Science Field Trip

Collecting and
Examining Life
A Virtual Trip to
Manuel Antonio National Park,
Costa Rica

“Going on a Wild Walk”

Selections from the digital
Teacher Lesson Manual

www.sciencecompanion.com
Science Companion Field Trips
A “Science in Real Life” Series
Come on a virtual field trip matching module sample lessons
with special places or current events!
 Join our author Colleen Bell and her family on a wild
walk at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.

This national park has been

protected since 1972.

There’s a huge variety of vegetation.

By the way, there’s also a
capuchin monkey in this picture.
Central America

R i ca
a
Cost

You have to look

closely to find some
hidden
animals. We saw a potoo
bird and baby
hiding in
plain sight.
The light green spot Costa Ricans
on this leaf is a frog, call this a
“stump bird.”

hiding its colorful

underside to blend in. This lizard
also blends in.
 We took a picture of
this toucan through
the spotting scope of a
guide in the park.

Sloths move slowly high

up in the tree branches.

Spider monkeys
also stay in the trees,
but move much faster.

We saw evidence
of insects, like this
termite nest.

Some of the trees

looked dangerous.
One of the kids found a
baby coconut tree.

Turn the page to find out how

you can enjoy a wild walk!
Levels 1-2

Science Companion ®

Collecting and Examining Life

Teacher Lesson Manual

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COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | 

 Table of Contents
Suggested Full-Year Schedule. . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

Welcome to Science Companion

Philosophy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Finding What You Need in Science Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cross-Curricular Integration and Flexible Scheduling. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Unit Overview
Introduction to the Collecting and Examining Life Unit. . . . . . . . . . 14
Unit Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Lessons at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Preparing for the Unit

The Collecting and Examining Life Science Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Science Library and Web Links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Before You Begin Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Lessons
1 Comparing Living and Non-Living Things*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
2 Identifying Living Things*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3 Going on a Fall Wild Walk*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Teacher Directions: Making Animal Track Collectors. . . . . . . . . 83
Teacher Directions: Making a Plant Press. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Teacher Directions: Making a Seed Bird Feeder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Teacher Directions: Making a Suet Bird Feeder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4 Looking for Animals in Soil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Teacher Directions: Making a Berlese Funnel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5 Making a Fall Nature Book*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6 Observing Snails*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
7 Observing Crickets*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
8 Observing Fish*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
9 Using Zoo Clues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
10 Comparing Animals and Plants*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
11 Studying Leaves* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

* Indicates a core lesson

 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TABLE OF CONTENTS

 12 Investigating Fruits and Seeds*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
13 Learning About Seed Dispersal*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
14 Sprouting Seeds*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
15 Examining Roots*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
16 Experimenting With Celery Stems*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
17 Going on a Spring Wild Walk* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
18 Dissecting Spring Flowers*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
19 Making a Spring Nature Book* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
20 Growing Mold*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
21 Observing Mold Growth* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
22 Playing Bio Bingo*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

* Indicates a core lesson

Skill Building Activities

1 Using Magnifiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
2 Making Scientific Drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
3 Measuring Small Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
4 Using Balances and Scales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Teacher Directions: Making a Simple Balance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Teacher Directions: Making a Simple Spring Scale. . . . . . . . . 320

Teacher Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Standards and Benchmarks

Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Benchmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

Teacher Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TABLE OF CONTENTS | 

 Philosophy
Science C ompanion
W elcome to

Almost anyone who has spent time with children is struck by

the tremendous energy they expend exploring their world. They
ask “why” and “how.” They want to see and touch. They use their
minds and senses to explore the things they encounter and
wonder about. In other words, children are already equipped with
the basic qualities that make a good scientist.

The goal of the Science Companion curriculum is to respond to

and nourish children’s scientific dispositions by actively engaging
their interests and enhancing their powers of inquiry, observation,
and reflection. Learning by doing is central to this program.

Each Science Companion lesson incorporates interesting and

relevant scientific content, as well as science values, attitudes,
and skills that children in the elementary grades should begin
to develop. These “habits of mind,” along with science content
knowledge, are crucial for building science literacy and they are
an integral part of the Science Companion program. Be aware
of them and reinforce them as you work with children. With
experience, children will develop the ways they demonstrate and
use the following scientific habits of mind.

Habits of Mind
Wondering and thinking about the natural and physical world
Children’s curiosity is valued, respected, and nurtured. Their
questions and theories about the world around them are
important in setting direction and pace for the curriculum.
Children are encouraged to revise and refine their questions and
ideas as they gain additional information through a variety of
sources and experiences.

Seeking answers through exploration and investigation

Children actively seek information and answers to their questions
by trying things out and making observations. Children continually
revise their understanding based on their experiences. Through
these investigations, they learn firsthand about the “scientific
method.” They also see that taking risks and making mistakes are
an important part of science and of learning in general.

