Funding provided by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust ©ASDM

Chaperone/

Teacher book

Kim Duffek

Discovery Quest: Adaptations Desert Waters

Chaperone Instructions Adaptations Quest – Desert Waters The Quest activity is about exploration, and figuring things out as you go. Many of the questions have more than “one right answer.” The students will read the movement and story clues in the quest. They will use their map and clues to discover the quest locations. The student map has a marked route, but it does not have the locations marked. Your chaperone map has both the route and the locations marked. *Behavior Expectations for Students* A quest is about exploring – it is not a race, please don’t run Stay together as a group and stay with your chaperone Stay on the marked trails - please don’t climb rocks and walls Be respectful of people, plants, animals, and materials

*Notes for Helping Students* Please help students with reading if needed, and try to have students help

each other with it When students are writing answers, please don’t worry about spelling There can be more than “one right answer” – let students think through

possibilities *Time Checkpoints: please remember to check in with the student Time Keeper* By 11 minutes, you should complete Location 1 By 25 minutes, you should complete Location 2 By 45 minutes, you should complete Locations 3&4 At the end of 45 minutes, please return to the school group ramada in front

of the museum. The students will keep their individual worksheets. At the end, please help the students use the checklist to ensure all quest materials get returned.

Desert Waters Quest Theme: • Being a water dweller or living near water is a necessity for some

animals. Your Quest Locations are: Topics & Helpful Hints along the way:

If students need help along the way, you can use the following information to help them. You might want to wait first to see what they can do on their own.

Location 1: Amphibian room at Reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians building

Desert amphibians have fast metamorphosis rates in temporary rain puddles, and can hide underground during dry times. Which amphibian has the faster rate – what kind of habitat is it in?

Location 2: Otter and Beaver Exhibits in the Riparian Corridor (top level)

Living in riparian areas with water is an adaptation for surviving in the desert. Tall trees with large leaves shade and cool the riparian habitats. Do the trees seem tall – do you usually see that in the desert? Do the leaves seem big or small – are trees in the desert like that? How much water do you think these trees get in this habitat? Do you think these trees provide much shade? Otters and beavers have adaptations for swimming.

Location 3: Otter and beaver underwater viewing area in the Riparian Corridor

Students may need help using the stopwatch. The instructions tag is attached to the black stopwatch. Most students need to breathe in the first 1-2 minutes – the time scale on the worksheet has a dotted line to show that.

Location 4: Coati Exhibit in the Riparian Corridor

Coatis live near the water and have adaptations for digging and climbing. Animals’ skulls have adaptations for their diet and way of living. Which skull has sharp teeth piercing teeth and eyes near the top? Which animal matches that description? Which skull has big chisel teeth and eyes near the top? Which animal matches that description? Which animal has a long snout and has eyes facing front instead of on top?

Desert Discovery Quest Student Roles

You need the following jobs to be filled:

• Quest Manager • Map Navigator • Backpack Manager • Materials Manager

For larger groups, you can add the following jobs:

• Activity Manager • Time Keeper • Communication Manager

For smaller groups:

• Backpack Manger and Materials Manager can combine into one job

• Activity Manager and Time Keeper can combine into one job

• For small groups, the chaperone can be the Time Keeper

How to assign roles: • Decide how many and which

jobs your group needs. • Pull out the role cards for the

jobs you plan on using. • You can assign jobs randomly

by having each person randomly pick a card.

or • You can assign jobs based on

student choice *Please return the cards to the bag after assigning roles *Please Consider* All students should help the Quest Manager and take turns reading Your group may choose to trade roles partway through the quest.

Quest Manager

Hold and read quest to group Show quest pictures to group Before moving to each location, you should pair up with the map navigator while you read the movement clue. Then the group walks to the next location.

Map Navigator

Hold and read laminated map Before moving to each location, you should pair up with the quest reader while he/she reads the movement clue, and trace the route on your map. Then the group walks to the next location.

Backpack Manager Carries back pack At the end of the quest, work with the Materials Manager and your chaperone to use the checklist for checking in all materials.

Materials Manager Gets materials in and out of pack Return materials to back pack at the end of each activity At the end of the quest, work with the Backpack Manager and your chaperone to use the checklist for checking in all materials.

Activity Manager Keeps team on task Can check in with the Time Keeper to see if the group is on track. Things you can say:

• “How are we doing on time, should we get back to work?”

• “We’re falling behind, we better get back on track.”

