Fall into Excellent Science!

(1)

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Colorado counties cooperating. CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products mentioned is intended nor is criticism implied of

Fall into Excellent Science!

INTRODUCTION

Colorado State University Extension is proud to introduce our new STEM newsletter for the teachers of Colorado. Our goal is to send you a

quarterly newsletter that contains the following information to help you fall in love with teaching science:

 Introduction: a brief discussion of the theme for the issue.

 Exceed This Standard: One lesson for each of the K-5th grades, that

allows your students to further explore a science standard

 Careers: A variety of articles and activities for your students to explore

“what they want to be when they grow up”

 Free Resources: When we find a free, excellent resource, we will

share the web address and provide a brief summary of the educational benefits for you and your students

Dr. Barbara J. Shaw is our primary author. She received her Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology/Paleontology from Portland State University with a focus on science education. Her 40 year career is in science education working with PreK through Ph.D. students and classroom teachers. Kaycee Manuppella is a former elementary teacher who advises Barb to present science in an easy to follow format for teachers.

Barb started with CSU Extension in 2010 as the Western Region STEM Specialist. During that time, she has worked closely with 4-H agents to meet the National 4-H STEM mandate through work with volunteers, youth, and educators in their communities.

The kits address not only a specific science standard with a career connection, but also additional standards, including RWC, Math,

Social Studies, Colorado Arts, and Health. The activities are fun and

meaningful. http://www.4hstemk12.colostate.edu/curriculum/stem-kits/. October 15, 2017 Vol. 1(1) Table of Contents: Article Page # Introduction 1

Exceed the Standard 2-13

Kindergarten 2 First Grade 4 Second Grade 6 Third Grade 8 Fourth Grade 10 Fifth Grade 12 Careers 14 Draw a Scientist Free Resources 15 Understanding Science

Each kit is designed to meet and exceed a specific science standard by addressing the underlying scientific concepts and utilizing experiential learning. Youth learn best by doing, and play is an

important component for exploring.

(2)

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

KINDERGARTEN

“Walk into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly…

Arthropods are all animals that have 1) an exoskeleton, 2) segmented body, and 3) jointed paired appendages. Arthropods include subgroups: a) insects, b) arachnids (spiders, scorpions, etc.), c) crustaceans

(lobsters, crabs, etc.), and d) myriapods (millipedes and centipedes).

All arthropods have the three traits listed above, but what separates each subgroup are unique traits only shared by those in that subgroup. We are going to focus on comparing arachnids (spiders) and insects (flies).

Do Ahead

 Make the mashed potatoes. You will have 3 containers of about the

same amount of potatoes, but each container will be a different color (red, yellow, and blue).

○ Add 4 cups tap hot water into 1 container, and add half of the red

food coloring. Add 4 cups mashed potatoes and mix.

○ Add 4 cups tap hot water into 1 container, and add half of the

yellow food coloring. Add 4 cups mashed potatoes and mix.

○ Add 4 cups tap hot water into 1 container, and add half of the blue

food coloring. Add 4 cups mashed potatoes and mix.

○ Open peas and beans with the can opener.

Directions

 Students work with a partner. One partner will build a spider, and the

other partner will build a fly. Distribute 1 plate and 1 plastic spoon to each child.

 Ask the students, how many body parts does a spider have (2)? How

many body parts does a fly have (3)? Scoop the mashed potatoes on their plates:

○ Spiders: cephalothorax is ½ small scoop red and ½ small scoop

yellow (the student mixes those together and shape into scoop), abdomen is 2 scoops of blue potatoes (student shapes into large scoop)

○ Insects: head is 1 scoop red, thorax is 1 scoop yellow, abdomen is

1 scoop blue.

 Go to each pair and ask how many eyes do spiders have (0-12, with 8

the most common)? How many do flies have (2 compound eyes and three simple, small eyes)?

