SPLASH: The Student-centered Program for Learning …web.sahra.arizona.edu/.../5BEcosystemsJan2005.pdf · SPLASH: The Student-centered Program for Learning about Semi-arid Hydrology

SPLASH: The Student-centered Program for Learning about Semi-arid Hydrology

Module 5 B: Living Organisms and Water: Ecosystems

Produced by SAHRA: The NSF Science and

Technology Center for Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas

This material is supported by SAHRA under the STC program of the National Science Foundation, agreement no. EAR-9876800; the University of Arizona under the Water, Economic Development, and Sustainability program of the

Proposition 301 Technology and Research Initiative Fund; the Arizona Board of Regents under the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, grant no.

992001-02; and the Collaboration to Advance Teaching Technology and Science under the GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation, agreement no.

GRD-9979670.

© 2003 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved.

SPLASH Module 5 B: Living Organisms and Water: Ecosystems

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Module 5 B: Living Organisms and Water: Ecosystems I. Introduction: The purpose of this second half of the Water and Living Organisms module is to facilitate student understanding of the role of water in semi-arid ecosystems. It is composed of three lessons and emphasizes plant adaptations, habitat, and water conservation. II. Timeline Inquiry Brief Description Class Period(s) Cumulative Time 1. Plant Adaptations to Sonoran Desert Environments

Students classify images of Sonoran Desert plants.

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2. Habitat PowerPoint Project

Students research and present on various semi -arid regions.

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3.Humans and Water

Students learn about water conservation and compose persuasive letters.

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III. Overview

A. Enduring Understandings 1. Semi-arid ecosystem function, evolution and biodiversity 2. Humans play a role in the availability of water resources in semi-arid

regions B. Essential Questions 1. What is the relationship between environment and plant adaptation and distribution? 2. How are semi-arid habitats similar and how do they vary? 3. What are critical elements of water conservation in semi-arid regions? C. Knowledge and Skills 1. Understanding of adaptation, stress, and disturbance 2. Knowledge of specific adaptations in riparian and upland plants of the Sonoran Desert 3. Identification of semi-arid habitats and adaptations of associated species 4. Use of electronic technologies to research and present information 5. Knowledge of semi-arid water conservation practices 6. Write persuasively IV. Assessment - Teachers are encouraged to apply the basic assessment suggestions provided in the introduction to the SPLASH program. V. Standards A. Science

Strand 1-Concept 1: Formulate predictions, questions, or hypotheses based on observations. Evaluate appropriate resources. Strand 3- Concept 1: Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards, and the environment. Strand 3-Concept 3: Analyze factors that affect human populations.


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B. Lesson Overview Extremes of climate and disturbance in the Sonoran Desert have shaped the morphological and life history traits of plants we see today. Understanding the connection between environment and plant adaptation and distributions is important to a larger appreciation of ecosystem function, evolution and biodiversity. This lesson provides a starting place for more in depth lessons on plant function, diversity and distribution. Communicating observations and making predictions is a fundamental skill in the scientific process. Students who have already studied landscape change with time from aerial photographs will get further insight into the reasons for why such observed changes in vegetation patterns have taken place.

Strand 4-Concept 3: Analyze the relationships among various organisms and their environment Strand 4-Concept 4: Understand the scientific principles and processes involved in biological evolution. Strand 4-Concept 5: Understand the organization of living systems, and the role of energy within those systems.

B. Language 9th Grade- 12th Grade (Same State Standards for all Grades) Strand 1-Concept 4- PO 1: Identify punctuation, spelling, and grammar and usage errors in the draft. Strand 1-Concept 5-PO 1 + 2: Prepare writing that follows a format appropriate for the purpose (e.g., for display, sharing with others, submitting to a publication). Include such techniques as principles of design (e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs), when applicable, to enhance the final product. Strand 2-Concept 2- PO 2: Include a strong beginning or introduction that draws in the reader. Strand 2-Concept 6: All Conventions: Addresses the mechanics of writing, including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar and usage, and paragraph breaks. Strand 3-Concept 4- PO 1.b.: Presents detailed evidence , examples, and reasoning to support effective arguments and emotional appeals

