The Great Outdoors: Learning in Nature's Classroom
Spring is right around the corner, so now is the perfect time to start planning field trips and outdoor learning activities. This month, MarcoPolo encourages teachers and students to examine the interdependence of plants, animals and humans through the use of spoken, written and visual language. Explore the cost and benefit of conservation efforts; analyze the elements of forest fires; and combine first-hand observation with informational searching skills to produce poems, stories or scientific journal entries. Use the warm-up activities below to help students explore life beyond the classroom walls. Then scroll down for links to more lessons and Partner-reviewed Web sites.

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Image of Tower Falls and Sulphur Mountain, Yellowstone, courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.		1. During the late 1800s, tales of beautiful and immense forests, mountains and plains came pouring in from expeditions to the western United States. Later, with the development of the automobile, people were able to quickly escape the cities in search of relaxation among natural resources. By 1916, the National Park Service was managing and conserving these spectacular sites for the enjoyment and education of future generations. What would your community look like if there were no buildings, no streets, no cars and no billboards? Would it be a forest? A prairie? A swamp? Why do you think people decided to build a community in that area? Is it an outgrowth of a larger urban area? Ask students to identify areas in their community that are still undeveloped, such as a forest, a park or old farmlands. Ask them what they would do with this area if it belonged to them. Would they develop it with housing or businesses? Would they try to attract tourists to visit the area? Would they simply leave it alone? Have students explain their reasons. Explore the connection between art and environmental activism in: "Discovering National Parks" (6-8) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
© MCI Foundation		2. Ecology is the study of the interdependence between organisms and their environments. The survival of most plants and animals depends on the welfare of others. Ecologists argue that if one species is adversely affected, many other species will suffer. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 attempts to control the delicate balance of nature by protecting endangered plants and animals from becoming extinct. How do plants and animals depend on each other? What factors can endanger or threaten this relationship? How can the extinction of a plant or animal affect humans? Create a pictorial chart, showing how some animals, plants and humans depend on each other for survival. Ask students what they think would happen to animals and humans if a large forest was cut down. What would happen to plants if humans and animals moved away? What would happen to humans if the animals and plants disappeared? Have students select a species, and create a hypothesis of how its disappearance would affect the others. Students can use Internet or library resources to test their theories. Learn about the interdependence of life in: "Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict" (3-5) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
		"If You Hear a Hoot, Then This Site Is Kaput" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
		"Photosynthesis, Trees and the Greenhouse Effect" (6-8) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
		3. While scientific discoveries are often made in the laboratory, many scientists believe that nothing is better than observing science in its natural environment. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is best known for his theory of evolution, which he developed after making personal observations of animals that lived in the Galapagos Islands. He noticed that the resident animals had developed unique physical characteristics that were not found in similar species living in other parts of the world. He concluded that these characteristics were developed as the animals adapted to their immediate environment. Why did Darwin visit the Galapagos Islands? What did he expect to find? What were some of the unusual characteristics he found in the animals there? How did Darwin's conclusions affect the traditional concept of animal (and human) development? Gather information on probable food sources, natural enemies and the general habitat of insects, fish or birds that are indigenous to your area. Ask students to theorize about what they expect to find during personal observation, such as camouflage style or type of nest. Organize a field trip to a local nature center or preserve, and encourage students to take field notes describing their actual findings to compare with their initial theories. Combine research skills with real-life observation to examine animal development in: "Butterfly 1: Observing the Life Cycle of a Butterfly" (K-2) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
		"Pond Life" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
		"The Frog Beyond the Fairy Tale Character: Searching Informational Texts" (K-2) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
		4. In the 1970s, the U.S. Forest Service established the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) to determine the probable spread of a fire. The system depends on indices that correlate surface spread to fuel type and relative humidity, and assigns a fire-probability rating of low, medium, high, very high or extreme. Fire-management officials use these ratings in making decisions about deploying personnel and other resources that will aid in fire suppression. What factors does the NFDRS take into account when determining the probability of a fire? (weather conditions and the area's fuel, climate and slope) What type of natural fuel burns the quickest? (grasses ignite quicker than brush) Why does fire spread more rapidly on a hilly terrain than on a flat plain? (tall flames and rising heat can quickly ignite vegetation growing upslope) How can you prevent forest fires? Ask students to list factors that would affect the spread of a forest fire, then classify the factors from most to least important. As a group, make predictions about the perfect conditions for a fire, such as humidity level, terrain and type of fuel, and then use various equations, available in the Illuminations lesson "Smokey the Bear Takes Algebra," to determine optimal conditions for a rapidly spreading fire. Students explore the mathematical concepts of fire rating systems in: "Smokey the Bear Takes Algebra" (9-12) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Partner-Reviewed Web Sites Use these Partner-reviewed and approved resources to increase comprehension about this month's topic. Amazon Interactive Reviewed by Xpeditions http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw15.aspx Big Trees Reviewed by Illuminations http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw10.aspx Butterfly Farmer Reviewed by EconEdLink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw12.aspx eNature Reviewed by Science NetLinks http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw14.aspx Links to the Past (National Park Service) Reviewed by EDSITEment http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw16.aspx National Park Service Reviewed by ARTSEDGE http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw17.aspx Telling Stories with Pictures: The Art of Children's Book Illustration Reviewed by ReadWriteThink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/rw13.aspx Search for more lessons and resources MarcoPolo Resources: Use this interactive resource from MarcoPolo to improve teaching skills.   Celebrate a holiday or historical anniversary with your students. MarcoPolo's new monthly calendar highlights daily historical events and provides links to related standards-based Partner lesson plans. A perfect tool for substitute teachers or seasoned professionals.     MarcoPolo Calendar http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/tr4.aspx This is your newsletter. What topics or resources would you like to see highlighted in a future MarcoGram? How do you use the MarcoGram in your classroom? Let us know! Contact the MarcoPolo Staff.		Catch up with the MarcoGram February 2003: American Politics: Then and Now January 2003: Understanding Patterns December 2002: Reading: It Takes You Places Read more back issues Find more MarcoPolo lessons Explore the current list of new Partner lessons by visiting the Teacher Resources section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Find New Partner Lessons Use the MarcoPolo Search Engine to search for lessons by topic, keyword, grade level or Partner. Search MarcoPolo Get trained to use MarcoPolo The MarcoPolo Program has provided free professional development to more than 160,000 educators to date. Find out how to bring MarcoPolo training to your school or district by visiting the Professional Development section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Sign up for MarcoPolo Professional Development The MarcoGram is produced by MarcoPolo: Internet Content for the Classroom SUBSCRIBE If you're not already a subscriber and would like to receive the next issue of the MarcoGram by e-mail, subscribe at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/mg_subscribe.aspx. UNSUBSCRIBE Do you no longer want to receive the MarcoGram? If so, unsubscribe at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/mg_unsubscribe.aspx. SHARE THE WEALTH The MarcoPolo Partnership grants permission to reprint and distribute this MarcoGram for use in a training session or classroom, or on Web sites devoted to the field of education or professional development. All Web addresses and links must be maintained in their original form as used in the published MarcoGram.
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