Students will visit a native prairie and conduct research experiments
that use standard ecological measurement techniques and biological principles
to assess and compare different habitats.
Particles
and Prairies
Curriculum-related materials including a teacher guide, videodisc with
37 segments, and 10 slide collections covering four aspects of the prairie:
history, restoration, ecology, and use as a research site.
Purchase information
from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Simply Prairie
Project
A multidisciplinary, inquiry-based project is based on a research problem
related to prairie grasses and forbs.
A
Quadrat Study
Background information and instructions on how to collect data on prairie
plant population
Wildlife Habitation Evaluation Program
Compete as teams by writing two management plans. Based on their evaluation
of two particular sites with marked boundaries and landowner preferences
given to them in the form of a scenario, teams write management plans
to enhance the site for designated wildlife species. They also draw
maps to illustrate the implementation of their recommended management
practices. This activity encourages leadership skills, team cooperation,
writing skills and creativity.
Iowa
- Places We Protect
Includes a list of prairie preserves In Iowa with directions, species
list, and maps
Northern Loess Hills
Sioux City Prairie, Mt. Talbot State Preserve, Broken Kettle Preserve
and Headquarters, Five Ridge Prairie Preserve.
Northwest Iowa
Freda Hafner A large glacial kettlehole dominates this 120 acre landscape
of wet to dry prairie.
Northwest Iowa
Cayler Preserve is 160 acres of dry upland to wet swale prairie. This
river valley area features more than 300 species of vascular plants,
including the endangered Lespedeza leptostachya.
Northwest Iowa
Stinson Prairie is a small but diverse prairie on the southern end of
the Algona Moraine.
Southwest Iowa
Council
Bluffs Loess Hills prairies, Dinesen and Sheeder Prairie Preserves,
Bundt Prairie, Kalsow Prairie Preserve Kalsow prairie, a mesic to wet
prairie, with mima mounds and numerous potholes.
Northeast Iowa
Hayden one of the largest remaining black soil prairies in Iowa, 240
acres. The preserve is named for Ada Hayden, a noted Iowa prairie biologist
Crossman Prairie Preserves
Northeast Iowa
Cedar
Hills Sand Prairie in Blackhawk Co. and Wolters Prairie in Butler
County
South Central Iowa
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
and Prairie Learning Center, Prairie City, Iowa. This is a remarkable
6,000-acre reconstruction project, including re-introduced bison and
elk. An extensive learning center offers videos, hands-on displays and
a wealth of information about prairie ecosystems.
Tallgrass
Prairie Restoration Handbook
Native
Prairie Management Guide
Ray Hamilton of Maquoketa, Iowa, describes basic prairie management techniques
including fire, grazing, mowing/haying, burrowing, woody vegetation,
alien weeks, biological control agents, herbicides, and how to introduce
native species.
Teacher's
Overview 