DRAGONFLY CHRONICLES * 2018

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Setting: McMurray/ Magpie Meander or North Shields Ponds

Theme/Bottom Line: Understanding the seasonal and life cycles that are

occurring in a habitat helps us appreciate nature’s interdependence and

subtleties.

Description: Students use observation, mapping and simple scientific

equipment and note taking to gain insight into the life and seasonal cycle of

common pond animals and plants.

BIAS: Biology, Interconnections, Awareness, and Stewardship

Time: 4 hours comprised of 4, 30-minute stops, a lunch break and hiking.

Recommended Group Size: 10-15

FOSS Kit: Structures of Life

State Standards: Life Science 2.1Analyze how various organisms grow,

develop, and differentiate during their lifetimes based on interplay between

genetics and their environment. The duration and timing of life cycle events

such as reproduction and longevity vary across organisms and species.

Materials List: (Detailed List with each of the four stops)

Nat Note: This activity is made up of four parts: Bird watching, (Avian

Adventures) Dip-netting, (Every Drop Counts) Dissecting cattails, (Cache la

Cattails) and “dressing” a beaver (Soft Gold). Each of these activities is written

separately with a specific title. Although there is a large amount of information

presented in this plan, the individual activities are designed to be simple to

present.

Getting Ready:

1. Become familiar with the background information for each stop. You will

be presenting this information in either an instructional format such

“dressing” the beaver or dissecting cattails, or in an anecdotal format such as

behavior bird watching and dip netting.

2. Scout out the site ahead of the students to familiarize yourself with the route

and locations for stops. Go over the information for each of the stops

considering it in the context of the location. Decide where you will have the

students observe and work at each location.

3. Familiarize yourself with the journal. It is an important part of this

experience.

Nat Note: Because you will be with the same group of students for the all four

activities, you will have more flexibility. You will not need to introduce yourself

over and over. You will be able to use what you learn about the groups’ strengths

and avoid their weaker areas. You will be able to use the hiking time in between

stops to enhance the experience or to give some social time. This is also a good

time to try to tie stations together so that the kids see the connection.

Your only requirement is to keep to a movement schedule agreed to with the other

three groups of students moving from stop to stop. Timing is important in this

lesson because if we don’t keep to the time frame groups will get backed up.

ENGAGE (Introduction):

This will be done by the lead MN or staff with the entire group when they

arrive.

1. Welcome the students and introduce yourself.

2. Give the name of the journal, Dragonfly Chronicles. Ask if anyone

knows what chronicles are. (chronicles are chronological accounts of

historic events)

3. “Today we are taking poetic license with the work “chronicles” and using

it to mean a careful and factual accounting of the events you experience

today”.

Nat Note: The students have been studying Structures of Life in school. They know

about life cycles and seasonal cycles. Today each time there is a question to

answer, or a nature puzzle to solve, ask them, “How could this puzzle be affected

by a life or seasonal cycle?”

4. Today the students will be divided into 4 groups which will journey

around the pond to discover and report on some amazing nature stories.

The students will be traveling around the pond and investigating plants

and animals to uncover what is the real story of life here at the pond.

They are like reporters learning, observing and searching for FACTS.

They will use the journal to record and draw what they learn today.

5. Remind them of the Natural Area Department’s “NO off-trail” rules

(depending on location) and explain that today, as members of the press,

they will have a very special privilege of being able to go off trail to explore

this pond. However, only the MN will give the directions about when and

where it is OK to go off trail. You expect the students to be responsible

members of the privileged press.

*Each stop is about 30+ minutes. At each stop there is equipment to

distribute, and then carefully put away for the next group. The MN’s will be

depending on the students to listen and help.

Nat Note: MNA’s will be assigned to each stop and they will not rotate. They will

stay at their assigned station and oversee the equipment. At Mc Murray Ponds

there is only one bathroom facility. Please enlist the help of the parents to

accompany students for emergencies. The lunch break is designed to be long

enough for eating and a bio-break.

Get students engaged with some leading questions:

• Does the name Dragonfly Chronicles sound like a newspaper or

magazine title?

• Do you know what reporting means? (someone who makes notes and

drawings of their observations)

• What animals live in and around ponds?

• Why do you think they live near these ponds?

• What do they need to survive near these ponds?

EXPLORE:

These are the four stops to be done in any order. Allow all the groups

about 5 minutes to quickly get to their first stop before anyone starts. This

will help the timing by insuring everyone starts at the same time.

