- Grade Level: Five, Six
- Themes: A. Unifying Themes, E. Living Environment
- Activity Type: Class Discussion, Hands-On, Research/Knowledge-Building, Skill-Building, Small Group Discussion
- Setting: Classroom
- Part of the Watershed Neighbors Watershed Experience
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- Print Activity
Table of Contents
Question(s)
What connections does my species have to other species within its habitat and watershed?
How do species in my watershed share and compete for the same resources?
How do I (humans) share and compete for the same resources as other species in my watershed?
Overview
Connect the Species lets students summarize all of the work they did during their All My Watershed Neighbors Watershed Experience. This activity extends the Scientific Conference Species Swap where students learned about the species that their classmates researched.
In Connect the Species, students describe connections among the species in their watershed habitats (including humans) and create a food web to model these connections. Students make deeper connections as they explore how their plant or animal species interacts with humans through the food web. They gain a new perspective and understanding of the species’ needs in relation to their own.
Standards (MLR)
Science and Technology
A2. Models
3-5 Students use models to represent objects, processes, and events from the physical setting, the living environment, and the technological world.
6-8 Students use models to examine a variety of real-world phenomena from the physical setting, the living environment, and the technological world and compare advantages and disadvantages of various models.
E2. Ecosystems
3-5 Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms.
6-8 Students examine how the characteristics of the physical, non-living (abiotic) environment, the types and behaviors of living (biotic) organisms, and the flow of matter and energy affect organisms and the ecosystem of which they are part.
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to draw connections between their knowledge and what they have learned from their peers.
- Students will be able to represent what they have learned using a model, such as a food web.
- Students will be able to describe connections among different species (including humans) based on the habitats they live in and the resources they use.
Materials
- Paper
- String
- Thumbtacks
- Tape
- Post-it Notes
Time Needed
1 (40-minute) class period
Activity Procedure
Now that students have some knowledge about all of the species that were studied by their classmates from their Species Swap scientific conference, they can use this knowledge to look at interactions that occur among these species. A common way of thinking about and visualizing how species interact is through food webs.
For an example of a food web that was created by scientists and fishermen to show species interactions in the Northwest Atlantic (including the Gulf of Maine) visit: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/pbio/fwdp/projects.htm#4%29Theoretical
For more information about this food web, visit the Food Web Dynamics Program home page: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/femad/pbio/fwdp/FWDP.htm
Note: Share this food web with your class. Have them hypothesize about what types of species can be found at the top of a food web, and what types would be found at the bottom.
1. Have each group of students write the name of the species they studied on a piece of paper. on the back of the paper, have them write two lists (based on their research in Species Investigation).
- List 1. What does your species eat?
- List 2. What eats your species?
Note: Don’t forget to include humans! Be sure to represent humans on student’s lists about who eats whom, and with a paper of their own. Humans are a part of the food web too!
2. Place the papers (species name up) on the floor. Give each species group 1 minute to arrange the species in an order that they think best represents the food web for their watershed. They can not turn the papers over to see the lists.
Note: Depending on the habitats that your class studied, you may need to create several food webs.
When it is the next team’s turn they may re-arrange the species, or agree on what the previous team thought. Repeat until all teams are happy with the result. If the teams can’t agree, make note of the differences.
3. Check your results. Look on the backs of the papers to find the information about what the species eats and what eats it. Discuss as a class:
- Does your food web make sense based on the research you’ve done? Why/ why not?
- Do you need to make any changes? Why?
- Are there holes?
- Do you need to do more research? Why?
- What method would you use?
- What do you hope to learn?
4. Post your final food web on your classroom wall. Discuss as a class:
- What can you learn from this food web?
- What interactions do you notice?
- Who relies on whom?
- What would happen if there were more or less of one species?
- What would happen if you introduced/took away a species?
5. Using string, thumbtacks, and post-its, make connections among the species by tacking a string up between them and writing on a post-it the connection those species have. At the end of this activity, students will have created a food web of their watershed that includes descriptions about how the species are connected.
Some examples of connections students may describe and post on their food web:
- X uses its sharp teeth to eat Y
- Y’s best defense against Z is its camouflage
- A prefers to eat B, but often has to eat C instead.
- If there was no D, there would be lots of E, F, and G
- If you introduced a new species, N near the top of the food web, B and C would have to find a new food source, or their population would decrease.
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
Follow up you whole class reflection (Step 4) by having students do an individual reflection in journals. Ask them to write about the most interesting or unexpected connection they, or their classmates, made between two species.
Extension Ideas
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
Resources
NOAA Food Web Dynamics Program: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/femad/pbio/fwdp/FWDP.htm
References
Have a great idea to share? Please leave a comment below.
One Comment
I like the activity- “connect the species”!
Here is an extension idea: A Council of Beings- each student adopts or becomes an organism in the watershed, learns all about it, its habitat, life cycle, interactions,needs, etc.(Species Investigation)
Then on Council day, they present a poster with a picture they have drawn, tracks, facts, anything to help prompt their presentation to the group, plus they dress in (homemade) costume of the organism (not elaborate, just whatever they can cobble together from stuff at home).
(I got this idea from Cloe Chunn)