The purpose of this resource is to investigate the idea that every dynamic system has energy and matter in different forms. Educational levels: Middle school, High school

The GLOBE Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

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Digital Library for Earth System Education

GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 1 Land Cover/Biology
A
ppendix
W
elcom
e
Introduction
Protocols
Learning A
ctivities
!
?Site Seeing  
Intermediate Level
Site Seeing Learning Activities
These pre-protocol activities introduce students to the concept of a system. The students will explore 
different scales of the system, identify the components, and try to determine their relationship to each 
other. The concept of a system will help students understand why they are conducting the biometry 
measurements.
   Purpose 
To investigate the idea that every dynamic sys-
tem has energy and matter in several different 
forms. Inputs and outputs will vary depending 
upon the physical components of the site, the 
plant and animal life, the determined boundar-
ies or scale of the study and the season.
Overview
The class will travel to several different Land 
Cover Sample Sites. At each site, students will 
explore a larger variety of system inputs and 
outputs, and will use more complex methods 
of data acquisition and analysis. The students 
will use the data from each site to compare 
and contrast the inputs and outputs of the 
environments. The intermediate level of Site 
Seeing builds upon the concepts presented in 
the beginning level.
Student Outcomes
Science Concepts
 Life Science
Earth has many different environments 
that support different combinations of 
organisms.
All populations living together and the 
physical factors with which they interact 
constitute and ecosystem.
Humans can change ecosystem balance.
Geography
How to use maps (real and imaginary)
The physical characteristics of place 
The characteristics and spatial distribution 
of ecosystems 
How humans modify the environment
Scientific Inquiry Abilities
Integrate data from variety of different data 
sets to gain dynamic understanding of 
how Earth system works.
Identify answerable questions. 
Design and conduct scientific 
investigations.
Use appropriate mathematics to analyze 
data. 
Develop descriptions and predictions using 
evidence.
Recognize and analyze alternative 
explanations. 
Communicate procedures, descriptions, 
and predictions.
Level
Middle
Time
Three class periods or a field trip with one class 
period of follow-up
Materials and Tools
Thermometers 
Rain gauges 
Site Seeing Field Data Work Sheet
Beaufort Scale Work Sheet
Heavy paper cup
Paper
Preparation
Arrange for parents or other volunteers to ac-
company students to the sites.
Divide the class into teams as necessary. Ideally, 
each team would work on a different site but it 
may be more realistic to have groups working 
GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 2 Land Cover/Biology
How much sunlight reaches the top of the 
trees? How much is reaching the ground? 
If the plants are absorbing sunlight, 
what happens to the sunlight? Is it being 
reflected (that means the leaves would be 
shiny like aluminum foil)? 
Note: Many younger students will think that 
plants get their food from the soil and will not 
think the sun is used to make food during pho-
tosynthesis. They will think that sun helps plants 
to grow, but are not sure how or why. Question 
students on how plants use sunlight in their life 
cycle. As an extension, paperclip a small piece 
of paper on a leaf for a couple days to see what 
happens to it.
4. Wind – How strong is the wind blowing 
in the site? Use the Beaufort Scale Work 
Sheet to measure the wind speed. Are 
the leaves or grasses shaking in the 
breeze? Is the wind strong enough to 
bend small branches or flattened grasses? 
Large branches? Use a piece of paper 
as a temporary windsock. One student 
can hold the paper away from the body, 
while the others observe whether it hangs 
straight down or blows out at an angle. 
Use a compass to determine from which 
direction the wind seems to be blowing.
5. Animal Life – Note and record the various 
kinds of animals at the site (insects, birds, 
reptiles, fish, amphibians, mammals). 
Record evidence of animals such as scat, 
tracks, burrows, or chewed leaves. Which 
is the most dominant? 
6. Plant Life – Observe the various types of 
plants at the site (large trees, small trees, 
shrubs, small plants, grasses). Record the 
on the tasks in a different order so they can 
share equipment.
Prerequisites
The beginning activity is recommended. If not 
used, students should understand the concept 
of system boundaries.
What To Do and How To Do It
Collect the data listed below at three different 
sites within your GLOBE Study Site. The sites 
should include an open place such as a field or 
playground, a site near open water, and a naturally 
vegetated Land Cover Sample Site (Closed Forest, 
Woodland, Shrubland, or Herbaceous Vegetation). 
Plan to visit the sites on the same day or on differ-
ent days at about the same time. 
1. Temperature – Measure the site’s 
temperature 0.5 m above the ground, at 
ground level and 5.0 cm deep in the soil. 
See the Soil Protocols for more details. To 
get the temperature at or above ground 
level, you should insert the thermometer 
through a hole in the bottom of an upside-
down heavy paper cup. The cup acts as a 
shield around the tip of the thermometer 
