Watershed Teacher Field Book Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM) 1 The following week long lesson guide is geared towards the seventh grade science standards. Science Inquiry and Applications ● Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigation ● Design and conduct a scientific investigation ● Use appropriate mathematical tools and techniques to gather data and information ● Analyze and interpret data Develop descriptions, models, explanations, and predictions 2 Background Information ● What is a watershed? ○ ● Why is it important? ○ ● Protecting the Lake Erie watershed and all other watersheds is important to the environment, public health, and economy. What is a wetland? ○ ● A watershed is an area of land that drains into a body of water. The largest watershed in Northeast Ohio is the Lake Erie watershed. Any area of land that is saturated or inundated by water regularly and supports life adapted to saturated soil environments. What functions do wetlands provide ○ Serve as breeding grounds for many animals. Wetlands also act as natural filters that improve water quality in local watersheds. During periods of high precipitation, wetlands store floodwater. 3 Overview Standards: (7th grade science) 1. Life Science a. Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy i.Matter is transferred continuously between one organism to another and between organisms and their physical environments. ii. In any particular biome, the number, growth and survival of organisms and populations depend on biotic and abiotic factors. 2. Earth and Space Sciences a. Cycles and Patterns Of Earth and the Moon i. The hydrologic cycle illustrates the changing states of the water as it moves through the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and the atmosphere 4 Day 1 Prerequisite knowledge ● Be sure to have read the background information ● Review different types of wetlands Students will a. Review the natural water cycle and the urban water cycle b. Review characteristics of wetlands c. Compare wetlands classifications using a venn diagram d. Research and evaluate the interrelationship between themselves and the urban water cycle Essential questions: ● How do humans affect wetlands? ● How does stormwater affect wetlands? ● How does the process of the water cycle restore wetlands? ● How does rainfall affect living organisms inhabiting wetlands? Materials needed: ● Video (sewer district, Wetland, rainfall effects) **** Bill nye The Science Guy Wetlands video clip YES!!!!!! DESCRIBES EVERYTHING AND MORE :) ● http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YxoZnIbYY4 ● Student field notebook Time Frame ● 3 mins- Review Natural Water Cycle / Urban Water Cycle ● 40 mins- Exploration (Video, Discussion of wetland, Venn Diagram, Research Sewer District, Discuss importance of the sewer district) ● 7 mins- Summary (Go over information gathered about wetlands review Venn diagram, give a brief explanation about the next day) ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students, and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. 5 Vocabulary ● Bog - wet, spongy ground with soil composed of decayed vegetable matter ● Buffer - non-human landscape features that have the ability to protect the wetland from ● ● ● ● human impact. Category 1 Wetland - isolated emergent marshes with almost no upland buffers found in agricultural fields. Category 2 Wetland - is a broad category containing wetlands that are ‘fair’ to wetlands that are considered ‘good’. Support wildlife but rarely contain threatened species and have little human disturbance. Category 3 Wetland - provide habitat for endangered species, are high quality mature forested wetlands or are scarce regionally and statewide. Clearcutting - to cut down all the trees in a section of the forest for harvesting. ● Riparian - an area of land next to a body of water ● Wetland - an area of land that is saturated or inundated by water regularly and supports life adapted to saturated soil environments ● Combined Sewer Overflow - Discharge of a mixture of storm water and domestic waste when the flow capacity of a sewer system is exceeded during rainstorms 6 Day 2 Students will 1. Develop a definition of a Wetland 2. Create a Wetland Biome 3. Identify and observe what contaminates wetlands. Essential Questions 1. What are the essential components of a wetland? 2. What can we do to protect and restore wetland? Materials ● Cardboard box,plastic container, poster, etc.... (This will be the basis of the model streams) ● Coloring supplies ● Construction paper ● Tape and Glue ● Water ● Foil ● Newspaper scraps ● Dirt ● Paper towels ● Silly putty/modelling clay ● Food coloring ● Other materials that you think will be helpful Contamination Activity Materials ● Sponges ● Food coloring ● Glass basin ● Water Activity ● Whole group setting ● Set up multiple sponges in a clear pan or aquarium ● Place multiple drops of food coloring on top of each of the sponges 7 ● Explain that the food coloring represents all of the contaminants put in to the ground from farming, daily pollution etc... ● Demonstrate rainfall by pouring water on top of the sponges with food coloring ● Have a brief discussion about the water that will be held in the sponges and then released ● Ring out the sponges into the pan ● Discuss with the class that this is a demonstration of what happens when it rains on a city and that all of the pollutants end up in the ground and polluting our natural habitats including wetlands Time Frame ● ● ● ● 1 min to brainstorm about natural water cycle and how it affects wetlands 14 mins to discuss the topic and contamination demonstration 30 mins create a model wetland 5 mins wrap up summary ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students, and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. Vocabulary ● Incorporate terms from Day 1 and the natural water cycle/ urban water cycle 8 Day 3 *If there is no wetland near you or transportation is not available see Day 3 Supplement Students Will a. Collect data about the wetland b. Collect water to be analyzed the next day Essential Questions ● What metrics contribute to analyzing the wetland? Materials ● ● ● ● ● ORAM Protocol Clipboard Field book QR codes Meter Stick Activity ● Go to a local wetland and have students complete the 6 metrics of the ORAM EPA protocol. QR codes will help students learn how to do each metric. Observations can be made in the student field book. Obtain 3 soil samples from the site to be used the next day. Time Frame ● 5 mins Intro to ORAM evaluation form ( Be sure to divide students into groups) ● 40 mins Work on collecting data ● 5 mins collect soil samples and wrap up ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students, and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. Vocabulary ● Aquatic bed - includes areas of wetlands dominated by plants that grow principally on or below the surface of the water for most of the growing season. ● Dike - a bank that holds back the water from a larger water body (a river or lake) 9 ● Dredging - the removal of material from the bottom of lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. ● Emergent - includes areas of wetlands dominated by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes, excluding mosses and lichens. ● Hummocks - a wooded area lying above the level of an adjacent marsh ● Hydrologic Regime-The distribution over time of water in a watershed, among precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, groundwater storage, surface storage, and runoff. ● Intermittent -occurring at irregular intervals ● Interspersion - the level or degree of intermingling of one kind of organism with others in the community ● Inundation - to flood or overflow ● Microtopography - small scale variations in the height and roughness of the ground surface ● Perennial - a stream that flows year round ● Point source (non-stormwater) - a source of pollution that comes from a specific physical location. ● Saturation -the surface is wet due to capillary action ● Stormwater input- an abnormal amount of surface water due to a heavy rain or snow storm. ● Tussocks - a tuft or clump of growing grass ● Weir -A low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow. ** Note: for this activity to be complete the class will need to be split up into pairs in order to complete all of the data collection in the allotted class period. 10 Day 3 (Supplement) Students Will a. Collect metric data from wetland stations Essential Questions ● What metrics contribute to analyzing the wetland? Materials ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● String or rope Stakes 5 gallon bucket Water with pH solution Field Signs with plants and special wetland pictures Ruler Field Notebook ORAM Assessment Form Computer and internet access (if time permits) Time Frame ● 1 minute Introduction to EPA protocol for Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM) ● 40 minutes Wetland exploring activity ● 9 minutes wrap-up and discussion of the day Activity ● Make a mock wetland before students arrive ○ Students can score this “wetland” using the ORAM scoring sheet ○ Mark the wetland size with string or rope in an open field near the school (Metric 1) ○ Use the natural buffers of the field to simulate the wetland buffers (Metric 2) ○ Have a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to mock the water depth (Metric 3) ■ Add vinegar or another solution to the water so that student can test the pH of the water 11 ○ Create alterations in the wetland yourself or have a sign with specific alterations that have occurred in it (Metric 4) ○ Hide a sign that is somewhere in the mock wetland that will say if the wetland is a special wetland (Metric 5) ○ Create signs of typical wetland vegetation and place them into the mock wetland (Metric 6) ● If time permits and the mock wetland activity is completed: ○ Have the students go to the Virtual Exploring Website http://kurrawa.gbrmpa.gov.au/reefed/exploring_wetlands/exploring_wetlan ds.html ○ The students can go through a virtual exploration and make note of their observations and track the data they find at each site on the website. ○ Students or pairs of students can be responsible for looking into at least two of the five sites on the web page. ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students,and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. Vocabulary ● Aquatic bed - includes areas of wetlands dominated by plants that grow principally on or below the surface of the water for most of the growing season. ● Dike - a bank that holds back the water from a larger water body (a river or lake) ● Dredging - the removal of material from the bottom of lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. ● Emergent - includes areas of wetlands dominated by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes, excluding mosses and lichens. ● Hummocks - a wooded area lying above the level of an adjacent marsh ● Hydrologic Regime-The distribution over time of water in a watershed, among precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, groundwater storage, surface storage, and runoff. ● Intermittent -occurring at irregular intervals ● Interspersion - the level or degree of intermingling of one kind of organism with others in the community ● Inundation - to flood or overflow ● Microtopography - small scale variations in the height and roughness of the ground surface ● Perennial - a stream that flows year round ● Point source (non-stormwater) - a source of pollution that comes from a specific physical location. 