OUTREACH WORKSHOP: SESSION 1 Part 1: Leaf in a bag Part 2: Land and water lesson Part 3: Water quality investigation

Part 1: Leaf in a bag

Lesson summary: Leaf in a Bag Students make “blind” observations of a leaf hidden in a bag, followed by visual observations. After representing observations with descriptive words and scientific drawing, they compare and contrast their leaves with the leaves of others.  Learning Goals:  Observation using the senses is an important step in the scientific process.  Objective:  Students will be able to observe nature using their five senses

Lesson logistics: Leaf in a Bag  Age: K-5 th grade  Materials:  bags (1 per student)  collected leaf specimens (1 per student+1 example set)  pencil and paper  Time: ~1 hour  Set up: ~20 min

Procedure 1. Gather students in a seated circle. 2. Fold a blank piece of paper in half – one half is for words and one for drawing. 3. Spread students out so they can work alone. 4. Explore the leaf using your senses, other than sight. Which sense will you most rely on?

Procedure (continued) 5. On one half of your page describe, using words, the characteristics of the leaf with as much detail as possible.  What does its texture feel like?  Can you distinguish veins? Can you feel them clearly or are they faint?  What can you say about the edges? Does it feel like an insect has been eating your leaf or is the edge smooth?  Can you describe the size by comparison: it is as big as a ______? 6. Now sketch the leaf including as much detail as you can.  Notice the scale: how big is the stem compared to the rest of the leaf?  Does the leaf seem to have sections? How can you show that in your sketch?

Procedure (continued) 7. Now fold the page so only the descriptive words are showing and the drawing is hidden. 8. Lay out the sample set of leaves that you have collected ahead of time. 9. Select volunteers to read their descriptions. The rest of the students must try to select which leaf they are describing from the sample set. 10. Then, students repeat this in pairs.

Discussion Questions  Describe how it felt when you had to rely on your other senses, besides vision, to describe the leaf?  What characteristics do leaves have that help you get to know them?  Were there any surprises for you?  Was anything familiar about your leaf?  What conclusions can you draw about the plant your leaf is from? Do you think it is a sun loving plant or one that prefers shade? Why do you think so?  Why do you think we are doing this activity with you?

Part 2: Land and Water Lesson

Lesson Summary: Land and Water Students explore the differences between land and water through pictures and maps. Then students carry out an extended experiment using a model that shows how water changes land over time (erosion). Through this model, students discover the importance of plants and soil organisms in conserving soil on earth.  Learning goals:  Stewardship of land and water is important in conserving the health of the planet  Learning objectives: Students will be able to  Identify differences between land and water  Understand how water affects and changes landforms  Understand the importance of vegetation and soil organisms in conserving land

Lesson Logistics: Land and Water  Age: Pre-school  Materials:  map of the world  pictures of different land and water forms  coloring pages that show land and water  soil and water containers for students to interact with (2 for each pair of students)  erosion models (sand, bare soil, soil with vegetation)  plastic bottles (cut in half) to catch water/soil from models  string  experiment data sheet.  Time: Lesson – 1 hour, Experiment – 1 week

Part A: Exploring Land and Water Students explore the differences between land and water in the following ways:  Looking at maps – identifying which is land and which is water  Looking at pictures – show students pictures of different forms of land and water  Physically touching land and water – describing their differences  Coloring pages that show land and water in different forms

Part A: Discussion Questions  Name some landforms that you have seen around your neighborhood. How do they differ? (Mountains, valleys, plains, etc.)  What are some ways that humans use land?  How might a river change the land if it ran through it for a very long time?  Name some places where water can be found. How do they differ? (Ocean, river, lake, stream, etc.)  Why is water important for all living things?  What are some ways that humans use water?  What are some differences between land and water that you observed with your senses? (Write these on the board)

Part B: Erosion Model and Experiment Students carry out an experiment that demonstrates how water affects land over time and the importance of vegetation and soil organisms in preventing erosion.  Erosion – a type of weathering in which soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind  How do you think we can test differences in erosion of different types of land?.  Explain that you will be testing how water erodes three different types of land (soil with vegetation, bare soil, and sand.)

