Lesson Plan for Grasshopper Activity on the Konza Prairie Kelly ...

<strong>Lesson</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Grasshopper</strong> <strong>Activity</strong> on the Konza Prairie
Kelly Landes, USD475, 7 th grade science
Objectives:
Students will collect and classify grasshoppers, then analyze and interpret grasshopper data from Konza
Prairie.
Students will identify and draw the food chain that the grasshopper is part of, and then a simplified food
web of the Konza Prairie
Standards:
Standard A-Science as inquiry
Identify questions that can be answered through science investigations
Conduct scientific investigation; use appropriate tools and technology to gather, analyze and interpret
data; communicate scientific procedures and explanations
Standard C-Life Sciences
Regulation and behavior
Populations and Ecosystems
Standard G-History and Nature of Science:
Science as a Human Endeavor
Nature of Science
Resources:
KEEP website
Book: Field Guide to <strong>Grasshopper</strong>s, Katydids and Crickets of the United States, Capinera, Scott,
Walker, 2004, Cornell University
Pre-Konza Field Trip Activities
Logistics: Arrange date, fill out field trip request <strong>for</strong>m, hand-out permission <strong>for</strong>ms, make schedule <strong>for</strong>
the two days of the field trip. Day be<strong>for</strong>e trip: review rules of Konza, remind students about lunches,
sun screen, bug spray, proper clothing and shoes, and need to alert us to any medical concerns of the
students.
Geography: Students will learn about the different land types: desert, tundra, grasslands, <strong>for</strong>ests, etc.
Science:
1. <strong>Plan</strong>ts and Animals of the Konza Prairie Game: Do activity with plant and animal cards, and the
poster, similar to the activity we did at the KEEP workshop.
2. Why do these regions exist? What is the Konza Prairie Biological Station? Why is long-term
research important? Present Tallgrass Prairie Ecology slide show from KEEP website, and/or J.
Blair
3. Explore the KEEP website – guided exploration-find a bird, an insect that lives makes its home on
Konza, what is the role of fire, etc.

Question: Why would researchers be interested in studying grasshoppers? How would the grasshopper
population differ in our schoolyard versus the prairie?
4. Schoolyard <strong>Activity</strong>:
Materials: kill jars, nets, straight pens, Styrofoam pieces, science notebooks
Procedure: Students will go out to the school yard (or the mowed vacant lot). Students will locate
grasshoppers and write observations about grasshopper habitat (types of plants in lawn). Students will
collect grasshoppers, pin them, draw them and describe their physical characteristics, then try to identify
from field guide.
Konza Field Trip
Logistics: Timeline and Checklist
Hike: Students will record their observations, reactions, things of interest, plant/animal names &
drawings, during hike.
Collect grasshopper data according to SLTER protocols. (½ on native, ½ on restored)
Post Konza Prairie Activities:
Reflection log on bus:
1. What new in<strong>for</strong>mation did you learn today about the tallgrass prairie?
2. What activity did you enjoy the most today? Why was it your favorite?
3. What surprised you about the Konza prairie?
4. Write at least one question you have about the Konza Prairie ecosystem or populations.
5. Do you think the tallgrass prairie always be present in the Flint Hills? Why or why not?
Classroom:
1. Enter data into database.
2. Research question: Thinking about the data we collected, what question(s) could we answer with our
data? Discuss their ideas and guide them to looking at the population size and types of grasshopper
species in native versus restored prairie.
Graphing:
1. Do M&M activity to introduce Excel and making pie/bar graphs
2. Students will create a graph of their data. Students will find the average number of each species in
each area. Students will create a bar graph comparing the average number of each species in the two
areas.

3. Interpret graph: What conclusions can you make about grasshopper species based on your data?
What are some limitations of your data? What other in<strong>for</strong>mation would be helpful to have to interpret
the data?
4. Go to Science Adventures, click on KEEP grasshopper data. Look at the different questions on the
KEEP website. Pick one question that has data you can compare to your own data. Copy/paste this data
into an excel spread sheet. Make a bar graph that compares your data to the data you selected on KEEP
data base. (Or have a pre-made graph with 5 years of data plus their data on one bar graph.)
5. Interpret graph: What conclusions can you make about grasshopper species based on your data?
What advantages does the KEEP data have? What are some limitations of the KEEP data?
6. Food Web/Food Chain: Using the KEEP website <strong>for</strong> background in<strong>for</strong>mation on the organisms of
the KP, draw a food chain that includes the grasshoppers. Next, draw a food web that includes at least 6
producers (3 grasses and 3 <strong>for</strong>bs), 3 primary consumers, and 2 secondary consumers.
Big picture questions:
Why should we care about preserving the prairie?
Why do we care about biodiversity?