Assessing Water Quality using Invertebrates-Biodiversity
Collect and key out aquatic insects
Student Goals: Students learn techniques to collect different species and learn what they are indicating about the area.
Instructional Resources: Kick nets, vials, local (as much so as possible) identification guides, aquatic invertebrate chart (pdf)
 | Native Species on our Site.pdf |
| Stream Ecology- Reading and Illustration Activity.pdf |
| Hydrology Cycle.pdf |
| Stream Ecology Vocabulary.pdf |
| Stream Ecology -Macro-invertebrates drawing.pdf |
Activities:
| Students use kick nets to collect aquatic invertebrates. Sort, compare, and analyze by species as to what adaptations contribute to their success in their niche. Ice cube trays work well for sorting. Use magnifiers and scopes to analyze and hypothesize about various adaptations. Do various activities related to structure and function. Look for good indicator species in different settings (such as the overly generalized example of cockroaches or flies being associated with filth). |
Cross-curricular:
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Language Arts: Write about cause and effect as it relates to the riparian habitat. Describe why invertebrates are good water quality indicators. |
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Math: Use numbers, math, and graphs to support observations and conclusions. |
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Science: Make hypothesis about different species, variables affecting them, limiting factors, indicator species, or how the habitat changes as a result of fire, and why certain species can succeed in place of others. Why is this bad or good? Do the aquatic invertebrate chart (pdf). ; Stream Ecology- Reading and Illustration Activity.pdf; Hydrology Cycle.pdf; Stream Ecology Vocabulary.pdf; Stream Ecology -Macro-invertebrates drawing.pdf |
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Social Studies: Investigate how different species indicate environmental health or devastation in different regions / areas (such as lots of bats being good in the farm belt or mosquitoes being really bad in the city). |
Multi-sensory- learner involvement & self assessment / Outcome:
| Create your own chart based on local species. This should show what the species are and what they indicate. |
Extensions:
| Investigate stories about indicator species - everything from the canary in the coal mine to scarab beetles. |