Aim: To match young and adult of the same species using the brass rubbing trail.

Transcription

1 Brass Rubbing Trail Aim: To match young and adult of the same species using the brass rubbing trail. This is a fun and exciting way of learning that animals reproduce and change as they grow older. Children often think that invertebrates are not animals. This activity gives them the opportunity to match adult with young and can be extended by looking more closely at the changes that take place during growth, including those animals whose adults and young are very different e.g. diving beetle. Equipment: Each group will need a: Wax crayon block Clipboard and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the Brass Rubbing Trail worksheet Method: Each group will make its way around the brass rubbing trail taking turns to take rubbings of the different animals they fi nd along the way. There are fi ve pairs of animals. Children need to try to match the correct adult to its young. There will be time at the end of the activity to discuss the results with the children. 27

2 Brass Rubbing Trail Match the young with the adult Dragonfl y Dragonfl y Nymph Frog Frog spawn Toad Toad spawn 28 28

3 Diving Beetle Diving Beetle Larva Damselfl y Damselfl y Larva 29

4 Spot My Footprints Aim: To match the footprints found on the boardwalk to the correct animal picture. This activity is designed to encourage children to understand and make comparisons between humans and different animals. Using the simple characteristic of footprints, children will be able to differentiate between those animals with webbed feet or padded feet and numbers of toes and how these features relate to the habitat e.g. adaptation to environment. Equipment: Each group will need a: Pencil Clipboard and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the Spot My Footprint worksheet Method: Each group will make its way along the boardwalk where they will try to match the footprint images found on the boardwalk with the pictures on the Spot My Footprints worksheet. Once a match has been identifi ed, the footprint is drawn in the appropriate circle on the worksheet. There are 6 sets of footprints to be found on the boardwalk. There will be time at the end of the activity to discuss the results with the children. 30

5 Spot my footprint Draw the footprint to match the animal

6 Frog Food Web Aim: To complete the life cycle of a frog. This activity will help to re-inforce childrens understanding that animals (including humans) change as they grow and that this process involves more than just a change in size. Emphasis is given to how the young of certain animals can look quite different from the adult (supporting activity 1). This activity also helps children to understand that animals (including humans) need to reproduce in order to ensure future generations. Equipment: Each group will need a: Clipboard Frog stamper set and ink pad and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the Frog Food Web worksheet Method: Each group will make its way to the dipping platform where they will try to complete the frog life cycle with the help of the images found on the dipping platform. Six frog life cycle ink stampers will help the children to complete the life cycle on the worksheet. There will be time at the end of the activity to discuss the results with the children. 32

7 Use the stamps to complete the frog life cycle. How do I grow? fi nish start 33 33

8 Pond Dipping Aim: The aim of this exercise is to discover what lives in the ponds and to understand a little bit more about why ponds make a good home for many creatures. Children will be encouraged to make observations of animals and use these observable similarities and differences to group them. They will use the information they gather to make a record of animals found and present the results in a table. An understanding of what makes a good habitat (e.g. what the essential requirements for survival are for the animals that live in this environment) will be encouraged including the recognition that we all have a responsibility to respect and protect wildlife. Equipment: Each group will need a: Pencil, clipboard, rubber Yellow Tray Pond Dipping net couple of plastic spoons Provided by The Eden Rivers Trust and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the Pond Dipping Tick Sheet Method: Using nets, trays and identifi cation keys the pupils collect samples of the pond inhabitants and try to identify them. Once identifi ed using the key, the species found are recorded on a tick sheet. Instruction in how to catch the mini beasts and identify them will be given by the Eden Rivers Trust Education Offi cer. There will be time during the activity to discuss the results with the children. Follow up: Contained in the Education Pack is a copy of the Pond Dipping Tick Sheet to use in the class. In addition there are examples of the life cycles of a number of freshwater animals and a pond food web which will help pupils understand more about these creatures. 34

9 Pond Dipping Tick Sheet I have a shell Wandering Pond Snail Dragonfl y Nymphs Ram s horn Snail I have 6 legs and 2 tails I have a case Cased Caddis Fly Larva Caseless Caddis Fly Larva 35 I have 6 legs and 3 tails Great Diving Beetle Larva Mayfl y Nymphs Great Silver Beetle Larva Dragonfl y Nymph Damselfl y Nymph 35