• Soft Gold- Beaver adaptations

• Avian Adventures- Bird Watching and Bird ID

• Cache La Cattails- Botanical adaptations of cattails

• Every Drop Counts- Macroinvertebrates and dip netting

BEAVER STOP: Soft Gold

Suitcase materials:

• Laminated photos of beavers(4), beaver lodges (2) and lodge diagram

• beaver pelt (check out from resource room), beaver skulls

• chewed wood, beaver track print,

• gloves and calendar

• Costume: NAD sweatshirt and windbreaker/“coat,” Beaver tail on belt /tail,

goggles/eyes, ear muff/ears, tie-on teeth/ teeth, fins with combs attached/hind feet,

chunk of wood to hold/ front paws, picture of lungs/balloons on string/lung capacity

Nat Note: Explain to the teacher that you are going to dress up a student to teach the

adaptations of the beaver to pond life. Ask the teacher for the name of a student who is

cooperative and able to handle the limelight without embarrassment. If the teacher isn’t with

you, use your best judgment. At the appropriate time call upon this student to help you.

1. Take out the beaver pictures and begin by asking what mammal this is and for 5 facts

they already know about beavers.

2. Agree with their information and that beavers are fascinating creatures which are

perfectly adapted to the wet environment they live in.

3. The word adapted is a scientific term. Do the following demo to explain the meaning of

adapted/adaptations.

Take out the large leather work gloves and the calendar. Choose a small child to help

you. Ask them to put the gloves on and then hand them the calendar. Ask them what

month they were born and after they tell you have them open the calendar to that month.

This should be very difficult to do. Sympathize with their fumbling and ask what they

could do to make it easier. “Take off the gloves” is the obvious answer. When they do

this and are able to easily open the calendar, explain that they have just adapted to their

job. This is a fast example of an adaptation but animals and plants do this too, only way,

way more slowly…. Over thousands of years they adapt to be able to survive in their

environment.

4. The beaver is an incredible collection of very special adaptations that make it a perfect

pond resident. Ask the teacher to choose a student to help you teach the group about the

beaver’s adaptations.

5. Tell the students to open their notebooks to the “Soft Gold” page and draw or take notes

as you go.

6. Call up the student chosen by the teacher. Begin with the pelt of the beaver. Show the

pelt and explain that it is a real beaver pelt. (The student helper can carry the pelt around

to show as you talk.)

Nate Note: Some children are disturbed by the sight of animal skin and most are genuinely

curious. They will ask if we killed the beaver. One technique to handle this is to say “We did

not kill the beaver. I’m not sure how it died. There are people who save the pelts of animals

when they die and preserve them so that students can actually see and feel a real beaver.

This person is called a “taxidermist”.

Invite each student feel the fur as you explain this. Talk about how soft and thick the pelt

feels. Tell students how the pioneers who settled the west thought the beaver pelt was so

valuable they called it “Soft Gold.” Ask the students to speculate on why the beaver pelt

was so valuable. Ask the students to look closely and see that there are two layers of fur

in the beaver’s coat. Ask if they ever wear layers of sweaters and jackets in the winter.

Agree that more layers keep you warmer.

7. Hand the sweatshirt to the student helping you and ask them to put it on. Ask if they think

this would help to keep them warm. Add, but the beaver also needs to stay dry! That is

what his outside coat does. Ask the student to put on the windbreaker over the sweatshirt.

Does the group agree that will help keep “our beaver” warm and dry?

8. Now put on the beaver tail belt. Ask the group what this is and show the tail on the pelt.

Now ask what they think the beaver uses this big flat tail for. (You may get digging mud

as an answer and that is NOT true but a common misconception.) One of the jobs the

beaver uses his big tail for is communication. Try this demonstration with the students:

Hold out one hand flat with palm up. Ask the students to do the same. That hand is the

surface of the water. Now take your other hand and hold it out flat palm down. This hand

is the beaver’s tail. When everyone is ready, on the count of three have the group slap

their beaver tail/hand on the water/other hand. That makes a loud noise and it warns all

the other beavers that danger is near and they should dive! Repeat this demo using a

muskrat’s tail which is long and thin like a rat. Use one finger as the muskrat tail and slap

it on the water/other hand. There is very little sound; not nearly as good a warning signal.