Materials

 1 instant mashed

potatoes 26oz box (for ~20 students)

 Red, blue, yellow food

color

 1 can peas

 3 cans green beans  1 small head cabbage  3 containers (at least 10

cups)

 Spoon and can opener  1 small ice cream scoop  1 paper plate / student  1 plastic spoon / student

Kindergarten CO Science Standard 2: Life Science

1. Organisms can be described and sorted by their physical

characteristics

a. Sort a group of items based on observable characteristics b. Communicate and

justify an evidence-based scientific rationale for sorting organisms into categories NGSS: K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals

(including humans) need to survive. 4-H Life Skills  Learning to Learn  Sharing  Teamwork  Managing Feelings 4-H SET Abilities  Categorize/Order/ Classify  Compare/Contrast Cephalothorax  0-12 simple eyes

(most have 8 eyes)  2 pedipalps (function

as taste and smell organs)

 Chelicera mouth parts  8 legs

Abdomen

 spinneret (excreting silk for web-making)

Head (Cephalon)  2 compound eyes  3 tiny simple eyes  2 antennae  sponge-like mouth Thorax  6 legs  2 wings Abdomen

(3)

○ Spiders: 8, the most common number of eyes, and give the youth

8 peas.

○ Flies: 2 large compound eyes and 3 simple eyes, and give 3 peas,

two to represent the each compound eye, plus divide the 1 pea into 3 parts to represent the 3 small simple eyes.

 How many legs do spiders have? How many legs to insects have?

What body part are they attached to? Students split the beans lengthwise.

○ Spiders: have 8 legs attached to the cephalothorax, the smaller,

orange body part. Provide 4 green beans for the legs.

○ Insects: have 6 legs attached to the yellow thorax. Provide 3

green beans for the legs.

 How many wings do spiders have? How many wings do flies have?

○ Spiders: do not have wings.

○ Flies: (and bees) have 2 wings. Most insects have wings, and

most winged insects have 4 wings. Tear a leaf of cabbage for student to make two wings for the fly.

 How many spinnerets do spiders have? How many spinnerets do

flies have?

○ Spiders: have 1 spinneret located at the back end of the abdomen.

Give the student 1 green bean for the spinneret.

○ Flies: do not have spinnerets.

Talk It Over

 Review the different traits for the spider and the fly. Discuss that both the spider and the fly belong to the same group (Phylum), like an extended family, but they belong to different immediate families (Order). This is similar to each child’s cousins, aunts, and uncles compared to siblings and parents.

 In-Depth: Discuss how these traits help the spider and fly to stay alive.

○ What do they eat? How do they eat?

○ How do they catch their food?

○ Examine each body part and describe how that help the spider

and the fly survive.

○ Set up a chart and compare/contrast the spider and fly.

○ Optional, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y2xvKby2Sw

and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glg7UAYY96M.

Power Words

 abdomen: the last

section of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the

cephalothorax

 arachnid: an arthropod of

the class Arachnida, e.g. a spider or scorpion

 arthropod: the group of

animals that contain insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans

 cephalothorax: the

fused head and thorax of spiders, scorpions, etc.

 head: the front-most

segment of an arthropod bearing mouthparts and important sensory organs (i.e. eyes)

 thorax: the middle

section of the body of an insect, between the head and the abdomen, bearing the legs and wings

(4)

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

FIRST GRADE

“Walk into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly…

Every cell (except egg and sperm) contains two sets of genes: one set from the father and one set from the mother. This lesson is exploring dominant/recessive genes only. A gene that is dominant is expressed if it is inherited from either one or both parents. For example, cat fur has a dominant/recessive gene called the white masking gene (which

dominates over the other 6 genes that control color). If the cat inherits a dominant gene from either parent, the cat will be all white. In this lesson, we assume that both sets of the father’s genes are recessive, but the mother has one set dominant and the other set recessive.

Do Ahead

 Make the instant mashed potatoes:

○ Add green food coloring to 3 cups tap hot water to the first container.

Add 3 cups of potato flakes and mix thoroughly.

○ Add red food coloring to 3 cups tap hot water to the second container.

○ Add blue food coloring to 3 cups tap hot water to the third container.

○ Add yellow food coloring to 3 cups tap hot water to the fourth container. Add 3 cups of potato flakes and mix thoroughly.

 Open the vegetable cans. Cut the baby corn and asparagus in half

lengthwise.

 Store everything covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 Make an example of Mother (Parent One) and Father (Parent Two).

 Wash the pennies.

Directions

 Discussion: We are going to make baby rainbow spiders. Each of the

babies will inherit traits from their parents. What are the characteristics of arachnids (i.e. spiders and scorpions)? Review while

showing your students the parents you made from mashed potatoes (characteristics are underlined).

 Parent One (Mother) has a green cephalothorax, a blue

abdomen, pea eyes, green bean pedipalps and legs, and an asparagus spinneret.

