1v1.odel ~nquiries into tJfature for -reaching Science The 1v1.~tJf-rS Book An Inquiry Field Guide to the Natural History ofSchoolyards, Backyards, and Parks By Frank Taylor, Alan Raflo, and Llyn Sharp Illustrated by Jasper Burns Developed by the MfJ'lfrrs project team of Susan Eriksson, Suzie Leslie, Alan Raflo, Llyn Sharp, and Frank Taylor with funding provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Virginia Tech Science Outreach Program Blacksburg, Virginia © 1997, 2006, 2009 Model Inquiries into Nature for Teaching Science-The MINTS Book by Frank Taylor, Alan Raflo, and Llyn Sharp Illustrated by Jasper Burns Design and layout by Mary Holliman of Pocahontas Press, Blacksburg, VA reprint ©2006 Virginia Tech Science Outreach Program, Blacksburg, VA 24061. http://www.outreach.geos.vt.edu. 540-231-4080. ©1997 Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History, Blacksburg, VA a branch ofthe Virginia Museum ofNatural History, Martinsville web accessible version ©2009 made possible with the assistance of the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education. Portions of this book (such as data sheets, inquiries, etc.) may be reproduced for use in school classes or for other non-profit educational purposes. Reproduction of any portion of this book by any means for any other purpose is prohibited without written permission. Contents Acknowledgments VII Introduction ix Origin of The MINTS Book ix Using This Book x Chapter 1. Planning a Schoolyard Inquiry Lesson 1 The Characteristics of an Inquiry Lesson ' 2 Before You Start Planning, Think About Safety , 3 Safety for the Environment: Guidelines for Collecting Plants and Animals ' 4 Steps in Planning a Schoolyard Inquiry Lesson 5 Additional Tips'for Schoolyard Inquiry Lessons 9 Field Trip Lesson Sheet 11 Teacher-designed Lesson Plan 1: Queen Anne's Lace 12 Teacher-designed Lesson Plan 2: Goldenrod 13 Chapter 2. The Parking Lot 15 Introduction 15 Habitat Features and Natural History ~ 16' Chapter 3. The Lawn 23 Introduction "~-.-.-'- 24 Grasses 29 Clovers 32 Dandelion 37 Hawkweeds 42 Plantains. 45 Common Chickweed ........................... .. .. ' 47 Common Cinquefoil ~ 49 Wild Strawberry. 51 Buttercups. 53 Common Blue Violet. " 55 Speedwells. 57 Ground Ivy. 59 Puffballs .. 61 Short-horned Grasshoppers. 64 Leafhoppers. 67 Grass Spiders. 68 Earthworms. 69 American Robin. 71 iii THE MINTS BOOK Chapter 4. Fencerows and Other Overgrown Areas 75 Introduction 76 Vines 78 Poison Ivy 79 Greenbriers 81 Virginia Creeper or Woodbine 81 Wild Grapes 82 Japanese Honeysuckle 83 Kudzu c/••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••83 European Bittersweet 84 American Bittersweet , 85 Bindweeds 85 Queen Anne's Lace 89 Common Burdock 92 Thistles 96 Chicory 99 yarrow 101 Goldenrods 103 Spittlebugs 110 Tortoise Beetles 113 Meadow Vole 116 Eastern Redcedar 118 Black Cherry 122 Black Locust 129 Discovering Insects. 134 Collecting Insects. 138 Chapter 5. Roofs, Walls, and Eaves 141 Introduction. 142 Common Mallow, or Cheeses. 147 Yellow Wood Sorrel, or Sour Grass 149 Terrestrial Isopods 151 Harvestmen 154 Spiders. 156 Schoolyard Wasps. 158 Solitary Wasps: Mud Dauber Wasps 160 Social Wasps 162 Centipedes and Millipedes. 168 House Mouse 171 House Sparrow or English Sparrow 174 IV Chapter 6. Trees 177 Introduction. 178 Trees and Their Surroundings 180 Tree Parts 188 White Pine 202 How to Determine Tree Height.. 207 Ways to Record Leaf Features for Further Study. 214 Chapter 7. Sample Inquiry Lesson Plans and Data Sheets 217 Sample Lesson No.1: Parking Lot Habitat Features 218 Sample Lesson No.2: Plant Variety in the Lawn 221 Sample Lesson No.3: Recognizing Poison Ivy and Where It Grows ..224 Sample Lesson No.4: Paper Wasp Nests in Winter 227 Sample Lesson No.5: Trees, Temperature, and Evaporation 230 Sample Data Sheets 230 Chapter 8. The MINTS Book and the Virginia Science Standards of Learning 245 The MINTS Book and the Overall Goals of the Science Standards 245 The MINTS Book and Standards for Individual Grades and Subjects 246 Chapter 9. Additional Materials for Teachers 253 Seasonal Guide for Topics in The MINTS Book 261 What's a Family, What's a Genus?- The Basics of Classifying Living Things 263 References 265 Glossary 267 Index 275 Index to Illustrations 279 v THE MINTS BOOK vi Acknowledgments This book was written as part of the Exline, Martha Facemire, Richard Fell, MINTS project at the Virginia Museum of Peter Feret, Carol Fox, Judy Gillan, Natural History at Virginia Tech. The George Glasson, Ellen Harkrader, Albert MINTS project was funded by a grant from Hendricks, Charles Jervis, Donna Jones, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Clyde Kessler, Michael Kosztarab, Precollege Science Education Initiative for Rosary Lalik, Sue Magliaro, Melissa Science Museums. The Museum's project­ Matusevich, Orson Miller, Butch Morris, management team consisted of Susan Cathy Ney, Bobbie Niederlehner, Rose Eriksson, Museum director and MINTS Norris-McClellan, Brent Opell, Sarah principal investigator; Llyn Sharp, Museum Palmer, Carol Shields, George Simmons, collections curator and education coordina­ Barbara Sinha, David Stetler, Tom Teates, tor, and MINTS project manager during Jerry Via, Herb Vitale, Reese Voshell, 1992-93; Frank Taylor, MINTS coordinator, Randall Ward, Jack Webster, Qavid West, 1992-94; Suzie Leslie, MINTS coordinator, and Tom Wieboldt. 