4-H Environmental Science

Learning Enrichment Outreach Module

Investigating the Environment

through Hands-on Activities:

A 5-lesson introduction to ecosystems

for youth ages 8-13.

1. Ecosystems and Soils

2. Forest Ecosystems

3. Aquatic Ecosystems

4. Food Webs and Feeding

5. Protecting the Environment

Thomas Hutson

4-H Youth Development Educator

Maryland Cooperative Extension

Talbot County

Rationale for the Learning Module

Environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important as urbanization continues

to take place throughout the United States. As our population grows, the combined impact of

more than 300 million United States citizens on the environment is contributing to accelerated

degradation of natural ecosystems. In addition, recent national surveys have indicated that the

average American spends much less time engaged in outdoor activity when compared to similar

surveys conducted twenty years ago. People who feel less connected to the natural world are

less likely to take an interest in and develop an understanding of environmental science and

environmental issues. Consequently, there is an increasing need to expose our young people to

basic ecology concepts through experiential learning and instill in them an appreciation for

natural ecosystems.

Maryland state curriculum and national science initiatives include environmental science

concepts within their core learning goals for students. One of the most effective ways to increase

understanding of environmental science is to provide students with experience-based, hands-on

opportunities to learn about ecosystems. This module was created in an effort to expose students

to basic ecology concepts related to the study of ecosystems. All laboratory activities

incorporate Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum science skills and processes learning

indicators. Likewise, lesson content is aligned with Maryland’s life science standards for grades

K-8 and environmental science standards for grades 4-8. The first four lessons offer a broad

overview of ecosystems and basic ecology principles. Lesson five focuses on human activities

that cause harm to the environment and offers recycling as an example of how altered human

behavior can improve environmental quality. Each lesson is built around hands-on activities

intended to provide students with experiential learning opportunities within a traditional

classroom setting. This module is by no means a comprehensive study of ecosystems. It is an

overview, intended to help students improve their understanding of and interest in ecology and

environmental science. These lessons were designed to provide students with positive learning

experiences that motivate them to continue learning about their environment.

Modifications for Varied Ability Levels

Laboratory procedures within this series of lessons have been designed to work equally

well with students of all ages from elementary school through high school. The assessment

questions and lab analysis questions, however, have been designed for students ages 8-13 and are

most closely targeted for ages 10 and 11 (grades 5 and 6).

Older and higher ability students may need questions that provide them with more of a

challenge. Pre- and post-assessment questions can be modified by the teacher to address higher

levels of thinking at the application and evaluation levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Likewise, the

number and complexity of analysis questions following a lab activity may be increased to offer

more of a challenge. Younger or lower ability students may need questions that are decreased in

complexity, completed with a partner, or discussed orally as a group rather than completed in

written form.

4-H Learning Enrichment Module: Investigating the Environment through Hands-on Activities

Lesson 1: Ecosystems and Soils [70 minutes in length]

Objectives:

-Identify several parts of an ecosystem and explain how living things depend on the

environment.

-Compare soil samples to see how they are similar and different.

-Analyze soil to determine what it is made of and explain why soil is important to organisms.

1. Pre-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of pre-assessment/post-assessment question sheet

a) Distribute the pre-assessment sheet and have students answer questions about the

following concepts:

-parts of an ecosystem

-composition of soil

-plants found in soil

-animals found in soil

2. Introduction to ecosystems (10 minutes)

a) Explain to students that this series of classes will help them better understand their

environment by understanding ecosystems. An ecosystem is made up of living things

(organisms) and nonliving things (the environment) that surround them.

b) Draw a large chart on the board with the following information:

ECOSYSTEM

LIVING NONLIVING

(organisms) (the environment)

Have students suggest things that can be found outdoors and, as a group, classify those

items as living or nonliving. Discuss how organisms depend on their environment.

Identify several examples of ecosystems (forest, pond, rotting log, grassland, puddle,

etc.)

