Elakha. Phtot courtesy of the Elakha Alliance.
Overview
Lesson 1: Introduction to Relationships between Humans and the Environment
Lesson 2: Keystone Species and the Food Web
Lesson 3: Native Americans, Science, and Salmon
Lesson 4: Native Americans and Science
Lesson 5: Dangers to Sea Otter and Responsibility of People
Extending the lessons/References
Standards
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
SC.05.SI.01—Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses based on those observations, which can be explored through scientific investigations.
SC.05.SI.02—Design a simple scientific investigation to answer questions or test hypotheses.
SC.05.SI.03—Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations.
SC.05.SI.04—Summarize, analyze, and interpret data from investigations.
SOCIAL SCIENCE ANALYSIS
SS.05.SA.03—Identify and study two or more points of view of an event, issue, or problem.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
EL.06.WR.10—Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as necessary.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Scientists follow certain procedures called the scientific method. This is what they do:
Make observations.
Ask questions and make a guess about the answer; this guess is called a hypothesis.
Create experiments to see if their answers are correct.
Look at what happened in their experiment and figure out how to make things better; this is called analysis.
Tell other scientists what they found out and make recommendations on new experiments.
Suggested Strategies
In preparation for this lesson, purchase 1 or 2 large boxes (dependent upon number of students in class; you want each group of students to have at least 30) of colored goldfish crackers.
Activities
1. Discuss
Ask: How many sea otters do you think are in California?
The answer is approximately 2,000 sea otters. Much of the research scientists do on sea otters is focused on the kelp forests. As we learned yesterday, without sea otters, the sea urchins often eat away the kelp forests. One of the things scientists do is take pictures from airplanes to see whether known kelp forests are growing, staying the same, or getting smaller. These aerial measurements are easy to do by taking photographs and comparing the sizes. There are also scientists who dive into the water and count all of the living organisms; this is done by video recording and then later counting all organisms in the video.
2. Research
Kelp Forest Experiment
Show the students the box(es) of colored goldfish. Tell them to imagine the box(es) are all of the video recordings of the kelp forests in California. They need to know what kind of organisms (species) and how many of each species are in all of the kelp forest. Each group will be studying a different kelp forest. The students are going to follow the scientific model. Break the class into small groups. Each group will:
Look (observe) the box(es).
Guess what species (color), how many of each species and how many total species are in California (total in the box(es)). They need to write this number down.
Dump the contents of the box(es) into one plate per group.
Design an experiment to figure out how many of each species (color) of organisms (goldfish) are in the kelp forest (the plate). Let each group figure out the best way to do this.
Create a tally sheet with columns/rows with the kind of species and tic marks (or other method they determine) indicating the number of each species.
Conduct the experiment. (Count the colors)
Analyze the results—compare their actual numbers with their guesses.
Within each group, have them discuss alternative ways of counting the species.
Report their findings. Have each group share their guess, their actual number and any recommendations on improving accuracy of counts and/or other things that need to be researched.
3. Talking Circle
End today’s lesson by talking about Traditional Ecological Knowledge or the Native American scientists from long ago. Long before there were scientists and long before there was a United States of America, the original tribes that now compose the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde needed to know about sea otters, where they lived, what they ate, whether their numbers were getting smaller or larger (so they would know how many to catch each year) and other information about the sea otter. This type of information is called Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The tribes lived in a very defined area of land that they were dependent upon for survival, generation after generation. Much like the Kelp Forest experiment, which was based upon today’s scientific knowledge, native people:
Made observations;
Made guesses (hypotheses) based upon these observations;
Through experimentation either proved or disproved the hypotheses;
Changed methods of gathering, harvesting, hunting, fishing, etc. based upon the results of their experiments;
Through their oral traditions reported the findings to the next generation.
Ask: What are the differences between today’s scientists and the way that Native Americans practiced science in what is called today Traditional Ecological Knowledge?
4. Writing exercise
If time permits, or as a homework assignment, have the students write one page about the importance of sea otters (let them choose the importance, whether it be to Native Americans, to the kelp forest or something else they think of). Add this to their Sea Otter Portfolio.
