Grade 2 Biology title page -Kit resources: From the Mountains to the Sea We Are a Community – salmon life cycle Salmon Creek Annette Le Box & Karen Reczuch Fraser Bear – A Cub’s

BiologyGrade 2

Biol

ogy

BiologyGrade 2

Grade 2 Science - Biology

Big Idea

Content

Area of Learning: SCIENCE Grade 2

BIG IDEAS

All living things have a life cycle. (Questions to

support inquiry with students; Why are life cycles important? How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and

different?)

Materials can be changed through physical and

chemical processes.

Forces influence the motion of an object.

Water is essential to all living things, and it cycles through the environment.

(Questions to support inquiry with students; Why is water important for all living

things? How does water cycle through the environment?)

Learning Standards

Curricular Competencies Content

Students are expected to be able to do the following: Questioning and predicting (*Cycles are sequences or series of events that repeat/reoccur over time. A subset of pattern, cycles are looping or circular (cyclical) in nature. Cycles help scientists make predictions and hypotheses about the cyclical nature of the observable patterns. Key questions about cycles: How do First Peoples use their knowledge of life cycles to ensure sustainability in their local environments? How does the water cycle impact weather?)

• Demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world • Observe objects and events in familiar contexts • Ask questions about familiar objects and events • Make simple predictions about familiar objects and events

Planning and conducting • Make and record observations • Safely manipulate materials to test ideas and predictions • Make and record simple measurements using informal or non-standard methods

Processing and analyzing data and information • Experience and interpret the local environment • Sort and classify data and information using drawings or provided tables • Compare observations with predictions through discussion • Identify simple patterns and connections

Evaluating • Compare observations with those of others • Consider some environmental consequences of their actions

Applying and innovating • Take part in caring for self, family, classroom and school through personal approaches

Students are expected to know the following: • metamorphic (metamorphic life cycles: body

structure changes (e.g., caterpillar to butterfly, mealworm transformation, tadpoles to frog)) and non-metamorphic (non-metamorphic life cycles: organism keeps same body structure through life but size changes (e.g., humans)) life cycles of different organisms

• similarities and differences between offspring and parent (a kitten looks like cat and a puppy looks like dog but they do change as they grow; salmon change a great deal as they grow and need fresh and salt water environments to survive)

• Aboriginal knowledge (stewardship: sustainably gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns; sustainable fish hatchery programs run by local First People) of life cycles

• physical (physical ways of changing materials: warming, cooling, cutting, bending, stirring, mixing; materials may be combined or physically changed to be used in different ways (e.g., plants can be ground up and combined with other materials to make dyes)) ways of changing materials

• chemical (chemical ways of changing materials: cooking, burning, etc.) ways of changing materials

• types of forces (contact forces and at-a-distance forces: different types of magnets; static

• Transfer and apply learning to new situations • Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving

Communicating • Communicate observations and ideas using oral or written language, drawing, or role-play • Express and reflect on personal experiences of place

electricity; balanced and unbalanced forces: the way different objects fall depending on their shape (air resistance); the way objects move over/in different materials (water, air, ice, snow); the motion caused by different strengths of forces)

• water sources (oceans, lakes, rivers, wells, springs; the majority of fresh water is stored underground and in glaciers), including local watersheds

• water — a limited resource • the water cycle (The water cycle is driven by the sun

and includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The water cycle is also a major component of weather (e.g., precipitation, clouds).)

Suggested Ways to Engage Students in Science Inquiry:

A Driving Question: Why are life cycles important?

Significant Content: How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and different?

-Life cycle models; Life cycle sequence cards; seasons cards Strong Nations included in this kit.

-supplemental, locally developed LRC kits available to support research on lifecycles (search Destiny):

Animals Grow Up: Determining Importance Animal Life Cycles Bee Curious I Wonder Why Pine Trees Have Needles and Other Questions About Forests

Follow your student’s interests and explore non-fiction kits from LRC (search Destiny): Dog Breeds (non-fiction quadrant for note making) Farm Animal Inquiry: What Do We Know About farm Animals? (KWL strategy) Snakes Alive (non-fiction quadrant for note making)

In-depth Inquiry: At the heart of inquiry is wondering and questioning!

-Kit Book: Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package. To launch inquiry, use a question such as: What is nature’s perfect package?

-See Perfect Pairs by Melissa Stewart resource in LRC, for life science lessons that pair with fiction picture books. All paired titles along with lesson outlines are available from LRC. Recommended lessons: How Animal Parents and Young Interact; How Young Animals are Like Their Parents; How Plants Change as They Grow; How Butterflies Change as They Grow; How Wind, Water, and Animals Disperse Seeds (Search on Destiny)

Authentic Purpose: Place Based Learning:

Experiences: Meal worm kit, butterfly life-cycle kit, chicks kit all available from the LRC

Field Trip Ideas: Bison Farm, Fish Hatchery, Butterfly World, pond walk, river/stream walk, Seaview Farm, Trumpeter Swans, School Garden activities, Pumpkin Patch, Miracle Beach Nature House, Fanny Bay Oysters

Suggested Ways to Embed Assessment for Learning Strategies:

Clear Learning Intentions:

-I can observe and investigate the life cycles of various local plants and animals.