VI. Learning Activities Inquiry 1: Plant Adaptations to Sonoran Desert Environments A. Objectives 1. Define adaptation, stress and disturbance 2. Describe specific adaptations observed in riparian and upland plants and how those adaptations are suited to the environment in which the species is found


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C. Materials and Resources 1. Historic photos of Santa Cruz River from Martinez Hill 2. Sonoran Desert plant cut-out drawings in envelopes (not currently available) 3. Stream cross-section drawing (not currently available) 4. Life-form information table

D. Instructions 1. Show historic photos of the Santa Cruz River and the change in vegetation that has occurred near the river channel. Point out to the students that the rock in the foreground of the photo is not changed in the two photos taken more than 40 years apart. Ask the students to identify differences in the photos. Introduce the idea of observing modern day plants and distributions to answer questions about the adaptation of plants to the environment. The desert wash and surrounding area provides us with different environments in which to make observations and formulate predictions about the role of environment in shaping plant traits, particularly with regards to the role of water availability and flood disturbance. 2. Hand out envelopes to each group containing line drawings of Sonoran Desert plants from the Appendix. Ask them to come up with a classification scheme based on these simple drawings. Describe how scientists often try to classify like-plants together to better understand the role of different forms and species in the environment. After 3 minutes, quickly go from group to group and ask why they grouped organisms as they did. Move to the idea of grouping organisms by traits (e.g., deep rooted plants together, cacti together, etc.). 3. Explain that selective pressures can come in the form of stress and disturbance and lead to evolutionary adaptation. a. evolutionary adaptation: genetic change in a population due to selective pressures in the environment related to a trait (e.g., the deep roots of mesquite) b. stress: deviation of conditions from the optimum (e.g., water in the Sonoran Desert) c. disturbance: injuries suffered by plants caused by flooding, herbivory, burial, fire, etc. 4. Make a chart on the whiteboard using the Life-form Information Table provided. Remind students to take notes. Tony Burgess, a Sonoran Desert botanist, suggests a simple way to classify plants in our region by their root and stem morphology into 3 life- form categories. This system, while extremely simple, is a useful introduction to understanding life history strategies of organisms. 5. Change gears now and display the stream cross-section diagram. Ask students, “How the is presence of water in these three environments different? Which of the three classes of plant would you expect in each?” 6. Ask the students to rearrange the groups according to Burgess’s system and then hand out the stream cross-section diagram and ask students to place the plants on the diagram. On the whiteboard, draw your own cross-section and plant communities and go


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through the activity with the class. Using arrows on the whiteboard, illustrate how selective pressure in the form of water stress increases with increasing distance from the stream and how selective pressure in the form of flood disturbance decreases with distance to the stream. Based on these simple ideas, we can predict which life- forms should become more common with proximity to the stream and which should become less common. E. Materials


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Historic photos of the Santa Cruz River from Martinez Hill Santa Cruz River at Martinez Hill (1942)

Bob Webb, USGS Santa Cruz River at Martinez Hill (1984)

Bob Webb, USGS


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Sonoran Desert plant cut-out drawings (not currently available) Stream cross-section diagram (not currently available)


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Life-form Information Table (after Burgess, 1995)

Life -form Examples Water-use Adaptations Growth Rate

Intensive Exploiters

grasses, winter annuals

shallow, dense roots quick recovery from drought

rapid reproduction short-lived

large leaves and soft stems

rapid (disturbance adapted)

Extensive Exploiters

mesquite, palo verde, creosote

very deep roots smaller, drought-adapted leaves

tough, woody stems long-lived

intermediate

Water-storers saguaro,

prickly pear

shallow roots storage organs save water for drought

no leaves, photosynthetic stems long-lived

very slow


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F. Extensions 1. Drawing plant adaptations: Bring in samples of native vegetation for students to observe, identify, and classify using Burgess’s method. (Remember, removal of succulents from their native environment is against the law- its best to bring in a potted cactus.) Students should record observations in their research logs and include a careful drawing of specific plant parts (e.g., stems, leaves, spines). Student’s should identify adaptations to water-use in the specimens and make a prediction about where this plant is most commonly found. They can use guidebooks to answer their prediction. 2. Field trip to a nearby riparian area: This lesson has students make predictions about what vegetation communities should look like with proximity to the stream channel based on opposing pressures of stress and disturbance. A field trip to a nearby wash, gully or river is a great way for students to test their predictions with actual observations. Included are the materials given to students on a recent field trip to the Santa Cruz River near Camino del Cerro on the northwest side of Tucson, Arizona.