 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | PHILOSOPHY

Pursuing ideas in depth

Science C ompanion
Children have the opportunity to pursue ideas and topics fully,

W elcome to
revisiting them and making connections to other subjects and
other areas in their lives.

Observing carefully
Children are encouraged to attend to details. They are taught to
observe with multiple senses and from a variety of perspectives.
They use tools, such as magnifying lenses, balance scales, rulers, and
clocks, to enhance their observations. Children use their developing
mathematics and literacy skills to describe, communicate, and
record their observations in age-appropriate ways.

Communicating clearly
Children are asked to describe their observations and articulate
their thinking and ideas using a variety of communication tools,
including speaking, writing, and drawing. They learn that record
keeping is a valuable form of communication for oneself and
others. Children experience that working carefully improves one’s
ability to use one’s work as a tool for communication.

Collaborating and sharing

Children come to know that their ideas, questions, observations,
and work have value. At the same time, they learn that listening
is vitally important, and that exchanging ideas with one another
builds knowledge and enhances understanding. Children
discover that they can gain more knowledge as a group than
as individuals, and that detailed observations and good ideas
emerge from collaboration.

Developing critical response skills

Children ask, “How do you know?” when appropriate, and are
encouraged to attempt to answer when this question is asked of
them. This habit helps develop the critical response skills needed
by every scientist.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | PHILOSOPHY | 

 COLLECTING &
E xamining life
17
C luster 1
Living Things
Lesson
Big Idea
Many different kinds of living
things share our neighborhood
environment.
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230 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a Spring Wild Walk
Going on a Spring
Wild Walk
A Quick Look
Overview
The class returns to the study site of its fall Wild Walk and observes
the sights and sounds of spring. Each child chooses a living thing
or evidence of life to document for the spring nature book in
Lesson 19. They will also collect flowers for Lesson 18.
Key Notes
• Plan to spend at least 60 minutes at your study site.
• Consider conducting the introductory discussion the day
before going to the study site. This would give you ample time
to discuss the work the class is preparing to do outdoors, and
leave enough time on the day of the walk for the children to
observe, draw, and write while they are in the field.
• Arrange for parent volunteers to accompany the class on the
walk.
• If the walk is off-site, prepare, distribute, and collect permission
slips, as required by your school.
• For more information about the science content in this lesson,
see “The Fall and Spring Wild Walks” section of the Teacher
Background Information.
Standards and Benchmarks
While searching for signs of life on their wild walk, children
o
Lesson
Notes
17
concentrate on The Living Environment Benchmark 5D
(Interdependence of Life): “Living things are found almost
everywhere in the world. There are somewhat different kinds in
different places.”
Children also develop Science as Inquiry Standard A (Abilities
Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry): “Communicate investigations
and explanations” as they document a sign of life from their Wild
Walk.

Lesson Goals
1. Observe how spring impacts plants and animals.
2. Develop field collection skills and etiquette.
3. Observe and document one living thing or sign of life.

Assessment
An opportunity for assessing what the children learned occurs in
Lesson 19 when they make a class book about their spring Wild
Walk experience.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a spring wild walk | 231
Materials
Item Quantity Notes
ExploraGear
Jars, plastic Several To hold collected items.
Magnifying boxes 1 per group To examine living things or signs of life.
Magnifying lenses 1 per group To examine living things or signs of life.
Spoons, plastic 1 per group To dig for living things or signs of life.
Classroom Supplies
Bags, plastic, grocery size 1 per group To transport field collections.
Bags, resealable plastic Several To hold individual flowers.
(optional)
Binoculars (optional) At least 1 pair To search for living things or signs of life.
Camera and film At least 1 To take photos in field. Consider using one or more
disposable cameras.
Clipboards or notepads 1 per child To make field notes if not making notes in science
(optional) notebooks.
Clippers, scissors 1 pair per group To collect flowers.
Disposable wipes or damp A stack per group To clean hands.
paper towels
Drawing supplies Class set To make field notes.
Field guide to birds 1 To identify birds.
(optional)
Field guide to flowers 1 To identify flowers.
(optional)
Notebooks or large pads 1 per adult For recording notes in the field.
and pencils
Permanent marker 1 per group To label field collections.
Planting trowels (optional) 1 per group To dig for living things or signs of life.
Previous Lessons
Fall Nature Book from 1 To remind children of the fall Wild Walk.
Lesson 5
Curriculum Items
Book: Field guide to insects
Collecting and Examining Life Science Notebook, pages 30-31
Teacher Master “Spring Wild Walk”

