Students will learn to observe the changes in their environment that accompany the changes in seasons. They will develop an awareness of the impact of temperature on the biological world.

• K-2: 2. Analyze the relationships between observable weather patterns and the cycling of the seasons.
• 3-4: 2. Demonstrate an understanding that many things about the earth occur in cycles that vary in length and frequency.

• K-2: 1. Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure.
• 3-4: 1. Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure.
• 5-8: 1. Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure.
• 9-12: 1. Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure.
• 2. Verify, evaluate, and use results in a purposeful way. (?)

This exercise can lead to discussions requiring analyzing, associating, concluding, inferring, comparing, deducing, and more, if the following sorts of questions are posed:

• What does this event signify?
• Is it a definite sign of a seasonal change?
• What if you contacted people in Florida/California/Alaska.....etc.....and asked them the same questions. How would their answers differ? Why?

• Bodily/kinesthetic for temperature observation exercise: if add component that has a student put one hand in the air under the heat lamp and the other in the water.
• Naturalistic
• Logical/mathematical
• Linguistic/verbal

• Vital Signs tools
• Internet (to our site, or Journey North site)
• Window to outside to make observations
• Access to outside temperature

Temperature has enormous impact on life of all sorts, from plants to animals to bacteria. Temperature affects the pace of metabolism, growth, energy consumption, and water requirements. In general, the warmer animals are, the more active they can be, the higher their metabolism, the higher their energy requirements, and the more water they need. The colder they get, the less active they become. Many animals, such as turtles, become completely inactive during wintertime to conserve energy. Most living creatures have a relatively narrow band in which they can survive, and an even narrower band of temperatures in which they can flourish.

Temperature is a primary factor affecting aquatic environment because most animals living in water are ectothermic, or cold-blooded. Ectotherms have slow metabolism and poor insulation, such that their environments determine their internal temperature. For example, a fish swimming in a pond has an internal temperature roughly equal to the pond water. The only animals that are not ectotherms are mammals and birds, which are warm-blooded or endothermic. Being cold-blooded is a successful life strategy because it is efficient; energy is not required to maintain body temperature. The cost of being ectothermic is, however, that these animals can only be active when temperatures are warm.

Temperature varies naturally through a year as Earth wobbles on its tilted axis and sunlight is unevenly spread over the earth. Temperature also varies with elevation, distance from the coast or large bodies of water, vegetation coverage, meteorological patterns, etc. Everything from humans to trees to moss to aquatic macroinvertebrates is affected by these changing temperatures. This activity provides guidance and structure for tracking seasonal responses to temperature change in the natural world.

For an explanation/activity to explain the changes in seasons, see Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Seasons of the Earth's Rotation, or Lowell Observatory's Why do we have seasons?

(See Extensions for pre-activity ideas) Make note of the time, date, GPS location of the occurrence of each of these items on the list and submit the observations to the Vital Signs website.

Fall

1. First frost (camera, VS record)
2. First snow (camera, VS record)
3. First geese flying south (camera, VS record)
4. First tree with no leaves
5. Air temperature below X in fall (temp probe, GPS)
6. Water temperature below X in fall (temp probe, GPS)
7. First day that the principal wears a winter coat

Winter

8. Water temperature below X in fall (temp probe, GPS)
9. First temp under zero (temp probe, GPS)
10. First day principal wears big boots to school/ hat and mittens

Spring

11. First daffodil / crocus / tulip (camera, VS record)
12. Ice out of lakes, streams, rivers (camera, VS record)
13. First robin
14. First black fly (camera, VS record)
15. First geese flying north (camera, VS record)
16. First mosquito (camera, VS record)
17. Peepers
18. Air temperature above X in spring (temp probe, GPS)
19. Water temperature above X in spring (temp probe, GPS)
20. First day the principal wears short sleeves

The results of these observations will be displayed on the website. Visitors will be able to select a season feature and see a "movie" of the geographic pattern of appearance of this feature.

• The heat capacity of water and air: Water has a high heat capacity, meaning that it can absorb a great amount of energy with comparatively little rise in temperature relative to other liquids, such as air.
• The heat capacity of water and air using a Tidbit: Deploy two Tidbits: one in water and one in air and leave recording for 24 hours, more or less. Retrieve Tidbits. Graph outputs. Which varies more? Why?
• Teach the planetary/orbital reasons for changes in seasons (see links at end of Background section).
• Because water is slow to change its temperature, aquatic creatures are generally adapted to narrower temperature ranges than creatures living in the air or on land. Consequently, aquatic creatures are often highly sensitive to temperature changes.
• Explore the many things that affect ambient temperature