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Litter “Critters” (PCEC) |
| Topic | Geology - Erosion
Habitat and Management - General
Laboratory and Hands-on Activities - Food Chain / Web of Life
Laboratory and Hands-on Activities - General
Outdoor Skills - Identification
Wildlife - Invertebrates/Insects |
| Summary | Investigating leaf litter leads to animal identification, collection and analysis of specimens under dissecting scopes, development of a food web, and as a classroom extension, writing about an ecosystem.
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| Grade Level | 4 and up |
| Recommended Setting | Indoor or outdoor classroom |
| Location | Potlatch Conservation Education Center at Cook’s Lake, Casscoe |
| Contact | Education Program Coordinator, 870-241-3373
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| Duration | 30 minutes to one hour |
| Suggested Number of Participants | 20 - 25 |
| Special Conditions | One adult supervisor per 10 students; outdoor activities, weather permitting.
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| Objectives |
- Identify animals that live in leaf litter.
- Collect, record and illustrate population data.
- Design a food web.
- Write about litter and its inhabitants.
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| Key Terms* | Identification key
Litter
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| Materials | Forceps or small paint brushes to move organisms around
Garbage bag
Large sheets of white paper
Leaf litter
Magnifying glasses, loupes or dissecting microscopes
Small containers to hold organisms
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| Background | Read and discuss “Crickwing” by Janell Cannon or some other book about the forest floor environment or macro-invertebrates.
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| Procedure |
- Distribute art supplies and have participants design and build a “critter” they think could survive in leaf litter.
- Go outside and look for leaf litter locations. Have participants brainstorm what sorts of “critters” they might find in the litter.
- Collect a bucket of litter from one site or from several different sites if you wish to compare habitats (damp litter often yields more specimens). Scoop up a little topsoil along with your litter. Take the litter back inside.
- Dump the litter on tables or on the floor. A white paper background will make it easier to spot “critters.”
- Use magnifying glasses, loupes and dissecting microscopes to investigate organisms living in the litter. Many are large enough to see with the naked eye, but others require a little magnification. Caution: most litter “critters” are harmless, but centipedes, larger spiders and beetles may bite.
- Use the picture key and identification sheet to identify the animals, or simply note their characteristics (number of legs, wings, mouth parts, etc.) and sort them into groups.
- Construct a pie graph or histogram (bar graph) to illustrate the type and number of animals found.
- Assemble paper, pencils and art supplies. Create an individual or group story about “Life in the Litter.” This may be done from the viewpoint of one of the animals found.
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| Modifications | Have participants return to the classroom with their specimen, place specimen under dissecting scopes and, using keys provided, identify what they have collected
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| Review |
- What did you expect to find in leaf litter?
- What did you actually find?
- Describe (in words or pictures) the characteristics that fit them to their habitat.
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| Related Documents | |
| Glossary | Identification key – printed or computer-aided device that helps identify biological organisms such as plants, animals, or microorganisms or diseases, soil types, minerals or archaeological and anthropological artifacts
Litter – waste disposed in the wrong place by humans
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