The following is a list of ideas for how to use the Field Guide and Stonehill's Campus to help you teach biology.  Modify the following as you wish. If you have ideas of how to improve on these or would like to add new options, please contact Roger Denome using the "contact us" button.

1.     Envirothon Teams can practice identifying native tree species

2.     Teacher Resource - to create own personal tree leaf sample notebook

- can mark your map where you find your specimens

Possible lessons:

1.     Tree as Ecosystem

- groups of three students

- assign each group one tree

- have students observe and identify the organisms that use this tree as part of their habitat  (subterranean, below the bark, in the leaves, in the canopy)

- have students prepare age appropriate follow-up activity such as species list, essay, class presentation, class discussion

- compare this ecosystem with another such as the fallow field, mowed field, riparian zone, rocky outcrop, dry lake bed, newly disturbed soil (construction site), under raised deck

2.     Food Web Workshop

-bring your students to a well diversified area of campus

-have students pick pre-labeled index cards to determine whether they must pick a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, etc.

-have students chose to be an organism represented in the area that corresponds to their trophic level

-have students label an index card with their organism for everyone to see

-be supplied with extras choices for those students unable to choose and to be sure of a balanced web (be sure to include decomposers)

-have 6 ft lengths of yarn for connecting the organisms

-form a circle

-call all producers to the center and give each several pieces of yarn -have the primary consumers chose their appropriate energy source and grab the other end of the yarn (for example a rabbit and grasshopper may both choose the grass)-provide new pieces of yarn to the primary consumers

-have the secondary consumers chose their appropriate energy source and grab the other end of the yarn (for example the fox or the owl may choose the rabbit)

-provide new pieces of yarn to the secondary consumers

-continue with the tertiary consumers

-finish with decomposers

-at end of exercise have students observe or identify signs of their selected animal

3.     Interaction of Organisms

- Find several examples of interdependent relationships and place in the following categories:

Mutualism

Parasitism

Commensalism

Symbiosis

Predation

- Have students prepare age-appropriate follow-up activity such as basic description of relationship, essay, class presentation, class discussion.

4.     Creating a Taxonomic Key

- Challenge students to create keys to identify local trees using leaf, needle shape, colors, structures, bark features, etc. 

- Have students test their keys in the field.

- Have compare their homemade key with published keys.

- Enter into a discussion of common names vs. scientific names addressing conventional jargon with scientific terms (example  an acorn is a seed, pine cones contain sperm and egg, oak trees have flowers, princess pine vs.. white pine.)

5.     Terrestrial Field Study 

MODIFIED FROM UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA SITE

PARTICIPANTS:

 BOTANIST - A SCIENTIST WHO STUDIES PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION AFTER A 4-YEAR PROGRAM OF STUDY.

IN THIS PROJECT, THE BOTANIST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LISTING THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF A MINIMUM OF 10 SPECIES OF PLANT LIFE, IDENTIFYING THEIR COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES, AND PREPARING A LEAF RUBBING FOR EACH SAMPLE. AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH OF GRASSES, SHRUBS, AND TREES MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP'S FINAL REPORT.

ZOOLOGIST - A SCIENTIST WHO STUDIES ANIMAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION AFTER COMPLETING A 4-YEAR PROGRAM OF STUDY. 

IN THIS PROJECT, THE ZOOLOGIST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LISTING THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF A MINIMUM OF 10 SPECIES OF ANIMAL LIFE, IDENTIFYING THEIR COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES, AND PREPARING A DRAWING OR PICTURE OF EACH SAMPLE. aT LEAST TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH OF INVERTEBRATES, AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, BIRDS, MAMMALS MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP'S FINAL REPORT.

SOIL SCIENTIST - A SCIENTIST WHO STUDIES SOIL COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION AFTER A 4-YEAR PROGRAM OF STUDY. 

IN THIS PROJECT, THE SOIL SCIENTIST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING SOIL SAMPLES, AND THEN ANALYZING THE SAMPLES TO DETERMINE THEIR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PARTICLE SIZE. THE SOIL SCIENTIST ALSO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING A CLIMATOGRAM FOR THE AREA IN WHICH SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED. THE CLIMATOGRAM MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP'S FINAL REPORT, AND SHOULD DISPLAY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE, AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE, AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE, AND MONTHLY PRECIPITATION VALUES.  THIS WILL REQUIRE SOME WEB RESEARCH FOR THE AREA.

BIOSTATISTICIAN - A SCIENTIST WHO COLLECTS AND ANALYZES NUMERICAL DATA ON POPULATION SIZES AND DISTRIBUTIONS (AMONG OTHER THINGS) AFTER COMPLETING A 4-YEAR PROGRAM OF STUDY. 

IN THIS PROJECT, THE BIOSTATITICIAN WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING, CHARTING, AND GRAPHING THE POPULATION SIZE AND DENSITY FOR EACH OF PRODUCERS, HERBIVORES, CARNIVORES, AND DECOMPOSERS FOUND IN THE STUDY AREA.

ARTIST - A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST MAY COMPLETE A 4-YEAR PROGRAM OF STUDY. 

