the last great ice age

Transcription

Ice Age Mammals
Dear Teachers,
Welcome to the Teacher’s Corner for the Beringia Centre. We have put together a number of
lessons, activities, and evaluation materials for your use, each of which can be used alone or with
the whole group as a portfolio project. The portfolios can be compiled in a duotang folder or on
computer, using a program such as Power Point. It would be a great wrap-up to the unit to
share your computer presentations with the whole class, and a way to once again reaffirm the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned through the lessons.
The lessons are primarily research based, and are intended as a time for gathering information
about the topic. The activities take the information and then apply it to a project. In putting the
activities together, we wanted to focus on an experimental approach. We find that students gain
the clearest insights by walking in another’s shoes, so we have created activities that allow
students to live out some of the reality of the Beringia experience.
The lessons are mainly geared towards middle years students, but some lessons and activities
include modifications that will allow you to increase or decrease the expected comprehension
performance levels in order to adapt the unit to various grades, from Kindergarten through
Grade 12. For the very young students, some of the activities will have to be omitted.
We have reference the lessons, where possible, to the British Columbia Integrated Resource
Package Learning Outcomes, the Pan Canadian Science Protocol and the Western and Northern
Canadian Protocol Learning Outcomes.
I hope that you will find these materials useful and fun. The games, activities, and projects are
intended to get students enjoying themselves so much they don’t even realize how much they
are learning! Have a great time in Beringia!
Sincerely,
The Ice Age Mammals Exhibition Team
and the Beringia Interpretive Centre
Produced by the Canadian Museum of Nature in partnership with the Montreal Science Centre, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive
Centre and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
THE LAST GREAT ICE AGE
Overview: Lessons
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8
11
14
LESSON ONE:
LESSON TWO:
LESSON FOUR: The Strange: Giant Beavers, Ground Sloths, Saiga
Antelope and Camels?
LESSON FIVE:
22
LESSON SIX:
28
31
33
Evolution: Mammoth vs. Mastodon
LESSON THREE: Extinction: The Scimitar Cat
18
25
What is Beringia?
The Familiar: Steppe Bison, Yukon Horse, Ground
Squirrels, Muskox
Evolution Gets It Right! Forever Caribou
LESSON SEVEN: What About People?
LESSON EIGHT: The Food Web
LESSON NINE: What’s in a Theory?
LESSON TEN:
Archaeology vs. Palaeontology
WWW.BERINGIA.COM
Overview: Activities
ACTIVITY ONE:
Parent Quiz on Beringia
ACTIVITY THREE:
A Land for Living
38
ACTIVITY FIVE:
Group Mural Project
39
ACTIVITY SEVEN:
46
ACTIVITY NINE:
Making a Mammoth (Skeleton Project)
47
ACTIVITY ELEVEN:
One-Two-Three Bear!
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34
ACTIVITY TWO:
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ACTIVITY FOUR:
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39
45
46
Erosion for Kids!
Animal Puzzles
ACTIVITY SIX:
Making Tracks
ACTIVITY EIGHT:
A Beringia Journal
Survivor: Beringia
ACTIVITY TEN:
Being a Sloth
The Eternal Caribou
48
ACTIVITY TWELVE:
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ACTIVITY FOURTEEN: Making a Beringia Food Web
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50
ACTIVITY THIRTEEN:
ACTIVITY FIFTEEN:
When the World Began
Making an Atl-atl
Theory Soup
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ACTIVITY SIXTEEN:
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ACTIVITY EIGHTEEN:
An Eye for Something Different
ACTIVITY TWENTY:
Foraging for a Shelter
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54
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ACTIVITY SEVENTEEN: Writing: Human Adaptation
ACTIVITY NINETEEN:
Setting up a “dig” at your School
Illustrations: George “Rinaldino” Teichmann © Gouvernement du Yukon 2007
WWW.BERINGIA.COM
LESSON ONE:
What is Beringia?
Grade levels: 4-12
Lesson Objective:
The learner will be able to:
• Identify and describe the basic processes which led
to the existence of Beringia
• Locate Beringia on a world map or North America
map
• Identify some effects of global warming and
cooling
• Define some key concepts related to the unit
Materials:
• World Map or North America Map which shows
connections withSiberia.
• Overhead projector and slides + a green marker.
• Selection of Beringia area from the above map
photocopied onto overhead slide and as paper
handouts for students.
• Students will need plain lined paper for notes and
green pencil crayons or markers.
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Lesson Process:
1. Introduction to the topic: Start with the map of the
world on the wall or chalkboard. Students should
have paper in front of them, ready to take notes when
needed, with the title “What is Beringia?” written at
the top. Ask students what they see on the map. Take
a few minutes just to get oriented. Talk about oceans,
continents, rivers, lakes, etc. Point out the equator
and the poles. Let students freely talk about the wide
variety of things shown on a map. Emphasize as
you go the large amount of blue space on the map,
representing water. Ask students whether they think
there is more land or more water on the map. Ask them
what kinds of water are shown on maps – oceans,
lakes, rivers, etc. Now, move their attention to the
poles. Ask them what arctic and antarctic mean. Ask
them what they would see if they were in the arctic.
If your map shows it, identify the white areas and ask
students what is represented there (permanent ice).
Write the word glacier on the chalkboard, and have
students write an appropriate definition (a large mass
of compacted ice and snow which remains throughout
the year and can grow, shrink, and move depending on
climate conditions). Tell students that a huge amount
of the earth’s water is frozen into ice in the arctic and
antarctic. The atmosphere of the Earth is like a huge
refrigerator, where the temperature can be turned
higher or lower. Ask students what happens if they put
a cup of water in the freezer (it freezes). Ask students
what happens if you put that cup of ice on the counter
(it melts). Go back to the map. Tell the students that
the Earth has been in an Ice Age for the past 2.6+
million years, but that the climate is sometimes
warmer (causing an interglacial period) and sometimes
colder (causing a glacial period). Ask students to
imagine that someone has turned the temperature of
the whole Earth down five degrees. What do they think
would happen? Brainstorm and fill in the missing
information until students have a picture of a glacial:
a large quantity of ocean water froze, huge sheets
of glacier ice covered much of North America, the
shorelines changed drastically as there was less water
in the oceans, plants and animals had to move south
and/or adapt or die. Have students write the words the
last glacial, approximately 70,000 to 10,000 years
ago on their notes page and then describe these effects
you have brainstormed. Note that the key time period
we are discussing in this unit is approximately 10,000
years ago. Circulate and read the definition as they
write it to ensure that students have understood the
key concepts of the lesson so far. The students should
now be able to describe and discuss glaciers and the
alternating glacials and interglacials of the ice age.
2. When all students are ready to proceed, tell them that
you are starting a unit on a very special place in a
very special time. This place only existed during the
last Ice Age, when the oceans were frozen and the
land revealed. When the Earth warmed up, everything
changed. This place is called Beringia. Take your
overhead slide and place it over the section of the map
from the Yukon to Siberia, showing students which
part of the world we are discussing. Then move to the
overhead projector, and place the slide there. If you do
not have access to an overhead, just enlarge one of the
student handouts and tape it to the chalkboard. Asking
students to copy what you do on their own maps,
outline and shade in green the area between Alaska
and Siberia that was exposed land (sometimes called
the Bering Land Bridge). You can use the map on the
website (www.beringia.com ) to assist you in correctly
locating the area. Remind students that as more of
the ocean water was frozen, more of the shoreline
and submerged land was exposed. Also shade in the
areas in Siberia, Alaska and the Yukon which were not
covered in glacial ice. Tell students that this exposed
land was there for many thousands of years, and was
very wide. If you stood in the middle of it, you would
not know that it was different land from that in Siberia
or in the Yukon. It was mostly grassy, and very windy.
Scientists believe that many animals moved across
this land into North America and also from North
America across to Siberia. There was constant travel
across this wide and windswept land. One theory holds
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that a group of Human Beings moved from Siberia
into North America this way and at this time as well.
Archaeologists, palaeontologists, glaciologists,
climatologists, and many more professional
scientists are still gathering information about all of
the topics concerning Beringia, and will continue for
many years to come. Students should write the names
of these science-related careers and define them.
Students now write the title “Beringia” on their maps,
then write a definition of Beringia on their notes page.
Once again, circulate and ensure that students have
understood the processes and concepts. (You may
choose to break here and take up the lesson again next
day. You could do Activity One and Two.)
3. Tell students that they will once more be discussing
climate. Discuss the difference between climate and
weather. Write both words on the board and have
students write definitions as you discuss them:
Climate is the long term pattern of weather in an
area, over many years. Weather is what happens
on any given day. Weather changes daily. For
example, the climate of the Yukon is one of
moderate, dry summers and cold dry winters.
The weather today or this week in the Yukon may
be sunny, rainy, windy, freezing, or hot. Climate
changes over a period of many many years, but it
does continually change. Climate gets cooler and
warmer. A change of even a few degrees can cause
major changes in the Earth. The overall climate
of the Earth was only five degrees cooler than
today during the last Ice Age, and that caused so
many changes! Currently, the climate of the Earth
appears to be warming. Remembering what we
have learned about what happened when the Earth
cooled down five degrees, what do you think will
happen if the Earth continues to warm up quickly?
Some scientists feel that there is evidence that
human activities are contributing to this warming
trend. What do you think? Is this a normal
interglacial warming pattern, or have humans
accelerated the process? How would we find out
what the trends were during the last interglacial
period (around 125,000 BP)?
4. Have students write a paragraph answer to the
questions posed. A great follow-up or accompaniment
to this unit would be one on Glaciation or Global
Warming.
