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Museum
Educator-led Programs
Pre & Post Visit Resources
Ecosystems in the Dark
Grades 6 - 8
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Program Description and
Frameworks
Program Outline
Key Terms and Concepts
Classroom Activities
Suggested Print and Web Resources
Learn More About the Special Exhibit: In the Dark
Click here for printable version of all resources listed above
Program Description and Frameworks
Learn about exotic species of producers, consumers, and decomposers that live in diverse ecosystems around the world. Then uncover the hidden secrets of organisms and ecosystems that thrive in darkness right here in the Berkshires.
Location: Begins in the last Gallery of In the Dark Exhibit*
Also includes Berkshire Backyard, World in Miniature, and Aquarium.
Gallery Length: 1 hour
Grades: 6-8
* PLEASE NOTE: Groups should schedule a separate time for self-guiding exploration of the In the Dark exhibit. This program will enhance and deepen student understanding of material presented in the exhibit, but is not a tour through the exhibit.
Massachusetts
Science and Technology/Engineering
Strand 2 Life Science Standards 10, 13, 14, 16
10 Give examples of ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors are causes of evolution and the diversity of organisms.
13 Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different
functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.
14 Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and
decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.
16 Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms, and the actions of humans. Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.
Ecological Health 13.4
4 Identify individual and community responsibility in ecological health.
New York
Math, Science, Technology: Standard 4 Science the Living Environment 5, 6, 7
5 Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Students will compare the way a variety of living species carry out basic
life functions and maintain dynamic equilibrium.
6 Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
Students will describe the flow of energy and matter through food chains
and food webs.
7 Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the
physical and living environment.
Students will describe how living things, including humans, depend upon
the living and nonliving environment for their survival; describe the effect
of environmental changes on humans and other populations.
Program Outline
Introduction
Students review important terms like producer,
consumer, decomposer, and ecosystem as
they prepare to take on the role of ecologists.
Eco-Forensics
Working in teams, students examine a
particular dark ecosystem (forest at night underground, cave, or deep sea). Using
provided clues, students will be challenged to
figure out what is causing a mysterious change
in each ecosystem.
Dark Places of the Berkshires
Students identify animals from the Berkshires
that live underground, in caves, and roam
forests at night. We'll reveal some fascinating
adaptations from right here in the Berkshires-
you may be surprised!
Around the World
Students observe diverse ecosystems in the
World in Miniature Diorama gallery to find examples of producers, consumers and decomposers.
Aquatic Ecosystems
Our last stop is in the Aquarium, where we'll
find examples of live animals with unique
adaptations for dark aquatic habitats, including how the dark aquatic habitat of the blind cave tetra has influenced its evolution.
Concepts
Covered
- Some animals live in places like forests and deserts, and are active at night.
Others live in places like caves, underground, and the deep sea, that are dark all of the time
.
- Many animals are active in the dark (nocturnal), some are active during
daylight hours (diurnal),and others are active mostly at dawn and dusk (crepuscular).
- Animals have different ways of surviving in the dark. Some have
well-developed senses of smell, hearing, or touch. Some have specialized physical features, and some can do things that humans can't do (like bat echolocation).
- Changes in the physical environment or in a given population of organisms
can impact other organisms in the same ecosystem.
- Many different types of organisms, from bacteria to bobcats, have adaptations
for the dark.
- While there are many fascinating species of exotic organisms, there are also
many organisms in the local region of the Berkshires with unique adaptations
for the dark.
- Over time, organisms can evolve new adaptations as environmental
conditions change.
Key Terms Used During the Program
You may want to familiarize your students with the following terms before your visit to the museum.