Create interest and excitement by reading some of the books in the kit, introducing small creatures to observe (i.e.,

mealworms), and giving opportunities for students to explore outdoors using various tools such as magnifying glasses,man-

made rulers, clipboards etc..

Co-constructed Ideas:

-I can demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world.

Discuss with class how we demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder. Create and post a Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like ‘y’ chart.

Questions:

- I can ask questions about familiar objects and events. Kit book: Questions Questions by Marcus Phister

This book could be used as starting point for inviting and inspiring curiosity around the topic of life cycles. In order to activate background knowledge students can think/pair/share what they are wondering about life cycles. These ideas can be recorded and revisited throughout this unit.

Peer and Self Assessments and Descriptive Feedback: -I can compare my observations with those of others in a polite and respectful manner. -Use learning maps to help make learning intentions and criteria explicit for self-assessment and reflection. -Provide opportunities for kids to share observations and work collaboratively, teaching and modeling respectful interactions.

Suggested Ways to Weave Aboriginal Ways of Knowing:

First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge.

How do First Peoples use their knowledge of life cycles to ensure sustainability in their local environments?

Examining Stewardship: -gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns -sustainable fish hatchery programs run by local First Peoples -Seasonal Round resource by FENESC -First Nations Traditional Foods and Fact Sheets (available in kit - a wealth of information on animals, plants, and food)

Place-based Learning Opportunities: -salmon hatchery -Comox Estuary Fish Trap Field Study (Connect with the Aboriginal Education CSTs & Estuary kit available at LRC) -Goose Spit & tidal explorations -Forest and plant walks (take locally developed traditional plant identification cards outside; available from Print Shop)

SD71 Lesson Links: -“Learn 71” → “District Programs “→ “Aboriginal Education” → “Resources” → “K-3” → “Animals Lessons 1 and 2.” These lessons explore how animals are important in the lives of Aboriginal People. They describe how Aboriginal People use all parts of the animal as a natural, sustainable part of their culture.

Aboriginal Resources website: Nutrient values of indigenous plants in Coast Salish Territory BCTF resources

http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/other/ai215e/ai215e05.htm

Grade 2: Biology

Big Idea (understand) : All living things have a life cycle.

Why are life cycles important? How are the life cycles of local plants and animals similar and different?

Content (know) 1. Aboriginal Knowledge of Life Cycles -stewardship: sustainability gathering plants and hunting/fishing in response to seasons and animal migration patterns -sustainable fish hatchery programs run by Local First Peoples -Kit resources: From the Mountains to the Sea We Are a Community – salmon life cycle Salmon Creek Annette Le Box & Karen Reczuch Fraser Bear – A Cub’s Life Maggie de Vries Salmon Stream Carol Reed-Jones First Nations Traditional Foods FACT SHEETs My Seasonal Round – an integrated Unit for Elementary Social Studies and Science Strong Nations books and photo cards

2. Metamorphic and Non-Metamorphic -metamorphic life cycles: body structure changes (e.g., caterpillar to butterfly, meal worm transformation, tadpoles to frog) -non-metamorphic life cycles of different organisms: non-metamorphic life cycles: organism keeps same body structure through life but size changes (e.g., humans)

Animal Life Cycle- Books and models available in kit. Other Life Cycles locally developed resources available on Destiny.

All animals reproduce young of the same kind. Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, insects each have their own unique way of reproducing life. There are many life cycles in the animal world. Mammals – the stages of life in most; fertilized egg→ infant→ juvenile→ adult

Deer are an excellent example of a simple life cycle that is the life cycle of most mammals, including humans. Infant stage baby looks very similar to its parents and is dependent on them for survival. The next stage is that of a youth; becomes more independent; final stage is that of adult.

Birds - egg→ chick→ adult Amphibian – born alive from their mother or hatched from eggs, spend their childhood under water, breathing with gills and later change to an adult form and breathe at least partly through lungs. Certain species of amphibians, particularly among the salamanders, remain in larval form all their lives Insects -egg→ larva→ pupa→ adult Studying life cycles helps scientist make sure that the environment needed is there for animals at their different stages of development. It helps them control things such as disease transmission which might only occur during a certain stage of the life cycle of an organism, or in the case of farmers, be able to recognize the life stages in their crops to know when to harvest, fertilize or treat their crops. Source: Virginia Dept. of Education 2012

Plant Life Cycle (Science World resources)-

Seed Dissection

All living things go through stages in life. Each type of plant and animal has its own life cycle, and the stages vary from species to species. A common plant life cycle begins when a plant produces a seed. This seed gets buried in the ground, taking in water and nutrients from the soil to grow. The seed grows small roots and shoots that push through the surface of the soil. The shoots develop into a small seedling—branches with leaves. The seedling grows into a mature plant and grows flowers, fruits, leaves or nuts that contain seeds.

Objectives:

Observe and draw the inside of a seed (lima bean) that is beginning to grow.

Describe what seeds need in order to grow into healthy plants and identify the parts of a seed. https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/seed-dissection

Seed to Food Match Up

In this activity, students will match common food from the grocery store with the seeds that produce that food. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of their food as they learn about the plants they rely on as food.

All plants start as a seed. Seeds contain all the nutrition and information needed for the rest of the plant’s growth. After flowers are pollinated, the ovules or eggs are fertilized. The ovules will develop into seeds and become the beginning for the next generation.

Many people can easily identify the name of the plant-based food they eat, but it is a greater challenge to identify what the seeds that produce the particular food look like. Working in groups, students will discover that this challenge is achievable through critical thinking and discussion. (cards in kit)

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/seed-food-match

Tree Cookies

In this activity, students learn about tree rings and how a tree grows wider each year.

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/tree-cookies

Moss Propagation

How do mosses grow and reproduce? Mosses are incredibly slow growing and live in challenging environments.

Mosses have many methods of dealing with such harsh living conditions. (materials not provided in kit)

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/moss-propagation

Plants All Around Us

Daily, we see a countless variety of plants growing in our neighbourhoods, in our parks, in our forests, but most of us

pass these without taking a moment to observe their beauty and diversity. Using our local environments as the

sites for place-based scientific learning can give us the opportunity to apply our knowledge to the world around us.

The activities in this unit will guide students through learning about the nature within our local environments.

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/units/plants-all-around-us

Can You Make a Bead Fly? Plant seeds are usually transported by animals, wind or water. Plants that produce seeds to be easily dispersed by wind, often produce a lot of seeds to ensure that some seeds are blown to areas where they can germinate. Seeds that are dispersed by wind tend to be small and have wings or other hair-like or feather-like structures. (you’ll need a fan from home)

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/can-you-make-bead-fly

3. Similarities and Differences Between Offspring and Parents -a kitten looks like cat and a puppy looks like a dog but they change as they grow; salmon change a great deal as they grow and need fresh and salt water environments to survive -Animals Grow Up (locally developed Determining Importance kit available through Destiny)

-puzzle in kit -National Geographic has a beautiful web site Gallery of Baby Animal Photos

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/baby-animals/#/baby-leopard_231_600x450.jpg

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/your-puppy-pictures/#/two-golden-retriever-puppies_34716_600x450.jpg Information from Discovery Education Science: • In plants and animals, offspring show many traits of their parents • Inherited traits (features and behavior) are those passed to offspring • Parents must have a way to transfer inherited traits to their offspring • Not all traits are inherited.

Additional information for in-depth inquiry:

Pollinator syndromes (sustainability) In this activity, students match different types of pollinators to their preferred flowers and discover how pollinators have co- evolved with plants. https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/pollinator-syndromes

View National Geographic Pioneer May 2016 projectable edition for ‘just right’ text exploring Into the Hive. Teacher guide also available.

Into the Hive – May 2016

http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/pioneer/

Projectable text:

http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/pioneer/

April 2016 Pioneer Edition: Looking at Eggs

~ observe and describe the properties of some different animals’

eggs

Feathers, fur or fin? Most animals have more than one special feature to help them survive. Animals that live in the same sort of conditions may have

similar features. For example, most mammals that live in the northern Pacific Ocean (whales, sea lions, seals) grow a thick layer

of blubber to protect their body from the cold. Sea Otters don’t have a layer of blubber; instead they have very thick fur that

they blow air into to create a layer of insulation. (available online not in kit)

http://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/feathers-fur-or-fin

Plant parts relay Students play a game to learn the different parts of different types of common food plants. What humans eat as different fruit and vegetables are actually parts of plants:

Roots hold the plant in the ground, especially when it’s windy. They also soak up water and nutrients for the plant. Examples: carrots, turnips, radishes.

Bulbs are underground stems that store lots of food in their leaves. Examples: leek, onions, garlic.

Tubers are underground stems that are swollen with stored nutrients. Examples: potatoes, sweet potatoes.

Leaves catch the sunlight and make food for the plant. Leaves also let water and gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the plant. Examples: lettuce, cabbage, spinach.

Fruits are made by the flower parts and have seeds inside them. Examples: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, oranges, apples, grapes, string beans.

Seeds store food inside for the plant embryo and grow into mature plants. Examples: sunflower seeds, coconuts (one of the world’s biggest seeds), sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coffee beans, lima beans.

Stems help plants stand up and move food and water to all of the other parts. Example: asparagus.

Petioles are special stems that hold the leaves. Examples: celery, rhubarb.

Objectives:

Identify the parts of a plant. Lesson and cards included in kit.

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/plant-relay-game

All Living Things Have a Life Cycle:

Investigating Patterns in Nature

Yellow: I can do this independently.

Blue: I can do this with guided support.

Orange: I can do this with direct support.

Science Inquiry (Do)

I can observe changes in the life cycles

of various plants and animals.

I think we learn about life cycles because

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

I still wonder

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

I can compare life cycles.

I can compare my observations with

those of others in a polite and

respectful manner.

Science Content (Know)

I can explain how the life cycles of

plants and animals are similar and

different.

I can explain how First Peoples use

their knowledge of life cycles to

interact with the environment.

Notice, Think, and Wonder Please make time for the books within this science unit to be shared among students in an

informal way. During silent reading time, books from this kit and from those gathered at

your school library may be shared in a casual buddy reading/sharing format. As students

share these books, who knows what might occur … students may naturally launch into requests

of, “Can we try this?” Inquiry is born from subtle suggestions toward an intended destination!

“Maybe … perhaps … or I think … “ Exploratory talk like this brings multiple minds together to

work on the same problem in powerful ways.

Peter Johnson author of Choice Words

Acknowledge and affirm the question and the curiosity. Use the ‘language of possibility’ …

‘maybe’, ‘could be’, ‘what if’… Experiment, explore, discover, wonder, persist, re-think, model,

wonder aloud … then walk away and see what happens!

Kath Murdoch author of Collaborative Inquiry

Activity Length: 

10 mins.

Salmon in the Food WebGo BackPrint

Introduction

This activity demonstrates how salmon play an  important  role  in our coastal  food web.

Salmon are considered keystone species on  the B.C. Coast, meaning  there are many species  thatrely on salmon. Because so many organisms rely on salmon as an essential  food source,  thesalmon population  is very  important  in maintaining biodiversity on  the B.C. Coast. Salmon gain alot of  their mass while  in  the ocean. When  they come back  to  their spawning grounds  inthousands of numbers,  they bring millions of pounds of nutrients  from  the ocean  to  the  riverecosystem. Simply put,  the salmon migration during spawning season helps  replenish  the entireecosystem,  from  the animals  that eat  the salmon,  to  the decomposers who break down  their deadbodies,  to  the  trees  that grow  from  their broken down nutrients. With a decline  in salmon, manyother coastal organisms suffer as well. This activity  is a simple  introduction  to a deeper discussionabout how salmon are  important  for  the entire ecosystem.

The deck of card used  in  this activity come  from a  free ecological­based education card gamecalled Phylo. The Phylo Game can be used as a  tool  for ecosystem understanding,  interactionswithin  food webs or  in any other creative ways.

The provided cards  represent  three  food sources of salmon, zooplankton, earthworms and pacifickrill  (and other aquatic  invertebrates.) As salmon get bigger  they also eat smaller  fish and  fisheggs, but  the  three  food sources given are major  food sources  for salmon.

Predator cards are  the killer whale,  the black bear, humans,  river otters,  ringed kingfishers, bald

Objectives: 

Identify each stage of  the salmon  life cycle.Identify  factors  (natural and human­made)that affect salmon survival.

Materials: 

1 set of specific Phylo cards1 game board

Key Questions: 

If salmon are  removed  from  this  food web,how are  the other organisms affected?How do salmon help  the  trees  in  the  forest?

Extensions: 

Visit  the Phylo website. Download  the BeatyBiodiversity deck and play a game  to  learnabout our ecosystem here  in B.C.Think of creative ways  to use Phylo cards,and send your  thoughts  to  the Phylo  team.

eagles and harbor seals. These predators eat salmon when  the salmon are  found  in  theirecosystem. Ocean predators of salmon are seals, and killer whales. Ocean/freshwater predatorsare eagles and humans. Freshwater predators of salmon are  river otters,  ringed kingfishers andblack bears.

One  trick card  is  the western  red cedar. Although  trees do not eat salmon, salmon do  turn  intofood  for  trees. Shortly after salmon spawn and contribute  to  the next generation,  they die. Withsuch a  large  influx of dead  fish, a  large amount of decomposition occurs,  turning  the bodies  intoavailable nutrients  for  trees. These nutrients become  incorporated  into  the soil around  rivers, andall nearby  trees benefit greatly  from  these salmon nutrients.

What To Do

Set up

1. Place  the salmon card  in  the center of  the game board.2. Place  the other cards  in a pile on  the  table.

Challenge

1. Try  to construct a  food web using all  the cards. All cards are one step away  from salmonand  represent a salmon  food source or possible predator.

Other Resources

Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Life of a Salmon Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Coastal Connections Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Decomposers Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Urban Wildlife  

Activity Length: 

20 mins.

Salmon Life Cycle Mix & MatchGo BackPrint

Introduction

In  this activity, students  learn  the different  life stages of  the Pacific salmon. 

The  life cycle of Pacific salmon  follows six distinct stages. At each stage of  life,  the  fish needdifferent environments and  face different  threats. 

What To Do

Preparation

1. Cut out pictures and names/descriptions separately. Laminate  these  to  last  longer  if you  like.

Objectives: 

Identify each stage of  the salmon  life cycle.Identify  factors  (natural and human­made)that affect salmon survival.

Materials: 

Per group:1 set of  life cycle cards  (stage pictures andstage names with descriptions)

Key Questions: 

What  life stages are  found  in  freshwaterareas?What  life stages are  found  in saltwateroceans?Where are eggs  found? Where do spawnersgo?Where do salmon  live  the  longest?Why might a spawner  look so different?

Extensions: 

Create pictures of  typical environments  foreach stage  in  the salmon  life cycle. Oncestudents have  the salmon  life cycle  in  thecorrect order, have  them match each stage  toits environment.Create pictures of  typical  threats  for eachstage  in  the salmon  life cycle. Have studentsmatch a couple of major  threats  to eachstage.Look at a map of  the BC coast. Pin  the  lifestages  to places where  they might be  found,or act out  their  life, showing where and whenthey change  to  the next  life stage.Explore  the significance of salmon  in coastalFirst Nations cultures. The  importance ofsalmon  in  traditional First Nations  lifestyles  isreflected  in art and storytelling  traditions.

Set up

1. Divide students  into groups.2. Give each group a mixed up set of  the Pacific salmon  life cycle stage picture and name

cards.

Instructions

1. As a group, have students match  the pictures  to  the name card.2. Have students place  the pictures  in  the order of  the youngest stage  to  the oldest stage.3. Have groups share  their  results.

Activity Length: 

45 mins.

Salmon Stream DesignGo BackPrint

Introduction

In  this activity, students create a model of a salmon stream habitat.

A good Pacific salmon rearing area should have:

different  types of habitat  for cover  for  fishfew  floods and droughtsmoderate summer  temperaturesfew predatorslots of  insects  for  food

In a good spawning area, adult salmon should be able  to  reach spawning gravel  that has  free­flowing water and  is  free of silt.

What To Do

1. Hand out paper and pens.2. Have students draw (or otherwise  represent)  their  ideal habitat  for salmon egg/alevin/fry

survival.

Drawings could  include:            •          trees/vegetation on  the banks 

Objectives: 

Identify each stage of  the salmon  life cycle.Identify  factors  (natural and human­made)that affect salmon survival.

Materials: 

paperdrawing or collage materials

Key Questions: 

What does an egg need  to protect  itself?What kind of habitat does an alevin need  tohide  from predators?What conditions does a  fry need  to survive?

Extensions: 

Using  local maps discuss how humans haveimpacted salmon streams.

          •          tree debris  in  the stream           •         overhanging  trees and brush           •          rocks  in  the stream           •         pools  for shelter            •         gravel bed  free of silt/sediment/pollution           •         water  riffles  indicating a  fast  flow (therefore good oxygen quality)            •         good water  level            •         good  temperature           •         supply of  insects,  including  larvae           •         absence of predators  (including  "no  fishing" signs)            •         dogs on­leash           •          litter bins  to prevent  trash  in  the stream

Other Resources

Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Life of a Salmon Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Coastal Connections Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Urban Wildlife  Science World at TELUS World of Science  | Ken Spencer Science Park Science World at TELUS World of Science  | Search: Sara Stern Gallery

Life of a SalmonGo BackPrint

Introduction

In  this unit, students will  identify each stage of  the salmon  lifecycle as well as  factors  that affectsalmon survival.  

A watershed  is a section of  land where all of  the area’s water  is collected and  funnelled  into  thesame waterway. A watershed  is made up of a unique mixture of habitats  that  influence each other.These habitats  include  forests, wildlife, creeks,  rivers,lakes,  farms and cities or  towns. Watersheds come  in allshapes and sizes.

Many human activities can negatively affect animals,particularly wild salmon,  in  their natural watershedhabitat. Urban development can cause  runoff. Runoff  iswater  that  runs off quickly  into storm drains, ditches andsewer systems, eventually ending up  in  rivers and  lakes,polluting water and killing  fish. The more  runoff,  thehigher  the  risk of  flooding, which can erode stream banksand destroy spawning beds. The health of  the watershedanimal populations,  including  that of salmon, depends onthe health of  their natural habitat.  

LIST OF ACTIVITIES  

Salmon Life Cycle Mix & Match How  to Make a Redd Salmon Life Lottery Salmon  in  the Food Web 

Salmonopoly: Design Your Own Board Game Impossible Salmon Tag Salmon Life Cycle Hexaflexagon Salmon Migration Obstacle Course Salmon Stream Design The Adventures of Salmon: A Colouring Book

Objectives: 

Identify each stage of  the salmon  life cycle.Identify  factors  (natural and man­made)  that affect salmon survival.

Background: 

Salmon Overview

Wild salmon have  lived  in  the cold, pristine Pacific waters  for  thousands of years and have beenan  integral part of  the Pacific Northwest's history, culture and economy  for as  long as humanshave  lived here. Historically, B.C.’s First Nations have  relied on salmon as a major  food source.

Five species of salmon, and  two closely  related  trout, are native  to  the North Pacific and eachspecies has a  life cycle  ranging  from  two  to seven years. These  fish, collectively known assalmonids, are anadromous, meaning  they are born  in  fresh water and migrate downriver  to  thecold open waters of  the Pacific Ocean. They often  travel  for  thousands of kilometres  thenmiraculously  return  to  the  river of  their birth.  It's still a mystery exactly how salmon  find  their wayhome, but  they seem to  rely on a combination of genetic coding, celestial navigation,electromagnetic currents and a strong sense of smell.

All salmonids start out as  fertilized eggs,  found  in gravel  regions of streams and  lakes. Theyremain  there while  they are alevin, absorbing  their egg sac. While  they are  fry  they eat aquaticinvertebrates. They undergo  large physiological changes when swimming  to  the ocean as smolts,and  live  in  the ocean  for many years, growing  into a  large adult. Once  fully developed,  the adultsphysiologically change again allowing  them  to move  from salt water  to  freshwater as spawners  toreach  their home stream or  lake. There  they will spawn and  lay eggs  for  the next generation.

Salmon must protect  themselves  from predators. They are particularly susceptible  to predatorswhen migrating so  they seek deep pools  for protection.  In  the ocean, some salmon stay  togetherin a school, confusing predators with  their  flashy sides and causing  them  to be mistaken  for asingle  large predator. A salmon’s predators change at different stages of  its  lifecycle, because ofthe salmon’s change  in size and environment. Salmon  fry are eaten by other  fishes, members oftheir own species, snakes and birds. Once  in  the ocean, salmon are prey  to killer whales,dolphins, seals, sea  lions, other  fish and, of course, humans. A spawning salmon  is at  risk ofbeing scooped up by bears and birds.