3. Soil: What is in it? lab activity (45 minutes)

__ materials: newspaper, magnifying glasses or dissecting microscopes, several plastic food

bags filled with various soils, forceps (tweezers), plastic Petri dishes, small beakers or

containers with lids, spoons or stirring rods, colored pencils

__copies of soil organism identification guides

__copies of soil lab data sheet

a) Ask students what soil is and why it is important. Is soil different than dirt? Discuss

ideas. (Note: Dirt consists of mineral particles such as sand, silt, clay, and rocks. Soil

is dirt that includes organic material from plants and animals. The organic material is

what gives topsoil the ability to nourish plants.) Emphasize that soil is a mixture of

different things. Have each group choose a soil sample to analyze. (5 min)

b) Students should put some of the soil in a beaker, add water, mix, and allow the soil

mixture to settle for at least 15 minutes while they do the rest of the lab. After 15

minutes they will see layers of sand, silt, clay, and organic material in the beaker.

Different soils have different amounts of each material in them. (5 min)

c) Instruct students to place small amounts of soil in a Petri dish and look through it to

see what they can find using magnifying glasses or microscopes. They should look for

mineral particles (rocks, sand), plant materials (roots, seeds), and animal materials

(insects, worms, eggs). In the appropriate areas of the data sheet, each student should

very carefully draw and describe what he or she finds in the soil sample. Students may

use the soil organism guide to help them identify some species. Students should draw

the soil particle layers visible at the bottom of the beaker of water. Students should

analyze additional an additional sample(s) if time permits (30 min)

d) As a group, write a definition of soil that is based on the observations students made

during the lab. Discuss why soil is important and explain that the kind of soil can

determine the kind of plants animals found in an ecosystem. For example, “Soil is a

mixture of different things that includes mineral particles such as sand and rocks plant

materials such as leaves and roots animal materials such as earthworms and insects,

water, and air. (5 min)

4. Post-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of post-assessment

a) Give out assessment questions and have students answer them. This data can be

compared to the pre-assessment to measure learning during the lesson.

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 1: Ecosystems and Soils

Pre-Assessment:

1. Which of these is part of the environment in an ecosystem?

A. plant

B. bird

C. rock

D. insect

2. Which of these is an organism found in an ecosystem?

A. plant

B. rock

C. water

D. sunlight

3. Which of these is NOT a natural part of soil?

A. dead leaves

B. plastic bags

C. rocks and sand

D. small animals

4. Which of these is a reason why soil is important in an ecosystem?

A. soil kills weeds

B. soil is very hard like a rock

C. nothing lives in soil

D. soil gives minerals to plants

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 1: Ecosystems and Soils

Post-Assessment:

1. Which of these is part of the environment in an ecosystem?

A. plant

B. bird

C. rock

D. insect

2. Which of these is an organism found in an ecosystem?

A. plant

B. rock

C. water

D. sunlight

3. Which of these is NOT a natural part of soil?

A. dead leaves

B. plastic bags

C. rocks and sand

D. small animals

4. Which of these is a reason why soil is important in an ecosystem?

A. soil kills weeds

B. soil is very hard like a rock

C. nothing lives in soil

D. soil gives minerals to plants

Name________________________

Date ______________Class______

Laboratory Activity

Soil: What is in it?

Objectives: -Observe a soil sample and identify what it is made of.

-Compare different soil samples to see how they are different.

Materials: Soil samples plastic Petri dishes spoons and forceps (tweezers) newspaper

soil organism guide beakers or cups water colored pencils

magnifying glasses (or microscopes)

Directions: 1. Choose a soil sample.

2. Put some soil in a beaker, add water and stir. Let the mixture settle for 15 minutes.

3. Put some soil in plastic dish and look at it using a magnifying glass or a microscope. Use the forceps to

help you pick up small objects.

4. Very carefully draw or describe the things that you see in the soil. Also draw the layers of particles that

formed inside the beaker.

