Sierra Outdoor School

Class: Silent Mile

Subject: Ecology
Education and the Environment Initiative Principles:
EEI Principle I
The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies
depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem
services.
Concept A: Students need to know that the goods produced by natural systems are essential to
human life and to the functioning of our economies and cultures.
Concept B: Students need to know that the ecosystem services provided by natural systems are
essential to human life and to the functioning of our economies and cultures.
EEI Principle II
The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the
long-term functioning of both.
Concept A: Students need to know that the effects of human activities on natural
systems are directly related to the quantities of resources consumed and to the quantity
and characteristics of the resulting byproducts.
Concept B: Students need to know that the byproducts of human activity are not
readily prevented from entering natural systems and may be beneficial, neutral, or
detrimental in their effect.
EEI Principle III
Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from, and can alter.
Concept A: Students need to know that natural systems proceed through cycles and processes
that are required for their functioning.
Concept B: Students need to know that human practices depend upon and benefit from the
cycles and processes that operate in natural systems.
California State Science Content Standards:
4.2 All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow.
a.Plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.
b.Producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are
related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in
an ecosystem.
c. Decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms, recycle matter from
dead plants and animals.
4.3

Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival.
a.Ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components.
b.In any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some
survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

6.5

Organisms and ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the
environment.

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a.Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy

through photosynthesis and then from organism to organism through food webs.
b.Matter is transferred over time from one organism to others in the food web and between
organisms and the physical environment.

c.Populations of organisms can be characterized by the functions they serve in an

ecosystem.
Essential Questions:
How are we connected to living and non-living things?
How are they connected to each other?
Goals:
Students will gain an understanding of relationships within an ecosystem.
Students will be able to distinguish the parts of an ecosystem that contribute to
the cycling of matter/energy through the ecosystem.
Studentswillgainanappreciationoftheconnectednessoflivingandnon
livingthings,includingtheirownconnectednesstotheenvironment.
Content:
What is ecology?
What are abiotic and biotic factors?
How does energy cycle through an ecosystem?
In what way do organisms interact with their environment and each other?
Student Learning Objectives: ( ) parentheses indicate level of Blooms
(2) I can illustrate an ecology cycle.
(2/3) I can classify, and describe the relationship between, the abiotic and biotic factors of
an ecosystem.
(4) I can compare different types of interactions between plants, animals, and their
environment.
(6) I can consider my connection to, and impact on, surrounding ecosystems.
Vocabulary:
Ecology
Ecosystem
Biotic
Abiotic
Producer
Consumer
Herbivore
Omnivore
Carnivore

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Decomposer
Adaptation
Fungus
Bacteria
Invertebrate
Scavenger
Photosynthesis
Glucose

Songs/ Chants:
Ecology Chant
Mule Deer Song

Activities:

=Individual =Small groups =Whole group =Large space needed

=Inclement weather option

Anticipatory Set:

Point To A.
Have everybody pause and close their eyes. Now ask them to point to [a
bees lunchbox, the home of an 8-legged meat eater, moss growing on a tree, a tree that is
less than 3 feet tall, etc.]. After a few seconds, have students continue to point and open
their eyes to see if they are correct. Do it again with another object. Are the two things
you pointed to (whether or not they got them correct) connected in some way? How are
they connected? Have a few students share or have everyone tell a neighbor.
Transition: Today we are going to be looking for all sorts of connections between the
things we see, and maybe even the things we dont see. Were even going to think about
how we are connected to the forest we are about to hike in.

Silent Hang Ten

Materials: Sidewalk Chalk or whiteboard & marker
Have students gather in a circle on a paved surface and draw blank spaces
for hang ten in the middle of the circle. Remaining silent, have students guess letters until
they solve the phrase. Possible phrases: Everything is connected; Everything moves in
cycles; We are all related; Cycles are circles, etc. Transition: Once students have
solved the phrase by guessing letters, discuss this phrase with them. What does it mean to
them? How might it relate to what they will be studying today? What connections can
they be looking for during todays class?

