Investigating Ponds and Streams: How clean is our water?
Summary
In this field lab, students investigate the differences in three city ponds. Students will compare pond life, temperature, pH, Ammonia, dissolved oxygen, and Nitrate. The student use the pond sheets (Flinn Scientific Catalog 2007) to record there data and display results on large paper to discuss and compare with rest of the class.
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Learning Goals
Students record results on large piece of paper to display and compare results to the rest of the students. What do the results say about the quality of the water. Is there anything similar between the three ponds samples or differences. How can we improve the quality of the ponds? What surprised you about the study of the pond? Refer to handouts to see what effects the levels of pH, ammonia, dissolved oxygen, and nitrates. Determine the current levels at each of the ponds and keep data to compare again in the spring.
Vocabulary:
-Pollution
-Runoff
-pH range
-Decomposing
-Data
-Structure.
Vocabulary:
-Pollution
-Runoff
-pH range
-Decomposing
-Data
-Structure.
Context for Use
This activity is a field activity that could be done with one class doing all three ponds or three different classes do each just one pond. I would say this is a 4-6 grade level activity with 23-28 students. I this would be a three day project collecting samples, recording data, comparing ponds and results of the field experiment. Extension activities would be to have experts come in to talk about your findings and what they know about the ponds. Our class periods run 45 to 50 min. long. Our ponds are within walking distance of our classroom which makes this activity easier to do. It could be adapted by collecting samples from ponds or streams in your area
Description and Teaching Materials
This lesson could be introduced in the water unit of your curriculum and plant/animal life could also be a resource. The material used is the pond/stream kit from Flinn Scientific Incorporated this gives you the resources, worksheets, and testing material to do this project. Another option is the Pondwater Tour from Flinn is even more in depth than the other kit.
Flinn Science Catalog Reference Manual 2007 Middle School, page 528
Another resource is bobsedulinks.com/science.htm which has an excellent virtual pond dip that identifies organisms that you would find in the pond or stream.
Flinn Science Catalog Reference Manual 2007 Middle School, page 528
Another resource is bobsedulinks.com/science.htm which has an excellent virtual pond dip that identifies organisms that you would find in the pond or stream.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Field labs have a lot of inquiry, so be patient and hopefully the hands-on activities will help the success of the lesson.
Assessment
The assessment part comes in collecting the data and recording the findings. The evaluation of the students presentation and display of the data will be the assessment part of this activity. The discussion of water quality in these ponds and streams with solutions to helping water quality is another part of the assessment.
Standards
Inquiry Standard of Fourth grade-predict, infer, measure, interpret data, observe, use numbers, and communicate