Implement this Lesson:
This lessons can be taught at any time.
Objective:
Understand important vegetation in our ecosystem and how climate affects it.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
6.11(A) research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty, malnutrition, and air and water pollution
6.11(B) explain how conservation, increased efficiency, and technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources
6.12(A)* investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic factors such as food and abiotic factors such as availability of light and water, range of temperatures, or soil composition
6.12(B) describe and give examples of predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms, including mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism
6.12(C) describe the hierarchical organization of organism, population, and community within an ecosystem
6.13(A) describe the historical development of cell theory and explain how organisms are composed of one or more cells, which come from pre‐existing cells and are the basic unit of structure and function
6.13(B) identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic 6.13(C) describe how variations within a population can be an advantage or disadvantage to the survival of a population as environments change
7.10(A)* describe the evidence that supports that Earth has changed over time, including fossil evidence, plate tectonics, and superposition 7.10(B)* describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including super volcanoes and hot spots
7.11(A)* analyze the beneficial and harmful influences of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed
7.11(B)* describe human dependence and influence on ocean systems and explain how human activities impact these systems
7.12(A)* diagram the flow of energy within trophic levels and describe how the available energy decreases in successive trophic levels in energy pyramids
7.13(A)* identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems
7.13(C)* compare the results of asexual and sexual reproduction of plants and animals in relation to the diversity of offspring and the changes in the population over time
7.13(D)*describe and give examples of how natural and artificial selection change the occurrence of traits in a population over generations
7.14(A) describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups
8.10(A) describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather
8.10(B) identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather
8.10(C) describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes
8.12(B) describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity
8.12(C) describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem
8.13(A) identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells 8.13(C) describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations
8.13(B) describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring
Black Mangroves — The Coastal Protectors of Texas
Black mangroves are amazing trees that live right where land meets the sea along the Texas Gulf Coast. They’re strong, salt-loving plants that help protect the shore and give homes to lots of animals.
What Are Black Mangroves?
Black mangroves are special coastal trees that grow in muddy, salty water.
They’re often found in salt marshes, bays, and estuaries — places that flood when the tides come in.
Thick roots- Hold the soil in place and stop erosion
Salt tolerant leaves– Can live in salty water without drying out
Special ‘breathing’ roots- Called pneumatophores- they stick up like little snorkels to help the tree get air
Where Do They Grow?
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Along the Texas Gulf Coast, especially near Rockport, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island.
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They grow in muddy, warm, coastal wetlands where tides rise and fall.
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Black mangroves often grow beside salt marsh grasses and oysters.
Who Lives in a Black Mangrove Forest?
Black mangroves create a mini world for many coastal creatures!
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Shrimp and small fish hide among the roots.
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Crabs dig burrows in the mud.
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Shorebirds and wading birds rest and feed nearby.
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Snails and oysters cling to the roots.
These trees are like apartment buildings for animals!
Why Black Mangroves Are Important
Protect the shoreline- Roots stop waves and prevent erosion
Cleans the water- Traps dirt and pollution from flowing in the ocean
Wildlife nursery- Young fish, crabs, and shrimp grow safely among the roots
Stores carbon- Helps fight climate change by trapping carbon in the soil.
Cool Adaptations
“Breathing” Roots– Let the tree get oxygen in muddy waters
Salty leaves– Push out extra salt like tiny filters
Tough bark– Protects the tree from strong sun and salt
Why We Should Protect Black Mangroves
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They help protect beaches and coastlines from storms.
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They give homes and food to countless animals.
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They keep our coastal waters clean and healthy.
When we protect black mangroves, we protect the entire coastal ecosystem!
Possible Books:
- The Mangrove Tree by Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore
- The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle by Lynne Cherry and Farrar Straus
- Swamplife by Laura A Ogden
- A Story about Afiya by Berry and James
Materials Needed:
- Nature Walk
- Journaling card
- Tape measure
- Pencil Colored pencils
Lesson Plan:
Advanced Prep:
- Teacher will need to go 2-3 days beforehand and locate the Black Mangrove tree locations in the wetland area.
- To save time, students will prepare the NATURE WALK Journal card 1-2 days prior to taking a nature walk.
Engage:
- After taking a walk to our wetlands in mid January,
- Students will observe the Black Mangrove Trees growing in our district’s wetland area.
- As a class we will identify the trees.
- Observe the characteristics of the trees.
Explore:
- Using NATURE WALK data recording: Students will record the metadata – date, location, time, temperature, and outdoor sky observations.
- Teacher will discuss the population of this species and ask questions about the number of trees observed and the size of the trees.
- Students will be given prompts to record onto the NATURE WALK card: I notice…. I wonder…. It reminds me of….
- Students will reflect on these prompts and record their response while making observations.
- Students will also measure the height of one of the trees and record it on their card. Students will return back later in the spring to observe the same tree they selected.
- The spring observations will be made on a separate card.
- Once the 2nd observation is completed, students will compare and contrast their metadata, the height and any other observations of the Black Mangrove tree.
Explain:
- Due to the freeze 3 years ago, the trees froze and died to the ground. The tree’s roots were not damaged on some of the trees and they’re beginning their slow growth back into the ecosystem.
Elaborate:
- Students will use the colored pencils to accurately color the Black Mangrove Tree.
- They will also record the height of the tree they chose to draw.
Evaluate:
- Students will share their findings in their group back in the classroom.
- They will also share aloud with the teacher what surprised them the most of seeing this tree surrounded by other biotic species within the wetland ecosystem.