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Paul Smiths VIC - Field Trip Packet

Spring/Fall Programs - Paul Smiths VIC

1. Field Trip Logistics
2. Program Summaries
3. Further Resources

1. Field Trip Logistics

WELCOME
Here at the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smiths we teach people about the natural history of the Adirondacks. The formal activities that we offer to schools are designed to be infused into required state curricula. Each activity is a "hands-on" outdoor experience that is meant to be preceded and/or followed by other classroom-based lessons so that a visit here is not just an isolated experience. As a division of the Adirondack Park Agency and with the support of the Adirondack Park Institute, we do not charge a program fee for our field trips.

HOW TO SCHEDULE A FIELD TRIP
We are currently offering field trips during the Fall (mid-September to early November), Winter (January and February), and Spring (mid-April to early June). Reservations open for the Fall season on the first Monday in June; for the Winter on the first Monday in November; and for the Spring on the first Monday in February. Call as early as possible to get the day you want. Our number at Paul Smiths is (518) 327-3000. You can call 7 days a week between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, although you are more likely to find an educator who can answer your questions between Monday and Friday.

In the past, teachers chose 2 activities for the day from our list of available programs. Starting in the spring of 2002, we expanded on these programs so that choosing one for the day is sufficient. For each field trip, we will expand on a single theme through an Introduction, an Exploration, and an Activities section. (Please see the Program Summaries for a description of what each program segment entails).

YOUR FIELD TRIP ITINERARY
Field trip groups should arrive as close to 9:30am as possible, but no earlier. The entire group will first have a 20 to 30 minute introduction in our theater that reviews the theme of the day and introduces some basic information. Then, the group will proceed to one of two program pieces: Exploration or Activities. Large groups (2 classes) will split up with half beginning with Exploration and half with Activities. After this piece, the group will meet back for a half-hour lunch break, and then continue with the other component after lunch. Each component can last between 1 hour and 1.5 hours, so the total length of your field trip is flexible and will end between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. We will arrange the day so that the last program ends when you need to be back on the bus. With 2 classes split into two groups (A and B), a field trip day might look like this:

9:30 -9:45 Arrival & bathroom use
9:45-10:15 Introduction (everyone together)
10:15 - 11:30 Group A: Exploration; Group B: Activities
11:30 - 12:00 Lunch
12:00 - 1:15 Group A: Activities; Group B: Exploration
1:30 Departure

During the Activities component, the class will work together as a whole. During the Exploration component, the class will break into even smaller field groups of 10 to 15 students. Each group will be led by VIC staff or trained volunteers. Due to leadership and equipment constraints, we can handle up to 2 classes (maximum 50 students total) for one day's program. And we welcome smaller groups, as well. [Note: The "Forest Ecology and Salamander Abundance" program can only be run with one class, for a maximum of 25 students].

The VIC has a small number of 17 minute slide shows which are ready for viewing upon request at the front desk. If you would like your students to see one of the slide shows during their field trip, please mention your intent when you register your group. Please do not try to fit in a slide show if your group's bus schedule requires that you leave before 12:30pm.
We are always interested in your feedback, and we hope you will share it with us. If you have ideas for modifying our existing programs or even for programs we don't yet offer, please note them when you call to register or on the field trip evaluation that you will receive in the mail after your trip.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE VIC
You can expect to get exciting and rewarding outdoor experiences that are carried out by trained staff or volunteers. The activities can be used to satisfy state standards on a number of different levels. The outdoor and indoor facilities are clean and safe and maintained in that condition.

Programs run rain, sunshine, or snow at the VIC, so expect to go outside with your class even if the weather isn't perfect. Students and teachers should dress for the weather - the temperatures at Paul Smiths are often 10 degrees or more colder than nearby schools in the St. Lawrence or Champlain valleys. Try to get students to dress warmly; they'll be outside for an average of three hours unless the weather is a total washout. There are no "rain dates" as such.

Mid-May through June is blackfly season, so be sure to wear long-sleeved, light colored shirts and bring insect repellant during this time. No shorts!

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM VISITING GROUPS
We expect teachers to thoroughly prep their students on the activities they will be doing at the VIC, how to behave and what to wear on the trip. Teachers and adults are expected to take care of all disciplinary problems. Teachers should also alert our staff about students with special physical, behavioral, or emotional needs so that we can plan to include them as fully as possible.

Students are expected to be quiet and stay on the trail. Creatures at the Center are wild animals and they tend to hide unless groups are careful not to disturb them. Good manners extend to wildlife as well as people. No creatures here will intentionally harm visitors. Collection or disturbance of any natural object at the Center is prohibited, unless it is part of a directed activity. Please make sure your students understand this concept.

Please arrive with a plan on how to divide your group for the various program segments. All students will be together for the introduction and lunch. For the remainder of the day, we recommend that you break your entire group into 4 smaller groups. At any given time, 2 of the fourths will be walking separately on the trails for the Exploration segment and 2 of the fourths will be working together in the Activities segment. There should be supervision from your school available for each group.

VIC FIELD TRIP CHECKLIST
The starred items (*) are required, while the others are recommended.

Teachers Should Bring:

one adult assistant / chaperone to be responsible for discipline for each 8-10 children*
a simple first aid kit, including insect repellant in spring months*
name tags for children and group assignments (very helpful for us)
medical release forms for each child, if your school requires them
camera or video camcorder
trip itinerary

Students Should Bring:

warm clothes in layers; hat, gloves, sweater if necessary*
raincoat, poncho, or large garbage bag*
sturdy, close-toed footwear (sneakers!) - boots in winter*
bag lunch*
water bottle
a backpack
grocery / garbage bag for sitting on wet ground

2. Program Summaries

Program Summaries
(K-4+) Use Your Senses
(2-6) Animal Signs Investigation
(2-6) Natural vs Unnatural
(4-12) Wildlife Habitat Investigation
(4-12) Marsh Life Sampling
(6-12) Forest Ecology & Salamander Abundance

The following are the summaries of the programs we are offering during the Spring and Fall seasons. If you would like more detail, such as the specific activities or where you may find a past program in a modified form, don't hesitate to call and ask.

USE YOUR SENSES (K-4+)

Key Question: How can I "see" more in nature by using all of my senses?

Key Words: observation, sight, sound, smell, touch

Overview: Students will explore the use of all five of their senses (although tasting will occur at lunchtime only).

Introduction–We will introduce the five senses with a few interesting examples (the sharp vision of a hawk, wildlife sounds heard at the VIC, etc.).

Exploration–Groups will explore the trails at the VIC as part of a scavenger hunt (seeing).

Activities–Students will also take part in 3 activities that focus on the lesser used, non-sight senses (smelling, touching, listening). They will sniff for the rare and never seen (hmm) peppermint and orange beetles, walk "blindly" with their hands following a rope tied between a variety of trees, and listen carefully to see if they can identify a stalking classmate in the game "Greedy Chipmunk."

ANIMAL SIGNS INVESTIGATION (2-6)

Key Question: How can we learn about animals in nature without actually seeing the animals themselves?

Key Words: feeding area, home, building materials, track, predator, prey, food, water, shelter, habitat, population, thicket, competition

Overview:

Introduction–We will introduce the variety of what is meant by "animal signs" through a brief slide show and/or listen to some recorded animal sounds that might be heard while outside during the rest of the day.

Exploration–Students will spend time carefully looking for animal signs along a VIC trail in order to read the stories that animals leave behind in nature.

Activities–They will also play two games that illustrate the needs of animals (food, water, shelter, etc.). All students will play the game "To Eat or Be Eaten" which illustrates the predator-prey relationship of hawks and squirrels as well as the need to be both daring and cautious in order to survive. Younger children will pretend to be beavers in "Beaver For a Day" as they collect food through the seasons. And older children will play "Oh Deer!" where students play the roles of both deer and resources while simulating a fluctuating deer population.

NATURAL vs UNNATURAL (2-6)

Key Questions: What is natural and what is unnatural- and how does recycling differ for each?

Key Words: waste, trash, landfill, biodegradable, recycle, reduce, reuse, resource, energy, natural, unnatural, decompose

Overview:

Introduction–We focus on conveying the vast quantities of trash that we produce and reviewing the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as a means to producing less trash.

Exploration–Groups will take a walk on one of our trails to experience a "natural trail" and to look for examples of natural decomposers and decomposition- rotting logs, fungus, insects, soils, etc.

Activities–Students will search for 25 man-made objects hidden in a small designated area (our "Unnatural Trail") and discuss the ideas of decomposition. Then, we'll have a relay race with materials that reinforce the ideas of resource use and/or recycling.

WILDLIFE HABITAT INVESTIGATION (4-12)

Key Questions: What are the elements that make up a habitat? What are the three main habitats at the VIC and which animals live in them?

Key Words: habitat, food, water, shelter, space, community, interconnected, producer, consumer, decomposer, vegetation, conifer, hardwood, deciduous, wetland

Overview:

Introduction–We will discuss what is meant by the term "habitat" and introduce the three main habitats found at the VIC: the wetland, hardwood forest, and coniferous forest.

Exploration–Through a hike, students will explore the three most basic habitats at the VIC. They will learn about the elements that comprise a habitat, the animals that represent these habitats, and what these animals require of their home to survive (food, water, shelter, and space). Students will "become" an animal and teach their classmates about this animal's needs during the hike (reading from a card while visiting the appropriate habitat). We will provide a worksheet in the form of a chart if you would like your students to take notes.

Activities–During the other half of the day, the game "How Many Bears Can Live in this Forest?" will illustrate both the bear's habitat needs and the concept of carrying capacity. The activities "What Animal Am I?" and "The Web of Life" will convey the interconnectedness of a natural community.

MARSH LIFE SAMPLING (4-12)

Key Questions: What small animals live in the muck and water of the marsh - and why are they important?

Key Words: aquatic, microscope, egg, larvae, nymph, adult, benthic, organism, freshwater, invertebrate, macro-invertebrate, camouflage, predator, prey, wetland, marsh, adaptation, community, habitat, metamorphosis

Overview:

Introduction- We will discuss the significance of a marsh as a habitat or home to certain types of wildlife. We will explain that every living thing we find is an integral part of the marsh community, must not be harmed and will be returned to the marsh once we have finished making observations.

Exploration- We will demonstrate how to sample the marsh bottom using a dip net, and then let students try for themselves. Using trays, the students will sift through mud in search of organisms, placing and sorting samples into buckets of marsh water to bring back to the classroom for observation. We hope to find some or all of the more common animals: dragonfly or damselfly nymphs; leeches; water boatmen; tadpoles; scud; crayfish; and mosquito, caddisfly, and other fly larvae.

Activities -We will look more closely at the animals of the marsh under microscopes and with a videoscope in the VIC's classroom. Students will identify the organisms they find using the Pond Life book, drawings of the organisms, and instructor assistance. The students then draw each organism and fill out a chart describing where the animal was found, its size, color and special features. We will discuss as a group some of the adaptations of each organism and what life stage it is in. With time, we will broaden our discussion to how human activities could affect the marsh, what organisms create large scale change in marsh habitats, and/or the natural succession that creates various water systems.

FOREST ECOLOGY AND SALAMANDER ABUNDANCE (6-12)*

Key Questions: Is there a correlation between forest cover and salamander abundance? Or, more simply, do salamanders like to live where there are lots of trees or no trees or do they even care? And also, can the study we're doing "prove" anything?

Key Words: salamander, hypothesis, theory, fact, correlation, forest cover, abundance, variable, control

Overview: This program is a directed inquiry research project (where we provide the question to be investigated, rather than the students). At the VIC, there are a series of forest plots managed under different silviculture practices for the purpose of research, called the FERDA plots: Forest Ecosystem Research and Demonstration Area. Students will investigate how the different forestry practices on each plot affect the abundance of salamanders by walking the plots and recording all salamanders found under pre-placed boards. In groups of 3-5, students will record the date, time, forest plot, weather, the number of salamanders found, and the kind of salamanders found. This program works best when integrated by the teacher into a week of classroom preparation and follow-up, as a full research project. Time spent at the VIC will cover only the data collecting stage. Note: When you register for or request more information on this program, we can mail you a longer description of the day that will enable you to incorporate this program into a classroom project.

* This program is designed for only one class, with a maximum of 25 students.

3. Further Resources

When you know where to look, you can find loads of good resources with ideas for hands-on environmental activities, with topics ranging from natural history to weather to geology. This list is just a starting point, but it includes some top-notch books and catalogs worth browsing.

Acorn Naturalists (catalog) 17821 East 17th Street, #103; PO Box 2423; Tustin, CA 92781-2423. Phone (800) 422-8886. Web acornnaturalists.com.

Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Inc, 1988.

Cornell, Joseph. Sharing Nature With Children II. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 1989.

Demarest, Amy. This Lake Alive! An Interdisciplinary Handbook for Teaching and Learning about the Lake Champlain Basin. Burlington, VT: Queen City Printers Inc, 1997.

Hawthorne, Josetta and Donna Asbury. Project WILD: K-12 Activity Guide, 2nd edition. Council for Environmental Education, 1997. [Project WILD National Office Phone (713) 520-1936; Web www.projectwild.org]

Heath, Michael and Andy Barker. Pathways to a Sustainable Future: A Curriculum Guide for Schools Exploring Waste Management Issues. Wiscasset, ME: Chewonki Foundation, 1999. [Web www.chewonki.org]

Higgins, Susan, Alan Kesselheim, and George Robinson. Project WET: Curriculum and Activity Guide. Bozeman, MT and Houston, TX: the Watercourse and Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1995. [Project WET Phone (406) 994-5392; Web www.montana.edu/wwwwet]

Lawton, Rebecca, Diana Lawton, and Susan Panttaja. Discover Nature in the Rocks. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997.

Levin, Mark. Taming the Wild Outdoors, grades 3-8. Torrance, CA: Good Apple, 1998.

National Wildlife Federation. Web www.nwf.org/education. [A variety of resources including Nature Scope and other publications.]

Paul Smiths VIC School Program Contact:

Milt Adams
Environmental Educator 2
Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center
PO Box 3000
Paul Smiths, NY 12970
(518) 327-3000
mbadams@gw.dec.state.ny.us