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Plant Adaptations to Sonoran Desert Environments: Student Field Sheet Name:_________________________________ Date:___________

Gully/Stream Site Description: Site name:___________________________________________ Location: ___________________________________________ Is there water in the channel now? Yes No Is the channel water flowing or stagnant?

Plant Observations (Sketch your plant in the box below. Focus your drawing on structures or features of the plant that you think are adaptations to life in the Sonoran Desert. On the back of the sheet are several short answer questions):

Common Name: _____________________________ Latin Name: ________________________________


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Questions: 1. Describe the structures you drew and how they represent adaptations to

the environment. Are these adaptations to stress (hint: conserving water) or disturbance or both?

2. Environment in which your plant is found?

Channel Bank Bank-top 3. Provide a few observations about the distribution of your plant. Does it

grow alone? In groups? Is it found in the open or growing beneath other species? By your observation, is it common, uncommon or rare in this environment?

4. In class you learned about classifying Sonoran Desert plants as

Intensive Resource Users, Extensive Resource Users and Water Storers. Which type of plant is yours? What supports your conclusions?

5. If you could dig up your plant, what do you predict its roots would look

like? Would the plant be deeply or shallowly rooted? Would its roots be adapted as large, storage organs or a shallow, finely woven mat or a wide reaching, deep tap root? Why?

6. Besides the availability of water, what do you think are important

environmental factors that are shaping plant traits and distribution in the Sonoran Desert?


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B. Lesson Overview In this activity students will choose (or be assigned) a specific habitat in the southwestern desert region. Students will be given several days to use the Internet to gather information pertaining to their topic and then a few days to organize it into a PowerPoint presentation. Students will use their presentations to teach the rest of the class about the characteristics of their habitat, focusing on the availability of water and the adaptations of species in response to it.

C. Materials and Resources 1. Computers with Internet and PowerPoint software 2. Map of U.S. or southwestern U.S. with topographical features

Inquiry 2: Habitat PowerPoint Project A. Objectives

1. Identify some of the various habitats that occur in the southwestern U.S. 2. Describe species adaptations to specific habitats, especially related to the availability of water. 3. Use technology (Internet, PowerPoint) to research and present information on a specific southwestern desert habitat.

D. Instructions 1. Ask the question “What is a habitat?” Students should respond with answers such as “a place where an animal or plant lives”. Ask them to expand on the idea a bit: What is in a habitat? (Everything that a species who lives there needs including food, water, and shelter.) Ask students to think about habitats around their school, home, city, state—are these all the same type of habitat? What makes one habitat different from another? (Climate, elevation, topography, location, water, etc). In the desert and southwestern U.S. there are many habitats, which include a wide variety of plant and animal species. Arizona is the only state in which all four of the deserts of the U.S. (Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan, Great Basin) are found. Each of these deserts has unique characteristics and supports unique communities, as do the mountain regions and riparian zones of the southwestern U.S. Species that live in each of these different areas are adapted to their habitat, meaning that they have certain characteristics that allow them to survive in that particular environment. In the following project we will look at the ways species are adapted to their environments, paying special attention to the ways they have adapted to the availability of water in their habitat. 2. Direct students’ attention to a map of the U.S. or southwest. Ask them to identify some of the basic geographical features (mountains, valleys, rivers, etc). Discuss the fact that these geographic features create unique climates and while the dominant climate of the southwest is warm and dry, there is a tremendous amount of variety from


