Title of activity: Classroom Habitat Survey

Concept covered in activity:

Use of sampling to make conclusions about an area, habitat diversity, error in sampling, analysis of data, evaluation and revision of methods.

Grade level or other prerequisites for activity: High School Biology/Ecology (probably 10th grade)

Prerequisites:

  • Math classes on how to calculate percentages
  • Exposure to basic statistical ideas (statistically significant, p-values) is beneficial; without this add additional time to address this concept
  • Previous classes on habitat and organism diversity will allow for more in-depth essays at the end of this lesson, but are not essential.

Standards: national AND state standards

Colorado:

1.9-12.2: “Select and use appropriate technologies to gather, processes, and analyze data and to report information related to an investigation.”

1.9-12.3: “Identify major sources of error or uncertainty within an investigation”

1.9-12.5: “Construct and revise scientific explanations and models, using evidence, logic, and experiments that include identifying and controlling variables.”

1.9-12.6: “Communicate and evaluate scientific thinking that leads to particular conclusions.”

National:

Science as Inquiry

9-12: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and Understandings about scientific inquiry

Learning objectives:

  • Skill: Design and perform a scientifically-sound a sampling technique to sample the different ‘habitat types’ that exist in the classroom.
  • Skill: Calculate the percent area of each habitat type in their sample, and then using the room dimensions, determine percents of each habitat type for the entire room
  • Skill: Participate in a group presentation of data to the class, including the creation of an all class graph.
  • Concept: Write an essay that explains the method used, presents and evaluates results, compares results to class results and their perception of the actual amount of ‘habitat types’ in the classroom, explains how their method could be improved, and explains why assessing different vegetation types is important in scientific research.

Materials

Computers with internet access, measuring tapes, rulers, meter sticks, string, scientific notebooks, compasses,Daubenmire frames (see attached directions and materials, 1 per group of 4), quadrat frames (1 square meter frames), copies of ‘Classroom Habitat Survey,’ copies of the directions for using a Daubenmire frame (in the Daubenmire directions sheet).

Instructional planning (notes about gathering or preparing materials ahead of time AND advance organizers for students: handouts, overheads, slides, board notes)

  • Make Daubenmire frames and quadrats ahead of time. If class time allows, you can have students participate
  • Make copies of handouts (see below).
  • Calculate the area (m2) of the classroom.

Procedure/activity

Student Activity / Teacher Activity
Engage / In student-selected groups of 4 or 5, students develop a question about the ‘habitat types’ in the classroom, form a hypothesis about their question, and list three ways they think they could test their hypothesis. / Facilitate students, making sure all students have a group, and providing guidance as necessary as students develop their questions, hypotheses, and develop ideas for testing their hypotheses.
Explore / Students read about Ecological sampling methods (
Students then use this information and the materials available to design a sampling technique for the classroom. After approval, they carry out their sampling technique and collect data. / Facilitate students, making sure students are on task and not elsewhere on the internet, redirecting as necessary. Answering questions and guiding students with technique design, and approving techniques for data collection. Supervising data collection and providing guidance as necessary.
Explain / Using their collected data, students calculate their results, and present them in an appropriate scientific manner, using graphs and tables to supplement their written results. / Facilitate, assisting as necessary with calculations, graph, and written result production.
Elaborate / Groups of students present their findings to the class, and compare their findings. As a class, sets of data are compared using graphpad.com/quickcalcs/chisquared1.cfm / Facilitate class ‘meeting,’ and facilitate use of website to calculate differences between group data (comparing two groups at a time). Discuss what statistical difference means.
Evaluate / Students write an essay reporting and evaluating their findings, and connecting their process to vegetation sampling. See assignment and rubric for details. / Provide assignment information, collect assignment and grade using rubric (see attached).

Assessment

Formative (informal and/or formal)

  • Student worksheet answers (informal)
  • Methods developed by students (informal)
  • Performance of methods (informal)
  • Data analysis (informal)
  • Presentation of methods and data to class (informal)
  • Participation in class discussion and data analysis (informal)

Summative (usually formal)

  • Written paper

Rubrics for grading – See attached

Anticipated misconceptions/alternative conceptions

  • Every sample will yield the same results
  • hypotheses are proven right
  • Doing scientific research requires expensive, highly technical tools
  • Misunderstanding of ‘statistically significant’

Accommodations/modifications of activity for any special needs students (special education, ELL, and gifted/talented)

  • Special Education: provide more structure for selecting sampling method and extra assistance in carrying out sampling.
  • ELL: provide a simpler version of the website resource, provide a word sheet with definitions
  • GT: Have students make Daubenmire frames/quadrats, have students calculate the total room area instead of providing it, have students try more complex sampling methods, have students calculate the actual amount of the different habitat types in the room,

Classroom Habitat Survey

Habitat types, or vegetation cover are important for the many different organisms that live in an ecosystem. Since it is unrealistic to try to measure all of the species or habitat types in an ecosystem, different sampling techniques are used to find out about these populations.

