INTRODUCTION:  One cold wintry day, a student looked out the window at the snow covered landscape and thought about all the things that could be done outside -- if only it were summer.  "The plants are dead, or leafless and dormant.  The birds have migrated south, the mammals are hibernating, and the insects died or left before the first snow.  Life is at a standstill until spring!"

PURPOSE:  In this field and laboratory activity, you will make your own observations to determine whether or not winter is a period of inactivity for plants and animals.

MATERIALS: All groups -- suitable winter clothing, clipboard or other firm writing surface, data sheet, pencil, plastic bags with masking tape labels and closures.  Field and forest groups -- snow shovels, trowels, paring knives.  Aquatic group -- rubber gloves, aquatic net, collecting jars.  All groups in lab -- stereoscope or hand lens, petri dishes, enamel pan, identification keys.

FIELD PROCEDURE:  On a winter day, take a field trip to an area that has several natural habitats including a field, a forest, and a pond or stream.  Working in groups, make detailed observations of each habitat as directed.  One person in each group should act as recorder.  Label each sample you collect by writing the underlined words below on the plastic bag or collecting jar.

Field Group

A. Look carefully for tracks, burrows, holes, nests, scats (feces), spider webs -- any evidence of animal life or the animal itself, vertebrate or invertebrate.

B. Look for birds; listen for their sounds.  Can you identify them? 

C. Examine the winter weeds to see if any of them have seeds.  Can you identify them?  Collect samples of winter weeds in a plastic bag.

D. Look for galls (enlargements) on the stems of goldenrods.  Using the paring knife in your gloved hand, carefully cut open a few galls and examine the contents.  Collect a few more goldenrod galls in a plastic bag.

E. Using the snow shovel, remove the snow from an area of about one square meter and look for plants and animals.  Using a trowel, dig into the soil.  Collect samples of what you find within the field soil.

Forest Group

A. Look carefully for tracks, burrows, holes, nests, scats (feces), spider webs -- any evidence of animal life or the animal itself, vertebrate or invertebrate.  Look at small trees and shrubs for any signs left by gnawing animals.

B. Look for birds; listen for their sounds.  Can you identify them? 

C. Look at the trees.  Do any of them have leaves or needles?  Can you identify them?  Collect some evergreen twigs.

D. Look closely at the bark of several different trees.  Look for plant life growing on the bark.  If the bark is loose, pry up a sample using a paring knife.  Do not damage the tree.  Look for invertebrates.  Collect some bark samples in a plastic bag.

E. Clear the snow from an area of about one square meter and look for green plants.  Can you identify them?  Collect some samples of woodland plants.

F. Using the trowel, dig into the forest litter and soil and look for invertebrates.  Collect a forest soil sample.

Pond or Stream Group

A. Go to the edge of the pond or stream.  DO NOT GO OUT ON THE ICE!  Is the water frozen all the way to the bottom?  Is the ice covered with snow?  Can light pass through?  Can photosynthesis occur below the ice?

B. Look for evidence (tracks, burrows, gnawed plants) that terrestrial animals have been in or near the stream.

C. Look for birds; listen for their sounds.  Can you identify them? 

D. Look for plants in or near the water.  Can you identify them?  Collect some samples of aquatic plants.

E. Go to the edge of the pond or stream.  Collect samples of stream organisms and put them in a collecting jar with some water as follows:  (1) IF THE WATER IS SHALLOW, put on rubber gloves, pick up and turn over some rocks.  Look closely for invertebrate life.

(2) IF THE WATER IS DEEP, use an aquatic net to scoop up some of the mud and rocks on the bottom.  Look closely for invertebrate life. 

(3) IF YOU ARE STUDYING A STREAM, put the aquatic net on the stream bottom facing the current.  Using a stick, disturb the area above the net so that you can catch any organisms that are shaken loose.

LAB PROCEDURE: When you return to school, store all of your samples in the refrigerator to keep the organisms alive for later observation.

A.  Each student should make a copy of the group data sheet.

B.  Examine the samples of winter weeds, evergreen twigs, tree bark, woodland plants, and aquatic plants.  Reference books or keys may help you to identify them by their common names.  Record this additional information on your data sheet.

C.  Examine the other samples you collected using a hand lens or stereoscope.  To do so, transfer your soil samples to a white enamel pan and transfer your stream organisms to petri dishes.  Your teacher will tell you how to open the goldenrod galls. Reference books may help you to identify these organisms.  Record this additional information on your data sheet.

D. Share your observations with others in your class.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Do you think winter is a period of inactivity for living things?

2. What evidence did you find that plants are alive in winter?

3. What evidence did you find that insects are active in winter?

4. What evidence did you find that birds and mammals are active in winter?

DISCUSSION:

5. What food sources are available to aquatic and terrestrial animals that are active in winter?

6. Which habitat, in your opinion, showed the most signs of life in winter?  Give one possible reasons for your answer.

7. What new signs of life do you expect to see with the coming of spring?

8. What one finding was most interesting or surprising to you?  Explain your ideas.

DATA SHEET:  Record observations made at each step in the procedure.

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A.

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B.

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C.

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D.

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E.

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F.

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G.

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