“That was great, let’s keep going.”

Time Keeper Carries timer and keeps track of time Can check in with the Time Keeper to help the group stay on track. Things you can say:

• “It’s ___ time, we should be done at this location by ___minutes”

• “We have time to look around in this area for ___minutes”

Communication Manager Makes sure team members are sharing ideas with each other. Help teammates communicate by asking questions. Things you can say:

• “I think STUDENT NAME was trying to say something, what did you want to say?”

• “Does everyone have a partner to talk to?”

• “STUDENT NAME has a great idea - listen”

Desert Discovery Quest: Adaptations – Desert Waters The adaptations quest is a way to explore the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and learn more about plant and animal adaptations to the desert.

As a team you will:

• Follow movement clues to locations around the museum • Read story clues to learn information at each location • Work together to make observations, complete activities and answer

questions • Use materials and tools in your back pack • Complete the quest within 45 minutes

Before you start the quest:

1. Pick roles 2. Look over your quest materials/ see what is in the back pack

Reading the quest: • Movement clues will lead you around the museum grounds

o Bold underlined words are extra clues for your map • Story clues will tell the adaptations stories • Highlighted words are items in your backpack • Vocabulary words are defined in the glossary at the end of the

quest

*Please remember*

A quest is about exploring – it is not a race, please don’t run

Stay together as a group and stay with your chaperone

Stay on the marked trails - please don’t climb rocks and walls

Be respectful of people, plants, animals, and materials

Ready to Begin?

Do all team members have a job and understand what it involves?

Do all team members have a worksheet and pencil?

Do you have any questions for the Education Specialist?

The Time Keeper needs to start the timer when you are ready to begin at the museum entrance

Desert Discovery Quest: Adaptations – Desert Waters

Desert Waters Theme: For some desert dwellers, living near water is a necessity. They live in it, near it or go underground for humidity. With adaptations to swim, dig and eat, They survive in the desert with water retreats.

Location 1

Begin your quest to the right of the museum entrance. In the rooms with reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians. Your first location is not the room with scaly ones on dirt, But through the hallway to the room with amphibians in the desert. For amphibians, water is a resource they need. It helps their change from tadpole succeed. In temporary rain puddles, metamorphosis can be fast. In ponds, it can take longer when the water lasts. And in dry times what’s a desert amphibian to do, But hide underground and wait for waters anew? As a group, investigate the 3 large amphibian displays that depict amphibian reproduction, a temporary rain puddle and permanent river habitats.

Spadefoot Leopard Frog Temporary Rain puddles Metamorphosis takes up to 2 weeks

Permanent ponds and streams Metamorphosis takes up to 36 weeks

© 2006 Gary Nafis © 2006 Gary Nafis

Question: 1. Draw a bar graph comparing metamorphosis rates for the spadefoot and leopard frog. 2. Draw a water drop on top of the bar for the frog that has more water in its habitat.

Location 2 From amphibians, go back to the entrance where your quest started. Down the stairs, left at the dirt, then go towards gardens for pollination. Pass by bees, turn right on first dirt path at moths for your 2nd destination. When you get to the paved road by the bridge, turn left to go, To the riparian habitat where you can hear waters flow. At the corridor, enter in and peer to the right. The otter might be swimming, oh what a sight! The word Riparian means river and streamside habitat. Look up – in the dry desert, are there tall trees like that? Tall, shady trees help keep watery habitats protected. So to riparian areas many desert creatures stay connected.

© 1990 ASDM

Look at the height of the trees in this area and the size of their leaves. Share your observations with another person. You don’t need to write down your answers.

Location 2 continued If the otter is visible and active, watch it move on land and in the water. Across the way is the beaver exhibit, but the beaver is nocturnal and will most likely be sleeping in its den. Living in a watery habitat Means being a water acrobat. A webbed foot is a water-adapted limb. Tapered or broad tails help balance and swim.

Otter – tapered tail Beaver – broad tail

Find the feet/tracks pictures and foot replica in your pack. Otters and beavers both have webbed feet, but their feet can still look different. Compare Foot Replica “A” to the pictures of feet and tracks.

Questions: 3. “A” is the rear foot for which animal? 4. How could long-term droughts affect animals like otters and beavers?

Location 3 Farther into riparian past the exhibits you’ll go. Across from coatis, go downstairs to see otters and beavers from below. Through glass you will view, so you won’t get wet you know. Their bodies are waterproof with thick fur. Their ears and nose close to keep out water. When the otters and beavers dive down deep, Their noses close and their breath they will keep.

