As Joan mentioned, the pond was such a myriad of diversity. Just the top of the pond was crammed from end to end with lilly pads, the pink and white flowers that belonged to the lilly pads and several other types of grasses/weeds. At one point, I told the group that the bull frogs were like a symphony and the pond itself was decorated like a birthday cake. :) What a fabulous party! I am so glad we were invited!
Seriously though, I have walked those trails many times and never seen it like that before. We then had a great conversation about if the students would be able to see it like that due to the school year and the bloom time. I really like Sandy's idea about inviting them to come see it like that in the summer, if the flowers aren't in bloom when they come back in late August/early Sept.,etc...
Going back to the diversity. We all discussed that if that was the diversity of what we could generally determine, in just that quadrat on the top of the water (what we could see with the naked eye in or on the water); we couldn't imagine what was underneath the water or micro. Amazing! *Joan, did you just write that? (I can't see that from here.) And, did we ask for those cards?
And of course, we discussed the safety issue of water and students (baby steps!). 1. Classroom 2. Upland (out the back door) 3. Pond? **Also, Sandals (like Tevas); but, NO Flip Flops! And, our regular nurse safety pack, plus: bug spray, sunscreen, was there something else?
GO TEAM!! We are going to love it! (And so are they!) Now, go AMP it up, Guy! ;)
Submitted by boggyplants on Wed, 2010-07-14 10:27.
Hi Everyone,
I'll agree with our team: hot, humid, unfocused due to so much wonder! A key comment was to let the kids enjoy the pond just as we did since there is so very much to see the first time!
I noticed that the pond's life was so rich! At Ft. Williams we had 4 species in our "vector", whereas at the pond we easily found 12, not even considering small or microscopic aquatic life! It's a great environment.
Two things came to mind as I listened to our group. First, Sandy commented that on pond beauty, diversity etc while at her home she viewed the lily pads on her shore-side as a nuisance. I think our being unfocused was due to diversity and beauty right in our own backyard! I think we appreciate it more when we are "in it"!
Second, there was simply so much to see, hear, and yes even smell. The bull frog chorus when we first arrived was like a greeting (or a waring among bull frogs) and the frogs quieted down as stayed on site, and even hopped quite close to us on the lily pads! They seemed as curious about us as we were them! On the way to the pond I happened upon the decayed skunk skeleton, and a group of blue jay feathers without the bird on the path -hawk or owl? The events of nature were just so real yesterday! In my own manicured yard all I see is the cat bringing the dead squirrels home! In the woods I too appreciated the "circle of life" more genuinely.
As we did the project & web portion, we consciously made a shift away from our project plan -sorry GMRI! We didn't have species cards for lily pads (which we wanted to inspect) or cards for other inland aquatic plants. We were so enthused with the biodiversity of the pond that we worked together rather than to one forest and one aquatic location. This was a good move for us as a group. I found the lack of knowledge about plants hampered my ability to decide if the species were native, non-native, or invasive. We used a field guide, but that only cured my internal need to know what the species was, if I didn't know in the first place... like the hydrilla turned out to be (we think) pickerel weed. We also planed to catch crayfish, and even though the minnow trap was in the pond about 5 hours, only a little silver fish was caught in the trap, and it was dead.
In our project plan we said we would look for crayfish, and since there was nothing to compare or comment on (no species card, no crayfish in the trap) we shifted to lili pads and pickerel weed. The insect and amphibian life -incredible! We also focused on wood/pond safety and there was much discussion about taking 25 kids near the pond! We will be doing into activities that also look good as team building activities!
In conclusion, we found no hydrilla, but instead maidenhair type grasses floating on the pond. We found no crayfish, but we did enjoy 2 colors of lily pads (no cards) and the pickerel weed which had a leaf very similar (to the novice!) to the lily pad. We conclude that our pond has incredible diversity just on the quadrat that we investigated -a bold 12 species just by quick look! Because our pond looks filled with native species we are pleased since the volume of people walking the trails is high, and the fact that it's in the middle of a pretty urban area, yet clean and diverse, makes it a great pond. I think it helps that it's about 50 ft. off the roadside which keeps it just out of easy reach to "toss things in" as a passerby. Joan
This afternoon was very enjoyable and I certainly learned a lot as a new Science teacher. I was very surprised at how beautiful a pool of stagnant water can be. The lilypads were in full bloom, bullfrogs were croaking, dragonfly's were flying around, and the sun was out. What more could we have asked for? A little less HEAT!! The experience taught me that for 7th grade students it is imperative to start with a small area, that which would be focused entirely on the quadrat because there is so much to see and so many questions that the first time could be very overwhelming. A lot of fun was had by all and I am sure the kids will love it too!! Thanks teammates for all the help!
I thought I was going to be the last to write about today and couldn't wait any longer to get online. :) I was waiting for my laptop to charge up a bit so I didn't have to be tethered. Then, I tried to sign in with a new account name (lost in the lilly pads); but, I couldn't connect it with my school email-since I already had that attached to jdrake- and my other email pops up on my cell phone which might have caused a dilemma.
