The following third and fifth grade science, math, and social science benchmarks are typically addressed when we host a class of students on a field trip to the Starker Forests Trail. If a teacher requests, what we do can be modified to address special interests.

SCIENCE

Unifying Concepts and Processes- Apply foundation concepts of change, cycle, cause and effect, energy and matter, evolution, perception, and fundamental entities. (and others) – S-2

• Identify examples of change. – 3rd
• Describe and explain different rates of change. – 5th

The students will see a forest that ranges from several years old to one that is nearly a hundred. The changes are a combination of both natural changes through the passage of time and of human activity.

• Recognize and diagram the parts of a system. – 3rd
• Identify interactions among parts of a system. – 5th

The students will see a forest that ranges from very young to one that is nearly a hundred years old. As the forest changes, the habitats for both flora and fauna will change accordingly. We emphasize that a forest is more than just trees; there are many other kinds of flora as well as fauna. They will cross a small stream with its own unique flora and fauna.

• Identify examples of change over time. – 3rd
• Organize evidence of a change over time. – 5th

The students will see a forest that ranges from very young to one that is nearly a hundred years old. As the forest changes, the habitats for both flora and fauna will change accordingly. We emphasize that a forest is more than just trees; there are many other kinds of flora as well as fauna. They will cross a small stream with its own unique flora and fauna.

Life Science-Organisims– Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms. S-20

• Describe basic plant and animal structures and their functions. – 5th

We examine different parts of the tree. For example, the “leader” (the current year’s growth) leads the tree’s grow into the sky, the leaves do the photosynthesis, the buds are either reproductive or contains next year’s growth, and so forth.

• Describe the basic needs of living things. – 5th

We emphasize that living organisms must have energy, moisture, air, and nutrients to live and, more specifically, plants must have sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. Further, organisms compete with one another to get what they need which leads to plant succession/change.

Diversity/Interdependence – S-24

• Describe a habitat and the organisms that live there. – 3rd
• Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the organism that live there. – 5th

We emphasize that living organisms must have energy, moisture, air, and nutrients to live. More specifically, plants must have sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients and form the beginning of the food chain (producers). Plants then provide the foods for animals (consumers). Also, plants compete with one another to get what they need and the successful plants become dominant. This process (competition) leads to what is known as plant succession/change. This change also leads to a change in animal habitats and populations (consumers).

• Describe how adaptations help an organism survive in its environment. – 5th

Though both are rodents, we talk about why a flying squirrel, for example, would live in an older forest while a gopher would live in a younger, more open forest. Deer might use both forests.

The Dynamic Earth – S-28

• Identify properties and uses of Earth materials. – 5th

We have a small soil profile so that we can look at the different layers and colors in the soil horizons.

History and Nature of Science-Understand that scientific knowledge is subject to change based on new findings and results of scientific observation and experimentation. – S-34

• Identify examples of how scientific knowledge changes over time. – 5th

We look at a creek where foresters were once required to remove woody material but fish biologists now want woody material put back into the creek. Both actions were based on the best scientific knowledge of the time.

Scientific Inquiry

We have established a small plot where some of the tree seedlings are grown in a weed-free environment (i.e., free of vegetative competition) and the others are growing among competing vegetation. The other variables (seedling species, size, ages, planting density, planting dates, etc.) are constant. The student’s task is to take a plot in each area, identify the tree species, and measure each seedling on their plots. Then they use the data to see if the tree seedlings grow better in a weed-free environment or in weeds. This activity (experiment) seems to work especially well with sixth grade and should meet the following common curriculum goals and benchmarks.

Formulate and express scientific questions and hypotheses to be investigated. – S-36

• Ask questions and make predictions that are based on observations and can be explored through simple investigations. – 5th

Before they start their measurements, we observe and predict what the results might be.

Design scientific investigations to address and explain questions and hypotheses. – S-38

• Design an investigation to answer questions or check predictions. – 5th

We discuss what an experiment is, what variables we have, and how we might check our predictions.

Conduct procedures to collect, organize, and display scientific data. – S-40

• Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations. – 5th

They collect the data from the two plots and take it back to school for analysis.

Analyze scientific information to develop and present conclusions. – S-40

• Analyze, interpret, and summarize data from investigations. – 5th

They collect the data from the two plots and take it back to school for analysis.

MATHEMATICS

Select and use units and tools of measurement

Units and Tools – ST-10

• Select the appropriate units and tools to measure length, perimeter, weight, area, volume, time, temperature, money, and angle. – 3rd & 5th

We have a variety of devices/tools to measure distances, heights, diameters, etc. We do not normally do this on a field trip although we can do this if the teacher so desires.

Direct Measurement – ST-12

• Measure length, perimeter, weight, area, time, and temperature using standard and nonstandard units of measurement. -- 3rd
• Measure length, perimeter, weight, area, volume, time, temperature, and angle using standard and nonstandard units of measurement. -- 5th

We have a variety of devices/tools to measure distances, heights, diameters, etc. We do not normally do this on a field trip although we can do this if the teacher so desires.

Indirect Measurement – ST-14

• Estimate measurements of length and weight. – 3rd
• Make and use estimates of length, weight, capacity, angle, money, and time. – 5th

We can estimate distances, heights, diameters, etc. We do not normally do this on a field trip although we can do this if the teacher so desires.

Statistics and Probability-Statistics – ST-18

• Carry out simple experiments and simulations and compare the predicted and actual outcomes. – 3rd
• Formulate and carry out simple experiments and simulations. Collect and analyze data using measures of central tendency. – 5th

We have 4th-6th grade students mark out a small plot and predict how many kinds of plants and animals (or evidence of animals) they will find on that plot. Then they carefully examine their plot and actually count whatever they can find.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

US History

Interpret and Reconstruct Chronological Relationships – pg. 7

• Interpret data and chronological relationships presented in timelines and narratives. – 5th

We learn about the Native Americans, the pioneers, and the current inhabitants of Oregon. We also learn how the region’s forests were/are used by each of these groups and how they managed and changed the region’s landscapes.

Geography

Compare physical (e.g., landforms, vegetation, wildlife, climate, and natural hazards) and human (e.g., population, land use, language, and religion) characteristics of places and regions – pg. 18

• Identify physical characteristics of places and compare them. – 3rd
• Identify physical and human characteristics of regions in the United States and the processes that have shaped them. – 5th

We learn that Corvallis averages 42 inches of rainfall each year. While the Starker Forestry Trail is only twelve miles west of Corvallis, it averages 79 inches – nearly twice as much rainfall. Therefore, the forest we live near is a “temperate rainforest”. Also, the main tool the Native Americans used for managing their environment was fire. Their use of fire greatly modified the environment found by the early explorers and pioneers.

Describe the consequences of humans changing the physical environment (e.g., ozone, forests, air, water) and how human changes in one place affect other places. – pg. 21

• Explain how physical environments are affected by human activities and present opportunities, constraints, and hazards for people. – 5th

The main tool the Native Americans used for managing their environment was fire. The Natives burned and maintained open spaces in the Willamette Valley and surrounding forests so that sunlight could reach the ground. This provided better forage for the game they hunted and a better place to gather many of their other foods. To maintain the grassy landscape for farming and grazing livestock, the pioneers continued burning the forests well into the twentieth century. Many of today’s forests came about only because the burning ceased.