Forest and Nature Sounds

Observations are an important part of science! Head out to your backyard, a park, or hiking trail and practice your skills with this family fun scavenger hunt!

Hello, Adventurers! For this challenge, you will be designing a butterfly trail for your school.

Parents: This is a process students will work through more than one time. Please keep in mind that as they work through the two data sets, they will learn more, and make adjustments to their butterfly trail.

To begin, let’s review the life cycle of a butterfly with the resources below.

Video: sing along with Jack Hartman’s Metamorphosis Song.

Learn more about the steps that a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly.

Book video titled: From Caterpillar to BUTTERFLY by Deborah Heiligman and illustrated by Bari Weissman

Dear 1st grade students,

We have very exciting news! Your class has been chosen to plan and design a butterfly garden at your elementary school.

Before we begin making plans for the garden, we need you to decide on which types of plants to place on the butterfly trail.

It’s important that you choose plants that will attract the butterflies. Take a look at the data chart, which lists four types of native Florida plants that are known for attracting butterflies.

Please look at the data and make a plan to rank each plant from best to worst. In your letter to us, please include your group plan and your ranking of the plants.

Sincerely,

Suzie Sunny

Founder of Mariposa Preservation Society

As you work through the challenge, please keep these questions in mind.

1. What is the problem?

2. Who is the client?

3. What is the client asking your team to do?

4. What things do you need to include in your solution?

5. Do you think there is more than one correct answer to what the client is asking? Why or Why not?

The data set below will help you decide the best answer for your butterfly trail.

Dear Mariposa Preservation Society,

I have decided the best way to rank the plants in order to attract butterfilies is by:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The order that it ranked the plants from best to worst is:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Sincerely,

____________________

Mariposa Preservation Society

180 Glow Worm Way

Lizardville, Florida 34952

Dear 1st grade students,

Great job on your first task! I’m very proud of all of you! You all did a wonderful job ranking the plants that would attract the most butterflies. Now, please read a very important article from The Butterfly Times newspaper.

After you have read the article, please take a look at the new set of data. Did anything change after reading the news article and the new data set?

Please write me back a letter and let me know what has changed and why. If nothing needs to be changed, please explain why you think this. Also, let me know which plants you think we should place along the butterfly trail in order from best to worst. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Suzie Sunny

Founder of Mariposa Preservation Society

Dear Mariposa Preservation Society,

I have decided the best way to rank the plants in order to attract butterflies and resist hurricane force winds are by:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The order I ranked the plants from best to worst is:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Sincerely,

___________________

Hello, Adventurers! Your help is needed to review data and rank travel dates, from best to worst in terms of weather conditions, to help the Neely Family decide what the best dates would be to go camping in Madison, Florida.

To prepare for your challenge, please look through the:

• Article on Weather Forecasting
• Weather Instrument Slideshow by StudyJams

Dear Students,

Our company assists families in planning their camping trip to our camp site “All Travel, All the Time.”

The Neely Family, A family of 6 (mom, dad, 4 kids,) recently contacted our office to help plan their first camping trip. The family currently lives in Homestead, FL. And would like to travel to Madison, FL. to camp with us this summer.

They realize that the weather is a very important factor when it comes to vacationing outdoors. Weather, such as rain, extreme heat, or wind would not allow the Neely’s to participate to in the many activities offered at our site.

The Neely's want to vacation during July and August. They can camp for one week in Madison, FL.

I want your help in analyzing the forecasted weather data to rank the dates from best to worst. I have attached the latest forecasted weather data on the following pages. Please carefully review both the chart and reading passages to determine the best to worst camping time for this family. Please include the method you used to rank the options.

I will be waiting on your response in order to proceed with the planning of the Neely’s first camping trip.

Sincerely, Johnna Coats

Executive Director

“All Travel All the Time.”

Next, review this data set.

PART One

1. What is the problem?

2. Who is the client?

3. What is the client asking your group to do?

4. What do you need to include in your final explanation letter to the Travel Agency?

Date:

Dear Johnna,

I have determined the order of dates from for the Neely’s to go camping. Below I ranked them from best to worst dates with the given information,

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

The procedure I used to come to this decision was _____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,

___________________________

Dear Class,

I was so impressed to hear from you so promptly regarding the best dates that the Neely Family should consider for their camping trip. You did an amazing and precise job ranking the dates from best to worst time to go camping. I can easily tell that you worked very hard to form these conclusions. However, the Neely’s’ called me last night and told me they would like to stay for an additional week, to make two consecutive weeks of camping. I have also included average cloud type, as you know clouds can be a factor in determining the type of weather in a given place. The Neely’s are looking for the best two weeks of weather. A mixture of sun, a beautiful breeze, and fun, fun, fun, while on their two-week vacation.

I need you to rank the dates again with the new information that we have provided. You may find that you might need to change your initial procedure since you now have cloud data and are now looking for 2 consecutive weeks as opposed to one.

Please write me back to let me know which two consecutive weeks you have chosen for the family from best to worst weeks to camp. Also, please let me know your procedures as to how this was determined.

The family has purchased a tent and the kids are looking forward to a nightly camp fire for making yummy s'mores!

Best Regards,

Johnna Coats Executive Director

All Travel All the Time

Next, review the new data set.

PART TWO

1. We know from the letter that the kids are ready for a campfire and the making of s'mores. What connection to the data chart can you make using this information?

2. Did you use a new strategy to determine the ranking of the two weeks?

3. Were one of the weeks you recommended the same for letter 1?

4. If not, why do you think your team changed your mind?

5. Are there any concerns with the weeks you have chosen? If so what?

Dear Johnna,

After analyzing the new information, I have determined the order of dates from for the Neely’s to go camping. Below I ranked them from best to worst dates with the given information,

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

I (Did / did not) have to change the procedure used.

The procedure I used to come to this decision was ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,

________________________

Make a telescope using a paper towel or toilet paper tube! To see constellations during the day.

Materials: 1 paper towel or toilet paper tube, art supplies, constellation cards

Directions: Decorate your tube to look like a telescope! You can color or paint it, draw stars, and even add stickers or glitter. Be creative!

When your telescope is finished, hold one end to your eye and a constellation card to the other end and see stars come to life during the day! For best results, use your telescope near a window or light, or even outside on a bright day.