Students evaluate an aquatic ecosystem, and record observations of microscopic life, macro-invertebrates, vegetation on the water's edge, and the chemical and physical qualities of the water.

Grade Level: 5-8
Time Needed: 2.5 hour

Aquatic Ecology Module/Unit (PDF Files)

Cover page, Table of Contents, Unit At a Glance (.75 MB)
Lesson 1 - Physical and Chemical Qualities of Water
Lesson 2 - Aquatic Indicator Organisms (1.35 MB)
Lesson 3 - Plankton and Biodiversity
Lesson 4 - Aquatic Landscapes (.85 MB)
Lesson 5 - Field Study Procedures and Log Book (1.1 MB)

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Downloadable PowerPoint Presentations
To download, open the link and then use the "File/Save" pulldown menu from the toolbar on your browser.

What Are Aquatic Indicator Organisms - PPt file
What Are Aquatic Indicator Organisms - Text/Script (PDF file)

How to Identify Aquatic Indicator Organisms - PPt file
How to Identify Aquatic Indicator Organisms - Text/Script (PDF file)

The Aquatic Food Web - PPt file
The Aquatic Food Web - Text/Script (PDF file)

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LESSON 1- Physical and Chemical Qualities of Water

Web sites for the teacher:

Stevens Institute of Technology, Center for improved Engineering and Science Education- Down the Drain: How much water do you use?
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/drainproj

U.S. EPA- Index of Watershed Indicators
http://www.epa.gov./iwi

U.S. EPA, Office of Water- Classroom Activities and Experiments
http://www.epa.gov./OGWDW/kids/exper.html

Web sites for the students:

U.S. EPA Office of Water- What's Up With Our Nation's Waters?
http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/nationswaters/

U.S. PA Office of Water- Nonpoint Source Pollution Home Page
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/

USGS- Water Science for Schools
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterquality.html

Center for Global Environmental Education- Watershed Action Background Information
http://cgee.hamline.edu/watershed/action/background/fact_sheets.htm

Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association - 
Managing a Watershed Resources
http://www.thewatershed.org/wm_resources.php

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LESSON 2 - Aquatic Indicator Organisms

Web sites for the teacher:

Pa. Fish and Boat Commission
http://www.fish.state.pa.us

Stroud Water Research Center
http://www.stroudcenter.org

Web sites for the students:

Key to Stream Invertebrates
http://www.watersheds.org/teacher/StreamInsectsIDKey.pdf

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Biological Indicators of Watershed Health.  
http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/html/invertebrate.html

Government of New South Wales, Australia. 
Water Bug Detective Guide.  
http://www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au/html/getting_stuff.html#guides

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LESSON 3  - Plankton and Biodiversity

Web sites for the teacher and students:

Microscopy UK- Main Menu
http://www.microscopy-uk.net/full_menu.html  

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LESSON 4  - Aquatic Landscapes

Web sites for the teacher:

Abandoned Mine Drainage Education.  Watershed Education.
http://www.geocities.com/~paulstan/lesson.html

 Delaware River Basin Commission- Ed. Web
http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/edweb/edweb.htm

Kid's Gardening - Let It Flow.
http://www.kidsgardening.com/TMI/images/pdfs/5cra.pdf

US Geological Survey Learning Web.  What Do Maps Show?
http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mapsshow.htm

Ironton Elementary School, Parkland School District, PA<

Ironton Elementary School, Parkland School District, PA "The Saga of Fred the Fish"	Mapping the Aquatic Landscape	Macroinvertebrate Sampling
Plankton Net	Identifying Microscopic Organisms	Taking a Water Sample
Water Chemistry	Summarizing Data