SCIENCE BOX OVERVIEW
Kit #15
Name: “Desert Oasis: High Desert Alkaline Wetlands”
Grade Level: 3-4
Content Strand: Life Science
Content Standard and Description: Scientific Inquiry – Students observe and raise questions about the world, then seek answers through investigation. They record observations of investigations over time in a notebook or journal. Finally, they conduct fair tests and make observations.
Summary: Students through hands-on activities will learn all about the desert marsh, and the living things within it. Students will learn from a variety of material such as videos, games, and books to make their learning experience fun and diverse.
Learning Cycle Lesson Plans: Here is the list of the lesson plans in this kit.
1. “Food Web” – Students will learn the interdependence of all components of a Wetland.
2. “Micro-Odyssey” – Students will be able to identify various forms of microscopic life that live in water, and be able to describe the interrelatedness of various aquatic plants and animals.
3. “Alkalinity Test” – Students will have the understanding that the high desert wetlands fed by mountain runoff have a high alkalinity and ph balance.
4. “Bird Beak Buffet” – Students will understand that different types of birds can feed together in one habitat using different beaks adapted to feed efficiently on specific foods.
5. “Wetland Animal Casts” – Students will be able to identify animals in the habitat.
What to Expect: After using this science box teachers can expect their students to know the following: Third graders will be able to investigate and describe how plants and animals have life cycles and require food, water, air, and space. Also they will be bale to investigate, compare, and contrast identifiable characteristics of plants and animals. The fourth graders will be able to do all of that plus investigate and describe how plants and animals require certain conditions to survive.
Evaluations: Here is what other teachers have said about this box.