The beaver also uses this wonderful tail to help steer and swim when in the water. He

stores up extra fat in it for the long winter. And when on land he can use it to rest on, like

the kick-stand on a bike! Who wouldn’t like to have a tail that is so cool?

9. But this is not all the beaver has going for it. Put on the ear muffs. Are these to keep the

beaver’s ears warm? NO! Ask if anyone swims underwater like a beaver. Do they have

trouble getting water in their ears when they dive? Well the beaver has special ear flaps

that close when it swims to keep the water out of its ears. Add that they have these

special flaps to close off their noses and throats too. This keeps the water out of their

ears, noses, and throats when they swim underwater.

10. Put on the goggles. Are these safety glasses? NO! Ask if they have ever tried to open

their eyes underwater when they swim. Has anyone ever used a swim mask to be able to

see? Explain that beavers have a special “nictitating membrane” or a clear eyelid that

they can close but still see through that helps them see underwater. This is like the swim

goggles we wear to see underwater. Review eyes, ears, nose, and mouth adaptations.

11. But speaking of mouths…Now put on the teeth over the mouth (NOT in the mouth). The

beaver is famous for its teeth. They are huge and bright orange in color. They continue to

grow all through the beaver’s life. But all the chewing and cutting of trees that the beaver

does helps to keep those teeth short and sharp. The teeth actually stick out in front of the

beaver’s lips and mouth. That is an adaptation that allows the beaver to carry sticks in its

teeth while it swims and still have its lips closed! Pretty cool. The teeth are hard on the

front side and soft on the back so when they chew the back wears away faster than the

front and that makes the bottom edge razor sharp. Beavers eat a lot of wood so their teeth

get lots of use. Beavers also like the plants that grow along the edges of the ponds and in

the water. Water lily roots are a favorite. No wonder these teeth are famous. (Show the

beaver skull and point out the teeth)

Review all the adaptations so far.

12. BUT there are still more ways the beaver has adapted to be perfect for the pond. Get out

the chunk of wood and ask the student to hold it in their hands. Ask the group why this is

pretty easy for “our beaver” to do? Point out in the picture that beavers have front paws

with five digits like our hands and they can grasp sticks to carry them and place them in

the dams and lodges they build. Have the students think about their pets and how their

paws look. Could a cat or dog carry a stick in their paws?

13. But wait…. The back feet are different. Lay the swim fins on top of the student’s shoes.

The beaver has adapted to have back feet that are perfect for swimming. So the front

paws are for working and the back feet are for swimming. No wonder beavers are able to

swim and dive fast to get away from enemies. No wonder they can build such big dams

and lodges. Now pick up one of the fins and point out the comb attached. Ask if anyone

can think why the beaver would need a comb. Yes! It’s the heavy fur coat. He needs to

keep it combed and untangled so he can swim fast and he needs to spread oil through the

fur to keep it water resistant. He preens his fur sort of like a bird or duck preens its

feathers or we comb our hair. Review the adaptations specific to the feet.

14. Get out the picture of the lungs and balloons and clip it to the front of “our beaver’s”

jacket. Ask if they know what this is. (lungs) Do they also have lungs? Where are their

lungs? Why do they think you have balloons attached? (Because we can take a deep

breath and puff up our lungs and then hold that breath to swim underwater.) The beaver

can do exactly the same thing only they can hold their breath for much longer, up to

fifteen minutes! Ask the students to take a deep breath and try to hold it for 60 seconds.

(Have the MNA continue timing for 15 minutes to show how long that really is) Keep

going with your demonstration but periodically ask if the beaver is still holding its

breath? These great lungs are an adaptation to allow the beaver to survive his enemies.

15. Give everyone time to complete their drawings and notes and see all the props you have

used. (Ask the parent helpers to help the student undress and to repack everything

carefully back into the suitcase.)

• Beavers are famous for building dams and lodges. Ask the students what happens

when beavers build a dam? Explain the importance of the beaver dams to other

pond animals and to people too.

• Help maintain wetlands to soak up flood waters

• Lessen erosion of flowing water

• Raise the water table

• Help clean water by filtering it slowly

• Help plants grow because they have water

• Create an environment for other pond residents like ducks, frogs, and fish

16. (AT MCMURRY) Now move the group to the location of the beaver lodge built into the

bank. Have the kids observe the building techniques. Ask them to observe the pond to see

if they notice a beaver swimming. Ask if they can see an entrance to the lodge.

