What is in the pond?

Dan Martin, Remer Elementary, Remer, MN. Based on an original activity, Water Canaries from Project Wild Aquatic, P 24.
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Summary

In this environmental education lab, students identify macro-invertebrates that are present in a nearby aquarium, stream, or pond. Based on the animals found and students make predictions about the health of the water. Then using a water testing kit, students test for temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, pH, and ammonia of the water. Students will record results and compare their predictions from the macro-invertebrate investigation to the results of the water testing. The students then summarize their findings and report the findings to the class, teacher, and or local water quality officials. Once this activity has been completed for several years or student cycles, classes can compare their results with the results of previous classes. If there is a significant difference, students can then study the reason for the change.

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Learning Goals

This activity is designed for students to use field techniques, testing, and data observation to accurately classify a body of water.
Key vocabulary would include the names of larvae being found in the water sample, macroinvertebrates, riffle, stream, pond, stagnant.

Context for Use

This activity could be used with cooperative groups in an intermediate elementary classroom through middle and high school. The ideal class size would be 20 or fewer but it could be adapted for larger classes. This activity would be part field trip and part lab exercise. Water testing equipment and nets used to capture macro-invertebrates are necessary. A teacher can collect the water sample and bring the entire experiment into the classroom. Students should be able to identify macro-invertebrates and have some prior knowledge of which macro-invertebrates are present in the water sample.

Description and Teaching Materials

Day 1
The lesson is introduced by playing Are You Me? from Project Wild Aquatic pages 2-7. Point out the macro-invertebrates in the game. Students then research common freshwater macro-invertebrates using the website http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/benthosid.html

Day 2
Field trip to nearby water source such as a pond or stream. Using dipnets and seine nets, students collect as many macro-invertebrate samples. Using a identification key such as students identify the insects and crustacea found in the body of water. They note the number and amount of each organism found. They also note water temperature, test for dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and pH. They record observations in observation notebook.

Day 3-5
Students return to classroom and create a informational page for a class book on a macro-invertebrate they found in the water. The book can be bound together as a field guide for that body of water.

Teaching Notes and Tips

Laminated ID keys

Assessment

Students will be assessed by teacher observation in the field. Students final project will be a completed page for the class field guide. The page can be completed as a group or individually. It will have key information including pictures and descriptions. It must include pollution tolerance information.

Standards

5.I.B1 Perform controlled experiment..
6.I.B4 Science inquiry

References and Resources