 Parent Two (Father) has a red cephalothorax, yellow

abdomen, corn eyes, wax bean pedipalps and legs, and baby corn spinneret.

 Everyone, go wash your hands with soap and water.

 While students are washing, distribute 1 cent, 1 plate, and 1 plastic spoon to each student.

 Everyone always wants to know if they have a boy or a

girl. To make it simple, I want your baby spider to be the same as you. Now remember, if you are a boy, you still inherit traits from your mother. If you are a girl, you still inherit traits from your father. For instance, I have brown eyes from my mother, but the shape of my hands and fingers is from my father. I am still a female. (Use your

own traits to illustrate that we receive genetic inheritance from both Materials

 1 instant mashed potatoes

26oz box (for ~20 students)

 Red, blue, yellow, green

food color

 1 can peas  1 can corn

 2 cans green beans  2 cans golden wax beans  1 can baby corn, cobs cut

lengthwise

 1 can asparagus, cut

lengthwise

 4 containers (at least 10

cups)

 Spoon and can opener  1 small ice cream scoop  1 paper plate / student  1 plastic spoon / student  1 cent / student

First Grade

CO Science Standard 2: Life Science

1. Offspring have characteristics that are similar to but not exactly like their parents’ characteristics

a. Use evidence to analyze similarities and

differences between parents and offspring in a variety of organisms including both plants and animals

b. Analyze and interpret data regarding the similarities and difference between parents and offspring

c. Question peers about evidence used in developing ideas about similarities and differences between parents and offspring d. Interpret information

represented in pictures, illustrations, and simple charts

(5)

parents. You may need to remind your students each time they flip, especially if they get a trait from the parent not of their gender.)

 To make your baby spider, you will flip a coin. (Practice flipping.) If you flip heads, you will get the trait from Parent One. If you flip tails, you will get the trait from Parent Two. We will be building the rainbow spider babies one trait at a time.

 Our first flip will be for the rainbow spider’s cephalothorax. Flip your coins. Raise your hand if you flipped heads (use the ice cream scoop to

deliver the green mashed potatoes to each of those students. Rinse or wipe the ice cream scoop with a paper towel.) Raise your hand if you

had tails (use the ice cream scoop to deliver the red mashed potatoes

to each of those students. Rinse or wipe the ice cream scoop.)

 We are going to flip for the abdomen. Raise your hand if you have

heads. (Deliver a scoop of blue mashed potatoes to each of those

students. Wipe the ice cream scoop.) Raise your hands if you have

tails. (Deliver a scoop of yellow mashed potatoes to each of those

students. Wipe the ice cream scoop with a paper towel.)

 We are going to flip for the pedipalps. Divide the bean lengthwise like this for the two pedipalps. Raise your hand if you have heads. (Deliver

1 green bean to each of those students). Raise your hands if you have

tails. (Deliver 1 wax bean to each of those students.)

 We are going to flip for the legs. Raise your hand if you have heads. (Deliver 4 green beans to each of those students—they divide

lengthwise for 8 legs). Raise your hands if you have tails. (Deliver 4 wax beans to each of those students.)

 We are going to flip for the eyes. Raise your hand if you have heads.

(Deliver 8 peas to each of those students.) Raise your hands if you

have tails. (Deliver 8 corn kernels to each of those students.)

 We are going to flip for the spinneret. Raise your hand if you have heads. (Deliver 1 asparagus). Raise your hands if you have tails.

(Deliver baby corn to each of those students.)

 Allow your students time to create and decorate their rainbow spider; eyes, pedipalps, and legs are located in the cephalothorax, and the spinneret at the end of the abdomen.

 Let’s look at all the spiders. Do we have two that are identical? As long

as the students follow the randomness of their coin flips rather than wanting a specific color or food item, they will probably be all slightly different. Of course, you may have two that look identical. We don’t just

have 6 traits, but billions of them that make you unique!

Talk It Over

 How do we inherit traits from both our mother and our father? Do all

animals that have a father and a mother inherit traits from both parents?

 If you are a boy, did you inherit traits from you mother? If you are a girl,

did you inherit traits from your father?

