Plants - Fun Forest! - Episode 109



1) Getting Started
• Have you ever explored a field or forest to see what kinds of creatures live there? What did you find?

• In what ways do those creatures depend on the plants where they live? For food or for shelter? Compare the kinds of creatures that live in a grassy field to those that live in the woods.

2) Going Deeper
• What’s living in a pond or stream near your house? Take an adult with you and use a small fish net to look for small fish, tadpoles, and even freshwater shrimp! See what lurks in that stand of cattails!

• Look for animal nests in different trees in your neighborhood. Why do some animals choose pine trees, while others choose oak trees for their nests? What kind of protection do different trees offer?

3) Investigate With DragonflyTV
• Watch the video and see how Megan and Ian investigated kelp forests or give your students the results from the video (go to investigations to explore) and have them draw their own conclusions.

• What was Megan and Ian’s starting hypothesis about the kinds of animals living in the kelp forest?

• Did they find evidence to support their hypothesis? What do you do if your data do not support your hypothesis? Is that good science?

4) Investigate On Your Own
Using Kelp Forest or Leaves as a model, ask your students to design their own plant investigation. Here are some challenge cards to give to student teams to get things rolling.