nature’s classroom activities – a mathematical...

Mathematics Lesson 2 – Mathematical Overview of Activities

School District of Hillsborough County 1 The Southwest Florida Water Management District

Nature’s Classroom Activities – A Mathematical Overview

This lesson is broken into three sections; A, B, and C. Each will relate to two Nature’s Classroom activities. Essential Question: How will I study the Hillsborough River Watershed components at Nature’s Classroom? A. Objective: Students will review the Nature’s Classroom activities Shoreline Sampling and Ecosystem Hike and then convert ratios to percents using word problems related to those activities.

Standards: MAFS.6.NS.2.3 Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation. MAFS.6.NS.1.1 Interpret and compute quotients of fractions, and solve word problems involving division of fractions by fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem. For example, create a story context for (2/3) (3/4) and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient; use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that (2/3) (3/4) = 8/9 because 3/4 of 8/9 is 2/3. (In general, (a/b) (c/d) = ad/bc) How much chocolate will each person get if 3 people share 1/2 lb of chocolate equally? How many 3/4-cup servings are in 2/3 of a cup of yogurt? How wide is a rectangular strip of land with length 3/4 mi and area 1/2 square mi? MACC.6.RP.1.3 (2013-2014): Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.

Materials:

• Pen or Pencil • 2 pieces of notebook paper (loose leaf) • Bell work Sheet (Optional – may be written on the board) • Student pages: Shoreline Sampling and Ecosystem Hike activity review sheets

Setup: None

Prep time: None

Lesson Duration: 10-15 minutes

Directions: Students will read the Activity Review Sheets for Shoreline Sampling and Ecosystem Hike and complete the bell work for each.

Assessment: Completion of Bell Work



ADAPTATION OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS - SHORELINE SAMPLING

The shoreline is sampled by teams using long handled dip nets. The organisms collected are placed in holding containers and later sorted and counted. The number and diversity of your catch provides Nature’s Classroom with a measure of the health of the river. What will you be doing?

1. You will follow all safety instructions for collecting. 2. You will then follow the instructions on the proper handling of nets and the best

techniques for catching aquatic life. 3. Working in small groups, you will safely collect and handle aquatic specimens from the

Hillsborough River. 4. You will follow all instructions on safe handling and retrieving of specimens in the net. 5. You will keep an accurate count of species that you collect including vertebrates such as

fishes and amphibians and invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans and mollusks. 6. Complete the shoreline sampling data sheet. (THIS MUST BE RETURNED TO

YOUR MATH TEACHER – THERE IS MORE TO DO!!!!)



What will you be learning?

1. How the diversity of organisms is an indicator of the health of a system. 2. How to observe the adaptations of aquatic organisms. 3. How to accurately identify and count a sample of organisms. 4. How to safely collect organisms from a river. 5. How to work as a team to solve real life problems 6. How to increase your curiosity and confidence so that you can make further

explorations into natural environments.

SAFETY - Please follow these rules!

• Do not go deeper than knee deep into the water.

• Use caution in handling specimens.

• Refrain from loud noise and fast movements.

• Avoid horseplay in the river.

• Always walk.



Bell Work

Directions: Solve the following problems on your own paper. Show your work.

1. If 55% of Team A’s catch of 40 aquatic insects are dragonfly nymphs, how many dragonfly nymphs did they catch?

2. Team B caught 10 mosquito fish, 3 least killifish, 5 mollies, and 2 Goodi’s killifish. What

percent of their catch were mollies?



ECOSYSTEM HIKE

This journey will allow you to observe how changes in light, elevation and soil type affect soil moisture and where ecosystems occur within the watershed. You will also observe the role of fire in ecosystems. As you enter the river flood plain, you will observe how changes in the river's level shape the ecosystems found in this environment. What will you be doing?

1. You will follow the Nature’s Classroom Instructor as they lead you along a series of trails that wind through the watershed at Nature’s Classroom.

2. You will be observing the characteristics of the various ecosystems that you walk through.

3. You will be trying to see if there is a pattern as to where plants and animals live (river, floodplain, and the uplands etc.).

4. You will use your senses to help you in this process.

What will you be learning? 1. The abiotic factors that have shaped the ecosystems. 2. Examples of the interdependence of living things. 3. Some of the plants and animals found in each system. 4. The importance of the Hillsborough River and how it is affected by both nature



and humans. 5. How plant communities are affected by flooding and drought.




• Follow rules given by the classroom teacher.

• Stay on the trail and boardwalk.

• Keep your hands to yourself.

• Stay together as a class group.

• Walk at all times.




Bell Work

Directions: Solve the following problems on your own paper. Show your work. During their hike, Denia and Jack noticed that there were waterlines 5 feet up the laurel oaks in the hydric hammock and 7 feet up the cypresses along the boardwalk.

