer is a
good time to bring your energy to the Eco Park.
11
Long Before People
There were many animals that lived in the wild. Connect the
dots and find out what kind of animal this is.
40
Long Before People
A long, long time ago Cherry Creek looked different than it
does today. The land was full of animal life but very few of
the animals were people. Animals came in many different
body shapes and sizes. Are you an animal?
Bees are very important to our ecosystem because they
pollinate trees, flowers, and other plants which produce food
for us to eat. Without bees and other pollinators, there
would be no food available for us to eat. Other pollinators
are flies, wasps, butterflies, moths, birds, and bats. Help the
bee find his way to the Wild Plum blossom.
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12
Water in the Park
My Tree
Materials Needed:
- notebook
- pen or pencil
- adult to take you to the park
You can adopt a tree in the park and
observe and record the changes that it goes
through during the year.
Procedure:
1. Along the Eco Park trail, find a special
tree that you like.
2. Make a rubbing of a section of its bark. Use this as a
picture for the front of your book.
3. On the first day, also write what you see in your book.
You might write, “My tree is very tall. It has yellow
leaves and it has a big chunk of bark taken off of it.”
Draw a picture of it.
4. If your tree is a deciduous tree, dry and press one of
its leaves to add to a page in your book. If it is an
evergreen tree, paste some of its needles in the book.
5. Go to the park at least once a month. Write the date,
something about the tree that has changed, and draw
another picture.
6. Do some research on your tree. Find out its name, other
areas where it grows, what animals live in it or eat it, and
other information. Include these facts in your book.
7. At the end of the year, have an adult help you bind all of
the pages together.
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Evergreen Tree Parts
There are some kinds of trees that we call evergreen trees
because they do not lose their leaves. They stay green all
winter.
This is a branch.
Evergreen branches
can sometimes be
hard to see through
the needles. Branches move water up to
the leaves and twigs
and down to the
roots.
This is the root
of the tree. The
roots absorb water
and nutrients from
the soil.
The tree canopy is
made up of many,
many needles. The
needles transform
energy from the
sun into food.
This is the
trunk. It has
bark which
protects the
tree.
Water in the Park
Water is very important to all forms of life. Without water,
plants and animals would not be able to live. In this section,
you will learn about the Water Cycle and how water moves
around the Earth. You will also learn about watersheds and
some of the neat things that make water so special.
Put a check mark by the statements that are true.
Water is...
___ wet (when it falls as rain)
___ cold (when it is ice)
___ hot ( when it is boiling)
___ hard to see (when it is vapor)
Water can be found...
___ in the ground
___ in the sky
___ in lakes and streams
___ in the oceans
___ in water fountains
___ in glaciers
Water is used by...
___ farmers
___ businesses
___ wildlife
___ plants
Needles
(Needles are a type of leaf)
37
Some trees have seeds like
this one. This seed came
from a cone.
14
The Water Cycle
Deciduous Tree Parts
The sun‛s energy heats liquid water in the oceans, lakes, and rivers.
The heated water turns into vapor (gas). When water vapor is
warmer than the air it rises into the sky where you see it as clouds.
This is called evaporation. Plants release water vapor into the air.
This is called transpiration.
There are some kinds of trees that we call deciduous trees
because they drop their leaves in fall and sprout new leaves
in spring.
The tree canopy
is made up of
many, many flat
leaves. The
leaves transform
energy from the
sun into food.
Clouds
(Condensation)
Snow
(Precipitation)
Rain
(Precipitation)
Mountain
Creek
Creek
Plants
Vapor
This is a branch.
Branches move
water up to the
leaves and twigs
and down to the
roots.
Lake
Lake
Ground Water
15
Plants
Leaves on a
cottonwood branch
This is the trunk.
It has bark which
protects the tree.
This is the root
of the tree. The
roots absorb water
and nutrients from
the soil.
Cottonwood trees have
seeds like this one.
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Plant Types
There are four main types of plants in the park. How many
of each type can you find in the park?
As water vapor cools it turns back into a liquid. This is called
condensation. Liquid water is heavy and cool. Sometimes it is cold,
so cold that it turns to ice (solid) and falls back to the Earth as
snow, hail, or sleet.
Trees
Vapor
Plants
River
Ocean
River
Shrubs
35
Grasses
Flowering Plants
Ground Water
16
Water Cycle Experiment
Materials Needed:
- handful of soil
- water
- plastic zip-top bag
- strong tape
- sunny window
Plants in the Park
Plants are a part of the ecosystem of the Eco Park. They
help create the oxygen that we breathe, and they are food
for people and animals. In this section, you will learn about
what makes different types of plants unique and how to
identify them in the park. There are also some fun activities
for you to complete!
Procedure:
1. Put the soil in the zip-top bag.
2. Sprinkle a little water on the dirt, just
enough to make it moist.
3. Close the bag tight and tape it to the
sunny window.
4. Watch what happens in the bag.
What do you think will happen?
What happened?
Do you know why?