5. Use a guide to soil organisms to help you identify living things in the soil.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 with a different sample of soil.

Sample Name: ______________________

Rock and mineral

particles:

Plants or plant parts

(roots, seeds, etc.)

Animals or evidence of

animals (insects,

cocoons, bones, etc.)

Drawing of settled soil

mixture layers:

Organic

Clay

Silt

sand

Sample Name: ______________________

Rock and mineral

particles:

Plants or plant parts

(roots, seeds, etc.)

Animals or evidence of

animals (insects,

cocoons, bones, etc.)

Drawing of settled soil

mixture layers:

Organic

Clay

Silt

sand

Analysis and Conclusion Questions

1. How are the soil samples similar?

2. How are the soil samples different?

3. Think about what you observed in the soil samples. Then write a definition of soil in your

own words.

4. Think: Why is soil important to living things?

4-H Learning Enrichment Module:

Investigating the Environment through Hands-on Activities

Lesson 2: Forest Ecosystems [70 minutes in length]

Objectives:

-Describe several organisms that live in a deciduous forest ecosystem.

-Identify different ways that deciduous forest organisms are adapted to survive the forest

environment.

1. Reinforce soil concepts from lesson 1 (5 minutes)

a) Discuss concepts from the soil lesson: structure of ecosystems, makeup of soil,

importance of soil, soil animals and plants, etc.

2. Pre-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of pre-assessment/post-assessment question sheet

a) Distribute the pre-assessment sheet and have students answer the questions dealing

with the following concepts:

-nonliving parts of the environment found in a forest.

-forest plants and their adaptations

-forest animals and their adaptations

-forest products used by humans

3. Introduction to forest ecosystems (10 minutes)

a) Ask students to describe a forest. What is the soil like? What kinds of plants are in it?

What kinds of animals? What is the climate like? What kinds of things that people use

come from a forest? Discuss ideas.

4. Forest organisms lab activity (25 minutes)

__ materials: preserved forest plants and animals or photographs of various forest organisms

__ copies of forest organisms lab data chart

(Note: Preserved organisms in jars may be purchased from Science Kit or other suppliers.)

a) Distribute the forest organisms lab data chart and have students look at the preserved

forest organisms or photographs of organisms. Students should choose 10 organisms

and decide for each organism: plant or animal, where it lives in forest, how it gets

food. (20 min)

b) Discuss student ideas and how they classified each organism. Correct misconceptions.

(5 min)

5. Forest organism adaptations activity (20 minutes)

__ materials: photographs of large and common forest plants and animals (different from

those used in #4 above)

a) Discuss the concept of adaptation with students. Be sure they understand that

adaptations are traits that help organisms survive in their environment.

b) Hold up various photographs of forest organisms and have students identify ways that

each organism is adapted to survive in its environment. Students may identify multiple

kinds of adaptations.

6. Post-assessment (5 minutes)

__ copies of post-assessment

a) Give out assessment questions and have students answer them. This data can be

compared to the pre-assessment to measure learning during the lesson.

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 2: Forest Ecosystems

Pre-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a part of the environment in a forest ecosystem?

A. tree

B. sunlight

C. earthworm

D. squirrel

2. Which of these can help trees survive the winter in a forest?

A. breaking off long roots

B. being cut down by people

C. losing branches in a storm

D. losing leaves in the fall

3. Which of these can help animals survive the winter in a forest?

A. sleeping during cold weather

B. not eating anything during the summer

C. moving to where the weather is colder

D. being eaten by another animal

4. Which of these is the most important product people get from a forest?

A. corn and wheat to eat

B. oil to make gasoline for cars

C. wood to build furniture

D. cotton to make clothing

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 2: Forest Ecosystems

Post-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a part of the environment in a forest ecosystem?

