PART ONE Shrub-Steppe Landscape

Poster

RATIONALE:

Oftentimes students are taught concepts in isolation and out of context. Using

the Shrub-Steppe Landscape Poster, each teacher can:

Expand the concepts covered in current life/ earth science units as well as

enable students to recall and share knowledge from previous units and

their own life experiences.

Provide opportunities to make connections between classroom concepts

and the real world.

Springboard into daily discussions about science as it relates to current

events, geography, math concepts, etc.

Create a dynamic and ongoing document of what students observe and

learn over time.

Enable pre-assessment, formative and summative assessment

opportunities to inform instruction.

Allow concepts to be revised and expanded upon through increasingly

sophisticated additions to the Landscape Poster at each grade level.

Provide a common reference point for accessing prior knowledge and

constructing new knowledge.

Allow students to construct their own learning as the teacher guides

student interactions with the use of questioning strategies.

Key concepts developed through use of the poster are focused on energy

transfer driven by the sun.

GUIDELINES: These guidelines are merely suggestions. You may choose to be very specific

or quite broad in your use of the Landscape Poster.

Location

Be sure to hang the Landscape Poster in a highly visible and student

accessible are to achieve ultimate student interaction.

Pre- Assessment

Before beginning a unit, assess students` prior knowledge by allowing them

to talk about and/or record what they know about the images they see in the

landscape poster.

Shrub Steppe Species (S3 ) Cards

Basic Strategies

How many sets of S3

cards you make will depend on how you choose to use

them. At a minimum, a class set of 42 cards (6 per page) will allow for

Landscape Poster discussions and food web games. Laminated cardstock will

be most durable, and can be attached to the Landscape Poster or the wall

around it with a loop of tape.

In the science notebook, each student should have a blackline copy (2 per

page) of the Landscape Poster attached to a two-page spread.

A set of the mini Shrub-Steppe Species cards (12 per page) should be then kept in

an adjacent envelope or self-seal plastic bag.

The S3

cards can be useful tools for a variety of learning experiences,

including:

The development of food web games such as:

o Card-Sorts: producers and consumers; plant animal; etc.

o Go Fish where pairs constitute a simple food chain or food web

relationship.

Illustrating the relationships between species;

A way to illustrate energy transfer both on the poster and in student

notebooks;

A jumping-off point for research (e.g. research different hawks in the

shrub steppe);

An exciting way to stimulate writing;

Providing multi-purpose trading cards.

Interdisciplinary Strategies to Scaffold Learning for All

Vocabulary words can be displayed to add meaning to scientific

drawings or as labels to parts of the Landscape Poster. Use 3 x 5

cards or Post- It Notes® to add vocabulary and/or labels. You could

also use a vis-à-vis marker to write directly on a laminated version of

the Landscape Poster.

Students can role play the meaning of a vocabulary word to gain a

deeper understanding of the world.

Display words in a Word Wall for student reference. Having visual

clues to draw on helps the brain retrieve and recall information.

As you proceed through your unit, you or your students can add

pictures (sketches or photographs) to the Landscape Poster.

Yarn, pipe cleaners or paper arrows can be used to show the flow of

energy, food webs, food chains, or to show relationships between

organisms.

Three-dimensional items include realia, (real objects such as seeds,

pressed plants, insects, etc. as well as newspaper and magazine

pictures and articles.), pop-ups designed by students, pockets to hold

cards, and foldable items.

Interdisciplinary Strategies

Using non-fiction trade books and science reference books will

provide opportunities for extended learning

Enhancement Activities

Scale

o Scale can be discussed as to size variations due to perspective in

the Landscape Poster. Ex; Sagebrush in foreground is large, while

snowcapped mountain in background is small.

o Student drawings will be larger in scale than the actual Landscape

Poster.

Stick puppets

o Students can make animal and plant puppets to use with the

Landscape Poster

Digital photographs throughout the year

o Photographs allow students to capture their learning and can serve

as a notebook reference of what changes throughout the seasons.

PART TWO Shrub-Steppe Species

Cards (S3)

Interactive Shrub-Steppe Species Cards ( S3)

To use with your class we recommended that you color-copy the set of the

42 S3

cards on card stock, laminate (for durability) then cut to size.

For the Mini Shrub-Steppe Species Cards, we recommend that you make a

copy of the set (color or gray scale) for each of your students. Your students

can cut the cards apart and place them in an envelope or small plastic bag

that they keep in their science notebook.

