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The Bruce Museum Education Department Presents: · PDF fileThe Bruce Museum Education...
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January 25 – April 13, 2014 In the Dark is organized by the Cincinnati Museum Center. The Bruce Museum Education Department develops Educator Guides to provide detailed information on field trip planning, alignment with national, state, and local science standards, as well as suggested hands-on classroom activities to do before, during, and after your visit to the Museum. The Bruce Museum Education Department Presents: Educator’s Guide
Transcript of The Bruce Museum Education Department Presents: · PDF fileThe Bruce Museum Education...
January 25 – April 13, 2014
In the Dark is organized by the Cincinnati Museum Center.
The Bruce Museum Education Department develops Educator Guides to provide detailed information on field trip planning, alignment with national, state, and local science standards, as well as suggested hands-on classroom activities
to do before, during, and after your visit to the Museum.
The Bruce Museum Education Department Presents: Educator’s Guide
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Teacher’s Notes
This educator’s guide is separated into the following parts:
Pre-Visit Activity
Overview of Educational Program
Learning Objectives
In the Dark Vocabulary
Post-Visit Activity
Alignment with National, State, and Local Standards
Resources and References
How to Schedule Your Museum Visits
Education Staff List
In this immersive, entertaining, and family-friendly exhibition, people of all ages will discover how
animals adapt to living in the dark. Sometimes scary, but always intriguing, darkness beckons
exploration. Explore four different environments – fragile caves, deep soil, and the forest and desert
at night -- to discover the unique and unusual ways that organisms have adapted to living without
light. The show features natural dioramas of caves, deep soil, nighttime forest and desert, along with
mechanical, electronic and digital interactives.
Consider the Bruce Museum an annex to your classroom. Our collections and inquiry-based STEM
programs are the perfect way to complement and enrich your day-to-day practice. The hands –on
interaction of “touching” objects and “exploring” collections can enhance a child’s understanding of
scientific phenomena while also allowing them to make important connections between the sciences
and humanities. Our workshops are thematic and designed to give children maximum exposure to
both scientific concepts as well as the scientific process.
A visit to In the Dark: Animal Survival Strategies is an exciting way to invite students into an
interdisciplinary study of animal adaptations, food chains and webs, biology, and habitats.
For school program information, contact Kathleen D’Aquila, Manager of School and Tour Services, at
[email protected] or (203) 413-6741.
For reservations contact Julie Harrington, Reservations Manager & Museum Educator, at
[email protected] or (203) 413-6744.
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Pre-Visit Activity
Nocturnal Forest
This activity has been adopted from the Cincinnati Museum Center’s Teacher’s Guide, which can be
found on: http://www.cincymuseum.org/sites/default/files/InTheDarkTeachersGuide.pdf
People as well as other animals have senses that can adjust to darkness. The following activity
demonstrates to students that their bodies can make changes to better function in darkness, like the
adaptations the animals they will learn about in the exhibition have developed over many years.
Materials:
- Blindfolds, if dark room is unavailable
o This activity can be altered by blindfolding the students if you do not have access to a
dark room. Then omit the paper plate activity, but do the others.
- 10-12 white paper plates
- String
- Tape
- Paper
- Pencil
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Directions:
To carry out this activity effectively, you will need to darken your classroom completely.
1. Ask your students to wait quietly in a lighted hall.
2. Hang several paper plates from the ceiling at 3-foot intervals along one end of the room.
3. Turn off the lights.
4. Students enter and sit at one end of the room facing the paper plates. As soon as they are
seated, ask how many paper plates they can see. Have them sit in the dark for 5-10 minutes,
noticing every sound they hear. At the end of the time span, have them look at the paper
plates again. How many can they see now?
5. Before turning on the lights have the students pair up and observe the pupils of each other’s
eyes when you turn on the lights.
6. When the students return to their desks, they should record all the sounds they heard while
they were sitting in the dark.
Questions:
1. Could you see more or fewer paper plates after being in the dark for a period of time? What
happened to cause this? Students should be able to see more paper plates as the pupils of
their eyes enlarge to allow them to see better in the dark.
2. What must the pupils of eyes do to adapt to the dark? What do they look like in the dark? The
pupils enlarge in the dark in order to allow what little light there is to enter.
3. When the lights are turned on, what happened to the pupils of your eyes? Why? When going
from a dark to a lighted room, the pupils of the eyes constrict so that less light enters the eyes.
4. What sound do you remember hearing? Do you hear all these things when you are in a lighted
room? Would you have heard more sounds or fewer sounds in the dark room? Why? Let
students enumerate the sounds they have heard. They should hear more when they are in the
dark, since the sense of hearing becomes more important that the sense of sight.
5. What often happens to a blind person’s senses of touch, hearing and smell? When a person
has lost the sense of sight, he/she has to rely on his/her remaining sense to relay information
about his/her surroundings. These senses gradually become sharper.
6. Elicit comments on what adaptations the students think nocturnal animals might have to
survive in the dark. Comments may include larger ears in order to hear better, larger eyes that
can gather more light, a better sense of smell.
