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Garden Earth Conceptual Framework Major Concepts: · Human activity influences ecosystems throughout the world This overview serves to orient the adult user to the conceptual framework of the Garden Earth curriculum. The curriculum is comprised of an introduction to the forest ecosystem and the life support functions of that ecosystem. The title "Garden Earth" describes the fact that the earth provides the basic necessities of life and that human beings must care for and tend the garden so that it can continue to provide for us. On the website and through the activities the children will meet Foreco. Foreco is a character who is the embodiment of the FORest ECOsystem. She portrays and can explain all the working portions of this ecosystem. She oversees the various functions of the ecosystem and assigns managers to direct the day-to-day activities that keep the ecosystem going. She explains that the parts of an ecosystem are all connected and that the health of one part will influence that of all the other parts. The ecosystem concept is a critical message to convey in this program. Although different parts and functions in the ecosystem can be studied, examined or discussed separately, they are integrated or connected. Disruption of one part is likely to disturb the other parts. Numerous activities take place in ecosystems that are vital to the
continuation of life. These have been called "life-support"
functions. In the Garden Earth curriculum, these life-support functions
are described as the free services provided by the ecosystem. These
free services are organized in the curriculum as service departments
and each department has a manager that is appointed by Foreco. The
managers are fantasy characters based on real life organisms. For
example, the pollination department is managed by "Suga Magnolia",
a caricature of a magnolia flower that relies on a beetle to spread
her pollen. Dr. Arrow manages the Warehouse department. He is a "poison
arrow" frog- a type of frog found in South America that produces
poison defenses to keep from getting eaten. Aboriginal people also
used the frog’s poison for hunting. The GARDEN EARTH
There are ten services or life support functions that are provided by the ecosystems of Garden Earth. Seven of these are represented on the website. The Climate Control department is responsible for maintaining a normal climatic regime. The presence of trees and other components of the natural ecosystem moderate local temperatures and maintain appropriate levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Air Purification department helps to remove harmful pollutants from the atmosphere, as well as particulate material such as dust. The Water Purification function of the ecosystem is to act as a filter. As rain falls, it cleans gases and particulate material from the air. Ecosystems are able to remove natural pollutants such as sulfur gases from volcanic eruptions as well as man-made pollutants such as nitrous oxides. Once these fall to the ground in rain, the soil filters these substances out and pure water passes into streams and rivers. Ecosystems provide the services of Food Production and Pollination, allowing us to produce healthful food for ourselves and other animals on the planet. Keeping a healthy balance between all the organisms in Garden Earth's ecosystems is the responsibility of the Pest and Disease Control Department. Insects and diseases that attack plants and animals are controlled by predation by other insects, fungi, or bacteria. Without these controlling organisms, epidemic outbreaks would be much more common. The Soil Production and Recycling Departments are responsible for maintaining a healthy balance in the soil portion of the ecosystem. Workers in the Recycling Department describe their role in breaking down waste materials from plants and animals. These workers interface with those in the Soil Production Department to maintain the structure and nutritional quality of the soil. Finally, the Warehouse department is responsible for maintaining
Garden Earth's "living library". The warehouse is composed
of all the species on earth, from the smallest bacteria to the largest
mammal, the blue whale. The Warehouse department also is responsible
for maintaining the genetic diversity of all the species, though with
the endangerment of many species this task is increasingly difficult.
For further information on the life support functions of the ecosystem
visit the Ecological Society
of America website . More detailed information about each department can be found on the
adult path in each department module. The Naturalist Club website leads children through three learning steps: gaining and understanding information, exploring processes and issues with "hands-on" activities, and then development and implementation of creative projects. Using the website and the suggested simple tools, children will be encouraged to complete the first two learning steps. The last step is the stewardship project. Each department write-up includes suggested stewardship projects. These should be used as a guideline to develop project activities with your children, and you may decide to modify them to fit local needs. Many other stewardship projects are also appropriate and stimulated students may suggest alternate projects. Click here to continue to Stewardship
Guidelines and Activities. |
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