A salmon's diet depends on  its species and  region. Typically,  juvenile salmon eat zooplankton and

aquatic  invertebrates,  like krill, mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and worms.  In  the ocean, salmoneat smaller  fish such as herring, and crustaceans  like krill.

Humans have strong and often negative  impacts on salmon. Overfishing has  led  to a decline  insome salmon stocks. Land development and dam building have damaged habitats and  impactedsalmon runs. This development has  led  to a decline  in salmon populations  in some areas.

In 1985,  the Canadian and U.S. governments established  the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The  treatyoutlines  the conduct of  fisheries, salmon management and  research and enhancement programs.

Salmon Habitats

Streams and  lakes provide  living,  feeding and spawning areas  for salmon and  related  trout. Agood water body  for salmon has many different characteristics. Although young  fish may not havethe same needs as spawning  fish, all salmon require an adequate  flow of clean, cool water. Bothyoung and older salmon rely on streams and  river  features: pools and riffles. Pools are areas ofa stream or  river where  the water  is deep, slow moving, and silt or clay  lay on  the bottom. Theseare  important  for salmon  to hide  from predators or  relax  in cooler water. Riffles are areas of astream or  river where  the water  is shallow,  fast moving, and gravel or  rocks  lay on  the bottom.Salmon rely on  these  for  laying  their eggs, and  for adding oxygen  to  the water.

Unfortunately, waterways can be easily and seriously damaged. Damage can be caused bycarelessness  in  logging and mining practices, or by poorly­planned city and community growth andthe pollution  that accompanies  it. Healthy streams and  rivers are  important  to  fish and otheraquatic animals and plants and should be  treated with care and  respect.  

Salmon Struggles and How We Can Help

Salmon have struggles  throughout  their entire  life. Most will die before  they come back  to spawn.Many of  these  factors  that make  their  lives challenging are beyond our control, but  there are alsosome ways  in which we can help. 

For  instance, while many  factors  that damage watershed ecology and water quality are beyondour control,  there are ways we can help save and preserve our streams:

Plant vegetation on  the sides of  lakes and streams  to stabilize  the banks.Leave natural plants and debris such as stumps,  fallen  trees or boulders where  they are.Leave all animal  life where  it  is.Keep pets and  livestock away  from  the water.Use garden and  lawn chemicals sparingly and with care.Remove garbage  from  the stream area.Direct soap suds, detergents, waste oil, gasoline or other household chemicals ontoabsorbent ground away  from streams, not down storm drains or  into  roadside ditches.

Vocabulary: 

Plants All Around UsGo BackPrint

Introduction

Daily, we see a countless variety of plants growing  in our neighbourhoods,  in our parks,  in ourforests, but most of us pass  these without  taking a moment  to observe  their beauty and diversity.Using our  local environments as  the sites  for place­based scientific  learning can give us  theopportunity  to apply our knowledge  to  the world around us. The activities  in  this unit will guidestudents  through  learning about  the nature within our  local environments.  

LIST OFACTIVITIES  

FlowerDissection Seed  to FoodMatch­up Tree Cookies Plant RelayGame PlantClassification MossPropagation Pressed

Flowers/Plants

Objectives: 

Identify some examples of  local plants and some of  their uses.Increase  their observational skills of natural objects.Describe how a  tree grows  throughout  the years.Study different aspects of  the  life cycle of plants.

Background: 

The  Importance of Observation  

The ability  to  look at plants around you,  to study  them and  to  think critically about how  they grow,reproduce and adapt  to  their environments over  time are very  important scientific skills. Many ofthe greatest scientists  throughout history have come upon  their  theories  through simpleobservation of  the plants around  them.

Three historically  important botanists are Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin and Alfred Wegener.Through his observation of plants, Linnaeus came up with our current genus and speciesclassification system. Darwin  theorized evolution and Wegener  theorized continental drift afterobserving plants,  fossils and other  living  things. Together,  these are some of  the most profounddiscoveries  in historical science, and have all arisen  from careful observation of  the  living world.

The Plant Life Cycle  

Flowering plants  typically go  through a  life cycle. A plant grows  from a seed, which containsgenetic  information and nutrients  that a plant needs  to  turn  into a seedling or a baby plant. Then,plants  take energy  from  the sun, which  is used  in chemical processes  to produce sugars  for  theirgrowth.   

When a plant  is  reaching  the end of  its  life, or  it  is  reaching  the end of a growing season,  it willmake many  flowers. Then  through  reliance on wind currents, or animal pollinators, pollen  from  themale part of a  flower,  the stamen,  is  transferred  to  the  female part of a  flower,  the stigma. Whenthe pollen  reaches  the eggs,  it will  fertilize  them. The eggs will develop  into seeds, which oncepropagated will grow and  the plant  life cycle will  then continue.

Conifer or cone­bearing  trees,  like  the Western Red Cedar, and spore­bearing plants,  like  ferns ormosses, have different  lifecycles, but still  follow  the same concept of  two sexual parts meeting andforming  the beginnings of a new plant.  

What Are Weeds?

Not all plants are considered beautiful or useful by humans. For example, weeds are plants  thatgrow where we do not want  them  to be growing, but not all weeds are bad. Some commonweeds are more nutritious  than spinach, and others are medicinal. Learning more about  the plantsaround us,  including weeds, can help us  to gain  respect  for more of  the plants we see.