Defining Ecology
Materials: Whiteboard
Write Ecology on the whiteboard. Ask students to brainstorm words that start
with Eco-. Let students know that the prefix eco- comes from the ancient greek word
which means house or family. Then ask students to brainstorm words that end in
logy. Let them know that logy means the study of, so ecology is the study of the
home. Plants and animals have homes called ecosystems. Just like we need things in our
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homes to survive and be healthy, plants and animals need things in their outdoor homes.
Have a student read the definition of ecology in their journal. Today were going to be
ecologists and discover how all the things we see today are connected.
Topic: Abiotic vs. Biotic

Found Object Sort

(4.3 a)
Separate students into small groups of 4-5. Have each student collect two
items from the forest floor (*make sure they are not killing anything that is living) and
return to their group and form a circle with their groups objects in the middle. Scientists
often classify things to help them better understand and study them. Today you are all
scientists and you must classify the items you found. Have each group work together to
categorize their found objects into different groups so that every object belongs to a
category of their choosing. Have groups share their categories. As I said, scientists use
groups or classifications to better understand what they study. One of these
classifications is living and non-living. Introduce terms biotic [living or once living] and
abiotic [non-living and never was living *therefore cant be dead].
Check for understanding: Say a series of items and have students indicate whether
the items are abiotic or biotic (can have students stand/sit, thumbs up/thumbs down, etc.).
Transition: How are biotic and abiotic factors related? [Biotic organisms rely on
abiotic factors for survival]. On this next part of our walk, I would like each group to
take a canister and work together to collect all FOUR abiotic factors that biotic
organisms need to survive.
Topic: LAWS/Photosynthesis

Plant a Kid (4.2 a; 6.5 a)

Materials: LAWS Canisters [Black Hole]
Have one student imitate a seed. Do plants eat like we do? [No]. We eat
food, but plants need other resources to grow. What does our tree here need to grow and
be healthy? When a student suggests one of the LAWS [Light, Air (CO2), Water, Soil],
have that student take one of the LAWS canisters and sprinkle it on the seed. Once all
four LAWS have been sprinkled on the seed, have the student act our growing into a
flower. Weve just made a great discovery! We now know all the magic ingredients this
seed needs to grow! Have students record the LAWS in their journals in the first box of
the Ecology Cycle diagram.

Photosynthesis Game(4.2 a; 6.5 a)

Materials: Scraps of different colored cloth or paper (4 colors), Producer cards
(with specific LAWS requirements)
Spread the cloth scraps on the floor and have students line up along the
edge of the habitat area. Review the LAWS and explain that each color of cloth
represents a different abiotic factor. The game proceeds similar to Red Light, Green
Light. Explain that the first round will be a practice round. When you turn your back and
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yell Photo- students will enter the habitat and use their thumb and forefinger to grab as
many abiotic factors as they can until you turn back to face them and yell -synthesis!.
At that point they must freeze. Ask students to look at their scraps to determine if they
would survive as a producer [did they collect all four LAWS?]. Ask Does each plant
need the same amount of each of these abiotic factors? [No. Some need more or less light
or more water than others]. Now hand each student a producer card and explain that they
must collect the number and type of abiotic factors listed on their card. Turn around again
and yell Photo- and the students can continue to gather abiotic factors until you again
turn and say -synthesis! After the last time you turn around, students will count their
scraps and make sure they reached their requirements based on the card they were given.

Photosynthesis Scramble-

(4.2 a; 6.5 a)

Materials: 6 Photosynthesis formula cards Light CO2 H2O Sugar Oxygen

You will need 5 volunteers, each to hold a component of the
photosynthesis formula. Have students holding the cards line up shoulder to shoulder
facing the rest of the group. The rest of the group will make suggestions to put the cards
in the right order to complete the photosynthesis formula. Students holding the cards may
not move themselves. Everything on the left side of the arrow is what a plant takes in
what it needs to be able to photosynthesize. Everything on the right side of the arrow is
what is created as a result of photosynthesis. Each student can have a turn to make one
move. Have students put their hand on their head or some other signal to show you when
they think the formula is correct.
Topic: Consumers
Transition: We now know that plants are called producers because they get energy
by producing their own food through photosynthesis. Are we producers? [No]. How do
we get our energy? [We eat food]. Another word for eating is consuming, so humans are
consumers. Can anyone think of another consumer?

