Knock on Wood – Vol. 1 No. 21
The "Knock on Wood" monograph explores the relationship between carbon, fire, longleaf pine, and the red-cockaded woodpecker. Also learn about the gopher tortoise!
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Highlights
- Part of the Carbon Series
- 5 Scientists
- Glossary
- 3 Activities
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The scientists in this study were interested in looking at how prescribed fire affects longleaf pine forests and their ability to store carbon. The scientists also wanted to know how...Knock on Wood: Understanding the Relationship Between the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Longleaf Pine, Fire, and Carbon
The scientists in this study were interested in looking at how prescribed fire affects longleaf pine forests and their ability to store carbon. The scientists also wanted to know how...
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In “Knock on Wood,” you learned that prescribed fires are an important management tool used by land managers. Prescribed fires are different than wildland fires and have a variety of...FACTivity – Knock on Wood
In “Knock on Wood,” you learned that prescribed fires are an important management tool used by land managers. Prescribed fires are different than wildland fires and have a variety of... -
After reading “Knock on Wood,” try this create-a-phrase challenge. Draw a line from a word in the left column to a word in the right column to create a phrase...Create-A-Phrase Challenge – Knock on Wood
After reading “Knock on Wood,” try this create-a-phrase challenge. Draw a line from a word in the left column to a word in the right column to create a phrase... -
After you read “Knock on Wood,” see if you can complete this eyeChallenge. Each of the following images represents something from the article. Explain what each of these images represents.eyeChallenge – Knock on Wood
After you read “Knock on Wood,” see if you can complete this eyeChallenge. Each of the following images represents something from the article. Explain what each of these images represents.
Glossary
View All GlossaryClassroom Review Board
Mrs. Kristin Howell’s 7th Grade Science Class
- West Jackson Middle School
- Jefferson, GA
Editorial Review Board Comments
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Bruce Hungate
My favorite science experience is taking deep cores in sandy soils near the ocean where pure, white sand, suddenly became a black and soft soil horizon, about 3-inches thick. It...View Profile -
Matthew Hurteau
My favorite science experience was when I was sampling big sagebrush on a mesa in northern Arizona and got to see my first mountain lion.View Profile -
George Koch
My favorite science experience is climbing the tallest redwoods and using high-tech instruments to understand how these giants of the plant world make a living. A part of what we’ve...View Profile -
Katherine Martin
My favorite science memory was conducting a 70-acre prescribed fire in a longleaf pine forest to understand management in action.View Profile -
Malcolm North
“My favorite science experience was climbing into the top of a 175-foot-tall red fir to collect lichen samples during a wind storm.” “[Another] favorite science experience is climbing into the...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Monograph:
Next Generation Science Standards
- ESS2.C-H1The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit Sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks.
- ESS2.C-M1Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land.
- ESS2.D-H1The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space.
- ESS2.D-H2Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen.
- ESS2.D-M1Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving Sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.
- ETS1.A-H1Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them.
- ETS1.A-H2Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities.
- ETS1.A-M1The more precisely a design task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that is likely to limit possible solutions.
- ETS1.B-H1When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- ETS1.B-H2Both physical models and computers can be used in various ways to aid in the engineering design process. Computers are useful for a variety of purposes, such as running simulations to test different ways of solving a problem or to see which one is most efficient or economical; and in making a persuasive presentation to a client about how a given design will meet his or her needs.
- ETS1.B-M1A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it.
- ETS1.B-M2There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet criteria and constraints of a problem.
- ETS1.B-M3Sometimes parts of different solutions can be combined to create a solution that is better than any of its predecessors.
- ETS1.B-M4Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions.
- ETS1.C-H1Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed.
- ETS1.C-M1Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of the characteristics may be incorporated into the new design.
- ETS1.C-M2The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.
- LS1.C-M1Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
- LS2.A-M1Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
- LS2.A-M3Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
- LS2.B-H3Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geologic, and biological processes.
- LS2.C-H1A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability.
- LS2.C-H2Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
- LS2.C-M1Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
- LS2.C-M2Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health.
- LS4.C-H4Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline–and sometimes the extinction–of some species.
- LS4.C-H5Species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species’ evolution is lost.
- LS4.D-H1Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction).
- LS4.D-H2Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus, sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value.
- MS-ESS3-2Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
- MS-LS2-4Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Project Learning Tree
If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Plant a Tree” as an additional resource.