Project WILD is a widely distributed program that
includes a number of grade-level appropriate
activities on the topic. The one that comes to
mind (because my own 12 year old just had a great
time doing this with his class) is called Oh!
Deer, and has students running around simulating
various wildlife populations. Always fun and the
active, physical engagement opens doors to a deep
experience of the relationships. While they do
some bean counting (or head counting), it's their
own heads so it's OK. Neither their
developmental level nor the national standards
support seriously quantitative understandings at
this point, and what they'll get out of it is a
high quality, qualitative sense of the pyramids,
as well as the dynamic nature of a changing
community in balance. (not so sure they'd learn
much about a quantitative sense of the 2nd
law) You do need a sizeable number to do this,
maybe 20 plus, but most classes will have that many kids to work with.
I've done another one called It's a Squirrels
Life, which I found many years ago in one of the
NSTA publications, maybe Science and
Children. Long time ago, but excellent activity.
Steve Crowley
At 09:13 AM 12/19/2008, Jim Biardi wrote:
I work with a local environmental education group that is developing
curriculum on local watershed issues. They are currently searching for a
hands-on activity appropriate to primary (4-6) grade levels that can
illustrate the energetic principles underlying biomass pyramids. We¹ve
discussed several ideas, mostly centering on foraging¹ for beads or some
other counter used to represent food items, but haven¹t yet come across
anything that avoids a lot of bean-counting by the students.
If anyone has suggestions or leads to a tried and true activity on this
topic, we¹d appreciate feedback. I¹d be happy provide a summary of responses
to others interested in this.
Thanks,
Jim
--
James E. Biardi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Fairfield University
Biology Department - BNW 206
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT USA 06824
Phone: 203-254-4000, ext. 3465
Fax: 203-254-4253
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