Camouflage
(4.2 b; 6.5 b)
Ive just turned into one of the consumers in the forest, a mountain lion.
Im really hungry! What do mountain lion eat?[Deer]. You are the deer. Im the
predator, and you are my prey. The students goal is to stay hidden from you as long as
possible. Determine and explain the boundaries of the game before starting. As you close
your eyes and slowly count to 10, students will find a place to hide where they can see
you but you cant see them. After counting, you must stay in one place but can turn 180.
As you see a student, point to them and describe their clothing (if you dont know their
name) and they must leave their hiding place and join you (although they cant talk!).
*You can make sure students are looking by holding up a number on your hands and
checking that they got the number right at the end of the game.* After finding as many
deer as you can, explain to the remaining students that they will win the game if they can
walk to you and tag you before you count down to 0 from 10. Discuss: What were some
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things that made it easier or harder for you to get caught? What adaptations do
consumers (predators and prey) have to help them survive?

Oh Deer!(4.2 b; 6.5 b,c)

Materials: Whiteboard
This game is a kinesthetic look at population dynamics and energy cycling
through an ecosystem. Students represent habitat components needed for survival and
consumers (deer and mountain lion). You can also introduce the concepts of limiting
factors, competition and predation.
Topic: Decomposers
Transition: Imagine if we lived in a world where, once something died, nothing
ever happened to it. How would you describe that world? What happens to producers
and consumers when they die in this forest? Do they just disappear? Our ecology cycle is
almost complete, but how do we keep the cycle going? What are we missing?

Micro Hike(4.2 c; 6.5 b, c)

Materials: Small magnifying glasses, Insect viewing containers [Black Hole]
Find an area outside with enough places for the class to spread out and each
student to find a space of their own. Explain the boundaries for the micro hike, and tell
each student they will need to find a space of their own within the boundaries. Students
will be studying their area within an arms reach in all directions as they are sitting. They
will be using their magnifying glasses to look at the forest floor around them and see if
they can find evidence of decomposers. They will be recording what they find- in words
and/or sketches- in their journals. Tell students that you have invertebrate viewing
containers if they find an invertebrate and would like to show everyone. After about 10
minutes, have students come back to a large group and fill in the FBIS together [Fungi,
Bacteria, Invertebrates and Scavengers].

Draw a Decomposeror
(4.2 c; 6.5 b, c)
Materials: Resin blocks [Black Hole]
Have students sit in small groups at different tables, and give each table a few
resin blocks (try to have a variety at each table). Have each student draw some of the
decomposers in their journal. Have them answer in their journals or discuss in their small
group: How do these organisms help the ecology cycle keep going? [By breaking down
or digesting dead matter, making new soil, releasing nutrients back into the ecosystem].

Rotting Log Investigationor

(4.2 c; 6.5 b, c)
Materials: Diagram of a Rotting Log sheet (PLT), Insect viewing containers
[Black Hole]
Find a decomposing log on the trail (or an area with various places to find
decomposition in action). Explain that, as a group, we are going to try and figure out how
decomposition is taking place in this area by finding organisms that are causing
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decomposition. Where do you think we should look to find decomposers? Remind

students that they will have to look very closely and carefully. Have insect containers on
hand for any students that want to share what they found. After a few minutes, have all
students put things back as they found them (return invertebrates, turn parts of logs back
over, etc.). Discuss: What did you find? What evidence did you find of living things?
[spider webs, insect holes, piles of sawdust, beetle tracks]. Meet back in a large group
and fill in the FBIS together.
Transition: What would the earth be like if there were no decomposers?(take a few
responses). Thanks to decomposers, there isnt dead matter everywhere, and the energy
needed to keep life going gets recycled so new life can happen.
Topic: Ecology Cycle
Transition: Now that we know all the components of the ecology cycle, lets see
how the cycle keeps going. Repeat after me: cycles are circles; circles are cycles; with no
beginning; and no end.

