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LIBRARY
Michigan State
University

 

 

 

This is to certify that the
thesis entitled

The Diversity of Life At The Bell

presented by

Gregory C Jordan

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

 

MS degree in Biological Science

 

[/fl/a‘ 24/84 dam.

Major professor

July 20, 1992

MS U is an AlfirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity Institution

 

PLACE IN RETURN Box to remove this checkout from your record.
TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due.
MAY BE RECALLED with earlier due date if requested.

 

DATE DUE

DATE DUE

DATE DUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1M animus-p 14

THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE AT THE BELL

By

Gregory C Jordan

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Division of Science and Math Education
College of Natural Science

1999

ABSTRACT

THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE AT THE BELL
By
Gregory C Jordan

A study of the diversity of organisms should be part of any
high school science curriculum. Teaching this can be a very time
consuming task. Looking for an efficient way to teach this topic has
led to the development of a system, the anticipatory set, that has
proven to be effective.

An anticipatory set at the beginning of each class period can
be used to teach a great deal of content material. Taking full
advantage of this instructional time, my colleagues and I developed a
system to teach the diversity of life. Using videotape of common
West Michigan plants and animals and an accompanying manual, our
students learn to classify, identify, and justify the importance of
organisms from all five kingdoms of living things within the first
four minutes of class each day. Emphasis is placed on those
organisms which they see every day.

Students not only gain a better understanding of their
environment and their role in it, but also develop a greater

appreciation for the beauty of our natural world.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was possible due to the vision, dedication, hard work,
and inspiration from my colleagues, Mr. Ron Reimink and Mr. David
Bolhuis. They have both guided this project and my teaching in many
ways and I view them as my mentors in much more than education.
My appreciation is also extended to Dr. Merle Heidemann for her
assistance since my freshman year at Michigan State and for her

patience and assistance with the completion of this project.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................
INTRODUCTION
Statement of the Problem ...............................................................

Literature Review ..............................................................................
Demographics .......................................................................................

IMPLEMENTATION

Background. ............................................................................................
Development==== .... -- - - .........
Organism Selection ...........................................................................
Development ofManual ....................................................................
Development ofthe Video ...............................................................
Daily Classroom Procedure ............................................................

EVALUATION
Test Data Analysis ............................................................................
Student Evaluations (Survey Results) .......................................

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

EffectiveAspects ...............................................................................
Ineffective Aspects ...........................................................................
Future Challenges ...............................................................................

REFERENCES ............................................................................................
APPENDIX A The Diversity of Life Manual ............................
APPENDIX B Final Exams (Pre and Post-Test) .....................
APPENDIX C Student Evaluation / Survey ............................

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32

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41
42

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47
87
90

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11

LIST OF FIGURES

........... Test Data - Identification

 

........... Test Data - Justification

 

........... Test Data - Classification

 

........... Evaluation Data - Identification
........... Evaluation Data - Justification
........... Evaluation Data - Classification..................
........... Test vs Evaluation - ldentification............
........... Test vs Evaluation - Justification..............
........... Test vs Evaluation - Classification...........

........... View of Nature Ratings

 

........... Enjoyment of Nature Ratings

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36
37
37

INTRODUCTION

Statement of the Problem

In teaching science, we often have to make difficult decisions
about the content of our courses. Many of us have the tendency to try
to fit too much material into the course content. We have a love of
science and want to relay that information to our students as much
as possible. With the considerable demands placed upon us to teach
reading, writing, mental math, and other topics across the
curriculum, we have to be even more selective about the content of
our courses. Often a textbook ultimately determines the content, a
dangerous proposition given the errors and fallacies of current texts.

Thirty seven percent of the chapters in the current text which
our district uses for sophomore biology, Biology by Miller and Levine
(1992), are dedicated to a presentation of the diversity of life.
Chapter by chapter, students are presented first with prokaryotic
and simple eukaryotic organisms and later with multicellular,
complex organisms. The chapters are divided according to the
taxonomic classification groups of the organisms. An attempt is
made in every chapter to present students with the basic forms and
structures associated with each group of organisms. Miller and
Levine focus on particular species within each taxon and use them as

1

examples. Often the authors devote a section of a chapter to an
explanation of how those organisms “fit into the world”. A single
chapter addresses the classification system of all living things.
Realistically, 20 weeks of instruction would be necessary to teach
all of these chapters, assuming one week is spent to teach each
chapter. This translates to slightly more than one semester for
material which is all but ignored by the Michigan Essential Goals and
Objectives for Science Education (Michigan State Board of Education,
1991).

The MEGOSE sets forth very clear learning objectives at
various grade levels in science and is the framework used for the
design and content of the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT). While
our science curriculum has been geared toward the MEGOSE
document, we have also recognized that it does not take into account
all of the learning goals which we have for our students in science.
Therefore, we set out to design a method to teach the diversity of
life using as little instructional time as possible. This method
consists of showing students video clips of common organisms at
the beginning of each period as an anticipatory set.

The need to add this content to the biology curriculum was just one
of the factors which led to the development of this system of
teaching. As a department we also wanted to find methods which

2

would allow us to utilize the full fifty-five minute class period to
the maximum extent possible. Typically, chores such as taking
attendance, organizing papers and materials, and calling the class to
order eat away a few minutes of valuable time each class period.
Over the course of a school year of185 days, 3 minutes of wasted
instructional time per day adds up to over 9 hours of instructional
time. The system which we developed for teaching the diversity of
life within the first few minutes of class each day puts this time to
valuable use.

The challenging task was to find a way to teach the diversity
of life on Earth without having to limit the studies of other topics.
Utilizing the first few minutes of class time each day accomplished
this goal. Students are shown 30 second video clips of organisms
which are common to West Michigan while they refer to a manual.
When an organism appears on the video, students are to observe it
and learn to identify it while at the same time reading the manual to
learn the classification and justification information for the
species shown. Justification refers to the importance of an
organism to it’s environment. After 30 seconds, the next organism
listed in the manual is shown.. However simple it may seem, this
system accomplishes its objectives: Teach the diversity of life in
minimal time and appeal to students of various learning styles.

3

Literature Review

William Glasser (1993), in The Quality School Teacher,
describes how quality teachers teach useful skills. Being able to
identify, justify, and classify living organisms is seen as useful by
students who begin applying what they have learned in class to their
everyday experiences.

Aside from being useful, the Diversity of Life ( D of L) has
helped students to develop positive attitudes about nature. Students
have indicated that learning the diversity of life has helped them see
the value, importance, and usefulness of other living organisms.

Many educators and scholars today are implementing
instructional strategies from the constructivist approach. Rooted in
the ideas of Piaget, the constructivist approach centers around the
organization and adaptation of information and learning (Papalia,
1986). Organization is the bringing together of the Ieamer’s
knowledge into a comprehensive system or framework for learning.
Adaptation is a process in which the learner takes in new
information, reflects upon it, and either fits it into their
organizational framework or changes their framework to fit the
newly acquired knowledge. The role of the teacher and the
experiences they provide for their students is critically important
to this process. The D of L procedure addresses this issue since it

4

provides a framework for learning and requires students to fit new
learning into that which they have already acquired.

As Leinhardt (1992) says, when we use the classroom “as a
social arena for the public examination of ideas students naturally
build on or refute old ideas as they are merged with new knowledge”.
The Diversity of Life at the Bell is well suited to this type of
learning. Students come into high school with many experiences
with the natural world and the common organisms of the West
Michigan area. They learn a great deal about familiar organisms as
well as new knowledge of species they may have never experienced
as they engage in this work at the bell. Although the framework for
classification is already laid out for them and they are not required
to construct that knowledge, this procedure requires them to fit
what they know into that system.

John Zahorik(1997) warns against allowing student’s
understandings to stand when they clash with the constructions of
experts in the field. Educators are sometimes guilty of erring on the
side of the students by allowing their constructions and
understandings to go unchallenged since they may be adequate for
the purposes of the lesson. Driver (1994) and his colleagues point
out, “Scientific entities and ideas, which are constructed, validated,
and communicated through the cultural institutions of science, are

5

unlikely to be discovered by individuals through their own empirical
enquiry”. On the other hand, educators may err on the side of
scholars whereby student constructions are dismissed as
unimportant and trivial. According to Von Glaserfeld (1995),
“Concepts cannot simply be transferred from teacher to students -
they must be conceived”. By implementing the D of L procedure, I
hope to balance the two approaches. Students will construct new
knowledge about familiar and unfamiliar organisms as well as fit
their knowledge into the accepted classification framework that has
been constructed and accepted by the scientific community.

Much has been said of learning styles in educational research
in past years. It has been noted that some students are visual
learners while others are auditory, kinesthetic, or others.
Regardless of the modality of learning, it is important for educators
as well as students to understand how each individual learns best
and utilize all available tools to take advantage of this knowledge.
Cynthia Tobias (1996) states, “Always remember that each child is a
complex and wonderful mixture of learning style strengths - and
that there’s a little bit of all styles in every one of us”.

The teaching methods utilized by The Diversity of Life at the
Bell accommodates students of various learning style strengths due
to the auditory instruction on the first day of each set, the visual

6

images used to teach identification, the manual for linguistics, and
the classical music soundtrack which accompanies the videotape.
Appealing to numerous learning styles is part of what makes this
project and its method of teaching so popular with students.

The D of L procedure also addresses motivational and
organizational factors within the classroom. Many students are
motivated by video. The use of video alone has been shown to have an
effect upon student performance in the classroom. Drost, Loubser,
and Swanepoel (1983) were able to demonstrate a mean increase of
six percentage points in the test scores of a classroom in which
video programs were used for math, biology, and physical science.
Although not backed by hard statistics, the view that the increase
was due to greater motivation and concentration by students was
shared by the researchers. Also, it is important to expect students
to be on time to class and to start the lesson immediately to
establish a sense of seriousness of purpose that is lost in a “ ragged
start” (Evertson et al, 1984). By using the Diversity video as an
anticipatory set to begin each class period this goal is also
accomplished.

The content of The Diversity of Life at the Bell is supported by
David Hershey (1993) who states that “ Too often real world
connections of plant biology are missed in biology education”.

7

Nearly half of the 180 organisms which are covered by the program
are plants of West Michigan. Students learn not only the
classification, and therefore structural characteristics of the
plants, but many of their uses in industry, agriculture, and medicine.
This may be one of the greatest assets of the program; it’s ability to
connect what is taught in the classroom to the world outside of the

school.

Demographics

This procedure was implemented in a suburban high school in
West Michigan. The majority of our students come from middle
income homes within newly developed subdivisions of a rapidly
growing area. The town has two high schools, a Christian school and
a public school, with a very strong Christian Reformed Church
influence. Our public high school houses grades 10-12 with a
population of 818. The student body is lacking in racial diversity
with a mere 3% of the students being classified as minorities. Sixty
two students, or 7.5%, are in the Special Education program.
Parental support is strong with 65% attendance at parent-teacher
conferences for sophomores while slipping to 50% for seniors. This
data is from the fall conferences in 1998. There is usually a modest
decrease in attendance during the spring conferences.

8

IMPLEMENTATION

Background

The initial phases of the development of this project goes back
further than my teaching career. I take no credit for this system or
the idea behind it. When I began teaching within the science
department at Hudsonville, a similar system of teaching biodiversity
was already in place. Mr. David Bolhuis and Mr. Ron Reimink had
collaborated on the project which used photographic slides to
introduce students to common West Michigan plants and animals.

Students viewed a set of 10 organisms per day. As soon as the
clock clicked to the minute that class was supposed to start, one
student would turn off the lights and another would turn on and run
the slide projector. The projector operator would wait for
approximately thirty seconds before switching to the next organism.
This gave all of the students the opportunity to view the organism at
hand as well as read the classification and justification information
from papers handed out when the study of a particular set began.
Sets were organized on the basis of their classification. For
example, there was one set of amphibians, another of reptiles, and
three sets of birds due to their large number and interesting
varieties. Although all of these belong to Kingdom Animalia,

9

Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata they are all separate
classes and therefore separate sets.

At this stage in the progression of this system, the master
list of the organisms included was determined by the organisms of
which we had good photographs. Mr. Reimink is an accomplished
photographer and had taken many of the slides during the summer
prior to my hiring. The organisms he photographed were the
organisms we taught to our students.

The justification and classification information was printed
out on individual sheets. Each biology instructor made his own
sheets. They included the Kingdom, Phylum, Subphylum, and Class of
all of the organisms in a particular set. The justification was
indicated by writing how that plant or animal makes a living, how
they are useful or harmful to the environment and humans, or simply
interesting facts about that organism. The idea behind this aspect
was so that upon the completion of the year long D of L procedure,
students would be able to intelligently discuss a particular species.
When walking along a country road in the summertime they will not
just be able to identify the Orange Day-lily but also know that each
flower lasts only a single day and the flower buds can be cooked and

eaten like green beans (Peterson, 1990).

10

Develggment

The slides were a great way to start the class each day while
teaching biodiversity. Students really did see this activity as
useful, but it needed to be improved. Mr. Bolhuis initiated an
improvement by using a video camera to film common organisms. It
was obvious that it would be a great improvement in the activity to
get videotape of different organisms. Some organisms, like maple
trees, are fairly easy to catch on film and are readily accessible.
Microscopic, nocturnal, underwater, and seasonal organisms provide
greater challenges. After seeing Mr. Bolhuis’ first attempts at
videotape it was hard not to be excited about the possibilities of
using this medium. Students would no longer see static images but
have better opportunities to judge size, characteristics, movement,
and behaviors of the organisms under study. We knew that the time
required to film all of the organisms we needed would be
considerable.

Mr. Reimink, Mr. Bolhuis, and I sat down to put together our
ideas about the video. We wanted the tape to be something which we
all could use. We agreed that classical music playing in the
background would be a nice touch. We also agreed that we should put
the classification and justification information together in a
booklet (see Appendix A).

11

Organism Selegtion

Choosing the organisms to include in the list was the next
task. Our goal was to select organisms that our students would
encounter on a regular basis. We approached the list from the
standpoint of classification. We wanted to be sure that
representatives of all of the major groups were included. The
formal 5 Kingdom classification system was used. The role of the
individuals were also considered snd we included organisms which
have especially interesting uses or habits.

Initially our list was far too large so we had to pare it down
into a number which would be managable for students to learn. We
then grouped organisms into sets of 6 to 10. It is quite manageable
for students to learn a set of 10 organisms in 8 or 9 class days.

This fact gives a great deal of flexibility to the teacher
regarding the timing of quizzes. If a lab happens to fall on the
eighth day of a ten organism set, adjusting the quiz for the seventh
or ninth day is very easy and does not put undo strain on the
students. We also try to build in time for review of organisms at the
end of the semester and at the end of the year for final exams. We
accomplished this in a period of two weeks, 10 class days, covering
one or two sets of organisms each day. The advantage to having this
part of the curriculum on videotape is that students who wish to

12

have more review time can simply come in before or after school to

watch the tapes which are always in the VCR in the classrooms.