An otter can hold its breath for up to 8 minutes. A beaver can hold its breath for up to 15 minutes. How does this compare to you? Find the black stopwatch in your pack. Pick 2 students who will hold their breath for this activity. Take turns to carefully, time how long you can hold your breath (minutes) using the stopwatch. Don’t go blue in the face or get dizzy. Question: 5. Record your time by marking your initials on the time scale. O B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

MINUTES

Then make a comparison - how much longer than you can the otters (O) and beavers (B) hold their breath?

Location 4

Go back up the stairs – you missed a creature. Near, not in the water –it has different features. Its name ends with a “tee” sound, and it has a brown fur coat. Look around the trees beyond the river moat. Coati feet are clawed (not webbed) to climb trees And forage through the ground with ease. Digging with a long flexible snout Helps get favorite foods out.

Otters Beavers Coatis Eat meat Stabbing, shearing teeth Eyes near top of skull to see above water

Eat wood, plants Chisel teeth to eat wood Eyes near top of skull to see above water

Eat insects, plants, meat Sharp front teeth Broad/wide back teeth Long nose with flexible end to forage in ground

© 2007 Paul Berquist

© 1999 ASDM

Questions: Find the Skulls pictures in your pack. Working together, compare skull pictures “A” “B” and “C” to the pictures and information above for otters, beavers and coatis. 6. Complete this data table for otters, beavers and coatis with this information: - Which skull matches each animal - Which skull features (teeth, eyes, etc.) did you use to decide?

Skull A Skull B Skull C

educational biofacts.com

skullsite.co.uk

skullsite.co.uk

www.rfadventures.com

nhc.ed.ac.uk

Adaptations Quest – Desert Waters Glossary Adaptation

• A body part or behavior that helps a plant or animal to survive in its environment

Burrow

• A hole or tunnel underground used by animals as home or hiding place • To dig a hole for a home

Corridor

• A passageway Drought

• A long period of time with little or no rain Forage

• Search for food Humidity

• Moisture in the air Nocturnal

• Active at night Shallow

• Not deep

Adaptations Quest – Desert Waters Materials Checklist

*At the end of your quest, please use this checklist to check your backpack and materials.

Quest

Laminated Quest Map

ASDM Paper Map

White Quest Timer

Laminated Timer Instructions

Pencils

Binoculars

Feet/tracks pictures

Foot replica

Black Stopwatch for breath

holding (with instructions tag)

3 Skulls pictures

Chaperone Folder

Black Stopwatch Instructions

Set up:

• The stopwatch has 3 modes (time, stopwatch, alarm).

• You may need to push the middle button to find the “stopwatch” mode.

• Push the left button to start with all “0’s”

Using the Stopwatch mode: Push the right button as 1 student begins holding their breath. Push the right button as student stops holding their breath. Read the time. It reads in Minute:Seconds:milliseconds. Round to the nearest minute for recording. Re-setting for next student: Push the left button to clear the stopwatch back to “0” for the next student.

Adaptations Quest – Desert Waters

ANSWER KEY Location 1 1. Draw a bar graph comparing metamorphosis rates for the spadefoot and leopard frog. 2. Draw a water drop on top of the bar for the amphibian

that has more water in its habitat. ____________________________________________ Spadefoot Leopard Frog Location 2 3. “A” is the rear foot for which animal? Beaver_______________ 4. How could long-term droughts affect animals like otters and beavers? ANSWERS CAN VARY – answers could suggest animals could die from lack of water, or adaptations for living in water get replaced with adaptations for drier envirionment

Time (weeks)

2

36

Location 3 5. Record your time by marking your initials on the time scale. Then make a comparison - How much longer than you can the otters (O) and beavers (B) hold their breath? ANSWERS CAN VARY – answers should be lower on scale than animals.

O B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

MINUTES ANSWERS CAN VARY – answers should reflect that the animals hold their breath X minutes longer than the students. _______________________________________________________ Location 4 6. Complete this data table for beaver, otter and coati with this info: - Which skull matches each animal - Which skull features (teeth, eyes, etc.) did you use to decide? ANSWERS CAN VARY – some possible answers

Otters Beavers Coatis

Skull B_

Skull _A

Skull _C Features used: Sharp teeth Eyes near top of head

Features used: Big front teeth Eyes near top of head

Features used: Long snout/nose Eyes face front