Vocabulary: 

References: 

Other Resources: 

Activity Length: 

15 mins.

Seed to Food Match­upGo BackPrint

Introduction

In  this activity, students will match common  food  from  the grocery store with  the seeds  thatproduce  that  food. Students will gain a deeper understanding of  the  lifecycle of  their  food as  theylearn about  the plants  they  rely on as  food.   

All plants start as a seed. Seeds contain all  the nutrition and  information needed  for  the  rest ofthe plant’s growth. After  flowers are pollinated,  the ovules or eggs are  fertilized. The ovules willdevelop  into seeds and become  the beginning  for  the next generation.

Many people can easily  identify  the name of  the plant­based  food  they eat, but  it  is a greaterchallenge  to  identify what  the seeds  that produce  the particular  food  look  like. Working  in groups,students will discover  that  this challenge  is achievable  through critical  thinking and discussion.  

What To Do

Preparation

1. Choose  foods  that are easily  recognizable, but with a  range of difficulty matching  the  foodwith  the seed.  Include only a couple of challenging pairs  to ensure  that  the group can havea chance at matching most seeds with  the  foods. For example,  tomato and pumpkin will beeasier  to match, but  radishes and  lettuce will be more difficult  to match with  theircorresponding seeds.

2. Place one seed  in each  tray. Position all  the  trays and  the pictures on a  table,  in noparticular order.

Challenge

1. Have students observe  the different seeds, and as a group, have  them match up  the seedswith  the corresponding  food we eat.

2. Have  them discuss amongst  themselves until  they are all certain  they have a match.

Objectives: 

Study different aspects of  the  life cycle ofplants.

Materials: 

8­10 pictures of everyday  foods  (Use samplesof  real plants when/if possible.)1 seed per  food  (e.g. Tomato, peanut, pea,zucchini/cucumber, watermelon,  lettuce, beet,onion,  lentil, wheat.)1  tray per seed  type 

Teacher Tip:  If working with youngerstudents, separate and put  the seeds  inplastic baggies so  that  they are notaccidentally dropped or mixed.

Key Questions: 

Have you ever grown any of  these plantsfrom seed?Have you ever seen any of  these seedsbefore?How did you  figure out  the ones you wereuncertain about?

Extensions: 

Plant  the seeds and watch  the plants growthrough  their entire  life cycle.Try  the same activity with matching  the  foodwe eat with pictures of  the plant  that  it comesfrom.Visit  the UBC Farm  through  their FarmWonders program.

Other Resources

Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Plants All Around Us Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Pollinators Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Plants We Eat  Science World at TELUS World of Science  | Ken Spencer Science Park

Activity Length: 

15­20 mins.

Tree CookiesGo BackPrint

Introduction

In  this activity, students  learn about  tree  rings and how a  tree grows wider each year.

Each  ring of a  tree cookie  represents one year of growth  for  the  tree. The  first year  is at  thecenter, while  the  last year’s growth  is where  the wood meets  the bark.   All of  these  rings aremade up of cells  that are actually dead, but act  like  tunnels  for  transporting water  to other growingcell. Much of  the  trunk  is devoted  to water  transportation because of  the quantity of water neededby all  the growing parts of  large  trees.

The area where  the bark meets  the wood  is a  layer of cells called  the vascular cambium. This  isthe only  living part  in  the  trunk of  the  tree. Vascular cambium produces bark  in one direction andwood  in  the other. This  living  layer  is also where sugars move  to all parts of  the  tree. This can beobserved as a     slimy  layer  found  if bark has been peeled off a  tree.

Warning: Peeling off a  full horizontal strip of bark will kill a  tree because  it will not be ableto  transport sugars.

Looking at  the  rings of a  tree can  tell us a  lot about environmental conditions  in  the  region  thetree was grown. The  lighter part of each  ring  is  the spring season’s growth and  is where most ofthe growth happens. The darker part of  the  ring  is  the summer or  fall growth, which  is when  therate of growth slows. The darker colour  is made by cells growing smaller, closer  together, and withthicker cell walls. Black parts can show when a  fire has  reached a  tree and  large  rings show arainy season.  

What To Do

Set up

1. Hand out a  tree cookie  to groups of 3­4 students.2. Hand out a hand  lens  to each student.

Activity

1. Have students  investigate  the  tree  rings with  the hand  lenses.2. Have  them  find  the  first year growth of  the  tree.3. Then,  find  the  last year growth of  the  tree.4. Finally, have students count  the  rings  to  find out  the age of  the  tree.

Objectives: 

Describe how a  tree grows  throughout  theyears.

Materials: 

Per group:1  tree cookie  (You can make  them  like  this ororder  them  from a science supply store.)  

Per student:1 hand  lens  (optional)

Key Questions: 

How are  tree  rings created?Where  is  the  tree’s  first year’s growth?Where  is  its  last year’s growth?Where  is  the wood growing  from?How old was  this  tree when  the  tree cookiewas made?Do all  the  rings  look  the same? What aresome of  the differences you see? Why do youthink  these differences exist?How could  this  trunk be useful  for a  tree?What might  it  transport up and down  thetree?

Extensions: 

Use  the  tree  rings  to make a  timeline ofweather  through  the years  that  the  tree grew.

