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I am a third-grade teacher in Hawaii. One of my benchmarks is to help to communicate to my students how plants need animals. I've already tried some of my local curriculum including how plants got to Hawaii (via birds), but I'm wondering how my colleagues across the country take the time to teach the interdependence of maybe insects and plants or have other ideas. I'm very new to the site, so any suggestions within where to look here at NSTA or elsewhere would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Lori, I'm so happy you are introducing your kids to the web of life early on. We usually think of plants benefiting animals, but as your question suggests, there is a web of life, and plants need animals too. Have you considered worms? I have used vermicomposting with students from preschool through college undergrad. Elementary students especially like gross, creepy, slimy, and squirmy, and worms are perfect for that. Worms are magnificent eating machines, and incredible producers. They eat incredible amounts of vegetable matter (about 2X their weight each week) and produce lots of castings that are nitrogen-rich. Your class could see which foods worms prefer, what kinds of light are preferred, what conditions encourage production of young; the list is endless. I am certain worms could provide a full year of inquiry projects at this age level. Then there is the matter of the castings. What do they contain? If we mix castings with soil, how do they affect plant growth? How can we measure the differences? There is also worm "tea" which is the liquid that flows out of the bin. What happens to plants watered with a dilute solution of the tea compared to regular water? Then there is the matter of species. Red worms are composting worms, but most of us have earthworms in our gardens. It is very interesting to compare how earthworms and red worms interact differently with their environments. The possibilities are endless. I have attached a collection of vermicomposting resources, many of them NSTA resources, and many with activities appropriate for elementary school. There are also instructions for setting up and maintaining a vermicomposting bin. Setting up a composting bin for your classroom is cheap and simple, and will provide a classroom "pet" as well. The other really important thing that students can gain is developing a sense of experimental design and understanding of inquiry. A few of my favorites include: [list] [i]Diary of a Worm[/i] by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss [i]An Earthworm's Life[/i] (Nature Upclose) by John Himmelman [i]Earl The Earthworm Digs for His Life[/i] by Tim Magner [/list] Another of my faves, but not really appropriate at this age group, is [i]There's a Hair in My Dirt[/i] by Gary Larson. Really brings home the concept of a web of life. Good luck, and if you need resources, I would be happy to help in any way I can.

Vermicomposting Collection (19 items)

Journey North Earthworms

- User Uploaded Resource

Adventures of Herman the Worm

- User Uploaded Resource

Yucky Worm World

- User Uploaded Resource

View All 19 Items

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your suggestions. Funny you should mention worms and vermicast...at the end of last school year, one of the teachers yielded a harvest for another worm bin. The second teacher who took the "new" harvest is actually my neighbor. I'm going to start plowing through your resource content and will see what I can do with worms, etc. It might take me some time, but I'll definitely take you up on offer to come back to you for help. Thanks a lot!

Glad I could help! I really like to get out the word on worms!

I am also a third grade teacher in Hawaii and have trouble going into detail with the plants depend on animals benchmark. This is one of the main reasons why I chose to take the NSTA Life Science course this semester. The students usually get confused by the benchmark and get hung up on the fact that animals depend on plants for food and oxygen, so they have a hard time seeing past that. I usually show students the different ways that seeds travel (by birds carrying them or attaching to an animals fur) by using an online video clip. Then we talk about how excrement of cows, etc. is used in manure, which nourishes the plants. I also do a hands-on lesson showing how pollination works and how plants depend on bees for that process. I never thought of using worms though! What a fantastic idea. How can I get started making a mini-composting model in my classroom? I know that Discovery Education has some great resources, so maybe I can find a demonstration on there. Also, what about coral reef ecosystems? That might be a great way to show kids in Hawaii this benchmark, by relating it to what they know. I just started the Coral Reef Sci-Pack last night, so will keep you posted if I find anything there. I am so glad you asked this question!

Alayna, If you are interested in the composting angle, I would definitely suggest you look at the City Farmer website I included in the collection. They give some great pointers for getting started. Setting up a composting bin for the classroom is relatively inexpensive, at about $5 for a plastic bin, and the cost of the worms, which around here is about $20-25 per pound. They grow quickly, so I have provided several schools with worms, but making the offer to teachers in Hawaii is not realistic for shipping purposes! You might find a sympathetic vermicomposter in your area that would be willing to donate the livestock! I also really like the idea of a coral reef. Actually, any aquarium, freshwater or saltwater could provide the learning environment. I personally have several freshwater aquaria, most of them planted, and they are absolutely fascinating for kids. Keeping the water chemistry balanced is a challenge that might be beyond early elementary, but it is a good introduction to limiting factors. When CO2 or trace minerals are used up, algae grow. Excess nitrate or nitrite, fish become sick or die. It's also a great way to introduce kids to the concept of acids and bases by testing the water. I add a greenhouse gas (CO2) to a couple aquaria to provide adequate carbon. CO2 is formed during respiration of all living things. I happen to use a tiny critter to create mine naturally - baker's yeast. I really like the ideas I am hearing. Keep up the suggestions!

