OVERVIEW:
In this activity students will examine water samples from three aquatic habitats—a
blackwater stream, a Carolina bay, and a pond that receives polluted runoff
from coal waste. Instructors will demonstrate the measurement of two water
quality variables: water hardness and dissolved oxygen. Students will examine
the water samples and perform several tests to determine other water quality
variables, including pH, iron, phosphates, and nitrates. Results will be examined
in the context of the organisms that live in these three habitats.
TERMS
USED:
Process related—observation,
hypothesis, comparison, classification, prediction, independent variable,
dependent variable, inference, data
Content related—ecosystem,
environment, habitat, niche, food chain, producer, consumer, decomposer, metamorphosis,
adaptation, Carolina bay, wetland, landforms, amphibian, population, community,
life cycle, zooplankton, aquatic biologist, resources, camouflage, migration,
hibernation, nutrient,
OUTLINE
OF ACTIVITY:
This workshop will begin with a review of the last lesson and an introduction
to wetland habitats and water quality. We will introduce the students to this
week’s featured SREL scientist, Dr. Barbara Taylor, who is an aquatic
biologist. In the slide introduction we will discuss three local wetland habitats
(a Carolina bay, a blackwater stream, and an industrial pond) and describe
some organisms found in each. This content will draw heavily from Units A
and B of the science textbook, as we talk about animal adaptations to life
in different ecosystems. In our examples we will discuss the adaptations that
different species have for life in aquatic habitats that differ in water quality.
We will conclude the intro by introducing the students to specific water quality
measures such as dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, and chemical contaminants,
as well as “parts per million” as a unit of measure. After the
slide show we will have one or two demonstrations pertaining to local pond
life.
Students will then break out into groups of four to conduct their own water quality tests, with each group assigned to test one of the three wetland habitats. After discussion and demonstrations about using colorimetric tests to measure different variables, students will test their own water samples. One pair of students will conduct two tests (pH and iron), and the other pair will conduct two different tests (nitrate and phosphate). Students will share their test results within their group so that each student has a completed data sheet.
After collecting and sharing their
data, groups will share the data from their habitat with other groups. During
“science seminar” closure we will discuss the differences in water
quality among the three habitats.