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Overview of Educational Program
During a tour of In the Dark: Animal Survival Strategies, docents will guide students through the
following discussions and activities:
- Discuss the characteristics of multiple dark environments, including a nighttime forest, underground, and caves and compare and contrast these different habitats.
- Discover multiple species that live within various dark environments and identify the adaptations these animals have developed to survive in their habitat.
- Outline different food chains which show how life forms in dark environments receive the energy and nutrients necessary for survival.
- Infer how different animals ended up in dark environments, like caves or underground.
Bobcat (Felis rufus)
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Learning Objectives
After a visit to In the Dark: Animal Survival Strategies, students will be able to:
- Summarize the defining characteristics of different dark environments, including a nocturnal forest, underground, and caves, and explain the challenges living creatures encounter in these habitats.
- Give examples of multiple living creatures that inhabit each dark environment and review the adaptations each animal has that allow it to survive in its habitat.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how energy and nutrients are transmitted from creature to
creature.
- Construct an argument that explains how an animal ended up in its environment and defend the argument with relevant information and observations.
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
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In the Dark Vocabulary
Some of these definitions have been adopted from the Cincinnati Museum Center’s Teacher’s Guide, which can be found on: http://www.cincymuseum.org/sites/default/files/InTheDarkTeachersGuide.pdf
Adaptation- a characteristic that improves an animal’s chance for survival in a particular habitat. Crepuscular- animals primarily active during twilight (i.e. dawn and dusk) Diurnal- plants and animals active during the daytime. Echo- reflected sound produced when sound waves intercept any object in their path. Echolocation- process for locating objects by means of sound waves (echoes) that are reflected back to an emitter (such as a bat, dolphin or submarine) from the objects in question. Food chain- a sequence that shows how each living thing gets its food and how energy and nutrients are passed from creature to creature. Habitat- the natural environment in which an animal lives. Invertebrate- an animal lacking a backbone, e.g. insects, snails, corals, etc. Nocturnal- occurring at night. Pheromone- a chemical substance released by some animals, such as ants and moths, to influence the behavior or development of other individuals of the same species. Predator- any creature that is hunting prey for food. Prey- any creature hunted or caught for food. Pupil- the dark circle in the center of the colored part of the eye that permits the entry of light. Species- plants, animals, or other organisms that can interbreed with each other produce offspring that can also interbreed successfully. Troglobite- an animal that lives entirely in dark parts of caves. Ultrasonic- referring to frequencies of sound above the range of human hearing (above approximately 20,000 cycles per second). Vertebrate- animals with in internal skeleton made of bone.
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Post-Visit Activity
This activity has been adopted from the Cincinnati Museum
Center’s Teacher’s Guide, which can be found on:
http://www.cincymuseum.org/sites/default/files/InTheDarkTeac
hersGuide.pdf
Bats, in addition to other animals and humans, use their sense
of hearing to locate objects. The following activity will aid
student understanding of how bats use echolocation to navigate
dark places.
Materials:
A blindfold
Directions:
1. Ask students to decide which of the bat’s senses seems to be the most dominant. Bats generally
have large ears indicating that hearing is a very important sense.
2. Seat students in a large circle. These students represent obstructions such as buildings or trees.
3. Have one student act as a bat. Blindfold the bat. Have five or six others representing flying insects
such as beetles, moths, or mosquitoes go to the center of the circle.
4. The bat will call out in a loud voice, “Bat.” When he does this, students facing the bat will respond
by saying the name of the obstruction or insect they represent.
5. The object of the game us for the bat to tag the flying insects and avoid the obstructions. When a
flying insect is tagged, he becomes an obstruction in the circle. The game is over when all the flying
insects have been tagged.
Questions:
1. Do flying insects or obstacles really make sounds? Insects in flight make sounds. This exercise just
demonstrates how bats use echolocation.
2. In the game, what had to happen before a flying insect or obstacle could make a sound? The bat
had to make a sound first.
3. Why do you think bats make their sounds in short bursts with periods of silence in between? This
allows time for the bat to hear the echo it receives back so that it can locate obstacles or prey.
In the Dark: Animal Survival Strategies
Kentucky Limestone Karst Cave
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Alignment with National, State, & Local Science Standards
The complete Next Generation Science Standards with the full text for all grade levels and subjects
can be found at: http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards.
- ESS3.A: Natural Resources (K)
- LS1.A: Structure and Function (1, 4)
- LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms (K, 5)
- LS1.D: Information Processing (1)
- LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (2, 5, MS, HS)
- LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems (5, MS)
- LS4.C: Adaptation (3, MS, HS)
- LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans (2, 3)
- PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life (5)
The complete State of Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework with the text for all grade
levels and subjects can be found at:
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/science/pk8_science_curriculumstandards201
1.pdf
- PK.2 — Many different kinds of living things inhabit the earth.
- K.2 — Many different kinds of living things inhabit the earth.
- 1.2 — Living things have different structures and behaviors that allow them to meet their
basic needs.
- 3.2 — Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environments that meet their basic needs.
- 4.2 — All organisms depend on the living and nonliving features of the environment for
survival.
- 6.2 — An ecosystem is composed of all the populations that are living in a certain space and
the physical factors with which they interact.
