Take MOSS Home! Field Notebook Winter 2009

Transcription

1 Take MOSS Home! Start a recycling class project. Walk like a fox. Observe birds and imitate their movements. How do different birds move? Walk out your front door. How many shades of green can you see? Look for animal tracks in your neighborhood. Make a crayon rubbing of a leaf or the bark of a tree. Start a nature journal or an art book. Set out seeds for birds in the winter and watch to see who comes! Make wind chimes out of materials you find on the ground (a stick and shells, for instance). Snoop around flowers and plants to see what insects you can find. Carefully roll over a log to discover what s under it (remember to put it back when you re done). Collect a bunch of different fallen leaves in a bag. Then empty out the bag and try to match the leaves. Think about how people stay warm in winter, then investigate how animals do it. In winter, try to identify some trees without leaves. Look for soils of different textures and colors. Lie down and look at the clouds. Keep phenology records (dates of bird sightings, first blooms, trees turning color, etc.) Snow angels! Listen to the sound of falling snow. Take shorter showers. Turn off the lights. Walk or bike. Do the sasquatch run. Help out at home. Ask questions. Be your own scientist. Make snowballs. Field Notebook Winter 2009 Name: Team: 52 1

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3 Introduction Welcome to MOSS! This week we will work as a team of scientists to uncover the secrets of winter and have fun in Ponderosa State Park. Your field instructor, Getting to know you What are your interests? What are your favorite subjects in school? What are you most excited about for your week at MOSS? Please write a question about nature you would like to explore this week. 50 3

4 Team contract 4 49

5 Scientific method 48 5

6 Heat Monster Meteorology: the study of weather and atmospheric conditions Pattern: a set of prints that show the way in which an animal moves Place: where the prints are found Predict: to make an educated guess about the conclusions of an experiment or outcome of a process Print: a single impression of a foot or paw on the ground (or in the snow) Radiation: the movement of energy through a medium without influencing the medium Scientific Method: We use this process to guide our explorations of the world around us. As part of the process we observe, classify, measure, infer, predict, and communicate results. The steps go as follows: Observations and Prior Knowledge Our experience and observations about the world give us prior knowledge. Ask Questions Thinking about our experiences and prior knowledge leads us to ask questions. Make a Hypothesis We use our prior knowledge and observations to make statements about what we think will be the answer to our question. This is called a hypothesis. Plan Research We decide on methods to collect and process information so we can test our hypothesis. Collect Data Using our methods, we collect the information we need. Analyze Data Once we have done our data collection, we put the information into charts, graphs and tables so it is easier to look at. We can then decide what we think it means. This is called data analysis. Develop Conclusions When we decide what we think our data mean we have come to a conclusion. Reflect We might have more questions, and things to study in the future. This leads us back to the beginning of the process. Share the Results We then present our research to our peers so they can learn what we learned! SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry): a monitoring system run through the Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL sites measure the snowpack as a way to forecast the water supply Snowfall: the depth of snow that has accumulated since the last measurement or total snowpack depth. Snow metamorphism: the process by which snow crystals change in structure pressure and temperature are the two most influential agents of change Snow Water Equivalency (SWE): the amount of water contained within the snowpack - think of it as the depth of water that would theoretically result if you melt the entire snowpack instantaneously Sublimation a solid changing to a gas without the change of temperature 6 47

7 MOSSary Adaptation: a trait of a living organism that helps it live in its habitat Atmosphere: the moving/dynamic layer of air that surrounds the Earth How can you stay warm here? Being Outside Clothes Food Water Activity Average: a number that is in the middle or typical of a large group Biome: a large-scale group of systems with similar climates and organisms (tundra, mountain forests, deserts) Classify: to organize objects by observable characteristics or purpose. Climate: weather conditions over a long period of time or for a large area Cloud cover: the amount of clouds covering the sky (clear, scattered, broken, or overcast) Conduction: heat transfer by molecule to molecule contact Conifer: trees with needle-like leaves that do not lose their leaves in the fall Convection: transfer of energy by movement of the medium surrounding an object Data: information collected and organized for analysis and discussion Deciduous: plants which lose their leaves in the fall Earth Systems Science: Hydrosphere: all the Earth s water, even groundwater, rain, and snow. Atmosphere: all the air in the think layer that surrounds the Earth. Lithosphere: All the Earth s rocks and minerals, even the hot lava! Biosphere: all the Earth s living things, plants, bugs, even you! Ecologist: scientists who study the relationships between living things and their environment. Ecosystem: eco comes from a Greek word that means home + system means a group of things that interact and function together as a whole. The word ecosystem can be used to describe the whole Earth, or it can be used to describe smaller more specific areas. A forest is one ecosystem we study. Lakes and rangelands are other ecosystems we will be exploring. When we study ecosystems, we look for connections or relationships between living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things we find. Evaporation: the transfer of energy by movement of the medium surrounding an object Forecast: the prediction of future weather events based on data Habitat: a place an organism lives that provides the things it needs to survive Infer: to interpret or explain what we observe; develop conclusions How we lose heat from our bodies: Radiation energy moving out of your body to the environment. Conduction heat moving from your body to something you are touching. Convection warm air around you is blown away by the wind. Evaporation liquid changes from a liquid to a gas, taking heat away with it. 46 7

