Jones Gap Preparation

We spent today preparing by doing some review and covering expectations.  Students can continue to practice the must-know terms at this link.  We also looked at water quality tests we will conduct at the park, layers of the forest, and life cycles of some of the macro-invertebrates we hope to find.

We focused heavily on our M^3 Math today as we embarked on Chapter 2 and graphing. Students will be collecting survey data and learning to represent it in various way.  Today we interpreted bar graphs and double bar graphs and our math discussions focused on writing quality questions that use and compare the data shown.  

 Students facing off in "Can It or Can't It"...be answered by the graph.

Feel free to use some of these websites as a fun follow-up to our lesson. 
Interpreting Data

Data Bank Research

Bar Charts

Bar Charts 2

IXL

Create your Own

We also wrapped up our investigation from last week on mountain lion hunting and its effects of erosion.

Population Boom

Today we investigated an interesting connection between the sediment problem from last week and the mountain lion hunting occurring in the area.  Students played a game to simulate the fluctuation in the deer population with and without predators.  They found that mountain lion hunting reduces predators for deer and their population is able to experience booms and crashes. On these booms, they overgraze and reduce ground cover resulting in more erosion than usual.

Students also had the chance to finish their expert cards for our trip to Jones Gap.  Check out their good work below.

Chloe- Wild Ginger
Ella- Flowering Dogwood
Nate- Red-tailed Hawk
Aiden- Rhododendron
Sarah- Eastern Hemlock
Andrea- Sassafra
Brandon- Crayfish
Hayden- Red-spotted Newt
Cooper- Eastern Chimunk
Julian- False Solomon's Seal
Spencer- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Turbidity

Today students considered another factor that may be causing problems for fish in Gray Area.  With logging an active business in the area, some of the rivers were looking a little dirty.  Students used secchi disks to determine the clarity, or turbidity, of the water in the various lakes and rivers in the area.  They then examined the sediment files to understand the effects of erosion and high levels of sediments on the organisms living there.

Bare earth verses plant material erosion demonstration.

We also did a creative thinking activity where students were challenged to use design thinking and originality to create a special hats for our friends the ats who are plagued by wild, pesky gnats. Here are some of their clever designs.