Carl Junction Professional Development Reflection

The first day of this Southwest Center workshop was a review of Scientific Method and exploration into the terminology and concepts of Ecology. Activities were presented that helped reinforce these concept, and that can be integrated into the classroom environment. This workshop will help enhance our content knowledge for during the Ecosystems Kit in 4th grade.

The presentation, handouts, and books (crayfish and insects) provided will help me be more effective in discussing Ecology with my students.

We learned that exotic animals that are not native to this area can outcompete my native species and harm the ecosystem. They said most of the exotic animals come from ones bought pets or schools or laboratories using them for research. The questions is what to do with them after you’re done with them or don’t want them anymore. The easiest thing to do is simply let it go. Introducing a foreign animal into an ecosystem can really throw it off balance. Instead, they suggested substituting native creatures for the exotic ones. For our animal studies kit, they suggested substituting crayfish for the hermit crabs and Leopard Frogs for the aggressive African Clawed Frogs. Putting a small terracotta pot on its side and breaking another one into large pieces will give the crayfish places to hide in the aquarium. Stream crayfish may need a small air pump, but pond crayfish may not. Crayfish will eat about anything living or dead, but meat will foul the water faster.

An M&M activity we saw showed natural selection. Place the M&Ms on colored construction paper and count the colors. Students turn their backs to the candies. On a signal, they turn around and pick up the first M&M they see. After eating a few M&Ms, count the colors again, and discuss why there are more of one color than others.

We also got a couple activities we could do right out in the school yard. Day 2 was even better.

James Sigler