The students will become scientists. They will collect data based on their observations about the two main types of prairie plants: flowers and grasses.
Weather does not always permit outdoor activity, so this activity can be completed indoors if grass and flower samples are collected beforehand.
The emphasis of this lesson is on discovery. Students will become more aware of what is present or not present in their learning prairie and the reasons for some of these discoveries.
- journals
- pencils
- crayons
- cardboard and clips
Materials (Indoor Variation)
- Prairie grass and flower samples.
- Illinois Wildlife Posters of Prairie Habitats (Available from the Department of Natural Resources.)
- tape or magnets to hold up posters
- journals
- pencils/crayons
- clipboards or cardboard and clips (optional)
- picture of a compass plant (or find its location on a poster)
PROCEDURE
Tap Prior Knowledge
1. Ask the students what they know about prairies. What kinds of plants might we find there? What kinds of animals? Is it dark? Light? Tree-covered? Have them draw a picture of a flower or an animal they might see in the prairie.
Share with Neighbor
2. Assign or have each student select a buddy and share their paragraph. Explain that the students are going to become scientists and pretend that the classroom is outside. To be a scientist, they must observe the environment very carefully. The environment they will be observing will be found in posters and in samples collected from a prairie.
Hands-on Activity
3. Hang up the prairie posters in different spots in the room. Have them go on a nature walk around the classroom, observing each of the posters. What words would they use to describe them? Have the students return to their seats, then take time to discuss what they found.
4. Pass out some grass from the prairie and give each pair of students some. Have the students write "Plant Type #1" at the top of a page in their journal. Leaving some space underneath for later, have the students write down all the words they would use to describe the plant. Is it flat, round, bumpy, etc.
5. Tape a small (1" piece of grass) to their journals on this page, then discuss what the class discovered. Were any of these words used to describe the posters? Which words could be used for all or most plants in the prairie? (i.e. green, tall, etc.) Which words seem to apply to only this type of plant? (Flat, thin, single blade with no other leaves, etc.)
6. Direct each pair to a flower in the prairie poster or pass out a sample flower to each group. Have the students write "Plant Type #2" at the top of the next page in their journal. Leaving some space underneath for later, have the students draw a picture of the flower in their journal. If you wish, have the students color their flower picture. Or have them write the color of the flower next to it so they can color it in later.
7. Discuss what the class discovered about Plant Type #2. Were any of these words used to describe the posters? Which words could be used for all or most plants in the prairie? (i.e. green, tall, etc.) Which words seem to apply to only this type of plant? (round stem, has leaves, has colored flowers, etc.)
Introduce Scientific Principle/Environmental Issue
8. Scientists learn more about the world around them by observing, recording, and analyzing what they see. Students today have followed these three steps. Ask them to describe how they observed their environment. What did they do with the information they collected? (Recorded it) Ask them why. One answer is that it enabled them to share it with others. Also, by recording it, they would not forget what they saw.
9. When they had their information recorded, they analyzed it. Explain what it means to "analyze" information. That could be as simple as identifying it as a grass or flower, or as complicated as trying to determine what makes a grass different from a flower. A good scientist will compare what he or she thinks with what other scientists think by looking at what they wrote. You can do this in the library or online. These comparisons help scientists find new questions to answer.
10. On the prairie, grasses and flowers live together. To do this, they have adapted (or have special things about them) to live without constantly fighting for what they need (i.e. sun, water, and space). Prairie grasses grow in "clumps," these clumps of roots go down into the soil. Prairie flowers on the other hand, grow narrow roots, deep into the soil, deeper than most prairie grass roots. The prairie flowers then can fit into the spaces between the grass clumps. So they grow together. Many weeds cannot compete with a full-grown prairie for this reason. However, when prairies are damaged, weeds and non-native species can take over.
Relate Activity and Concept
11. All prairie plants have deep roots. This means there is at least twice as much underground as there is above ground. Find a compass plant on one of your posters, or pass around a laminated picture of one. Compass plants can be 3-8 feet tall. Our compass plant will be 4 feet tall. Have the students record this height in their journals.
Next have the students multiply by two or add an equal amount to their plant's height. This number represents the minimum depth underground the roots go. Lay yardsticks on the floor and have three students mark the location of the tallest point, the soil, and the minimum length of the roots. Explain that some roots can be 20 feet deep. This helps the plants survive conditions that might kill what is on the surface. Their deep roots provide food and resources to help them grow to the sun again.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the lesson, the students will be able to:
- list at least 3 traits of grasses and flowers that they observed.
- use hand lenses properly.
- understand that prairie plants have deep root systems.
- explain the difference between grasses and flowers based on observed traits.
- explain how scientists collect information and what they do with it.
Teacher Notes
Real cut wildflowers can be purchased from a garden, florist, or even a natural area. If you are picking flowers, be sure to take only those which are abundant and not protected by law. Your local Department of Natural Resources or nature center should be able to help you. Many organizations, such as garden clubs or stores might be willing to donate older flowers for free if you ask. Some prairie flowers, including the coneflowers, can even be grown from seed and used in the classroom.
Some school sites may have an abundance of prairie remnants or a learning prairie to study. If this is the case, try the indoor version. When the students have finished the curriculum, take them on a field trip to an actual prairie site.
If students have particular questions about the animals they see and you do not know the answers to their questions, don't be afraid to say "I don't know, but we can find out the answer together!" Take this opportunity to visit the library, go the zoo, etc. Binoculars are available from the Delta Education Company in packages of thirty collapsible binoculars. To order call: 1-800-442-5444.
Extension and Take-Home Activities
- Ask the students to keep track of where they see flowers and where they see grasses on their way home from school.
- Encourage the students to take a closer look at grasses and flowers and record what they find living there (insects, plants, animals, etc.).
- Suggest that the students choose a plant (grass or flower) that they observed and write a story or poem about it. Encourage them to share their work with the class.
- Pretend the classroom is a park and the students are different animals living in the park.