 Do you think plants share traits from their parents?

account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents. 4-H Life Skills  Learning to Learn  Sharing  Teamwork  Managing Feelings 4-H SET Abilities  Categorize/Order/Classify  Compare/Contrast Power Words

 abdomen: the last section

of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the cephalothorax

 allele: different form of the

same gene (like cleft or not cleft chin)

animals that contain insects, spiders,

centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans

 cephalothorax: the fused

head and thorax of spiders, scorpions, etc.

 thorax: the middle section

of the body of an insect, between the head and the abdomen, bearing the legs and wings

 trait: a genetically inherited

characteristic, like a cleft chin (recessive allele from both parents)

Traits of Arachnids:

 2 body parts:

cephalothorax, abdomen

 Simple eyes in the head

(between 0-12, 8 most common)

 Pedipalps (sense organs

for tasting and smelling)

 8 legs that are located in

the cephalothorax

 1 spinneret at the end of

(6)

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

SECOND GRADE

“Walk into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly…

Four groups of animals can fly:

 Bats • Birds

 Pterosaurs • Insects

Most insects fly sometime during their life, but it varies. Fleas never have wings. Butterflies have wings when they are adults. Termites have 3 classes: soldiers, workers, and winged. Only the winged termites have wings (the 3 classes are the same species.) Most insects that have wings, will have 4 of them (2 pair). The exception to this are bees and flies. They only have 2 wings (1 pair). We are going to explore fly flight.

Do Ahead

 View the 3 videos. If you can acquire either 3D glasses or cyan and

red filters, the first video has a very cool 3D section at the end. The second video has pop-up ads while it is running. Get ready to close those as you view, but worth the extra effort for the content.

Directions

 Watch the following videos:

○ Rapid Escape Maneuvers in Flying Flies, Dickenson Lab, Washington University (2.19 min).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZJQFOw9JHU

○ Why is it so Hard to Swat a Fly, Science Channel (2.04 min.) May have an ad to view for 5 seconds before you click to the clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsEzKH4Tl9g

○ How the Fly Evades the Swatter, SciFri (4.29 min.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajmKA_Cs0vQ

 How did the fly wing move? (It made a figure 8, not just up and down.)

 Everyone stand up. We are going to “fly” to see if we can flap our arms

as fast as a fly can for 15 seconds. Remember to count the movement up and down as 1 flap. Let’s practice. Ready? Up—Down (in a figure 8) “1;” Up—Down (in a figure 8) “2;” Up—Down (in a figure 8) “3;” etc.

 Ready—Begin (time for 15 seconds). Stop.

 Record the answers on the board for each student. (See example.)

Materials

 Computer w/ internet

 Projector and screen

 Red filter (or 3D glasses)

 Cyan filter (or 3D glasses)

 White or chalk board

 Markers or chalk

 Clock with second hand Second Grade

2. Each plant or animal has different structures or behaviors that serve different functions a. Use evidence to

develop an explanation as to why a habitat is or is not suitable for a specific organism b. Analyze and interpret

data about structures or behaviors of a population that help that population survive NGSS: 2-LS4-1

Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. 4-H Life Skills  Problem Solving  Sharing  Teamwork  Self-esteem 4-H SET Abilities  Collaborate  Evaluate  Model/Graph/Use Numbers  Question Power Words  arachnid: an arthropod of

Bin 1 Bin 2 Bin 3 Bin 4 Bin 5 Bin 6

0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60

Mary 8 Bob 14 Joe 22 Jo 31 Lee 41 Stu 59

Mark 18 Steve 24 Zoe 35 Al 41 Io 60 Ann 27 Jon 37 Ki 42

Tom 27 Don 37 Ty 42 Sally 29 Ron 38 Amy 44

Ed 38 Di 46 Mo 38 Mica 49 Bo 39

(7)

 arthropod: an

invertebrate animal of the large phylum Arthropoda, such as an insect, spider, or crustacean

 compound eye: an eye consisting of an array of numerous small visual units, as found in insects and crustaceans

 facet:: any of the individual units (ommatidia) that make up the compound eye of an insect or crustacean  flight: the action or

process of flying through the air.

 insect: a small arthropod animal that has six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings

 ommatidia: each of the optical units that make up a compound eye, as of an insect

JOKE!

How do you keep flies out of the kitchen?

Put a pile of manure in the living room! YUCK!

 Graph Results as a Histogram.

○ The X axis of this graph is the number of flaps. ○ The Y axis of this graph is the number of students.

