Field Biology

In order to know the organisms of our area, we first need to know about the various habitats found around Delano. Not every bird species lives in every place around here! Knowing what the characteristics of each habitat are makes it more efficient to determine what kinds of organisms will be found there. For example, say we’re walking through the thick forest and we kind of see a big hawk flying by. What is it? Well, your first inkling is that it is a red-tailed hawk, commonly seen everywhere around here. Or so you thought. But here, deep in the woods, that big bird probably is a red-shouldered hawk. Hearing it would've given it away easily because red-shouldereds have a very distinctive call, a two-part kee-yer, with a dropping inflection in the second part. So knowing about habitats puts some “boundaries” around what kinds of things you should see there, i.e., it makes identifying organisms much easier!

Habitats: Each of these has a reading and note sheet to go with it. Approximately one habitat is covered each week. An overall test covering all these habitats comes during the final week.

            What is a Habitat?

            Transition Forest

            Northern Floodplain Forest

            Shrub - Sapling Opening/Edge

            Lake and Pond

            River and Stream

            Grassy Field

            Shrub Swamp

            Sedge Meadow

            Cattail Marsh

Groups of Organisms: Each of these has a list of what ones to learn and we use field guides to learn them. There will be an identification test covering each group. It takes about 6 class periods for each group.

            Butterflies (we may do grasshoppers in addition)

            Mammals

            Birds

            Trees   

            Amphibians & Reptiles

            Mushrooms (depends on the conditions!)

Other topics:

                        Ecological Relationships; Adaptations to fall; Migration           

Because Lake Rebecca Park is so close, we will walk there once in a while as well as to the river. Thus, proper footgear is imperative! i.e. No flip-flops! Many days we will be using the school forest area or the pond are.

How to behave during field work will be spelled out fairly thoroughly. Essentially, students work quietly at all times to hear things going on around them.

Each student does a study of some relationship between organisms found around Delano. Guidelines as to the format and content will be provided as well as class time to perform field work/observations.

Several different activities are going on each day of class.

There is a field trip to the Wildlife Science Center near the end of October. Cost of that is usually around $15. At the WSC, we observe wolves and bears and other Minnesota predators and raptors. The write-up for this trip is one of the major assignments.

We follow a fairly open and flexible curriculum as guided by the weather and interests of class members - you!

Graded items will include readings, quizzes, tests, drawings, etc. and the write-up of the field study, and the field trip booklet.

40% Assigned Work

25% Labs

15% Tests

20% Major Projects

Grades:   58% C-  63% C  68%C+  73% B-   78% B   83% B+   88% A-   93% A

You will need: 3-ring 1" binder, colored pencils, good shoes, perhaps a hat, a quiet voice, and a profound sense of curiosity about and harmony with the natural world. You will not ever need your cell phone or any other electronic device, not even to take pictures. We'll bring a camera with us!