8 Leave No Trace Plan your presentation 8 45

9 Conclusion Weather Temperature for date Current: C Minimum: C Maximum: C F = (1.8 x C) + 32 C = ( F 32) x 0.55 Weekly temperature Reflection 44 9

10 Weather Analyze data Clouds for date Type: Cover: % Precipitation (snowfall) 10 43

11 Collect data Sense of Place You learn that if you sit in the woods and wait, something happens. Henry David Thoreau 42 11

12 Animal Tracking Inquiry Hypothesis Observations Methods 12 41

13 Observations and prior knowledge Student Inquiry Research questions What do you want to know about animal tracks? Why is it important to study animal tracks? Research question Background information Black bear Beaver Bobcat Bushytailed woodrat Coyote Deer mouse Dusky shrew Elk Ermine Meadow vole Mink Pine squirrel Animals of Ponderosa State Park Moose Cottontail rabbit Mule deer Muskrat Porcupine Raccoon Red fox River otter Sharlie Snowshoe hare Red-backed vole Yellow-pine chipmunk 40 13

14 Sense of Place When we try to pick out something by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. John Muir 14 39

15 Conclusions Reflections How could we have done this inquiry better? What else do you want to know? 38 15

16 Data analysis 16 37

17 Data collection

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19 Data collection 2 Hypothesis Temp. ( C) Snow pit data Density (g/cc), crystal type/size, layer height. Methods Gait: record how the animal moves by looking at the pattern of its prints look at the movement patterns on the previous pages. Stride: using a meter stick measure and record the distance between one rear left heel to the next rear left heel. Straddle: using a meter stick measure and record from the outside of the front left foot to the outside of the front right foot. Print Size: using a measuring stick record the length and with of the print from heel to toe and from side to side. Be careful not to include the entire impression. Special Features: make note of any special features of, in, or around the tracks. Site Description: record where the tracks are located and what the land /foliage looks like around them

20 Data collection 20 33

21 Data collection 1 Data analysis Temp. ( C) Snow pit data Density (g/cc), crystal type/size, layer height (cm) 32 21

22 Conclusion Tell us a story about these tracks. Was your hypothesis supported? Calculations 1. What density does the snow have? Density = (Snow mass) / (Snow volume) Imagine we found 21g of snow in the 100 cc snow sampling tube. The density is 21 g/ 100 cc. 2. What percent water does the snow have? % Water = (Snow density) / (Water density) Start with (21 g snow / 100 cc). The density of water is (1 g water / 1 cc) so we get 0.21 or 21%. 3. Snow water equivalent (SWE) is the amount of water in the snow if it melted completely. SWE = (% water) x (Height of snow layer) Imagine we had a snow layer 17.0 cm high. Then, SWE = 0.21 x 17.0 cm = 3.57 cm

23 Methods Dig a snow pit 1. Select an area of undisturbed snow. 2. Draw a line in the snow, at least as long as you are tall. This is the edge of the pit don t disturb the snow on the other side of the line! 3. Use the shovel to dig a pit in the snow. One wall of the pit will be your line. 4. Stop when you reach the ground. Reflection Do you think this animal has any special adaptations? Could we have done this inquiry better? What else would you like to know? Snow size and shape 1. Collect a small sample of snow using the paintbrush and snow crystal cards. 2. Examine with the hand lens. Select five grains at random to measure. 1. Using the cm/mm ruler, measure and record the size of the crystals. Take the average size and shape of the dominant crystal in each layer. Snow pit layers 1. Use the paintbrush to gently sweep away the face of the snow-pit to expose the snow layers. 2. Step back and try to visually identify the different layers. Ice layers appear shiny. Large grains glisten and appear pebbly. Soft snow may appear less reflective. 3. Finger test: use the tip of your finger and move gently down the snow layers, beginning at the surface. You will feel a difference when the layers change. Place a popsicle stick at the top of each layer. 4. Measure and record the height of each layer with a meter stick. Snow pit height 1. Measure and record the height of your snow bank in three different places along the vertical wall. Measure from the ground level to the top using your meter stick. Record an average on your data sheet. 2. Measure the height of each snow layer three times and calculate the average. Snow density 1. Calibrate the scale to the weight of the empty snow sampling tube and bag. 2. Start at the top layer and clearly identify which layer you are sampling. Push the snow sampling tube into the snow. Make sure it is completely full of snow. 3. Put the snow sampling tube into the bag and attach it to the scale. 4. Carefully weigh the full snow sampling tube and bag in grams. Record the mass on your data sheet. 5. Empty the sampling tube and repeat steps 2-4 with the next layer down until you have sampled all the layers. Snow temperature 1. Start at the ground level and work upward toward the surface. 2. Measure temperature, to the nearest 0.1 C, every 10 cm (every 5 cm if the total snow depth is less than 0.5 m). Hold the thermometer in place for approximately two minutes. 3. Surface temperature should also be taken. Shade the thermometer with the shovel

24 Sense of Place Background information Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your Teacher. William Wordsworth 24 29

25 Snow Inquiry Snowflake Close-Ups Prior knowledge What experiences have you had in the snow? How have you seen snow change? Stellar Plate Stellar becoming a round Facet (depth hoar) Needle Rimed crystal Research questions What do you want to know about snow? Why is it important to study? 28 25

26 Draw Your Snowflake! Sense of Place To learn about a tree go to a tree. Matsuo Basho 26 27