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			PAUL SMITHS VIC Adirondack Wildlife Festival Barnum Pond Canoe Paddles Bird of Prey Birding Walks Butterfly House Night Hikes Ski/Snowshoe Trips ----- NEWCOMB VIC Birding Walks Bird of Prey Naturalist-Led Trail Walks Snowshoe Workshops GPS Workshops Guided Backcountry Trips
	For Kids For Families For Teachers Paul Smiths VIC Newcomb VIC Newsletter Wildlife Watch Publications Research Program Partners	Paul Smiths VIC - Field Trip Packet Spring/Fall Programs - Paul Smiths VIC 1. Field Trip Logistics 2. Program Summaries 3. Further Resources 1. Field Trip Logistics WELCOME Here at the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smiths we teach people about the natural history of the Adirondacks. The formal activities that we offer to schools are designed to be infused into required state curricula. Each activity is a "hands-on" outdoor experience that is meant to be preceded and/or followed by other classroom-based lessons so that a visit here is not just an isolated experience. As a division of the Adirondack Park Agency and with the support of the Adirondack Park Institute, we do not charge a program fee for our field trips. HOW TO SCHEDULE A FIELD TRIP We are currently offering field trips during the Fall (mid-September to early November), Winter (January and February), and Spring (mid-April to early June). Reservations open for the Fall season on the first Monday in June; for the Winter on the first Monday in November; and for the Spring on the first Monday in February. Call as early as possible to get the day you want. Our number at Paul Smiths is (518) 327-3000. You can call 7 days a week between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, although you are more likely to find an educator who can answer your questions between Monday and Friday. In the past, teachers chose 2 activities for the day from our list of available programs. Starting in the spring of 2002, we expanded on these programs so that choosing one for the day is sufficient. For each field trip, we will expand on a single theme through an Introduction, an Exploration, and an Activities section. (Please see the Program Summaries for a description of what each program segment entails). YOUR FIELD TRIP ITINERARY Field trip groups should arrive as close to 9:30am as possible, but no earlier. The entire group will first have a 20 to 30 minute introduction in our theater that reviews the theme of the day and introduces some basic information. Then, the group will proceed to one of two program pieces: Exploration or Activities. Large groups (2 classes) will split up with half beginning with Exploration and half with Activities. After this piece, the group will meet back for a half-hour lunch break, and then continue with the other component after lunch. Each component can last between 1 hour and 1.5 hours, so the total length of your field trip is flexible and will end between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. We will arrange the day so that the last program ends when you need to be back on the bus. With 2 classes split into two groups (A and B), a field trip day might look like this: 9:30 -9:45 Arrival & bathroom use 9:45-10:15 Introduction (everyone together) 10:15 - 11:30 Group A: Exploration; Group B: Activities 11:30 - 12:00 Lunch 12:00 - 1:15 Group A: Activities; Group B: Exploration 1:30 Departure During the Activities component, the class will work together as a whole. During the Exploration component, the class will break into even smaller field groups of 10 to 15 students. Each group will be led by VIC staff or trained volunteers. Due to leadership and equipment constraints, we can handle up to 2 classes (maximum 50 students total) for one day's program. And we welcome smaller groups, as well. [Note: The "Forest Ecology and Salamander Abundance" program can only be run with one class, for a maximum of 25 students]. The VIC has a small number of 17 minute slide shows which are ready for viewing upon request at the front desk. If you would like your students to see one of the slide shows during their field trip, please mention your intent when you register your group. Please do not try to fit in a slide show if your group's bus schedule requires that you leave before 12:30pm. We are always interested in your feedback, and we hope you will share it with us. If you have ideas for modifying our existing programs or even for programs we don't yet offer, please note them when you call to register or on the field trip evaluation that you will receive in the mail after your trip. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE VIC You can expect to get exciting and rewarding outdoor experiences that are carried out by trained staff or volunteers. The activities can be used to satisfy state standards on a number of different levels. The outdoor and indoor facilities are clean and safe and maintained in that condition. Programs run rain, sunshine, or snow at the VIC, so expect to go outside with your class even if the weather isn't perfect. Students and teachers should dress for the weather - the temperatures at Paul Smiths are often 10 degrees or more colder than nearby schools in the St. Lawrence or Champlain valleys. Try to get students to dress warmly; they'll be outside for an average of three hours unless the weather is a total washout. There are no "rain dates" as such. Mid-May through June is blackfly season, so be sure to wear long-sleeved, light colored shirts and bring insect repellant during this time. No shorts! WHAT WE EXPECT FROM VISITING GROUPS We expect teachers to thoroughly prep their students on the activities they will be doing at the VIC, how to behave and what to wear on the trip. Teachers and adults are expected to take care of all disciplinary problems. Teachers should also alert our staff about students with special physical, behavioral, or emotional needs so that we can plan to include them as fully