Science Meets
DRY CREEK
MOSAIC MURAL
PROJECT
To view this brochure online visit Adelante High School’s website at www.rjuhsd.com/Domain/117
Science Meets
Atmosphere Hydrosphere
certain features of the ecosystem they were studying. For example, an Oak tree, a stream and
riparian area, foothills and mountains are central themes in the watershed design. Student ideas and
sketches were submitted, approved, and incorporated into the mosaic mural.
Inspired by the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, this Dry Creek
Ceramic mosaic mural portrays Adelante High School’s Riparian Study
Area. Similar to the UC Davis program, this mural project emphasized a
teaching/learning model where classroom instruction and student field
work, coupled with the artistic medium of ceramics, were the forum for
both student artistic expression and scientific inquiry.
The project began in 2009 when Adelante’s science and art teachers, Katie
Palatinus and Annie Robinson, collaborated with ceramic artist Eric Peach.
Together they spent four years developing the mural’s inspirational vision and
writing the necessary grants.
Funding was originally obtained through a City of Roseville Citizen’s Benefit Fund grant. Science and
art classroom budgets, GATE funding, a Roseville Urban Forest Foundation grant, a CAL FIRE grant
and many private donations also contributed funding to this project.
Environmental Science, Biology and Earth Science students spent time in the Dry
Creek riparian area adjacent to Adelante’s campus exploring, studying, and
developing the vision and natural features that would eventually be depicted in
the mural. Inspired by the UC Davis Art/Fusion Project, they chose to magnify
Work began on the Oak tree section September 2009. Using student
sketches and templates, the tree trunk and hundreds of leaves and
acorns were formed out of clay in Adelante’s art room. In the spring of
2010, volunteer artists Eric Peach and Michelle Mahan facilitated clay
workshops in the Ecology classes. Students put away their pens and
paper one day a week, kept their books and
sketches handy, and worked on assembling pieces for the mural. The science lab
tables were covered, clay working tools replaced writing utensils, and students got
their hands dirty with clay. They learned about glazes and the importance of color
adaptions in nature. By the end of the 2009-10 school year, we had several plastic
tubs full of ceramic pieces waiting to be strategically placed somewhere on the wall.
Several pieces in the mural are from a partnership established with
the Protect the American River Canyon (PARC) group. Their booth at
the American River Confluence Festivals in Auburn, California
included interactive opportunities to play with clay and create custom
pieces for several different community projects. In June 2009 and
2010, Adelante High School students and teachers assisted festival
attendees as they made fish and aquatic insects for this mural.
Mural artist Jenny Reuter volunteered several
hours to draw a “to scale” image of the project.
This was a monumental and much needed step
towards developing a workable plan to
implement the various phases of the mural.
Using Jenny’s drawings to guide them, art students began applying the ceramic pieces to the wall
during the 2010-11 school year.
Biosphere
Tile was broken into thousands of pieces and sorted by shades of color for the various
backgrounds. Students painstakingly applied the broken pieces of tile to the wall as the project
proceeded.
In 2011 Adelante High School participated in the regional Watershed Festival by hosting the 1st
Annual Watershed Festival Art Exhibit. They showcased the mural and invited other nature artists to
display and/or sell their works of Watershed art.
Grouting the mural began in 2012 and took a year to complete.
Students, teachers, and volunteers donned gloves and aprons
before shoving and massaging the colored muck into the nooks
and crannies that separated both sculpted pieces and broken tile
backgrounds. The grout gave the mural an amazingly vivid and
beautiful face.
During the 2013-14 school year, many students, volunteers, and Adelante High School teachers
Katie Palatinus and Annie Robinson dedicated their time to adding finishing touches and perfecting
the mural. They also researched, took photos, and wrote text for this brochure. In May 2014, the
final design, layout, and printing by TheMarketingMinds publishing company brought closure to the
Dry Creek Mosaic Mural.
Geosphere
The Earth is an integrated system that consists of rock, air, water,
and living things that all interact with each other.
The system is divided into four par ts:
Freshwater Biomes
GEOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERE
In the Earth, the lithosphere includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, which constitute the
hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth. The lithosphere is divided into pieces called plates.
Over long periods of time tectonic forces, that originated beneath the surface at the boundaries
of the North American and the Pacific Plates, created the high mountains and broad valleys we
see today in California. California
is one of the most
geologically complex
places in the world.
The atmosphere insulates Earth’s surface. There are several layers
to the atmosphere. The troposphere is the layer nearest Earth.
The troposphere is mostly heated through energy transfer from
the surface of the Earth. Nearly all atmospheric water vapor
(moisture) is found here, so it is in the troposphere where most
of Earth’s weather takes place. Gravity allows our planet to
maintain our atmosphere.
In the Cascade Range
in Northern California,
Mount Lassen is the
southern most active
volcano. Lassen rises
2,000 ft (600 m) above
the surrounding terrain and
is one of the largest lava domes
on Earth. It was created on the
destroyed, northeastern flank of Mount Tehama, a
stratovolcano that was at least 1,000 ft (300 m)
higher than Lassen Peak.