○ Each student’s number of flaps is placed in a bin. For the example, I divided the bin by increments of 10. If Mary flapped 8 times, she would be in the first bin, the people who flapped between 0 and 10 times. If 2 students flapped their arms 14 and 18 times, or between 11 and 20 times, they would be in bin 2. In our example, 5 people flapped between 21 and 30 times. Once you have placed each student’s number of flaps in the correct bin, then you record by marking one square for each person. In the above example, there were 26 students.

Talk It Over

 Wow! Some of you can really flap your

arms fast! Guess how fast a blowfly can flap its wings? (200 times per second, or 3,000 times in 15 seconds!

 There are over 1200 species of blowflies

worldwide, but only about 80 species in the United States. Blowflies are found

everywhere, even Antarctica! What makes it possible for them to live in Colorado, Antarctica, tropical forests of Costa Rica?

 Not only does time seem to slow down for

the fly (2nd video), but it has compound eyes, and over 4,000 facets per eye! Let’s discuss how a fly’s vision can help it survive.

 Each female can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her

lifetime. In warm, humid areas, one female can produce 2 million grandchildren! How does this help flies survive?

(8)

Materials

 1 red small skein yarn / each team of 3

 1 blue small skein yarn / each team of 3

 1 pair scissors for each team

 2 chairs/team Third Grade:

1. The duration and timing of life cycle events such as reproduction and longevity vary across organisms and species a. Use evidence to

develop a scientific explanation regarding the stages of how organisms develop and change over time b. Analyze and interpret

data to generate evidence that different organisms develop differently over time c. Use a variety of media

to collect and analyze data regarding how organisms develop NGSS: 3-LS1-2 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have a common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. NGSS: 3-LS3-2

Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

4-H Life Skills

 Planning/Organizing  Cooperation

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

THIRD GRADE

“

Walk into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly…

Spiders are everywhere in the fall. Webs abound. Why is this season that spiders are so apparent? House spider life cycles are different than the seasons outside, because they have moved in with us! Research shows that spiders that inhabit our homes can be an egg, live, reproduce and die any time of the year, and their lifespan is about 4 months.

Female spiders that live outside have about a 12 month life cycle. The eggs are laid in the fall, and they hatch in the spring. They grow

throughout the summer, and late summer, early fall, females make those gorgeous webs waiting for a male spider to find them. They make egg sacs and leave them in a safe place before winter, and then they die. We are only more aware of spiders in the fall, because they are getting ready to reproduce.

Directions

 Watch the Ask Smithsonian: How do Spiders Make Their Webs? Video

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-how-do-spiders-make-webs-180957426/

 Divide your class into groups of three. Distribute 2 small skeins of yarn (red and blue) and 1 pair of scissors to each group. Use 2 chairs with their backs facing each other, about 3 feet apart. Students will take turns.

 Ask, “What is the first thing the spider did to build her web?” (Bridge thread) One student acts as the spider, and he/she releases the red yarn to the wind. Another student is the wind and carries it to the other chair. The third student ties it the yarn to both chairs.

 After the bridge thread is secure, what is the next step? Build the main structure of the web. (We are going to make a triangular web.) After the triangle is made, tie string from each corner to the middle of the opposite

(9)

 What is the next step in web building? (Spirals) The teams tie the spiral yarn to the main structure whenever they cross one of the lines.

 Use your blue yarn. This new color represents the sticky silk of an orb’s spider web.

 To finish the web, the spiders makes about 5 or 6 tight spirals at the center of its web. This web is not sticky, so use the red yarn to complete your web.

 Tie a long line to the center of the web (representing the spider in the center waiting for a meal) pull it so that it is tight (taut), and close your eyes. The other partners (the flies) gently touch the web. The

“spider” student will tell the fly partners when they can feel the insect. Rotate until each student has a turn being the spider.

Talk It Over

 Why do spiders have

sticky and non-sticky silk? (So they don’t get stuck.)

 Do all spiders make webs?

(All spiders produce silk, but only about half of the ~35,000 species of spiders build webs. The other spiders use silk for egg sacs, drag lines, or to line their nests.)

 How strong is spider silk? (It is stronger than steel, but also flexible. We can break it only because it is so fine.)

 If humans could replicate spider silk, what could we make from it?

