One challenge is to find and name as many animal and plant species that are found in the natural habitat near your school. The class should do a KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) chart or brainstorm what they know about the study area and its inhabitants. How can you tell which animals use or live in this habitat? How can we document the information you collect? 

Next, list the things you will need to take on our first 'walk through of the study site. See 5-Minute Point Count and Sketch of the Study Site activities that follow. How can you record our general observations of the study site? 

On another trip through the study site, we will want to collect more detailed data on the animals and plant species found there. What is a good way to look for animal clues and record this data? How can we collect plant samples and organize them? Who could we contact to find out about how scientists do these tasks? 

Where might we find resources for identifying the plants and animals? Can you bring in some resources or URLs (websites) that will have information that we might use? 

What will our action plan look like? What do we need to accomplish? Once you've decided what needs to be done, here are some possible research groups that may be useful.

Plant Experts 
Animal Experts 
Bird Experts 
Career Specialists

Using Field Techniques

Purpose: Provide an organized format for gathering general animal data. 

Teacher Information: This activity should be done as you QUIETLY enter a study site. Students are asked to spread out and sit quietly for five minutes and make observations of all the things they see and hear around them. Brief notes of insects, spiders, scat, evidence of mammals, and birds seen or heard nearby. This activity helps students to focus on all the critters in the habitat study site. This activity can be repeated at intervals throughout the study area. Watch for animal signs as you walk along. Be sure to have students record the time, weather conditions and date in their journals or 5-minute point count data sheets. 

Materials: 

clipboard with bull clip or butterfly clip 
data collection sheet (see 5-minute point count data sheet)
pencil on a string attached to the clipboard

Sketch of the Study Site

Teacher Information: Prior to going out in the field, the teacher should briefly explain what a scientist's sketch might look like; a sketch, not an artist drawing. Have students do a centerfold on the paper. When you arrive at the study site, set the parameters for the drawing: what should be on the left side, where center is for the sketch, and what should be on the right side of the sketch. Label any known vegetation or objects. Depending on the size of the site, several drawings can be done or one panoramic sketch. Be sure to have students label each sketch as to the location, the time, weather conditions and date on the sketch. Be sure to ask students why scientists find it important to sketch sites when collecting data in the field. 

Materials: 

 clipboard with bull clip or butterfly clip 
drawing paper
pencil on a string attached to the clipboard
jeweler's loupe or hand lens on a string

Resource Books
An Illustrated Country Lover's Notebook: Make This Your Own a Journal for All Nature-Lovers.
(Illustrated Notebooks). 1997. Juliette Clarke, Helen Exley (Editor). Exley Gift Books. 
Discovering Nature Journal. 1998 Amber Lotus
Field Days: Journal of an Itinerant Biologist. 1994. Roger B. Swain. Lyons Press. Nature Journal. Amber Lotus. 1998. Amber Lotus. 

Making an Herbarium

Materials:

5 X 8 plain index cards 
clear scotch tape
plant presses or newspapers & student texts or encyclopedias
clear contact paper -cut in 6 X 9 pieces
information labels (sample below)
zip lock bags
work gloves 
pruning shears
permanent markers

Teacher Information: Conduct a field trip of the study site and have students or teams gather samples of the various plant species. You may wish to set minimum or maximum number of specimens to collect. A "good sample" includes a specimen with leaves, stem, roots (flowers, if possible). 

NOTE: If a plant is found that is unusual and there are only a few in the area, ask students why they should or should not collect the roots of this plant? The plant could be a rare, threatened or endangered. Students should collect the specimen and place it in their ziplock bag. While in the field they should note in their journal where they collected their specimen, the time, description of site and the name of the plant. This record should be numbered or lettered and the same number should be written on the bag with the permanent marker. 

You may also want to consider taking photos of the plants as specimens are collected. Digital cameras are wonderful in the field and the photo can help in identifying the plant. You may want to assign one-two students to be the project photographers. They will also need to keep information in their journals concerning the location of the plant, the number assigned by the "researcher", and the number of the photograph. 

If a walking tour is done with a plant expert, samples may be immediately taped to an index card and labeled. The same drying procedure is used for the taped/labeled index card specimens. 

