Albuquerque's
Environmental StoryAlbuquerque's
Environmental Story
Map your route to school from memory, then from observation. Compare the two.
What was remembered most easily? Why? What was left out? Why?
Using string circles, capture an environment. Repeat in a variety of areas, lawn, eroded soil, vacant lot, etc.
What communities do you see? Whose shelters and food supplies are included? What organisms are the food producers? The primary consumers? The secondary consumers? The decomposers? Which organisms are more numerous, primary or secondary consumers? Why?
How many circles might it take to support an insect? A bird? A large herbivore? A large predator?
What role does the sun play in the energy transfers in these food webs?
How many life support systems, like food production, storage, waste disposal, water, etc., can you see functioning? If you were to try to diagram these systems, would it be better to use a vertical flow chart or a web of interrelated cycles? Why?
Select an environment outside, imagining yourself to be variously the size of a lizard, an ant, and a dog. Working in small groups, try to figure out how you might survive in that environment.
What kinds of shelters might you have? Tools? Clothing? Food? Modes of transportation?
Invent adaptation by designing a creature to replace an actual animal., like an insect, bird, reptile, or mammal, you might find on the grounds near your school or a nearby vacant lot. Keep in mind food supply, shelter, enemies, mobility. Draw, paint, or fashion in clay or wire sculpture the animal you invented.
How does this creature compare with the one it was to replace?
Can you design a predator to eat the creature you made?
Invent adaptation by designing a plant to replace an actual plant found in a vacant lot. Include seed and seed dispersal; water needs; flower; protective devices.
What niche (or role) might this plant fill?
Would the seed travel by air, water, in birds, or in animal fur?
Invent prey-predator relations by designing a predator capable of digging up roots; catching flying insects; picking up an egg; picking up leaves; eating meat; getting animals from underground.
What kinds of animals might be able to escape from one of the predators you designed?
What are some of the defenses they would need to protect them from their predators?
Construct a vacant lot food chain using the domestic cat as top consumer.
How would the chain differ if the cat's prey was, in turn, a mouse, a butterfly, and a lizard?
How might this chain look if it was drawn as a pyramid of numbers?
Inventory the plants in a specified section of the schoolyard or vacant lot.
What plants are dominant?
How are these plants especially well-adapted to the biotic and cultural conditions in the schoolyard?
Watch ants carrying food to their nests, or lift up a rock to see what the ants do when their nest is disturbed.
From what can be observed, why are ants called social insects?
What do ants carry into the nest? Do they carry anything out? If so, what? Why? What do they do with it?
Place small pieces of meat, lettuce and bread near ants. Do they have a preference?
Show the size of an ant. _______________
Show the size of the largest load it can carry. ________
Collect nature's discards, like egg shells, feathers, fallen leaves, molted skins, grass clippings, etc. If possible, obtain permission to set up a compost pile in an out-of-the-way place outside the classroom. Otherwise, make a mini-compost pile in a moist classroom terrarium.
What changes occur in the materials (appearances, temperature, texture, odor)?
What causes decay?
What are the best conditions to bring about decay?
How can this compost system be used to demonstrate nature's recycling process?
Go outside and make a map of a nearby nonresidential street containing a vacant lot. Have them select roles (realtor, small business owner, member of planning commissions, city counselor or county commissioner, young child, teenager, parent of young child, senior citizen, social worker, developer, teacher, etc.) and role-play to decide how this parcel of land should be used.
What are the present zoning regulations for the area? Can zoning be changed? How?
Are multiple uses possible? If so, which?
Who has the final say about how the land is to be used?
What kind of environmental impact would the different suggested uses have?
(Up to Section IV, Back to Eye Opener Worksheet 6, On to Aditional Activities 6))