Plant Communities

Full-day Field Trip, with a bonus Zero Waste lesson!

Ann Arbor Public Schools Environmental Education Program

Clothing

Please make sure that students are dressed adequately for the field trip in terms of the weather and other conditions. They will be walking for at least an hour outside.

• Shoes (that Velcro or tie - no sandals or flip flops, no party or dress shoes) and socks
• Boots if conditions are muddy or cold – if it has rained recently, encourage boots!
• Long pants for leg protection (even on hot days, to protect against poison ivy, thorns, etc.)
• Hats/hoods & gloves/mittens if windy or cold; hats are useful on sunny days, too
• Raincoats if raining (no umbrellas, they are a nuisance on the trail)
• Insect repellant – if necessary, please have parents apply it at home or provide the roll-on or stick type – no sprays!

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A morel mushroom next to a well-prepared foot.

Reminder: mud, mud, mud!

Trails can get very muddy and slippery after heavy rains and stay that way for several days.

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If you think this might be the case for your trip, encourage your children to wear boots, and bring an extra pair of shoes to keep at school for use after the trip.

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A wet area that students explored to study how beavers had chewed down two large trees for food and shelter.

Extra Equipment

Extra equipment is not necessary.

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Equipment such as binoculars, cameras, etc. can get damaged, wet, lost, etc.

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Students also tire of carrying extra items in the field.

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Your senses and observation skills are all you need!

The Ride to and from the Freeman EE Center

You will be riding a school bus with your teacher and one other class from your school.

Please remember to:

• Be friendly to the bus driver
• Stay seated and face forward
• Keep your volume low

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You will have a scavenger hunt to complete during your ride to and from Freeman. You will look out of the window during the ride to try to spot different items around town that relate to your ‘Plant Communities’ and ‘Zero Waste’ learning!

Lunch

Please try to pack a water bottle and a lunch that:

• Is easy to eat

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• Will not spill on the bus

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• Does not contain a lot of packaging

Too much plastic and trash

Some students who ride the bus have allergies to nuts

Bathrooms

Plan accordingly!

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Students should use the bathrooms at school prior to departure on the field trip.

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Bathrooms are available at the Freeman EE Center, but can be inconvenient during our outdoor field study.

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A bathroom break will be planned during the lunch period.

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However, if you pick up a toad, it might go to the bathroom on you!

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Health & Safety Reminders

Follow district health protocols and refer to the symptom checklist if you feel sick before your field trip.

Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands before you eat and when you return to school.

Follow bus expectations. Stay seated and facing forward, with feet out of the aisle and hands inside the window.

Naturalists

Community volunteers lead small groups on the trails!

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In general, a single class will be divided into three smaller groups for walking on the trails. Name tags are helpful for the naturalists. An additional adult (e.g. teacher, student teacher, parent, teacher aid) in each group is helpful to assist with behavior management and safety.

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Be polite to your naturalist. Active listening will help you learn as much as you can from him/her.

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Proper Trail Etiquette Protects Students and Wildlife

Naturalist guides are positioned at the front of students groups. A calm walking pace and quiet voices mean increased opportunities to observe and learn about plants and animals in the area.

Staying on the trail and observing your surroundings protects you and the flora and fauna.

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Walking calmly on the trail, behind your naturalist, will help you see more wildlife, and will keep you safe from anything that could present a danger during your trip, such as an encounter with an Eastern Massasagua Rattlesnake.

Schedule

9:30-10:00 - Depart school and participate in a scavenger hunt on the bus

10:00-11:30 - Plant Communities Lesson OR Zero Waste Lesson

11:30-12:00 - Bathroom and Lunch Break

12:00-1:30 - Zero Waste Lesson or Plant Communities Lesson

1:30-2:00 - Return to school and complete scavenger hunt

Zero Waste Lesson

Students will interact with models and participate in hands-on activities to learn about different types of waste that people produce, how waste is managed in our community, and ways to reduce negative environmental impacts. Ecology Center guest instructors will lead this lesson. A lesson overview for teachers can be accessed here.

Plant Parts & Survival Needs

We will study plants up close to notice their parts and discuss how different structures on a plant’s body help it survive.

What do you already know about what plants need in order to survive and grow?

Natural Communities in SE Michigan

During the trip, we will explore different natural communities to notice what kind of plants grow there. We will look for different growing conditions, such as the amount of sunlight, moisture level (how wet it is), and soil type.

Grassland (Prairie)

Woodland (Forest)

Wetland

Plant Life Cycles

We will study plant life cycles and learn about how different plants reproduce. We will look for seeds and fruits, sprouts, mature plants, and plants that have died.

Seed Dispersal

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Most plants reproduce, or create new baby plants, by making seeds. We will look for examples of different plant seeds and notice their shapes, sizes, colors, and structures.

What are some ways you already know that plants disperse, or spread, their seeds?

Interactions between Plants, Animals, and Fungi

In addition to plants, we are likely to notice fungi and animals that live in the natural communities we explore on the trip. We will discuss ways in which other organisms interact with plants, such as using plant parts for food or shelter, or by helping to decompose the bodies of plants after they die.

Humans & Plant Communities

• Humans move plants and disperse seeds both on purpose and accidentally.
• We will likely find both native and non-native (brought from another part of the world) plants. Some non-native plants are invasive, meaning they spread a lot and cause problems for other organisms.

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• Many people try to improve natural communities by planting native trees, removing invasive species, or creating pollinator gardens with flowering plants that provide food for insects.
• Farmers and gardeners create habitats that meet the needs of the food plants they grow. Many of the food plants that humans rely on must be pollinated by insects in order to make fruit.

Humans & Plant Communities

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Share with a partner:

Name a plant that is important to you and your family.

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Ideas: * A plant you eat *A plant you use for spices or flavoring foods

* A plant in your home * A plant in your garden

*A plant that you see outside *A plant that you use for an activity

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Concepts Teachers Can Reinforce In Class

• Plants may have ended up in different locations for different reasons. Students should use evidence to help support their ideas. For example, a bird might have deposited a seed to grow that tree because I see many birds in that area.
• Plants need certain conditions in order to grow in a healthy way. These conditions include an environment, such as soil, sunlight, and a certain amount of water.
• Notice locations and reasons why plants grow in particular locations. Think about the parts and structures of plants and how they help the plant function in specific growing conditions.
• Different types of seeds move in different types of ways. Some seeds move by wind, some by water, and some move other ways.
• Plants depend on animals, wind, and water to move seeds around. Many plants also depend on animals for pollination.

Key Vocabulary

Plant parts- Root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit

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Seeds- Embryo, seed coat, stored food, germination

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Seed dispersal

the process by which seeds spread by wind, water, or animals

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Trees- Trunk, bark, branch, bud, leaf, root

Deciduous, evergreen, conifer

Dormancy

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Pollination- flower (petal, pistil, sepal, stamen)

pollen, fertilization

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Plant Communities- woodland, grassland, shrubland, wetland

native, non-native, invasive plant

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Please visit the Plant Communities webpage on the EE website an important teacher letter, a parent letter, and more information about the trip.

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If you have any questions before your trip, please feel free to email Dave Szczygiel (szczygie@aaps.k12.mi.us) or Coert Ambrosino (ambrosinoc@aaps.k12.mi.us).