Maria Arellano Advisory 4/24/12 Fire Ecology Field Trip GPS Reflection

1. Please provide a detailed summary describing the artifact and its purpose.

The purpose of this field trip was to learn about ecology but specifically fire ecology. In this field trip we went to a national park in Malibu. The park rangers had three activities for each three groups. The first was going to learn about how to predict when a forest fire would happen. The ranger showed us the tools they use to predict the fires and how they work. The second was going on a hike and seeing how fires affect the forest and what they do after. They showed the past damage of the fires that have happened in the past ten years.Lastly we saw how the rivers are affected by fires and how they recover. The park ranger gave us little nets to go into the river to see if we can find any living things that would so that the river as recovered for the fires.

2. Identify and list the GLPO(s) that were satisfied in the completing this artifact. In addition, please explain how these GLPO(s) were met by specifically referring to the examples or evidence from the artifact.

One of the GLPO(s) that I felt I used during this field trip was students investigate the world, including the environment and beyond. I think that this GLPO explains what I did in the field trip because it says that identify global/regional/local focused issues. I followed this GLPO because the field trip focused on the issues of the forest fire which was a regular problem for the park rangers and it was a more regional issue. We investigated the enviromental by many ways

like taking sample from the river so see if there were any living things. We also investigated by hiking around the area and investigating the reasons why some area are more damaged, and also how the park recovers from these fires to become a stable forest again. Another GLPO that i feel that fits was student identifies and describes how access and resources affects peoples perspectives and their quality of life. This glpo works with this field trip because I have now learned how I can predict pretty accurately if a forest fire might happen that can help improve someone's quality of life. So these were the two main GLPOs that were satisfied during this project.

3. What skills and concepts were learned in completing this artifact and how have these affected your future?

In this field trip I have learned a lot what the park rangers have taught us so I know have some skills that are pretty important for a park rangers.Some skills that I learned was how to predict afire by the humidity in the air and the right tools. I also learned about how park ranger rebuild forest after a fire with replanting and that some seeds sprout with the help of the fire. also about the types of plants that grow with the help of the fires which open the seeds and allow them to grow.Then lastly I learned of the different insect and bugs that live in the rivers and how they have to survive after all the forest fires and how this benefits the forest seeing that they are apart of the food chain.

4. Looking back on the completion of this artifact, what might you do differently if you were able to recreate or revise the final product?

Now looking back at the field trip I feel that it went fairly well yet there are few things that I would like to change. Firstly, I would listened more closely when they were talking about the

different bugs that lived in the water and exactly how they have survived the manys fire. I also about how the streams recover back to their normal standards after a heavy fire. Yet other then that I found that I learned quite a lot and that I really think the field trip was very good.