Restored Prairie
Sarah Borzo, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Metro Waste Authority, describes what a restored prairie is and their importance to ecosystems.
Location
Metro Waste Authority Environmental Learning Center, Runnells, Iowa
Driving Question
- Why is any kind of prairie important to have and maintain?
Probing Questions
- What happened to Iowa’s original prairies?
- How can you create a restored prairie?
Classroom Suggestions
Students could:
- Survey plant and animal species in a prairie plot.
- Develop a food web based upon plant and animal species found in prairies.
- Compare and contrast restored prairie areas, lawns and unmanaged areas (speciation, water quality, invasive species, etc.).
- Field trip to the Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge or another accessible prairie preserve.
- Design, develop and create a restored prairie for your school.
Resources
- Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge: This website provides information on plants and animals at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
- PBS LearningMedia | Explore More: Working Lanscapes Basics: A working landscape is an area where people live and work in a way that allows the native ecosystem to be sustained.
Iowa Core Alignment
5-ESS3-1:Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Credit Info
Submitted by Karla St. John and Amber Fairbanks as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.
Location and information courtesy of Metro Waste Authority.
Media produced by Iowa PBS.
Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena provided by:
