Science Museum Field Trip

Science Museum Field Trip Friday, March 10th, 2017

1 Table of Contents

Page #:

Museum Visitor Rules 3

Field Trip Schedule 4 – 5

Study Question Tour Assignment:

Nature Exploration Center-First Floor 6 -- 7

Nature Exploration Center-Second Floor 8 -- 13

Nature Exploration Center-Third Floor 14 -- 16

Nature Research Center-First Floor 17 -- 19

Nature Research Center-Second Floor 20 -- 23

Nature Research Center-Third Floor 24 -- 26

Write Your OWN questions/answers 27 -- 28

Mapping Species Lab-Vocabulary Terms 29 -- 31

DNA Electrophoresis Lab –Vocabulary Terms 32 -- 34

Nature Research Center-MAPS by floor 35 -- 37

Nature Exploration Center- MAPS by floor 38 -- 41

Museum Experience Reflection Writing Assignment 42

2 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences:

Museum Visitor Rules

To ensure that your visit to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a pleasant and rewarding experience, please follow the rules outlined below:

1. Groups arriving at the Museum should form a line outside the appropriate building. The group leader must register in the Museum lobby of the appropriate building prior to the group’s entry to the Museum. 2. Groups should not gather in front of elevators, escalators or doors. 3. Leaders and chaperones are responsible for the conduct of their groups. Students must be under direct adult supervision at all times while in the buildings, including the Museum Stores, escalators, elevators, and stairs. 4. Please use the escalators in the Nature Exploration Center, and the main staircase in the Nature Research Center. Elevators are available for persons with disabilities. Stairs in the Nature Exploration Center are for emergency use only. 5. Touch exhibits only where permitted. Never tap on exhibits where live animals are kept. 6. Students must use “inside voices”. Encourage everyone in your group to listen for the many natural sounds in the exhibits (whale songs, bird calls, frog choruses, etc.). 7. No food, gum or drink is permitted in the exhibit halls.

3 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Nature Research Center.

Middle School Field Trip Friday, March 10th, 2017. Schedule.

Time: Location: Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 9:00 Sterling- Teachers and Chaperones will review Rules for a.m. depart museum visits with their groups. ALL drivers should and drive be on the approved driver list and keep a list of the to students in their group. museum 9:45 Front Orientation—in front of Nature Research Center. a.m. entrance Chaperones and teachers will receive their “leader” of Nature stickers. Chaperones should stay with their assigned Research groups. ALL snacks will be turned in to be placed in Center lockers. NO Food or drinks are allowed in the museum. 10:00 Nature DNA Museum Mapping Museum a.m.- Research Electrophore and Nature Species— and Nature 11:30 Center + sis—Micro Research Visual Research a.m. Museum World Lab, Center World Lab, Center 3rd Floor, tour- 3rd Floor, tour- Nature Students Nature Students Research work on Research work on Center assignment Center assignment s s 11:45 Nature Museum DNA Museum Mapping a.m.- Research and Nature Electrophor and Nature Species— 1:15 Center + Research esis— Research Visual p.m. Museum Center tour- Micro Center World Lab, Students World Lab, tour- 3rd Floor, work on 3rd Floor, Students Nature assignments Nature work on Research Research assignment Center Center s. 2:30 Arrive NOTE: Groups planning on going to a drive through p.m. back at to pick up lunch MUST be back by NO LATER than Sterling 2:30 p.m. at Sterling. Groups should plan to eat AT NO later STERLING and NOT on site at a restaurant. than 2:30 p.m.

 Students will have a REQUIRED assignment to complete during their museum tour time. Chaperones should stay with their groups during this time. 4  Food and Drinks are NOT allowed inside the museum. Necessary snacks should be checked in with lead teacher to be put into snack room in Nature Research Center. Students may have access to snacks ONLY at limited times and must eat these outside of the museum.  All groups will depart museum at 1:15 p.m. to go back to Sterling for lunch. Groups that are planning on going to a drive through for lunch en route should communicate their plans to a lead teacher before leaving the museum. ALL groups should be back at Sterling NO LATER than 2:30 p.m.

5 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Study Questions Assignment. You may work with a partner to answer the questions below. The number of required questions is dependent on your PHASE: (Phase 1 = 20 questions, Phase 2 = 25 questions, Phase 3 = 30 questions). There are 69 total questions to choose from below, organized by floor, or you can choose to answer up to THREE of your own questions.