1. Write a fraction to illustrate the ratio of the water depths in the two systems.

2. One fourth of the boardwalk runs through the hydric hammock. One half of it runs through the riverine swamp. The remaining 40 feet of the boardwalk runs through a mixed upland forest. What is the length of the boardwalk??

3. Nature’s Classroom is 365 acres in size. If 150 of those acres are covered by wetland communities, what percent of the property is wetland?

4. On the Ecosystem Hike, Mr. Johnson’s class observed 18 gopher tortoise burrows.

6 of these burrows were actively used by gopher tortoises. a. How many abandoned/inactive burrows did they see? b. What was the ratio of active/inactive burrows to abandoned ones? c. What percent of the burrows were active?



B. Objective: Students will review the Nature’s Classroom activities of Orienteering and Interpretive Center and then choose an operation to solve word problems related to those activities.

Standard(s): MA.6.A.1.3 The Students will solve real-world problems involving multiplication and division of fractions and decimals. MA.6.G.4.2 The Students will find the perimeters and areas of composite 2-Dimensional figures, including non-rectangular figures (such as semicircles) using various strategies.

Materials: • Pen or Pencil • 2 pieces of notebook paper (loose leaf) • Bell work Sheet (Optional – may be written on the board) • Student pages: Orienteering and Interpretive Center Activity Review Sheets

Setup: None

Prep time: None

Lesson Duration: 10-15 minutes

Directions: Students will read Activity Review Sheets for Orienteering and Interpretive Center.

Assessment: Completion of Bell Work ORIENTEERING



Orienteering is a practical application of math in the field. You will be using a device called a baseplate compass to help you determine angles of direction. You will use a chart that gives you direction and distance. You will use this compass and a chart to navigate your way through an upland course at Nature's Classroom.

What will you be doing?

1. Your Nature’s Classroom Instructor will help you learn how to use the baseplate compass.

2. You will be given a course chart which contains mathematical information on how to navigate the course.

3. To find each station on the course, you will need to check your chart to find the angular direction and distance to that station.

4. Together you will work in teams to navigate your way through 1 or 2 upland communities.

baseplate compass




1. Mathematical and navigation skills using a baseplate compass.

2. How to work as a team to solve real life problems.

3. How to observe the adaptations of plants and animals in a variety of environmental conditions.

4. How to increase your curiosity and confidence so that you can make further explorations into natural environments.

SAFETY-Pleasefollowtheserules!

• Follow rules given by the Nature’s Classroom Instructor.

• Stay with your group.

• Walk at all times.

• Be careful where you walk.




Bell Work


Caroline, David, Elizabeth, and Steven are all on an orienteering team together. Help them find the answers to the questions below.

1. The perimeter of their course is 300 paces. If line segment AB is 50 paces long, segment CD is also 50 paces long and segments AD and BC are the same length, how long is segment AD?

2. If the angle ABC is 135°, angle BCD is 45°, and angle CDA is 135°, what is the measure of angle DAB?

3. Caroline’s orientation team walked a course with 8 stations. Their directions were as follows:

Station 1 125° 28 paces








If they followed the directions correctly, how many paces did Caroline’s team walk?

What is the average number of paces between stations?

A

B C

D



INTERPRETIVE CENTER FOR NATURAL SCIENCE

The Interpretive Center is a hands on place where you will learn about various live and preserved critters. Y o u w i l l come face to face with examples of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. You will learn how to be more comfortable and confident in any outdoor situation involving wildlife.


1. In the Interpretive Center, your teams will carry out a hands-on study of a variety of live and preserved organisms.

2. For part of the time you are in the Center, you will be seated for a question and answer session conducted by the Nature's Classroom Instructor.

3. You will move among the separate buildings of the Center at the direction of the Nature’s Classroom Instructors.


1. How to identify native and exotic wildlife.

2. How to classify vertebrates into the five major classes.

3. The general characteristics of the vertebrate classes.

4. The differences between ectothermic and endothermic animals.

5. How to safely handle live specimens.

6. How to appreciate wildlife and its place in our world.

7. Techniques and attitudes to help you make further investigations into wildlife on your own.




• Follow the handling techniques given by your instructor.

• Treat animals and classmates with respect.

• Keep your hands away from the heads of the animals.

• Move at a slow to normal walk.

• Absolutely no horseplay.

• Keep your voices low.



Bell Work

Directions: Solve the following problems. Show your work.

1. The metabolic rate of the cold-blooded (ectothermic) alligator is 1/8th that of warm-blooded (endothermic) rabbit. If at 750F the metabolic rate of the alligator is 12, what is the rate of the rabbit at the same temperature?

2. If chickens lay 3 eggs at a time and rat snakes lay 14, express the ratio of chicken eggs to

rat snake eggs as a fraction.