10 I have 6 legs and 1 tail Water Scorpion Water Stick Insect Alderfl y Larva I have 6 legs and no tail Whirligig Beetle Larva Whirligig Beetle Pond Skater Backswimmer 36 Waterboatman Great Diving Beetle Great Silver Beetle Small Diving Beetle I have more than 6 legs Water Mite Freshwater Hoglouse Freshwater Shrimp

11 I am like a caterpillar or a grub I am long and thin like a worm Leech Cranefl y Larva Flatworm Blackfl y Larva I am so tiny you can hardly see me Mosquito Larva Cyclops Phantom Midge Larva Water Flea (Daphnia) Mosquito/Midge Pupa I am fish-like Tadpole Biting Midge Larva Stickleback Bloodworm Midge Larva Minnow 37

12 How Do I Move? Aim: To match the animal to the correct way it moves. This activity will help to re-inforce childrens understanding that animals (including humans) move, allowing observations and comparisons of the way animals move to be made. Equipment: Each group will need a: Pencil or coloured pen and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the How Do I Move worksheet Method: Using a pencil or coloured pen children will try to match each animal to its appropriate method of movement. Further discussion can be given to features than enable animals to move a certain way e.g. wings, fi ns, strong back legs and how movement relates to environment e.g. fi sh - swim - water or dragonfl y - fl y - air. 38

13 How do I move? Match the words to the pictures. Fly Jump/Hop Walk/Run Swim 39 39

14 Plant Power Aim: To name the main parts of a plant. This activity will help children to understand that plants have leaves, stems and fl owers. Further emphasis can be given to plant growth, the requirements needed for plant growth and plants in the local environment. Equipment: Each group will need a: Pencil or coloured pen and copied from the Wetland Pack a: Copy of the Plant Power worksheet Method: Using a pencil or coloured pen children will try to match the correct name to the correct part of the plant. Children can then relate these features to plant growth e.g. tall stems and large leaves to harness the sunlight. Requirements for growth can also be discussed e.g. sunlight, water etc. and this can be related to the requirements for animal growth looked at earlier. Discussion on the different types of plants in our environment can also be introduced with particular reference to the types of plants found at The Wetland Discovery Trail. 40

15 Plant Power Use the words below to name the different parts of the plant. Flower Leaf Stem 41 41

16 Butterfly Bonanza Aim: This is a fun activity designed to help children understand that there are lots of creatures other than those living in the water that depend on the wetland for food and shelter. It also touches on variation and classifi cation as creatures can be broken down into two winged or four winged varieties. This activity needn t be limited to fl ying insects but can encompass crawling insects too such e.g. beetles. Equipment: Each group will need a: Pencil or coloured pen Sweep net & bug viewer Method: Using sweep nets children can try their hand at trying to catch fl ying insects such as butterfl ies, dragonfl ies, damselfl ies, hoverfl ies and moths. Captured creatures can be transferred to bug viewers where they can be looked at in more detail. Non-fl ying insects can also be captured using bug viewers. The children can then be encouraged to observe the creatures they have found and classify them according to their observable differences e.g. colour, shape, size, movement etc. The creatures will then be safely returned to their natural environment. 42

17 Rainbow Walk Aim: This activity encourages children to look at the colours in their local environment. It s amazing how many different colours and shades of colours are present in nature and this activity will encourage children to take a closer look at natural features, enhancing their observational skills. The differences between natural and non-natural features can also be discussed. Equipment: Each group will need a: couple of colour swatches couple of egg boxes Method: Children can wander about the wetland in their groups to fi nd natural objects that match the colour of their colour swatches. Small samples can be taken e.g a leaf, a fl ower petal, and placed in the egg box. The children then re-group and each group takes a turn in showing their treasure to the other groups. The colour swatches and matching natural objects are then arranged in the form of a rainbow. 43

18 Texture Game Aim: This activity encourages children to look at the textures in their local environment. We can fi nd prickly, rough, hard, soft, cold, dry, spongy and many more textures in nature. This activity will encourage children to take a closer look at natural features, enhancing their observational skills. The differences between natural and non-natural features can also be discussed. Equipment: Each group will need a: camera fi lm case containing two texture words couple of egg boxes Method: Children can wander about the wetland in their groups to fi nd natural objects that match their particular texture words. Small samples can be taken e.g a stone, a piece of bark, and placed in the egg box. The children then re-group and each group takes a turn in showing their treasure to the other groups. 44