so that direct sunlight and other 
extraneous sources of heat do not cause 
inaccurate readings. The thermometer 
should remain in one location until the 
temperature does not vary for 1-2 minutes. 
To get the temperature of the soil below 
ground, carefully insert the tip of the 
thermometer 2.5 cm into the ground. 
2. Precipitation– Determine the amount of 
rainfall for the last growing season. If you 
do not conduct the GLOBE Precipitation 
Protocol, you can obtain the information 
from a local meteorologist or through the 
GLOBE Web site links. Has it rained lately? 
What evidence is there – a lake, streams, 
water retainment areas, puddles? 
3. Sunlight – When the sun is shining, 
look around the site for signs of sunlight 
on the trees, shrubs and on the ground. 
GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 3 Land Cover/Biology
A
ppendix
W
elcom
e
Introduction
Protocols
Learning A
ctivities
most common types of plants found in the 
site. Which is the most dominant? 
7. Report your findings and share what you 
have learned as your teacher instructs. 
After listening to each other’s reports, the class can 
complete a large composite class chart. Use this 
composite chart as a basis for discussing differ-
ences between the locations and interactions the 
students observe among the various elements. 
Discussion Questions
1. Which site had the highest air 
temperature? The lowest? The most wind? 
The least wind?
2. What relationship does light seem to have 
with air temperature? With soil moisture? 
With plants?
3. How do the various sites differ in numbers 
or diversity of species of animals and 
plants? How are they similar?
4. Which sites showed the greatest seasonal 
variations in the parameters you 
measured? Why should this be so?
5. Which of the six variables studied seems 
most important for determining the 
character of the environment at each site? 
What makes you think so?
6. What are the inputs to the various 
systems? Which factors are outputs? 
Which of the six measured elements stays 
within the system? Draw a picture or a 
flow chart depicting this. 
7. Have students draw diagrams of their 
systems or make up a story about their 
system tracing the path of solar energy 
through the system.
Further Investigations and Ideas for 
Assessment
1. Visit the sites selected again at different 
seasons and repeat the investigation. How 
have the various factors changed? What 
factors influenced the change? If you have 
deciduous trees, what factors might have 
influenced the leaf on or leaf off process 
during the course of the year?
2. Have students construct terrariums. Try to 
make the terrarium more like one of your 
system sites. Try to model your system 
based upon the data you collected in this 
learning activity. Add wind, moderate 
the temperature and/or water, allow the 
appropriate amount of sunlight, add 
plants, and mimic animal effects. Try for 
seasonal variations. Can you do it? What 
limitations are there to the models? Can 
you develop the same cycles that exist in 
nature between the living and nonliving 
factors? 
GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 4 Land Cover/Biology
GLOBE™ 1997 Learning Activities - 77 Land Cover/Biology
Table LAND-SI-1: Beaufort Scale  
Wind Speed Beaufort Wind Description Observed Effects on Land
kmph      mph Number
<1 <1 0 Calm Calm, no movement of leaves
1–3 1–3 1 Light air Slight leaf movement, smoke
drifts, wind vanes moving
6–11 4–7 2 Light breeze Leaves rustling, wind felt,
wind vanes moving
12–19 8–12 3 Gentle breeze Leaves and twigs in motion,
small flags and banners
extended
20–29 13–18 4 Moderate breeze Small branches moving;
raising dust, paper litter, and
dry leaves
30–38 19–24 5 Fresh breeze Small trees and branches
swaying, wavelets forming on
inland water ways
39–49 25–31 6 Strong breeze Large branches swaying,
overhead wires whistling,
difficult to control an umbrella
50–61 32–38 7 Moderate gale Entire trees moving,
difficult of walk into wind
62–74 39–46 8 Fresh gale Small branches breaking,
difficult to walk, moving
automobiles drifting and
veering
75–87 47–54 9 Strong gale Roof shingles blown away,
slight damage to structures,
broken branches littering the
ground
88–101 55-63 10 Whole gale Uprooted and broken trees,
structural damage
102–116 64–73 11 Storm Widespread damage to
structures and trees, a rare
occurrence
>117 >74 12–17 Hurricane Severe to catastrophic damage
GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 5 Land Cover/Biology
Site Seeing 
Field Data Work Sheet
Name(s): _________________________________________________ Date: ______________
____________________________________________________ Time: _______________________
Type of Site (circle one):     Open Field     Site Near Water      Land Cover Sample Site
System Component      Data
 
Temperature 
 - 0.5 m above ground
 - at ground level
 - at 2.5 cm deep in the soil    
Precipitation
 - amount 
 - rain lately?
 - evidence  
Sunlight
 - reaches top of trees
 - reaches the ground
 - what happens to sunlight?  
Wind
 - Beaufort scale #
 - strength
 - direction  
Animal Life
 - kinds
 - evidence
 - most dominant?  
Plant Life
 - types
 - most dominant?
Other observations (Metadata) and drawings:
GLOBE® 2005 Site Seeing: Intermediate Learning Activity - 6 Land Cover/Biology


Site Seeing Intermediate Level

http://www.globe.gov/tctg/land_la_siteint.pdf?sectionId=218

Site Seeing Intermediate Level

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