Nature Exploration Center-First Floor. Find the Coastal North Carolina gallery. Find the three murals about barrier islands (in front of the windows). Barrier islands are characteristic of the east coast of the United States.

1. How far do the barrier islands stretch?

2. Which conditions must be met for the formation of barrier islands?

3. Explain how longshore currents can change the shape of the barrier islands. (Hint: Watch the movie!) 6 Go to the display marked “Sound.” Find the panel showing the food web. 4. What basic organisms exist at the bottom of the food web?

5. What would happen if these basic organisms suddenly disappeared?

7 Nature Exploration Center--Second Floor. Go to the Underground exhibit. Find the panel labeled “Groundwater: A Buried Treasure.” The ground beneath us functions as a huge reservoir of fresh water. 6. What different sources of fresh water do the Coastal Plain, Piedmont and mountain regions use?

7. What happens if too much water is drawn from a groundwater well?

8. How would you drill a safe well downstream from a pollution source?

8 9. Does this mean that we shouldn’t worry about polluting groundwater? Explain.

Find the area about soils. Soil is made up of solids and spaces. 10. Name the four constituents of soil.

Look at the soil profiles of four North Carolina areas. 11. Which of these soil profiles would you expect to find in this county? (Wake County?) Why? Explain.

12. How would you explain the color of this soil profile?

9 Now look at the bottomland forest soil profile. 13. How would you explain the black part of this soil profile?

Continue in the Underground Exhibit and find the “Assembling North Carolina” exhibit. Find the panel labeled “First Collision”: 14. Observe both specimens of Gneiss—Toxaway Gneiss and Cranberry Gneiss. Which may have been subjected to more: a. heat?

b. pressure?

Explain your answer based on the information on the panel:

Find the panel labeled “First Rifting”: 15. What controversy exists about North Carolina suspect terranes? Explain.

10 Find the panel labeled “Carolina Terrane”: 16. What gives Morrow Mountain Rhyolite a different texture from Salisbury Granite?

Find the panel labeled “Later Collisions and Rise of Mountains”: 17. What feature of Gaston County rocks are evidence of thrust faults?

Find the panel labeled “Second Rifting”: 18. Locate Ocean drilled samples A and B to the right of the display. Explain why there is more variation in the chert layers than in the pillow basalt layers. Use the information on the panel in your answer. (Hint: Consider how they were formed.)

11 Find the panel labeled “Building the Coastal Plain”: 19. What evidence of microcline (pink feldspar) is present in the three rock samples shown? a. Cape Fear Shale

b. Sims Granite

c. Fayetteville Sediment (look at microscopic view)

Go to the Mountains to the Sea Gallery. In the Piedmont area, find the panel labeled “From Forest to Field and Back Again.” The early settlers cleared the original forests to create farmland. Later, they abandoned the farms, and the plants and animals started re-establishing themselves in a process called succession. 20. The first year after abandonment, herbs were the predominant plants. Why?

21. Why did it take broomsedge and asters two to five years to outcompete the early colonizers?

12 22. How did broomsedge and asters outcompete the early herbaceous plants?

23. Five to 50 years after the area was abandoned, pine trees, red cedar and other species dominated. Later, hardwoods replaced those species. How did hardwoods reach the canopy? Explain.

24. Name three clues that show a natural area was once a farm.

13 Nature Exploration Center-Third Floor Find the Prehistoric North Carolina Gallery. From the display titled “How Old Is It?” Determining the age of fossils and rocks gives us important clues to the Earth’s geological past. Study the three dating techniques—Radiometric Dating, Relative Dating, and Radiocarbon Dating—in order to answer the following questions.

25. How would you find the age of: A. a bear jawbone found in an archeological dig site?

B. a mollusk shell found among many other shells such as Ecphora?

C. a meteorite?

Go to the Tropical Connections Gallery. Find the exhibit called “The Role of People.” Go to the panel labeled Overpopulation. Overpopulation can be a result of unchecked population growth. 26. How would you define overpopulation?

14 27. What problems can overpopulation cause for: A. Humans?

B. Earth’s ecology?

Look at the graph of Mexico’s population growth rate. 28. How did Mexico reduce its growth rate during the last decades?

Find the Biodiversity display. You can find the information you need on the central pillar of the exhibit. 29. What does biodiversity mean? How does it arise? Explain.

30. Describe an example an example of biodiversity that may have arisen because animal species have interacted with plant species.

15 31. How can the extinction of a species increase biodiversity?