A. tree

B. sunlight

C. earthworm

D. squirrel

2. Which of these can help trees survive the winter in a forest?

A. breaking off long roots

B. being cut down by people

C. losing branches in a storm

D. losing leaves in the fall

3. Which of these can help animals survive the winter in a forest?

A. sleeping during cold weather

B. not eating anything during the summer

C. moving to where the weather is colder

D. being eaten by another animal

4. Which of these is the most important product people get from a forest?

A. corn and wheat to eat

B. oil to make gasoline for cars

C. wood to build furniture

D. cotton to make clothing

Forest Organisms Lab Activity Name ________________________________

Date _______________ Class ___________

Objective: Identify (circle or describe) different ways that plants and animals are adapted to survive in a forest.

Name of Organism Plant or Animal? Where it Lives

(Think: How do you

know?)

How it Gets Food

(Think: How do you know?)

Ways it is Adapted to

Survive

(long roots, large leaves, legs

for walking, wings, etc.)

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

round trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

soil small plants

ground trees

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

Conclusion: In your opinion, which organism has the best adaptations to help it survive in a forest? Why do you say that?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4-H Learning Enrichment Module:

Investigating the Environment through Hands-on Activities

Lesson 3: Aquatic Ecosystems [70 minutes in length]

Objectives:

-Describe several organisms that live in aquatic ecosystems.

-Identify different ways that aquatic organisms are adapted to survive in their environment.

1. Reinforce forest concepts from lesson 2 (5 minutes)

a) Discuss concepts from the forest lesson: structure of ecosystems, forest plants and

adaptations, animals and adaptations, forest products, etc.

2. Pre-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of pre-assessment/post-assessment question sheet

a) Distribute the pre-assessment sheet and have students answer the questions dealing

with the following concepts:

-nonliving parts of an aquatic environment.

-aquatic plants and their adaptations

-aquatic animals and their adaptations

-aquatic resources used by humans

3. Introduction to aquatic ecosystems (10 minutes)

a) Ask students to describe ponds, lakes, streams, oceans, etc. What is the aquatic

environment like? What kinds of plants are there? What kinds of animals? What

products that people use come from aquatic environments? Discuss ideas.

4. Ocean organisms lab activity (25 minutes)

__ materials: preserved ocean plants and animals or photographs of ocean organisms

__copies of ocean organisms lab data sheet

(Note: Preserved organisms may be purchased from Science Kit or other science suppliers.)

a) Distribute the ocean organisms lab data sheet and have students look at the preserved

ocean organisms or photographs of ocean organisms. Students should choose 10

organisms and decide for each organism: plant or animal, how it moves, how it gets

food, and other adaptations. (20 min)

b) Discuss student ideas and how they classified each organism. Correct misconceptions.

(5 min)

** Option: Instructors may want to substitute pond, river, or Chesapeake Bay organisms

in place of ocean organisms in order to tailor the lesson to local interests. It will then

be necessary to change the title of the lab data sheet to reflect the source of the water

samples.

5. Pond water lab (20 minutes)

__ pond water samples, beakers, slides, cover slips, droppers, magnifying glasses, compound

and dissecting microscopes

__ copies of field guides to aquatic organisms

a) Show students how to prepare a wet mount slide and how to focus a compound

microscope. Tell them that their objective is to identify small organisms that live in

pond water. If microscopes are not available, magnifying glasses will help students

observe organisms that are visible to the naked eye.

b) Allow students to work on identifying organisms in pond water. They can use the field

guides to aquatic organisms to help them identify the organisms they find.

6. Post-assessment (5 minutes)

__ copies of post-assessment

a) Give out assessment questions and have students answer them. This data can be

compared to the pre-assessment to measure learning during the lesson.

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 3: Aquatic Ecosystems

(Ponds, streams, ocean, etc.)

Pre-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a part of the environment in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. plants

B. fish

C. water

D. frogs

2. Which of these can help plants survive in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. floating at the surface to catch sunlight

B. living very deep where it is dark

C. being eaten by lots of animals

D. getting harmed by salt in water

3. Which of these can help animals survive in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. needing a lot of food to stay alive

B. having legs or fins for crawling or swimming

C. being a food source for larger animals

D. having colors that make them easy to see

4. Which of these is an important resource people get from aquatic

ecosystems?