(entrances are underwater)

17. Get out the pictures of the dams and lodges. When the beaver goes underwater he is

escaping from enemies, but also going to his lodge or getting a stick he has saved in the

mud at the bottom of the pond to eat. Talk about how the beaver uses his teeth to cut

down small trees and branches, chop them up and carry them to the water to use either for

his dam to close off the flowing river and create a pond or his lodge where he lives and

has his family and stores his extra food.

The beaver uses the wood he has chopped and carried and layers of mud to build very

strong houses and dams. They are strong enough to not be washed away by the water or

broken by a big enemy like a coyote jumping on it. Sometimes the lodges are like islands

out in the middle of the water and sometimes they are built into the bank of the river or

shore of a lake. We see them more often by the banks of rivers here. Use the pictures to

show what you are explaining.

18. After this observation ask the students to carefully stay away from the lodge but scout

the area for evidence of beaver activity. (At McMurry there are many chewed trees.)

Notice the teeth marks in the wood, the shape of the chew and the location of the stumps

to the lodge. Beavers are smart enough to chew up-slope of their lodge; making dragging

the chewed trees a downhill job. Much easier to drag down hill than uphill.

19. Bring up the theme of cycles. Ask the students to consider what season it is and think

about what cycle that might mean the beavers are engaged in. When would be the best

time of year or day to see beavers? Can they tell from the chewed trees if they are freshly

cut or old chews?

CATTAIL STOP: Cache la Cattails

Suitcase materials:

• Background Information folder

• gift bag of pond ecology props (bird nest, plastic frog, plastic turtle, plastic fish,

plastic duck)

• laminated cattail diagram and cross section photos, laminated chart of cattail

uses by pond inhabitants and humans

• 6 student tool bags (scissors, hand lenses, and scraper), 6 clipboards to use as

cutting boards, 1 teacher tool bag for adult use (a sharp knife, strong scissors

and 2 extra hand lenses), and Sani-Hands wipes.

• A large bucket of cattails for dissection, and a trash bag for dissected discards.

1. Gather the students around in a group where everyone can see the cattail bed.

2. Begin by asking if anyone knows the name of these plants? (cattails) Remark that these

plants are very common and people have had fun calling them by different names such as

“sausage plants”. Ask if they have experience with cattails or call them by funny names.

Point out that sometimes when something is very common we tend to think there is

nothing special about it. Today you are going to help them learn the true story of these

common old cattails!

3. Show the cattail diagram and review the parts of the plant. Notice the cool 2-part flower

that is part male and part female.

4. Ask if anyone has ever killed a plant by over-watering it? Drowned it? After hearing the

response ask the students why these cattails, which are growing in standing water, are

doing so well? How do they breathe and how do they get their oxygen when the roots are

submerged in water? Allow for some guesses and discussion.

5. Now divide the students into research teams and hand out the tools and specimens and

ask them to figure out how the cattails get their oxygen. Remind them to think about life

and seasonal cycles to help solve this puzzle.

6. Have them to turn to the “Cache la Cattail” page in their notebook and take notes as they

do their research. (Have the parent helpers circulate with you and lend a hand with

cutting when necessary. Some cattails are tougher than others.) Remind the students to

examine the dead stems as well as the fresh.

7. After about 5-10 minutes of time call everyone back together and ask for reports. Use the

diagram to help the students be precise in their description of what they found. Use the

photos of the cross sections of cattail stems and leaves to show the large air spaces in the

spongy tissue in the fresh specimens. Explain that these air spaces transport the air

through the plant. (see background notes) Also point out the hollow stem of the dead

cattails and explain that it acts like a straw to suck the oxygen down into the roots where

it is stored for growth.

8. Now ask how do life or seasonal cycles help explain this mystery. (The dead hollow

stems are the oxygen intake system and that happens in the fall and winter. The large

tuber/root is the storage house for the oxygen that will be needed for growth, and that

happens in the spring. The cattails can breathe underwater because of the complete

seasonal cycle of oxygen intake and storage built into the structure of the plant.)

9. Ask the parent helpers to pick up and clean up the dissections.

10. Turn the group back to looking at the cattail stand. Ask them if they think these cool

cattails are important to the creatures in the pond? Use the bag of props to prompt

discussion on how each creature uses the cattails. Ask if humans use cattails. Use the

laminated chart for this discussion. Have the students make notes as you do through the

uses.