32. Does this mean that we shouldn’t be concerned about life forms becoming extinct because of human activities? Explain your answer.

Find the Design-A-Stream touch screen computer (near the snakes). Can you design a healthy system by setting the levels of dissolved oxygen, sediment and nutrients? Check the quality of your stream by analyzing the numbers and variety of the invertebrates that are caught. Then answer the following questions: 33. What levels of dissolved oxygen, sediment and nutrients are required for a healthy stream?

34. Give two invertebrate species that indicate good water quality. Why are they good indicators of water quality?

16 Nature Research Center: Study Questions Assignment. You may work with a partner to answer the questions below.

Nature Research Center-First Floor: 35. Go to the Whales Exhibit. Find the “Tracking Technologies” Display. Why must some tracking tags be out of the water?

36. What are the goals of acoustic tracking? What types of data are gathered?

37. Why must some tags be removed and others are not? Explain.

Go to the panel that says “Get poop on whales”. 38. How have dogs been helpful in retrieving whale scat?

17 39. What important information can biologists get from whale scat?

Go to the exhibit on “Our Changing Ocean”—near the large aquarium tank. Find the section and panel on “Lionfish invade our waters.” 40. Why are lionfish a problem on N. C. coasts?

41. Why is it so difficult to study lionfish?

Go to the exhibit on “Engineering: Nanotechnology Fights Cancer.” 42. What makes nanoparticles so useful as a way to fight cancer?

43. Why is shape so important for medical uses of nanoparticles?

18 Go to the exhibit on “Health: Tracking Global Disease.” 44. What are companies like RTI International doing to fight global diseases?

45. Use the touch screen display and start the presentation. What are some factors that can increase the spread of disease?

Go to the exhibit: “Engineering-N.C. Biofuels.” 46. What are some sources of biofuels that can be found in North Carolina?

47. Explain why the display shows a gas pump on the side of a pine tree.

19 Nature Research Center-Second Floor Go to the display: “Diversity of Life: Things Change.” 48. How is DNA helping biologists understand more about evolution?

49. Give an example of a species that this exhibit identifies as evolving “before our eyes” and why?

Go to the display: “Diversity of Life: How many species?” 50. Explain why the process of naming a new species is so difficult.

51. Why are biologists trying so hard to find new species?

20 52. Why is it so difficult for biologists to determine if they have discovered a new species? (Give an example to support your answer.)

53. How is it possible that two different species in the same habitat could end up looking the same? Explain.

Go to the display: “Diversity of Life: Relationships.” 54. Explain how Red knots have a critically important relationship with horseshoe crabs.

55. Why are tiger mosquitoes an even greater concern than some other invasive species of insects?

21 Go to the display: “Diversity of Life: Importance.” Go to the panel “Why protect diversity?” 56. Choose two of the “Species matter” organism information cards. a. Give their names and how they may be helpful to people.

b. Based on their images and background information, identify one difficulty we may have in preserving these species for the future.

Go to the display: “Cranes fly on, with help.” 57. Explain some techniques scientists use to help preserve and bring back species.

Go to the display: “Researching Weather.” 58. How can black corals help scientists understand past climate changes?

22 59. Find the Bald Cypress Tree ring. What differences in tree rings do you observe between the 1340-1345 wet period and the 1415- 1435 dry period that support these inferences about past climate?

60. Find the Mount Logan Ice Core and information. Explain how scientists know that the ice core contains records of specific past events (like the 1940’s nuclear testing). (Hint: What is contained inside of the ice core that helps them know this?)

23 Nature Research Center-Third Floor

Go to the display: “T.Rex, Another Look.” 61. Explain what evidence helped paleontologists make a definitive conclusion that the T. Rex is related to modern birds.

Go to the display: “Ice Age Giants.” 62. How can teeth help paleontologists understand the diet of extinct animals like the Mastodon?

63. How can knowledge gained from teeth help us to understand ancient habitats and climates?

Go to the display: “Triassic Revolution.” 64. Find the section titled: “Picking through micro-fossils.” What are micro-fossils and how are they important in understanding the diversity of ancient life?

24 Go to the display: “Planet Micro.” 65. Find the display titled: “Staying Alive.” What are some survival strategies used by microbes to survive inhospitable conditions?

Find the display titled: “Nature’s Recycling Centers”. 66. Observe the three columns. What observations of these would support that they each contain different types of microbes?