Sun
Soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter,
gases, liquids and micro and macro
organisms that can support plant life. It
performs four important functions: it is a
medium for plant growth; a means of water
storage, supply and purification; a modifier
of the atmosphere; and a habitat for
organisms.
An incredible diversity of organisms makes
up the soil food web. They range in size from
the tiniest one-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and
protozoa, to the visible earthworms, insects, small
vertebrates, and plants. As these organisms eat, grow, and move through the soil, they make it
possible to have clean water, clean air, healthy plants, and moderated water flow.
The visible part of the Sun is roughly 5,500 degrees C (10,000 degrees F), while temperatures
™in the core reach more than 15 million degrees C (27 million degrees F). The distance from
the Sun to Earth averages about 150 million km (93 million mi). Light travels from the Sun to
Earth in about 8 minutes. Light energy is captured by plants and other organisms to perform
photosynthesis, which supports the majority of life on Earth.
Some of the Sun’s energy also drives Earth's climate and weather. Sunlight that penetrates the
Earth’s atmosphere heats the surface of the Earth. The greenhouse effect is a process by
which the thermal radiation from the Earth’s surface is absorbed
by atmospheric greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water,
methane, and others). This energy is re-radiated in all
directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back
towards the surface of the Earth and the lower
atmosphere, it results in an increase of the
average atmospheric temperature.
.
Earth’s natural greenhouse effect makes life
as we know it possible. However, human
activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels
and clearing of forests, have intensified the
natural greenhouse effect, contributing to
global warming concerns.
Freshwater biomes include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands.
The organisms that make up food webs in freshwater systems are diverse and important.
There are a variety of fish, birds, invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, etc.) that make
freshwater biomes their home.
At the bottom of a body of water is the benthic community. Benthos is derived from the
Greek word bathys, meaning “deep”. They are living “water purifiers”. The benthic
communities break down the organic matter that falls into streams while removing
dissolved nutrients from the water. They can be thought of as “digestion systems”.
The structure and composition of a benthic community is an excellent bio-indicator of
pollution and habitat quality.
Cattails (Typha latifolia) are the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly
exposed wet mud. They grow along the shoreline of many fresh water
biomes. Wetland mammals may feed on them and use them to
construct dens. Birds use the seed hairs as a nest lining.
HYDROSPHERE
The hydrosphere includes all of the water in or near the Earth’s surface. It
includes water in the oceans, lakes, rivers, wetlands, ice caps, soil, rock
layers, and clouds. One major requirement of living
things is water. A little more than 3% of all water
on Earth is fresh water.
Water Cycle
The water cycle begins when the Sun’s energy warms water enough to
cause evaporation, turning the liquid into gas (water vapor). As the
water vapor rises it cools and condenses, forming clouds.
When the water droplets are large enough gravity pulls
them toward the Earth as precipitation. Precipitation will
soak into the Earth as ground water, flow into creeks
and streams as run-off, or replenish evaporated
water from the oceans, seas and lakes.
BIOSPHERE
Biosphere
The layer of the Earth that can support life is called the biosphere. Life requires water, average
temperatures between 10 and 40 degrees C (50 and 104 degrees F), and a source of energy.
Energy is constantly added to the biosphere from the Sun.
Watershed
A watershed or drainage basin includes both the streams and rivers that convey the
water as well as the land surfaces from which water drains into those channels.
Life Cycle of Salmon
Riparian Zone
The word “riparian” is derived from the Latin word
ripa, meaning “river bank”. A riparian zone or ripa
riparian
area is the interface between land and a river or stream.
s
Riparian zones protect aquatic environments from excessive
sedimentation, polluted surface runoff, and erosion.
erosio They supply
habitat biodiversity, shelter, and food for many aquatic animals. The
vegetation surrounding the stream helps to shade the water, which is an
important part of stream temperature regulation. Riparian zones disperse
stream energy, which results in less soil erosion and a reduction in flood damage.
Pollutants are filtered from surface runoff, which enhances water quality.
The life cycle of salmon follows a series of stages as it develops
from an egg to an adult fish.
During spawning, eggs are deposited by the female in “redds” (a gravel depression scoured
out by the adults with their tails). Depending on water temperature, eggs will take between
6 – 12 weeks to hatch.
Alevin are newly hatched fish. They derive their nourishment from the yolk sac of the egg for several
weeks. Once the sac has been absorbed the “fry” begin to emerge from the gravel and swim freely,
looking for food for the first time. They will feed on tiny invertebrates and on the carcasses of the
adults which died after spawning. These fry will remain in the fresh water for a period of time ranging
from a few days up to 2 years, depending on the species. At this time the fry undergo a change and
become smolt, which enables them to live in salt water. They then migrate down the river and into the
ocean where it will spend the next phase of its life.