Develegment of the Mengal

Mr. Reimink took on the task of developing the manual to
accompany the video. Instead of each individual teacher developing
their own handouts with the classification and justification of the
organisms, he developed this information for each of the 180
organisms on the final list. Using numerous Peterson Field Guides,
he attempted to capture in a sentence or two the role and importance
that each organism has to its environment. Many organisms are of
economic value to our region which was, of course, noted. Not all of
the descriptions were so concrete. For example, part of the
justification of the Trillium was that it “adds beauty to spring hikes
in the woods” (See Appendix A). Being a conservationist and
sportsman, Mr. Reimink also mentioned when or if a particular
species could be eaten as well as the quality of the taste.

The idea of including the justification segment was to
encourage students to attach value to the organisms they were
studying. In an age when senseless killing sometimes seems
rampant, it is important to teach the value and importance of living
things. Perhaps the famous line by Rachel Carson (1967) in her book

13

Silent Spring sums it up best, “We only grieve for what we know”.

Included in the booklet is a list of the 180 organisms which we
chose for this procedure, a Greek and Latin Root Index for
terminology (an extension of one of the goals of the English
Department at our school), an outline of the five kingdom
classification system with examples (Miller and Levine, 1993), and
a descriptive listing of the identification and justification of the
organisms.

The manual turned out to be a terrific piece from which I still
learn as we move through the list each year. The quantity of
information contained in the manual is vast. Therefore many
students keep theirs at the conclusion of the course for reference.
Each year we have new copies made for all sophomores enrolled in
biology. They are printed on very colorful paper, a different color
for each Kingdom, three hole punched, and bound with a plastic spiral
binder with a thick paper cover. We encourage students to keep this
manual inside a three ring binder since they will be using it every

day for the entire school year.

Develegment of the Video
The development of the video has been a painstaking and often
frustrating process. Countless hours have been spent crawling

14

through the weeds and woods to capture on tape all 180 organisms.
Mr. Bolhuis spent one summer with the camera the science
department had purchased for our Summer Science program. It is a
Sony Handheld 8mm camera with a color viewfinder. Although a lot
of good footage was recorded, we still did not have video clips of all
of the organisms.

This is where the bulk of my work on this project began. I
decided to use the time allotted to me for research to update,
improve, and finish our videotapes. I estimated that the time
allotted would be insufficient to film and edit the video for all 180
organisms, yet that remained my goal. I did not get all of the
organisms on tape during the first summer, however I came close. I
filmed numerous hours worth of tape to capture 163 of the 180
organisms on videotape. However, only154 of those made the final
tape since Mr. Bolhuis had previously captured video clips of 9
organisms which turned out to be better than those that I had filmed.
The remaining organisms had to be filmed from guide books and still
photographs in magazines, a poor substitute for live video.

A knowledge of basic photography would have saved many
hours that were spent refilming numerous organisms. I learned as I
worked that summer and while some mistakes were made, I feel that
it was very productive.

15

There were also numerous challenges that were not foreseen
but had to be dealt with. Seasonal organisms like morel mushrooms
and trout lilies needed to be accounted for. If someone decides to
replicate this work for their region and they don’t start filming until
summer vacation there is no way to have a complete video for the
following fall. This is definitely an ongoing project. In fact, I
continue to carry a video camera around with me hoping to get shots
of organisms which we are still missing, like the striped skunk, or
improve on existing footage.

Time in the field and luck must play a part in getting quality
footage. To leave the house in search of a particular organism is
usually futile. The most successful method seemed to be to charge
up the batteries, grab the camera and tripod, and take a walk. You
must be ready for the unexpected, close-up encounters. If you are
not, you’ll leave for home knowing that you blew the “shot of the
day”. A prime example is the day that, while filming the ever-
elusive duckweed, a muskrat came swimming by, turned a couple of
circles to mock me, then submerged beneath the water before I could
even get the camera off the tripod. Given the fact that muskrats are
not often encountered makes this kind of occurrence all the more

frustrating.

16

Capturing video of microscopic organisms was relatively easy.
An Olympus CH 30 microscope and a Flex-Cam connected to a VCR
were used. Most protists can be found in a sample of pond water. It
is important to have a mechanical stage to aid in keeping the
organisms within the field of view. Monerans were filmed using
prepared slides. Although they provide a clear and distinct view of
these organisms it is a throw-back to using the still photographs
and will be changed in the future.

Plants were relatively easy to film, provided their flowers
were in season. To shoot them from a distance and then quickly
zoom in on key identifying characteristics seemed best suited for
our purposes. It was important to keep in mind which key
characteristics were mentioned in the manual when filming the
plants. For example, Black Cherry trees are described in the manual
as having bark similar to “burnt potato chips”. Without a close-up
of the bark, this descriptor would be relatively meaningless to
students. A color viewfinder is absolutely essential when filming
plants. Through a black and white eyepiece they tend to blend in
with surrounding foliage, making it difficult for the photographer to
determine whether they are getting the shot they want. I had to
refilm numerous plants since they blended in with the background in
many of the distance shots. Large trees also pose a challenge since

17

filming against a bright sky closes the aperture on the camera and
tree leaves appear blackened instead of green during playback. I
might have known much of this beforehand had I taken even a basic
photography course prior to filming. Instead, most of my experience
was gained by trial and error. I would highly recommend that
someone take a photography course prior to filming. Considerable
time and effort was wasted due to lack of ability and experience on
my part.

Naturally the animal kingdom was the most entertaining and
challenging to film. Most of the animal footage was taken while
walking out in the field looking for plants. You need to rely on
chance occurrences and take advantage of them. Being mobile,
animals do not give you the luxury of a good angle and all the time it
takes to set up the tripod and compose the picture, you just aim and
shoot.

Numerous trips were taken to Kellogg Biological Station near
Kalamazoo, MI. At KBS, I filmed Mute Swans, Mayflies, Eastern Tent
Caterpillars, Groundhogs, Spotted Salamanders, and Cardinals among
many others. Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, MI as well as
all of my childhood stomping grounds throughout Michigan’s Barry
County provided opportunities for filming countless birds, plants,
and insects.

18

Living in a large city should not be a deterrent to anyone who
is considering adopting this format for teaching biodiversity.
Remember, the objective was to teach those organisms which are
common to the area and which students may encounter. Youth in
large urban areas may not need to see video of a whitetail deer, but
they could definitely benefit by learning the difference between a
fox squirrel and a chipmunk.

Other filming locations included Gillette Nature Center near
Muskegon, MI, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago,lL for some fish, as well as
my back yard bird feeders. Filming the organisms was the most
enjoyable aspect of this project for me since it afforded me the
opportunity to spend hours each day in the field experiencing what I
hope students will in some way experience, a love of nature and
enjoyment of being outdoors.

Editing the video was nearly as time consuming as filming and
was a substantial part of my involvement in this project.
Fortunately, our district had recently purchased editing equipment.
It was intended to be used by the teaching staff, but wound up being
used much more often by coaches and school group sponsors. Two
SuperVHS VCRs were linked to two monitors and the Videonics
Editing Suite. We decided to stay with the thirty second per
organism format of the previous teaching system, however it was

19

now possible to use multiple clips and views of each of the
organisms. In most cases, at least one to two minutes of footage of
each organism had been recorded on Hi-8 tapes using the video
camera. This footage had to be dubbed to VHS tapes and indexed for
timing references. Once this was complete it was much easier for
me to find the desired footage amidst hours of videotape.

After recording title clips and credits, the process of piecing
together the master tape began. The order in which the organisms
appeared on the tape had to coincide with the sequence used for the
manual, so that students could read about each organism as they saw
the video clips. A title screen with a blue background was recorded
at the beginning of each set indicating the group of organisms to be
seen as well as their reference numbers from the master list.

Thirty seconds of selected footage was then recorded for each of the
organisms. At the end of each set the blue screen was recorded
again to indicate the end of the set. Most sets were determined by
the number of organisms in any one group. For example, we included
seven protists in the master list which comprised one set. Fish, on
the other hand, were too numerous to be included in only one set so
they were divided into two groups to make two sets of seven fish
each for the students to view.

After the video editing was complete, I added the musical

20

soundtrack on another track of the tape. Mr. Bolhuis is a fan of
classical music and had numerous recordings on compact disc. Once
I determined the playback time for each set of organisms, classical
selections of nearly the same length were chosen by Mr. Bolhuis.
Obviously, most of the music was chosen on the basis of its appeal
and not only the length of the composition. The editing equipment
used to produce the video track did not have the ability to lay audio
tracks over the existing video. A local cable television station,
WCET, is housed within our high school and has a full production and
recording studio. Enlisting the help of Todd Bialas of WCET, Mr.
Bolhuis and I recorded the audio on top of the video. A listing of the
names of the compositions and the composers of each of the pieces
was then written to be distributed to the students.

Plans for using portions of the video as part of semester and
final exams made it necessary to also produce exam tapes. The first
semester exam tape included clips of organisms from the first half
of the list with numbers 1 - 20 superimposed in the bottom corner
of the picture. The numbers corresponding to the number of test
questions for the exam. This tape was produced by simply editing
from the completed master tape. That way students would see the
same clips on the exam that they had studied throughout the
semester. Since the music was also recorded, it provided a nice

21

prompt to students during the exam to look up from their papers to
see the next organism since the music changed every time a new
organism appeared. The final exam tape was prepared in the

same manner but included organisms from the entire list and was

numbered 1 - 40.

Daily Cleesrogm Procedure

Once the video and corresponding manual were in place the
majority of the work was complete. The day to day implementation
of this teaching procedure can be accomplished through the use of
two student volunteers per class. Once they have established the
routine of how to run “D of L” as I call it, the four minutes or so at
the beginning of the class period becomes a time to record
attendance and arrange papers and/or materials for the hour. The
tasks performed by the volunteers does not interfere with their
ability to learn as well as the rest of the class but gives them an
important role to fill in the classroom, something which can be very
valuable for some students. On more than one occasion I have hand
picked students who have had difficulty settling in once class is
supposed to start and gave them one of these simple tasks. I have
noticed that it helps them to focus their attention on the video
procedure.

22

Once the clock clicks to the appropriate start time for the hour
the class has exactly one minute to have their manuals open, the
lights off, the video playing, and absolutely no talking. One student
has the simple job of turning off the lights in the classroom and
making sure that the lights in the lab area of the room are on so that
it is not completely dark. Actually this serves more than the
purpose of eliminating glare on the TV screens. The semi-darkness
along with the classical music of the video tends to calm and relax a
restless group. At times, I have resorted to keeping the lights on in
my first hour classes to keep them awake and having the lights off
before my fifth and sixth hour classes even enter the room to calm
them. There is a lot to be said for classroom environment and
behavior even at the high school level.

When the lights are off and all students have their manuals out
with no talking, the second volunteer may start the video. This
person needs to be somewhat of a leader in the classroom since they
determine when the video starts. If too much talking is taking place
they need to quiet the class before they may start. It is interesting
to see the different styles some students use to accomplish this.
I’ve seen kids quietly ask the class to be quiet, start the video and
then pause until all talking stops, or yell until the rest of the class
heeds the warning. Obviously I avoid the last option by explaining to

23

the class that if they do not start within the first minute, they will
remain after class to make up the minute missed with the exception
of the student volunteer trying to quiet them. This usually

occurs once or twice within the first week or two of school but they
quickly catch on that I am serious about my expectations and will
not let anything slip. If a student does begin talking during the video
I take appropriate action immediately. Before long the prompt start
of class using the video becomes second nature and I no longer need
to keep a watchful eye on them every day.

As stated previously, a typical set consists of 8 to 10
organisms which requires four to five minutes of playing time per
day. At the conclusion of a set the blue screen appears which is the
clue for the volunteer to hit the rewind button on the remote control.
Once the video has been returned to its original starting position, it
is ready for the next hour to view it. The lights are then turned back
on and I am ready to start the day’s lesson.

This procedure continues every day for approximately eight or
nine class days so that students have ample opportunity to learn to
identify, classify, and justify all of the organisms in the set. Since
I walk them through the first day of each set and say a few words
about each of the organisms and point out their key identifying
characteristics, most students have learned to identify them all

24

within just a couple of days. Classification and justification can be
a bit more difficult, and students use the remaining time to learn
these aspects of each organism. After learning to identify them,
some students will use the time each day to practice writing the
names of the organisms as they appear in the video, since I ask all of
the common names of the organisms to be written completely and
correctly. They usually groan about this at first, but it too becomes
second nature in short order.

After eight to nine days a quiz over the set will be given in
place of watching the video and is the bell work for that day. The
quizzes are given orally and consist of ten questions. Three
questions deal with classification, three are identification, and
three questions are about the justification of the organisms. The
tenth question is either the name of the composer of the music for
the set or the name of the composition itself. Most students look at
the last question as the “gimme question” since it is basically a
free point to anyone who is paying attention.

Diversity of Life quiz scores account for twenty percent of a
student’s grade in biology. This is standard for all biology teachers
in our school. Grades are typically higher in this category than the
class average for other parts of the course, such as test grades and
homework grades. This is intentional as our biology course is a

25

college prep program and standards are set quite high. We make
numerous provisions for students with learning difficulties and D of
L scores can really help out a student’s grade if they are willing to
do the work necessary during that four to five minute time frame
each day.

At the end of the semester a comprehensive test targeting all
organisms viewed to that point is administered. It is given in
addition to the regular exam for the course and counts for twenty
percent of the exam grade. It is broken into three sections,
Identification, Classification, and Justification. The identification
exam is on video and has thirty second clips of twenty organisms
with numbers superimposed in the corner of the screen. Students
use the master list from the D of L manual as their answer sheet and
simply fill in the number on the screen in front of the organism’s
name on that list. They are always very thankful that they are not
required to write the names correctly on the exam, as they do during
oral quizzes! The justification portion is on paper and is nothing
more than the justification information of twenty organisms from
the manual rewritten into a test. Again, students use the master
list as an answer sheet and write the number of the justification in
front of the organism’s name on the list. The classification portion
consists of a photocopy of pages 2-5 of the manual (see Appendix A)

26

with classification names missing and replaced by a number.
Students are given an answer key which contains a word bank from
which they must choose the appropriate name to fill the space left
blank. This portion consists of ten questions and has proven to be
the most difficult of the three for the majority of students. I
believe that this is due to the fact that students are more interested
in identification and justification than they are classification. This
method of assessment is valid since it addresses all aspects of the
D of L procedure.

The final exam at the end of the year follows the format of the
semester exam described above but has twice as many questions and
covers the entire manual and organism list (See Appendix A).
Students were thankful that this was part of their exam grade since

many score very high on this portion of the exam.