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5. Take students to the computer lab, and introduce them
to the Beringia Centre Website at www.beringia.com.
Students should browse the website. Information from
the virtual tour will be on their quizzes and unit test.
6. To extend this lesson: have students browse this
website and others to discover who is involved in
the research (many Canadians work in these fields
and have contributed to and unearthed key parts of
the glaciation puzzle). Have each student research
a prominent Canadian who is working in a field
associated with glaciation, palaeontology, etc. and
present their project to the class. Identify key areas
of study and careers involved in Beringia research,
glacial research, palaeontology, etc.
7. Tell students that tomorrow they will be meeting the
animals of Beringia. They can go home and quiz their
parents on Ice Ages, climate change, and Beringia
tonight (see Activity Two)
Works well with:
• Science Probe 7 *Global Warming
• Science Probe 8 Unit V
~ Chapter 16: “Life on a Changing Earth”
• Science Probe 10 Unit IV
~ Chapter 12: “Geological Time”
British Columbia Integrated Resource
Package Links:
This lesson will supply or contribute to the following
learning outcomes:
Grades 2-3
Life Science:
• suggest reasons for the endangerment or extinction
of an animal species.
Grade 6
Applications of Science
• discuss the contributions Canadians have made to
science
Grade 7
Applications of Science
• identify factors that have made possible or limited
the work of particular scientists
Grade 8
Life Science (Global Ecosystems)
• evaluate how major natural events and human
activity can affect local and global environments
and climate change
Pan-Canadian Science Protocol Links.
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
• 301-2: relate habitat loss to the endangerment or
extinction of plants and animals
• 301-5: describe effects of wind, water, and ice on
the landscape
Grade 5:
• 104-7: demonstrate the importance of using
the languages of science and technology to
communicate ideas, processes and results.
Grade 8:
• 311-12: describe factors that affect glaciers and
polar icecaps, and describe their consequent effects
on the environment.
Grade 9:
• 112-12: provide examples of Canadian
contributions to science and technology.
7
LESSON TWO:
Evolution: Mammoth vs. Mastodon
Grades 4-12
Lesson Objectives:
• Discuss how the theory of evolution helps us to
understand the differing development of mammoths
and mastodons
• Explain how adaptation affected the evolution of
several Beringian mammals
• Understand ways in which we are constantly
interacting with our environment, affecting it and
being affected by it.
Materials:
• Computers with Internet access
• Paper, pens
• If possible, large images of Mammoth and
Mastodon.
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Works well with:
• Inquiry Into Life Part VI: Evolution and Diversity
• Biology (Nelson) Unit One: Understanding
Diversity
~ Chapter Two “Adaptation and Change”
~ Chapter Three “Theories to Explain Variation”
Lesson Process:
1. If your class has not studied it yet, begin by
introducing a synopsis of the theory of evolution.
Students should take notes. Emphasize that this is a
theory, which many people believe, and which some
people do not believe. Tell students that scientists build
theories based on the best evidence they can obtain.
Sometimes, there are gaps in the evidence that we fill
in with the best possible answer. Sometimes, those
answers are later shown to be true or false when new
evidence appears. We will be doing a lesson and some
activities on how theories work later in this unit. One
really super classroom resource on evolution is the
November 2004 issue of National Geographic, which
contains an article entitled “Was Darwin Wrong?”.
Adaptation to one’s environment is a very important
idea in this unit, and we will be looking at some of the
adaptations Beringian mammals made to survive in
their very cold, dry climate. Ensure that you develop
the idea of adaptations in your classroom, using
modern examples such as camouflage, mimicry, etc.
Another key idea is extinction. Develop a classroom
definition of extinction such that students understand
that extinction is a natural part of the overall
evolutionary process, but that in modern life we
humans are drastically amplifying this process through
deforestation, destruction of habitat, pollution, etc.
2. Now, instruct students to go to the computers and
locate the www.beringia.com website. First, they
should scroll through the different sections to find
everything they can about the Woolly Mammoth and
American Mastodon. Ensure that they have adequate
time to really explore the website, as there are multiple
locations where information is stored. Through careful
reading, students should be able to take thorough
notes about each mammal. They will then create a Ven
Diagram comparing and contrasting the evolutionary
adaptations of the two mammals. (If you don’t know
what a Ven Diagram is, it is two intersecting ovals.
In one oval you write everything that is specific
only to the mammoth. In the other, everything that
is specific to the mastodon. In the middle, you write
characteristics/adaptations that the two share.)
3. Emphasize that Woolly Mammoths are not direct
descendants of Mastodons or vice versa, but that they
do share a common ancestor. They are two “branches”
of a family tree. Have students consider why they
think the two species developed and adapted in
different ways. Students should come up with a plan
of how to check their assumptions using books, the
internet, or asking questions of experts. They may
even choose to write to or email the Beringia Centre
with their questions!
4. Finally, in the students’ journals, have them write
a paragraph about the ways that elements of their
environment might influence them. For example, what
about temperature? What about how you get your
food? Are we “adapting” to a fast-food, convenience
store, drive-thru existence? What about poisons in our
air? How do you affect your environment every day?
List at least 10 ways. How does your environment
affect you?
British Columbia Integrated Resource
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
Life Science:
• relate the structure and behaviour of local
organisms to their survival in local environments.
• discuss how changes in an organism’s habitat can
affect the survival of individual organisms and
entire species
• give examples of how the differences in individuals
of the same species may give an advantage in
surviving and reproducing
• relate the growth and survival of organisms to a
variety of conditions
Grade 8
Life Science (Diversity)
• compare and contrast how various organisms have
adapted to the conditions of each biome and how
these organisms interact with each other.
Life Science (Social Issues)
• compare and contrast the practical, ethical, and
economic dimensions of population growth and
polluted environments
Life Science (Global Ecosystems)
• evaluate how major natural events and human
activity can affect local and global environments
and climate change
Grade 11 Biology
Adaptation and Evolution
* this lesson can be used to provide examples
contributing to students’ understanding of many
PLOs in this section, but does not address one
specifically.
9
Pan-Canadian Science Protocol Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
• 104-6: demonstrate that specific terminology is
used in science and technology contexts
• 204-1: propose questions to investigate and
practical problems to solve.
• 300-1: compare the external features and behaviour
patterns of animals that help them thrive in
different kinds of places
Grade 5
• 205-8: identify and use a variety of sources and
technologies to gather pertinent information
communicate ideas, processes, and results
10
Grade 6
• 104-8: demonstrate the importance of using the
languages of science and technology to compare
and communicate ideas, processes and results.
practical problems to solve
• 206-9:identify new questions that arise from what
was learned
• 301-15: compare the adaptations of closely related
animals living in different parts of the world and
discuss reasons for any differences
Grade 7
• 209-5: select and integrate information from
various print and electronic sources or from several
parts of the same source
• 210-2: compile and display data, by hand or
computer, in a variety of formats, including
diagrams, flow charts, tables, bar graphs, line
graphs, and scatter plots
LESSON THREE:
Extinction! The Scimitar Cat
Grades: 4-12
Lesson Objectives:
• Understand the process of extinction.
• Describe why certain species became extinct.
• Ponder the effects of ancient and modern
extinctions.
Materials:
• Computers with internet access
• Paper, pens
Lesson Process:
1. In the last lesson, the idea of “extinction” was
introduced. Review the concept , using your own
classroom resources, and then communicate the
following information:
The Scimitar Cat was a very interesting Beringia
Mammal. Today you will research the Scimitar Cat to
discover how it became extinct, as well as some of the
other Beringian Mammals.
2. Students are to go to the Beringia Centre Site www.
beringia.com , to research the Scimitar Cat. They
should take notes on the size, appearance, diet,
and interesting information about the Scimitar Cat.
Next, they are to discover what experts think caused
the extinction of this cat. They are to write a short
paragraph describing why the cat became extinct and
how they think it could have adapted.
3. Next, the students need to find five other Beringian
mammals that are extinct, and discover the theories of
why they became extinct.
4. Finally, in a journal entry, the students can discuss
what the idea of extinction makes them think about.
Do they know of modern extinctions? Do humans
cause extinctions? How? Why? What of the ancient
extinctions? How do they feel about the fact that there
will never again be Woolly Mammoths or Scimitar
Cats? Will humans ever become extinct?
11
British Columbia Social Studies Integrated
Resource Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
Applications of Social Studies
• identify and clarify a problem, issue, or inquiry
• locate and record information from a variety of
sources organize information into a presentation
with a main idea and supporting details.
Grade 5
• gather and record a body of information from a
variety of primary and secondary sources.
British Columbia Science Integrated Resource
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 2-3
Life Science
• describe structures that enable animals to survive in
different environments
of a species
Grade 4
Life Science
entire species.
• relate the growth and survival of organisms to
various conditions
Grade 7
Life Science
• describe ways in which species interact with each
other
Biology 11
This lesson may provide examples of some of the
processes and evolutionary theories being discussed, and
could be adapted to a Biology 11 level.
12
Grade 6
• identify and clarify a problem, issue or inquiry
• research information using print, non-print, and
electronic resources
• organize information from a variety of sources into
a sturctured presentation using more than one form
of representation.
Grade 7
• gather and record a body of information from
primary archaeological and historical evidence and
secondary print, non-print, and electronic sources.
• generate and justify interpretations drawn from
primary and secondary sources
• organize information into a formal presentation
using several forms of representation.
British Columbia Language Arts Integrated
While this lesson is not primarily a language arts lesson,
it can be used to satisfy many of the learning outcomes
for all grade levels. The outcomes satisfied will depend on
individual teachers’ modifications.
