Albuquerque's
Environmental StoryAlbuquerque's
Environmental StoryStart this trip in your classroom. Discuss a vacant lot near your school and try to reach agreement about the points listed below Record your decisions.
Is the lot regular or irregular in shape? _______________________________________________________
Approximately how big is the lot? ___________________
The size of an average city lot?____________ Half a hectare? ___________ One hectare? ____________ Other size?___________
Is the lot sloped _________ or flat? __________ Partly sloped and partly flat? _________
Are there any trees on the lot? ________ If so, how many? ______ One? ______ Two? ______ Between two and five? ______
What kind of trees are they? ______________________________________________________________________________________
How much of the ground is bare soil? ______ Less than 50%? ______ Between 50 and 75%? _______ Between 75 and 100%? ______ 100%?
Do any animals live in the vacant lot? ______ If so, what kinds? ________________________________
In what ways have people affected the vacant lot? ______________________________________________
__________ Litter? ___________ Compacted soil at short cuts? __________
Indirect ways such as gully formation caused by water runoff from nearby paved surfaces? __________ Other ways?
Take a trip to the vacant lot to see how close your recollections were to the facts.
How is the lot shaped?
On the back of recycled paper, draw a scale map of the lot.
Use a compass to help orient the map properly.
Measure the perimeter of the vacant lot in meters.
Calculate the area in hectares.
If it is partially sloped, calculate the percentage of slope by using a measuring stick, another stick, and a baby food jar half filled with water. See diagram.
How many trees are in the vacant lot?
If you know their names list them below.
If you don't, describe them.
Name or Description
Number
Toe
Transect SurveyDivide into groups of four. After each group selects a section of the vacant lot to study, do a 100 step Toe Transect (see below) to determine what percentage of the surface is covered by litter, annual grass, perennial grass, forb, shrub, rock and bare soil.
Definitions
Working in groups of four, stretch a 100 foot tape along the ground where you want to inventory the types of plants in your area. This is called a 100 foot transect. Record what you find at every foot along the tape or transect on the table below. Record presence of the item below by putting a check ( ) if present. Leave blank if not present.
Did you find animal life in the places you expected to? ________ If not, explain. ___________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
What other signs of animals did you see which did not appear in the hoop sample? ______________________________________________________________________________________
Which animals were most prevalent? ___________________ Least? ___________________________
Can you explain why? __________________________________________________________________
Study one of the animals you see.
What is it?
What does it eat?
What eats it?
How does it protect itself?
How does it move?
Does it make any sound?
What is special about its appearance? Draw a picture of this animal. If it is small, use a magnifying glass to see it better.
Worksheet Summary
In what ways have people affected the vacant lot? ______________________________________________
How well did your recollection of the vacant lot compare with your findings? ________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Name one thing in the lot, or about the lot, that you like the most. _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Why do you like it? _____________________________________________________________________
Name one thing in the lot, or about the lot, that you like the least. _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Why do you dislike it? ___________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions based upon the information recorded in the Toe Transect survey.
Which items had the greatest percentage of coverage? ___________________________________________
Which had the least? _____________________________________________________________________
Did certain plants tend to be associated with certain types of areas such as bare places, rocks, shrubs, etc.?
If so, which? ___________________________________________________________________________
How might this be explained? _____________________________________________________________
Which of these areas might make the best habitat for animal life? _________________________________
Why? _________________________________________________________________________________
What kinds of human litter did you find? _____________________________________________________
Where was most of it? ___________________________________________________________________
Use hoops made from wire coat hangers or hula hoops to do an animal survey. Each group should randomly toss its hoop five times. Examining the area circumscribed by the hoop each time, record your findings below. Some examples are already listed. Compile the findings of all groups.
|
Animals Seen |
Animal Signs Seen |
Number of signs per toss 1 2 3 4 5 |
Total for 5 tosses |
|
ant |
8 0 2 10 0 |
20 |
|
|
beetle |
1 2 0 0 1 |
4 |
|
|
dog's paw print |
0 1 1 1 1 |
3 |
|
(Up to Section IV, Back to Activities for the Senses and Sensibilities 5, On to Eye Opener Activities 6)