as possible. Students are expected to be quiet and stay on the trail. Creatures at the Center are wild animals and they tend to hide unless groups are careful not to disturb them. Good manners extend to wildlife as well as people. No creatures here will intentionally harm visitors. Collection or disturbance of any natural object at the Center is prohibited, unless it is part of a directed activity. Please make sure your students understand this concept. Please arrive with a plan on how to divide your group for the various program segments. All students will be together for the introduction and lunch. For the remainder of the day, we recommend that you break your entire group into 4 smaller groups. At any given time, 2 of the fourths will be walking separately on the trails for the Exploration segment and 2 of the fourths will be working together in the Activities segment. There should be supervision from your school available for each group. VIC FIELD TRIP CHECKLIST The starred items () are required, while the others are recommended. Teachers Should Bring:* one adult assistant / chaperone to be responsible for discipline for each 8-10 children* a simple first aid kit, including insect repellant in spring months* name tags for children and group assignments (very helpful for us) medical release forms for each child, if your school requires them camera or video camcorder trip itinerary Students Should Bring: warm clothes in layers; hat, gloves, sweater if necessary* raincoat, poncho, or large garbage bag* sturdy, close-toed footwear (sneakers!) - boots in winter* bag lunch* water bottle a backpack grocery / garbage bag for sitting on wet ground 2. Program Summaries Program Summaries (K-4+) Use Your Senses (2-6) Animal Signs Investigation (2-6) Natural vs Unnatural (4-12) Wildlife Habitat Investigation (4-12) Marsh Life Sampling (6-12) Forest Ecology & Salamander Abundance The following are the summaries of the programs we are offering during the Spring and Fall seasons. If you would like more detail, such as the specific activities or where you may find a past program in a modified form, don't hesitate to call and ask. USE YOUR SENSES (K-4+) Key Question: How can I "see" more in nature by using all of my senses? Key Words: observation, sight, sound, smell, touch Overview: Students will explore the use of all five of their senses (although tasting will occur at lunchtime only). Introduction–We will introduce the five senses with a few interesting examples (the sharp vision of a hawk, wildlife sounds heard at the VIC, etc.). Exploration–Groups will explore the trails at the VIC as part of a scavenger hunt (seeing). Activities–Students will also take part in 3 activities that focus on the lesser used, non-sight senses (smelling, touching, listening). They will sniff for the rare and never seen (hmm) peppermint and orange beetles, walk "blindly" with their hands following a rope tied between a variety of trees, and listen carefully to see if they can identify a stalking classmate in the game "Greedy Chipmunk." ANIMAL SIGNS INVESTIGATION (2-6) Key Question: How can we learn about animals in nature without actually seeing the animals themselves? Key Words: feeding area, home, building materials, track, predator, prey, food, water, shelter, habitat, population, thicket, competition Overview: Introduction–We will introduce the variety of what is meant by "animal signs" through a brief slide show and/or listen to some recorded animal sounds that might be heard while outside during the rest of the day. Exploration–Students will spend time carefully looking for animal signs along a VIC trail in order to read the stories that animals leave behind in nature. Activities–They will also play two games that illustrate the needs of animals (food, water, shelter, etc.). All students will play the game "To Eat or Be Eaten" which illustrates the predator-prey relationship of hawks and squirrels as well as the need to be both daring and cautious in order to survive. Younger children will pretend to be beavers in "Beaver For a Day" as they collect food through the seasons. And older children will play "Oh Deer!" where students play the roles of both deer and resources while simulating a fluctuating deer population. NATURAL vs UNNATURAL (2-6) Key Questions: What is natural and what is unnatural- and how does recycling differ for each? Key Words: waste, trash, landfill, biodegradable, recycle, reduce, reuse, resource, energy, natural, unnatural, decompose Overview: Introduction–We focus on conveying the vast quantities of trash that we produce and reviewing the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as a means to producing less trash. Exploration–Groups will take a walk on one of our trails to experience a "natural trail" and to look for examples of natural decomposers and decomposition- rotting logs, fungus, insects, soils, etc. Activities–Students will search for 25 man-made objects hidden in a small designated area (our "Unnatural Trail") and discuss the ideas of decomposition. Then, we'll have a relay race with materials that reinforce the ideas of resource use and/or recycling. WILDLIFE HABITAT INVESTIGATION (4-12) Key Questions: What are the elements that make up a habitat? What are the three main habitats at the VIC and which animals live in them? Key Words: habitat, food, water, shelter, space, community, interconnected, producer, consumer, decomposer, vegetation, conifer, hardwood, deciduous, wetland Overview: Introduction–We will discuss what is meant by the term "habitat" and introduce the three main habitats found at the VIC: the wetland, hardwood forest, and coniferous forest. Exploration–Through a hike, students will explore the three most basic habitats at the VIC. They will learn about the elements that comprise a habitat, the animals that represent these habitats, and what these animals require of their home to survive (food, water, shelter, and space). Students will "become" an