 Contributions to Group Effort  Self-discipline 4-H SET Abilities  Build/Construct  Collaborate Power Words

 adult: organism that has

reached sexual maturity

 arachnid: an arthropod

of the class Arachnida, e.g. a spider or scorpion

 cobweb: a tangled

three-dimensional spider's web

 egg: organic vessel

where an embryo develops

 life cycle: the series of

changes in the life of an organism, including reproduction

 spiderling: a baby

spider, usually newly emerged from the egg sac

 web: the network of

silken thread spun by some spiders and used as a resting place and as a trap for small prey Spider Facts

 Spider silk is a liquid until

it leaves the spinnerets!

 Light, temperature, and

humidity can affect the strength of the web.

 Spider silk is used for

more than making webs. Spiders also use their silk to make egg sacs, drag lines, and protective shelters.

 Spiderlings let a line out

(10)

Materials

 Copies of this page and the next page (in color if possible)

 Red and blue markers or colored pencils

Fourth Grade

2 Comparing fossils to each other or to living organisms reveals features of

prehistoric environments and provides information about organisms today a. Use evidence to develop

a scientific explanation for:

1. What fossils tell us about a prehistoric environment

 What conclusions can be drawn from similarities between fossil evidence and living organisms b. Analyze and interpret

data to generate evidence about the prehistoric environment c. Evaluate whether

reasoning and

conclusions about given fossils are supported by evidence

d. Use computer simulations that model and recreate past environments for study and entertainment NGSS: 4-LS1-1

Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 4-H Life Skills

 Critical Thinking  Communication  Self-Motivation  Self-Discipline

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

FOURTH GRADE

“Walk into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly…

The Earth was very different during the

Devonian Period, 419—359 million years ago. At the beginning, moss and algae were the only photosynthesizing organisms on the land. Eventually, plants began to form more complex structures. No flowers yet! Animals first walked on land during the Devonian.

Can you imaging arthropods, like insects, walking through a carpet of moss? The oldest known scorpion is from 350 million years ago (MYA)! The oldest known spider is 380, and the oldest known insect is 408 MYA!

Directions

In this activity, you are the paleontologist. You will examine the fossils on the next page to find the fossil’s characteristics. Paleontologists do this to determine what species the fossil is. You will need red and blue markers or colored pencils.

 Compare the characteristics in the red Insect and blue Arachnid boxes to each fossil on the next page.

○ If the fossil has an insect characteristic, color that characteristic RED. ○ If the fossil has an arachnid characteristic, color it BLUE. The

scorpion is an arachnid, and it’s characteristics are colored BLUE.

Insect Characteristics  2 Antenna  3 body segments ○ Head ○ Thorax ○ Abdomen

 3 pairs of legs (6 legs)

attached to thorax  Wings Arachnid Characteristics  2 Pedipalps  2 body segments ○ Cephalothorax ○ Abdomen

 4 pairs of legs (8 legs)

attached to the cephalothorax

 Spinneret or stinger

Scorpion

(11)

Talk It Over

Compare these fossils to the scorpion fossil on the other page. You have, to your best ability, determined which characteristics each of the fossils share with insects (colored in red) and which share characteristics with arachnids (colored in blue).

 The fossil that is red (or mostly red) is an insect.  The fossil that is blue (or mostly blue) is an arachnid.

 Which fossils are most closely related to the scorpion? Why?

 Was it hard to determine some of these fossils? Why?

Some fossils are only fragments. If paleontologists find a distinctive characteristic, then they can better identify the fossil. Sometimes, they remain unknown, or we can identify them as an insect, but not what kind of insect. We know some species only by fragments of their fossils. Conodonts were only known for teeth. They lived from about 550 until 200 million years ago. We had no idea what the animal looked like. In 1980, we finally found an impression of the animal with those teeth. It looks similar to an eel. So far, we have only found 11 imprints of conodonts. Weird but true!

4-H SET Abilities  Categorize/Order/Classify  Communicate/Demonstrate  Compare/Contrast  Evaluate Power Words

 abdomen: the last section

of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the cephalothorax

animals that contain insects, spiders,

centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans

 cephalothorax: the fused

head and thorax of spiders, scorpions, etc.

 head: the front-most

segment of an arthropod bearing mouthparts and important sensory organs (i.e. eyes)

 insect: an arthropod of the

class Insecta, such as a fly or beetle

 pedipalp: pair of

appendages attached to the cephalothorax of most arachnids

 spinneret: organs through

which the silk, gossamer, or thread of spiders, silkworms, and certain other insects is produced

 thorax: the middle section

(12)

EXCEED THE STANDARD:

FIFTH GRADE

“Crunchy leaves, Red and brown, Autumn colors, In my town.”