Hypothesis Before the first trial of pouring water, ask students to make predictions. Use these prompts to guide them:  Which land type will experience the most erosion: soil with vegetation, bare soil, or sand?  Draw where you think the most erosion will occur: soil with vegetation, bare soil, or sand.  Why is it important to know which types of land experience the most soil erosion?

Procedure: Constructing models 1. Create erosion models with 3 6L bottles, adding a different type of soil to each one (should be done ahead of time!) 2. Prop bottom of models up on board so that the cap end is slightly lower than the bottom end. 3. Create your liquid containers from the 1L bottles. Hang the 1L bottle halves from the 6L bottles.

Procedure: Experiment 7. Measure out one cup of water. 8. SLOWLY, pour the water into the model at the back end (the highest end). 9. Repeat for the next two models. 10. Let the soil settle at the bottom of the container so that it is clear how much soil eroded. 11. Observe how much water and soil drains from each model. Record it with a drawing or measurement. 12. Repeat every day for a week and record your observations.

Discussion Questions  Did the results of our experiment match your predictions?  Which land type lost the most soil in the experiment? Which land type conserved the most soil?  Why do you think the model with vegetation and soil organisms conserved the most soil? Why do you think the others lost the most soil?  Why is it important that we conserve soil on Earth?

Assessment Assess students´ learning with…  Before and after drawings of where the most erosion will occur  A collage of different landforms and water forms that make up an ecosystem  A word search

Part 3: Water Quality Investigation

Lesson Summary: Water Quality Students will determine the health of a local river by observing and measuring different qualities of the water:  environment surrounding the water  pH  temperature of the water  macroinvertebrates that indicate the level of pollution in the river Using these qualities, they will make a conclusion about the river´s health and brainstorm ways in which they could improve the water quality.

Learning Goals and Objectives: Water Quality Learning goals:  Students practice using the scientific process to study characteristics of water from their local water source  Students understand characteristics of a healthy watershed and ways they can improve the health of their watershed Objectives: Students will be able to…  Identify and model the steps of the scientific process  Test for pH and temperature by following a set of instructions and then use these tests to determine the health of a watershed  Analyze and make a conclusion from a series of data  Imagine possible outcomes for improved health of a the watershed

Lesson Logistics: Water Quality  Age: 8 th grade  Materials:  water sample from local river  picture of local river where water was collected  pH strips  thermometers  macroinvertebrate samples (collected ahead of time by outreach volunteers)  magnifying glass (1 per group)  petri dishes  macroinvertebrate identification guide sorted by pollution tolerance  data sheet  Time: 2 hours

Hook  Has anyone been to the river that runs through this area?  Does anyone know what a watershed is?  A watershed is the area of land that drains into a particular body of water, such as a river, pond, lake, or ocean or even a small creek in your neighborhood.  When the rain falls on your school’s roof and on the playground, where does it go?

Procedure: pH and temperature 1. Divide class into groups. Students will work within their groups to observe and carry out the tests. Each group receives samples of the water. 2. Students first make observations of the sample, recording them on their data sheet. 3. Make predictions about health of river based on their initial observations. 4. Demonstrate pH and temperature measurements for the class, then allow each group to carry out the tests. 5. Record data in data sheet.

Where did the samples come from?

Team 1Team 2Team 3Average Temperature (°C) pH Macroinvertebrate index (#) Observations:  Water Color  Water Smell  Vegetation (tree cover & nearby shrubs)  Evidence of Pollution  Evidence of erosion

Procedure: Macroinvertebrate identification 1. From pre-collected samples, divy up macroinvertebrates for the groups. 2. Identify macros using the guide. Keep a tally of how many found in different categories:  Tolerant to pollution  Moderately intolerant  Intolerant to pollution

Tolerant to pollution Moderately tolerant to pollution Intolerant to pollution

Conclusion and Discussion  Students calculate the average of each test (excluding macroinvertebrates)  Students discuss in groups what their data says about the health of the river.  Students prepare a short 1-2 minute presentation to share with the class that includes their procedure, the data they collected, and their conclusions: what does this mean for the health of the river?  Students complete the conclusion worksheet

Assessment Strategies  Exit ticket: Before students leave the class, they must reflect on what they have learned during the lesson in a short paragraph.  Sketch an image of a healthy river. For qualities that you cannot show by drawing (temperature, pH), label these instead.  What five words would you use describe a healthy watershed?  Science journal.

Questions?