Adaptation
|
a feature or behavior that helps a living thing to
survive in its habitat.
|
Consumer
|
an organism that lives by feeding off of other
organisms.
|
| Decomposer |
an organism that feeds off of organic material (like
dead organisms or waste material) and decomposes
or chemically breaks down the material; bacteria and fungi are examples of decomposers.
|
| Echolocation |
the ability of some animals like bats and dolphins to
give off high-pitched sounds that bounce off of objects in the area and return to the animal, who can figure out the size, shape and location of the objects from this "echo;" bats use echolocation to navigate and to find prey.
|
| Ecologist |
a scientist who studies the relationships between
organisms and their environment (both the physical
environment and the other living things around them).
|
| Ecosystem |
all the living and non-living things in a given area.
|
| Habitat |
the place where an organism lives naturally.
|
| Nocturnal |
a word to describe an animal that is active at night.
|
| Organism |
a living thing.
|
| Population |
the number of organisms of a given species living in a
given area.
|
| Producer |
an organism that is capable of producing its own food;
the food is usually (though not always) created during the process of photosynthesis.
|
| Species |
a distinct type of organism that can interbreed with
others of the same species.
|
Activities: Before and After Your Visit
In the Dark Scavenger Hunt
Follow the clues to find unique species, from bacteria to bobcats. This is a
great activity to do during your visit to the Museum, but you should print out and copy the worksheets ahead of time and bring them with you on your visit. Click here for hunt worksheet.
Access Excellence: Experience Echolocation
This activity requires good weather outdoors and some setup, but it does
provide a memorable way for students to experience a simulation of
echolocation using supersoakers. The lesson plan is clearly written and
includes specific goals for student measurements, data collection, and
analysis, including mathematic calculations.
American Museum of Natural History: Hall of Ocean Life, Ecosystem Learning Resources
This is a menu page with links to many excellent activities for students to do online. "Let's Talk with Cindy Lee Van Dover about the Ecology of Deep Sea Vents" and "Is It Alive?" (a game which asks you to determine which parts of an ocean floor ecosystem are alive), are both activities focusing on the deep sea that area appropriate for middle school. "Video: Life at the Deep Sea Vents" is another useful resource.
Biomimicry
Many inventions and technological developments have been inspired by nature, including those that assist humans in the dark, like sonar and radar. Ask students to select one interesting natural adaptation for the dark that they learned about during the Museum visit (or in their own research), and to use it as the inspiration for their own invention. To share their idea, they should create an advertisement for their product with an image, a name, and a price. Ask students to consider: to what audience would they market their invention?.
Science Fiction Story Board
Imagine that you would like to make a movie about an animal that evolves over time. The first step would be to create a story board to "pitch" your idea to a film company. Ask students to select a real animal that is well-adapted to being active in daylight and imagine how it might evolve over time if its environment became very dark. Create a series of three drawings, with the first showing the original animal, the second after 10,000 years, and the third after 50,000 years. Write 2 - 3 sentences for each drawing explaining how the animal changes. Then write an additional paragraph explaining why those changes occurred-- why are they beneficial adaptations for the dark?
Suggested Web and Print Resources
All print
resources listed are available through the Central/Western Massachusetts
Library System.
Use the Berkshire
Athenaeum's on-line catalogue to search for these print
resources in Western Massachusetts.
Web and Print Materials For Students
American Museum of Natural History: Hall of Ocean Life, Ecosystem Learning Resources
This is a menu page with links to many excellent activities for students to do online. "Let's Talk with Cindy Lee Van Dover about the Ecology of Deep Sea Vents" and "Is It Alive?" (a game which asks you to determine which parts of an ocean floor ecosystem are alive), are both activities focusing on the deep sea that area appropriate for middle school. "Video: Life at the Deep Sea Vents" is another useful resource.
BioMEDIA: How Do Animals See in the Dark?
This visually striking page focuses on the vision systems of animals at night and during the day. A clear and concise source of important background information and good visual aids.
Burnie, David and Don E. Wilson (Editors). Animal. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 2001.
This Smithsonian Institution book includes sections on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates. The introduction covers essential topics like evolution and classification and is followed by a section on world habitats. It also includes a glossary of terms. An excellent reference resource for teachers and students that profiles over 2,000 species of animals with vivid color photos; maps locating habitat, biome, and population status; and concise information about behaviors, adaptations, social units and ranges.
Lawlor, Elizabeth P. and Pat Archer (Illus.). Discover Nature at Sundown:
Things to Do and Things to Know. PA: Stackpole Books, 1995. A black-and-white guide with activities, experiments, and information useful for nature study of plants and animals in the evening.
Nightlife: Creatures of the Deep New England Aquarium and Bermuda
Underwater Exploration Institute (Dir.) and Peter Benchley (Nar.).
New England Aquarium and Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, 2001. This video documents bioluminescent animals of the ocean such as anglerfish, giant tubeworms, and six-gilled sharks through underwater footage. To order this video you may contact New England Aquarium, Conservation Department, Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110-3399, (617) 973-5288, wowfilms@neaq.org.
Oakland Museum, CA: California Underground Online Exhibit
On this page, students can see pictures of different species of bats and listen to their echolocation patterns (modified so that they can be heard by the human ear). By selecting different items on the left menu bar, students can also explore other online cave exhibits, which include photos and slide shows explaining different types of cave formations, unique types of cave life to be found in different regions of a cave, and a calculator to find out how many insects you would need to eat if you were a bat.
Virtual Cave Site
Information on different types of caves, including diagrams and photos.
Web and Print Materials For Educators
Animal Diversity Web: Starnosed Mole Clear, well-organized, comprehensive information on this unusual species.
Applehof, Mary. Worms Eat My Garbage. MI: Flower Press, 1997. A guide to
starting and maintaining a worm composting system in your classroom.
BioMEDIA: How Do Animals See in the Dark?
This visually striking page focuses on the vision systems of animals at night
and during the day. A clear and concise source of important background information and good visual aids.
Burnie, David and Don E. Wilson (Editors). Animal. NY: Dorling Kindersley,
2001. This Smithsonian Institution book includes sections on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates. The introduction covers essential topics like evolution and classification and is followed by a section on world habitats. It also includes a glossary of terms. An excellent reference resource for teachers and students that profiles over 2,000 species of animals with vivid color photos; maps locating habitat, biome, and population status; and concise information about behaviors, adaptations, social units and ranges.
Eastern Kentucky University Ornithology Course Syllabus: Nervous System:
Brain and Special Senses
Extensive information with very helpful graphics, photos and links. Covers the structure and function of the avian eye, night vision, echolocation, and more.
How Stuff Works: How Bats Work
A very informative article about bats including topics like flight, echolocation, roosting, and their place in the ecosystem.
Lawlor, Elizabeth P. and Pat Archer (Illus.). Discover Nature at Sundown:
Things to Do and Things to Know. PA: Stackpole Books, 1995. A black-and-white guide with activities, experiments, and information useful for the study of plants and animals in the evening.
MSNBC: Secret Formula for a Firefly's Glow
An article describing how researchers figured out the mechanism behind
firefly bioluminescence. For even more information on this research, visit
http://www.ase.tufts.edu/biology/Firefly/.
Oakland Museum, CA: California Underground Online Exhibit
On this page, students can see pictures of different species of bats and listen to their echolocation patterns (modified so that they can be heard by the human ear). By selecting different items on the left menu bar, students can also explore other online cave exhibits, which include photos and slide shows explaining different types of cave formations, unique types of cave life to be found in different regions of a cave, and a calculator to find out how many insects you would need to eat if you were a bat.
Ocean Atlas
Go to the home page of this UN and NOAA maintained web site, and search
for "deep sea ecosystems" to find information, images, news stories and
more.
Oakland Museum, CA: California Underground Online Exhibit
A concise description of the underground ecosystem of the forest floor and why it is important.
Science Daily.com
Science Daily's searchable archives are a great resource for research.
Science News Online: Snake Pits, Viper Heat Sensors Locate Cool Spots
Up-to-date information describing new scientific experiments and how they
revealed a previously unknown function of the viper's pits.
University of Nebraska, Cooperative Extension: Build a Bat House
A simple design for a bat house that students could make in technology class.
Virtual Cave Site
Information on different types of caves, including diagrams and photos.
 The
Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent Federal
grant- making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation
of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities
supports the Berkshire Museum.
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