27

EVALUATION

Test Data Analysis

To evaluate the effectiveness of The Diversity of Life at the
Bell, a pre-test, post-test, and a student evaluation was
administered. In addition to gathering raw scores before and after
the year long program, information regarding student’s attitudes and
enjoyment of nature was collected. It is difficult to measure
values, attitudes, and enjoyment scientifically. Rather, an attempt
was made to standardize student responses on a survey by carefully
describing the rating scale used and the significance of each score.
Test scores and survey information were collected from my students
only, although all members of the biology department used the D of L
procedure.

A pre-test was given at the beginning of the school year to
test student knowledge regarding identification, justification, and
classification of common West Michigan organisms. Over the course
of two days students were given a three part exam, the same exam
which was to be given to them at the conclusion of the year.
Obviously, I did not advertise this fact as the final exam would be a
part of their grade, unlike the pre-test. As described earlier (See
Classroom Procedure), the identification exam consisted of forty 30
second video clips of the organisms from the master list. Students

28

were asked to identify as many as possible by marking the number of
the clip next to the name of the organism on the answer sheet. The
following graph illustrates both the pre—test scores as well as the

post-test scores from the same exam given at the end of the year.

Figure 1 - Pre-Test vs. Post-Test Identification Scores

l‘1 _ 1 1 2 1 [Test Data - Identification

530* ’ ’

 

 

 

 

0,
0 2 4 6 8 1012 1416182022242628303234 363840
Points

 

[I Pre-Test I Post-Test

 

 

 

 

Pre-test scores are shown in gray, while post-test scores are
shown in black. Pre-test scores on Identification had a median score
of 10 out of 40 with a standard deviation of 4.5. Post-test scores on
Identification had a median score of 30 out of 40 with a standard
deviation of 7.5. This shows a significant increase in student
knowledge regarding Identification.

Student knowledge of Justification, or the role an organism

29

plays in the environment, was also measured using the pre-test and
post-test. Students were asked to read the justification of an
organism (copied from the manual) and write the number of the
justification description next to the name of the organism on an
answer sheet. The following graph illustrates pre-test and post-
test scores on the Justification portion of the test. Please note that

a different scale is used on the y-axis from the previous graph.

Figure 2 - Pre-Test vs. Post-Test Justification Scores

 

Test Data - Justification
n = l l 2

24
20
16
12
8
4
0

MHDOQCHM

 

0 2 4 6 8 1012141618 2022242628 3032 34363840
Points

 

I Pre-Test I Post-Test J

 

 

 

 

Pre-test Justification scores had a median score of 8 out of
40 with a standard deviation of 5.1. Post-Test Justification scores
had a median score of 36 out of 40 with a standard deviation of 5.1
also. Again, its easy to see the significant increase in student
knowledge.

30

Pre-test and post-test Classification scores were also
collected using photocopies of pages 2-5 of the manual with select
terms whited out. Students had to select from a word bank the
appropriate term(s) to fill the gap. The following graph illustrates
the test results for Classification. Please note the different scales

on both axis from previous graphs.

Figure 3 - Pre-Test vs. Post-Test Classification Scores

 

n = 112 Test Data - Classrfication

O
O

mfiamacfim

 

O

 

8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Points

| I Pre-Test I Post-Test]

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-test Classification scores had a median score of 2 out of
20 with a standard deviation of 2.5. Post-test Classification scores
had a median score of 18 out of 20 with a standard deviation of 4.5.
This category seems to show that students are most lacking in their
knowledge of the classification of common organisms when they
enter sophomore biology. This makes sense, since those students

31

who spend a lot of time outdoors and love nature tend to be able to
identify and justify some organisms while they can classify very
few. It is not knowledge which one obtains first hand in the field,

but learns through reading and study in the life sciences.

5 ud nt Eval ations rve Re It

At the conclusion of the year, students were also asked to
complete a survey indicating their views of the knowledge they
gained as a direct result of the D of L procedure (See Appendix C).
The survey consisted of two parts. In the first part, students were
asked to rate their knowledge on a scale of 1 - 10 in each category
(Identification, Justification, and Classification) prior to
participation in the D of L procedure and after participation. The
following three graphs illustrate the results of the first part of the

survey.

32

Figure 4 - Survey Results for Identification

 

 

 

n = 1 1 2 IEvaluation Data - Identification

 

$50 -—’
t4o
d30
e20
:10?

   

2 3 4 5 6
Rating

 

 

 

Figure 5 - Survey Results for Justification

 

 

 

n = 11 2 [Evaluation Data - Justification

4O
3O
20
10

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5 6 7 8 9 10
Rating

 

 

33

 

Figure 6 - Survey Results for Classification

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

n = 1 1 2 Evaluation Data - Classification
5 70 -
t 60 r
u 50 “
d 40 a
e 30 "l
n 20 "
t 1 O “
s 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Rating
.Before .After

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting comparison can be made between the graphs
generated from the test data and the graphs generated from student
responses to the survey. When Figure 1 is compared to Figure 4 (See
Figure 7) you can see how closely student responses tracked the
actual pre-test and post-test data. There is very little difference
between the two graphs, indicating to me that students were
completing the survey honestly and accurately. Students, therefore,
do have an accurate perception of their learning and can identify
those areas where they are strongest and those areas where they
have weaknesses. The same result is obtained when Figure 2 is
compared to Figure 5 (See Figure 8) or Figure 3 is compared to Figure
6 (See Figure 9). When comparing the graphs, please note that the

34

scales are not identical.

Figure 7 - Identification Comparison : Survey to Pre/Post Test Data

 

n
t
S

 

 

 

[Tainan-identification]

 

0 2 4 6 8IOIZI416I82022242628303234363840
Points

I'm-Test .Post-Testj

 

 

 

 

 

Emma-WWI

 

 

 

Figure 8 - Justification Comparison : Survey to Pre/Post Test Data

 

524

“is
“12
H

m"

 

 

Test Data - Justification

0 2 4 6 81012I416182022242628303234363840
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35

 

 

Figure 9 - Classification Comparison : Survey to Pre/Post Test Data

 

 

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The second part of the survey consisted of two questions.
Students were asked to rate the effect D of L had upon their view of
nature and/or specific organisms as well as its effect upon their
enjoyment of nature and being outdoors. They were also given room
to write additional comments after each question. To encourage
consistency, each number rating was carefully described. For
example, a rating of 1 on the View of Nature was to indicate that D
of L had no impact at all on a student’s opinion of the usefulness or
importance of any organism on the list while a rating of 10 would
indicate that D of L had a significant impact on a student’s view
toward all of the organisms. Figure 10 illustrates the results of
this part of the survey.

Regarding the Enjoyment of Nature rating, a student response
of 1 was to indicate that D of L did not increase their enjoyment of

36

or interest in being outdoors while a rating of 10 would indicate
that D of L was directly responsible for dramatically increasing

their enjoyment. Figure 11 illustrates the resulting student ratings.

Figure 10 - Survey Results: View of Nature Rating

View of Nature Ratings n: 1 12

 

30]

mfiamacfim

 

 

Rating

 

 

 

Figure 11 - Survey Results: Enjoyment of Nature Ratings

Enjoyment of Nature Ratings I n: “2

 

 

 

mfizmacfim

 

 

Rating

 

 

 

37

The results do not show that students had a dramatic increase
in their enjoyment of nature or a drastic change in their views
toward living things. However, in the space given to comment on
their rating, many students stated that they already loved being
outdoors and did not see D of L as being the reason. Many also stated
that they have what they consider to be positive views toward living
things and D of L really did not change their views a great deal.
Numerous students expressed gratitude for the D of L procedure by
making statements like, “Now I know what I’m looking at when we
go for walks” or my favorite, “It’s given me more to talk to my Dad
about.” However, some students take a different view and comment,
“I like it because it helped my grade, but I don’t know how I’ll ever
use it.” My hope is that, in time, they will.

While not overwhelming, the survey results did indicate that
the D of L procedure had some impact on student’s enjoyment of
nature and being outdoors. Thomas Lickona (1991) states that
teaching values such as these is an important part of building
character through education. As educators we have a certain
responsibility to teach values but Lickona warns that we should
carefully scrutinize which or whose values are emphasized. I think
that anyone would agree that learning the value and importance of
the natural world as a means of establishing a connectedness to

38

nature is not threatening to the values or morals of any race,

religion, or otherwise defined group.

39

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Effeetive Aspects

While I will not take credit for the idea behind this project,
the work that I have put into it has been very rewarding. Every hour
that was spent in the field filming organisms or in the studio editing
footage has translated into something positive in my classroom.
Often educators are put in the position of making curricular changes
or modifying their teaching practices for the sake of an
administrator or curriculum director which may have little impact
on students. Not that all change in education is bad; many good
things often come out of those types of school wide improvement
plans, but few result in the kind of change in classroom atmosphere
and whole class enjoyment as has this D of L project.

The most effective aspects of D of L are that it teaches a
great deal of content that would otherwise be overlooked with great
efficiency. Students enjoy and learn while participating in the
procedure each day. They develop a sense of responsibility since the
learning is student driven. The teacher merely puts the process in
motion and students run with it from there. It involves learning
about something that is already familiar to them and expands upon
it. D of L also engages some students who are normally not too

40

interested in biology but enjoy wildflowers or hunting and fishing,
for example. They connect what we are doing in the classroom to the
world outside of the room. I refer to organisms in the D of L video
consistently throughout the course of the year and students are able
to make those connections.

Other effective aspects of this program are centered around
the teacher. Having your class begin precisely on time every day
without having to lift a finger is tremendously beneficial. Of course
the first few weeks of the course takes a lot of guidance, but after
you’ve established the routine, problems are minimal. Time to
record attendance or arrange papers and materials no longer takes
place at the expense of the students. Students expect class time to
be used wisely; this procedure ensures that the first few minutes
are productive. They begin learning immediately, which sets the
tone for the rest of the hour. I find the classical music and darkened
room at the beginning of the hour relaxing and it helps me to forget
about frustrations from previous hours and allows me to focus on

the upcoming class and lesson for the day.

Ineffeetive Aspects

Along with the effective aspects there are, of course, some aspects
that need improvement. There are still some organisms which I have

41

not caught on tape; the striped skunk, smallmouth bass, stamosed
mole, and the opossum for example. Whenever we get to these
organisms students see a still photograph in place of live video. I
often hear groans of disappointment when this happens. I’ve noticed
that students tend to ignore the TV when no live video is available.

The fact that students see only one example of some organisms
is also a problem. Instead of learning how to identify the organism
by its distinguishing characteristics, they memorize its name on the
basis of where the organism is filmed, its size on the screen, what
is in the background, etc.. For example, many students have learned
to identify the Eastern White Cedar by the fact that a girl can be

seen walking on the sidewalk in the background.

Fptgre Qhellenges

More time needs to be spent in the field to complete the video.
Numerous organisms are videotaped from a distance and closer
views are required. This is something which simply requires more
time and some degree of luck. Identification test tapes for each set
could be made containing different views of organisms than students
see during class. This would force them to study the distinguishing
characteristics of each organism instead of merely memorizing the
video clips. Bird songs could be added when appropriate to further

42

enhance the video of birds. As it is, the music soundtrack covers any
sounds recorded while filming. The overall quality of the videotape
can be improved by cleaner editing and better photography. It is my
expectation that in future summers I’ll have the time and the
experience necessary to rectify some of these problems.

Other teachers and departments in our school have adopted the
format of D of L to teach varying content in other courses. Our Earth
Science teachers are in the process of producing a similar project
teaching land formations. Instead of video clips of Chicory and
Brown Headed Cowbirds, their students will see clips of Devil’s
Tower and the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Social Studies
teachers have also developed the system to teach ancient Greek
architecture and other sites of historic significance. I see these
adaptations as an endorsement of the effectiveness of The Diversity
of Life at the Bell. Another challenge will be to help other biology
teachers institute similar programs into their curriculum.

The content of The Diversity of Life at the Bell addresses
areas which are commonly overlooked in science education. The
topics are important since they help our students develop
connections and values toward nature and the out of doors in a very
unique way. The use of video is exciting and educational for
students. The daily procedure provides a consistant framework in

43

which students can construct new knowledge as well as alter their
misconceptions. D of L also addresses different learning styles than
conventional lessons and procedures. It is for these reasons that I
believe that The Diversity of Life at the Bell should be a part of the

life science curriculum in all schools.

44

REFERENCES

Carson, Rachel, “Silent Spring”, 1962, Riverside Press.

Driver, R., H. Asoko, J. Leach, E. Mortimer, and P. Scott “Constructing
Scientific Knowledge in the Classroom” Educational

Researcher. October 1994. Vol. 23:5—1 2

Drost A., C. Loubser, and C. Swanepoel. “The Effect of Video
Programs in Math, Biology, and Physical Science” Institute for

Educational Research, Human Sciences Research Council, 1983.

Evertson, C., E. Emmer, J. Sanford, and B. Clements. (1983)

“Improving Classroom Management”, Elementary School

Journal, 84, 173-188.

Glasser, William“The Quality School Teacher” Perennial Press, 1993.

Hershey, David R. “Plant Neglect in Biology Education”. BioScience

Vol 43, 7. pg 418.

Leinhardt, G. “What Research on Learning Tells Us About Teaching.”
Educational Leadership. April 1992. Vol. 49,7: 20-25.
45

Lickona, Thomas. “Educating For Character - How Our Schools Can

Teach Respect and Responsibility” Bantam Books, 1991.

Michigan State Board of Education. Michigan Essential Goals and

Objectives for Science Education (K-12). 1991.

Miller, K., J. Levine, Biology, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall Books, 1993.

Papalia, Diane and Sally Olds. “Human Development” 1986.

Petersen, Roger, “The Peterson Field Guide Series”, Houghton

Mifflin, 1990.

Tobias, Cynthia. “Every Child Can Succeed”, Word Books, 1996

Von Glaserfeld, E. “A Constructivist Approach to Teaching.” In

Constructivism in Education. 1995. 3-15.

Zahoric, J. “Encouraging and Challenging Student’s Understandings .

Educational Leadership. March 1997. Vol. 54, 6: 30-32.