PART THREE Shrub-Steppe Landscape

Poster

Interactive Shrub-Steppe Landscape Poster

Plant Identification

1. Big Sage

2. Juniper

3. Thrift Goldenweed

4. Yarrow

5. Winterfat

6. Greasewood

7. Hopsage

8. Bitterbrush

9. Rabbitbrush

10. Pine trees

11. Bluebunch Wheatgrass

12. Lichen

13. Cottonwood

14. Sandberg`s Bluegrass

15. Golden Currant

16. Sedge and Coyote Willow

17. Buckwheat

18. Chokecherry

Shrub-Steppe Landscape Poster

Geographic/ Geologic Identification Key

1. Sun (light energy)

2. Cloud (condensation)

3. River basalt outcropping

4. Basaltic entablature

5. Basaltic colonnade

6. Soil

7. Upland

8. Coulee

9. Riparian zone

10. Flood plain

11. Composite volcanic mountain

12. Glacier

PART FOUR Fossils Bibliography

Brandenberg, Aliki, Fossils Tell of Long Ago. Harper Collins Publishers.

1990. ISBN 0-06-445093-7.

PART FIVE Teacher Background Information

PART FOUR Bibliography

Energy: Harman, Rebecca. Carbon-Oxygen and Nitrogen Cycles: Respiration, Photosynthesis, and Decomposition. Heinemann Library. 2005. ISBN 1-403-47067-7. Kalman, Bobbie. Photosynthesis: Changing Sunlight into Food.Crabtree PublishingCompany. 2005. ISBN 0-778-72308-9. Lauber, Patricia. Who Eats What: Food Chains and Food Webs. HarperCollins Publishers. 1995. ISBN 0-064-45130-5 Sayre, April. Trout are Made of Trees. Charlesbridge. 2008. ISBN 978-1-58089-137-0. Shaw-McKinney, Barbara. Pass The Energy, Please! Dawn Publications. 1999. ISBN 1-584-69002-X. Silverstein, Alvin, Silverstein, Virginia, and Silverstein-Nunn, Laura. Photosynthesis.Twenty-First Century Books. 1998. ISBN 0-761-33000-3.

General: Carney, Margaret. Where Does a Tiger-Heron Spend the Night? Kids Can Press.2002. ISBN 1-553-37022-8. Jelenesse, Gallimard and Peyrols, Sylvaine. Night Creatures. Scholastic. 2001. ISBN 0-439-69202-4. Landstrom, LeeAnn and Shragg, Karen. Nature’s Yucky: Gross Stuff That Helps Nature Work. Mountain Press. 2003. ISBN 0-878-42474-1. Storad, Conrad. Lizards for Lunch: A Roadrunner’s Tale. The RGU Group. 2003. ISBN 1-891-79500-7. National Geographic Society. Creatures of the Desert World. The Book Division. 2003. ISBN 0-870-44687-8.

Fredericks, Anthony D. Around One Cactus: Owls, Bats and Leaping Rats. Dawn Publications. 2003. ISBN 1-584-69052-6.

Insects: Ehlert, Lois. Waiting for Wings. Harcourt, Inc. 2001.ISBN 0-152-02608-8. Facklam, Margery. Bugs for Lunch. Charlesbridge Publishing. 1999. ISBN 0-881-06272-3. Glaser, Linda. Brilliant Bees. The Millbrook Press. 2003. ISBN 0-761-31943-3. Heiligman, Deborah. Honey Bees. National Geographic Society. 2002. ISBN 0-792-26678-1. Llewellyn, Claire. The Best Book of Bugs. Kingfisher. 1998. ISBN 0-753-45118-2. Llewellyn, Claire and Mendez, Simon. Starting Life: Butterfly. North Word Press. 2003. ISBN 1-559-71868-4. McDonald, Megan. Insects Are My Life. Orchard Books. 1997. ISBN 0-531-07093-X. Posada, Mia. Ladybugs: Red, Fiery, and Bright. Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 2002. ISBN 0-876-14334-6. Stokes, Donald and Lillian and Williams, Ernest. Butterfly Book: The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening Identification and Behavior. Little, Brown, and Company. 1991. ISBN 0-316-81780-5.

Land and Water: Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. Scholastic. 1992. ISBN 0-590-99519-7. Cole, Joanna and Degen, Bruce. The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth. Scholastic. 1987. ISBN 0-590-40760-0. Fleming, Denise. In the Small, Small Pond. Scholastic. 1993. ISBN 0-590-48119-3.

Loewer, Peter. Pond Water Zoo: An Introduction to Microscopic Life. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 1996. ISBN 0-689-31736-0. Miller, Debbie. Disappearing Lake: Nature’s Magic in Denali National Park. Walker and Company. 1997. ISBN 0-802-77558-6. Parker, Steve. Pond and River. Dorling Kindersley and Eyewitness Books. 2000. ISBN 0-789-45839-X. Reed-Jones, Carol. Salmon Stream. Dawn Publications. 2000. 1-584-69013-5.