232 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a Spring Wild Walk
Preparation
Notes
 Let the children know at least one day ahead of time they will
be returning to the same place they visited in the fall.
 Gather photographs, word banks, the Fall Nature Book, and
any other artifacts you retained from the fall walk. Prepare to
present these in class to help children recall this experience in
as much detail as possible.
 Arrange to have a camera and film for the walk. If you don’t
have one, ask an adult volunteer to bring one or get a
disposable one. Ideally, there should be a camera for every
adult group leader.
 Make copies of the Teacher Master “Spring Wild Walk” for
yourself and each of the adult volunteers.
 Prepare a set of supplies for yourself and every adult
volunteer, including:
• Notepad for listing all the observations and compiling a
word bank
• Magnifying boxes and magnifying lenses
• Disposable wipes or damp paper towels
• Plastic bag and a plastic jar
• Clippers or scissors
• Spoons or trowels
• Permanent marker
• Camera (optional, but recommended)
• Binoculars (optional; groups can share as many as you
have)
Teacher Master 23
 Decide how the children will take field notes. These notes are
used when the children make pages for the nature book in
Lesson 19. Two options are:
• Write on science notebook pages 30-31. (Bring along extra
paper in case they need more pages.)
• Record on blank paper on clipboards. (Allows them to
cut their notes and illustrations apart to use in the nature
book or attach to their science notebook pages.)
 (Optional) Find field guides of flowers and birds to take on the
walk. Plan to bring the field guide to insects, too.
 See the Science Center section on page 237 for suggestions
about displaying items collected on the spring Wild Walk.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a spring wild walk | 233
 Teaching the Lesson
Notes
Engage
Introductory Discussion

Management Note: You may choose to have this discussion the day
before the Wild Walk.

1. Reflect on what the class observed during their fall visit to the
study site.
• Show the children photographs, word banks, and other
artifacts you retained from the fall walk. Discuss what they
saw, heard, smelled, and felt that day.
• Read the fall nature book aloud, honoring each child’s
contribution.
2. Discuss the following goals for the coming visit.
• Find something to draw and write about for a class nature
book about spring.
• Take field notes. (Model how to do this, pretending to find
something that is interesting to you, then writing notes or
making a drawing about the item.)
• Look for things that have changed since their last visit
to the site. (Solicit some ideas for how the environment
might be different on this spring day than it was during
Science Notebook page 30 the fall visit.)
3. Establish guidelines for what to observe in the field and what
to collect for the classroom. Spend a few minutes talking
about the ethics of collecting and observing nature, including
the following:
• Observe most things in the field without collecting them.
• Get permission to collect something for further study and
only take small quantities.
• Observe rare things without disturbing or collecting them.
• Treat living things gently.
• Return overturned rocks and logs to the way they were
found to protect the animals that live there.
4. Have the children get their science notebooks or clipboards
and head for the site of your spring Wild Walk.

Science Notebook page 31

234 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a Spring Wild Walk
Sensory Observation

S Notes
 afety Note: Don’t let the children sit in an area with poison
oak, poison ivy, or other possible hazards. Caution the children
about broken glass and other trash, and about plants like stinging
nettle that may cause reactions.

1. With the children sitting quietly at the study site, have them
move a little more than a hand’s reach apart from anyone else
and close their eyes. Without actually answering, ask them to
make the following sensory observations:
• What do they hear? Birds? Insects? Leaves rustling?
• What do they smell when they take a deep breath through
their noses?
2. After about 60 seconds, tell the children to open their eyes
and report on what they heard and smelled. Record all their
observations.

Teacher Note: You will use these notes later to make a word bank for
Lesson 19.

3. Direct children to further observe the environment. Continue

to record their observations on your notepad.
• Prompt the children to look around for things that they
couldn’t notice with ears and noses alone. What do they see?
• Tell them to reach out to feel something on the ground,
without moving from where they are. What do they feel?

Explore
Observing the Spring Environment

Teacher Note: If you brought field guides, informally model how to

use them to try to identify or learn more about some of the things that
children observe during the explorations.

1. Invite the children to search for and observe any living things
or signs of life in the spring environment. Remind them that
they need to:
• Choose at least one living thing or sign of life to study
carefully.
• Make notes and drawings about it for the spring nature
book.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a spring wild walk | 235
 2. Before they begin their independent observations, discuss
the children’s ideas about what they would like to study, and
Notes model how they can write about it. For example, the children
may be interested in:
• Comparing two interesting leaves
• Speculating about what animal made the holes in a piece
of wood with holes chewed in it
• Investigating a particularly beautiful blossom
• Monitoring the activity around an anthill
3. Tell the children how far away they can go for their search
and how much time they have for searching. Show them the
tools you brought along (spoons and trowels, binoculars,
magnifying lenses, field guides, etc.) and establish a place for
the children to get these as needed.
4. As children work, circulate and see if they are having trouble
deciding how to record the living thing or sign of life they
have chosen. You might give the children ideas about the
kinds of things they may record. For example, you might ask:
• Where did they find it?
• What else was nearby?
• Were there lots of things like it, or did it seem rare?
• How did they know it was a living thing or sign of life?
• Why is it interesting?
• Can they describe it in great detail, including information
about its shape, size, color, smell, and feel?