Most leaves are green because plants photosynthesize, or turn water and carbon dioxide gas in the air into sugars (which is basically all they need to make more plant matter) using

sunlight to power this process. Chloroplasts are the organelles that provide the photosynthesis pathways. The autumn colors are also present in the leaf, but green overpowers the other colors.

Visible sunlight comes in wavelengths of Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo and Violet (ROY G BIV). The

chloroplast absorbs some of the wavelengths of light, but not greens. That means the leaves are green.

During the autumn, we have shorter and shorter days. The chloroplasts break down. The back-up system for

photosynthesis is still working, and they reflect red, orange, and yellow (same color as the

changing leaves).

“Why do leaves change color in the fall before they drop off the tree?” Collect answers, and then tell your class that you are going to do an experiment to figure out how that happens. We are going to use green

spinach as the control, and autumn leaves as our experiment.

Directions

 Divide your class into partners. One partner will extract the

chloroplasts from spinach leaves and the other partner will extract the chloroplasts from autumn leaves changing color.

 Distribute the jar, rubber band, small piece of plastic wrap (big enough

to cover top of jar), Styrofoam bowl, and spoon to each person. Give 1 partner in each pair about 10-15 spinach leaves, and the other partner Materials

 Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

90-99%

 Spinach fresh

 Fresh leaves fallen from a single tree (with vibrant colors)

 Canning jars pint (1 per student)  Sharpie  Styrofoam bowls  Hot water  Plastic wrap  Rubber bands  Metal spoons

 Coffee filters (use white)

 Scissors

 Sunny window Fifth Grade

1. All organisms have structures and systems with separate functions a. Develop and

communicate an evidence-based scientific explanation of the role of different organs or structures that are important for an organism’s

survival—in both plants and animals

b. Analyze and interpret data to generate evidence that all organisms have sturctures that are required survival in both plants and animals

(13)

NGSS: 5-LS1-1 Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water. 4-H Life Skills  Critical Thinking  Social Skills  Self-Motivation  Self-Discipline 4-H SET Abilities  Collect Data  Communicate / Demonstrate  Hypothesize Power Words

 capillary action: the

tendency of a liquid to rise or fall as a result of surface tension

 chlorophyll: a green

pigment, present in all green plants responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis

 chloroplast: (in green

plant cells) a small organelle that contains chlorophyll and in which photosynthesis takes place

 paper chromatography:

a chemistry technique used to separate colored chemicals or substances

 photosynthesis:

process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water

 wick: absorb or draw

liquid by capillary action

Image Citations:

Summer and Autumn aspen trees: Retta Bruegger, CSU Extension, Western Regional Grasslands Specialist

about the same amount of autumn leaves.

 Direct the students to tear their leaves into little, tiny

bits; the smaller the bits, the better. While the students are tearing their leaves, go to each student and have them write their name with the sharpie on the jar towards the top.

 When they have completed tearing the leaves, they

put them into their jars (each autumn leaf person puts his/her autumn leaves in their jar and each spinach person puts his/her spinach leaves in their jar). Add just enough isopropyl alcohol to cover the leaves.

 With the spoons, students mash their leaves into a

pulp. The isopropyl alcohol should be turning color.

 Each student covers his/her jar with plastic wrap and

secures it with a rubber band. Place the jar into a Styrofoam bowl. Set jars and bowls in the window.

 You fill everyone’s bowl about 3/4 full with hot water with the jar sitting

in that warm water bath, so the leaves will steep inside the jar.

 Wait—at least 1 hour.

 Everyone collects their jar and removes the plastic wrap.

 Each student cuts their coffee filter so that it is long enough to sit in the

isopropyl alcohol, comes over the lip of the jar, and is held in place by the rubber band.

 Wait until the fastest pigment is close to the top of the filter.

 Remove the coffee filters and examine them.

Talk It Over

 What happened?

 What is similar and what is different between the spinach and autumn

leaves?

 What do you think happened to the green in the autumn leaves?

 Were the other colors always present in the spinach leaf?

 If you had green in your autumn leaf, did it have similar greens as the

(14)

Colorado Academic Standards for the Career Connections Materials

 Paper

 Markers and/or color pencils

Standards While no standard specifically addresses careers in STEM fields, the purpose of educating our youth is to prepare them for productive, self-sufficient, and fulfilling careers.