Here's another idea. The Wisconsin Fast Plants program has a series of investigations where students build mini-ecosystems in two liter bottles. Students can then observe over an extended period. We have used these, and the kids do have fun. Most require at least 2 bottles per environment.

Link to website: http://www.bottlebiology.org/

TerrAqua column: http://www.bottlebiology.org/investigations/terraqua_main.html

Hi Lori - I work on the Big Island of Hawaii and we are just beginning our plant unit. I have some ideas about a fish pond (small) that has lillies and let the students discover the fish fertilize the lillies and keep them healthy. I was also going to bring some chickens in to our school garden to see if we could study how the chickens can fertilize the plants. We use a worm bin as well and collect the worm "tea" to use in our gardens. Those are some ways I am going to try to teach the animal kingdom and plant relationships this year. I would love to hear what others have as ideas! Aloha, Catherine Hawkins

Hi Jennifer - thank you for the Fast Plants Wisconsin resources - I hope to use soon in my classroom! Those were awesome! I will let you know how they work in the a first and second grade classroom. Aloha, Catherine

Thank you everyone for your continued suggestions. You know, I did try a terra/aqua bottle when I was a 5th grade teacher. We got our fifth-graders to utilize a simple hand-drill to drill through the bottle caps, used feeder guppies and caught isopods (arthropods?), roaches, spiders for the terrestrial side of things and had elodea for the fish. Unfortunately, it became a lesson in decomposition (on the part of the fish)! I'm not sure if I can handle doing this with my 28 third-graders this year, but I may want to try at least one model. I'm still thinking on things. ...and to my Big Island colleague, lucky you! I'm pretty much in urban Honolulu, with some sun-issues on the lanai and theft issues to consider, so maybe I could ask your third-grade class to "share" data with mine--like a third-grade science journal. Would you be open to having your students send us reports? What do you think about updates via your school Web site or lotus?

Yes, you can experience decomposition of the fish, especially if you are using goldfish intended for consumption by larger fish. Unfortunate fact of life. You might try treating them before use by keeping them in a small aquarium, and using an aquatic antibiotic such as Melafix and a fungicide like Pimafix for a few days, but it does get putzy and adds to the cost. I know Melafix is available on Amazon for about $3 for a small bottle; that might be all you need to ensure a healthy group of fish. Or you could purchase extras and hold them for 7-10 days, plucking the floaters out each day. Fish in pet stores are generally not very healthy in my experience. Catherine, I am glad I could help. Please update this winter when you have temperatures in the 70s and we are struggling to hit 0 F!

I teach third grade on the Big Island as well. We were part of the 21st Century Action Research training a few years back. The team encouraged us to use universal concepts as an umbrella for other subjects. We chose interdependence because of the third grade science benchmark of how plants depend on animals. Half of our grade level focused on recycling and composting as their inquiry project. The other half of us studied the anchialine ponds and raised opae‘ulas and native plants. The students worked with the anchialine ponds at the Four Seasons Resort and removed invasive plants there. They grew native plants and planted them in the restored pond. They learned about how life in a balanced pond was interconnected. The opae‘ulas ate the algae and the waste from the opae‘ulas became nutrients for the plants. If invasive species such as tadpoles or guppies were introduced to the pond, then the opae‘ulas would be eaten and the algae in turn would grow out of control and throw off the balance. Part of this reason I wanted to take the Life Science course from NSTA was to get more information on how to teach our inquiry project. We have continued on with the project and it is evolving each year according to the students’ interest. Last year, we talked about the water systems of Hawaii. We started off learning about water habitats. Then the students created a mini water habitat in a pie plate. We had a mock oil spill and had the students use the scientific process to try to clean it up. We used this as a springboard into our inquiry project and to get the students vested in it. The students were so emotional as they tried to clean up their habitats. They then researched the Gulf oil spill through Achieve 3000 articles and other sources of information. This led to the questions of how can we take care of our own water here in Hawaii.