46

APPENDIX A

The Diversity of Life Manual

47

Biology Organism Checklist

1 _____ Fihlnovlrus
_____HIV

3 _____ Bacillus Bacteria
4_____Coccus Bacteria
5_____Spirlllum Bacteria
6 _____ Paramecium

7 _____ Didlnium

8 _____ Vorticella
9_____Amoeba

10 Eu lena
11_____Vo vox
12____Diatoms
13____Black Bread Mold
14_____Morel Mushroom
15_____Yeast
16____Powdery Mildew
17____Common Puffball

18____Shelt Fungus
19___Corn Smut

20____Amanita Mushroom
21___-Athlete’s Foot Fungus
22_____Crustose Lichen
23__.__Foliose Lichen
24_____Fruticose Lichen
25____Forgspit Algae
26____Moss
27______Liverwort

28 ___Horsetail

29 ___Brachen Fern

___White Spruce
31____Eastern White Pine
32__,__Red Pine

33 ___Northern White Cedar
34_____Eastern Red Cedar
35____Eastern Hemlock

36____Common Cat-Tail
___Timothy
38____Smootn Crabgrass

39____Reed Canary Grass
40____Duckweed
41____Orange Day-Lily
42 ___Trlllum
43__-_Trout Lily

44 ___Field Garlic
45____Sassafras
46_____Eastern Cottonwood
47____Weepin8 Willow
48____Black herry

49____Sugar Maple
50_____Silver Maple
51____Whlte Birch

52____American Elm
53___American Beech
54_____White Oak
55____Red Oak
56____White Ash
57_____Sycamore
58_____Staghorn Sumac
59____Poison Ivy

60 Queen Anne's Lace

61_ __Common Milkweed

62____Common Ragweed
63____Chicory
64____Bull Thistle
65____Hawkweed
66____Goldenrod

67____Common Dandelion
68______White Clover
69____Common Plantain
70 ___English Plantain
71____Common Mullein
72_____Purple Loosestrite
73____Bouncing Bet
74____Bladder Campion
75____Spotted Knapweed
76____Spotted Touch-Me-Not
77____Teasel
78____Common Blue Violet
79____Planarla
80____Schlstosome
81_____Tapeworm

82 ___Roundworm
83____Zebra Mussel
84____Pond Snail
85____Earthworm
86____Eastern Daddy-Long-Legs
87______Common Garden Spider
88____Craytish
89_____Mayfly

90 ___Dragonfly

91 ___Danselfly
92____Grasshopper
93____Cricket
94____Water Strider
95____Earwig
96____Cicada
97____Spnflebug

98 ___Beefles

99___Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
100___White Butterfly
101___Sulfur Butterfly
102___Monarch Butterfly
103___Gypsy Moth
104___Eastern Tent Caterpillar
105___Crane Fly
106___.Mosquito

107___House Fly

108___Deer Fly

d-‘d-b—D—L—l-b—L-L—fi

___Bald-Faced Hornet
___Carpenter Ant
___Formicid Ant
_.-Honey Bee
_-_Bumble Bee
___Rainbow Trout
___Northern Pike
_,Carp

__White Sucker
___Brown Bullhead
___Channel Catfish
___Smallmouth Bass

48

121____Largemouth Bass
122_____Pumpkinseed Sunfish
123____Bluegill
124____Flockbass
125_____Crappie

126____Walleye
127_____Yellow Perch
128____American Toad
129_____Green Frog
130____Northern Leopard Frog
131_____Spotted Salamander
132____Common Sna ping Turtle
133____Eastern Box urtle
134____Eastern Painted Turtle
135____Eartern Garter Snake
136____Mute Swan
137_____Canada Goose
138____Mallard

139____Wood Duck
140_____Red Tailed Hawk
141____American Kestrel
142____Great Horned Owl
143____Great Blue Heron

144 Downy Woodpecker

145___,_Killdeer
146____Ring-Billed Gull
147____Rock Dove
148____Mourning Dove

149_____Wild Turkey

150_____Tree Swallow
151____Blue Jay
152____Common Crow
153____BIack-Cap ed Chickadee
154____American obin
155____Starling

156____House Sparrow
157__,__Red -Winged Blackbird
158____Common Grackle

159____Brown-Headed Cowblrd
160____Cardinal
161-____American Goldfinch
162___Purple Finch
163___White Breated Nuthatch
164______Slate Colored Junco
165_____Tufted Tltmouse
166_____Opossum
167___Starnose Mole
168____Eastern Mole
169____Brown Bat

170____Raccoon
171____Striped Skunk
172____Woodchuck

173____13-Lined Ground Squirrel
174_____Eastern Chipmunk
175____Eastern Fox Squirrel
176____Red Squirrel
177____Muskrat

178____House Mouse
179___Eastern Cottontall Rabbit
180____Whitetail Deer

Table Of Contents

Greek-Latin Fioot Index

Overview Kingdoms Monera, Protista, Fungi
Overview Kingdom Plantae

Overview Kingdom Animalia

Monerans

Protists

Fungi

Lichens

Plants | (non-vascular & spore-producing vascular)
Plants II (gymnosperms)

Plants III (angiosperms - monocots)

Plants IV (angiosperms - dicots)

Animals l (flatworms 8 roundworrns)
Animals ll (mollusks through crayfish)
Animals Ill (insects)

Animals IV (fish)

Animals V (amphibians & reptiles)

Animals VI (birds)

Animals VII (mammals)
49

Pg. 1

Pg. 2

Pg. 3

Pg. 4-5
Pg. 6

Pg. 7-8
Pg. 9-10
Pg. 11

Pg. 12-13
Pg. 14
Pg. 15-16
Pg. 17-21
Pg. 22
Pg. 23-34
Pg. 25-28
Pg. 29-31
Pg. 32-33
Pg. 34-38
Pg. 39-41

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fungus

gaster

. glene
. gymnos
. helmins

heteros

. ichthys

karyon

. keras
37.

kotyledon

Greek and Latin Root Index
for Words Used in Classification

both
vessel
ring
joint
bag

self

bird
base
life
moss
girdle
lip

claw
grass green
string
gold
eyelid
cone
shell
second
two
through
double
form
well

to bear
whip
mushroom
stomach
eyeban

worm
other
fish
nucleus
horn

cup-shaped hollow

50

38.
39.
40.
41 .
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51 .
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61 .
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
uncovered, naked 68.

mama
molluscus
monos
multus
mykes
nema
opsis
osteon
para
pelekys
phos
phyton
platys
pous

pro

pteris
repere
sar
schisto
soma
sphen
sperma
synthesis
temnein (tom)
trachia
trematodes
trophe
turbellae
unus
vertebra

zygos

breast

soft

single
many
fungus
thread
appearance
bone
beside
hatchet
light

plant

flat

foot

before, first
fern

to crawl
flesh

split

body
wedge
seed

put together
to cut

wind pipe
having holes
nourishment
stir, row
one
vertebra
yoke

Kinqdom Monera

prokaryotic; unicellular; auEJtrophic or heterotrophic organisms
(see reference pg. 16 in “Biology’ by Miller & Levine)
example: bacteria

Kinqdom Protista

eukaryotic; usually unicellu'lar; autotrophic or heterotrophic organisms
(see reference pg. 16 in “Biology/’ by Miller & Levine)

l. Phylum Ciliophora = ciliates
example: paramecium

ll. Phylum Zoomastigina = animal like flagellates
example: volvox

lIl. Phylum Sarcodina
example: amoeba

IV. Phylum Euglenophyta = flagellates
example: euglena

V. Phylum Chrysophyta = golden algae
example: diatom

Kinqdom Funqi

eukaryotic; unicellular or mufiicellular; mostlydecomposers
(see reference pg. 16 in “Biology” by Miller 8 Levine)

l. Phylum Zygomycota = conjugation fungi
example: black bread mold

ll. Phylum Ascomycota = sac fungi
example: morels

lll. Phylum Basidiomycota = club fungi
example: puffballs

IV. Phylum Deuteromycota = imperfect fungi
example: athlete’s foot fungus
51

Kingdom Plantae

eukaryotic; multiceTlular; photosynthetic; autotrophs
(see reference pg. 16 in “Biology" by Miller & Levine)

l. Phylum Chlorophyta = green algae
example: spirogyra

ll. Phylum Bryophyta = bryophytes
example: moss

"I. Phylum Tracheophyta = vascular plants

A. Subphylum Sphenopsida = horsetalls
example: horsetail

B. Subphylum Pteropsida = ferns
example: brachen fem

C. Subphylum Spermopsida = seed plants
1. Class Coniferae = conifers
(called Gymnospenns = with “naked” seeds)
example: eastern white pine

2. Class Angiosperrnae = with “covered” seeds
(called Angiosperrns)

a. Subclass Monocotyledonae = monocots
example: grass

b. Subclass Dicotyledonae = dicots
example: sugar maple

52

Kingdom Animalia

eukaryotic; mJticellular; typical heterotrophs
(see reference pg. 16 in “Biology” by Miller & Levine)

I. Phylum Platyhelminthes = flatworms

A. Class Turbellaria
example: planarian

B. Class Trematoda = flukes
example: schistosome

C. Class Cestoda = tapeworms
example: tapeworm
II. Phylum Nematode = roundworms
example: hookwonn

lll. Phylum Mollusca = mollusks

A. Class Pelecypoda = bivalves
example: clam

B. Class Gastropoda = gastropods
example: snail

IV. Phylum Annelida = segmented worms
example: earthworm
V. Phylum Arthopoda = arthopods

A. Subphylum Chelicerata = chelicerates
example: spider

B. Subphylum Crustacea = crustaceans
example: crayfish

53

C. Subphylum Uniramia

1. Class Insecta = insects
example: grasshopper

VI. Phylum Chordata = Chordates
A. Subphylum Vertebrata = vertebrates

1. Class Osteichthyes = bony fishes
example: bluegill

2. Class Amphibia = amphibians
example: leopard frog

3. Class Reptilia = reptiles
example: garter snake

4. Class Aves = birds
example: cardinal

5. Class Mammalia = mammals
example: whitetail deer

54

Monerans

geeemeetigp Kingdom Monera

1.

Rhinovlrus

leentifieetien: Up to one half of all colds are caused by this group of viruses. “Rhino”
refers to the nose, the entrance place into the body for cold viruses. Many rhinoviruses
look like a soccer ball in shape. These parasitic, noncellular particles consist of a

protein coat (capsid) that surrounds a core of nucleic acid (genetic material). Viruses,

in general, infect a host cell by (a) taking over the protein-making machinery of the cell
causing the cell to make thousands of copies of the virus (lytic infection) or (b) by
incorporating their DNA into the cell DNA (Iysogenic infection). In the latter case they
may lay dormant for years. Experts disagree as to whether viruses are alive.
Jgetijeatjpp; This group of viruses has caused incredible annoyance to humans.
Chances are at least one of you is sniffling and sneezing right now and most of you have
had at least one cold in the past year. More debilitating viruses cause human diseases
such as smallpox, polio, measles, AIDS, and influenza (flu). They have also been linked to
cancer in animals. Antibiotics don’t affect them, possibly because they aren't alive?!?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

lgentifieetien: This well-studied Ientivirus is round with many projections of protein
sticking out from its surface. “Lenti” means “slow” which describes how slowly this
virus works. It eventually destroys a key part of the immune system which leaves a
person susceptible to some other killing disease resulting in AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome). Outside a host cell HIV is called a virion, which consists
of a capsid surrounding two strands of RNA.

Jpetifieetien: Only the future will tell how great the impact this virus will have on the
human population. The prevention of AIDS of HIV infection is simple. There is no need
for anyone, except in rare cases to contact them.

Baclllua bacteria

lgentifieetien: Bacillus bacteria are rod-shaped, prokaryotic cells that can be

arranged singly (mono), in pairs (diplo), in groups (staphlo) or in chains (strepto).
Jpflificetipn: Eeeheriehie M is a single bacillus bacterium found in large numbers in the
large intestine of humans where it takes some vitamins we can't produce on our own.

Coccus bacteria

lgentifieetien: Coccus bacteria are spherical-shaped, prokaryotic cells that can be
arranged single (mono), in pairs (diplo), In groups (staphlo) or in chains (strepto).
mutation: WW m ni causes pneumonia while Stem
pyggepes causes strep throat. Neiesefle gepgmfie causes gonorrhea.

Spirlllum bacteria

idemmeetiep: Spirillum bacteria are spiral-shaped, prokaryotic cells that can be
arranged single (mono), in pairs (diplo), in groups (staphlo) or in chains (strepto).
Mimi Trepgnemanamdllm causes syphilis.

55

Protists

mm Ifingdom Protista

Phylum Ciliophora

WM 89--

ldentifieetien: Paramecium are large, microscopic organisms shaped like a slipper with
rows of cilia used for propulsion and gathering food. Most species have both macronuclei
and micronuclei and are found in most freshwater ecosystems.

mice: These large protists are an important link in a balanced aquatic ecosystem
serving as a food source for larger invertebrates while preying upon smaller ones.

2mm Sp.-

ldentifieetipn: This ciliate has an oval-shaped body with two ciliary bands. It has a
mouth on one end.

,Igstificetien: A few of these protists can eliminate an entire population of paramecia in
a few days and play a role as predator for such organisms. They also serve as prey for
larger organisms in aquatic environments.

[9319.931 Sp.-

lgentifieetien: Although over 100 species of this genus exist, a typical organism is often
stalked with a funnel-shaped body at one end. A row or two of cilia on top look as if they
are rotating.

Jpstifieetien: This organism preys upon other microorganisms and also is preyed upon.
Some species are commonly attached to fish in a symbiotic relationship.

W Kingdom Protista

Phylum Sarcodina

Amen: SD.-

lgentifieetipn: This is an ammorphous protist which lacks cilia or flagella but moves by
means of pseudopods or “false feet”. The ameboid movement is used to engulf food
particles which it then digests. These protists are common in most freshwater habitats.
W2 Amoeba are important protists for making a diverse microscopic
ecosystem, which in turn directly affects the health of the entire ecosystem.

Qleesfiieetigip Kingdom Protista

10.

Phylum Euglenophyta

Eunice: $9..

ldentifieetien: This long, microscopic protist has two unequal flagella. It appears green
due to its chlorOplasts which allow it to be a photosynthetic autotroph. A red eye spot
near the base of the flagellum is often noticeable. They are found in most freshwater
ecosystems.

Jpstifieetien: Being a producer makes this protist important in forming the base for
microscopic aquatic ecosystems.

56

W Kingdom Protista

11.

Phylum Zoomastigina

Velvgg sp..

lgentifieetien: Organisms in this genus are colonial, often forming a cylindrical colony
which moves around like a slowing spinning ball. Chloroplasts make this protist look
green.

Jugificetien: These organisms will often occur in such large numbers in lakes that the
water takes on a green appearance.

mm Kingdom Protista

12.

Phylum Chrys0phyta

Diatoms

Identifieetien: This group of protists is extremely diverse but most have intricate cell
walls made mostly of silicon (the main ingredient in glass). The walls are shaped like
two sides of a petri dish. They are photosynthetic and found mostly in aquatic habitats.
Jugipeepgp: Diatoms are responsible for producing a large portion of the available
oxygen in our atmosphere and form an important base in any aquatic food web.

Fungi

Clegiifieet'gzn: Kingdom Fungi

13.

