Expeditionary Learning: Exploring Healthy Forests (continued)


in their work. This project focused on the learning targets of • I can independently sort animals by the structures and


behaviors that help them survive in their environment. • I can independently list 4 parts of an animal and describe


how the parts help the animal meet its basic needs. • I can independently gener-


alize from multiple forms of text to learn about forest animals. • I can independently elabo-


rate using details and/or exam- ples about one forest animal. • I can edit for capitals


against the class capitalization chart.


Students learned about each


animal through predicting struc- tures and behaviors by analyzing a collage of photos and You Tube videos. Predictions were recorded before reading field guides and predictions were confirmed or not. Once the recording sheets were completed, the students wrote expository papers on the survival structures and behaviors of each animal. These were combined to create PowerPoint slides that will be included in their final prod- uct, some with actual photos of the tracks or animals that were photographed at the Bangs Mountain site. The good news was that some animals were captured by the trail cams, but some remained elusive!


Case Study Two: Food Webs of Bangs Mountain This project really focused on the interdependences within the


forest ecosystem. Learning targets in this investigation focused on giving students the knowledge to be able to complete the narrative prompt: You are a wildlife biologist researching animals on Bangs


Mountain. One of your jobs is to report to the community of Kettle Falls the stories the animal tracks of an indicator species told you while doing your fieldwork. To do this you will need to describe where the tracks were found and your inferences of what the tracks are telling you about that animal’s daily life: • I can describe the interdependences in a forest ecosystem. • I can explain how a forest ecosystem impacts animal population. • I can independently generalize from multiple forms of text to


learn about forest ecosystems. • I can write a narrative with a clear beginning, two events and a


clear ending. In order to make this narrative realistic students needed to


understand the actual role of a wildlife biologist. Learning about careers while in engaging expeditions opens our students’ eyes to the world of possibilities. Students continued their fieldwork, checking their trail cams, snag counts (their first monitoring experience), searching for tracks and other sign of life in their plots and were prepared for snowshoeing (though there simply


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wasn’t enough snow for them this year). Using the reading skill of “generalizing to understand” helped student comprehend the interdependence of the forest and was built through reading, pho- tography, experts, media, data and many simulation games. After each activity students recorded “new learning” on anchor charts that build the content schema. They also recorded their use of the skill “generalizing” on anchor charts to show their ability to be meta-cognitive about comprehending new material. Students were able to use the information gathered from the multiple sources to write their narrative.


Case Study Three: Bangs Mountain as a Changing Ecosystem


Now that the students


have developed a level of knowledge about the interde- pendence of forests they are ready to move on to the chang- ing ecosystem. This is when they really become experts and begin to look at the many stakeholders of the forest. Their fieldwork becomes very data based. Through skill building in P.E. they learn about pac- ing. Each child is responsible for pacing off 104 feet, using a compass to keep their lines straight, they determine a half


acre plot for their team. They use a tape to measure their accuracy after pacing and the corners are marked on the GPS so that their plot can be found on Google Earth. Students are now collecting data on the canopy by measuring open and covered areas. They have learned to use transect lines during their monitoring. This data is part of the baseline that will be used in the study. They identified three plants in the understory and did a plant count of their plot. Their study of the animals in their plot also continued, with data from tracks and trail cam photos. The most common track and photo taken was squirrels, though they are not one of the indicator species. Students found little evidence of the lynx at their plot. Animal population changeswill be one indicator of increased health of the forest over time. During this project students learned about many changes


that can happen to forests over time. The learning targets for this project are:


• I can independently describe how onepopulation may affect


other plants and/or animals in the forest ecosystem. • I can independently evaluate one population in different


forests, determine which will thrive and give clear reasons. • I can independently describe three ways that humans can


improve the health of the forest ecosystem. • I can independently assess the author’s effectiveness for a


chosen audience. • I can independently organize my writing. This means: • I will write an introduction, supporting details using ex-


amples, and conclusion in an expository writing. Each day of this project focuses on a change in the forest


www.clearingmagazine.org/online CLEARING 2010


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