IN THIS PROJECT, THE ARTIST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTRUCTING A VISUAL DISPLAY OF BOTH THE AREA OF STUDY AND A TYPICAL FOOD WEB NATIVE TO THE AREA OF STUDY. THE MAP OF THE AREA OF STUDY MUST BE DRAWN BY HAND, BUT THE FOOD WEB MAY BE PRESENTED AS A POSTER OR COMPUTERIZED. 

ALL GROUP MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPILING ACCURATE FIELD NOTES THAT LIST,  IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHAT THE GROUP MEMBERS HAVE  ACCOMPLISHED.

PHYSICAL FEATURES (ARTIST)

SKETCH YOUR FIELD STUDY AREA (BOTH TOP VIEW AND SIDE VIEW).  YOUR DRAWING SHOULD FIT ONTO ONE SIDE OF AN UNLINED 8 1/2" X 11" SHEET.  INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

1.     THE PHYSICAL FEATURES IN YOUR DRAWING SHOULD BE ACCURATE (HILLS, PREDOMINANT VEGETATION, ETC).

2.      ATTEMPT TO DRAW THE DIAGRAM TO SCALE BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE SCALE IN THE BOTTOM, RIGHT-HAND CORNER.

3.     LABEL THE DIRECTIONS (N, S, E, & W).

4.     WRITE IN THE LOCATION OF YOUR FIELD STUDY AREA AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE (LATITUDE, LONGITUDE, ELEVATION).

5.     IN YOUR DIAGRAMS, IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS FROM WHICH YOU OBTAINED OR IDENTIFIED YOUR SAMPLES OF SOIL (s), PLANT LIFE (p), AND ANIMAL LIFE (a).

6.     iN YOUR DIAGRAM, SHADE OR COLOR IN THE AREAS OF THE FIELD STUDY WHERE GRASSES, HERBS, SHRUBS, AND TREES ARE FOUND.  BE SURE TO INCLUDE A LEGEND.

FOOD WEB (ARTIST)

DRAW A REPRESENTATIVE FOOD WEB FOR YOUR ECOSYSTEM. THE DRAWING MAY BE DONE BY HAND OR ON COMPUTER, AND MUST CONTAIN AT LEAST 4 PLANT SPECIES, 2 HERBIVORES, 2 CARNIVORES, AND 2 DECOMPOSERS OR SCAVENGERS.

CLIMATE (SOIL SCIENTIST)

ADD THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE BACK OF YOUR FIELD STUDY DIAGRAM:

1.     DATE OF SPECIMEN COLLECTION(S)

2.     TIME OF SPECIMEN COLLECTION(S)

3.     AIR TEMPERATURE

4.     ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

5.     WIND SPEED

6.     WIND DIRECTION

7.     AMOUNT OF SKY COVER (# OF EIGHTHS)

8.     PREDOMINANT TYPE OF CLOUD

SOIL ANALYSIS (SOIL SCIENTIST)

1.     OBTAIN SOIL SAMPLES FROM YOUR FIELD STUDY AREA.  DETERMINE THEIR:

A.     NITROGEN CONTENT

B.     PHOSPHORUS CONTENT

C.     POTASSIUM CONTENT

D.     pH

E.     PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION

2.     MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF THE HUMUS LAYER

3.     SKETCH A TYPICAL SOIL PROFILE FOR THIS AREA

PLANT LIFE (BOTANIST)

Describe the field study locations for plant life using rubbings where possible.  Make a catalog of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses found.  Remember to report on at least 10 different species, and that a minimum of one from each category must be included in your report. Be sure to include the scientific name of each plant.

ANIMAL LIFE (ZOOLOGIST)

List the distinguishing characteristics, size, and habitat of a minimum of 10 species of animal life, identifying their common and scientific names, and preparing a drawing or picture of each sample. At least two representatives of each of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals must be included in your final report.

POPULATION CENSUS (BIOSTATISTICIAN)

1.     Construct and complete a table similar to the following for the animal and plant life found in your field study location:

Animal Life in Our Field Study Location

Name of Organism                                                                        

Estimated Number of Organisms (per square meter)                     

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

2.     Use the above data to construct a pyramid of numbers for a representative food chain found in your field study location.

3.     Describe the diversity of the plant life seen in your field study location.

4.     Describe the diversity of the animal life seen in your field study location.

My Favorite Organism

Pick out the organism found in your field study location that is the most interesting to you.  Complete the following information on the creature that you have selected.

1.     Name of organism:

2.     Type of plant/animal:

3.     Size:

4.     How it moves:

5.     Most interesting feature:

6.     Identify and describe one structural adaptation that this organism uses to help it to survive in its ecological niche:

7.     Identify and describe one behavioral adaptation that this organism uses to help it to survive in its ecological niche:

8.     Identify the category and trophic level that this organism occupies:

9.     How does the organism that you have selected survive the winter?

10.     Develop a plausible food chain, that has at least four levels and includes a decomposer, of which your organism could be a part.  List this food chain below.

11.     Research the life cycle of the organism that you have selected.  Diagram its life cycle in the space below.