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
• 300-1: compare the external features and
behavioural patterns of animals that help them
thrive in different places
extinction
Grade 7
parts of the same source (e.g., compile information
from a variety of books, magazines, pamphlets,
and Internet sites, as well as from conversations
with experts, on the role of microorganisms in food
preservation)
Grade 9
Grade 11-12 Biology
• 213-6: use library and electronic research tools to
collect information on a given topic
• 214-17: identify new questions or problems that
arise from what was learned
• 215-1: communicate questions, ideas, and
intentions, and receive, interpret, understand,
support, and respond to the ideas of others
Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for
Collaboration in Education Links:
Language Arts:
As teachers modify this lesson to suit different age groups,
you may include slight modifications to satisfy many of the
general outcomes described in this protocol; specifically:
1.1
1.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.2
4.3
4.4
5.1
Discover and Explore
Clarify and Extend
Plan and Focus
Select and Process
Organize, Record and Evaluate
Enhance and Improve
Attend to Conventions
Present and Share
Encourage, Support and Work with Others
13
LESSON FOUR:
The Strange: Giant Beavers, Ground Sloths, Saiga
Antelope and Camels?
Grade levels: 4-12
Lesson Objective:
• Identify and describe in detail a personally selected
Beringia mammal
• Create an artistic representation of the animal
• Share his/her learning with the rest of the class
Materials:
• Computers with internet access.
Lesson Process:
1. Post the following list of Beringia Mammals on the
board or on the wall:
i. Giant Beaver
ii. Ground Sloth
iii. Saiga
iv. Giant Beaver
v. Scimitar Cat
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2. Students will choose the unusual animal they wish
to study in more depth, and through their choices
they will form groups with others studying the same
animal. While each student will create their own
project, working cooperatively can enhance their
learning experience. Ensure that each animal will be
represented.
3. Hand out the attached sheet describing the activity.
Students should start by browsing the website www.
beringia.com but may also choose to find information
in books, encyclopedias, or on other websites. They
will make a poster about their animal, featuring
illustrations and information. Circulate, ensuring that
students remain on-task and interested.
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 2-3
Life Science
of a species
Grade 4
Life Science
entire species.
various conditions
Grade 7
Life Science
other
Biology 11
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
sources
• organize information into a presentation with a
main idea and supporting details.
Grade 5
variety of primary and
• secondary sources.
Grade 6
a sturctured presentation
• using more than one form of representation.
Grade 7
15
learning outcomes:
Grade 11-12 Biology
Grade 4
extinction
Grade 7
preservation)
Grade 9
16
Language Arts:
1.1
1.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.1
4.2
4.3
5.1
Clarify and Extend
Plan and Focus
Select and Process
Enhance and Improve
Present and Share
Welcome to your project on Beringian Animals!
Here is what you have to do:
1. Choose the animal you will research. You will work
in a group with the other students who are also
researching the same animal. Get to know the students
in your group, remembering that you will be expected
to work cooperatively with them for the project.
Your teacher will take you to the computer lab. Go to
the site www.beringia.com, which is the website for
The Beringia Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon. It is full
of information on everything to do with Beringia, and
you will find a lot about your animal there.
2. Here is the information you must find about your
animal:
a. A full physical description (size, probable colour,
fur, teeth, etc.)
b. Diet: What did your animal eat?
c. Predators: What ate your animal?
d. Adaptations: What special features did your animal
e.
f.
g.
h.
have to allow it to survive and thrive during the Ice
Age?
Related modern animals.
The Latin Name for your animal
Did your animal become extinct or do members of
that same species exist today? Why do you think it
did or did not become extinct?
Any other interesting facts.
3. Next, you will put an illustration of your animal on
a poster along with the information you have found.
Make sure to write the information in your own words;
do not just print pages or sentences from the website
and glue them on. If you need help to understand some
words, ask your teacher. Do a good job, one that you
will be proud of!
4. Finally, you will present your findings to the class,
using your poster as a guide. Make sure to do a
thorough presentation, so that everyone learns
something.
17
LESSON FIVE:
The Familiar: Steppe Bison, Yukon Horse, Ground
Squirrels, Muskox
Grade levels: 4-12
Lesson Objective:
• Identify and describe in detail a personally selected
Beringia mammal
• Create an artistic representation of the animal
• Share his/her learning with the rest of the class
Materials:
• Computers with internet access.
Lesson Process:
1. Post the following list of Beringia Mammals on the
board or on the wall:
i. Steppe Bison
ii. Ground Squirrel
iii. Red Fox
iv. Muskox
v. Wolves
vi. Caribou
2. Students will now choose a familiar animal they wish
to study in more depth, and through their choices
18
they will form groups with others studying the same
animal. While each student will create their own
project, working cooperatively can enhance their
learning experience. Ensure that each animal will be
represented.
3. Hand out the attached sheet describing the activity.
Students should start by browsing the website www.
beringia.com but may also choose to find information
in books, encyclopedias, or on other websites. They
will make a poster about their animal, featuring
illustrations and information. Circulate, ensuring that
students remain on-task and interested.
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 2-3
Life Science
of a species
Grade 4
Life Science
entire species.
various conditions
Grade 7
Life Science
other
Biology 11
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
sources
• organize information into a presentation with a
main idea and supporting details.
Grade 5
variety of primary and
• secondary sources.
Grade 6
a sturctured presentation
• using more than one form of representation.
19
Grade 7
preservation)
Grade 9
Grade 11-12 Biology
Grade 4
learning outcomes:
extinction
Grade 7
20
Language Arts:
1.1
1.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.1
4.2
4.3
5.1
Clarify and Extend
Plan and Focus
Select and Process
Enhance and Improve
Present and Share
Welcome to your project on Beringian Animals!
Here is what you have to do:
1. Choose the animal you will research. You will work
in a group with the other students who are also
researching the same animal. Get to know the students
in your group, remembering that you will be expected
to work cooperatively with them for the project.
Your teacher will take you to the computer lab. Go to
the site www.beringia.com, which is the website for
The Beringia Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon. It is full
of information on everything to do with Beringia, and
you will find a lot about your animal there.
2. Here is the information you must find about your
animal:
a. A full physical description (size, probable colour,
fur, teeth, etc.)
b. Diet: What did your animal eat?
c. Predators: What ate your animal?
d. Adaptations: What special features did your animal
have to allow it to survive and thrive during the Ice
Age?
e. Related modern animals.
f. The Latin Name for your animal
g. Did your animal become extinct or do members of
that same species exist today? Why do you think it
did or did not become extinct?
h. Any other interesting facts.
3. Next, you will put an illustration of your animal on
a poster along with the information you have found.
Make sure to write the information in your own words;
do not just print pages or sentences from the website
and glue them on. If you need help to understand some
words, ask your teacher. Do a good job, one that you
will be proud of!
4. Finally, you will present your findings to the class,
using your poster as a guide. Make sure to do a
thorough presentation, so that everyone learns
something.
21
LESSON SIX:
Evolution Gets it Right! Forever Caribou
Lesson Objectives:
• Identify key information regarding ancient and
modern caribou
• Use the internet to search for specific information
• Create an argument either for or against an
important modern socioscientific issue.
Materials:
• Computers with Internet access
• Printed worksheets (attached)
Lesson Process:
1. Using the Beringia Centre website at www.beringia.
com, students must seek out the information to
complete the attached worksheet on ancient caribou.
The caribou is one of the species which survived the
22
large-scale mammal extinctions of about 10,000 years
ago. Students will use the information they gather and
their growing knowledge of Beringia to hypothesize
about why the caribou did not become extinct.
2. Next, they must surf the web to discover three more
sites about caribou. There are sites which track radiocollars on the Porcupine Caribou Herd, sites about
caribou themselves, and many more. Students must
record three interesting facts about each site they find.
3. Finally, students can research the Porcupine Caribou
Herd, a herd of barren ground caribou who are the
descendants of the Beringian Caribou, to answer the
question “Is the Porcupine Caribou Herd likely to
become endangered or extinct as a result of proposed
oil drilling in northern Alaska?” This will help the
students to relate modern concerns, especially the loss
of key habitat areas and its effect on wildlife, to the
ancient ancestors of the Porcupine herd.
Package Links:
Grade 4:
Life Science
Grade 4:
This activity satisfies or contributes to the following
learning outcomes:
organisms to their survival in local environments
entire species
Grade 8:
adapted to the conditions in each biome and how
these organisms interact with each other
Life Science (Social Issues)
• assess different impacts of using renewable and
nonrenewable natural resources
learning outcomes:
(All grades have a similar set of outcomes in their
“applications” sub-heading)
sources
• assess at least two perspectives on a problem or
issue
learning outcomes
Grade 4:
thrive in different kinds of places
• 301-1: predict how the removal of a plant or animal
population affects the rest of the community
• 302-2: describe how a variety of animals are able to
meet their basic needs in their habitat
23
Ancient Caribou
A. Go to the site www.beringia.com to find the answers to
the following questions:
1. When and where did the caribou originate as a
species?
2. Give a complete physical description of caribou:
3. Which are the most common parts of the caribou
found as fossils? Why?
4. Why do caribou migrate?
5. Describe the caribou’s diet:
6. Where did the oldest known caribou live? How
long ago?
7. Where was the oldest known fossil of a caribou
found? How old is the fossil?
8. Who were the main predators of caribou?
B. Now, browse the Internet to find at least three more
interesting sites on caribou. You must record three
24
interesting facts from each website you choose. You
will share these with your class:
1.site :
a.
b.
c.
2.site :
a.
b.
c.
3.site :
a.
b.
c.