Ecology Cycle Rock, Paper, Scissors(4.2 a, b, c; 6.5 a, b)

Materials: Ecology cycle diagram in journal or on whiteboard
This is an active whole group game to review the ecology cycle.

Mural Drawing(4.2 a, b, c; 6.5 a, b)

Materials: Butcher paper (1 per small group), markers and crayons [Black Hole,
Upper Ed. Hallway Cabinet]
Have students get into groups of about 4, and sit each group at a different
table. Give each group a piece of butcher paper and drawing materials. Have students
work together to draw the ecology cycle. Options: Have students draw a forest scene and
include all parts of the ecology cycle; have students include arrows to show how energy
moves through the cycle; have them draw the ecology cycle from their journal on the
butcher paper and draw examples of each quadrant. Give students about 15-20 minutes to
create their mural, then do a gallery walk by having students rotate through the tables.
Topic: Humans & the Environment
Transition: We have seen all sorts of connections today. There is one more
connection that we dont talk about most of the time, and that is the connection between
ourselves and the environment. Are humans a part of the ecology cycle? We cant feel
connected to our environment unless we have opportunities to experience our
environment. We have now reached the silent mile portion of our class, and this will be
an opportunity for you to notice those connections and think about your place in this
ecosystem.

Silent Mile Walk-

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(6.5 b, c)

Materials: Silent Mile Prompt or Quote Cards; Paint samples; Who Am I Cards
[Black Hole]
This is a time for you to experience this forest by yourself, without the distractions
and noise that usually keep us from being able to observe all that we can.
Explain rules:
-Quiet for optimal observational powers- use your senses
-No running
-Keep space in between you and the person in front of you.
-Stay on path (ditch will always be on left or right side, depending on the trail)
Explain task for during the walk:
What do I see?
What do I hear?
What do I smell?
What do I feel?
What do I wonder?
Read the cards I have placed as you walk.
Try to find as many things as you can that are the same color as the paint
sample I gave you.
Pretend you are the organism pictured on the card (Who Am I?) and think
about where you would live in this forest, what you would eat, and what
else you would need to survive.
Explain task for after the walk:
Record what you saw, heard, smelled, felt, and wondered in your journal.
Write a poem about your experience during the silent mile.
Answer the prompt: Are humans part of the environment? Why or why
not? In what ways are you connected to this forest?
Create a creature or art piece out of only natural materials that you find in
the forest.
Transition: Have students share their experiences from their walk or thoughts
from their journaling.
We have now reached the bottom of the Hill, and we need to get back to campus!
Explain that students may run and may get in front of you, but they must wait for you at
the designated stopping point at the top of the hill.
Wrap-Up:

Mirror
Materials: Mirror [Black hole]

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Get students in a circle and explain that you will be showing them a very special
picture, and it looks different depending who is looking at it. I want all of you to take a
look because in this picture is something that can help ensure that the cycles we talked
about today continue, and Earth remains a great place to live. (Let each student look into
the mirror). What did you see? [Me, us, people]. What else is in the picture? [Trees,
mountains]. What about the other things you cant see? [Air, water]. Sometimes we forget
that all of these things are needed in this picture for the ecosystem to be healthy. If we
forget that we are a part of the ecosystem, then we will forget that our choices impact our
environments.

Web(better with smaller groups)

Materials: Yarn [Black hole]
Have students stand in a circle. Go around the circle and have each student say
one way they are connected to the environment; one choice they can make that will
contribute to the health of an ecosystem; or one thing they learned today; etc. To share,
the student must be holding the ball of yarn. When they are done sharing, they will toss
the yarn to someone else while still holding onto the yarn in front of them. This will
create a web. Remember- everything is connected!

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