Other Resources

Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Plants All Around Us Science World Resources  | Full  lesson & Other activities  | Plants We Eat  Science World at TELUS World of Science  | Ken Spencer Science Park Science World at TELUS World of Science  | Search: Sara Stern Gallery

Activity Length: 

30 mins.

Moss PropagationGo BackPrint

Introduction

How do mosses grow and  reproduce? Mosses are  incredibly slow growing and  live  in challengingenvironments. Mosses have many methods of dealing with such harsh  living conditions. Forexample,  their small size allows mosses  to absorb a  lot of water  through capillary action andreduce  the amount of energy use.

Another method of survival  is  fragmentation. Fragmentation  is a  form of asexual  reproductionwhere a part of  the moss can grow  to  form a new moss. This  is used by mosses  to help ensuretheir survival.   

Not all plants can  reproduce  from any part of  their body, but moss  is a great example of a plantwith  this unique ability. As a moss plant  is  ripped up, each new piece can grow  into a newplant. This allows moss  to propagate over a  large space  (like a  forest, or a  lawn) even with  theirslow growth.

What To Do

Preparation

1. Prepare  the sample: Blend 1 1/2 cups of moss and  the buttermilk  for only 10­20 seconds onlow  in  the blender.

2. Add water until  it becomes a  thick soupy consistency  (about 1 1/2­2 cups of water).

Objectives: 

Study different aspects of  the  life cycle ofplants.

Materials: 

Per class:5­10  large clumps of moss  that grew onconcrete or  rocks.  (~1 1/2 cups)waterblender250 g of buttermilkOptional: 1  tsp sodium polyacrylate (useful  forits absorbing ability) Soak  the sodiumpolyacrylate with 1 cup of warm water  for 5­10 minutes.  

Per student:1 hand­sized  rock1 wide paintbrush

Key Questions: 

Moss can  reproduce  just by breaking apartand having  their  fragments grow. How couldthis be useful  to cover  forests  like  they do?How could  this help explain how moss canspread all over a  lawn?

Extensions: 

Make a moss  terrarium.Find moss  that grows on branches and  trees.Get  the class  to grow  the moss on  the piecesof bark. How does  this moss differ  from  themoss growing on  the  rocks?

3. Pulse  to  rip not  to puree.  (Optional: Add  the soaked sodium polyacrylate at  this  time.)

Pre­Activity

1. Discuss  the ways  in which plants can  reproduce  (i.e. pollination, seeds, cones, spores, etc.)2.  Introduce  fragmentation and why plants may use  it  to survive and grow.3. Give groups a container of  the moss mixture.   

Activity

1. Have students paint  the moss mixture on  their  rocks with any shape or design  they choose. 2. Have students  take  their  rock home and spray  it daily. Watch  the moss grow!

Teacher Tips: 

If  the moss mixture  is  too moist,  there  is a possibility of growing mold on  the  rocks. Havestudents closely monitor  the growth of  their moss.Moss propagation can  take a  long  time. Please  remind students  to  remain patient as  theyobserve  their moss grow.   

Activity Length: 

30 mins.

Can you make a bead fly?Go BackPrint

Introduction

Plant seeds are usually  transported by animals, wind or water. Plants  that produce seeds  to beeasily dispersed by wind, often produce a  lot of seeds  to ensure  that some seeds are blown  toareas where  they can germinate. Seeds  that are dispersed by wind  tend  to be small and havewings or other hair­like or  feather­like structures.

What To Do

1. Present  the students with a bead. Will  it  fly? What  if  the electric  fan was  turned on?2. Separate students  into groups. Distribute beads and pipe cleaners.   Each group  receives a

selection of  fabrics. Have students alter  the beads with  the materials available  to make aflying bead.

3. Have students  test out  their modifications by dropping  the bead  in  front of  the  rotating  fan.

Objectives: 

Observe how seeds might be dispersed bywind.

Materials: 

Adjustable electric  fan, with paper  tubewrapped around head, extending about 10cm.Light wooden beads, 15mm–20mm  in sizePipe cleaners cut  to 3  inches  in  lengthVarious  light  fabrics cut  into 5  inch squares,i.e. parachute material,  light nylon, chiffon,gauze or  tulle

Key Questions: 

What makes  the  ‘seed’  fly?We added mass  to  the  ‘seed’. Why did  it  fly?What could you change  to make  the  ‘seed’more successful?

Extensions: 

Relate  this activity  to  the mechanics of seeddispersal.Explore a  local garden or park and havestudents observe  the plants,  to see  if  thestudents can  identify how  the plant seedsmight be dispersed.

Other Resources

Science World Resources  | Plants We Eat  | Seed Dissection 

An electronic copy of this teacher guide can be found on Learn71 athttps://portal.sd71.bc.ca/group/wyhzgr4/Pages/default.aspx

Contributors: Cheryl Adebar, Thea Black, Noah Burdett, Doug David, Kara Dawson, Colleen Devlin, Allan Douglas, Gerald Fussell, Nora Harwijne, Sarah Heselgrave, Debra Lovett, Kim Marks, Gail Martingale, Dale Mellish, Heather Mercier, Jane Rondow, Teri Ingram, Debbie Nelson, Joan Pearce, Stewart Savard, Laura Street, Lynn Swi�, Carol Walters.

School District No. 71 (Comox Valley) grants permission for teachers to use these resources for educational purposes.

Published July 2016