Nat Note: Do not let the students eat the cattails. Although cattails are edible, we do not

encourage this during school field trips.

BIRDING STOP: Avian Adventure

Suitcase materials:

• Background Information folder and a copy of Stokes Bird Behaviors

• 15 pair of binoculars

• 5 bird books, one audio assist

1. Hand out the binoculars and go over directions for using them. Check to make sure

everyone is OK.

2. Ask the students to open their notebooks to the “Aerial Agents” page. Point out that there

are 5 birds pictured on this page. These 5 birds are our target birds for today. We may or

may not see any of these but they were chosen because they are likely to be here. They

are considered…. Common…. We may see many others. We have guide books to help us

identify other species. Ask the students to note the page provided reviewing the parts of a

bird’s anatomy. This is for them to use when they see a bird and want to describe its

characteristics. (Hand the guide books to the adult helpers and ask them to keep them and

help the students use them as needed.)

3. Briefly go over each of the target birds pointing out color and marking specifics to help

the students identify these birds. Ask the students to use those anatomy terms to describe

the target birds. Using words like “red wings” or “yellow legs and feet” will help locate

the species in the guide books for identification.

4. Today, as the students are bird watching ask them to describe what they see the birds

doing. Ask why they think the bird is here at the pond. Ask how what they know about

birds and their life and seasonal cycles could explain what the birds are doing. (nesting,

mating and courting, gathering food for young, protecting young/nests, hiding from

predators,….)

5. The following are some notes on the target bird species to incorporate into the sightings

and discussion.

American Robin: The male is the singer of the species and has many different songs.

Robins use their tail to communicate too: notice the position and flicking movement of

the tail. These movements are associated with warnings of danger and statements to other

robins about territory. If the wings are also lowered and the breast is puffed out the robin

might be getting ready to aggressively attack.

Red-winged Blackbird: The male is the singer of the species. His songs are to attract

females and scare away other males. The male and female are very different in

appearance. Try to spot both. The males will often have more than one female and will

chase them in flight. The female makes her nest hidden in the cattails where both she and

the nest are very hard to see. If you see the female perched and quickly raising one wing

she is probably returning to the nest and is signaling that she senses danger. Seeing M/F

perched with wings spread and feathers puffed up is a declaration of territory and

courtship.

Common Yellowthroat: Small and very hard to spot, but most likely in wet grasses or

shrubbery. Fortunately, the male sings frequently and loudly! The male and female are

different in coloration. The male will sometimes fly upwards in a looping flight pattern

up to 100 feet giving sharp calls as he goes. When he reaches the top, he gives a harsh

warbling call and flies down quietly. It is believed that he is doing this to warn the

female of danger. (note most singing stops by August)

Marsh Wren: Very common at the ponds but very shy and you will probably only

HEAR this one…. Use the audio assist. Point out that a bird’s song is a very good way to

identify a bird too.

Great Blue Heron: This is a showy visitor of the ponds. In flight the bird appears much

shorter because the neck is pulled in. When standing the heron is about 4 feet tall. Watch

how still the bird stands and watch to see if it raises one leg or spreads its wings out to the

sides. Both behaviors are fishing tricks. The leg that is lifted is dangling its yellow toes in

the water like bait and the spread wings are creating shade to make looking into the water

easier for the heron, and at the same time attracting fish to the shady pool.

Nat Note: (AT NORTH SHIELDS PONDS) There is an active Osprey nest just north of North

Shields Ponds. It can be seen easily from Shields and Willox. It is on a large platform mounted

on top of a tall pole. It is easy to see the nest and when the adults are getting ready you can see

both working to rebuild the nest. It is reused year after year. When the babies arrive you can

sometimes see their heads peeking over the edge and you can see the adults coming and going to

feed. This is not viewable from the ponds but the bus could drive by after the trip for the group

to see. You might see the adults flying over the ponds or fishing.

6. Allow plenty of time for the group to bird watch. Keep the group together to minimize

noise and movement, and to maximize potential for sightings. Refer to the stories as

appropriate

7. Collect everything and repack the suitcase. Have the students help do this to account for

all the binoculars and books.