Phylum Zygomycota

Black bread mold

lgentifieetien: This fungus is often seen as a fuzzy mass of delicate hyphae consisting of
rhizoids which anchor the fungus and stolons which spread the fungus out. Black
sporangia, round spore-producing structures, are usually visible.

mm: Although valuable as a decomposer, this fungus was once a source of
cortisone and other medicines.

meicaticm Kingdom Fungi

14.

Phylum Ascomycota

Morel mushroom

Identifieatien: The honeycombed head of this mushroom is attached directly to a whitish
stalk in most species and can be confused with the “false” morel which has a head not
directly fused to the stem. They are found here in early May in moist, wooded
environments.

Weep: Morels are the most sought after mushroom in the US. because of their
excellent taste and provide recreation for thousands of people in our state.

57

15.

16.

Yeast

lgentifimtien: This round, colorless, single-celled fungus is microscopic and occurs
naturally in the nectar of flowers and on fruits and leaves.

Jestiiieetjgp: Yeast are extremely valuable for baking and brewing alcoholic beverages
and have become invaluable for a variety of uses in genetic engineering.

Powdery Mildew

Identification: These fungi take their name from the white, powdery appearance on
different parts of common plants such as grass, fruit trees, and vegetables.

dggifieetion: Mildews cause extensive damage to crops because their hyphae penetrate
the plant causing decreased production and death.

Qassrflcatm ifingdom Fungi

17.

18.

19.

20.

Phylum Basidiomycota

Common puffball

ldentificetign: The oval, white cap of this fungus has a surface that feels like fine felt
when it is growing but turns brown when mature with spores exiting through a hole in
the top like a puff of smoke. It is most commonly found in open woods, meadows, and
pastures.

mm: This fungus serves as a decomposer. A close relative of the species, the
giant puffball, provides excellent eating when young, usually sauteed or batter fried.

Shelf fungus

Identifigetien: Although a great variety of shelf or bracket fungi exist, most appew as
layered, leathery caps which form a shelf attached to sticks, stumps and logs of hardwood
trees.

Meatiopz This is one of the most common groups of fungi in North America and
important in the forest ecosystem as a decomposer of trees.

Corn smut

lgentifigtiep: This fungus is easily observed on all parts of mature corn plants. It first
appears as a glistening, greenish to silver-white enlarged area but later looks like a
black, greasy or powdery mass - thus the name “smut“.

Wm: Corn smut will decrease com production up to 10% and is difficult to
control. Most promise in combating this fungus is with developing smut resistant corn.

Amanlta Mushroom

lgentifieet'pn: This group of fungi contains individuals that are often brightly colored.
They have a secondary veil below the cap and often a swollen base.

Jugitieetien: These mushrooms are the most poisonous in our area. Some species, with
common names like “destroan angel" and “panther fungus”, can be fatal even if only a
little ingested.

58

Damien Kingdom Fungi

21.

Phylum Deuteromycota

Athlete’s foot fungus and ringworm

lgentifieetien: This fungus is identified by observing its effects on humans as the fungus
grows in the outer layers of the skin. The fungus causes red, open sores when growing
between the toes (athlete’s foot) and a raised, red, circular area on the scalp (ringworm).
mm: This fungus causes discomfort to many people but can be killed using any
of a variety of fungicides.

Lichens

geeemeetigp: Lichens are composed of two organisms from two kingdoms - an algae and a
fungus - living in a mutualistic relationship. The alga is often green and the fungus is typically an
Ascomycete. They are grouped according to appearance.

22.

23.

24.

Crustose

lgentificatlen: This form is flat and crust like.

Jggificetien: All lichens are pioneer organisms which are valuable in breaking down
rock to form soil. Some are used in tanning and dyeing processes, in the perfume
industry and for making litmus used as an acid/base indicator in chemistry.

FoHose

lgentifigtien: This form is leaf like.

Jufiificetien: All lichens are pioneer organisms which are valuable in breaking down
rock to form soil. Some are used in farming and dyeing processes, in the perfume
industry and for making litmus used as an acid/base indicator in chemistry.

Fruticose

lgentifieetien: This form is shrublike and grows upright. British Soldier Lichen is a
striking example of this type.

Jgetificatien: All lichens are pioneer organisms which are valuable in breaking down
rock to form soil. Some are used in tanning and dyeing processes, in the perfume
industry and for making litmus used as an acid/base indicator in chemistry.

59

Plants I
(non-vascular & spore-producing vascular)

mm: Kingdom Plantae

25.

Phylum Chlorophyta

Frogsplt algae

lgentifigtien: The most common "frogspit" alga in our area, Spiquyge sp., is
filamentous with spiraling chloroplasts and forms dense mats, usually in stagnant water.
The oxygen produced gives the mat a foaming appearance, thus its common name.
Jest_rfieet_ioe: This alga provides cover and food for invertebrates and, being a producer,
is important in aquatic ecosystems.

mm: Kingdom Plantae

26.

27.

Phylum Bryophyta

Moss

lgentifieetien: Lacking vascular tissue, these plants must remain short so all cells can
obtain water and minerals. They are often velvety in appearance and found growing in
cool, damp places on soil, rocks, and trees.

Jestreeaege: This producer helps hold the soil thereby preventing erosion and also
plays a role in the decaying process. It is used as a decorative plant in landscaping and as
a soil enhancer for gardens.

Liverwort

lgentificetien: Most of these bry0phytes closely resemble mosses. Most look like little
green leaves growing close to the ground in areas that are constantly wet. The major
difference is how they are attached to the stem. Merceantie sp. has large air-filled
leaves giving them a spongy appearance.

Jggifieetion: Although not as common as moss, liverworts act as ground cover in wet
environments.

Clegificetion: Kingdom Plantae

28.

Phylum Tracheophyta
Subphylum Sphenopsida

Horsetall

lgentifigtien: This hollow, green-stemmed plant has whorls of branches giving it a
bushy appearance in some species or a snakelike appearance in others. It prefers a
moist habitat and is one of the most common plants in the Northern Hemisphere.
melee: This producer was once used as a scouring material for pots and pans
because of its rough texture. It is poisonous to livestock.

60

gleeg'fjeetjee: Kingdom Plantae

29.

Phylum Tracheophyta
Subphylum Pteropsida

Brachen Fern

lgentifieetien: The large blades of this spore-producing plant always divide into thirds
making it easy to identify. It is found most commonly in woods and clearings and is one
of the most common plant species in the world.

Mr Because of its soft, dry texture in the fall of the year this plant makes an
excellent substitute for toilet paper! It is also an important producer in most forest
ecosystems.

Plants II
(gymnosperms)
Cleeeifieetien: Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Tracheophyta
Subphylum Spermopsida
Class Coniferae

30.

31.

32.

White Spruce

lgentifieetion: The .575 in. needles of this evergreen have whitish lateral lines and

are arranged mainly on the upper side of the twig. They have a skunk-like odor when
crushed and are common in poor soil areas.

mice: This is the most important tree species in Canada with the wood being used
for construction and musical instruments. Deer, rabbits, and grouse browse this
producer in the winter.

Eastern White Plne

Identifieetien: The needles of this conifer are 3-5 in. long and are in bundles of 5. The
needles are soft and flexible and the bark has rectangular plates. The tree grows away
from the prevailing wind giving a windswept appearance and is common in many soils.
W: This pine was the major lumber tree in Michigan from 1850-1900 and

is still valuable for its wood. It is the state tree of Michigan.

Red Plne

lgentifieetien: This gymnospenn has needles in bundles of 2 which are 4-6 in. long and
break readily when doubled. The bark has irregular plates and the tree prefers sandy
soil.

Jeetjflratree: This is the most extensively planted tree in Michigan because the wood is
very useful in general construction and for poles.

61

33.

34.

35.

Northern White Cedar

lgentificetien: This evergreen has flattened branchlets with aromatic scales, shreddy
bark and prefers poorly drained soil.

Justifigtign: The wood is used for posts, shingles, and log cabins. This is the most
important winter food for deer in the north and also is a popular ornamental species.

Eastern Red Cedar

Igentifieetien: The leaves of this evergreen are scale-like with some being sharp,
others flat. The tree is narrow pyramidal in shape and prefers well-drained soils.
Mimi Red cedar wood is very fragrant and used in cedar chests. The tree is
planted extensively as an ornamental.

Eastern Hemlock

lgentifieetien: Hemlock leaves are flat. round tipped. and spirally arranged around the
stem. Two whitish bands are found on the underside of each leaf. They live in poorly
drained soils, are highly shade tolerant and often live 600 or more years.

Justifieetion: The bark of a hemlock was a source of tannin used in the leather industry.
Trees are now planted as omarnentals and the wood is important as lumber.

Plants III
(angiosperms)
geesjmaege: Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Tracheophyta
Subphylum Spermopsida
Class Angiosperrnae

36.

37.

38.

Subclass Monocotyledonae

Common Cat-tall

Igentifigtipe: This tail monocot has flat, sword-like leaves with a club-shaped spike of
yellow/brown flowers at the end of a round stalk and are common in ditches and marshes.
mm: The roots, stems and flower heads of this plant can be eaten by humans.
Large stands are important for red-winged blackbirds, muskrats, and waterfowl.

Timothy

Identifieetion: This grass has a dense grouping of flowers (panicle) which is spikelike
and stiff. It appears bristly because each spikelet is fringed with short hairs. It is
common throughout the United States.

Mice: Timothy is an important hay meadow grass.

Smooth Crabgrass

lgentifigtien: This monocot has forked, finger-like stalks which lack hairs. The

narrow leaves are 2 to 6 inches long and 1/4 of an inch wide. It rapidly takes over any

bare soil and can be found in lawns, ditches and disturbed areas.

Mtge: Most people desire to destroy this lawn weed yet the seeds of this producer
are very valuable for songbirds.

62

39

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

Reed Canary Grass

lgentificetipn: This grass is tall with broad leaves Its panicle is dense and cylindrical

or thimble—shaped. This species forms dense colonies in marshes and along ditches.
Meetge: This grass is planted for erosion control on farm waterways. Some forms
are planted as ornamentals.

Duckweed

lgentifieetien: This small, single-leafed plant is found floating in masses on ponds,
lakes, and ditches. A single root hangs down about an inch into the water.
51mm: This monocot is an important food source for waterfowl.

Orange Day-lily

lgentifigtien: The large. orange, funnel-shaped flowers found on a leafless stalk make
this monocot easy to identify. Each flower lasts for only one day. They grow from 2 to 4
feet high and are found most commonly in wet ditches.

Jpgifieetion: Along with beautifying the countryside the flower buds can also be cooked
and eaten like green beans.

Trllllum

lgentifigtien: These large, showy, woodland flowers are easily recognized because they
have three large petals of various colors, although our most common species is white to
pink.

We: Tnlliums signify spring and provide beauty to the woods. Although
protected now, Native Americans used this plant as a food source.

Trout-lily

lgentifieetien: This woodland plant is easily recognized in the spring because of its
characteristic mottled leaves. Although very common in the spring, by mid-summer there
will be no above ground trace of this plant because the leaves wither soon after it

flowers in May.

Mtge: This is another plant that adds beauty to spring hikes in the woods. The
plant has also been used as a food source.

Field Garlic

lgentifieatien: This monocot has dark green, tubular leaves that grow Skyward.

Crushing a leaf reveals the strong onion odor which distinguishes it from a similar
looking species.

Jestieemge: Although very strong, the leaves and root of this plant have been eaten to
add the onion flavor to food.

63

Plants IV
(angiosperms-dicots)

Qiaesmeatm: Kingdom Plantae

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

Phylum Tracheophyta
Subphylum Spermopsida
Class Angiospennae
Subclass Dicotyledonae

Sassafras

Identification: Some leaves of this tree are unlobed. some 2-lobed and some 3-lobed, all
of which turn brilliant colors in the fall. The roots, stems, and leaves are spicy

aromatic and the limbs look like they bend and reach for the sky. It is most commonly
found along fence rows, old fields and roadsides.

Mimi Oil from this producer has been used to flavor medicines, candy, root

beer, tobacco, and soap.

Eastern Cottonwood

Identification: The leaves are triangular in shape with coarse teeth and are dark green
on top and pale green below. They are often found along banks of streams and shed
“cotton” in the spring.

Wm: The wood from this tree is not highly valued and used mostly for
pulpwood. Young trees, however, provide valuable habitat for many animals.

Weeping Willow

Identification: The long, slender, and finely-toothed leaves of this tree are shed with the
branchlets which makes it an undesirable plant for landscaping. It prefers open

sunlight with wet soil and can be identified from a distance because of the distinctive
drooping branches which gives it a “weeping" form.

W: Although the wood i s not valuable, this tree is often planted as an
ornamental in parks.

Black Cherry

Igentificatien: Black cherry leaves are oval with fine teeth and have a small red gland
near the base. The bark has a texture of burnt potato chips and the twigs have a bitter
almond smell when crushed. It is common on disturbed, sandy sites.

mm: This tree is poisonous to browsing livestock but the wood is highly valued
for furniture and gunstocks.

Sugar Maple

ldentifigtien: The leaves are opposite, not alternate, like most trees and are 5-lobed
with smooth edges. The fruit is paired “helicopter” and the leaves turn bright colors in
the fall.

,Lusfl_fieati_og: This tree is the principal source of maple syrup and the wood is used for
furniture, flooring, and musical instruments.

64

50.

51.

52.

53.

and

54.

55.

56.

Silver Maple

lgentificatien: The leaves are opposite and toothed,having 5 lobes but with deeper cuts
than a sugar maple. They are green on top with a characteristic silver color below. The
twigs break readily and smell rank.

mean: The wood from this producer is used for boxes and crates.

White Birch

Identifieation: The oval leaves of this tree are finely toothed and found on long shoots or
in groups of 3‘s on short shoots. This tree is most easily identified by the white, peeling
bark.

,Lust_ifieat_i9_e: White birch are often planted as omarnentals and the wood is used for

plywood.

American Elm

lgentifieation: The leaves are doubly toothed and rough on top with veins that are
unforked. The trunk often divides into a few large branches 10-15 feet above the
ground.

gagificatien: Elm wood is commonly used for barrel and furniture making.

American Beech

lgentifieatien: The toothed,oval leaves have an unbranching vein ending at each tooth.
Kids often carve initials in the gray, smooth bark. The nut has a brisly husk and the tree
is common in upland forests.

Jggificatien: Beech nuts make excellent eating and the wood is used for tool handles

furniture.

White Oak

Igentifieatign: The leaves of this tree have rounded tips with deep cuts. Limbs appear
gnarled and twisted in old trees and the sweetish acorn has a large cup. Trees are
common in sandy upland areas.

W: The acorns of this producer provide important food for squirrels, birds,
deer, and other wildlife. The wood is very hard and valued for furniture and flooring.

Red Oak

Identifieatien: The dull green leaves have pointed tips and the bitter acorn has a
shallower cup than the white oak.

WM: Red oak wood is hard and used for furniture and floors and the tree is
sometimes used in landscaping.