C. Finally, research the Porcupine Caribou Herd, a herd
of barren ground caribou who are the descendants of
the Beringian Caribou, to answer the question “Is the
Porcupine Caribou Herd likely to become endangered
or extinct as a result of proposed oil drilling in
northern Alaska?” Defend your answer with specific
information from the websites, making sure that you
provide proper referencing for the Internet sites.
LESSON SEVEN:
What about people?
Objectives:
• discuss some of the archaeological information
regarding human beings in North America and
Beringia,
• realize that many different people hold different
theories of the origin and global movements of
human beings,
• compile a picture of life for human beings in
Beringia.
Lesson Process:
1. Let students know that in this lesson we will discuss
some of what is known about how long human
beings have been in North America, and life in
Beringia for people. It is important for students
to realize the process of theory development. A
theory is developed over time and through the use
of the “clues:” archaeological and palaeontological
information (fossils, footprints, frozen or preserved
remains, etc.) It is augmented by the oral histories of
local First Nations, who have passed on information
about events over many generations. Some of the
information comes from hundreds of years ago.
Some of the archaeological and palaeontological
finds were made over a hundred years ago. And every
day more information is coming to light that helps
us to complete the puzzle of what happened so long
ago. We may never have a complete answer as to
25
what happened in Beringia, when human beings first
stepped on to North American soil, or who the long
lost cultures really were. But with the growing body
of information, we can continue to build a picture.
This lesson will address what we do know, based on
archaeological findings and information from First
Nations in the Yukon and Alaska.
(You may wish to do Activity 16: Theory Soup, to
reinforce the development of theories and how they
can be interpreted; or, you can leave that activity to
accompany Lesson 9: What’s in a Theory?)
2. Give students the attached assignment sheet. They
will search through the Beringia Centre website
(www.beringia.com) to find out what we do know
about the people who lived in Beringia during the
last interglacial period. Advise them to pay special
attention to the Bluefish Caves excavation site, but
also to look in other key areas to find their information.
3. When they have finished, they can do Activity 15:
Making an Atl-Atl, Activity 13: When the World
Began, about different stories regarding the origins
of people, and a journal entry on “A Normal Day in
Beringia”.
learning outcomes:
26
Grade 4:
sources
Society and Culture
• describe how people’s basic needs are met in a
variety of cultures.
Grade 7:
Environment: Ancient World Cultures to AD 500
• evaluate how ancient cultures were influenced by
their environment
Western and Northern Canadian Protocol on
Education Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
Time, Continuity and Change
• 4-V-T-010: respect oral tradition as a source of
historical information
• 4-K-T-029: demonstrate awareness that accounts
of the past may vary according to different
perspectives
Grade 8:
Time, Continuity and Change
• 8-K-T-023: demonstrate awareness of the role of
archaeology in providing information about past
societies.
People of Beringia
In this lesson, you will look at what we know about the
people who lived in Beringia.
Find some answers to the following questions, taking notes
in point form on this page, and then write a one to twopage essay describing the people of Beringia.
1. Do we know some concrete dates when people were
definitely in Beringia?
Write down exactly how we know these dates.
2. What were some things in people’s diet?
3. What kind of clothing did people wear?
4. What kinds of tools did people use? How did they
make them?
5. What other details do we know about people’s daily
life?
6. What kinds of physical clues were found at excavation
sites?
Now, take good notes on any other points of interest to you
about People in Beringia.
27
LESSON EIGHT:
The Food Web
Grade levels: 4-12
Lesson Objective:
• Describe what is meant by producers and
consumers
• Understand and recreate the interactions of a food
web
• Contribute to the creation of the food web of
Beringia
• Consider his or her own place in the ongoing cycle
of production and consumption
Works well with:
• Science Probe 8 Unit VI Chapter 18:
~ 18.1: “The Earth’s Ecosystems”
~ 18.2: “Obtaining Energy and Nutrients”
~ 18.3: “Relationships Between Living Things”
28
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chalkboard and chalk
Students should have lined paper for notes
A large bulletin board or wall, covered in paper
Pictures of the animals and plants of Beringia
String, tape, scissors
A large black marker
Lesson Process:
1. Starting with the students at their desks, you will
walk them through the basic ideas of a food web.
Have them write “Food Web” at the top of their notes
page. Tell the students that all food has to come from
somewhere. Ask them where their food comes from.
(If you get answers like “the grocery store”, push
farther until the students realize that all food is either
plants or animals.) Write the items brainstormed
on the chalkboard under three columns, Plants,
Animals and Decomposers. (Under plants you should
have vegetables, fruits, grains like wheat, rice, etc.
Decomposers: bacteria, fungus, etc.) When you have
a sizeable list, ask the students where each animal gets
its food, until the class realizes that all food eventually
comes from plants. Circle the column of plants and
write in bold letters: PRODUCER. Ask students what
the word “produce” means (make). Tell them that
plants are the producers or makers of all of the food
in the world. They turn sunlight and nutrients from
the air and soil into food they store in their leaves,
stems, and roots. When they die, the stored food
(sometimes called “nutrients”) goes back into the soil
as they decompose. (*You may choose to accompany
this lesson with a science lesson on photosynthesis
and the CO2/O2 cycle as part of the Environmental
Chemistry unit.) If they are eaten, however, the stored
food goes into the animal that eats them. (Again,
this introduces the idea of the carbon cycle from the
Environmental Chemistry unit.) Ask students what
kinds of “nutrients” they get from plants. Tell them
that if they eat a big meal of potatoes, vegetables, rice,
and bread they will get a lot of energy and they will be
able to walk and run and think all day. Remind them
that all animals must have food in order to be able to
function and continue to live. Plants make the food we
eat. Go back and underline the word “Producer”. Now,
circle the animal column. Tell the students that animals
are not producers. We eat food, and we are called
“Consumers”. Write CONSUMERS in bold letters
beside the animals column. Make sure you add human
beings to the list of consumers. Tell the students that
the word “consume” means to eat or use up. So, plants
use sunlight and nutrients from the air and soil to
make food (produce food) and animals eat the plants,
consuming food. Some animals don’t eat plants;
they eat other animals. So, we have special names
for animals that just eat plants: Primary Consumers.
Brainstorm a list of modern primary consumers.
This works well if you write “PLANTS:GRASSES,
SEEDS, ETC.” at the bottom of the board, with
PRODUCERS off to the left hand side, then ANIMALS:
COWS, RABBITS , HORSES ETC. above it with
PRIMARY CONSUMERS to the left, and then each
successive level of consumer above the last.
2. Brainstorm a list of which animals eat the primary
consumers. Group them as Secondary Consumers.
The animals that eat Secondary Consumers are
Tertiary Consumers. You can continue to Quaternary
Consumers if you wish. Some animals will be in more
than one category. For example, as a human I may
be a primary consumer, eating a salad or a potato, a
secondary consumer if I have a steak, and a tertiary
consumer if I eat a carnivorous fish or bird. Students
should take this information down in their notes.
3. Make sure to emphasize the role played by
decomposers, highlighting the cyclical nature of food/
energy.
4. Now, do Activity 15: Making A Beringia Food Web
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 7:
Life Science
• describe all organisms in terms of their roles as part
of interconnected food webs.
• Describe ways in which species interact with each
other
29
learning outcomes
Grade 4:
used in science and technology contexts (e.g.,
use appropriate terminology such as habitat,
behavioural and structural features, food chain,
population, and community)
• 302-3: classify organisms according to their role in
a food chain
30
Grade 7:
graphs, and scatter plots (e.g., prepare a chart
showing the flow of energy in a food web that
exists in the school yard)
• 304-2: identify the roles of producers, consumers,
and decomposers in a local ecosystem, and describe
both their diversity and their interactions
• 306-1: describe how energy is supplied to, and how
it flows through, a food web
• 306-2: describe how matter is recycled in an
ecosystem through interactions among plants,
animals, fungi, and microorganisms.
LESSON NINE:
What’s in a Theory?
Objectives:
• differentiate between theory and truth
• understand that theories develop over time and with
new evidence
• identify some theories which attempt to explain the
archaeological and palaeontological evidence of
human origins and human history in North America
Lesson Process:
1. Students will research and discuss theories in this
lesson. We have dealt with two major theories in
this unit: the theory of evolution, and the theory
of Beringia. Remind students that for most of the
phenomena we think we understand in the world, we
are working from theories. The idea that the earth is
round instead of flat was a theory (and considered by
many to be wrong!) until more modern technology was
able to show its truth. That the earth rotates around the
sun and not the opposite was also considered a theory
until it was finally proven, as well. Scientists collect
and study data, looking for connections and patterns
within the information. A theory is the best possible
explanation that can be found using scientifically
sound methods and processes to fit the known data
concerning a topic. So, it is like being partway through
a jigsaw puzzle, and predicting what the final picture
will be. As you fit more pieces into the puzzle, you get
an ever more clear picture of what it will look like.
A theory, then, is more than just a guess. It must be
composed of actual data, and it must take into account
all of the known information. If there are facts that
contradict the theory, then the theory must grow and
change to encompass the new information. Sometimes
new information shows major flaws in a theory, and
it’s back to the drawing board to understand how
the pieces fit together. Many theories will never be
completely proven to be “true,” but will always be the
best explanationand the closest to the truth that we can
get.
2. On a piece of lined paper, have students create two
columns: We Know and Theory. Go back over the
information learned so far in this unit, creating entries
in each column. For example, you may say “Mammoth
bones have been found in excavations” and students
would put that under “We Know.” Then, you may
31
say “Mammoths crossed into North America over the
exposed land called Beringia during the last glacial
period” which would be under “Theory.”