C. Objective: Students will review the Nature’s Classroom activities Animal Compound and River Exploration and then interpret and compare ratios and rates in word problems related to those activities.

Standard(s): MAFS.6.NS.1.1 Interpret and compute quotients of fractions, and solve word problems involving division of fractions by fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem. For example, create a story context for (2/3) (3/4) and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient; use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that (2/3) (3/4) = 8/9 because 3/4 of 8/9 is 2/3. (In general, (a/b) (c/d) = ad/bc.) How much chocolate will each person get if 3 people share 1/2 lb of chocolate equally? How many 3/4-cup servings are in 2/3 of a cup of yogurt? How wide is a rectangular strip of land with length 3/4 mi and area 1/2 square mi? MAFS.6.NS.2.3 Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using standard algorithm for each operation. MACC.6.RP.1.3 (2013-2014): Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations. Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs of values on the coordinate plane Materials:

• Pen or Pencil • 2 pieces of notebook paper (loose leaf) • Bell work sheet (Optional – may be written on the board) • Student pages: Animal Compound and River Exploration Activity Review Sheets

Setup: None

Prep time: None

Lesson Duration: 10-15 minutes: Directions: Students will read Activity Review Sheets for Animal Compound and River Exploration.

Assessment: Completion of Bell work



ANIMAL COMPOUND INVESTIGATIONS

The animal compound at Nature's Classroom serves as a home for a variety of animals. Most of these animals have either been nuisance animals, raised by humans or injured. As a result, releasing these animals back into the wild is not an option. You will get a unique opportunity to observe these animals in habitats that are designed to duplicate the animals’ natural environments. What will you be doing?

1. At the direction of the Nature’s Classroom Instructors, you will travel through the Animal Compound habitats to locate and identify the Florida native animals within their enclosures.

2. You will investigate how a variety of animals are

adapted to live in the Hillsborough River



Watershed and the limiting factors that might control their populations.




1. Animals have special adaptations that allow them to make a successful living in and along the Hillsborough River.

2. A healthy ecosystem is made up of a diverse group of populations interacting with each other and their physical environment.

3. Some organisms are endangered or have been eliminated from the watershed due to their interactions with humans.

4. Certain animals have disabilities/ challenges which make them unable to survive in the wild.


• Remain behind the safety barriers present or at least four feet away from enclosures.

• Walk at all times on the on established paths and paver sidewalks.

• Refrain from feeding or teasing the animals.

• Stay with the group.




Bell Work


Use the information in the graph below to help you answer questions 1 & 2.

The Diet of a Typical Florida Panther

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fill in the blanks in this sentence using the order of the animals given in the graph.

1. The Florida panther eats mostly ______________, _____________, ___________, and ______________.

2. Express, as a decimal fraction, the known portion of the Florida panther’s diet that is composed of hooved mammals.



RIVER EXPLORATION

The health of the Hillsborough River is important to all the citizens of Hillsborough County. During this activity, you will be given instruction on safe boating. Then your boat captain will steer the boat slowly downstream toward Trout Creek. During this trip, you will observe and identify wildlife and conduct chemical tests to monitor the health of the river.


1. You will use the picture guides to help you identify and take a population survey of birds, reptiles and other wildlife along the river.

2. You will conduct water testing and record your results.

3. You may be allowed to paddle the boat if time and the situation are appropriate.




1. Topography determines the boundaries of watersheds. 2. A healthy ecosystem is made up of a diverse group of populations interacting with each

other and their physical environment. 3. Organisms have special adaptations that allow them to make a successful living in and

along the Hillsborough River. 4. A healthy river system will have a high biodiversity. 5. Water chemistry tests can be used to help determine the health of the river. 6. The Hillsborough River is an important resource for all citizens of Hillsborough County,

and it is used in a variety of ways. 7. Historically, human activities have had a negative impact upon the Hillsborough River and

each of us has a role in preserving and protecting the Hillsborough River ecosystem.

SAFETY - Please follow these rules! • Wear life jackets at all times.

• Remain seated in the boat except as directed by a

Nature’s Classroom instructor.

• Keeps hands inside the boat. Be careful with water test materials.

• Use caution when entering and leaving the boats.



Bell Work

Directions: Solve the following problems. Show your work.

1. Team C saw a variety of birds on their boating trip. They saw 5 spoon bills, 12 white ibises, 6 wood storks, 3 great egrets, and 4 little blue herons. Express the total number of white ibises as a decimal fraction of the total birds sighted.

2. If the river is flowing at a rate of 4 miles per hour, how long will it take the boats to return back upstream the 2 miles from Trout Creek to Nature’s Classroom if they can move at a speed of 8 miles per hour?

nature’s classroom activities – a mathematical...

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