Drying Procedure: Gather all the samples and then place specimens in sheets of newspaper to dry. Student textbooks /encyclopedias can then be stacked on top of the plant samples as they dry. Make sure students place a temporary label with the plant so they can refer back to their journal entry for the final label. After several days or a weekend, the plant samples can be mounted and taped onto the 5 X 8 index cards. The generic label information is added for each sample. 

Labeling process: Each specimen needs to be labeled with the date, location, county etc. Clear contact paper can be used to preserve the specimens. 

The final products might be:

• A herbarium on a ring - samples are carefully mounted and labels filled out. Cards may be covered with clear contact paper to help preserve the specimens.
• index cards stored in a perforated veggie bag - all the samples are carefully mounted and labeled then stored in a perforated vegetable bag.
• a sample herbarium in a manila folder - plant specimens are mounted and labeled and then organized by type of sample. i.e. grasses, shrubs in manila folders.

Other suggestions for creating a classroom herbarium: 

• When collecting samples from trees, it's helpful to have a sketch of the shape of the tree.
• Students should separate their specimens by species - i.e. grasses, shrubs, forbs, trees etc. 
• Identifying native plants and alien species.
• Provide students with samples of properly labeled specimens so they have a good model of what an acceptable herbarium looks like. 

Common Name
Scientific Name
Location
Growing site (shade, tree trunk etc.)
Native species or Alien species
Resource used
Name of Collector/Date

Plant and Animal Expert Data Collection Procedures

• 30m or 50m tape, 
• 1m tape for every 2 students,
• 2 stakes to hold the 50m tape
• 4 stakes to mark the corners of the 10m square
• 12-15 Hula Hoops (borrowed from the PE teacher)
• Sample Plot Frames (directions for building included)

Random Hoop Toss

Student Focus Questions:
Why is it important to do random sampling? 
Should you count specimens only partially inside the hoop? 
You and your classmates will need to agree on some 'ground' rules. Why is this important? 

10 Meter Square

Student Focus Questions:
Ask your students if they can you think of a way to keep track of the number of different species of plants they've observed within the square? Are they able to see signs of insects and other animals? Be sure to document those findings. How can you document a 'good find' that isn't inside the 10m square?

Hoop Transect

Student Focus Questions:
How far apart will you need to be to effectively sample an area? 
How can you document your location so that you and your classmates can return at another time to replicate this study? 
Why would it be important to be able to visit the same exact plot at another time?

20 cm X 50 cm inside measurement

Sampling Plot Frame

Student Focus Questions:
Will you do a sketch, name the dominant species or collect a sample for each section of the frame? 
How do you document a 10cm square with no vegetation? 
How can your class summarize this data? 
When do you think scientists would use this precise data?
 
 

Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements:

1.1 use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects, and use characteristics to categorize living things.
1.2 recognize the components, structure, and organization of systems and the interconnections within.

2.1 develop abilities necessary for scientific inquiry
2.2 apply science knowledge and skills to solve problems or meet challenges

3.1 understands the nature of scientific inquiry

1.1 understand an apply concepts and procedures from number sense
1.2 understand and apply concepts and procedures from measurement
1.3 understand and apply concepts and procedures from geometric sense
1.4 understand and apply concepts and procedures from probability and statistics

2.1 investigate situations
2.2 formulate questions and define the problem

3.1 analyze information

4.1 gather information
4.2 organize and interpret information

5.2 relate mathematical concepts and procedures to other disciplines
5.3 relate mathematical concepts and procedures to real-life situations.

1.1 use work recognition and word meaning skills to read and comprehend text
1.2 use features of non-fiction text and computer software

2.1 comprehend important ideas and details
2.2 expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing information and ideas.

3.1 read to learn new information read to perform a task
3.2 read to perform a task

1.1 communicate clearly to range of audiences for different purposes
1.2 listen and observe to gain and interpret information
1.3 check for understanding by asking questions and paraphasing

2.1 communicate clearly to range of audiences for different purposes
2.2 develop content and ideas
2.3 use effective language and style

2.2 write for different purposes
2.3 write in a variety of forms