3. Older grades: Now, students will research alternate
theories than Beringia for the presence of Human
Beings in the Americas. There are alternate theories
out there. Students must assess the factual basis of the
theory: is it based on a sufficient amount observed fact
or does it lack substance? They must relate the theory
to what they have learned about the archaeological
and palaeontological data cited on the Beringia site.
Finally, they must present the theory to the class.
The class will compare all of the theories discussed,
and decide which they believe, as a class and as
individuals, to be closest to the truth.
learning outcomes:
32
Grade 11/12
•
114-2: explain the roles of evidence, theories, and
paradigms in the development of scientific knowledge
(e.g., explain how our knowledge of pathogen
resistance to antibiotics has contributed to our
knowledge of evolution)
•
114-5: describe the importance of peer review in the
development of scientific knowledge (e.g., describe
how the theory of evolution was refined by the
contributions of different scientists)
•
115-7: explain how scientific knowledge evolves as
new evidence comes to light and as laws and theories
are tested and subsequently restricted, revised, or
replaced (e.g., explain how fossil data contributed to
the theory of the evolution of species)
•
213-6: use library and electronic research tools to
collect information on a given topic (e.g., use the
Internet to access Web sites and collect relevant
information on evolution and biodiversity)
LESSON TEN:
Archaeology vs.
Palaeontology
Objectives:
• Differentiate between archaeology and
palaeontology
• Describe some of the processes of each study
• Report on a Canadian archaeologist or
palaeontologist
Lesson Process:
1. Write the terms Archaeology and Palaeontology on the
board. Have students copy them into their books. Tell
students that archaeology is the study of prehistoric
people through excavating and examining physical
artifacts. Archaeologists locate sites and dig down into
the earth to find objects left from cultures who didn’t
leave written records of their history. They put the
objects together to reconstruct parts of those cultures.
Palaeontology is the study of ancient/extinct plants and
animals through fossils and other physical evidence.
Palaeontologists also perform excavations to locate
fossil evidence in the earth, and build on the physical
evidence to create theories.
2. Students are now to research on the internet and
find a Canadian archaeologist or palaeontologist.
They should provide a brief biography and describe
what projects they have been or are working on. OR
they can research a current or past archaeological or
palaeontological excavation or discovery and report on
what was or is being learned. AND they can research
archaeological and palaeontological methods and
practices.
3. They should share their discoveries with the class,
either orally or in a written presentation.
learning outcomes
Grade 4
used in science and technology contexts
Grade 5
communicate ideas, processes, and results
Grade 6
• 107-11: identify examples of careers in which
science and technology play a major role (e.g.,
identify examples of careers such as environmental
chemist, paleontologist, and wildlife biologist)
Grade 9
• 112-12: provide examples of Canadian
contributions to science and technology
33
ACTIVITY ONE:
Family/Parent Quiz on
Beringia
Homework, plus discussion in class
This is a good activity to build bridges between school
and home. It gives the students a reason to involve their
families in their studies, so that the parents or families
know that the students have started a unit on Beringia.
Parents often want to take an interest in what their child
is learning, but when they ask questions about what their
child is learning in school, they receive the universal
“nothing” as an answer.
1. Hand out the following questionnaire to students to
take home. They must interview as many members of
their families as possible to achieve their results. Let
the students know that it is fine if their families don’t
know anything about Beringia yet – the students will
just be the teachers at home over the next two weeks!
2. When students return the following day with the
questionnaires, encourage them to share their results in
a class discussion.
Take this sheet home with you this afternoon, and
interview as many members of your family as you can
about Beringia, asking the following questions and writing
down their answers:
1. Have you ever heard of a place called Beringia?
2. Have you ever heard of a Woolly Mammoth?
3. What do you think North America was like during
the last Ice Age?
4. Do you believe me when I tell you that there used
to be Giant Beavers and Giant Ground Sloths?
5. Do you think there were ever camels in North
America?
Tell your family that you have started a new unit at school
on Beringia, and that you will be learning a lot about all
of the things mentioned above, and more! They can ask
you about what you are doing each day, and you will have
something new and fabulous to tell them!
34
ACTIVITY TWO:
Erosion for Kids!
This is a quick ice activity for younger grades. Take a
large plastic container half filled with sand/gravel in
hills, and lay dozens ice cubes or an ice “sheet” (made by
freezing water flat in zip-lock bags) on top. Have students
predict what will happen to the sand and ice, writing
their predictions down. Set a time for regular periodic
observations (10 minutes?) and have students record their
observations on the same paper. Review the importance
of using scientific language to describe what they see. (“It
looks kind of funny.” doesn’t let others understand what
happened in the experiment, but “It became bumpier and
much of the sand washed away with the melting water”
creates an appropriate mental image). Let the students
play with the sand and water for ten minutes or so at the
end of the experiment, and then have them write down
their observations of what happens to sand when it meets
water. When they are done, have some students share
their written observations with others. Discuss where their
observations are similar, and where they are different.
Give examples of how scientific terminology can help
us to understand each other, using terms like “erosion”,
“melting” etc. Brainstorm a list of questions that arise
from their observations (ie. “What would happen if the
composition changed from sand to rock, or clay, or soil,
or a mixture?” “How would this experiment change if the
water was frozen right into the sand instead of being on top
of it?” ) Finally, have students design a future experiment,
and write a prediction and hypothesis about it based on
what they have observed today.
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
K-1:
Applications of Science:
• collaborate with others in scientific investigations
• suggest possible interpretations for a set of
observations
• suggest questions for investigations
Earth and Space Science:
• describe the effects of water and wind on rocks and
soil
Grade 2-3:
• conduct simple tests and describe observations
• communicate scientific observations to peers,
teachers and family
Physical Science:
• differentiate between solids, liquids, and gases
• demonstrate changes in properties of matter when
heated or cooled
Grade 4:
• predict the results of an experiment
• construct simple definitions based on their
experiment
• demonstrate an ability to recognize a valid
interpretation of their results
• present their interpretation of results from an
experiment
Grade 5:
•
•
•
•
design a scientific experiment
identify and test a prediction
correctly state a hypothesis
differentiate between relevant and irrelevant
information
• use appropriate technologies to record, measure,
save, and retrieve data
Grade 6:
• design a scientific test and evaluate its fairness
• draw reasonable conclusions from experiments
Physical Science:
• classify changes to matter as either chemical or
physical
• identify factors affecting chemical or physical
changes
• demonstrate chemical or physical changes
Grade 7:
• select an appropriate procedure for an investigation
• design an experiment involving two or more
variables
• select appropriate equipment and techniques
to collect useful qualitative and quantitative
information.
• investigate how models may be used to think about
processes that cannot be observed directly
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
• 104-1: demonstrate processes for investigating
scientific questions and solving technological
problems.
• 104-4: compare the results of their investigations to
those of others and recognize that results may vary.
used in science and technology contexts.
• 204-3: state a prediction and hypothesis based on
an observed pattern of events.
• 204-6: identify various methods for finding answers
to give questions and solutions to given problems,
and select one that is appropriate.
• 205-5: make observations and collect information
that is relevant to a given question or problem.
arise from what was learned.
• 207-2: communicate procedures and results, using
lists, notes in point form, sentences, charts, graphs,
drawings, and oral language.
Grade 5:
104-7: demonstrate the importance of using the languages
of science and technology to communicate ideas
• 204-3: state a prediction and hypothesis based on
an observed pattern of events.
that is relevant toa given question or problem.
35
Grade 6:
• 204-6: identify various methods for finding answers
to given questions and solutions to given problems,
and select one that is appropriate.
arise from what was learned.
Grade 7:
• 109-12: distinguish between terms that are
scientific or technological and those that are not.
• 208-5: state a prediction and a hypothesis based on
background information or an observed pattern of
events.
ACTIVITY THREE:
A Land for Living
30 minutes class time. Finish for homework
What would it be like to find yourself in Beringia? What
would the land look like? How would you choose a place
to build a shelter? What would you need in a site? For
many years, all over the world, human beings have had
to find good places to live. To do this, we have to have
a list in our heads of what must be near our shelter. For
example, if there is no water source near your shelter, you
will have to walk for kilometres every day and carry heavy
containers of water back to your home.
In this activity, students will create a diorama of the
perfect spot to build a home in Beringia. Remember that
the landscape was mostly one of grassy plains. There
were rarely any trees, but in warmer periods some small
evergreens would grow. (Students may consult with the
beautiful reconstructions of Beringia created by George
Teichmann on the website at www.beringia.com . You may
wish to print some of these as inspiration for the students,
as well.)
1. Each student must bring a shoebox, other small box, or
square of cardboard approximately 12” x 12”.
2. Brainstorm with students on basic needs. Without cars,
grocery stores, or taps, what do they need to have near
their home?
3. Use self-drying modelling clay (expensive!) or make
a medium such as brown/yellow and blue playdough
(see recipe attached) that will stay malleable if covered
but dry hard if left to the air.
4. Students must mold a landscape for their new home.
Do they want some small hills for shelter from the
wind? Do they want a stream or river nearby? What
about animal pathways or grazing areas? They must
think of all of these things before they shape their
landscape.
5. Cover the playdough landscape with 1⁄2” clippings
of dried wild grasses. If they insist on very small
trees nearby, they may make them. They can sprinkle
the top of the playdough with sand, and use small
stones to represent erratics. Get creative! Use the blue
playdough for the water. Encourage students to make a
site for a home where they would really want to live.
6. Afterwards, you may choose to have students write
a short paragraph about the site they have made, to
be affixed to the top of their diorama or in front of
their square of cardboard. They should explain why
they made their decisions, what criteria they used for
making their site, and what they wish could be in their
site that didn’t exist in the Beringian landscape.