Collecting Flowers

Teacher Note: The collected flowers are used in Lesson 18.

1. Tell the class they are going to collect some spring flowers. Ask
children to work in groups so that they don’t over-collect from
the same plant.

236 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a Spring Wild Walk
 2. Ask the adults with each group to help in the following ways:
• Use clippers to snip flowers from trees, bushes, or Notes
herbaceous plants. Don’t tear parts off the plants.
• Place each flower in a resealable plastic bag and seal it
shut with some air remaining in the bag.
• Label the bag with the name of the plant, if known, or a
short description of the plant.

Teacher Note: If you brought one, use a field guide to help identify
flowers and plants.

Reflect and Discuss

Sharing
Gather the children back into a circle to sit, perhaps in the spot
where you did the sensory observation. Ask them to do the
following and note their thoughts on your notepad:
• Reflect on all the living things or signs of life they found.
• Think about what things are different from their last visit.
What signs of spring have they seen?
• (Optional) Say what they plan to document in the spring
nature book.

Ongoing Learning
Science Center
• If the children collected some examples of living things or Materials: Signs of living things,
signs of life, display them in the Science Center. signs of spring, photographs taken on
the fall and spring Wild Walks, Fall
• Display copies of photographs or children’s observational Nature Book
drawings from the walk.
• Put out reminders of the fall Wild Walk including photographs,
artifacts and the Fall Nature Book to inspire the children to
notice the differences between fall and spring.

Maintenance
When you return to the classroom, place the collected flowers in
water to keep them alive until Lesson 18.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a spring wild walk | 237
 Extending the Lesson
Notes
Language Arts Extension
Write spring poems in the field or shortly after the walk, as a class
or individually.

Planning Ahead
For Lesson 18
Do Lesson 18 lesson as soon after this one as possible, so the
flowers will be relatively fresh. In addition, make the following
preparations:
• Supplement the flowers the children collected by picking or
purchasing some simply structured, easy-to-observe flowers,
such as lilies, tulips, squash, or daffodils.
• Consider doing the mathematics extension for Lesson 18
before you do the rest of the lesson. This activity suggests
having the children sort the flowers and graph them
according to a variety of attributes. The sorting activity needs
to be done before the flowers are dissected.

For Lesson 19
To culminate the field visit in this lesson, the children will make
a book called Spring Nature Book during Lesson 19. Make the
following preparations:
• If you took pictures during the spring Wild Walk, get the film
developed so the children can use the photographs to reflect
on their experiences.
• Create a word bank using the notes you took in the field.
• Be prepared to have the children find and use their own field
notes.

238 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a Spring Wild Walk
Science Notebook page 30 Science Notebook page 31

Teacher Master 23

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | LESSON 17 | going on a spring wild walk | 239
 Teacher Background
T eacher B ackground
I nformation

Information
Introduction
In the Collecting and Examining Life unit, children explore the
natural world outside the classroom door. They begin by studying
the living things with which they have the most familiarity—
animals. They continue by learning about plants and fungi.
Outside the classroom, two nature walks provide opportunities
for the children to make collections of living and once-living
things. Inside the classroom, experiments and observations
encourage children to understand what makes something alive,
and to investigate how different living things feed, breathe, move,
and reproduce.

What Makes Something Alive

The first lesson in this unit encourages children to think about
what distinguishes living from nonliving things. Although it might
seem obvious, it is not always clear whether something is or
was living. The following list of characteristics is unique to living
things, which can also be called organisms.

• Organisms are made up of cells. An organism may be

comprised of a single cell (e.g., a bacterium or an amoeba)
or many millions of cells (e.g., a human). Cells are the basic
functioning unit of life, and are often organized into organs
(heart, liver, skin, etc.) to create higher levels of complexity
and functioning. The idea of cells is unfamiliar to most young
children; they are simply too small. Children are more likely
to suggest the related, simpler, idea that all living things have
bodies.
• Living things require food. All living things obtain food from
their environment and metabolize it for growth, activity, and
reproduction. Plants make much of their own food by using
sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar (and
oxygen). This is called photosynthesis. Plants also absorb
critical nutrients and minerals from soil. Animals and fungi
do not make their own food. They obtain food by grazing,
hunting, scavenging, parasitizing or breaking down detritus.
The concept of eating food to live is easy for children. Many
will inaccurately believe that plants eat the dirt. This unit will
touch lightly on the idea that plant leaves use sunlight to
make food.