1994-95; and Alan Raflo, MINTS coordina­ • The K-12 teachers and other educators tor, starting in August 1995. who participated in MINTS workshops. Their comments and evaluations were The authors recognize and thank the instrumental in developing this book. following people: • Suzie Leslie, whose work aided the development of the Sample Lessons • The members of the Museum's Education chapter and who made other important Advisory Committee. In 1991, these K­ contributions to this book, the develop­ 12 te~chers, university faculty, and ment of MINTS workshops, and the community educators generated and overall project. helped develop the original ideas for the • Neal Bastek, who wrote the chapter on project: Additional Materials, the Glossary, and Barbara Bell, Heidi Bernard, Dean Crane, other sections, and who helped make Katherine Emory, Susan Eriksson, Ann many of the editorial decisions during Fraser, George Glasson, Charles Jervis, final revisions. Ralph Lutts, Susan Miller, Cathy Ney, • Sarah Sapon-White, whose work on a David Radin, Barbara Sinha, Reese bibliography of hands-on science refer­ Voshell, Tracy Crist Walsh, and Randall ences contributed to the development of Ward. the chapter on Additional Materials. • The "MINTS Science Education Net­ • Nancy Mason Mignone, who wrote the work": scientists and education special­ section on the basics of classifying, ists at Virginia Tech, K-12 teachers and reviewed several other sections, and curriculum specialists, and science managed the scientific review process educators at various other institutions. during 1995. All of the following people provided • Matthew Barnes~ for his drawings that advice, information, and review at contributed significantly to the value of various times during the development the first draft. of the book: • Kelly Anderson, who developed the index Curt Adkisson, Fred Benfield, John for the first draft, and Amy Reynolds, Cairns, Dave Chalmers, Mike Cox, Dean who helped revise the index for the final Crane, Jack Cranford, Kitty Earles, Joe version. Vll THE MINTS BOOK • The scientists who reviewed the first • Eileen Merritt, for her review of the final draft for scientific accuracy: draft. Curt Adkisson, Richard Fell, Carola Haas, • Creed Taylor, for his work on the cover Orson Miller, Duncan Porter, and Mou design. Pu, all at Virginia Tech; and Richard • Rick Boland, for his review of the book Hoffman, at the Virginia Museum of and his early guidance on publication Natural History in Martinsville. matters. • Charles Jervis, who made many helpful • The Virginia Museum of Natural History comments on the first draft. at Martinsville, for financial support for • Eric Day, Michael Kosztarab, and Tom the design and layout of the book. Wieboldt, who answered numerous • Gavin Faulkner of Rowan Mountain, Inc., questions about insects and plants for assistance with design and printing. during final revisions of the book. • The teachers who field-tested sections of Last, but not least, the authors thank the book: Susan Eriksson, whose vision, direction, and Rosary Beck, Pat Caldwell, Susan Frye, efforts were essential to the development Patricia Hale, Valerie Monroe, and Cathy and completion of this book. Ney. Although the book was reviewed for • The educators who reviewed the chapter accuracy by many science experts, the on applications to the Virginia Science authors take responsibility for any factual Standards of Learning': errors in the final version. Pam Clements, Gail Coufal, Ruth Craig, F.T., A.R., and L.S. Beth Evans, Beverly Partlow, Karen October 1996 Zimmer, and Sonya Wolen. viii Introduction "There is not a weed or an insect or a tree so common that the child, by observing carefully, may not see things never yet recorded in scientific books.... " Anna Botsford Comstock, Handbook ofNature Study, 1911 (page 11). "Students seem to learn better when it relates directly to their everyday lives and the things around them." A 6th-grade teacher and MINTS­ workshop participant, 1994. Origin of The MINTS Book Model Inquiries into Nature for Teaching Precollege Science Education Initiative for Scien~e - The MINTS Book is a product of Science Museums. The Museum proposed the MINTS project, developed by the Vir­ to develop an inquiry-based guide to ginia Tech Museum of Natural History with schoolyard natural history, and to provide support from the Howard Hughes Medical workshops on using the guide and inquiry Institute. Along with this book, the MINTS methods generally. The Museum subse­ project includes workshops and other quently received a five-year, $175,000 grant activities to help teachers use inquiry meth­ for the project, and a biology educator was ods and their schoolyards to lead effective hired to develop the guide and related science lessons. This book helps meet that workshops. The MINTS Book is a primary goal in two ways: by showing that a result of that five-year effort.