White Ash

lgentifimien: This tree has compound leaves which are opposite with leaflets being pale
or whitish on the under surface. I t does not grow well in wet soils.

Jestifjeatm: The wood of ash is very strong and is used for making various sporting
goods and tool handles.

65

57.

58.

59.

60.

61.

62.

63.

Sycamore

lgentifieatien: This is the largest deciduous hardwood tree in North America and is easily
distinguished by its characteristic light, scaly, mottled bark. Seeds are clustered in
hanging balls which persist through the winter. lt prefers wet, open areas.

Juatfijeatiofl: Sycamores are easily transplanted and are planted as omarnentals. The
wood is a butcher’s first choice for a meat block.

Staghorn Sumac

Identificatien: The compound leaves of this shrub-like plant are alternate with the

leaflets being dark green on top. Because the twigs and petioles are velvety hairy and the
trunks are twisted, it has an “antlered' appearance - thus its name. The fruit is reddish-
brown and covered with hairs. It prefers sandy soil.

Justifieatm: The fruit is an important food for songbirds and game birds and

can be made into a sweet drink.

Poison ivy

lgentifiMien: This plant is seen as ground cover or as a vine. The compound leaves
have three leaflets of irregular shape which turn red in the fall.

mum: Poison ivy contains an oil that may cause severe skin inflammation. The
fruit of this producer, however, is eaten by many songbirds and game birds.

Queen Anne’s Lace

Identifimtien: Lacy white flowers form a flat flower head in this plant. The leaves are
fem-like and it is found in fields and waste places everywhere.

aest_ifi_eat_igez Although considered a troublesome “weed" by some, the taproot can be
cooked and eaten and is also called “wild carrot”.

Common Milkweed

Identifieatign: The purple-pink flower clusters which eventually give way to rough-
textured green pods filled with seeds covered with silkhair are characteristic of this
plant. The stems exude a white, milky juice when injured as described in its common
name. Milkweed is found in fields and waste places.

Wm: This plant is the sole food source for the monarch butterfly larvae.

Common Ragweed

jgentifieatien: This plant has a coarse, hairy stem with highly dissected leaves. The
flowers are small, yellow/green and are found in long clusters. Ragweed is very
common in fields and waste places.

image: Pollen from this plant is the major cause of ‘hay fever" , a common and

annoying allergy.

Chicory
lgentifieatign: Flowers of this common roadside plant are stemless, blue and square-

tipped and last for only one day.
Mileage: Root s of this producer can be roasted and ground as a coffee substitute, a

practice common in Europe.

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Bull Thistle

mm: This prickly plant has pink-purple flowers and is found most commme
in pastures and waste places.

Jestmeatjen: Because the flowers are rich in nectar they are important for bees and
butterflies and the seeds are a preferred food of goldfinches.

Hawkweed: Yellow or Orange

lgentifieatign: Both hawkweeds have a hairy, leafless stem with either orange or yellow
dandelion-like flowerheads at the end. They are both found commonly in fields and
clearings.

Meeting: There was an ancient folk belief that hawks ate this plant to aid their
vision.

Goldenrod

jgenmigmjgnz Goldenrod flowers are in clusters of small yellow flowerheads found near
the end of long stalks. These plants are common in fields and thickets.

Wm: Insects form galls in the stem of this plant and the grubs in the galls are
used as bait by ice fishermen. Some plant parts can also be used to make tea.

Common Dandelion

Identifieatien: This plant has a stalk which bears a solitary yellow flower head with
many ray flowers. The stem juice is milky and the name refers to the likeness of the
leaf teeth to those of a lion.

JusLiLiQaLiQui Dandelion greens are used in salads and the roots contain a drug once
used in liver treatment.

White Clover

identifieatjgn: This common lawn plant has white or pinkish spherical flower heads and
three-part leaves (sometimes 4).

WI Superstitious types believe good fortune comes with finding a ‘four-
leafed” clover.

Common Plantain

Identifieatp' g: The greenish spike of small flowers is long and narrow on common
plantain and the broad leaves are strongly ribbed. it is found as a “weed” in lawns and
waste places.

mm: The leaves of this producer are used in salads or for making tea and may
provide relief from insect bites when crushed and applied to the wound.

English Plantain

jgemjmatjen: Unlike its relative, the tiny greenish flowers of this plant are arranged

in a cylinder-shaped head at the end of the stalk and it has more narrow leaves.
W3 Although considered a lawn “weed”, the seeds from this plant are sought
by songbirds and are a favorite of rabbits.

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Common Mullein

Identifigtion: The large woolly stem with tightly packed yellow flowers of this plant
makes it identifiable from a distance. It has thick, velvety leaves and is found in fields
and waste places.

mm: The leaves can be applied to skin to soothe sunburn or used for insulation
in footwear.

Purple Loosestrife

Identifieatieg: Loosestrife stems have a spike of beautiful purple flowers easily
recognized from a distance. lt thrives in wetlands.

mm: This recently introduced plant is aggressive and crowds out other species
more valuable to wildlife. For this reason it is being actively researched in hopes of
finding a method of control.

Bouncing Bet

Identifieatien: This leafy plant has clusters of white or pinkish fragrant flowers and is
found along roads and in disturbed areas.

4mm: Bouncing bet contains poisonous saponins which are soap-like
substances, and the name bouncing bet is an old-fashioned name for washer woman.

Bladder Camplon

lgentifieatien: The white flowers of this producer have deeply notched petals and are
found in loose clusters. This plant is common in fields and along roadsides.
Jugificatign: This plant was introduced from Europe near the turn of the century and
now is a very common “weed”.

Spotted Knapweed

Identifieatien: This highly branched, wiry-stemmed plant with lavender flower heads is
commonly found in fields and waste places.

Justifieation: This species is considered a troublesome "weed' by many people.

Spotted Touch-me—not

Identifieatien: This familiar plant has bright orange flowers with dark spots and grows

in dense stands in wet areas. The ripe seed heads explosively propel the seeds out
away from the plant when touched.

Mimi Spotted touch-me-not, also called jewelweed, can be used medicinally and
as a food source. The ripe seed heads are a favorite with children.

Teasel

Mimi The small lavender flowers of this dicot are clustered in a n egg-shaped
group on a prickly stem. It is found in old fields and along roadsides.

Justifleatiofl: The dried flower heads of teasel were once used to raise the nap, or tease
the cloth in wool production - thus its common name.

Common Blue Violet

Identificatign: The flowers and leaves of this smooth, low plant are on separate stalks.

The flowers can be blue to white with purple veins, very showy.

Jmflcatjee: Violets are high in vitamins A and C and have been used in salads or cooked
as greens. The flowers can be made into candies and jellies.

68

Animals I
(flatworms and roundworms)

Claesmcatjee: Kingdom Animalia

79.

Phylum Platyhelminthes
ClassTurbellaria

Planarian

lgent'rfieatien: This small, flat worm has a definite anterior and posterior end. Anterior
eyespots are clearly visible when viewed with a microscope giving the worm a cross-
eyed appearance. Planaria are found in most aquatic ecosystems.

eest_rfieat_jgez These free-living flatworms eat microscopic plants and animals and are
eaten by larger organisms in aquatic ecosystems.

Clagiificatige: Kingdom Animalia

80.

Phylum Platyhelminthes
Class Trematoda

Schlstosome

Identificatien: Schistosomes found in Michigan are most easily recognized by the effect
they have on human skin in the form of swimmer's itch. This parasitic flatworm

burrows into the skin of a swimmer leaving a raised red spot which itches intensely for
several days.

mm: This flatworm has a negative impact on tourism in Michigan. A relative of
the Michigan schistosome is more deadly in other parts of the world where it kills
hundreds of thousands of people every year from a condition known as schistosomiasis.

gaesijieatioe: Kingdom Animalia

81.

Phylum Platyhelminthes
Class Cestoda

Tapeworm

gentificatien: These long, white parasitic worms are made up of a head or scolex and
many body sections. Usually only segments are seen as they exit with feces from your
pet. Evidence of these worms is seen when your pet tries to relieve rectal itching.
Miami Although these worms rarely kill their host they do absorb nutrients

from food which can make the host weak. Humans can obtain tapeworms from eating
uncooked food.

91am: Kingdom Animalia

82.

Phylum Nematode

Roundworm

merge: Roundworms are usually white or clear and threadlike in appearance.

Both ends typically taper to a point.

Je§t_ifi_Qat_ioe: Roundworrns are one of the most numerous animals on the earth. Most are
free-living in soil or water yet the parasitic ones cause horrible conditions such as
trichinosis, elephantiasis and river blindness.

69

Animals ll
(mollusk through crayfish)

Claesiflcatjee: Kingdom Animalia

83.

Phylum Mollusca
Class Pelecypoda

Zebra mussel

leentifieatien: These small, light—colored clams are most easily recognized by the
zebra-like marking on the shell. Like all bivalves they have two halves to their shell

which are hinged and protect soft body parts inside. They are commonly found attached
to structure in Lake Michigan and nearby lakes.

geetifieatien: This invader from Europe was first discovered in the US. in 1988 and has
since proliferated throughout the Great Lakes and in some inland lakes. They are
completely changing the aquatic ecosystems they invade because of their great water
filtering capacity and are of real concern.

W Kingdom Animalia

84.

Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda

Pond snafl

lgentifimtien: This gastropod has a single, spiraling, black shell that covers all but the
“foot“ of the snail body. They are common in most aquatic ecosystems and are found
attached to rocks, sticks, and plants.

Jugifieatien: Snails are invaluable for keeping lake bottoms clean of algae and decaying
matter. They also provide food for birds, fish and other animals, including humans.

glam Kingdom Animalia

85.

Phylum Annelida

Earthworm

lgentifieatien: These reddish-brown segmented worms are common in soil and leaf
litter. They have a protective mucus around their body and an easily identified
clitellum.

Justifieatien: Earthworms play a vital role in terrestrial ecosystems in aerating and
conditioning the soil by constantly passing large amounts through their digestive system.

91mm Kingdom Animalia

86.

Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Chelicerata

Eastern daddy-long legs

Igentifieatien: Although not technically a spider, this common arachnid has spider-like
features such as two body segments,four pair of legs and no antennae. it is yellowish to
greenish-brown with a blackish stripe along its midline and has long thin legs.
mm Being nocturnal carnivores they eat insects and other invertebrates and
are eaten by many vertebrates.

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87.

Common garden spider

Identifieatien: This common spider is brightly colored,often black and yellow or black
and red. It is found in grassy or weedy areas. its large, vertical web is conspicuous and
the spider rests head downward in the center.

mm: Garden spiders eat other insects and serve as prey for larger animals.

Clam Kingdom Animalia

88.

Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea

Crayfish

Igentificatien: This aquatic invertebrate is not a fish but an arthropod with a hard
exoskeleton, two pair of antennae and powerful claws for catching and holding food. It is
brown in color and found in most ponds, lakes and rivers.

mm: Crayfish serve as food for many vertebrates including fish, birds, and
humans.

Animals III
(Insects)

Clagfleatree: Kingdom Animalia

89.

90.

Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Uniramia
Class Insecta

Mayfly

ldentifieatien: Adults have a very soft body with large, triangular, many-veined wings
which are held together above the body at rest. Two or three hairlike “tails” are

obvious. Some species swarm and move up and down in unison while flying over water.
merge: This insect is important in the aquatic food chain providing food for fish,
birds, amphibians and other insects.

Dragonfly

Identificatiee: Two pair of long, narrow wings held out horizontally at rest distinguish
this large insect from others. It also has a long, slender abdomen and large compound
eyes. It is usually brightly colored and found around water.

Meatiee: Because of their strong flying ability, dragonflies help control mosquito
and other small insect populations, catching their prey in flight. They also provide food
for fish, birds and other animals.

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Damselfly

lgentifigtien: Damselflies are very similar to dragonflies except the wings are held
close to the abdomen at rest. They are not strong flyers and rest often on plants near
water.

eefirficatiee: They provide food for fish, birds and other animals.

Grasshopper

leentifieatien: This insect is usually brown or green with a front wing thickened and
folded over the hind wing at rest. The large hind legs are used for jumping and so they
rarely fly any distance. They “sing” by rubbing body parts together to attract the
opposite sex and are most commonly found in fields.

me: Some species swarm to great numbers with reports of 100 million
covering 2000 square miles. In such cases they cause extensive crop damage yet
provide important food for birds, snakes and mammals.

Cricket

leentifigtien: Crickets are similar in appearance to grasshoppers but generally

smaller and often black in color. They are found in fields, woods, and around dwellings.
Justifieatien: The “singing” of some species can be used to estimate temperature
because the chirp rate decreases with temperature drop.

Water Strider

Identifieatien: This familiar insect is often misnamed as a spider because of its spider-
like appearance. It is adapted to walking on water where it is commonly seen.
,LusmiQathe: Water striders are carnivores, eating other insects that fall on the water
and serve as prey for other animals.

Earwlg

lgentifigatien: Forceps-like pinchers out the rear of the abdomen make this insect easy
to identify. They are dark in color and rarely fly. Being nocturnal they spend days in
cracks and under rocks and debris.

eeetmeaeee: Because they feed mainly on dead, decaying matter earwigs are beneficial
in the decomposition of plant matter. Their name comes from the folk belief that they
crawled into the ears of sleeping persons. They don‘t bite but may pinch hard.

Cicada

jeeetifieatjee: This large,stout—bodied insect with membranous wings is most easily
located and identified by the loud buzzing noise produced by males. They are found
most commonly in trees.

mm: This insect occurs in very large numbers in certain year cycles (13 or 17
year are common) and can do extensive damage to trees at that time.

Splttlebug

Identifieatg' n: This small brown or gray hopping insect is most commonly located by
the “spittle” produced in a plant it inhabits. The spittle is a secretion from the anus
which keeps the larvae moist.

Jestifleatjee: Spittle bugs can cause serious stunting of plants, especially clover.

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Beetles

lgentifigtien: The great variety of beetles makes identification difficult yet most have
thickened front wings covering the hind wings at rest. They are found virtually
everywhere in a variety of colors and size. This is the largest order of insects.
Jeetifieatige: Many species cause serious agricultural problems for humans because
they are plant eaters.

Tiger Swallowtall Butterfly

leentifieatien: This large butterfly has yellow wings with black stripes and obvious tail-
like projections on its hind wings. They are found in fields during early summer.
Jegificatjgn: The larvae feed on cheny, birch, poplar, and other trees but not in big
enough numbers to do great damage. The adults feed on plant nectar and act as
pollinators.

White Butterfly

Identifieation: White butterflies are small to medium size with black markings on

white wings. They often congregate around puddles near fields and along roadsides.
Jefiflicatien: The larvae do great damage to cabbage and related plants.

Sulfur Butterfly

Igentifieation: This butterfly is smaller in size and markings to white butterflies except

for yellow wings. They are found around puddles and in fields and may be seen migrating
in masses.

mm: The larvae are a serious past of clover crops.