322 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Fungi
The fungus most recognizable to children is a mushroom. A
mushroom that is visible growing above ground, or that is for sale
in a supermarket, is actually just the fruiting body of a fungus. The
fleshy fruiting body functions in reproduction by releasing millions
of microscopic spores, which float through the air until they reach
a favorable growing environment.

Underneath the ground where a mushroom grows, there is a mass

known as the mycelium. The mycelium is formed from an intricate
network of threadlike cells called hyphae. The hyphae attach to
a food source and release enzymes that digest the food outside
the body of the fungus. Then specialized, root-like hyphae absorb
the digested matter. When the mycelium has built up an adequate
food reserve, it becomes capable of producing mushrooms.

Not all fungi produce fruiting bodies such as mushrooms. For

example, athlete’s foot, bread molds, yeasts, and mildews are fungi
that do not form fruiting bodies. Molds are the furry growth that
you can find on the surface of some organic substances (such as
old bread and cheese). The molds eat the bread, cheese, rotting
logs, or whatever they live on, and these foods are called their
hosts. Your class examines molds in Lessons 20 and 21. If you have
a dissecting microscope, the children will be able to see mycelium
threads and many clumps of dark, tiny spores. (Asthmatic children
need to be very careful not to inhale mold spores.)

Fungi play an important role in nature as decomposers. They break

down matter from dead and, occasionally, living organisms, and
make nutrients available for other living things. Be sure to have
children look for them on the fall and spring Wild Walks (Lessons
3 and 17). You can find fungi in damp, dark places. Look under
logs, at the base of trees, or on the trunks of rotted trees. You may
also find “fairy rings” on lawns. Fairy rings occur when there is an
even distribution of nutrients in the environment, so the mycelium
grows outward at the same rate in all directions, periodically
producing a circle of mushrooms on its outer edge.

The Fall and Spring Wild Walks

Guidelines for Choosing a Study Area
As a way of familiarizing your class with the local natural
environment, two nature walks are planned during this unit. You
will visit one study area in two seasons. The field site does not
have to be particularly large, but in general, the less cultivated it is
and the more plant varieties it contains, the better it will serve to
illustrate the big ideas of the lessons.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION | 341

 Tips on Selecting a Study Area
• On or near school grounds. Finding a site on school grounds
vastly simplifies logistics. You may also arrange a walking
fieldtrip to a neighborhood park. You may find it best to
combine neighboring places: e.g., a large tree on a lawn
together with a weedy corner of the playground. If your
school campus is largely a mowed lawn, discuss with your
principal and the grounds staff the possibility of fencing off
a special corner to create an experimental “wild patch.” If
such an area can be maintained (that is, neglected) for the
next several years, your class records will show a fascinating
succession of both plant and insect species.
• A weedy patch or vacant lot. This is a good spot to observe
a variety of insects and to take the Sock Walk for collecting
“hitchhiker” seeds. Weeds will give your class a good variety of
leaves, but you may want to supplement them with additional
leaves from local trees. Children need to be extra alert to the
hazards of broken glass and other debris in vacant lots.
• A meadow. As in a vacant lot or weedy patch, here you will
find a wide variety of low-growing plants, but more will be
native species. Keep an eye out for milkweeds, which are an
excellent example of wind-dispersed seeds. Generally, you
will find richer animal life and many more birds than in an
ordinary vacant lot.
• A woody area. This is an excellent place to watch trees change
with the seasons, and to collect arthropods and leaves. Many
trees have wind-dispersed seeds; look especially for maples,
ash, or elm trees with winged seeds. Oak, beechnut, and
chestnut are all good examples of nut-bearing trees that rely
on animals for seed dispersal. Vines and undergrowth often
have fleshy berries. (Caution children not to eat these, and to
wash their hands if they get berry juice on them. Many wild
berries are toxic to humans.) A woody area may not yield
much on the Sock Walk.
• A wet or boggy area. This might be a wetland or a runoff
area. Before choosing it as a study site, make sure there is no
sewage or heavy agricultural runoff in the water. (Contact the
County Extension, local water district, or a school official.) You
may be able to observe a variety of water bugs and eggs here.
Cattail and reed seeds are wind-dispersed. Pussy willow seeds
have a fluffy dander designed to float them away downstream.
Have children bring rain boots for mud and shallows, and with
your equipment include some underwater viewers (i.e., any
wide-mouthed container with a clear bottom that can be held
partially submerged to look underwater).