animal and teach their classmates about this animal's needs during the hike (reading from a card while visiting the appropriate habitat). We will provide a worksheet in the form of a chart if you would like your students to take notes. Activities–During the other half of the day, the game "How Many Bears Can Live in this Forest?" will illustrate both the bear's habitat needs and the concept of carrying capacity. The activities "What Animal Am I?" and "The Web of Life" will convey the interconnectedness of a natural community. MARSH LIFE SAMPLING (4-12) Key Questions: What small animals live in the muck and water of the marsh - and why are they important? Key Words: aquatic, microscope, egg, larvae, nymph, adult, benthic, organism, freshwater, invertebrate, macro-invertebrate, camouflage, predator, prey, wetland, marsh, adaptation, community, habitat, metamorphosis Overview: Introduction- We will discuss the significance of a marsh as a habitat or home to certain types of wildlife. We will explain that every living thing we find is an integral part of the marsh community, must not be harmed and will be returned to the marsh once we have finished making observations. Exploration- We will demonstrate how to sample the marsh bottom using a dip net, and then let students try for themselves. Using trays, the students will sift through mud in search of organisms, placing and sorting samples into buckets of marsh water to bring back to the classroom for observation. We hope to find some or all of the more common animals: dragonfly or damselfly nymphs; leeches; water boatmen; tadpoles; scud; crayfish; and mosquito, caddisfly, and other fly larvae. Activities -We will look more closely at the animals of the marsh under microscopes and with a videoscope in the VIC's classroom. Students will identify the organisms they find using the Pond Life book, drawings of the organisms, and instructor assistance. The students then draw each organism and fill out a chart describing where the animal was found, its size, color and special features. We will discuss as a group some of the adaptations of each organism and what life stage it is in. With time, we will broaden our discussion to how human activities could affect the marsh, what organisms create large scale change in marsh habitats, and/or the natural succession that creates various water systems. FOREST ECOLOGY AND SALAMANDER ABUNDANCE (6-12)* Key Questions: Is there a correlation between forest cover and salamander abundance? Or, more simply, do salamanders like to live where there are lots of trees or no trees or do they even care? And also, can the study we're doing "prove" anything? Key Words: salamander, hypothesis, theory, fact, correlation, forest cover, abundance, variable, control Overview: This program is a directed inquiry research project (where we provide the question to be investigated, rather than the students). At the VIC, there are a series of forest plots managed under different silviculture practices for the purpose of research, called the FERDA plots: Forest Ecosystem Research and Demonstration Area. Students will investigate how the different forestry practices on each plot affect the abundance of salamanders by walking the plots and recording all salamanders found under pre-placed boards. In groups of 3-5, students will record the date, time, forest plot, weather, the number of salamanders found, and the kind of salamanders found. This program works best when integrated by the teacher into a week of classroom preparation and follow-up, as a full research project. Time spent at the VIC will cover only the data collecting stage. Note: When you register for or request more information on this program, we can mail you a longer description of the day that will enable you to incorporate this program into a classroom project. * This program is designed for only one class, with a maximum of 25 students. 3. Further Resources When you know where to look, you can find loads of good resources with ideas for hands-on environmental activities, with topics ranging from natural history to weather to geology. This list is just a starting point, but it includes some top-notch books and catalogs worth browsing. Acorn Naturalists (catalog) 17821 East 17th Street, #103; PO Box 2423; Tustin, CA 92781-2423. Phone (800) 422-8886. Web acornnaturalists.com. Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Inc, 1988. Cornell, Joseph. Sharing Nature With Children II. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 1989. Demarest, Amy. This Lake Alive! An Interdisciplinary Handbook for Teaching and Learning about the Lake Champlain Basin. Burlington, VT: Queen City Printers Inc, 1997. Hawthorne, Josetta and Donna Asbury. Project WILD: K-12 Activity Guide, 2nd edition. Council for Environmental Education, 1997. [Project WILD National Office Phone (713) 520-1936; Web www.projectwild.org] Heath, Michael and Andy Barker. Pathways to a Sustainable Future: A Curriculum Guide for Schools Exploring Waste Management Issues. Wiscasset, ME: Chewonki Foundation, 1999. [Web www.chewonki.org] Higgins, Susan, Alan Kesselheim, and George Robinson. Project WET: Curriculum and Activity Guide. Bozeman, MT and Houston, TX: the Watercourse and Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1995. [Project WET Phone (406) 994-5392; Web www.montana.edu/wwwwet] Lawton, Rebecca, Diana Lawton, and Susan Panttaja. Discover Nature in the Rocks. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997. Levin, Mark. Taming the Wild Outdoors, grades 3-8. Torrance, CA: Good Apple, 1998. National Wildlife Federation. Web www.nwf.org/education. [A variety of resources including Nature Scope and other publications.] Paul Smiths VIC School Program Contact: Milt Adams Environmental Educator 2 Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center PO Box 3000 Paul Smiths, NY 12970 (518) 327-3000 mbadams@gw.dec.state.ny.us

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