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one area to the next, due to topography, proximity to mountains, elevation, etc. This variety is responsible for the different communities of plants and animals throughout the southwest desert region. 3. Tell students that they will work in groups to research one of the specific habitats of the southwest. They will have a few days (3-5) to gather information about their topic. They will then have a couple of days to put together a PowerPoint presentation, which they will use to teach their classmates about their habitat. 4. Break students into groups of 3 or 4 and assign or have them select a particular habitat to research. Ask them to start gathering information by using the recommended websites and record their information on the Habitat Information Sheet. After they have exhausted these sites, they can conduct their own searches for information if time allows. 5. After research time has concluded students should begin to organize their presentations and put together a PowerPoint presentation. If they are unfamiliar with PowerPoint, a half-period lesson on PowerPoint (tutorial included) should be given before starting this section. PowerPoint presentations should cover all of the required information (listed later), should be less than ten minutes long (~10 slides), and be organized and well-practiced. 6. Give students some time to practice their presentations before they give them to the class, so they are well polished. 7. For a class of 25-30, presentations should take about 2 days. Ask students to take notes while they listen to presentations by the other groups. They are responsible for information on all of the habitats covered by the class. A presentation rubric is available in the SPLASH introduction. E. Materials


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Student Handout Inquiry 2: Southwestern Desert Habitats A variety of landscapes make up the southwestern United States. Mountains and valleys beginning on the coast of California and stretching eastward to the front range of the Rocky Mountains create interesting precipitation and temperature patterns. Student Instructions: Each group will be responsible for presenting one habitat to the rest of the class. You will spend a few days doing research using books and the Internet to gather information about your habitat. You will then put together a PowerPoint presentation to use to teach the class about the characteristics of the region and habitat. Focus your research on the following areas. Each of these needs to be included in your final presentation.

• Define your habitat. • What characteristics distinguish it from others (temperature, precipitation,

elevation, vegetation types…)? • Where is your ecosystem found in the southwestern U.S.? • What geographic factors help to create your ecosystem and determine its

location? • Describe life in your ecosystem (plant and animal) and the adaptations that allow

them to survive. Pay special attention to adaptations related to water availability. • Cite references.

Choose one of the following habitats Sonoran Desert Chihuahuan Desert Mojave Desert Great Basin Desert Colorado River Riparian Zone Alpine (San Francisco Peaks) San Pedro River Mogollon Rim coniferous forest Baja California and the Sea of Cortez Helpful Web Resources www.desertmuseum.org/desert/sonora.html www.cedointercultural.org


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Student Activity Sheet Name:

Habitat Information Sheet Instructions: Use this sheet to record important information about your habitat while you do your research. Habitat type : Definition/Description of habitat: Location: Climate: Geographic factors: Plants found in the habitat:


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Plant adaptations: Animals found in the habitat: Animal adaptations: Other interesting information: Sources:


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PowerPoint tutorial Open Powerpoint from the Start Menu Select “Blank presentation”, click “okay” In the menu box titled “new slide”, select “title slide”, click “okay” Click in the dashed boxes to add text. To change text’s appearance, click and highlight the text. You can change the text style, color or size using the options on the menu bar. To change the background, RIGHT click on the slide away from text boxes etc and select “background”. To make all of the slides appear similar, select, “apply to all” after you have chosen a background color or pattern. To create a new slide, chose the “Insert” option on the menu bar at the top of the screen and click “new slide”. In the menu box titled “new slide”, pick a slide format. To insert a picture, use the “Insert” option on the menu bar, select “pictures from file”. Browse to where .jpeg or .gif files are saved and double click on the file you wish to present. To move or enlarge an inserted picture, click on the picture. To view your slide presentation, select “View” from the menu bar and “slide show”. Use the “escape” key to return to a regular view. Change slides using the up/down arrows on the keyboard. To save your work, select “File”, “Save as” from the menu bar. Name the file so you’ll remember what it is and click “save”.


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B. Lesson Overview In this lesson students will spend some time navigating the SAHRA water conservation website to identify reasons for conserving water, water-wasting activities, and easy ways to help conserve water. After familiarizing themselves with the basic information they will choose an issue or point to write about in a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. Students will need to focus on making their letters persuasive in nature and back up opinions and suggestions with facts gathered from the website.

C. Materials and Resources 1. Computers with Internet and word processing 2. Examples of letters to the editor from local newspaper(s) 3. Student Activity Sheets

Inquiry 3: Humans and Water A. Objectives 1. State reasons for water conservation 2. Identify one water conservation issue and write a letter encouraging the public to help conserve water.