Plants: Baylor, Byrd. Desert Voices. Aladdin. 1981. ISBN 0-689-71691-5. Baylor, Byrd. The Desert Is Theirs. Aladdin. 1975. ISBN 0-689-71105-0. Carle, Eric. The Tiny Seed. Scholastic. 1987. ISBN 0-590-42566-8. Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive. Scholastic Inc. 1996. ISBN 0-590-44685-1. Dorros, Arthur. A Tree Is Growing. Scholastic Inc. 1997. ISBN 0-590-45301-7. Gibbons, Gail. Desert. Holiday House. 1996. ISBN 0-823-41519-8. Gibbons, Gail. From Seed to Plant. Holiday House. 1991. ISBN 0-823-41025-0. Guiberson, Brenda Z. Cactus Hotel. Henry Holt and Company. 1991. ISBN 0-805-01333-4 (Hardcover) 0-805-02960-5 (Paperback). Hunken, Jorie and New England Wild Flower Society. Botany For All Ages: Learning About Nature Through Activities Using Plants. The Globe Pequote Press. 1989. ISBN 0-871-06616-5. Kalman, Bobbie. How a Plant Grows. Crabtree Publishing Company. 1997. ISBN 0-865-05728-1. National Wildlife Federation. Ranger Rick’s Nature Scope: Discovering Deserts. McGraw-Hill. 1998. ISBN 0-070-47100-2.

Pulley-Sayre, April. Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad’s Tale. Greenwillow Books. 2001. ISBN 0-688-16615-6. Radley, Gail. Vanishing from Grasslands and Desert. Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 2001. ISBN 1-575-05568-6. Royston, Angela. How Plants Grow. Reed Educational and Professional Publishing. 1999. ISBN 1-575-72538-X. Schwartz, David. In the Desert (Look Once, Look Again Science Series.) Creative Teaching Press. 1997. ISBN 1-574-71212-8. Wallace, Marianne D. America’s Deserts: Guide to Plants and Animals. Fulcrum Publishing. 1996. ISBN 1-555-91268-0. Wilkins, Sally. Grasslands. Bridgestone Books. 2001. ISBN 0-736-80837-X.

Rocks and Minerals: Baylor, Byrd. Everybody Needs a Rock. Aladdin. 1974. ISBN 0-689-71051-8. Christian, Peggy. If You Find a Rock. Harcourt, Inc. 2000. ISBN 0-152-39339-0. Fredericks, Anthony D. Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and other Ughs. Dawn Publications. 2001. ISBN 1-584-69027-5. Hiscock, Bruce. The Big Rock. Aladdin. 1988. ISBN 0-689-31402-7. Hooper, Meredith and Coady, Chris. The Pebble in My Pocket: A History of Our Earth. Viking. 1996. ISBN 0-670-86259-2 Nelson-Spickert, Diane. Earthsteps: A Rock’s Journey through Time. Fulcrum Kids.2000. ISBN 1-555-91986-3. Pellant, Chris. Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals. Kingfisher. 2000. ISBN 0-753-45274-X. Rosinsky, Natalie M. Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough. Picture Window Books. 2003. ISBN 1-404-80015-8.

Soils: Bailey, Jill. Worm. Heinemann Library. 1999. ISBN 1-575-72461-8.

Bial, Raymond. A Handful of Dirt. Walker and Co. 2000. ISBN 0-802-78698-7. Cole, Joanna and Degen, Bruce. Magic School Bus Gets All Dried Up. Scholastic. 1996. ISBN 0-590-50831-8. Cole, Joanna and Degen, Bruce. Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad. Scholastic. 1996. ISBN 0-590-40023-1. Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Worm. Live Oak. 2004. ISBN 1-591-12868-4. Glaser, Linda. Wonderful Worms. Lerner Publishing Group. 1994. ISBN 1-562-9730-3. Himmelman, John. An Earthworm’s Life. Children’s Press. 2001. ISBN 0-516-26535-0. Lauber, Patricia. Earthworms: Underground Farmers. Henry Holt and Co. 1997. ISBN 0-805-04897-9. Lavies, Bianca. Compost Critters. Dutton Children’s Books. 1993. ISBN 0-525-44763-6. Llewellyn, Claire. Earthworms. Franklin Watts.2002.ISBN 0-531-14825-4 Pfeffer, Wendy. Wiggling Worms at Work. Harper Collins Children’s Books. 2004. ISBN 0-060-28448-X. Rosinsky, Natalie M. Dirt: The Scoop on Soil. Picture Window Books. 2003. ISBN 1-404-80012-3. Silverstein, Alvin. Life in a Bucket of Soil. Dover Publications. 2000. ISBN 0-486-41057-9. Tomecek, Steve. Dirt. National Geographic. 2002. ISBN 0-792-28204-3. Tomecek, Steve. Jump Into Science: Dirt. National Geographic Children’s. 2002. ISBN 0-792-28204-3. Wyler, Rose. Science Fun with Mud and Dirt. Simon and Schuster, Inc. 1986. ISBN 0-671-62904-2.

Credit

The Shrub Steppe Landscape Poster Lessons were made possible with funds from

the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Workforce

Development for Teachers and Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

Richland, WA. 2009.