Sustainability Camp Curriculum

CONSERVATION

Time:    4 hrs (FULL BLOCK)
Place:   Part 1: Tofino Botanical Gardens or beach, outdoors (~2 hrs)
             Part 2: Tofino Botanical Gardens, indoors and outdoors (~2 hrs)

Overview

In Part 1 students will explore the concept of conservation and food web structure as well as survival of the fittest. In Part 2 Species at Risk will be defined, discussed and case studied.

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

• Grade 7 Science: Analyse the roles of organisms as part of interconnected food webs, populations, communities and ecosystems; Assess survival needs and interactions between organisms and the environment.
• Grade 6 and 7 Physical Education: Participate safely in activities in a natural or alternative setting; an outdoor experience; Follow rules, routines and procedures of safety in a variety of activities; Identify and demonstrate positive behaviours that show respect for individuals’ potential, interests and cultural backgrounds; Select and assume responsibility for assigned roles while participating in a physical activity.

Objectives

• Students will understand that all animals play roles within a predator/prey food web, and use various adaptive behaviours to survive.
• Students will understand the concept of “Species at Risk”, and learn about specific examples.
• Students will explore the diversity of life on the forest floor and develop mapping techniques.
• Students will understand how to appropriately behave in the interest of conservation and how to act as stewards for the environment.

Materials

Part 1 – Predator-Prey game

• bandanas
• 125 food cards with different coloured dots marking them (25 of each colour)
• 125 water cards
• flagging tape

Part 2 –  Species-at-Risk and Microworld Activity

• string

PART 1 – Predator-Prey Game (~2 hrs)

Procedure
1. This game requires a large group (~30 +) and 7 adult helpers. The seven adults (or helpers) make the game run most efficiently. Five adults (one at each of the five food stations), one adult as the game leader—who players visit to exchange food and prey life cards for extra lives, and one rover to redistribute the food cards to food stations.

2. BEFORE ACTIVITY: Set up five food stations throughout the playing area with one adult at each station. A food station should be clearly marked by flagging tape. Each food station has 20-25 food cards accompanied with the same number of water cards. An adult at each food station will hand out food cards. Each food station has cards with different coloured dots in the bottom corner so that you can distinguish between food stations. Before you begin the game, decide on a sound that indicates when the game begins and when it is over. Then send out the prey animals first so they can hide. Five minutes later, begin the game with the associated sound and release the predators. Prey animals cannot use food stations until predators are released.

3. Introduce the background: This is a tag game. The object of the game is for your species to survive. Players designated as prey (mouse, squirrel, river otter, deer) aim to visit food stations. Prey animals must work hard to hide from predators and ensure that they visit all food stations. If a prey visits all food stations they gain a “life card”. Each time a prey is tagged by a predator the prey gives up a “life card” to the predator. Predators aim to tag the prey and take their life cards. But life is not so easy for the predators because there can be prey that are assigned a “disease card” and if a predator tags a diseased prey the predator must give up a “life card”. But, if a predator that is still alive accumulates 10 “life cards” they can bring a member of their species back to life.

Note: The food is to be distributed only to prey animals (Deer, River Otter, Squirrel, and Mouse). When they are receiving the food, the predators cannot tag the prey animals. However, the food station is only a temporary “home-free”. Adults must ensure prey animals leave once they receive their food. Adults must also ensure that predators are not waiting too close to the food station. All food stations are also equipped with two disease cards. The disease card can be given to a prey animal when getting food. They then use it to take one life card from every predator that tags them. Use these cards as you see fit (probably towards the end of the game).

4. Review vocabulary: Herbivore, Carnivore, Predator, and Prey.

5. Designate at random who will be which type of animal (ie. Cougar, Bear, Wolf, Deer, River Otter, Squirrel, Mouse) each player will be. Squirrels and mice should represent 2/3 of the group. Hand out life cards to all participants and give headbands to all the predators (Cougar, Bear, Wolf). Each predator must only receive one life card.

Example (for a group of 30):

Note: The game continues in this manner for as long as the game leader wishes (and as long as the game is running smoothly). If the predators are slaying the pray too quickly, you may choose to alter the predator-prey ratio. If the prey animals are visiting all five food stations very easily, you may make it harder by making it so each food station must be visited twice before the food cards can be traded in for a new life.

PART 2 – Species-at-Risk (~1 hr)

Procedure
1. Start with discussion of Species-at-Risk and what this means.
What does it mean when something is endangered…extinct?
2. Discuss the meaning of ‘conservation’ – the practice of making sure a species sticks around.
3. Explore some different approaches to conservation:
       -Protecting whole ecosystems (parks etc).
       -Protecting habitat (wildlife trees etc.)
       -Protection of individual species
4. Special topics in Conservation:
Students will explore an example of a species-at-risk such as the Sea Otter or Rockfish through a hands-on interpretive program.
5. Follow-up:
Worksheet with questions relating to the species we studied.
Wordsearch containing new vocabulary.

PART 2 – Microworld Activity (~1 hr)
Procedure
1. Lay out a string in a circle and then choose 7 wonderful things in their model forest and mark them with flags. 
2. Have the kids draw (or map) all objects in the microworld. They decide on a name for this microworld and write a vision statement for it. How do they envision this world being? (Will people live here?  How will they make a living etc.)  How will they promote conservation principles in this place?
3. Students will present a ‘tour’ of their microworld to the class at the end of the activity.