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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade School Programs
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NPS photo
Fourth Grade - Fall
Solar Energy Flow and Basic Needs
Michigan Science Alignment:
Organization of Living Things L.0L.04.15, L.0l.04.16
Ecosystems L.EC.04.11, L.EC.04.21
In the classroom for one hour: Through an active learning game, students become aware of the basic needs of living things - food, water, shelter, space and the concept of energy flow. They will observe how a solar cooking oven works!
Two-hour field trip at your school site, Munising Falls, or Sable Falls: During a visit to a forest, river, or wetland habitat, students learn about the important relationships (producer, consumer, or decomposer) that exist between the plants and animals. Students look for evidence of food chains to learn what the energy pyramid is all about and solve the mystery of the missing critter.
Fourth Grade - Winter
The Web of Life, Sun Energy, and the Connector Inspector
Michigan Science Alignment:
Ecosystems L.EC.04.11, L.EC.04.21
In the classroom one hour: Through a story and hands-on game, students re-create the relationships that exist in a forest and discover many relationships in nature including one very interesting relationship between the pine marten and the red squirrel.
Two to three hour snowshoe field trip at your school site or Pictured Rocks: Students visit the “Connector Inspector’s Training Course” where they “become” a plant or animal and connect themselves into a giant web of connections including the sun. While exploring on snowshoes, the students will look for more connections.
(pdf)
(pdf)
Fourth Grade - Spring
Pollution Solutions and the Declaration of Interdependence
Michigan Science Alignments:
Ecosystems: L.EC.E.2 (Changed environmental effects)
Human Impacts on Plants and Animals (Describe effects humans can have on balance in the natural world)
Thinking Skills: Inference, relationships, analyze, conclude
Climate Change: Students will explore the connections of climate change to water systems on earth.
In the classroom one hour: Through a vivid demonstration of possible human impacts on water, students become aware of some solutions to prevent water pollution. A simple investigation of water acidity is used as an introduction to the scientific method.
Two to three hour field trip at your school site, Munising Falls, or Sable Falls: During a hike through a forest, wetland, or stream area, students are challenged to discover evidence of relationships in the natural world. They try to prove to “King Snoid” that all things in the natural world are interrelated.
Fifth Grade - Fall
Watersheds and Stream Monitoring
Michigan Science Alignment:
Inquiry process S.I.P.M1
Analysis and Communications S.IA.05.11
Reflections and Social Implications S.RS.M.1
In the classroom for one hour: A demonstration about watersheds and a stream food chain card game helps students understand both concepts. A review of stream monitoring field equipment will also be given.
Two to three hour field trip to the Miners River or Sable Creek: Working in small groups, students conduct water tests and collect stream organisms to identify stream food chains and determine water quality.
Fifth Grade - Winter
Animal Adaptations in the Winter; Energy Conservation is Good for People too!
Michigan Science Alignment:
Evolution L.E.V.03.11-12, L.E.V.05.11-12
Organization of Living Things L.OL.03.32
Earth Systems E.ES.03.43
In the classroom one hour: Using mounted animal specimens, furs, and drawings, students will examine the many ways animals adapt and conserve energy to survive winter. They will brainstorm how people can conserve energy in the winter too.
One hour snowshoe field trip at your school site or Pictured Rocks: Students will explore how some animals mark territory and find food in the winter by playing a “scent tracking” game. They will also make pretend “gel animals,” use different insulating materials to protect them, and then place their animals somewhere outdoors where they may “survive” from freezing in the winter cold. They will learn more about energy conservation for their home and body.
(pdf)
(pdf)
Fifth Grade - Spring
Exploring Seasons, Climate and Weather at the Grand Sable Dunes
Michigan Science Alignment:
Seasons, Climate and Weather: E.ES.M.6 and E.ES.05.61 (All about seasons), L.EV.05.14 (Analyze environmental change)
Thinking Skills: Analyze, make predictions and observations
Climate Change: Students will review data on changing seasons, climate and weather from many years ago to present time here in the Upper Peninsula. They will analyze data and make predictions based on the data.
Time: All day adventure with activities on the bus and in the field at the Grand Sable Dunes.
On the Bus: Students will work in groups to examine models of climate change occurring in National Parks around the country. They will summarize and make suggestions to the park service based on data.