The complete New York State Elementary Science Core Curriculum with the text for all grade levels
and subjects can be found at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/pub/elecoresci.pdf
- Standard 4: The Living Environment
o Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.
Performance Indicator 3.1: Describe how the structures of plants and animals
complement the environment of the plant or animal.
o Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Performance Indicator 5.1: Describe basic life functions of common living
specimens (e.g., guppies, mealworms, gerbils).
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Performance Indicator 5.2: Describe some survival behaviors of common living
specimens.
o Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
Performance Indicator 6.1: Describe how plants and animals, including humans,
depend upon each other and the nonliving environment.
Performance Indicator 6.2: Describe the relationship of the Sun as an energy
source for living and nonliving cycles.
The complete Greenwich Public School Science curriculum with the text and for all grade levels and
subjects can be found at: http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=828
- K- Zoology and Ecology
- 1- Adaptations: Plant and Animal
- 3- Heredity and Evolution: Plant and Animal Adaptations
- 6- Ecosystems
Umbrella-leaf (Dihylleiia cymosa) in the Great Smoky Mountains
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Resources and References
Resources for Students: Fiction
- Berk, Ari. Nightsong. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. - Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna. New York: Harcourt, Inc. 1993. - Yolan, Jane. Owl Moon. New York: Philomel Books, 1987.
Nonfiction
- Carney, Elizabeth. National Geographic Readers: Bats. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2010.
- Fleming, Denise. UnderGROUND. Beach Lane Books, 2012. - Golding, Elizabeth. Moonlight Animals. Lightbeam Books, 2011. - Lauber, Patricia. Earthworms: Underground Farmers. New York: Henry Holt and Company,
1994. - Silver, Donald. One Small Square: Cave. McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Websites
- J. Barrett ict games, http://www.ictgames.com/topic/nocturnal/ - Kidport Reference Library, Animal Index- Invertebrates,
http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/animals/animalindexinv.htm - Kidport Reference Library, Animal Index- Vertebrates,
http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/Animals/AnimalIndexV.htm Resources for Educators: Websites
- BBC Nature Wildlife- Animal and Plant Adaptations and Behaviors, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations This website explores multiple types of animal adaptations and links to information, news, and video related to each adaptation. Below are links to pages about dark habitats and adaptations that are common to animals that live in the dark.
o BBC Nature- Bioluminescence, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Bioluminescence
o BBC Nature- Burrower, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Fossorial o BBC Nature- Cave Dweller, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Troglobite o BBC Nature- Echolocation and ultrasound,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Ultrasound o BBC Nature- Nocturnal, http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Nocturnality
- Cincinnati Museum Center, In the Dark Teacher’s Guide, http://www.cincymuseum.org/sites/default/files/InTheDarkTeachersGuide.pdf
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How to Schedule a Museum Visit
Adult and school groups of 8 or more require advance reservations and are subject to a special group fee.
Museum-Based School programs are available Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
After-School Museum-Based programs are available Tuesday through Friday, last one hour, and start no later than 4:00 pm.
The Bruce Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Call Bruce Museum Reservations Manager, Julie Harrington, at (203) 413-6744. You may leave a voicemail message at this number at any time. Please leave a choice of times to return your call.
Fees A confirmation/invoice will be e-mailed four weeks prior to the program. Pre-payment is preferred, however, Museum programs may be paid on day of visit. Payment is by cash or check, payable to Bruce Museum, Inc. Museum-Based School Programs: $45 per program for each class. Adult tour groups: $6 per person with a minimum fee of $54.
Scholarships Thanks to the generosity of our corporate members and sponsors, scholarships are available under special circumstances. Please contact the Museum for more information.
Cancellations There is a $15 charge if cancellation is less than two weeks in advance of the scheduled program.
No Eating Facilities are available at the Museum In case of bad weather, classes will be permitted to eat in the Education Workshop if they reserve the room in advance.
Class Size In order to maintain quality education, classes are limited to 25 students. Pre-school class size is limited to 20 students.
Supervision: REQUIRED for all programs Museum visit: 1 adult for every 5 children, to accompany the children at all times. Self-guided tours: If you would like your class to tour the rest of the Museum before or after the scheduled program, you must tell us when you make your reservation to avoid conflict with other groups. Nametags: Help to personalize program and enhance student behavior.
Conduct In order to enhance everyone's enjoyment of the Museum, please go over these rules with your students in advance:
o Please do not run in the Museum o Please talk in quiet voices o Please do not touch paintings or objects
Special requests or curriculum needs All of the programs are flexible and can be adapted to audiences with special needs or to your curriculum objectives. Please discuss with the Museum Education staff in advance.
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Education Department Staff List
Robin Garr Director of Education and Public Programs
(203) 413-6740 [email protected]
Kathleen D’Aquila
Manager of School Programs and Tour Services (203) 413-6741
Peter Linderoth Manager of Outreach Education and the Seaside Center
(203) 413-6742 [email protected]
Julie Harrington
Museum Educator and Reservations Manager (203) 413-6744
Mary Ann Lendenmann Manager of Volunteers and New Media Developer
(203) 413-6746 [email protected]
In the Dark: Animal Survival Strategies