While our classroom isn’t full of many animal and plant species, it is part of our human habitat. We will use our classroom as a model habitat to explore sampling techniques, and develop and test a sampling technique to survey our classroom ‘habitat.’

I. Working in groups of 4 or 5, answer the following questions:

  1. What are the different ‘habitat types’ that exist in our classroom? What purpose do they serve in the classroom? (example: if you were performing the same survey in your house, your might have: kitchen table- eating food.)
  1. Form a question, and then a hypothesis that can be answered/tested using some kind of survey of our classroom ‘habitat.’
  1. Write down and explain two different ways you could collect data to help test your hypothesis.

II. Next, read about different sampling techniques ( in your group of four or five. Based on this information, refine how you will collect data to test your hypothesis, using the equipment available in the classroom. Make sure to write out your methods in enough detail that someone else could follow them. When you are done, get your methods approved before performing them.

III. Perform your survey and record your data below. Then, knowing that the classroom is Xm2 (insert total for your room), calculate your estimated area of each ‘habitat type’ based on your survey. When you are done, write your results on the board in the class table. Evaluate if your data support or reject your hypothesis.

IV. Prepare to give a brief (3-5 minute) presentation to the class about your hypothesis, methods, and results.

V. Following the class discussion and presentations, write a paper that includes the following points:

  • Your methods used, in a clear and thorough enough manner that someone else could perform them
  • Your results, including appropriate figures and/or tables
  • A comparison between your methods and the other methods used in the class
  • A comparison between your findings and other’s findings, including the statistical analyses performed in class
  • Evaluate the accuracy of the different class results, based on your knowledge of the classroom (For example: Did some groups find more habitat types than others? Do the calculated percentages for each habitat type make sense?)
  • Based on the class methods and results, explain what methods you would use for the most accurate survey of your classroom.
  • Explain how your ideal classroom methods would inform your methods used if you were to perform a survey of vegetation
  • If you were to perform your vegetation survey, explain how representative you think your results would be of the true species present.

Writing Assignment Rubric (50 points total).

Essay Component / Below Expectations
(missing or poorly included) / Meets Expectations
(Incomplete, but contains most of the components necessary) / Exceeds Expectations
(Thoroughly fulfills component in a clear and concise manner.)
Methods Explained Clearly in a manner that someone could follow them / 0-1 / 2-4 / 5-7
Findings reported
(includes appropriate figures/tables) / 0-1 / 2-3 / 4-5
Evaluation of your hypothesis and comparison between your group’s findings and other group’s findings, including statistical analyses / 0-1 / 2-5 / 6-8
Evaluation of accuracy of the different class results, based on your knowledge of the classroom / 0-1 / 2-3 / 4-5
Explanation of methods you would use for the most accurate survey of your classroom, based on results and methods used by different groups in the class. / 0-1 / 2-5 / 6-8
Explanation of how your ideal classroom methods would inform your methods used if you were to perform a survey of vegetation / 0-1 / 2-4 / 5-8
Explanation of how representative you think your results would be of the true species present, if you were to perform your vegetation survey. / 0-1 / 2-3 / 4-5
Grammar and Spelling / 0 / 1-2 / 3-4

How to Make a Daubenmire Frame

(for less than $5.00!)

From

The Daubenmire Frame is an essential tool for using the Daubenmire Method of vegetation sampling to estimate the percent cover, frequency, and composition of vegetation in a grassland or forb community.

The Daubenmire Frame is a 25 x 50 centimeter (cm) (10 x 20 inch (in)) internal dimension frame made out of rebar or PVC which can be randomly thrown in a patch of vegetation to be sampled, systematically placed along a transect, or placed in a randomized grid. Visual estimates are then made of the percent cover of desired vegetation components occurring within the Daubenmire Frame.

The Daubenmire method of sampling is applicable to a wide variety of vegetation types as long as the plants do not exceed waist height. The method is relatively simple and rapid to use.

Making a Daubenmire Frame: Supplies:

At least 1.5 meters (5 foot) length of l/2 inch PVC pipe

4 one half inch PVC right angle elbow connectors

I Roll Electrical Tape

Ruler

Sharpie

•.

Assembly:

Cut two 25cm (10 in) and two 50cm (20 in) lengths of PVC

On the 50 cm (20 in) lengths of PVC mark 12.5 cm (5 in), 25 cm (10 in), and 37.5
cm (15 in) on the PVC pipe with a sharpie.

Connect the PVC lengths together using the right angle elbow connectors to form
a rectangle.

Using the electrical tape, wrap the first and third 12.5 cm (5 in) segment of the 50
cm length of PVC.

Using a Daubenmire Frame:

Observe the frame from directly above and estimate the cover class for all
attributes you want to characterize.

When estimating cover, imagine a line drawn around the leaf tips of the plants
and projected onto the ground, then use the marks on the 50 cm (20 in) side of the
frame to estimate percent cover.

'r- For the statewide biological control monitoring system estimate the percent cover of the target weed, other weeds, forbs, grass, bare ground, and litter to the nearest 5%.

The total percent cover in a frame should be 100%.