Go outside to the plots you have created. With older students, divide them into teams and assign a record keeper to each group. The other students will count. Encourage students to get down on their hands and knees to look closely at the lawn. Students will gain a more complex understanding of the prairie ecosystem.
Nature works in cycles with no beginning and no end.
During the prairie year, we see cycles in the seasons, in plans growth and animal life and movement. Ecosystems are in a constant state of change. Introduce the concept of year-round prairie by asking students to describe what the prairie looks like. Pose this as a broad question, then lead into the activity by getting specific. With younger students, the teacher will lead a brainstorm about prairie changes, going season by season, keeping a list or set of drawings for each month.