When an adult fish has finished growing in the ocean they seek out the rivers in which they were born
to spawn. They change from bright silver to darker colored adults. The life cycle ends for the adults
after making the “redd” and laying eggs.
Oak Tree
An oak is a tree or shrub native to the Northern Hemisphere. Its fruit is a
nut called an acorn and takes 6-18 months to mature, depending
p
g on the species.
p
There are approximately 90 species of oak trees
ees in the U.S., of which the Valley Oak
(Quercus lobata) is the tallest oak in California. Thee Valley Oak is deciduous (losing its leaves
in the fall) and grows in deep, fertile soil near streams
ms and rivers. It produces leaves with deep
lobes and large acorns.
Oak woodlands affect the variety and abundance of wildlife,
dlife, providing food, water, and cover for over
350 vertebrate species. They are a key element of watersheds that protect drinking water.
These habitats where we find these native
ve trees are rapidly diminishing.
Oaks provide a vital resource for creatures, great andd small. Acorns are a food source for dozens
of different bird species, mule deer, and, of course, the consummate
nsummate hoarder, the squirrel. Besides acorns,
various insects use the leaves, bark, twigs, and wood as a source of food. These insects then become a
food source for animals higher up in the food chain. Other wildlife species depend on the grasses,
fungi, seeds, insects and other foods found in oak communities.
unities. Many insects make themselves at home
in oaks. Galls are formed when wasps place their eggss in leaves or branches. The tissue is irritated
by the eggs and grows around them, forming an “insect
ect nursery”. Barn owls and ducks use oaks
as their homes. Bees build their hives in oaks.
ks. Birds and squirrels nest in oaks.
Round worms and earth worms live within ann oak’s root system. The leaf mulch
at a tree’s base has organisms that help decompose dead leaves making
the soil more fertile.
ertile.
Abiotic Factors of
Stream Ecology
Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical
properties in the environment.
Flow is the key factor in influencing the stream ecology.
Light is important because it provides the energy and shadowing affects.
Temperature may fluctuate with seasons, depth, and speed of water.
Chemistry is determined by inputs from the watershed and can be influenced by precipitation and
pollutants. Oxygen is the most important chemical as all aerobic organisms require it for survival.
Fast, turbulent streams expose more of the water’s surface area to the air and tend to have lower
temperatures and thus more oxygen. Substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream.
It is classified by size and includes mud, sand, granule, pebble, cobble or boulder. It affects the life
found within the stream habitat.
Biotic Factors
Biotic factors are all the living and previously living components,
including single cell organisms and decomposing plant and animal
material. The energy and matter produced by plants and other autotrophs (organisms capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic
substances, using light or chemical energy) are distributed to other
organisms in an ecosystem through pathways known as food chains and
food webs.
A food chain is a simple
p linkage
g of producers
p
to consumers through
autotrophs are the producers of the
feeding relationships. Plants and other autotro
biosphere. Producers are important to freshwater
freshw biomes because they
provide oxygen through photosynthesis, and food
f for animals in this biome.
When a small fish eats an aquatic insect, and a larger fish eats the small
fish, the two fish and the insect are linked in a food chain.
Food webs are more complex, and consist of a network of linked food
chains. Bacteria and fungus (mushro
(mushrooms) decompose material
on the surfaces of rocks and vegetation.
They play a large
veg
role in energy recycling.
Acknowledgements:
Project Design & Planning: Katie Palatinus, Annie Robinson (Adelante High School Science and Art Teachers),
and Eric Peach (PARC – Protect the American River Canyon)
Art Pieces and Mural Work: Adelante Students (2009-2012), Eric Peach, Michelle Mahan, Virginia Dains (Clay
Artists), Annie Robinson, Katie Palatinus, and American River Confluence Festival Volunteers (2009 -2010)
Mural Design: AHS Students (2009 – 2010), Jennifer Router (Muralist), Annie Robinson and Katie Palatinus
Brochure Photos and Text: Joe Palatinus, Eric Peach, Katie Palatinus, Jordan Barnett (AHS student 2014)
Graphic Design and Printing: The Marketing Minds Group Inc
Donations: reCREATE, DalTile, Arizona Tile, Virginia Dains, Eric Peach, Michelle Mahan, John Kimmel,
Chris Grimes, Katie Palatinus
Funding: City of Roseville Citizen’s Benefit Fund 2009-2010, GATE Funds RJUHSD, CAL FIRE grant,
Roseville Urban Forest Foundation grant
Contacts: Katie Palatinus, [email protected]
Annie Robinson, [email protected]
Adelante High School is an alternative continuation high school in the Roseville Joint Union High School
District. The Dry Creek Mosaic Mural is located on the science building, Room 19. The public is welcome
to view the mural, but please contact the school before visiting the campus.
Adelante High School • 350 Atlantic Street • Roseville, CA 95678 • 916-782-3155