D. Instructions 1. Ask students to think about things around their homes that may waste water. Have them write down an idea or a short list of water wasting activities/behaviors. 2. Have students share some of their ideas and keep a list on the board. 3. Ask students to think about why they are bothering to identify these things. They should mention things like “water is important to keep us alive”, “living in a dry place, water conservation is important so that everyone has enough, now and in the future”, “water is a critical part of any ecosystem.” Emphasize the fact that humans are organisms that depend on water to survive, but use water for all sorts of things from drinking to crop irrigation to washing to swimming to having decorative fountains. As human populations in desert regions grow, we need to look at human water use and think about the best ways to make water resources last for a long time. 4. Direct students to the SAHRA residential water conservation website by going to www.sahra.arizona.edu and clicking on the Residential Water Conservation link. 5. Students should spend some time navigating this website as a way to familiarize themselves with water conservation, home water use, and ways to save water. They should record what they find on the student activity sheet. 6. After students have had adequate time to look over the website ask them to look over the lists they made. Ask them to circle some of the things that they wrote down that seem especially important (these can be items from any category). The things that they circle should be things that they really think the public should be thinking about, easy ways to save water, or activities/behaviors that use a surprising amount of water. 7. From the things that were circled on student lists, each student should choose one topic about which they would like to write a letter to the editor of the local paper.


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The letter should be written to try to persuade people to understand water conservation better or practice better water conserving techniques. 8. Once the students have chosen their topics, give them more time to use the website to gather information specifically on their topic. They should be gathering facts to help support their arguments. 9. After doing research students should write letters to the editor, keeping in mind that they need to write to a general audience, of which many people may not be familiar with water conservation issues. They should try to convince anybody reading their letter to agree with them. This is an opportunity to educate the general public about water conservation issues. E. Materials


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Student Activity Sheet Name: Residential Water Conservation As you go through the Residential Water Conservation website at www.sahra.arizona.edu, make lists of what you find under the following headings. 1. List of reasons to conserve water. 2. List of things and/or activities that use water. Make a note of how much water is used by each thing/activity. 3. List of things that one can do to conserve water.


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Sample letters to the editor from the Arizona Daily Star

No fun allowed at city pools Az Daily Star, Sunday June 15,2003 As someone who frequented city pools for years with my children, I believe adding a charge for what used to be free swimming lessons is only one reason people are using that service less and less. Parents are made to wait in line in the hot sun for up to a couple of hours simply to register children for lessons. Then they have no place to wait in the shade while the lessons take place. And for the child to continue, the parents have to endure the same degrading process every two weeks. My family has quit using city pools altogether because they have a "no fun allowed" policy. There is no diving at any pool that doesn't have boards (the majority don't), no pool toys (including balls, diving toys) and no floaties, including those very popular flotation suits that help children learn how to swim early (only motion- inhibiting Coast Guard- approved life vests can be used). I can go on, but the bottom line is that no member would ever put up with these indignities at a private pool, but the poor of this community have no clout except to turn their backs and decide they'd simply rather stay home with their dignity. I believe that's exactly what they're doing.

Stephanie Jackter Mother and political activist

Radio tower is a 99-foot monstrosity AZ Daily Star Monday June 16, 2003

As a nearby neighbor of the 99-foot ham radio antenna, I must take exception to the June 12 letter in support of it ("Ham radio antenna does not obstruct neighbors' views"). By any aesthetic criteria, it is a monstrosity. In fact, the photograph in the Star does not do justice to how it intrudes on the natural landscape.

The other antennas referred to by the writer serve a public good, are relatively unintrusive and are a significant distance from any homes. The argument that the ham radio antenna might serve the public is a canard. In the age of cell phones, satellite dishes, CB radios and a myriad of other ways to communicate, it is very unlikely that we neighbors will ever need to call on the owner of the antenna to assist us.

I implore him to reconsider and remove the antenna. While that might not serve his personal whims, it would certainly make him a better neighbor.

Neil M. Ampel

Documents

SPLASH: The Student-centered Program for Learning …web.sahra.arizona.edu/.../5BEcosystemsJan2005.pdf · SPLASH: The Student-centered Program for Learning about Semi-arid Hydrology