A. plants such as vines and cactuses

B. pets such as parrots and hamsters

C. crops such as corn and wheat

D. foods such as crabs and oysters

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 3: Aquatic Ecosystems

(Ponds, streams, ocean, etc.)

Post-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a part of the environment in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. plants

B. fish

C. water

D. frogs

2. Which of these can help plants survive in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. floating at the surface to catch sunlight

B. living very deep where it is dark

C. being eaten by lots of animals

D. getting harmed by salt in water

3. Which of these can help animals survive in an aquatic ecosystem?

A. needing a lot of food to stay alive

B. having legs or fins for crawling or swimming

C. being a food source for larger animals

D. having colors that make them easy to see

4. Which of these is an important resource people get from aquatic

ecosystems?

A. plants such as vines and cactuses

B. pets such as parrots and hamsters

C. crops such as corn and wheat

D. foods such as crabs and oysters

Ocean Organisms Lab Activity Name ________________________________

Date _______________ Class ____________

Objective: Identify (circle or describe) different ways that plants and animals are adapted to survive in the ocean.

Name of Organism Plant or Animal? How it Moves

(Think: How do you

know?)

How it Gets Food

(Think: How do you know?)

Ways it is Adapted to Survive

(floats to get sunlight, has fins,

blends in, sharp teeth, etc.)

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

PLANT ANIMAL

doesn’t move floats

swims crawls

sunlight eats plants eats animals eats dead things

Conclusion: In your opinion, which organism has the best adaptations to help it survive in the ocean? Why do you say that?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4-H Learning Enrichment Module:

Investigating the Environment through Hands-on Activities

Lesson 4: Food Webs and Feeding [70 minutes in length]

Objectives:

-Analyze owl pellets and identify the diet of barn owls within a food web.

-Compare bird beak shapes to determine how beak shape affects feeding success.

1. Reinforce aquatic ecosystem concepts from lesson 3 (5 minutes)

a) Discuss concepts from the aquatic ecosystems lesson: environmental factors, plants and

adaptations, animals and adaptations, resources, etc.

2. Pre-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of pre-assessment/post-assessment question sheet

a) Distribute the pre-assessment sheet and have students answer the questions dealing with the

following concepts:

-what, when, and how owls feed

-ways owls are adapted to survive

-how bird beak shape relates to feeding ability

3. Introduction to food chains and food webs (5 minutes)

a) Ask students where plants and animals get their food. Introduce the idea of food chains and

food webs. Discuss ideas and diagram some sample food webs on the board.

4. Owl pellets lab (35 minutes)

__ materials: owl pellets, plastic containers with lids, water, liquid soap, newspaper, strainer or cheese

cloth, forceps/tweezers, black paper, plastic bags, owl pellet guides, poster of barn owl food web

(if available)

(Note: owl pellets may be purchased from Science Kit or other science suppliers.)

a) Begin with a discussion about owls and what students know about them: they are birds,

physical traits, behavioral traits, adaptations (flight, talons, keen hearing and eyesight). Have

students speculate where owls fit in a specific food web. (5 min)

b) Show students how to place their pellet in a container of water with a little soap and shake it to

make the pellet come apart more easily. (5 min)

c) Allow students to strain off the water and use the forceps to pull apart the owl pellets and

remove major bones and skulls. They can place the bones on black paper to make them more

visible. Explain to students how to record their data on the lab data sheet. They should

observe and record their findings, comparing them to the owl pellet guides to determine what

kinds of animals are in their pellet. (20 min)

d) Discuss the analysis questions as a group and have students record their answers on page 2 of

the lab sheet. (5 min)