Making Playdough:
2 + cups flour, 1⁄2 cup table salt, 1 cup hot tap water
Mix the flour and salt. Stir in the hot water until it gets too
thick to stir, then use your hand to knead more in the bowl.
When you have a ball that holds together, dump it out
36
ACTIVITY FOUR:
and knead it some more until you achieve a good smooth
product. You may have to add more flour if it is too sticky.
You want the dough to be malleable but to also hold its
shape when sculpted. Colour with food colouring or liquid
tempera paint. Store in two or three sealed plastic bags.
Use soon after making. If you leave it exposed to the air, it
will dry out and your landscape will become “permanent”.
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
Society and Culture
variety of cultures
Grade 7:
• evaluate how ancient cultures were influenced by
their environment
Animal Puzzles
10-15 minutes per puzzle
This activity takes a bit of prep, but you can keep the
puzzles to use year after year. We have attached the
masters for some puzzles featuring Beringia animals.
Each puzzle was created at the Beringia Center, and has
important information about each animal on it. Print out
the master, enlarge it as much as you can (the originals are
about 1m x 1.25m), even using it plotter if possible. Affix
the paper to a sheet of 1⁄4” - 1⁄2” plywood, and then use a
jigsaw to cut the pieces out. Varnish or plasticize the tops
of the pieces.
**** If this is too labour-intensive and costly, you can
enlarge the puzzles to 11x17 size and then attach to
cardboard and cut out. Hardware or home stores carry clear
“mactac”, or shelf liner, which is a cheap and easy way to
plasticize and protect the pieces.
Set up stations; one for each puzzle you have created.
Students can work together in small groups to assemble the
puzzles and then record the information in their portfolios.
Remind them of the unit test, which will encourage them
to pay close attention to the necessary information.
37
ACTIVITY FIVE:
Group Mural Project
One class (or more if you really want to make it
detailed)
When my class is studying a topic, I love to create a
complementary ambience in the classroom. This project
will transform one wall into “Beringia”. Students will
be constantly reminded of the landscape, the plants, and
the animals of this long-ago place. When writing in their
journals, they can use the Beringia mural for inspiration or
dreaming.
1. Cover one wall or a portion thereof with paper. If
you are wonderfully artistic, paint the background
with a pale blue Beringia sky, some far-off towering
glaciers, and a lot of rolling grassland. You can add in
a lake or stream, some rocks... use your imagination.
For more inspiration, refer to the Beringia paintings
done by George Teichmann on the website at www.
beringia.com . You may wish to print some of these as
inspiration for the students, as well.
If you are less artistic, you could use blue and brown/
yellow paper to indicate the landscape and have
38
students make the glaciers, grasses, stream, etc. to
complete the detail.
2. As a class, make decisions about the layout of the
mural. Which animals will be there? Will they be
interacting or not? Will it be a battle scene or a
peaceful one? Will there be the suspense of a creeping
scimitar cat about to pounce? Which animals will be
in the foreground and which will be in the distance?
3. Each student can choose a Beringian animal (or two,
or three...) to represent. They must draw and colour/
paint the animal themselves. Some students may
choose to represent one group of animals and work
collaboratively on those. They can refer to the website
and the Teichmann paintings for inspiration. Stress that
this is “our class’s” mural, and not a reproduction of
a professional painting. Students should do their very
best, and personalize the mural.
4. When students are ready, they can add their animals to
the mural. Ongoing discussions and late additions keep
the energy flowing.
5. Invite a class, teachers, or administrators in to see your
mural. Have them give feedback to the students about
their work.
ACTIVITY SEVEN:
Survivor: Beringia!
1⁄2 hour to one hour
This is a wonderful physical activity that allows students
to really inhabit the reality of life for the animals. I have
had endless fun playing similar games with classes from
Grades 6 to10, but you can extend it to other grades as
well. It can be played indoors in a gym if necessary, but is
much more psychologically effective outside. I use it as a
bargaining tool – if all classwork is finished before 2:30
we’ll go outside for another game!
ACTIVITY SIX:
Making Tracks!
20 minutes
Materials:
•
•
•
•
Black Cardboard or Construction Paper
Printouts of attached track sillouettes
Scissors
Clear shelf-liner or wide clear packing tape
1. Set up stations around the classroom, and as students
enter send them evenly to each station. Each station
will contain black paper, the printouts of one animal’s
track, scissors, and shelf-liner (“mactac” – cheap and
available at hardware/home stores).
2. Instruct students to create as many tracks as possible
in ten minutes, working neatly and covering them with
tape or shelf-liner to preserve them. After 10 minutes,
students must stop and, group by group, they must
guess which animal made their tracks.
3. Choose an area – it could be the classroom, the
hallways of the school, the office, the playground,
etc. Students take heavy tape and create a sequence
of tracks made by their wandering animal. They
may choose to have their animal stop at the water
fountain for a drink, go outside to play, or have a visit
at the office. They have ten minutes to complete the
sequence, ensuring that the tracks are spaced as if an
animal had made them while walking.
1. Print out the cards below and cut them out. Make
sure you have a clipboard with a class list on it to
keep points, a whistle, and a reflective jacket. Go
over all rules with students before they start the game,
especially noting that when they hear the whistle they
must return to the starting point immediately.
2. Send a few students to spread the “grass” and “seed”
cards. Make sure there is a clearly delineated area in
which the cards will be spread (we used the verge
of an old unused dirt road in the woods on school
property.)
3. Designate a student to be scorekeeper (often one
student cannot participate because of poor health etc.)
4. Each student is handed a card with the name of an
animal and a daily food quota number. The herbivores
are allowed a thirty second head start, then the
carnivores may follow.
5. The object of the game is to get enough food to sustain
you for a day. Each time a student does that, they get a
point beside their name. To do so, the herbivores must
gather the number of seed or grass cards indicated on
their card. The carnivores must tag the herbivores.
When a carnivore catches an herbivore, he or she gains
that number towards their food quota. They may have
to catch a lot of herbivores to get enough food for
a day. Several carnivores may “gang up” on a large
herbivore like a mammoth or bison, and then share the
points.
6. When one student sees another, they must call out
which animal they are. They must do so immediately,
and be honest!
39
7. When they have attained their food quota, they return
to the teacher and trade in their card, along with the
cards of those they have eaten. They get a point beside
their name, and then are handed a new card. To keep
the game going, you can institute a rule in which the
new “animal” has to rescatter some of the grass and
seeds before he or she can start finding food. A student
who has been eaten must return to you for a new card.
8. If you feel that play is becoming too predictable, or
just want to liven up the last five minutes of the game,
you can choose a student to wear the reflective jacket
and become fire, famine, or disease. They kill anyone
they see.
9. Blow the whistle to end the game leaving at least a
few minutes to discuss it. Have students gather round
and share their experiences. I just love hearing what
students have to say about this game. I’ll never forget a
student, tired and red-faced, growling: “It’s HARD to
be a mouse!”
Grade 7:
Life Science:
10. Have students write about the experiences they had
playing the game in their journals.
Pan Canadian Science Protocol Links
British Columbia Science K-7 Integrated
Reource Package Links:
This activity will contribute to or satisfy the following
learning outcomes:
Grade 2-3:
Life Science:
• demonstrate a knowledge of what animals need to
survive
• explain how animals interact with each other
Grade 4:
Life Science:
organisms to their survival in local environments.
• give examples of how differences in individuals of
the same species may give them an advantage in
surviving and reproducing.
variety of conditions.
40
of interconnected food webs
other
learning outcomes:
Grade 4
• 205: observe and investigate their environment and
record the results
that is relevant to a given question or problem
• 302: describe interactions within natural systems
and the elements required to maintain these systems
a food chain
Grade 7
and decomposers in a local ecosystem, and
describe both their diversity and their interactions
Print 3 (or more) of:
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
2 leaves
2 leaves
5 leaves
2 leaves
2 leaves
5 leaves
2 leaves
2 leaves
5 leaves
2 leaves
2 leaves
5 leaves
2 leaves
2 leaves
5 leaves
41
42
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
1 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
5 grass
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
2 seeds
43
Print 2 of:
44
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
Wolly Mammoth 65
Baby Mammoth 40
Ground Sloth 20
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
American Mastodon 65
Giant Beaver 20
Steppes Bison 30
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
Yukon Horse 15
Helmeted Muskox 25
Ancient Caribou 15
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
North American Saiga 10
North American Saiga 10
Ice Age Camel 10
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
HERBIVORE:
Ground Squirrel 5
Ground Squirrel 5
Ground Squirrel 5
CARNIVORE:
CARNIVORE:
CARNIVORE:
Short-Faced Bear 30
American Lion 40
American Lion 40
CARNIVORE:
CARNIVORE:
CARNIVORE:
Scimitar Cat 30
Short-Faced Bear 30
Scimitar Cat 30
ACTIVITY EIGHT:
A Beringia Journal
10 minutes/class, ongoing
Journals are a great way to allow students to follow trains
of thought. Start each class with ten minutes of journal
writing to focus students’ attention and imagination on
Beringia. Here are some ideas for setting up themes and
topics:
1. I am in Beringia. A rift in the space-time continuum
has created an exact double of you, and transported
that other you back to Beringia. Over the course of this
unit, you will keep a daily journal of your alter-ego’s
experience, writing a brief summary of the exciting
events of the day. Don’t forget, he or she has to find
shelter, safety, food, and water. What will he or she
see? Will he or she meet other people? Will they
communicate? Will he or she see animals? Use your
imagination, and really picture yourself standing there.
