Intro to Ecosystems & Matter Cycling: Nurse Logs

Becoming a nurse (log): How the magic happens.

By Mary Mittner

Open Ended

What characteristics or qualities do you associate with someone who is a nurse?

​Closely observe a nurse log through pictures, videos, and the log from yesterday:

What did we notice yesterday on our pieces of logs?

in the two photos, plus a minute of this video show nurse logs. What do you notice right away about all of these logs?

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What is the same?

Draw a Conclusion:

1. The photos of fallen logs included moss and lichen

2. The nurse logs in the video included moss and lichen

3. The old logs from yesterday included moss and lichen.

   therefore....

Multiple Select

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY: Going outside for Research & Exploration means:

• I keep the learning objective in mind.

• I follow directions the first time.

• I transition inside when I'm told it's time.

• I run off and do my own thing.

Multiple Select

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY: We'll keep going outside, and I'll keep earning my extra rewards (like tech breaks, etc) if I.....

• Don't regulate my emotions.

• Follow directions the first time.

• Keep my learning objective in mind.

• Actively participate in the lesson outside.

​Our learning objective outside:

• Find nurse logs in the Westlawn Woods.

• Ask a teacher to take a picture of the nurse log, and tell them why you decided that it is a nurse log.

• Work together to measure the log, identify different plants/ bugs.Teachers use phones to take pictures, do Google searches, students help label the photos

• When you hear the call, gather at the Gathering Grounds to share out one thing you observed today during Research & Exploration, you will be dismissed for break from there.

Plants
Versus
Mosses

Labelling

Label the plant diagram. Put the TITLE of the diagram ath the top, then move each of the labels to the arrow pointing to the correct flower part.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Parts of a Plant

flower

leaves

roots

stem

Match

Match the following parts of a plant with its simple function

• stem

• roots

• flowers

• leaves

Transports water/nutrients

Absorb water, nutrients, & anchors plant

Attracts pollinators, forms seeds

to convert light energy into their food

• Transports water/nutrients

• Absorb water, nutrients, & anchors plant

• Attracts pollinators, forms seeds

• to convert light energy into their food

​Inside a plant:

​Just as the human body has a vascular system that takes nutrients and water throughout the body and waste out, plants have a vascuar system, too.

Parts of
Moss:

Phyllids (leaf-like structures): These are thin, single-celled structures that perform photosynthesis, absorbing sunlight and converting it into energy. 

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​Caulid (stem-like structure): This provides support for the phyllids and anchors the moss to the substrate. There is no vascular system.

​Rhizoids( root-like structures): thin single-celled structures that anchor the moss to surfaces, but do not transport water or nutrients like true roots. 

​Capsule; holds the spores and disperses the spores

​Vascular	​Nonvascular
​Have a system of tubes that	​Must be near their
​Grow taller	​ Grow close to the ground
Do have leaves, roots, and stems	​Don’t have leaves,
​​Some have flowers or cones	​Simplest types of plants

​The differences between plants and mosses:

Why might moss be one of the first things to attach to a fallen log after the ants and beetles have drilled holes?

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​Head over to Google Classroom to read a short article that uses factual reasons to explain (argue from facts) the importance of moss.

​Score an 80% or better, and you can start your break immediately.

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