5. Bird beaks and feeding activity (15 minutes)

__ materials per group: 4 tools to represent different bird beaks (fork, scissors, forceps, clothespins);

4 items to represent food items (pennies, toothpicks, beads, paper clips); small cups to

represent “stomachs” plastic containers to dump “food” items in for foraging

__ copies of the chart for recording type of beak and the number of food items “caught” by each

a) Have each group dump their bag of food items into a plastic container. Each student should

select one of the four “beaks” and think about what kinds of food it would be good for picking

up.

b) Hold one-minute rounds of play in which students attempt to pick up food items with their

beak and the results are tallied. Have students try additional beaks in order to compare the

effectiveness of each beak.

c) Lead the discussion to the conclusion that the shape of a bird’s beak is an adaptation that

allows it to feed efficiently on a specific type or types of food. The clothespin will most likely

be the beak that is least adapted to all 4 food types and the forceps will most likely be the most

adapted to a wide variety of food.

6. Post-assessment (5 minutes)

__ copies of post-assessment

a) Give out assessment questions and have students answer them. This data can be compared to

the pre-assessment to measure learning during the lesson.

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 4: Food Webs and Feeding

Pre-Assessment:

1. Where does all of the energy come from that is used by organisms in an ecosystem?

A. water

B. soil

C. rocks

D. sunlight

2. Why do owls usually eat at night?

A. they can’t see during the day

B. it must be quiet for owls to fly

C. things they eat are active at night

D. owls can’t stand the heat during the day

3. What kinds of foods do owls eat?

A. flowers and berries

B. small birds and mice

C. tree leaves and bark

D. insects and worms

4. Why do different kinds of birds have beaks of different shapes?

A. some beaks are better at eating certain foods

B. if birds eat too much they end up with wide beaks

C. birds that are sick have large beaks

D. small beaks are caused by birds fighting

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 4: Food Webs and Feeding

Post-Assessment:

1. Where does all of the energy come from that is used by organisms in an ecosystem?

A. water

B. soil

C. rocks

D. sunlight

2. Why do owls usually eat at night?

A. they can’t see during the day

B. it must be quiet for owls to fly

C. things they eat are active at night

D. owls can’t stand the heat during the day

3. What kinds of foods do owls eat?

A. flowers and berries

B. small birds and mice

C. tree leaves and bark

D. insects and worms

4. Why do different kinds of birds have beaks of different shapes?

A. some beaks are better at eating certain foods

B. if birds eat too much they end up with wide beaks

C. birds that are sick have large beaks

D. small beaks are caused by birds fighting

Owl Pellets Lab Activity Name _______________________ Date ___________ Class _______

Objective: Analyze owl pellets and identify the diet of barn owls within a food web.

Every day, barn owls spit up an owl pellet that contains the remains of food they ate the day before. You can

identify what barn owls eat by studying owl pellets.

Materials:

owl pellets plastic container with lid water liquid soap

newspaper strainer or cheese cloth forceps/tweezers black paper

plastic bags owl pellet guides

Directions:

1. Take 1 owl pellet for your group and place it into a container of water with some water and a little bit of

liquid soap. Shake the container gently and wait about 5 minutes to soften the owl pellet.

2. Strain the water off of the pellet and place it on newspaper. Use the forceps to gently pull apart the pellet.

Place bones or other remains of organisms on black paper so that you can see them easily.

3. Use the owl pellet guide to identify the things you find and determine what organisms they came from.

4. Record your data in the data table and answer the questions at the end.

Data Table:

Drawing of skull, bones, etc.

Type of animal (see chart) Number of this

animal in pellet:

Drawing of skull, bones, etc.

Type of animal (see chart) Number of this

animal in pellet:

Drawing of skull, bones, etc.

Type of animal (see chart) Number of this

animal in pellet:

Questions are on the next page!

Analysis and Conclusion Questions:

1. Is your owl an herbivore (eats plants), a carnivore (eats animals) or an omnivore (eats plants and animals)?

How do you know?

2. What kinds of organisms does your owl eat and where do they live?

3. Where did the animals your owl ate get their food? Are they carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores?