342 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 • A flower garden. Although it isn’t “wild,” this is a decent source
of insects and plant materials. Check out the compost pile.
Just make sure to enlist the enthusiastic support of the
gardener before you use it as a collection area.
• A nature preserve or botanical garden. Visiting a nature
preserve or botanical garden will probably entail arranging
a formal field trip. The preserve naturalist may be able to
provide a short, guided walk with your class, or have a formal
educational program that can be adapted to your purposes.
Be sure to ask the preserve or botanical garden staff what their
collection rules are.

Marking and Recording a Study Area

The class will visit the same site in fall and spring, so mark it on
your first visit with colorful flagging ribbon. Tie lengths of flagging
ribbon to branches, push a nail through a piece of flagging ribbon
and into the ground, or use any other method you prefer to mark
the site.

Bring along a camera so you can photograph the site, and also
take along a clipboard or pad of paper on which you can write
simple descriptions. If it’s possible that the stake or ribbon
won’t last between one walk and the next, make sure that your
photographs document the site location well. Additionally, you
might note where specific collections were made and what
was collected. Time, date, and weather conditions could also be
valuable information for comparison between the seasons.

Methods and Ethics for Field Observations

It is important that children learn to be careful observers and
become aware of their surroundings. Once you reach your study
area, you may want to give the children an opportunity to sit by
themselves or in pairs for five minutes. Encourage the children to
make a record in their science notebooks: a drawing or description
of what they saw, felt, smelled, or heard.
Children collect leaves, seeds, and, during the fall Wild Walk, soil
in which to look for arthropods and other invertebrates. Don’t
collect anything that is rare at your site. A simple rule of thumb:
children must be able to locate three or more of any one living
thing before they actually collect a single sample of it. Children
can learn a great deal from the incomplete or damaged remains of
already dead organisms. Shed skins or molts of creatures are also
interesting materials for study.

It is important to make sure your class leaves the environment as you

found it. If you look under a rock, be sure to return it to its original
position. This also goes for logs, leaves, or anything that may be

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION | 343

 moved in your search for diverse samples. Part of the goal of the
Wild Walk lessons is to teach children how to conduct themselves as
young scientists out of doors—how to sample safely and responsibly
without hurting the environment or themselves.

Be sure you can identify, beforehand, any harmful plants or

animals living in your area. A standard rule is not to eat anything!

Methods of Release
All animals that are observed need to be handled in an ethical
way. If you find animals in a native habitat, it may be best to
observe them there rather than bring them back to the classroom.
If the children collect live organisms from a Wild Walk (for
example, the soil animals observed in Lesson 4), and they are still
alive after one week, return them to the exact spot where they
were found.

If you purchase organisms, do not release them in the wild area

or elsewhere. Either keep them in your classroom for further
observation and interest, return them to the pet store, keep or
give them away as pets, or humanely kill (freezing works well)
and dispose of them. It is imperative that new species not be
introduced into areas where they do not naturally belong. Also,
commercially raised specimens of local species can introduce
diseases to the wild populations.

Tools for Observing and Collecting

While observing and collecting organisms on a Wild Walk, you
may want to implement a “no-hands” rule. That is, children
need to use tools for touching and picking up living organisms.
Depending on your local environment, there may be poison oak
or poison ivy, nettles, biting insects, or other hazards. The children
should use tools until you or a local naturalist identify the plant or
animal, and tell them it’s okay to touch it.

Tools that make the Wild Walks and later classroom observations
most successful include the following:

• Field guides. These books, with the names and pictures of plants
and animals, are often organized according to systematic
classification schemes. Field guides usually point out features
that make identification easier. Knowing names helps many
children learn, and children are empowered by knowing what
they have. This needs to be encouraged, but don’t allow it to
go too far and become mere labeling. Choose field guides
that don’t overwhelm the children. “First Guides” include many
common plants and animals, and are designed for children. You
might also be able to find a good regional or local field guide,
with only the species you are most likely to find.

344 | COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Tools for touching. Spoons, tweezers, shovels, and small
paintbrushes are good tools to use instead of fingers when
touching and collecting living organisms. Spoons and shovels
work well for picking up a collection of dirt or substrate.
Tweezers can be used to sort through the substrate, as
well as to pick up something for closer observation. Small
paintbrushes work to collect insects such as earwigs or ants.
• Clear jars, vials, and plastic bags. Children should be
encouraged to carry at least one plastic bag for field
observations and collections. Animals can be closely observed
if they are placed into a clear container. Instruct children to
provide small air holes in any container that an organism will
be in for over an hour.
• Magnifying lenses. Magnifying lenses allow children to enter
the world of the very small. They take some practice to use
effectively (see the Skill Building Activity “Using Magnifiers”).
Teach the children to hold the magnifying lens just above the
object of study, move it up and down to focus, and hold their
heads far enough away to keep both eyes open and relaxed.
• Stereo dissecting microscope. A dissecting microscope is a
low-powered microscope with two eyepieces and a viewing
platform. The children will require practice to use it. Make sure
the eyepieces are close enough together so that a child sees
one image, not two circles. The best practice will be for you
to focus on a specimen, and then let the children take turns
looking (adjusting the eyepieces more than the focus).
• Nets. Nets can be helpful for collecting organisms from hard-
to-reach places, and for sweeping through the air, dense
stands of grass, and pools of water.
• Notebooks and pencils. A good habit to encourage is carrying
a notebook and pencil to write down what one finds and to
draw pictures of plants and animals. Science notebooks are
designed to facilitate this practice.