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Plants in the Park
Different Water Bodies
Water covers most of the Earth‛s surface. These areas of
water on the ground are called water bodies. An area of
land where water drains into the same water body is called a
watershed. Which water body below does Cherry Creek look
like?
Creek
River
Pond
Puddle
Lake
Ocean
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18
Did you Know?
Circle the correct answer for each question.
Draw Your Home
What does your home look like? Draw your home here!
1. How much water does a person use daily?
A. 50 gallons
B. 10 gallons
2. How much of a tree is water?
A. 1/4
B. 1/2
C. 125 gallons
C. 3/4
3. How much water is used to flush a toilet?
A. 1-2 gallons
B. 2-7 gallons
C. 7-10 gallons
4. How much has the amount of water decreased over
the past million years?
A. None
B. 10,000 gallons
C. 1,000,000 gallons
5. How long can a person live without water?
A. 1 day
B. 7 days
Look for homes in the Eco Park. What does a wild animal use
to build a home? How is your wild animal home different from
your actual home? How is it the same?
C. 2 weeks
6. Where does the water from the Cherry Creek flow to?
A. Gulf of Mexico B. Pacific Ocean
C. Atlantic Ocean
7. How much of an elephant is water?
A. 1/4
B. 1/2
C. 3/4
(Answers can be found on page 23 of the Teacher‛s Guide.)
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Animal Homes
Wildlife in the park live in all kinds of shelters. Do you know
what kind of homes these animals live in? Write the correct
letter next to the animal type.
A. Den
E. Stream
1. Spider
2. Prairie Dog
3. Cat
B. Web
F. Nest
4. Beaver
5. Frog
6. Bear
7. Deer
C. Grass
G. Burrow
8. Fish
9. Rabbit
10. Grasshopper
11. Snake
D. Lodge
H. House
12. Fox
13. Ant
14. Sparrow
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What Needs Water
Look around the Eco Park.
Make a list of things that need water to live and need water
to be made.
HINT:
A shirt is made of cotton.
Cotton comes from a plant.
The plant drinks water.
What else do you see that uses cotton?
Wood comes from trees.
Trees need water to grow.
What do you see that is made of wood?
1.________________________________________
2.________________________________________
3.________________________________________
4.________________________________________
5.________________________________________
6.________________________________________
7.________________________________________
8.________________________________________
20
Where Do They Go?
Wildlife in the Park
Do you have a favorite animal that you can find in the
summer, but it is not around in the winter? Some animals
move from one place to another when the weather gets cold.
This is called migration. Other animals sleep through the
winter months. This is called hibernation. Some animals
live in the Eco Park all winter long. Extra-thick fur or down
feathers help to keep these animals warm.
Fun Fact:
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•
Birds hide in dense bushes to stay dry during rain storms.
•
Great horned owls pant to keep cool from the hot sun.
•
Bears‛ teeth keep growing so they have to chew on trees
to wear them down.
•
During rain showers, butterflies use leaves as if they
were umbrellas.
•
Cold-blooded animals, like snakes, will sun themselves to
keep their bodies warm.
30
Wildlife in the Park
Match the Tracks
Can you match which tracks are made by each animal? Draw
a line from the animal to the tracks that each makes.
The Eco Park is home to wildlife. Wildlife is another
name for animals and insects. Deer, beavers, snakes, and
dragonflies are all wildlife. They can all live without care of
people. Dogs, cows, and parakeets do not count as wildlife.
They need regular care from people. In this section, you will
learn about many animals and insects that can be seen at the
park. When you are completing the activities for this section
remember that all the animals and insects are connected as
part of the ecosystem and that they depend on each other
and Cherry Creek to survive.
How to watch wildlife:
•
Wear clothing that is not brightly colored
•
Keep still. Wait for animals to find you. Do not follow
them.
•
Do not stand where you are fully visible. Crouch down low
to disguise yourself.
•
Move slowly and quietly when you do move.
•
Freeze if an animal you are watching looks your way.
•
Listen for animal noises like buzzing and plopping.
•
Sniff out unusual smells.
•
Use your senses to explore the Eco Park just like an
animal would.
• Do not feed or bother the wildlife.
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22
Know the Wildlife
Insects
There are many different animals and insects in the park.
You may not see these animals when you are exploring the
Eco Park but they are here. Look for clues! What colors are
these animals?
Tick
Mammals
Grasshopper
Daddy Long Legs
Fox
23
Fox Tracks
Raccoon
Raccoon Tracks
Mosquito
Spider
28
Insects
Mammals
Bugs are wildlife. They are an important part of an
ecosystem. There are many colorful bugs at the Eco Park.
Bugs have no backbones. They wear their skeletons on the
outside of their bodies. They have at least 3 pairs of legs;
sometimes as many as 15 pairs of legs. How many pairs of
legs do you have?
Beaver
Rabbit
Ant
Beaver Tracks
Rabbit Tracks
Bumble Bee
Dragonfly
27
Deer
Deer Tracks
24
Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish
Turtle
Birds
Turtle Tracks
Hawk Tracks
Hawk
Fish
Frog
Frog Tracks
Heron Tracks
Snake
25
Snake Tracks
Heron
26