For your information:

A series of one thing eating another is a food chain.

Several food chains linked together are called a food web.

Owls are predators that eat organisms

found at lower feeding levels in the food web.

Bird Beaks and Feeding Activity Name_______________________

Date _____________ Class _____

Objective: Compare bird beak shapes to determine how beak shape affects

feeding success.

Materials per group of 4: 4 tools to represent different bird beaks (fork, scissors,

forceps, clothespins); 4 items to represent food items (pennies, toothpicks, beads,

paper clips); small cups to represent your stomach, plastic container to dump “food” items in

Directions:

1. Dump all of the “food” items into the plastic container.

2. Have each person in your group choose one of the 4 “beaks” and take a cup to represent his or her stomach.

3. When your teacher says go you will have one minute to catch as many of the “food” items with your beak as

possible. You may pick up only 1 food item at a time. Put each food item in your stomach cup.

4. When your teacher says stop, you will need to count the total number of each food item caught by the beak

you used and record the information in the data table below.

5. Repeat the procedure for 3 more rounds of play. Use a different beak each time.

Data Table: Number of each type of food caught

Beads Pennies Paper Clips Toothpicks

Round 1

Beak type (circle):

clothespin fork scissors tweezers

Round 2

Beak type (circle):

clothespin fork scissors tweezers

Round 3

Beak type (circle):

clothespin fork scissors tweezers

Round 4

Beak type (circle):

clothespin fork scissors tweezers

Analysis and Conclusion Questions:

1. Which type of beak you used was best at catching all four types of food?

2. Which type of beak you used had the hardest time picking up certain kinds of food?

3. Think: Why do different kinds of birds have beaks with different shapes?

4-H Learning Enrichment Module:

Exploring Your Environment through Hands-on Activities

Lesson 5: Investigating the Environment [70 minutes in length]

Objectives:

- Identify the three major ways in which people cause environmental damage.

- Create recycled paper from existing paper and explain why recycling helps protect resources.

- Determine the most environmentally friendly fate for typical “trash” items.

1. Reinforce food web concepts from lesson 4 (5 minutes)

a) Refresh students’ memory about the importance of food chains, energy flow, and roles

of organisms such as owls in an ecosystem. Transition discussion to the idea that

people can have negative effects on the environment.

2. Pre-assessment (5 minutes)

__ materials: copies of pre-assessment/post-assessment question sheet

a) Distribute the pre-assessment sheet and have students answer the questions dealing

with the following concepts:

- types of environmental problems and ways people harm the environment

- techniques that can reduce environmental damage

3. Introduction to environmental problems and recycling (25 minutes)

__ materials: short video clip showing materials that can be recycled (you can find video

clips on the internet)

a) Ask students to suggest ideas about how humans and our activities can cause harm to

the environment. List all ideas on the board and try to group them into categories.

Tell students that almost all environmental problems fall into three categories:

pollution, extinction, and overusing resources. Discuss actions that people can take to

reduce environmental problems. (5 min)

b) Explain to students that people tend to overuse natural resources and then throw

products away in the trash, sending them to a landfill. Ask them what they know about

recycling and lead the discussion to the concept that recycling allows us to re-use

materials instead of just throwing them away. (5 min)

c) Show the video clip to introduce students to the process of recycling. Discuss several

types of materials that can be recycled. (approx. 15 min)

4. Recycling paper lab activity (30 minutes)

__ materials: various kinds of paper, water, plastic containers, blender, corn or laundry

starch, pieces of window screen, newspaper (for blotting), option: an iron for drying

out newly made paper.