COLLECTING & EXAMINING LIFe | TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION | 345

 Rubric 3: Is It Alive?
Criteria A and B Criteria C and D
(Lessons 1—5, 10, 17, 19—22) (Lessons 1—5, 10, 17, 19—22)

Verbalizes reasonable criteria (such Identifies and explains differences

as the ability to grow and reproduce between categories of living things
and the need for water, nutrients, (animals, plants, fungi).
and air) for what makes something a
living or nonliving thing.

4 - Exceeds Understands at a secure level (see Understands at a secure level (see

Expectations box below) and is interested in living box below) and is interested in
things that demonstrate exceptions other categories of living things,
Explores content to these criteria. such as bacteria and protists.
beyond the level
presented in the
lessons.

3 - Secure Verbalizes reasonable criteria for Identifies and explains differences

(Meets what makes something a living or between categories of living things
Expectations) nonliving thing. (animals, plants, fungi).

Understands
content at the level
presented in the
lessons.

2 - Developing Demonstrates some misconceptions Can identify, but not always

(Approaches about the differences between living explain, differences between
Expectations) and nonliving things. categories of living things (animals,
plants, fungi).
Shows an increasing
competency with
lesson content.

1 - Beginning Does not verbalize reasonable Cannot identify or explain

criteria for what makes something a differences between categories of
Has no previous living or nonliving thing. living things (animals, plants, fungi).
knowledge of lesson
content.

20 | COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS

 Opportunities Overview: Is It Alive?
This table highlights opportunities to assess the criteria on Rubric 3: Is It
Alive? It does not include every assessment opportunity; feel free to select
or devise other ways to assess various criteria.

Criteria A and B Criteria C and D

(Lessons 1—5, 10, 17, 19—22) (Lessons 1—5, 10, 17, 19—22)

Lesson 1: Lesson 2:
- Science Talk - Synthesizing discussion
- Synthesizing discussion - Science notebook page 3
Lesson 2: Lesson 3:
- Synthesizing discussion - Exploration
- Science notebook page 3 - Synthesizing discussion
Lesson 3: Lesson 4:
- Exploration - Introductory discussion
Pre and Formative

- Synthesizing discussion - Science notebook page 5

Opportunities

Lesson 5: Lesson 10:

- Introductory discussion - Science Talk
Lesson 10: - Reflective discussion
- Science Talk Lesson 17:
- Reflective discussion - Exploration
Lesson 17: - Sharing discussion
- Exploration - Science notebook pages 30-31
- Sharing discussion Lesson 20:
- Science notebook pages 30-31 - Science notebook pages 36-37
Lesson 19: Lesson 21:
- Introductory discussion - Reflective discussion
Lesson 20: - Science notebook pages 38-39
- Introductory discussion Lesson 22:
- Introductory discussion
- Exploration

Performance Tasks
Living Things Cluster Unit Assessment
Summative Opportunities

Living Things Picture, page 28 Bio Bingo, page 34

Animals Cluster
My Animal Drawing, page 29
Unit Assessment
Bio Bingo, page 34

Quick Check Items

Living Things Cluster Fungi Cluster
Page 36, item 1; Page 49: item 1
page 37: items 2, 3; and
page 38: item 6
Fungi Cluster
Page 49: item 2

COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS | 21

 Living Things Picture
Living Things Cluster (Lessons 1—5, 10, 17, 19, and 22)

Circle or color the picture if it is a living thing.

TEACHER NOTES:
Use this assessment after teaching Lesson 5.
Once the children have circled or colored their pictures, you might choose to ask the
question that follows orally, individually, or in groups

EVALUATION GUIDELINE:
Children should circle or color the plant, the snail and the mouse.

How do you know the things you circled or colored are alive?

EVALUATION GUIDELINES:
When evaluating children’s descriptions or responses, notice whether they include
several of the following elements:
x They grow.
x They need water.
x They need food.
x Children might also mention they need air and have babies.