2. I am an archaeologist. You are an archaeologist
studying ancient Beringia. Each day, you will be given
a new “discovery,” which you must discuss in your
journal.
Examples: Today you found a large, slender, curved
bone that is serrated like a steak knife. It has a fracture
in it. Describe the animal it came from, how and where
you found it, what you hope to find tomorrow, etc.
3. A Day in the Life... Choose your favourite Beringian
animal and write a daily diary of their life. You must
use your imagination to make the animal’s life eventful
and factual. Or, you may choose a different Beringian
animal each day and write about what happened to that
animal on that day.
Language Arts:
1.1
1.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
1.2
1.3
1.4
5.1
Clafiry and Extend
Plan and Focus
Select and Process
Enhance and Improve
Present and Share
45
ACTIVITY NINE:
Making a Mammoth
(Skeleton Project)
Homework, then one class
1. First, distribute to students the diagram and questions
about the Mammoth Skeleton. They can finish
labelling the diagram for homework. (Omit this step
for younger grades.)
2. Drawing freehand or using the photocopier, enlarge
each bone as much as you can. Remember that real
mammoths were 3 metres high at the shoulder!!
3. Cut out each bone and glue the paper onto cardstock
or cardboard. Number each bone as you make it, and
keep a “master” copy of the skeleton, in case you end
up with a bone which is hard to identify! If you are
working with young grades, you could mark, outline
or colour each kind of bone with a different colour
and replicate the colour scheme on the diagram of the
complete skeleton to help them fit it together.
4. Mix up the bones. As students enter the classroom
divide them into groups of four. Hand each group a
pile of bones. They must use their diagram to discover
which bones they have and where they fit on the
skeleton.
5. As a class, decide which bones you will start with to
build your Mammoth. One representative from each
group will bring each bone as it is called for and add
it to the skeleton. You can glue them together, or use
push-pins or paper clips to keep your bones reusable
for next year. Also, if it isn’t glued you can change
the stance of your Mammoth as need be. Keep your
Mammoth in the classroom (if there’s room!), or the
main foyer of your school, and include him/her in the
life of the class. Keep it fun!
British Columbia Science K-7 Integrated
Resource Package Links
learning outcomes:
46
Grade 4:
Life Sciences:
• compare and contrast the skeletal and muscular
systems of humans and various animals.
ACTIVITY TEN:
Being a Sloth
Transportation and 1⁄4 hour
This is an activity for a day with good weather. Take
students out to a shrubby area. Sit in a circle, with students
still so that they can hear you. Say something along these
lines:
“Today you will have a different experience from any
you have had before. More and more, as our modern
lives increase in speed and stress, we try to move faster
and faster. We rush past most of the things in our world
without even seeing them. We are always looking for faster
ways of doing our daily tasks, faster means of travel and
communication – we even talk faster and faster! Today we
will stop being humans for fifteen minutes. For that time,
we will become sloths. There are sloths in the world today.
They are small, smaller than an average dog. They live in
trees, and may go many hours without even moving their
head or twitching a finger. A really active moment for them
is reaching out (so slowly) to pluck a leaf off of a branch,
then to slowly slowly put the leaf in their mouth and chew
it. In Beringia there were gigantic sloths, called Jefferson’s
Ground Sloths. They lived mostly on the ground. Today
we will be Jefferson’s Ground Sloths. I will take each of
you to a different spot nearby, and you must make your
way back here in fifteen minutes. You will only be about
a two minute walk away. You must move as slowly as
you possibly can. You might just sit for a long time. You
might pause to scratch your shoulder for three minutes or
so. The key to this is: you can’t talk. You may only talk in
an emergency. You must imagine yourself as a sloth. What
would a sloth be thinking about? What do you notice
when you are a sloth? What is around you? What sights
or sounds or smells? Here are some descriptive terms
about Jefferson’s Ground Sloths to help you imagine them:
• Jefferson’s Ground Sloths were long-haired and
about 3 metres long.
• They had short, deep skulls and blunt snouts.
• They had heavy, strong jaws.
• They had strong, broad tails which were used to
help them balance.
• They had three clawed toes on the back feet, and
curved claws on the front.
read a description of its attributes, taking notes. Next, they
must find descriptions and pictures of the modern polar
bear, grizzly bear, and black bear. Using information on
the internet, what they have learned about adaptations,
and the illustrations they procure, they must compare the
adaptations made by each bear to its natural environment.
(i.e. polar bears have black skin and hollow translucent
fur in order to filter sunlight. Grizzlies have long claws for
digging roots and catching salmon.) Each student should
create pages for his/her journal containing a sketch of each
bear, labelling and describing key adaptations.
(*Modification for grades 2-5: A really great classroom
resource for younger grades is a book entitled Alaska’s
Three Bears by Shannon Cartwright and Shelley Gill,
published by Sasquatch Books, ISBN 0-934007-11-X. It
is a story of the three above-mentioned modern bears, but
at the bottom of each page it contains really great facts
about each type of bear. You could provide the picture and
information about the short-faced bear and compare it to
the three modern bears.)
Show students pictures of the sloths, and then lead them
around to their individual spots. Make sure they have
enough privacy to let their imaginations work, while also
being within easy earshot of you. Give them their fifteen
minutes. If any come back too soon, they must sit as
motionless as possible, thinking about sloths. When the
time is up, call out for them to come in. Sit down again
and debrief the experience. What did they notice? What
would it be like to be a sloth? What was positive? What
was negative? When you return to class, give students a
chance to write about their time in their journals and to
draw a Jefferson’s Ground Sloth.
ACTIVITY ELEVEN:
One Two Three Bear!
This is an activity which compares how different kinds of
bear adapted to their environments:
Send students to the computers. They must first, at www.
beringia.com , find a picture of a Short-Faced Bear and
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grades 2-3:
Life Science
47
Grade 4:
Life Science:
Biology 11:
Adaptation and Evolution
• differentiate among and give examples of
convergence, divergence and speciation.
learning outcomes
Grade 4:
Grade 6:
• 301-15: compare the adaptations of closely related
animals living in different parts of the world and
discuss reasons for any differences
ACTIVITY TWELVE:
The Eternal Caribou
This is a project which combines art with the information
already gathered in lesson six.
Students will sketch a caribou and then use watercolour
paints and paper to artistically render the idea of the
caribou as a survivor. They must then use a black pen to
neatly and concisely label key areas of the caribou which
have enable their survival. For example, as part of the
background the students could write “The sedges, grasses,
lichens, and other small groundcovering plants of the
Beringian times still grow abundantly in the areas of the
Yukon and Alaska through which the Caribou migrate” and
“Caribou are highly adaptable”. Remind them that this is
an artistic project, and that aesthetics are highly important.
48
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
Life Science
entire species
Grade 8:
adapted to the conditions in each biome and how
these organisms interact with each other
learning outcomes
Grade 4:
• 301-1: predict how the removal of a plant or animal
population affects the rest of the community
ACTIVITY THIRTEEN:
When the World Began
In this activity, students will either perform a personal
interview with an elder or use the internet and library
books to research creation stories from different cultural
groups. Introduce students to the idea that each culture has
a story about how and when the world began, how and
when people were created, and other important events.
Students will find a creation story from a First Nation in
Canada, draw an illustration to accompany the story, and
read it to the class.
Western and Northern Canadian Protocol on
Education Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 5
Culture and Community
• 5-K-CC-008: demonstrate an awareness of First
Nations and Inuit stories of their origins.
2. Stand back and look at what you have made. Discuss
the food web. Which animals do the students think
would need to work the hardest for their food? Why?
Which animals would be the first to become extinct if
the climate changed? Why? Which animals ate the
widest variety of foods? Which only ate one kind of
food?
3. Students should return to their desks and create the
Beringia Food Web in their own notes on a fresh page.
They don’t need to draw each animal; instead they can
just write the name and clearly indicate what each one
eats.
Package Links:
learning outcomes:
Grade 7:
Life Science
of interconnected food webs.
other
ACTIVITY FOURTEEN:
Making a Beringia Food
Web
15-20 minutes, then discussion
1. Each student or group needs to be assigned to draw
a picture of at least one Beringian plant or animal.
Go to the bulletin board, taking your tape and string.
Standing back, tell the students that they must work
together to create the Beringia Food Web. Guide them
as they go, encouraging them to start at the bottom
with the plants, labelling them as Producers, and that
they should label the other levels of consumption as
well. They must attach a string from each animal to
each of the things it eats. If an animal appears in more
than one category, it should be put in the highest of
those categories. Have a student with neat writing
entitle their project “The Beringia Food Web”.
learning outcomes
Grade 4:
used in science and technology contexts (e.g.,
use appropriate terminology such as habitat,
behavioural and structural features, food chain,
population, and community)
a food chain
Grade 7:
graphs, and scatter plots (e.g., prepare a chart
showing the flow of energy in a food web that
exists in the school yard)
and decomposers in a local ecosystem, and describe
both their diversity and their interactions
49
• 306-2: describe how matter is recycled in an
ecosystem through interactions among plants,
animals, fungi, and microorganisms
Leaders/Teachers:
Precut the sinew pieces, leather straps, cut and peel polar
bases or obtain preformed bases, keeping in mind grip size
(small hand = small diameter base), and the length (elbow
to finger tip). Let kids get their own rocks or provide a
variety to choose from.
Note: Sinew needs to be pulled tightly as it wraps. Have
a finished atlatl displayed to show expected outcome.
ACTIVITY FIFTEEN:
Making an Atl-atl
The attached sheets outline how to make a spear thrower,
or Atl-atl, typical of that which would have been used by
people in Beringia. Print out the attached sheets and make
or have kids make an atl-atl. Then you can make different
targets to hit, and have an atl-atl throwing competition.