Field Trip: Examine types of clouds and how that predicts the weather. They will examine plants and animals that may be stressed from a warming climate and see other plants that may take their place. They will hike from the Log Slide to Sable Creek and see evidence of earlier lake levels and learn bloom and arrival times of different flowers, birds and animals based on the weather and climate. They will learn how phrenology is an important science and will start a journal of the hike for future students to monitor the seasons, climate and the weather.
Sixth Grade - Fall
The Wonderful World of Dirt
Michigan Science Alignment:
Earth Science E.SE.06.12, E.SE.06.13, E.SE.06.14
In the classroom for one hour: Students work in small groups to predict and analyze soil content using the scientific method.
Two to three hour field trip at your school site, Sand Point, or Grand Sable Visitor Center: Students learn about different soil types by "washing their hands" in several soil sinks. They follow the path of a soil molecule as it travels through the outdoors, have a "funeral" for a leaf, and examine the soil cycle in action.
Sixth Grade - Winter
What Would a Black Bear say about Global Climate Change?
Michigan Social Studies Alignment:
6-HI.4.3 - Analyze global issues faced by humans long ago and today.
6-G1.2.5 - GPS, GIS Technology Use and Satellite Remote Sensing to process maps.
6-G5.1.1 - Describe effects of human action on the atmosphere.
6-G6.1.1 - Contemporary investigation of global issue (Climate Change)
6-E3.1.2 - Map consumer products from where it is manufactured to where it is sold.
In the classroom one hour: Students will play a game in the gym or in the parking lot ("How Many Bears Can Live in this Forest") to learn about their habitat and food needs. They will learn about earth history and dramatic events that changed the make up of the planet plants and animals. An introduction to global climate change will prepare them for their field adventure!
Two or three hour snowshoe field trip to Pictured Rocks: Students will learn the basics of the black bear research program in the park and how GPS and GIS Technology help collect data. They will practice satellite tracking a "pretend bear" wearing a radio collar. On snowshoes, they will visit a known active winter bear den if that information is available or a site used in the past. A final presentation will cover the anticipated changes to the habitats of Pictured Rocks due to Global Climate Change and what a black bear might say about that.
Sixth Grade - Spring
Photosynthesis and the Leaf Food Factory
Michigan Science Standards met: Ecosystems 2, Constructing Knowledge 2, 3, 6
In the classroom one hour: Working in small groups, students will conduct an investigation to try to make sugar the way a plant does.
Two to three hour field trip to Pictured Rocks: Students will enter a “giant leaf” to learn how the leaf food factory works, then set the table for a food chain gang to eat at Mr. Sun’s Restaurant. A hike to observe food chains in action completes this program.
Sixth Grade - Spring
Logging Era of the Pictured Rocks
Michigan Social Studies Alignment:
Growth of an Industrial: 6.1.1 (Factors in the American Industrial Revolution)
In the classroom one hour: “Lumberjack Stan” will visit the classroom to explain what life was like to work in an area logging camp. Afterwards the students will gather in a sharing circle to ask questions and sing lumberjack songs.
Several hour field trip to Pictured Rocks: Students will travel to the White Pine Trail (near Little Beaver Lake) to explore a stand of old growth white pine and learn about logging in the Beaver Basin area. Next they will travel to the Kingston Plains to try using a cross-cut saw, explore the history of logging in this area, and its impact on the natural resources. Finally students will visit the Munising School Forest near Melstrand where Munising High School natural resource students will give them a tour of modern forest management methods.
Sixth Grade - Spring
Air Magic and the Best Deal on Earth
Michigan Science Alignments:
Earth Science/Earth Systems: E.ES 07.12 (Warming of the Atmosphere), E.ES 07.13 (Warming of the Earth. E.ES 07.41 (Human impacts on earth surface) and E.ES. 07.42 Origins of pollution)
Science Processes/Inquiry Process: S.IP .06.12 Design and conduct scientific investigations
Thinking Skills: Making predictions, use of scientific method
Climate Change: Students will learn about the air cycle, the greenhouse effect and ways to reverse the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In the classroom for one hour: Students will make predictions and draw conclusions about the properties and behavior of water molecules during visits to learning stations.
Two to three hour field trip to Munising Falls or Sable Falls area: Students will play a game called the air cycle relay, explore a forest and follow the paths of air molecules along a trail, visit a home of the future with an air problem and ride the "air cycle". The program concludes with some air poetry.
When scheduling a program, please determine your preferred date and a few alternate dates. Please contact:
David Kronk, Park Ranger
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
P.O. Box 40
Munising, MI 49862
(906) 387-2607, ext. 206
e-mail
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