Anyway.......Sorry, my thoughts are a bit scattered-too much sun?? So, focus, Joelle, focus. That may have just described our afternoon. It was hard to focus. There was so much to look at and check out. It was the first time I was the photographer and I felt like I took about 400 pictures!!!
Speaking of pictures, focus! Things we talked about after:
1. Much practice in the classroom first (And yes, just like we talked about, let's divide up the prep work for the pre-activities.)
2. A "fun" trip out first. Let's take them out for a walk, perhaps with a clipboard and pencil to draw something they see or write about something they see; however, much more of a looking than doing the first time. (Some never get outside!)
3. Then, the real deal-to the edge with the quadrats -out the back door (fire drill exit)
You took all the good stuff Joelle! Today's excursion was quite fun, I think having the kids explore the ground informally might help them out when it comes time to actually go out for a field investigation. One thing that I think we pulled away from this activity is to give teams time to make a plan before they hit the field so that they can focus on a particular organism. Otherwise they may feel overwhelmed by the opportunities presented to them!
Sorry Guy! I didn't mean to take all the "good stuff". I was just trying to stay focused and contribute something worthy. I do appreciate your comment about being overwhelmed. That could easily happen to anyone. Reminders about staying focused on JUST the QUADRAT will need to come from us frequently. :)
Hi to you all from GMRI. What wonderful prose and emotion in all your postings - its such a treat for us all to hear of your outings. I can FEEL what you did - its just great. Wanted to offer a couple of thoughts based on some of the things embedded in your discussion. First off, all the species cards are all available online on the Vital Signs website - so never despair, they're all there! And a bundle now follows int he mail to you. Second, I am wondering about your use of quadrats for a fresh water investigation. Are you studying the edge of the pond, or the water itself? If you are doing a water study - use the weed weasels, and whatever you "catch or hook" can go into a flat bottom white bucket, like a refrigerator drawer, or a dish washing bucket, then sort and photograph the contents of your bucket. Limit the number of tosses with the weed weasel to three. With this method, you will have access to the underwater world too - at least the vegetation portion.
You clearly have a really strong team relationship, and a budding sense of wonder about your own "backyard". It will be very exciting to hear how this translates to outings with students. Nice job to all of you!
Comments
Such a benefit to participate before having students participate
As Joan mentioned, the pond was such a myriad of diversity. Just the top of the pond was crammed from end to end with lilly pads, the pink and white flowers that belonged to the lilly pads and several other types of grasses/weeds. At one point, I told the group that the bull frogs were like a symphony and the pond itself was decorated like a birthday cake. :) What a fabulous party! I am so glad we were invited!
Seriously though, I have walked those trails many times and never seen it like that before. We then had a great conversation about if the students would be able to see it like that due to the school year and the bloom time. I really like Sandy's idea about inviting them to come see it like that in the summer, if the flowers aren't in bloom when they come back in late August/early Sept.,etc...
Going back to the diversity. We all discussed that if that was the diversity of what we could generally determine, in just that quadrat on the top of the water (what we could see with the naked eye in or on the water); we couldn't imagine what was underneath the water or micro. Amazing! *Joan, did you just write that? (I can't see that from here.) And, did we ask for those cards?
And of course, we discussed the safety issue of water and students (baby steps!). 1. Classroom 2. Upland (out the back door) 3. Pond? **Also, Sandals (like Tevas); but, NO Flip Flops! And, our regular nurse safety pack, plus: bug spray, sunscreen, was there something else?
GO TEAM!! We are going to love it! (And so are they!) Now, go AMP it up, Guy! ;)
Cony Lilipond Citizen Science in the Classrooms
Hi Everyone,
I'll agree with our team: hot, humid, unfocused due to so much wonder! A key comment was to let the kids enjoy the pond just as we did since there is so very much to see the first time!
I noticed that the pond's life was so rich! At Ft. Williams we had 4 species in our "vector", whereas at the pond we easily found 12, not even considering small or microscopic aquatic life! It's a great environment.
Two things came to mind as I listened to our group. First, Sandy commented that on pond beauty, diversity etc while at her home she viewed the lily pads on her shore-side as a nuisance. I think our being unfocused was due to diversity and beauty right in our own backyard! I think we appreciate it more when we are "in it"!
Second, there was simply so much to see, hear, and yes even smell. The bull frog chorus when we first arrived was like a greeting (or a waring among bull frogs) and the frogs quieted down as stayed on site, and even hopped quite close to us on the lily pads! They seemed as curious about us as we were them! On the way to the pond I happened upon the decayed skunk skeleton, and a group of blue jay feathers without the bird on the path -hawk or owl? The events of nature were just so real yesterday! In my own manicured yard all I see is the cat bringing the dead squirrels home! In the woods I too appreciated the "circle of life" more genuinely.