I am so glad to see 3rd grade teachers and elementary teachers. I teach 4th grade and I am currently teaching a plant unit. Ironically, last year when we planted Naupaka, I had no intention to relate it to animals. However, when I left the plants on the floor by a tree in front of my classroom, they got exposed to a lot of ant. At the beginning, I thought that they would be healthy because they are part of nature and ants would be harmless. I was wrong! I learned later that ants have chemicals in their body that can harm plants. Once I discovered that I communicated this information to my students and we immediately turned the lesson around by discussing the relationship between animals and plants. In a sense, I am glad this happened during the planting experiment as it opened the door for new discoveries. Thank you for sharing your ideas about the worms and sharing the different resources.

Hi all - thanks for the great suggestions and resources! We started a worm bin last week and the students were very excited. We have our little compost going for feeding them. Our garden teacher got us an actual worm bin and set it up with the little ones - it has a spout where you harvest the "tea". It is very compact, not smelly and nice! I am looking forward to some inquiry with my students. I know they will be making some great connections with plants and animals. Thanks for all the great resources and conversations everyone! Aloha, Catherine

I am also about to cover this benchmark. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the great ideas!

Shauna, Would you be able to post pictures of your discoveries with the pond project? I recently completed the Coral Reef Ecosystems Scipak and I am trying to think of ways to expose my students to the concept of plants depending on animals. I really feel that I need to relate this to something the students in Hawaii are familiar with, like coral reef, fish, etc. A coworker of mine actually has an aquaponic gardening system at her home, so maybe I could get her to take a video clip of it and explain it to the kids. My brother actually worked for the Four Seasons on the Big Island and I got a chance to wander the grounds. Those ponds are beautiful! How funny that the science benchmark was right under my nose. Thank you for sharing such a great idea. Alayna

Alayna, I will try to post some pictures without the kiddos in them for privacy reasons. We have a large glass jar with opae'ulas in the classroom that we use to observe. They can live for 20 plus years in brackish water with a rock covered in algae for food. You can also tie the unit into social studies standards and look at the Hawaiian methods of aquaculture. One of my coworkers wrote up the study for the DOE so I will ask her for that link as well.

Aloha, Im am also from Hawaii, but I thought I would share a great field trip idea, Waimea Falls Park on Oahu. We were not sure what to expect but the guides were very organized and they had so many interactive hands-on activities for the students so that the students could feel what it was like to live in an interdependent society. A fun game activity that you can play is Sharks and Minnows. You can adapt it and maybe call it Predator and Prey. For example someone can be an eagle and other students can be the mice and the eagle would chase the mice. It is a fun game that the students all have a part in. This a great learning tool because in the beginning there will be a lot of prey then the students can see how each side is dependent on one another. As the Prey gets caught and turns into predators then prey becomes scarce. This helps the students to see and better understand the delicate balance of ecosystems and how the organisms rely on one another.

Aloha, Im am also from Hawaii, but I thought I would share a great field trip idea, Waimea Falls Park on Oahu. We were not sure what to expect but the guides were very organized and they had so many interactive hands-on activities for the students so that the students could feel what it was like to live in an interdependent society. A fun game activity that you can play is Sharks and Minnows. You can adapt it and maybe call it Predator and Prey. For example someone can be an eagle and other students can be the mice and the eagle would chase the mice. It is a fun game that the students all have a part in. This a great learning tool because in the beginning there will be a lot of prey then the students can see how each side is dependent on one another. As the Prey gets caught and turns into predators then prey becomes scarce. This helps the students to see and better understand the delicate balance of ecosystems and how the organisms rely on one another.

Liamarie, That's a good kinesthetic activity and a reminder of one of the interactives that was in the coral reef ecosystems scipack. There was information about the different trophic levels that started with the algae, phytoplankton, etc. I'm not particularly sure how to adapt it to incorporate the plants needing the animals, but games are always a fun way to learn. Thanks for the idea!

Thanks for the idea for the game! My class this year has a lot of energy. I think playing a game like that would help them burn some of their energy while learning the benchmarks.

I am attempting to upload a picture of the anchialine pond my class helped to restore last year. The students ripped out the invasive plants. They also studied the interdependence of plants and animals in this small ecosystem. It looks pretty murky in there because 23 enthusiastic third graders were ripping out plants and stomping in the mud.

