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Sugar Maple
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Lesson Plans and Activities On the Web
Earthworms in Action Build a "bottle biology" worm habitat and investigate how worms decompose leaves or other materials into organic soil. From NatureWatch Canada.
Virtual Worm - explore the inner workings of an earthworm with this on-line movie. From NatureWatch Canada.
Minnesota Worm Watch learning activities. How to make a worm observatory out of an aquarium for long term observations and experiments. Nutrient Cycle game - students travel through the nutrient cycle both with and without worms in the soil. Minnesota's Worm Watch is making news lately. Did you know that earthworms are not native to Minnesota? They can help our gardens and farms by enriching the soil, but in maple forests, they can cause real trouble. This site has the latest information.
A third grade teacher describes and provides background for a class lesson in which she enters the room as a dirty "Dr. Soil." Other activities are also listed on this NASA site, including connections to lessons for high school students through the GLOBE program.
Ask S.K. Worm about any soils questions. This is a kid-friendly worm who answers questions about soil formation in a series of cartoons. For example "Is soil made through magic?" "Does soil have parents?"
University des Arbres - This Canadian site (in english!) is rich with the biology and ecology of trees. It is interesting for both kids and adults. Browse through pages about tree life cycles and biology, biodiversity and habitats . . .
Activities In Published Curricula
Soil related activities in the Project Learning Tree environmental education activity guide.
(activity 70)Collect and analyze a variety of soils, do a perk test, and are encouraged to try growing palnts in different soil types. Middle school.
(activity 23)Students examine fallen logs to find and observe a variety of organisms that help decompose wood into soil. Includes a guided imagery story called "In the Forest of ST Shrew." Grades 4-8
(activity number 24)Students collect and observe sow bugs and their eating habits for one week. Grades 1-6.
Related Wolf Ridge Classes
While the Wetlands class at wolf Ridge does not directly deal with maples, students do take soil samples during the class the. Students can apply the knowledge learned in wetlands class to the role of decaying leaves in maple forests.
Hike away from the main Wolf Ridge campus through the woods and across the boardwalks to our Forestry Building outpost. You'll pack a lunch and be gone for the day. During the Forest Ecology class, you'll hike through a variety of managed forests, getting a chance to do some forest management along the way, beginning with a try at an old-time cross cut saw, and ending by taking on the role of a forest, wildlife, recreation, or water management specialist.
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