__ list of “trash” items that might normally be thrown away

a) Instruct students to choose a few different kinds or colors of paper to make into new

paper. Each group will need to tear up the equivalent of about ½ to 1 sheet of loose leaf

paper. Students should put about an inch of water into the bottom of a plastic shoebox

or similar container and tear their small sheet(s) of paper into small pieces and placing

the pieces in the water. Explain to students that paper is made from trees and that

soaking the paper in water allows the small wood fibers to separate so that they can be

made into new paper. (10 min)

b) Place each group’s paper pulp in a blender and blend it for about 30 seconds to further

loosen the pulp. You may want to add a little starch to help the new paper bind

together. Pour the pulp onto a piece of screen and allow most of the water to drain

through into the plastic container. Place another piece of screen on top and squeeze

out excess water, then blot the paper inside of newspaper to soak up even more water.

If you have time, you have the option of running and iron over the newspaper to speed

up the drying of the newly created paper. (15 min)

c) Conclude the activity by reading items off of a list of typical trash items. Make a chart

on the board and have students decide the environmentally friendly fate for each thing.

Use categories such as those listed below to guide the activity. (5 min)

recycle re-use donate to charity send to landfill put in compost pile

5. Post-assessment (5 minutes)

__ copies of post-assessment

a) Give out assessment questions and have students answer them. This data can be

compared to the pre-assessment to measure learning during the lesson.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following the final lesson: Promoting 4-H

Provide students with handouts about 4-H and give them a listing of local 4-H clubs with contact

information. Encourage them to have their parents take them to a 4-H meeting to try it out and

see what kinds of projects and hands-on activities are taking place.

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 5: Protecting the Environment

Pre-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a human activity that protects ecosystems?

A. dumping used motor oil on the ground

B. taking old batteries to a recycling center

C. cutting down most of the trees in a forest

D. killing the snakes and other predators

2. Which of these trash items can easily be recycled?

A. styrofoam cups

B. light bulbs

C. plastic milk jugs

D. spray paint cans

3. What is recycling?

A. turning waste items into new products

B. storing old containers under ground

C. sending your trash to the landfill

D. re-using plastic and glass containers

4. Which of the following activities wastes natural resources?

A. putting leaves and grass in a compost pile

B. sending your trash to be buried in a landfill

C. reducing the amount of trash you produce

D. re-using bottles and other containers

Name______________________________

Date ______________________________

Lesson 5: Protecting the Environment

Post-Assessment:

1. Which of these is a human activity that protects ecosystems?

A. dumping used motor oil on the ground

B. taking old batteries to a recycling center

C. cutting down most of the trees in a forest

D. killing the snakes and other predators

2. Which of these trash items can easily be recycled?

A. styrofoam cups

B. light bulbs

C. plastic milk jugs

D. spray paint cans

3. What is recycling?

A. turning waste items into new products

B. storing old containers under ground

C. sending your trash to the landfill

D. re-using plastic and glass containers

4. Which of the following activities wastes natural resources?

A. putting leaves and grass in a compost pile

B. sending your trash to be buried in a landfill

C. reducing the amount of trash you produce

D. re-using bottles and other containers

styrofoam cup

cardboard box

envelopes with plastic

windows

iPod with broken headphones

batteries

flea collar

used motor oil

milk jug

grass and leaves

plastic butter bowl

old window air conditioner

old tire (flat)

rubber band

plastic bubble wrap

old athletic shoes

light bulb

banana peels

wooden chair,

missing a leg

glass soda bottle

soda can

plastic forks

spoiled meat

shoe box

old clothes

junk mail (white paper)

CD case

used cat litter

plastic grocery bags

Appendix:

Common Soil Organisms Guide (use with lesson 1)

Key to Life in a Pond (use with lesson 3)

A note about science equipment: Supplies such as preserved

deciduous forest organisms, preserved ocean organisms, and owl

pellets/guides can be ordered from science supply companies

such as Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories, Carolina

Biological, Frey Scientific, or Ward’s Biology. Most of these

companies have websites that provide contact and product

information.

Identification Key to Soil Organisms Source: Klein, William J.

Learning Under the Sun, New Ed. 1993.

MB Learning System, Sioux City, Iowa

Common Soil Organisms

Organisms Found in and around Soil

Key to Life in a Pond Source: University of Wisconsin Extension