DIP NETTING STOP: Every Drop Counts

Suitcase materials:

• Background Information folder

• Small world globe, 1 1000ml beaker, 1 50ml beaker, 1 eyedropper, container of

ph testing papers

• 5 student tool bags: 1 dip net, 1 specimen box with magnifier lid, trays for scoop

collecting, 2 small Petri dishes and 2 eye droppers, 1 pond book, 1 sensitive

macro invertebrate chart ,

• 2 microscopes and white collection trays, 2 invertebrate keys

• small green washcloths to dry off equipment before repacking, plastic bag for

wet cloths

• Sani-Hands for students to clean hands at end of activity

1. Begin with this demonstration. (Adapted from “Drop in the Bucket,” Project WET, CEE)

Hold up the globe and turn it around as you ask the students what makes up most of the

surface of earth. (Water… about 71%) Now show them the 1000ml beaker and fill it with

pond water. This will represent ALL the water on earth. Ask them where all this water is

located. (oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, glaciers and ice caps, and underground) This

means that some of this 1000 ml is salt water and not usable for people, animals or crops.

Pour 30 ml into the small beaker. Everything left in the big beaker is salt water and the

water in the small beaker is fresh water. But some of the fresh water is frozen; the

glaciers and ice caps. Pour out all but 6 ml of the fresh water. Now take the eyedropper

and pull out 1.5ml of the remaining 6ml (a full eyedropper is approximately 1.5 ml). This

represents the fresh water that is not frozen, and not underground…. The surface fresh

water on earth. WOW! Now ask if all this fresh, surface water is good quality water?

Squeeze one small drop onto your fingertip to represent the good quality, fresh, surface

water on earth. Ask what they think of this demonstration.

Nat Note: The story behind the story here is that although it seems like there is a lot of water

all around us, in reality there is not much usable, good quality water and therefore, “Every

Drop Counts!”

2. Now turn to the pond and ask if the pond water is part of the fresh, surface water on

earth. (yes) Ask if they think it is good quality water. (The answer here is important

because good quality does NOT mean it is drinkable.) Be sure to make the distinction

between good quality and drinkable. If it is good quality we can use it for some crops and

animals. But we do not drink the water unless it has been filtered and treated. They may

have seen a sign at a campground saying the water is “not drinking water.” This is what

that sign means.

3. Scientists test water by taking samples to their labs and doing chemical analysis to see if

it is good quality. But there are also bio-indicators that we can look for in the field to see

if the water is good quality. Show the card with the word “bio-indicator” and the

definition on it to the group.

4. One bio-indicator is the invertebrates that are living in the water. Some invertebrates are

very sensitive to pollution. If they are able to live in the water that is a sign the water is

good quality for supporting life.

5. Show the chart of the invertebrates that are most sensitive to pollution. Today we are

going to sample this pond water and look for these bio-indicators.

Nat Note: It is worth noting here the difference between “polluted” and “dirty”. Water that

is polluted has chemicals in it that can really hurt pond life. All water in nature is “dirty”—

meaning that the water naturally mixes with mud and microorganisms. Good quality water

is still “dirty” and not good for humans to drink.

6. Unpack the suitcase, put the students into five groups, and hand out the equipment.

Demonstrate how to use the dip nets and collection trays, and the specimen boxes. (Ask

the parents to take charge of the microscopes and work with the students to examine what

they find. Ask the adults to use the invertebrate keys with the students to help them

identify what they find.)

7. Point out the journal page, “Every Drop Counts” and explain they are to draw what

creatures they find and make notes about them.

8. Allow time for the students to explore and use the equipment and take notes.

9. Ask the parent helpers to collect all the materials and repack the suitcase. Try to dry stuff

off or pack it into the plastic bags. While they are doing that gather the group and share

their notes and findings.

10. Talk about the food chain. Who eats these little critters that we found today? If the water

is polluted, will this affect the food chain? How do these littlest creatures influence all the

structures of life they are finding at the pond today?

Conclusion:

(At the end of the trip done by the lead MN or staff)

1. Congratulate the group on their observation and reporting work for the day.

2. Ask them what was their favorite part of the day? What was their favorite story?

3. Was it helpful to think about life and seasonal cycles? Does that information make the

story more interesting?

4. Challenge them to use their notes to write a Dragonfly Chronicle. If they do so and the

teacher emails it to us, we will post it on our website.

This lesson was written by Dolores Daniels and Susan Schafer of the City of Fort Collins Natural

Areas Department. Support material adapted from Project Wet, WOW! The Wonders of

Wetlands, and Donald Stokes, Guide to Bird Behavior, Volume One.