Monarch Butterfly

lgentifieatien: This common field butterfly is large, has orange wings with black
markings and 2 rows of small white spots on the black wing band. It can be easily
confused with a mimic - the Viceroy Butterfly. Monarchs migrate in masses to
California, Mexico and the Gulf States providing a mystery of navigation because

the offspring will often return to the exact summer location of their parents!
We: Because the larvae feed on milkweed which contains toxic chemicals, the
adults are distasteful to predators. The adults feed on nectar and serve as pollinators.

Gypsy Moth

Identifiemre' n: Gypsy moths are medium-sized, white or gray with black markings, and
have a hairy appearance typical of many moths. They are weak flyers and are often found
on tree trunks.

Miriam: The larvae cause extensive damage by defoliating mature trees, especially
oak.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Igentifieatien: The larvae of this insect are most easily recognized because of the

tent like nest of silk they build for protection. The larvae are black, somewhat hairy,

with a yellow stripe down the middle of their back.

mm: The larvae cause extensive damage by defoliating mature trees, especially
black cherry.

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Crane Fly

lgentifigtien: This often misidentified insect is mosquito-like in appearance with very
long legs that easily break off. The knob-like modification of the hind wings is obvious.
It is commonly found in moist areas.

Jegfleatiee: The larvae play a role in aquatic food webs. Unlike mosquitoes, the adults
don't bite.

Mosquito

leentifieatien: This small, slow-flying insect has soft body parts. The males are
distinguished from females by their feathery antennae. Mosquitoes need water to breed
and are found most commonly in such areas.

eueeeeaeoe: Males are nectar feeders and, therefore, pollinators and don't bite.
Females can drink their own weight in blood in a single feeding and are major vectors of
serious diseases such as yellow fever, malaria and encephalitis.

House Fly

Identifieatien: This common insect is dark-colored, has only two wings yet is a fast

flyer. It breeds in manure and decaying matter and so is commonly found in great
numbers in these areas.

Justificatien: House flies transmit diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentary, and

cholera. They are unwelcome guests in households because they regurgitate their food.

Deer Fly

lgentifieatien: This fly is about the size of a house fly and has a stout body with
characteristic light and dark variegated wings.

mm: These flies bite hard and can be annoying when out in the field. Some
species transmit serious diseases in other parts of the world.

Bald-faced Hornet

lgentifieatien: This medium-sized hornet is black with yellowish-white markings and is
most easily identified by the large, papery nest it builds in trees.

Jest_rfieat_i9_n_: They capture and feed other insects to the developing larvae and so play a
role in the terrestrial food web. Hornets can inflict a painful sting to humans.

Carpenter Ant

leentifimtien: Carpenter ants are large and black with the characteristic “bump” on the
front part of the abdomen. They are found most commonly in moist, wooded areas.
Jeetjmmjee: These ants are serious pests in homes because they excavate their nests in
wood. Although they don‘t eat wood like the termite, they can cause structural damage.

Formlcld Ant

Ieeetifieatign: There are many closely related species of this common ant. Some are
commonly found making small mounds of sand in driveway and sidewalk cracks. They are
small and brown and eat a variety of food.

mice: These ants play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems by scavenging
food and transporting seeds. They taste like lemon when eaten due to the formic acid

in their body.

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113.

Honey Bee

leentifimtien: This easily recognized be has golden-brown coloration and a
characteristic humpbacked shape. It is found in fields and orchards near flowering
plants.

gem: The honey bee is extremely valuable for honey, beeswax and especially
as pollinators.

Bumble Bee

Identifieation: Bumble bees are much larger than honey bees with a robust shape and
black and yellow coloration. They nest in the ground and are found around flowering
plants.

eesLmeaeee: They are important pollinators, especially for certain kinds of clover.

Animals IV
(fish)
Clafireea'eoe: Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Osteichthyes

114.

115.

116.

Rainbow Trout

lgentificatien: This trout has many dark spots on a light background with a

broad reddish-orangeish band along its side. It has a slightly forked tail and a
characteristic adipose fin. Rainbows tolerate slightly warmer water than other trout.
Note: The steelhead trout is a rainbow that has spent several years in Lake Michigan and
migrates back up the river to spawn. At this time it has a characteristic steel gray

color and can be fairly large.

m: They feed on a variety of aquatic life and provide a valuable fishery
throughout the state.

Northern Pike

leentifieatien: This large, long, torpedo-shaped fish has light patterning on a green
background and a duckbill-shaped snout. Its mouth is lined with needle sharp teeth and
is found in lakes and streams with good weed growth.

Jestifleatiee: Pike are important large predator fish in many inland lakes for

maintaining population sizes of smaller fish. They also provide an important sport
fishery in most areas.

Carp
Identifieatien: Carp are large, bronze-colored fish with large scales and look very much
like goldfish. They are found in soft-bottomed lakes and can tolerate warm water and
pollution.
Jugifleatgz’ n: They aggressively uproot plants in shallow water which muddies the
water destroying spawning areas for more desirable fish. Carp are considered a "trash"
fish by many.

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120.

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122.

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White Sucker

Igentifieatien: This long, round, slate—colored fish has a round mouth pointing
downward. It is found in lakes and river bottoms feeding on insects.

mam: Suckers tolerate warm, polluted water and move up rivers and creeks to
spawn in the spring where they are sometimes speared at night.

Brown Bullhead

leentifieatien: This small catfish is usually less than 12 inches in length and has a dark
mottled back, a light belly and “slimy” skin. Large barbules (whiskers) are obvious.

It has an unnotched tail and an adipose fin. Bullhead are found in soft-bottomed lakes
feeding on the bottom.

mm: These fish feed on plant and animal matter on the bottom of lakes and are
not highly sought by fishermen.

Channel Catfish

ldentifieatien: Catfish are similar in appearance to bullhead but are generally larger,
have a deeply forked tail and are common in moving water.

W2 Catfish are bottom feeders most active at night. They feed on just about
anything and provide an important fishery in certain areas.

Smallmouth Bass

ldentificatien: This fish ranges in size form 10—20 inches, is olive green in color and
lacks a prominent lateral line. The upper jaw does not extend past the eye. it is common
in cool lakes and rivers.

aesteeeaeoe: This species is a major predator fish in many lakes helping to control the
population size of smaller fish. It is highly sought after as a game fish with tournaments
held for this trophy.

Largemouth Bass

lgentifieatien: Largemouth bass range in size from 10-24 inches. are olive brown in
color and have a prominent lateral line. They have a very large mouth with the upper
jaw extending past the eye. They are found in warm water lakes and rivers near weeds.
Jugification: This major predator fish feeds on insects, fish, crayfish, frogs, and small
mammals and is one of the most popular game fish in the country. Numerous
tournaments are held for this trophy.

Pumpkineeed Sunfish

lgentifieatje' n: This small, round-bodied fish has an orange tip on the gill cover and
strong orange and blue stripes on the cheeks. It is found in most inland lakes.
Meatioe: This sunfish feeds heavily on snails and insects and is a prey for larger
fish. It is an excellent tasting panfish and important game fish in Michigan.

Bluegill

leentifieatn' n: Bluegill are similar to pumpkinwed sunfish but have a dark blue tip on
the gill cover and are less brightly colored. They are found in most inland lakes but are
often stunted due to overpopulation.

Jestiijeatjge: They feed primarily on insects and are prey for larger fish. Like the
pumpkinseed they are an excellent tasting panfish and important game fish.

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125.

126.

127.

Rockbass

lgentifieatien: Rock bass are usually larger and more elongate than bluegill and
typically have a greenish-olive color with dark brown mottlings, although they can
change color to match their surroundings. They have a combination of 6 anal fin spines
and 12 dorsal fin spines. They are common in most lakes and ponds.

Justificatien: This sunfish provides fun fishing for many people and is easily caught on
simple tackle.

Crappie

Identifieatien: This is one of the largest of the sunfish with some individuals up to 14
inches in length. It is silver-colored with a longer body than the bluegill and without
a dark gill covering. It is found in most inland lakes.

mm: Crappie feed on insects and minnows and are very prolific, laying
10000-180000 eggs per fish which hatch in 3 days. It is an important game fish.

Walleye

leentifieatien: This medium-sized, long, slender-bodied fish has a characteristic black
spot on the rear of the dorsal fin. It has enlarged teeth, an opaque eye color
(“walleyed”), and is found in many inland lakes and rivers.

(justificatien: Walleye feed on insects and minnows at night and are a highly sought
after game fish because of their excellent taste.

Yellow Perch

ldentificat’gzn: Most perch are small in size, greenish yellow in color with strong

vertical banding on the side. They have a slender body and are found in most inland lakes
and in Lake Michigan.

Jamieatien: They feed on insects and minnows during the day and are an important

prey species for larger fish. Like the walleye they are highly sought after because of

their excellent taste. They are called “jumbo” perch when taken from Lake Michigan.

Animals V
(amphibians & reptiles)

Clam: Kingdom Animalia

128.

Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Amphibia

American Toad

leeetifigtien: This 2—3 inch toad has olive-colored skin, a spotted chest and large
warts that are really secretory glands. It breeds in shallow water but the adults live on
land.

Jugifieatg' n: Toads eat many slugs and insects and serve as prey in terrestrial
ecosystems. They are easily tamed as pets.

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131.

Green Frog

Igentificatien: This frog is similar in size to the American toad but has green skin with
numerous blotches. The males have a yellowish throat. The voice sounds like a low
banjo string “tung'. It is found in lakes and ponds with vegetation.

mm: Frogs eat many aquatic insects and serve as prey to snakes, fish, birds.
and mammals. This species is often used in dissection labs in science class.

Northern Leopard Frog

Identifieatien: This common frog is 2-4 inches in length with green spots surrounded
by light colors. it makes a sound like a gruff chuckling noise which lasts up to 5
seconds. This frog prefers wet grassy meadows. Like all amphibians, it breeds in water.
,LueLifLQaLIQe: Thisfrog eats mostly insects and serves as prey for many animals. It is
also used commonly for dissection labs in science class.

Spotted Salamander

lgentifieatien: This large salamander is blue-gray with two rows of yellow spots. It is
found in moist wooded areas.

eeseeeaeee: Salamanders are secretive animals that are most active at night when they
come out from under logs and leaf cover to prey upon invertebrates.

WI Kingdom Animalia

132.

133.

134.

Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Reptilia

Common Snapping Turtle

lgentification: This is a large turtle often weighing 25 pounds or more. It has a large

head and a long neck. The back edge of its shell and tail are sharply toothed and the shell
is usually covered with algae. They rarely bask in the sun and are found in quiet ponds
and lakes.

mm: They eat vegetable matter, invertebrates, birds, and carrion. Snappers

are rarely offensive underwater but attack repeatedly on land. They are used for making
soups and stews.

Eastern Box Turtle

lgentifieat‘nn: This small turtle has a smooth, dome-shaped shell which is dark olive or
black with yellowish lines or large spots. Males have red eyes and females have brown.
They prefer moist open woods or swamps.

mace: They eat insects, earthworms, snails, fruit and berries and are the most
popular turtle pet in the Midwest. Some individuals may live up to 80 years.

Eastern Painted Turtle

lgentificatiee: This small, brightly colored turtle has a smooth, flattened shell with
yellow cross bands and red and black markings around the edges. They are commonly
found basking on logs by ponds.

Wm: This reptile feeds on insects and water plants. If kept as a pet it must be
fed in water. It will attack fish put in the same aquarium.

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Eastern Garter Snake

lgentificatien: This small to medium-sized snake has 2-4 rows of light colored lateral
stripes on its dark body. It is found almost everywhere but prefers moist areas.
Jugifieation: Garter snakes eat worms, insects, frogs and toads. It is the most common
snake in Michigan and therefore plays a role in many ecosystems. lt derives its name
from the striping which is like that of a fancy gentlemen’s sock garter. Some

individuals may bite.

Animals VI
(birds)
Clam: Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Mute Swan

136.

137.

138.

lgentificatien: Mute swans are large, white birds who hold their long necks in a graceful
S-curve. They have an orange bill with black knob and are usually silent. They are

easily domesticated and are found in parks and resort areas.

aegification: This species was introduced from Europe and now is a nuisance in parts of
Michigan because of its aggressive nature toward indigenous species, fouling of water,
and lawns with its excrement, and uprooting plants in shallow water.

Canada Goose

leentifieatien: This goose is large, has a black head and neck with a white cheek patch,
and gives a characteristic musical honking call. It migrates in a V formation and is found
on ponds, lakes, and rivers or feeding in the fields.

Jugificatien: Canada geese have become a nuisance in southern Michigan because
they foul the water and lawns with excrement. They do provide hunting opportunities
and food for humans and large predators.

Mallard

Identifieatien: Males of this species have a green head, white neckband and chestnut
chest while females are a dull mottled brown. The female call is a simple “quack”. They
are found in most ponds, lakes and rivers and are easily domesticated. This large duck
is the most common in Michigan.

,ji_1_:~;tif_ieat_ige: Mallards feed mainly on plants and insects, serve as prey for large
predators and provide hunting opportunities and meat for humans.

79

139.

140.

141.

142.

143.

144.

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Wood Duck

ldentificat'gzn: This duck is smaller than a mallard. The male is very showy and
considered one of the most beautiful in North America. It is found most commonly in
marshes and flooded woodlands and nests in hollow trees.

aegificatign: Wood ducks were nearly eliminated in our area a few decades ago until
massive efforts with nest boxes brought them back in good numbers. They provide
hunting opportunities and good eating.

Red-tailed Hawk

leentificatjen: This mallard-sized hawk has a whitish breast, a broad rusty-colored

tail, and a high pitched descending scream as its call. It is often seen soaring or perched
in trees and on poles.

mm: This raptor feeds mainly on rodents, rabbits and small birds and plays an
important role as a predator in terrestrial ecosystems.

American Kestrel

lgentifimien: This robin-sized falcon is most commonly found on telephone wires
where it perches.

eeseecaeqe: The kestrel, also called a sparrow hawk, preys upon large insects and
small birds such as house sparrows. The male brings food to the young.

Great Horned Owl

lgentificatien: This is a common long “eared' owl and one of the largest in our area.
They are common in rural areas but, being nocturnal, are seldom seen.

Jugifieatpn: This owl is large enough to prey upon other large birds and mammals and
is accused of decreasing the ring-necked pheasant population.

Great Blue Heron

leentification: This goose-sized water bird has a whitish head, greyish body and
yellowish bill. It folds its neck while flying and has a call that sounds like a gutteral
squawk (4x for alarm). It is often men stalking prey in shallow water.

mm: This is a major predator in aquatic ecosystemsfeeding on fish, frogs,
small mammals, reptiles and birds.

