CMaP PROJECT

Project Title: Comprehensive Site Evaluation Created by: Kerry Moody Class: St. George CMaP 2011 Subject: Natural Resource Science

Project Description Class: Natural Resources

Description: Near our school there is a big, undeveloped parcel of land I would like to use throughout the year to give students a hands-on learning opportunity. We will visit the site about 7 times to gather data related to certain standards of the class. As students participate in each individual activity, different products will be due (specific data, write-ups, etc.). At the end of the year, students will compile all of the data gathered throughout the year to develop a comprehensive site evaluation that will be presented to the land owner. As we compile data and assess the site, I will also have students develop recommendations that will hopefully benefit the landowner. **I will also meet with the land owner prior to our 1st visit to see if there is any other information he would like us to gather or if there is any service we can offer to him as we visit the site.**

Community Issue or Problem Selected -How project evolved?

Analysis of privately owned field near school

Community Partner(s) Owner of Field County Noxious Weed Department Division of Wildlife (Utah Dept. of Natural Resources)

Project Objectives

To give students an opportunity to apply concepts learned in the classroom throughout the year in a natural environment. Supply the owner of the field with all of the data we collect throughout the year.

Utah Core Standards/Objectives

Natural Resource Science I Levels: Grades 9-12 Units of Credit: 1.00 CIP Code: 03.0111 Core Code: 30-03-00-00-001 Prerequisite: None Skill Test: #170 STANDARD 4 Students will explore natural resources. Objective 1: Identify types of natural resources. Objective 2: Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources. STANDARD 5 Students will examine the relationship between natural resources and society, including conflict management. Objective 1: Define natural resource management. Objective 3: Describe human demands on natural resources.

STANDARD 6 Students will understand ecology, ecosystems, and biomes. Objective 1: Define concepts (i.e. communities, ecosystems, population ecology, food web, homeostasis, and succession). Objective 3: Identify communities found in nature. Objective 4: Explain population ecology. Objective 5: Describe food relationships found in nature. Objective 6: Identify biomes and explain ecosystem diversity. Objective 7: Use taxonomy keys to identify common plants and animals. STANDARD 7 Students will demonstrate an understanding of water resources, watersheds, and management. Objective 1: Investigate the water cycle. Objective 2: Survey local area for pollution sources. Objective 6: Explain water distribution for an irrigation district. STANDARD 8 Students will demonstrate an understanding of air resources and management. Objective 3: Demonstrate air-monitoring techniques. Objective 4: Collect and interpret weather data. STANDARD 9 Students will demonstrate an understanding of range resources and management. Objective 5: Establish a range transect and use it to evaluate a specific location. STANDARD 11 Students will demonstrate understanding of land classification, planning inventory, and monitoring methods. Objective 2: Demonstrate in public how GIS applies to land use planning. Objective 3: Survey a site to determine potential land use. Objective 4: Identify the components of a monitoring plan. Objective 5: Compare and contrast the various inventory/sampling methodologies (i.e., population estimation). Objective 7: Develop a basic plan for monitoring a natural resource project.

Essential Question(s) -Spatial Issue

OVERALL QUESTION • How can a comprehensive site evaluation benefit a land owner?

• What Natural Resources are on this site? Where? • What human impacts are visible on the site? Where? • What interactions (biotic & abiotic) can we see on the site? Where? • What types of plants and animals live here? Where? • Is there water on site? Where? What is the quality? • What is the weather on the site? • Is there any air pollution? • What types of range plants are on the site?

Assessments (rubrics, scoring guides)

Completed site analysis PowerPoint and presentation to land owner (including the maps we’ve created). Individual assignment each visit.

Project Products

Students will have a product to be turned in after each visit to the site. At the end of the year, we will compile all the data we gathered and present it to the land owner in the form of a PowerPoint and also the maps we have created throughout the year.

Project Timeline (include a step by step Procedures)

The final project will cover Standard 11 of the core. • Survey a site to determine potential land use.

However, as we visit the site each time, different standards will be covered. 1st Visit – Standard 4, Obj. 1 & 2

• This will be a basic site evaluation. We will begin by mapping out the perimeter of the lot.

• We will list natural resources found in the area and identify them as renewable or nonrenewable.

2nd Visit – Standard 5, Obj. 1 & 3

• This visit will be to analyze the humans demands on the site. We will observe and discuss this while visiting the site, and conclude with a write up when we get back to class.

3rd Visit – Standard 6, Obj. 1, 3-7

• This visit will be to study the ecology of the site. We will discuss the populations found in the site and focus on the connections one population with another.

• We will look for animals and evidence of animals and mark some of those locations on the GPS.

• We will also use guide books to identify and mark plants found in the site. 4th Visit – Standard 7, Obj. 1, 2, & 6

• This visit we will look for and mark water sources. • We will also survey the area for possible water pollution sources. • Test any water on the site for quality. • I would also like to ask the land owner if he would speak with the class

today on the history of the site and how he gets the water he does (water rights, etc.)

5th Visit – Standard 8, Obj. 3

• This visit we will set up 4 or 5 different air monitoring stations and collect the data from them.

6th Visit – Standard 9, Obj. 5

• This visit will focus on rangeland plants. We will identify plants that are noxious and palatable to cattle.

• We will also get information to determine stocking rate for cattle. 7th Visit – Wrap – up

• This visit will be to collect any information deemed necessary by the students to assist them in completing their final project.

Every Visit – Standard 8, Obj. 4

• Each time we visit we will collect weather data. **I will also meet with the land owner prior to our 1st visit to see if there is any other information he would like us to gather.**

Resources Needed GPS units Thermometers Field Guides Air Monitoring stations Water quality testing equipment

Skills Required Marking points on GPS Downloading information from GPS and making a map with all of the information

collected. Plant Identification

Project Team Member Roles

Teacher(s): Instruct and assist students as needed Students: Collect Data, make a comprehensive map with all data collected, develop a presentation to be given to land owner that includes all information gathered and any recommendations they may have. Partner(s): The land owner will simply need to give us the permission to go on the land and be open to coming into the classroom towards the end of the year to hear our presentation. We will also supply our data to the County Noxious Weed department and the Division of Wildlife.

Celebration/Presentation This will be with the land owner and the class and will take place towards the end of the school year.

Project Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on their participation in activities during each visit, as well as the quality and accuracy of data collected each time. They will also be evaluated on their participation in developing the presentation for the land owner and actually presenting to the land owner.

Project Bibliography

Plans for Future CMaP Activities

I would love to do some water monitoring on the Virgin and Santa Clara Rivers. I would also like to partner up with the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve to develop a project with them.

Area = approx. .25 sq. mi.