28 | COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | PERFORMANCE TASK EVALUATION GUIDELINES

 Living Things Cluster
Quick Check Items

TEACHER NOTES:
You might administer this assessment orally, individually, or in small groups.
The following questions relate to the Living Things cluster. Use them after teaching the
entire cluster, or select the applicable questions immediately following each lesson. You
can also compile Quick Check items into an end-of-unit assessment.
1. (Lesson 1) Look at the pictures below.

x Circle the pictures that show a living thing.

x Put an “X” through the pictures that show a non-living thing.

window tree

butterfly lamp

snail flower

36 | COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | QUICK CHECK ANSWER KEYS

2. (Lesson 2) Yes or No?

Are brine shrimp alive? _____________ yes

3. (Lesson 2) If you answered yes, circle how you know they are alive.
You can circle more than one answer.

a. They move.

b. They grow.

c. They eat.

4. (Lesson 4) Circle the pictures where you can find living things. You can
circle more than one picture.

pile of leaves dirt

tree school playground

COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | QUICK CHECK ANSWER KEYS | 37

 5. (Lesson 5) Yes or No?

Are living things all around us? _____________ yes

6. (Lesson 10) Yes or No?

Are plants living things? _____________ yes

38 | COLLECTING AND EXAMINING LIFE | QUICK CHECK ANSWER KEYS

Date: _________________________________________

Wild Walk Field Notes

Spring

Draw something you saw on the Wild Walk.

Think.
What living things did you find?
What signs of life did you see?

30
Wild Walk Field Notes—Spring (Lesson 17)
 Date: ______________________________________

Wild Walk Field Notes

Spring

1. Write about something you saw on the Wild Walk.

2. What has changed about this place since the Fall Wild Walk?

31
Wild Walk Field Notes—Spring (Lesson 17)
Date: _________________________________________

Wild Walk Field Notes

Spring

Draw something you saw on the Wild Walk.

Drawings should reflect what was actually observed.

To get a more complete picture of what children noticed, you might ask them
to describe what their drawings show.

Think.
What living things did you find?
What signs of life did you see?

30
Wild Walk Field Notes—Spring (Lesson 17)
 Date: ______________________________________

Wild Walk Field Notes

Spring

1. Write about something you saw on the Wild Walk.

Descriptions should include at least one living thing.

In addition, children might include the following elements:

• Where they found it
• What else was nearby
• Details about the size, color, shape, smell, and feel
• How they knew it was a living thing

2. What has changed about this place since the Fall Wild Walk?

Answers vary.

Descriptions should reflect what was actually observed.

To get a more complete picture of what children noticed, you might ask them
to explain verbally what has changed since the Fall Wild Walk.

31
Wild Walk Field Notes—Spring (Lesson 17)
 Spring Wild Walk

Observing and Documenting the Spring Environment

1. Invite the children to search for and observe any signs of life in the spring environment.
Remind them that they need to:
• Choose at least one sign of life to study carefully.
• Make notes and drawings about it. (These will be used to make the Spring Nature Book.)
2. While the children are working, walk around and see if they are having trouble deciding how
to record the “sign of life” they have chosen. You might give the children ideas about the
kinds of things they may record. For example, you might ask:
• Where did you find it?
• What else was nearby?
• Give lots of details, such as shape, size, color, smell, and feel.
• Were there lots of it, or did it seem rare?
• How did you know it was a living thing or sign of life?
• Why was it interesting to you?

Observing and Collecting Flowers for Lesson 18

1. Ask children to collect spring flowers or tree blossoms. Have them work in groups so that
they don’t over-collect from the same plant.
2. Adults can help by doing the following:
• Use clippers to snip flowers and blossoms from branches or stems. Don’t tear parts
off the plants.
• Place flowers in a resealable plastic bag and seal them shut with some air remaining
in the bag.
• Label the bag with the name of the plant, if known, and whether the flowers came from a
tree, a shrub, or from an annual or herbaceous plant.

Teacher Master: Spring Wild Walk (Lesson 17) Collecting and Examining Life Teacher Master 23
 “I Wonder” Circle ®

Doing Science

o v er I W
isc on
D de
I

r
I Record

I Think
Doing
Science
ve

er I
bs Tr
I O y

I Wonder: notice, ask questions, state problems

I Think: consider, gather information, predict
I Try: experiment, model, test ideas, repeat
I Observe: watch, examine, measure
I Record: record data, organize, describe, classify, graph, draw
I Discover: look for patterns, interpret, reflect, conclude,
communicate discoveries

Release 1.4.0210. Copyright © 2004 Chicago Science Group.

All Rights Reserved.
www.sciencecompanion.com
Chicago Educational Publishing Company LLC
ISBN 10: 1-59192-309-3 ISBN 13: 978-1-59192-309-1