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Let's not forget the bees. Nationwide we now have pests that are threatening our bees, with varoa mite and bee borers here in Hawaii. You could teach the reproduction cycle of plants, have students identify fruits and vegetables that need bees to produce, and ask them to bring in examples for show and tell. Without bees, many species of plants would die out. Some countries have fruit bats that pollinate in the evenings. There are bee keepers in your area who would probably be willing to come in and make presentations to your classes. It's important for students to know what to look for in terms of bee diseases, or dying hives, or swarming activity and alert the agriculture department so they can research and prevent the degredation of our bee population. They are so important to our food supply.

Jennifer, Thanks for the suggestions. For my colleagues on Oahu. I know UH-Manoa has scientists that you could connect with to perhaps speak with your classes or take a field trip to the bee lab. I used to have the names of the teachers who used that resource, but I lost it in the renovations of my school. Perhaps you all could look locally at bee keepers, hives, farms, or local nurseries to explore the impacts of why animals need plants. My grade level took a field trip to our University's arboretum and saw cacao plants (who need the midge fly) as well as other plants that need hummingbirds and bees to pollinate their flowers/fruits. Additionally my school's feeder middle school science teachers also work with termites for inquiry projects, but that's another topic.

Hi, I read all the posts and replies and I don't think the following idea was covered. Plants depend on the Carbon Dioxide that we and other animals exhale. Green plants use the Carbon Dioxide in photosynthesis. Without CO2 plants would be unable to produce the food they need to survive. An activity that would demonstrate this fact would be making a closed (airtight) terrarium in which the balance of plants, animals, water, Oxygen, and Carbon Dioxide are balanced and self-sustaining.

Hi James, That is a fabulous suggestion. In the same vein, you might be interested in the "Bottle Biology" project. Bottle Biology is an instructional materials development program, and was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They have lessons to develop ecosystems in a bottle (or several), some using plants and animals, some using only plants, other than the bacteria occurring in the soil and water. It might be interesting for the kids to observe the interactions of plants and bacteria. A simple Winogradsky column might even be interesting, although neither plant or animal.

I hate to revive a long-since-dead thread, but many plants require animals to transport their seeds! Fruits are essentially gifts to entice birds and other animals to sow the seeds in a nice (if smelly) pre-fertilized package. If I recall mistletoe causes diarrhea in birds who eat the berries. The seeds are very sticky and when the bird deposits the seeds, they stick to branches or trunks and grow on their new host. Perry

Hello! I am also a teacher in Hawaii and I wanted to share what I did with my kindergartners. Although interdependence is not a kindergarten benchmark, learning about plants and animals is. To bring the learning into the classroom we planted a flower garden. The flower garden attracted bees and butterflies which led to learning about the interdependence of the two organisms. While we were growing our garden we also learned about worms which was mentioned above. We did not have enough funding to start our own vermicast system but we are hoping to set it up for next year. If you are on Oahu Waikiki Worms is a great resource to learn more about worms and they even have some equipment that you can buy. To meet our benchmark of comparing plants and animal we brought in chick eggs and observed their growth. During our learning we also "discovered" that chicks/chickens also depend on plants to survive. I don't know if this will help you but maybe you can share it with someone working with kindergartners! We also went to Waimea Valley and it is an excellent field trip. The learning experiences are a great way to introduce plants and animals.

Aside from what has already been said, you could also talk about adaptation and how animals and plants had to adapt over time (survival of the fittest). Many posts have come from teachers in Hawai'i, so you could even talk about the Polynesians traveling here and the types of things they brought or how different species ended up here. Fourth grade teachers touch upon adaptations of animals and plants. This could spiral out into so many facets and content areas.

Yet another teacher from Hawaii here! Makaha Elementary has a farm right next door and third grade learns about aquaponic systems(where a grow bed is connected to a fish tank where water and nutrients cycle throughout in a pump system.) Gardening is actually a perfect way to introduce the plants need for animals. Fertilizer and vermicast are big sources of nutrients. Having students plant something with no fertilizer versus fertilizer versus vermicast could be a great intro as well.

You could even get your students to set up an aquaponic system in the classroom! For about $100 you can get a system up and running and this builds the inquiry into the scientific and engineering process! This beats growing beans in a cup any day and completely covers why plants need animals!

I enjoy the resources provided by kidsdiscover.com. I recently went there to do my lesson planning for plants and animals, which I am covering in the 3rd quarter of school. Here is the link that I implemented into my lesson http://www.kidsdiscover.com/plantsandanimals. There is also a life science link that goes in depth into all assorted topics.