CO Academic Standards (check your grade level to see which standards are met with this lesson) Visual Arts Standards Social Studies Science NGSS 4-H Life Skills  Critical Thinking  Communication  Marketable Skills  Self-esteem 4-H SET Abilities  Communicate / Demonstrate  Draw / Design

CAREERS:

Draw a Scientist

It’s important for youth to see the possibility of a STEM career in their fu-ture. You can help them identify such careers, role models and pathways to get there. This activity can help students visualize themselves doing science when they grow up.

Directions

 Conduct this activity several times through the year.

 Distribute paper and markers/color pencils.

 Ask your students to draw a scientist. Give them ~15 minutes.

 Mark down the time. “Five minutes left.” “One minute left.” “Ten, nine…”

 Have the students share their drawings. Do not comment if most of the drawings are the stereotype “mad scientist.”

 During the course of the year, begin to connect your Experiential Learn-ing Science Lessons to careers in science. “This was fun! Did you know that when you grow up, you can become an entomologist

(someone who studies insects) or biologist (someone who studies life) or another career related to the science you are presenting? It is im-portant that you refer to the careers when you are doing science, and not just reading about it. Show them pictures of scientists doing their science (i.e. veterinarians working on their patients, paleontologists col-lecting data, or wind farm workers on the job),

 Repeat this activity in a couple of months, after you have referred to the students in these careers, and compare the drawings. Are they draw-ing the stereotypic scientist (white, male, in a lab coat with glasses or googles, and a lab object (like a beaker or test tube)? Are students beginning to see themselves in these careers? Are the drawing be-coming more like how scientists look when they do their work? Talk It Over

 What do you want to be when you grow up?  What are the things you do really well?

 What are the things you like to do after school?  What are your favorite subjects in school?

From left to right: Dr. Renee Rumrill, Veterinarian, Alta Vista Animal Clinic, Montrose, CO

(15)

FREE RESOURCES

Understanding Science

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Understanding Science

http://undsci.berkeley.edu/

This website is phenomenal for

information about what is science, how to teach science, and also has lesson plans for teachers! It has the best interactive representation of scientific processes (a.k.a. scientific method). The home page leads you to a primer on science, a section for teachers, and a section as a resource library with articles on science.

You can see from the screenshot to the right, the website has information about how to best present science to youth at different levels of

development, tips for you, and lessons to present to your class. With a simple click, you can view a list of a dozen tested lessons! The website has clear instructions how you can incorporate science in all your lessons. The screen shot at the bottom of the page is how to search for lessons quickly (for example, 3rd grade, and only those lessons will populate the

search screen. This is a great site. Check it out!

Understanding Science. 2017. University of California Museum of Paleontology. 2 October 2017 <http:// www.understandingscience.org>

Authors

Dr. Barbara J. Shaw, Colorado State University Extension Western Region STEM Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Kaycee Manuppella, Colorado State University Extension,4-H STEM Agent, Garfield County Retta Bruegger, Colorado State University Extension, Western Region, Rangeland Specialist

Acknowledgments

Funding for this project provided by Colorado State University System Venture Capital Fund CJ Mucklow, Colorado State University Extension Western Regional Director and Kellie Clark, Colorado State University Extension Western Region Program Assistant, Annette Haas, Colorado State University Extension Specialist, State 4-H Youth Development, STEM and K-12 Dr. Joe Cannon and Marketing

Strategies students: Berlyn Anderson, Jenna Balsley, Rachel Kassirer, Rachel Richman, Colorado State University, College of Business, for marketing strategies and kit graphics.

(16)

16

$20 off Discount Voucher

For Educator Newsletter Readers

Take $20 off when you purchase 2 or more Kits if ordered on or before December 15, 2017.

Use Code ENL17b on your order form.

Discount does not apply to shipping charges. Only 1 coupon per order

Colorado State University Extension is part of the Land Grant University System. In Colorado, we strive to empower all Coloradans with dynamic, trusted University resources driven by important and emerging community issues. Our 4-H extension agents want to partner with you!

Please call your county extension office to find how we can partner with you!

Supplemental Information

Science

Teaching Tip!

You don’t have to know everything! You and your students can work together to find the answers! Hooray! One way to keep track of the questions your students ask is to make a “Question Quilt.” Students write down a question on a post-it note or piece of paper and attach it to the Question Quilt. When someone finds the answer, he/she adds the information to the question.

A Questions Quilt can be elaborate or