Downy Woodpecker

lgentifieat'ezn: This woodpecker looks very similar to the hairy woodpecker only
smaller. It is black and white and the males have a red patch on the back of their head.
am: This is the most common woodpecker in our area and will readily come to
feeders.

Kilideer

lgentifieation: lfilldeer are robin—sized birds with brown on top, white below and two
black neck bands (one for young birds). Its call sounds like its name “kill DEEEEE, kill
DEEEEE", etc. and is common in fields.

Jesteieaeoe: This bird serves as a prey species for hawks and larger mammals. It

will fake a broken wing to draw predators away from its nest when threatened.

80

146.

147.

148.

149.

150.

151.

Ring-billed Gull

lgentifieatien: This pigeon-sized gull has a black ring around the end of its bill, webbed
feet, long pointed wings, and a characteristic white and gray coloring. It is found by
lakes and rivers but can often be seen in large flocks feeding at dumps and in fields. lts
call is a high-pitched, loud, raucous, mewing cry.

MILIQQLIQQI Being a fish eater and scavenger this gull is valuable for cleaning
carcasses off beaches.

Rock Dove

ldentificatien: Many color varieties exist in rock doves but they commonly have two

black wing bands, a broad black tail band and a white rump. They are commonly found in
city parks and on farms. Their call is a soft cooing.

Jesteficatige: Rock doves are often a nuisance in the city because of their messy
droppings and disease carrying ability.

Mourning Dove

leentifieatien: This dove is smaller than a rock dove, has a sandy buff color and a long
pointed tail. They are found nearly everywhere. Doves feed mostly on grains and have a
low, moumful “coo-ah, coo, coo, coo” call.

Jugificatien: This bird is the most widely hunted game bird in the US. providing

hunting opportunity for millions. It is a popular bird at feeders and therefore is

protected from hunting in some states.

Wild Turkey

leentificatien: This large bird is dark colored with a head lacking many feathers. The
males have a “beard", a group of feathers on its chest which grow s with age. They are
found in flocks in wooded farmland.

Justificatien: Wild turkey populations have made a tremendous comeback in recent
years due to reintroduction efforts and now are common. They provide hunting
opportunities and food for humans. .

Tree Swallow

ldentificatien: This sparrow-sized bird has a metallic blue-green black and white
underside and a deeply forked tail. They nest in cavities and are often wen perched on
wires. The call is a series of liquid notes.

gefiificatien: Tree swallows eat insects and are valuable in controlling their

populations. They are disliked by some because they take nesting sites away from the
more desired bluebird.

Blue Jay

Identificatign: Blue jays are robin-sized with bright blue and white feathers and a
prominent crest. They are commonly found in pine and oak woods feeding on seeds.
Their call varies from loud and raucous to musical.

alarm: Blue jays often bury seeds and therefore act as tree planters. They drive
other birds from feeders and so are often disliked by bird watchers.

81

152.

153.

154.

155.

156.

157.

158.

Common Crow

lgentifieatien: Crows are easily identified as being totally black and are often seen eating
dead animals along the roadside. They have a distinctive call and are often heard while
attacking owls and hawks.

Jemeatjee: This bird is valuable as a scavenger but is disliked by many because it

eats many eggs and chicks of songbirds.

Black-capped Chickadee

lgentifieatien: This sparrow-sized songbird has distinctive black and white feathers on
the head. it is not fearful of man and is commonly seen at feeders. It says its name in its
call, “chickadee—dee-dee'.

Justifieatien: This bird is a favorite of bird watchers in winter.

American Robin

Identifieatig' n: This favorite summer resident is common on lawns while searching for
earthworms. it has a red breast and slate-colored back with a call that sounds like
“cheer-up, cheerily, cheerily, cheerily".

mm: This bird is regarded as the “herald of spring” and eagerly anticipated
every year. It is the state bird of Michigan.

Starling

mm: This robin-sized bird is dusky black, has a short tail and yellow bill. its

call often imitates other birds. Being a cavity nester it is often found around old
buildings. Unlike many birds, it does not migrate.

mm: The entire US. population is the result of 100 birds being released in
Central Park, New York City in 1890. They are now considered pests around dwellings.

House Sparrow

ldentificatien: This bird is very common around dwellings and farms. Males have a
black chest; females are mottled brown. The song is a series of monotonous chirps.
Justifieatien: This sparrow is often a nuisance and always associated with humans. The
entire North American flock came from afew birds released in Central Park, New York
City in 1850. It is also called the English Sparrow.

Red-winged Blackbird

leentifieatien: This robin-sized bird is found in marshes and wet areas. The male has
bright red shoulder patches; the females are mottled brown. Their call sounds like
“O—ka-leeeeeeel".

aesthaLIQe: This bird is very aggressive when defending the nest and plays an
important role in wetland ecosystems.

Common Grackle

ldentifigtien: This robin-sized blackbird is abundant on farmland. It is metallic
black-purple in color and nests in evergreens.

mime: Grackles are a nuisance when flocking in large numbers because they can
destroy fruit crops. They are destroyed in mass by poisons.

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159.

160.

161.

162.

163.

164.

165.

Brown-headed Cowblrd

Ieentifieatien: This robin-sized blackbird is most commonly seen in pastures. The male
is black with a brown head while females are dull black.

Jegitieatien: Cowbirds are social parasites in that they never nest but lay their eggs in
other birds nests. For this reason they are scorned by most bird watchers.

Cardinal

lgentifieatien: Cardinals are also robin-sized songbirds with a characteristic bright red
plumage (the female is less colorful). They are common at feeders and have a clear song
that sounds like “what-cheer, cheer, cheer, purty—purty-purty'.

Jugifieatien: This bird is a favorite of bird watchers and is named after the red robes
worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.

American Goldfinch

Igentifieatien: This sparrow-sized bird is found in weedy fields and is especially fond of
thistle and sunflowers. It has bright yellow and black markings (the female is less
colorful) and a distinctive song that sounds like “potato-chips”.

mm: The American goldfinch is highly desired by those who feed birds and
special feeders are maintained for these birds.

Purple Finch

lgentifieatien: The purple finch is sparrow-sized with the males having a reddish head
and back.

Justificatien: This is a very common bird at winter feeders.

White-breasted Nuthatch

leentifieatien: This small creeping bird is slate colored on top and white underneath.
The male has a black cap. They are common in evergreen forests.

eeetif_ieatipe This nuthatch is another common bird at feeders.

Slate-colored Junco

lgentificatien: This junco is small and drab-colored being mostly gray except for a
white underside.

am: This bird will be seen frequently at feeders with the finches and
nuthatches.

Tufted Tltmouse

ldentificatien: This bird is almost robin-sized, light gray and white in color, and has a
characteristic tuft of feathers on top of its head.

a,L(,i_s,1ifleati_r2e2 Although not as common, this bird shows up frequently at feeding stations.

83

Animals Vll

(mammals)
game-em: Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
ClassMammalia
Opossum

166.

167.

168.

169.

170.

171.

leentifieate’ n: This mammal is the size of a house cat, has white fur, a long snout and a
rat-like tail. It is often seen in the beam of a car headlight or dead along the road. It is
nocturnal and found on farmland and woodlands near streams.

eugejeatm: Opossum eat plants and small animals. They may feign death or “play
‘possum” when cornered.

Starnose Mole

leentificatipn: This small mammal is five inches long, dark brown or black with nose of
fingerlike, fleshy projections in the appearance of a star. It makes a mound of black dirt
above ground with tunnels not visible.

easemepe: Because of its appetite for worms and insects it can do great damage to
lawns and golf courses. Surprisingly the fur is of some value.

Eastern Mole

ldentifigtion: This mole is also five inches long, has broad front feet that turn outward
and is a dark slate color. It makes tunnels just below ground yet visible from above.
eesteipatjee: The eastern mole prefers to eat insects and worms in lawns, golf courses,
etc. and is considered a real pest in most areas.

Brown Bat

l_d_en_tif_ipatjpe: These mammals are most commonly seen feeding on the wing at night.
They are glossy brown in color and eat numerous insects, especially mosquitoes.
mm: Bats are invaluable because they control mosquito populations around
dwellings.

Raccoon .

lgentificatp' n: Full grown raccoons are the size of a small dog and are often seen dead
along the roadway. They appear to have a black mask over their eyes with

yellow and black rings on their tail. They prefer to be near streams and lakes where
they feed at night.

eesfleeatiee: The meat of this mammal is edible but is mostly sought after for the fur.
They are a carrier of rabies and should be avoided for this reason.

Striped Skunk

leentifigtipn: This mammal is the size of a small cat and also is often seen dead along the
road. It has a black body with a white stripe and well-developed scent glands. It is found
most commonly in mixed woods and farmland. It is nocturnal and feeds on most anything.
,Jesmipetipe: Surprisingly the skunk is one of our most valuable fur animals but it also
carries rabies.

84

172.

173.

174.

175.

176.

177.

178.

179.

Wood ch uck

Identifieg‘en: This heavy-bodied, short-legged brown mammal is commonly seen in
fields and along roadsides. It is a diurnal herbivore.

a,Lestefmtepe: The woodchuck is considered a pest because it can do considerable
damage to crops and create hazardous holes in farmers’ fields.

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

leentificatipn: This light brown mammal has 13 whitish stripes. it is found in yards
and on golf courses seeking seeds and insects.

eeeteieatjpe: Ground squirrels are considered pests because they make burrows in
landscaped terrain.

Eastern Chipmunk

ldentifigtipn: Chipmunks run with their bushy tail straight up. They have facial

stripes, a reddish side and rump and are found in forests and brushy areas.
Justification: Being primarily seed eaters, chipmunks can be easily enticed to food piles
and eventually domesticated.

Eastern Fox Squirrel

leentifieatipn: This common mammal is found wherever there are nut trees. It is
rusty yellow with a bushy tail and nests in cavities or leaf/twig nests.

Wipe: Fox squirrels are important game animals and are also important as tree
planters because of their seed-burying habits.

Red Squirrel

leentifieatipn: This noisy little squirrel has a ratchet-like call, is reddish yellow, and

is found in pine or spruce forests. They actively eat and store weds throughout the year.
ee§t_ifieat_ip_n_: These squirrels may do damage to cabins left unattended.

Muskrat

Ideeteicatjpe: Muskrats have a dense, rich brown fur with a silver belly and a naked,
flattened fall. They build easily identified cone houses in marshes near ponds, lakes and
streams. They eat mostly plants.

eugeieateoe: This is one of our most valuable fur animals and is heavily trapped for this

purpose.

House Mouse

lgentificatipn: This greyish-brown mouse has a scaly tail which is the same color above
and below. It is commonly found in buildings with humans where it breeds year round.
It will eat almost anything.

em: The house mouse is an unwelcome pest in homes. It contaminates food
and is a carrier of disease.

Eastern Cottontall Rabbit

lgentificatipn: This common mammal has a brownish-gray body and a cottony white tail.
It is found in heavy brush, swamps and weed patches. It is a nocturnal herbivore
although is commonly seen during the day.

Jesefleatipe: This rabbit can do damage to garden crops. It is Michigan’s most
important small game animal.

85

180. Whitetail Deer
Ieentifieation: This large mammal has a reddish brown coat with a white undertail which

is displayed when alarmed. It is found near most types of cover eating a variety of
plants. Evidence of deer include scrapes and rubs.

Mange: The whitetail deer is the most important big game animal in Michigan. In
heavily populated areas it can do extensive crop damage.

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APPENDIX 8

Final Exam

(Given as Pre-Test and Post-Test)

87

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

(SAMPLE)

Justification Final Exam

The fruit is an important food for songbirds and game birds and can be made into a sweet
drink.

They feed on insects and minnows during the day and are an important prey species for
larger fish. Like the walleye they are highly sought after because of their excellent taste.
They are called “jumbo” when taken from Lake Michigan.

The “singing” of some species can be used to estimate temperature because the chirp
rate decreases with temperature drop.

They are responsible for producing a large portion of the available oxygen in our
atmosphere and form an important base in any aquatic food web.

This bird is regarded as the “herald of spring” and eagerly anticipated every year. It is the
state bird of Michigan.

Roots of this producer can be roasted and ground as a coffee substitute, a practice
common in Europe.

This is an unwelcome pest in homes. It contaminates food and is a carrier of disease.

Because of its soft, dry texture in the fall of the year this plant makes an excellent
substitute for toilet paper! It is also an important producer in most forest ecosystems.

These insects are serious pests in homes because they excavate their nests in wood.
Although they don't eat wood like the termite, they can cause structural damage.

These organisms are the most poisonous in our area. Some species, with common
names like “destroying angel” and “panther fungus”, can be fatal even if only a little is
ingested.

This bird serves as a prey species for hawks and larger mammals. It will take a broken wing
to draw predators away from its nest when threatened.

This plant contains poisonous saponins which are soap-like substances, and the name is
an old-fashion name for washer woman.

These birds have become a nuisance in southern Michigan because they foul the water
and lawns with excrement. They do provide hunting opportunities and food for humans
and large predators.

Altough very strong, the leaves and root of this plant have been eaten to add the onion
flavor to food.

This mammal is the most important big game animal in Michigan. In heavily populated
areas it can do extensive crop damage.

88

(Sample)
Classification Final Exam

Directions: Select the best answer for each of the numbers below and darken
the corresponding letter on your answer sheet using the word bank.

 

Kingdom Monera
g1 ; unicellular; autotrophic; or heterotrophic organisms
example = bacteria

 

Kingdom __#__2_
eukaryotic; usually unicellular; autotrophic or heterotrophic organisms

I. Phylum Ciliophora = ciliates
example = fl

II. Phylum Zoomastigina = animal like flagellates
example = volvox

Ill. Phylum Sarcodina
example = amoeba

lV. Phylum Euglenophyta = flagellates
example = euglena

V. Phylum fl = golden algae
example = diatom

Kingdom Q
g; ; unicellular or multicellular; mostly decomposers
I. Phylum Zygomycota = conjugation fungi
example = black bread mold

ll. Phylum a; = sac fungi
example = morels

89

APPENDIX C

Student Evaluation/Survey

90

Diversity of Life

Evaluation Form

Please rate each of the following items on a scale from 1 to 10 as indicated.

How many organisms could you identify before this unit?
(1: none 10 =all)

How many organisms could you classify before this unit?
(1: none 10 =all)

How many organisms could you justify before this unit?
(1: none 10 =all)

How many organisms could you identify after this unit?
(1=none 10=all)

How many organisms could you classify after this unit?
(1=none 10=all)

How many organisms could you justify after this unit?
(1=none 10=all)

To what degree has this unit changed your view of
West Michigan’s plants and wildlife?
( 1 = not at all 10 = dramatically )

Comment on why your views have or have not changed.

Has this unit increased your enjoyment of nature and being outdoors?
( 1 = not at all 10 = dramatically )

Comment on why your enjoyment has or has not changed.

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