TEAM BCPS

TEAM BCPS

Pre-Trip Visit – Cold WeatherEco-Trekkers

TEAM BCPS

CLASSROOM PRE-WORK Activities in your school begin four or five

days prior to the Eco-Trekker’s field study and will include:• Producers, consumers, & decomposers.• Food chains.• Competition.• Predators & prey.• Living & non-living factor.

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ECO-CHAMBER Think about how you will make your

eco-chamber.

Terrestrial Eco-chambers

Aquatic Eco-chamber

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GRADE FIVE WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR SEPARATE GROUPS.

Silversides

White-tailed DeerGreat Blue Herons

Green Darner Dragonflies

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BUS RIDE TO FIELD STUDY At your first site, the teacher/naturalist

will board the bus and let you know what to bring for the morning.

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AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Shoreline

Wetlands

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INTRODUCTION TO THE DAY Pass out science logs. Discuss the details of the day.

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SCIENCE LOGS Scientists collect data. You will record your

data in science logs.

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SHORELINE ECOSYSTEM What are the parts of a food chain and how

do they interact with each other and their environment?

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Use four of your senses to identify

non-living factors found at the shoreline ecosystem.

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Thermometers - determine the air

temperature and water temperature at the shoreline ecosystem

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Using a chart of the Chesapeake Bay, predict

the salinity of the water of Miami Beach’s shoreline ecosystem.

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Digital salinity meters - determine the

salinity of the water at the shoreline ecosystem

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LIVING FACTORS Seine net - collect

producers, consumers, and evidence of decomposers

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LIVING FACTORS: PRODUCERS

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LIVING FACTORS: CONSUMERS

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LIVING FACTORS: FOOD CHAINS After seining use some of the producers,

consumers, and decomposers you collected to create a food chain.

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DATA COLLECTION Record all the data you collected

about the living factors into your science log.

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WETLAND ECOSYSTEM Why are sunlight and decomposers important to a successful ecosystem?

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Use four of your senses to identify

non-living factors found at the wetland ecosystem.

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LIVING FACTORS

If students quietly approach the bridge on the boardwalk, it can be an ideal place to observe wetland consumers.

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Thermometers - determine the air

temperature and water temperature at the wetland ecosystem

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Digital salinity meters - determine the salinity

of the water at the wetland ecosystem

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LIVING FACTORS Dip net - collect producers, consumers, and

decomposers

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LIVING FACTORS Look carefully through the detritus for

tiny organisms hiding from predators!

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LIVING FACTORS Aquatic organisms called

macroinvertebrates can often be found in the detritus.

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LIVING FACTORS: PRODUCERS Identify common producers found in a wetland

ecosystem.

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LIVING FACTORS: CONSUMERS

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LIVING FACTORS: DECOMPOSERS

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DATA COLLECTION Record all the data you collected

about the living factors into your science log.

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LUNCHTIME!

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TIME TO TAKE THE BUS FROM MIAMI BEACH TO MARSHY POINT NATURE CENTER

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BUS RIDE TO SITE TWO At your second site, the

teacher/naturalist will board the bus and let you know what to bring for the afternoon.

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TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

Forest Meadow

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FOREST ECOSYSTEM How does competition among trees affect the

growth of a forest over time?

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Use four of your senses to

identify non-living factors found at the forest ecosystem.

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Thermometers - determine the air

temperature and water temperature at the forest ecosystem

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Digital salinity meters - determine the

salinity at the forest ecosystem

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TRANSECTS Used by scientists to count and/or

measure something within a defined area

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LIVING FACTORS Count and measure trees in a sapling

and a mature forest.

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DRAWING CONCLUSIONS Record the data onto the Tree Tally in

order to draw conclusions about competition in a forest ecosystem.

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LIVING FACTORS: PRODUCERS

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LIVING FACTORS: CONSUMERS

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LIVING FACTORS: DECOMPOSERS

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DATA COLLECTION Record all the data you collected

about the living factors into your science log.

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MEADOW ECOSYSTEM What are the roles within a

predator/prey relationship and how do these relationships affect the number of organisms within an ecosystem?

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Use four of your senses to identify

non-living factors found at the meadow ecosystem.

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Thermometers - determine the air

temperature and water temperature at the meadow ecosystem

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NON-LIVING FACTORS Digital salinity meters - determine the

salinity at the meadow ecosystem

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LIVING FACTORS Sweep net – collect producers,

consumers, and decomposers

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LIVING FACTORS Remove the consumers from the sweep nets. Place them in bug boxes. Observe the consumers and identify them.

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LIVING FACTORS: PRODUCERS

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LIVING FACTORS: CONSUMERS

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DATA COLLECTION Record all the data you collected

about the living factors into your science log.

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TIME TO GO HOME The field study might be over, but not

your role as a scientist!

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BACK AT SCHOOL: THE DATA YOU COLLECTED MATTERS! We enter the data you collected online. Use your data to draw conclusions about the

different ecosystems.

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WITH THE CLICK OF A BUTTON, YOUR DATA TURNS INTO A LINE GRAPH!

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FINAL PROJECT – ECO-CHAMBERS Using what you learned in the

classroom and on the field study, you will make an eco-chamber.

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EQUIPMENT YOU NEED TO BRING Backpack Plastic bags (2-3) Hand towel Extra clothes: socks,

underwear, pants or shorts, shirt

Spare shoes/sneakers Rain gear (possibly)

Sharpened pencils Trash free lunch

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COLD WEATHER: EQUIPMENT Dress in warm layers (which can be

taken off as you get warmer). Hat and gloves Appropriate shoes and socks

for outside stations (both wet work and dry work)

Students will not be entering water when water temperature is below 55˚F or the weather conditions are not appropriate.Dress appropriately! Remember, you will be outdoors at least

4 hours.

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WARM WEATHER: EQUIPMENT You must wear shoes if you go in the

water and have dry shoes to wear on the bus (no sandals or flip flops).

Sunscreen Hat Sunglasses Extra drinking water

Dress appropriately! Remember, you will be outdoors at least 4 hours.

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APPROPRIATE FOOTWEARAcceptable Footwear Footwear with laces Sneakers (preferably

old ones) Boots

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INAPPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR Unacceptable Footwear Open-toed shoes such

as: Flip-flops, sandalsTeva’sCroc’s

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SCIENTISTS ARE TOUGH! No matter what the weather, you will be

attending the Eco-Trekker field study. If lightning/thunder develop, we will go

indoors. Be prepared for the weather!

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TRASH FREE LUNCHTrash Free Lunch Reusable lunch bag Reusable water

bottle Plastic containers

used to hold foodYour goal:

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TRASH LUNCHNOT a Trash Free Lunch Plastic bag for lunch bag Juice box Plastic baggies/Zip-lock

baggies used to hold food Lunchables

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SEE YOU SOON!