67. Find the diagram of the columns on the left side of the panel. Explain why the higher oxygen using microbes live at the top of these columns and the higher sulfur using microbes live at the bottom.

25 Go to the DNA exhibits. Find the aquarium tank: “Unraveling DNA: Zebrafish.” 68. Explain what makes these zebrafish unique.

69. Based on the information and your knowledge about DNA, should these creatures still be called “zebrafish”? Explain and defend your answer with knowledge and examples.

26 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Nature Research Center: Make and answer your own question. Find from one to three displays for which there are NOT already questions in this booklet and do the following: a. Write a thoughtful question about the knowledge and information communicated on the display and the exhibit. b. Write a thoughtful answer to this question. You may do this to count for up to THREE of the required questions Put your questions below: Write your own question #1: Exhibit Name: Panel Section Name: Question:

Answer:

Write your own question #2: Exhibit Name: Panel Section Name: Question:

Answer:

27 Write your own question #3: Exhibit Name: Panel Section Name: Question:

Answer:

28 Mapping Species Lab Vocabulary Terms:  Elevation—the height of a geographic location above a common reference point, usually sea level

 Map—a diagram representation of an area of land and/or sea showing physical features such as landforms, roads, buildings, etc.

 Geographic Information System—a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data

 Latitude—the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes

29  Longitude—the angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England; usually expressed in degrees and minutes

 Sea Level—the level of the sea’s surface, used in determining the elevation or height of geographical features.

 Topography—the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area

 Raster Data—a raster is a matrix of cell or pixels organized into rows and columns where each cell contains a value representing some type of data, such as temperature.  Vector Data—vector data involves modeling the world using points, lines and polygons. Vector data is useful to describe things with discrete boundaries such as country borders, land parcels and streets.

30  Triangulation—the tracing and measuring of a series of triangles in order to determine the distances and relative positions of points spread over a territory or region. Typically this is done by measuring the length of one side of each triangle and deducing its angles and length of other sides by observation from a baseline.  Species—a group of living organisms capable of exchanging genes or producing fertile offspring.

 Hydrology—the branch of science concerned with the properties of earth’s water, its movement and relationship to the land

 Scientific Modeling— construction of a model in order to make a feature of the world easier to understand, define, quantify, visualize or simulate by referencing it to existing commonly accepted knowledge.

31 DNA Gel Electrophoresis Lab Vocabulary Terms:  Adenine (A)—a nucleotide base

found in DNA, formula: C5H5N5

 Guanine (G)—a nucleotide base

found in DNA, formula: C5H5N5O

 Cytosine (C)—a nucleotide base

found in DNA, formula: C4H5N3O

 Thymine (T)—a nucleotide base

found in DNA, formula: C5H6N2O2

 Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)—a double helix molecule that carries genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses.

 Disease resistance—the reduction of pathogen growth on or in an organism resulting in a reduction of disease

32  Gel electrophoresis—a laboratory method used to separate mixtures of DNA, RNA, or proteins according to molecular size. The molecules to be separated are pushed by an electrical field through a gel that contains small pores.

 Gene—a distinct sequence of nucleotides forming part of a chromosome, the order of which determines the order of nucleic acids that a cell or virus may synthesize.

 Micropipette—a device used in a laboratory to transfer small quantities of liquid, usually down to 0.1 uL. They are commonly used in chemistry, biology, or pharmaceutical laboratories.

 Nucleus—a centrally located organelle in eukaryotic cells bounded by a double membrane that contains genetic material (usually chromosomes, genes, and DNA)

33  Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)—a technique used in molecular biology to amplify a single copy or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.

 Susceptible—capable of or at risk of becoming infected by a particular disease. Organisms that are susceptible may become infected. Those that are not will not be infected.

34 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences—Nature Research Center Maps:

First Floor

35 Second Floor

36 Third Floor

Fourth Floor—Conference Center. (Not open to general public).

37 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences—Nature Exploration Center Maps.

38 39 40 41 Museum Experience Reflection Assignment: Based on both the lab experience and your self-guided tour of the museum, write a one to two paragraph reflection of your experience to explain what you learned during your visit. Use AT LEAST the required number of vocabulary terms (Phase 1 = 6, Phase 2 = 8, Phase 3 = 10) from your lab experience—see the list in this booklet. Be sure that these terms are used correctly and that you under line or highlight them within your paragraph(s). This reflection will count for ten (10) points on this assignment. Each person should write his/her OWN reflection paragraph.