How to Build an Atl-atl in
5 Easy Steps
Supplies:
• Bases, hooks or spurs, sinew, glue, leather, stones,
drill. sandpaper, scissors, (verathane, paint and
brushes are optional).
• Flipchart with steps written out in large print.
1. Sand base as required. (Paint optional)
2. Hook or spur: Drill an angle hole 1-2 cm from the tip
or use slot. Insert hook at 30-45 degree angle. Cup
hooks can be screwed into slotted preformed base.
Wrap about 50 cm of sinew around spur to reinforce it.
Smear glue over sinew.
3. Handgrip: Precut pieces 12-16 cm long. Loop under
base, room for one finger/thumb at each side of base.
Fold over about 2cm each side, wrap sinew tightly to
secure it in place.
4. Banner Stone (Rock): If placed high up will act as a
silencer, stone butterfly shape. If placed lower it acts
to give more power. Usually is good at about 1/3 the
way up over the handgrip. Needs to have a flat bottom
and fit well to base. Sinew it to base with an X pattern,
glue over it.
5. Decorate, paint or add decorative markings. May be
verathaned to preserve paint.
Recommendation: Let dry for 24 hours.
50
ACTIVITY SIXTEEN:
Theory Soup
In this activity, students will have the opportunity to come
up with theories of their own to explain a given set of facts.
Get half a dozen plastic tubs or cardboard boxes. In each
box you will put a large number of “clues,” including such
things as:
• cement “fossils” of plants, animal bones, insects,
or footprints (See “making a fossil” activity in the
webquest on the teacher’s page)
• some of the animal tracks you made in activity six
• cut bones – you can get sliced cow bone sections
from your grocer – just boil them well with vinegar
and let them dry out for a long time so they don’t
smell!
• hair or fur
• tools/broken tools
• written words: slips of paper describing an artifact,
or describing the location where theitems were
found, etc.
• you could make a modern mystery – include kids’
toys, buttons, articles of clothing, a wallet, a bus
pass, etc.
• use your own imagination!
Make sure each box is different, and contains a number of
different objects. As students arrive, divide them into six
groups; one per container. They must go to the container,
and, as a group, they have ten minutes to examine the
items within and come up with a reasonable explanation
of why and how the items ended up in one place together.
They must write a detailed description of their theory.
When the whistle blows, they pack up the box and
exchange with another group, and repeat the process.
Continue until the groups have each examined at least four
boxes, then sit down and go through the boxes one by one,
sharing the different theories invented and talking about
how the students made decisions and deductions. Discuss
the connections between this activity and the development
of scientific theories, and the importance of having other
experts examine the same evidence in order to provide a
more complete interpretation of events.
learning outcomes
Grade 11/12:
• 114-2: explain the roles of evidence, theories,
and paradigms in the development of scientific
knowledge
• 114-5: describe the importance of peer review in
the development of scientific knowledge
• 115-7: explain how scientific knowledge evolves
as new evidence comes to light and as laws and
theories are tested and subsequently restricted,
revised, or replaced
ACTIVITY SEVENTEEN:
Writing: Human
Adaptation
30-45 minutes
The students have learned about adaptation and extinction.
Now they can use their imaginations to create a fictional
account of a future human adaptation. Imagine a major
shift in the Earth’s climate or living conditions that may
jeopardize the continued existence of human beings. You
could stay with the idea of global warming or cooling.
Projecting their imagination ten thousand years in the
future, what kinds of adaptations will human beings have
made? They must write a full story, with an introduction
and a conclusion. They must set the scene, describing what
has happened on the Earth. And they must have at least
one adaptation the human species has made to continue
to survive on the Earth. They may choose to write it in
the style of a news report or a short story in the first or
third person. They should have a colour illustration to
accompany their story. Students should share their stories
with each other, either orally or with all stories collated in
a class storybook for silent reading. Students could take
these home, or you could keep them for future classes to
read for inspiration.
51
ACTIVITY EIGHTEEN:
An Eye for Something
Different
15-20 minutes, then discussion
One of the skills an archaeologist or paleontologist must
master is being able to recognize substances that are
different from their surroundings, even if the differences
are minute. Here is a hands-on activity designed to help
students “tune” their eyes:
1. Set up a “site” for each group of four students– this
can be a simple as a small rubbermaid container filled
with sand or gravel, or a combination of both.
2. Choose a dozen objects to hide in the gravel or sand.
You may choose a small rock which is a different
shade from the gravel, shards of ceramics, old buttons,
old fractured bone, a small piece of metal, a rock
which is significantly different in texture from the
others (ie. a smoothe river rock in with the sharp
52
gravel), a small piece of wood, a dark piece of yarn,
a gum wrapper, etc. Make the objects small and
inconspicuous enough that it will take the students
some effort to locate them, but obvious enough that
they will have some success given 15-20 minutes.
For younger grades, make the objects larger and more
obvious. For Grade 11 or 12, throw in a few obvious
objects and a few challenging ones.
3. As students find the items, they should fill in the
attached chart. You may print the chart out and use it
as is, or copy it to a word-processing program and alter
it to suit your specific needs. For evaluation purposes,
you can give an observational mark on participation
during the activity, a mark for completion of the chart,
and you can have students evaluate themselves and
their group members. Once students have finished,
discuss as a class how they made their decisions. Ask
each group to showcase a few of their objects and say
what they are, what they are made of, why they think
they are anomalous, and how they think they got into
the sample. Ask if any groups had difficulty working
together, and how they solved the difficulty. Ask if
any groups really worked well together, and why they
think their group was so successful.
“Eye for Something Different” Site Report
Welcome to your first Archaeology activity! You have
been assigned the contents of this container to analyze,
along with your team members. Now, search through
the contents of your container to find 12 objects that are
OBJECT :
WHAT IS IT
MADE OF?
anomalous (different from everything else). As you find
them, complete the chart. Remember, you are a scientist
and so you must be accurate and give attention to detail.
WHAT IS ITS SIZE
AND SHAPE?
WHY DO YOU
THINK IT IS
ANOMALOUS?
HOW DO YOU
THINK IT GOT
THERE?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
53
ACTIVITY NINETEEN:
Setting up a “dig” at your
School
This is another activity which takes some preparation, but
it is well worth it. Excavate 1m x 1m squares (or 1⁄2 x 1⁄2
m). You can do several, if you have some help, or have
one that kids can take turns in. Dig down about 1⁄4-1/2m.
One important idea is strata, or the layering of different
kinds of soil denoting different time periods. Have on hand
a quantity of different kinds of materials, such as sand,
various coloured dirts, clay, etc. to make good clear strata
for kids. They should have at least three different layers in
their pit. You will also need to make some fossils (see the
activity on making fossils in the Web Quest located in this
teacher’s corner) or skeletons, and have other artifacts for
students to find.
Layer the soils, salting them with appropriate artifacts.
Lightly spray and pack each layer of soil before you add
the next, to provide conditions similar to regular earth.
Make sure you keep the corners staked.
Students will be equipped with trowels, brushes, dustpans,
buckets, and tape measures. The must carefully remove
only a hlaf-inch or so of soil at a time, brushing it aside and
loading it into the pail before starting on the next half-inch.
One student per group will take care of the paperwork.
They will create a diagram of the top view and side views
of the dig. When the team encounters an artifact, they must
add it to both diagrams, drawing it in and measuring the
distance from the top and sides of the excavation.
For older students, have them draw the profile of the soils
at the side of the excavation. They must first make sure
the wall of their dig is nice and straight and as smooth as
they can get it. Then, they measure the depth at which each
layer starts and ends along the wall. They must measure
at each corner and three points along the wall. Then they
scale it down and create an accurate representation on their
paper. They should describe each soil as well as they can.
If you have access to a soil identification guide (college
or university geology and archaeology departments have
these) they should use it to identify each type of soil.
54
ACTIVITY TWENTY:
Foraging for a Shelter
20 minutes scavenging, 40 minutes to build
If you lived in Beringia, how would you build a house?
Remember, there weren’t any trees to use for lumber, and
certainly no hardware stores for nails, drywall, etc.
The people who lived in Beringia lived in shelters of
animal skins supported by huge mammoth bones. They
used the materials that were available on the land they
were living in. Learning about the different plants, animals,
and attributes of the land you live in so that you can use
them for food and shelter is called “foraging”. In this
lesson, students will get a chance to see what kinds of
foragers they are.
1. Read students the information above. Inform them
that they must go outside the school to forage for
enough materials to build a mini-shelter. They can
work in partners or groups of three. They have five
minutes to decide how they will design their shelter
and what kinds of materials they will need. Then they
will be timed for twenty minutes, and can go outside
to forage. Put reasonable boundaries on where they
can go; obviously they cannot cross busy roads and
should stay on school grounds. Use a whistle or other
predetermined signal to indicate that twenty minutes
has passed.
2. When they return, they have forty minutes (or the rest
of your block) to construct their shelter. By the end of
that time, they must have a shelter that can withstand
wind and water. Note: If a student incorporates
“garbage” such as a pop can or cardboard box,
remember that they are showing what good “foragers”
they are! (You may choose to discuss the ecological
and other benefits of re-using materials with the class.)
3. At the end of the elapsed time, or the next day, test
each shelter using an electric fan and a watering can.
If the shelter remains standing and is dry inside, they
pass!
learning outcomes:
Grade 4:
Society and Culture
variety of cultures
Grade 7
Society and Culture: Ancient World Cultures to
AD500
• compare how various cultures meet common needs
• evaluate how ancient world cultures were
influenced by their environment
55

the last great ice age

Transcription

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