As we did the project & web portion, we consciously made a shift away from our project plan -sorry GMRI! We didn't have species cards for lily pads (which we wanted to inspect) or cards for other inland aquatic plants. We were so enthused with the biodiversity of the pond that we worked together rather than to one forest and one aquatic location. This was a good move for us as a group. I found the lack of knowledge about plants hampered my ability to decide if the species were native, non-native, or invasive. We used a field guide, but that only cured my internal need to know what the species was, if I didn't know in the first place... like the hydrilla turned out to be (we think) pickerel weed. We also planed to catch crayfish, and even though the minnow trap was in the pond about 5 hours, only a little silver fish was caught in the trap, and it was dead.
In our project plan we said we would look for crayfish, and since there was nothing to compare or comment on (no species card, no crayfish in the trap) we shifted to lili pads and pickerel weed. The insect and amphibian life -incredible! We also focused on wood/pond safety and there was much discussion about taking 25 kids near the pond! We will be doing into activities that also look good as team building activities!
In conclusion, we found no hydrilla, but instead maidenhair type grasses floating on the pond. We found no crayfish, but we did enjoy 2 colors of lily pads (no cards) and the pickerel weed which had a leaf very similar (to the novice!) to the lily pad. We conclude that our pond has incredible diversity just on the quadrat that we investigated -a bold 12 species just by quick look! Because our pond looks filled with native species we are pleased since the volume of people walking the trails is high, and the fact that it's in the middle of a pretty urban area, yet clean and diverse, makes it a great pond. I think it helps that it's about 50 ft. off the roadside which keeps it just out of easy reach to "toss things in" as a passerby. Joan
Field Experience
This afternoon was very enjoyable and I certainly learned a lot as a new Science teacher. I was very surprised at how beautiful a pool of stagnant water can be. The lilypads were in full bloom, bullfrogs were croaking, dragonfly's were flying around, and the sun was out. What more could we have asked for? A little less HEAT!! The experience taught me that for 7th grade students it is imperative to start with a small area, that which would be focused entirely on the quadrat because there is so much to see and so many questions that the first time could be very overwhelming. A lot of fun was had by all and I am sure the kids will love it too!! Thanks teammates for all the help!
It was fun, but I still feel sweaty from today's events....
I thought I was going to be the last to write about today and couldn't wait any longer to get online. :) I was waiting for my laptop to charge up a bit so I didn't have to be tethered. Then, I tried to sign in with a new account name (lost in the lilly pads); but, I couldn't connect it with my school email-since I already had that attached to jdrake- and my other email pops up on my cell phone which might have caused a dilemma.
Anyway.......Sorry, my thoughts are a bit scattered-too much sun?? So, focus, Joelle, focus. That may have just described our afternoon. It was hard to focus. There was so much to look at and check out. It was the first time I was the photographer and I felt like I took about 400 pictures!!!
Speaking of pictures, focus! Things we talked about after:
1. Much practice in the classroom first (And yes, just like we talked about, let's divide up the prep work for the pre-activities.)
2. A "fun" trip out first. Let's take them out for a walk, perhaps with a clipboard and pencil to draw something they see or write about something they see; however, much more of a looking than doing the first time. (Some never get outside!)
3. Then, the real deal-to the edge with the quadrats -out the back door (fire drill exit)
Cony Exploration
You took all the good stuff Joelle! Today's excursion was quite fun, I think having the kids explore the ground informally might help them out when it comes time to actually go out for a field investigation. One thing that I think we pulled away from this activity is to give teams time to make a plan before they hit the field so that they can focus on a particular organism. Otherwise they may feel overwhelmed by the opportunities presented to them!
good stuff
Sorry Guy! I didn't mean to take all the "good stuff". I was just trying to stay focused and contribute something worthy. I do appreciate your comment about being overwhelmed. That could easily happen to anyone. Reminders about staying focused on JUST the QUADRAT will need to come from us frequently. :)
Way to go CONY team!
Hi to you all from GMRI. What wonderful prose and emotion in all your postings - its such a treat for us all to hear of your outings. I can FEEL what you did - its just great. Wanted to offer a couple of thoughts based on some of the things embedded in your discussion. First off, all the species cards are all available online on the Vital Signs website - so never despair, they're all there! And a bundle now follows int he mail to you. Second, I am wondering about your use of quadrats for a fresh water investigation. Are you studying the edge of the pond, or the water itself? If you are doing a water study - use the weed weasels, and whatever you "catch or hook" can go into a flat bottom white bucket, like a refrigerator drawer, or a dish washing bucket, then sort and photograph the contents of your bucket. Limit the number of tosses with the weed weasel to three. With this method, you will have access to the underwater world too - at least the vegetation portion.
You clearly have a really strong team relationship, and a budding sense of wonder about your own "backyard". It will be very exciting to hear how this translates to outings with students. Nice job to all of you!