12 ● Saturation -the surface is wet due to capillary action ● Stormwater input- an abnormal amount of surface water due to a heavy rain or snow storm. ● Tussocks - a tuft or clump of growing grass ● Weir -A low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow. ** Note: for this activity to be complete the class will need to be split up into pairs in order to complete all of the data collection in the allotted class period. 13 Day 4 Students Will a. Analyze the data collected from the field/classroom yesterday b. Learn and understand the importance of pH and soil types for organisms Essential Questions ● What does the data about the wetland tell us? ● How does the pH levels of the soil affect a wetland and the organisms ? Materials ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 3 Soil Samples pH Soil Indicator Solution Paper Towels White Paper Spoons Cups Toothpicks pH Indicator Chart Time Frame ● 10 mins talk about yesterday’s activity ● 30 mins comparing samples and their pH ● 10 mins discussing the results of the pH tests Background Information ● The lime requirement of soil can be defined as the amount of liming material that must be added to raise the pH to some prescribed value . The value is usually in the range of pH 6.0 to 7.0, since this is an easily attainable value within the optimum growth range of most crop plants ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students, and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. 14 Vocabulary ● pH- A measure of how acidic/basic a solution is. A pH of 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic and more than 7 is basic. 15 Day 5 Students will a. Discuss the week and all of their discoveries b. Discuss ways to keep wetland healthy c. Discuss the importance of keeping wetlands healthy Essential Questions ● What is a wetland and why does it matter? ● What makes a wetland healthy vs contaminated? ● What are the consequences of a contaminated wetland? Materials ● Field notebook Time Frame ● 5 mins Break into think pair share and compare and contrast a healthy vs contaminated wetland ● 20 mins Research different ways and programs to get involved with helping clean up wetlands ● 20 mins Discuss findings from wetland activities and programs ● 5 mins Final wrap up on why it is important to keep a wetland clean. ***Note: depending on scheduling, productivity of students, and available resources the schedule can be adjusted in length to fit the needs of the class. The schedule posted is an estimation in an ideal classroom depending on the chosen activities. 16 Optional research project: (from the watershed book) - RUGS ON DRUGS Lawn care is all about having bright green lawns with no weeds. To make that happen, tons of fertilizer and herbicides are spread over millions of acres of turf grass every year. This doesn’t even include crop fertilization in farmland, but that also runs off into nearby streams and challenges the water system’s ability to process pollution. In areas where lawns are divided by driveways or where nutrients are spread near impervious surfaces, the extra material that falls on the hard surface goes directly into the stream via runoff or through storm sewers. ○ With your newly found scientist skills come up with a project proposal in order to reduce the amount of pollution produced from runoff of fertilization and herbicides into stormwater drains and streams. If fertilizers are necessary what would be a natural substitution? Which is the best man made fertilizer? How does the location and the landscaping around the treated areas help reduce runoff? 17 Optional Post- test 1. Describe the differences between a Category 1 and Category 3 wetland. a. _______________________________________ 2. Describe the differences between a bog and a fen. a. _______________________________________ 3. What type of buffers are located around a wetland? a. _______________________________________ 4. What are different factors that decrease the health of a wetland? a. _______________________________________ 5. What are some similarities and differences between the natural water cycle and the urban water cycle? a. _______________________________________ 6. What are three disturbances listed in the ORAM that can alter the habitat? Explain what these are. a. _______________________________________ 7. What are the relationships between soil substrates and pH levels, are some more acidic than others? a. _______________________________________ 8. What are the relationships between wetlands and watersheds? a. _______________________________________ 9. What is a peatland? a. _______________________________________ 10. Draw two different kinds of model wetlands 18 Student Safety Contract 1. No horseplay, practical jokes, running, yelling or pranks while conducting experiments 2. Follow all instructions given by the teacher, ask questions if you do not understand the given instructions 3. Read the lab assignment before coming to class 4. Wear necessary protective attire (i.e. boots, pants, gloves, etc.) 5. Never go anywhere alone, always stay with a partner a. If you do leave the group, let someone know 6. Do not touch any equipment, supplies, plants or animals without permission 7. Keep your hands away from your face, eyes and mouth while handling animals 8. Wear sunscreen, bug spray, pants, hat and closed toed shoes 9. Bring plenty of water to hydrate throughout the day 10. Report any accident, injury or hazardous conditions to the teacher immediately 11. Handle all animals with care and respect a. Do not tease or handle animals roughly b. Keep animals away from your face c. Report any animal bite, scratch or sting to a teacher immediately 12. Clean all supplies when done and return them to where you found them 13. Leave the area the way you found it (i.e. do not add litter or take anything away) Important questions: ● Do you wear contact lenses? ○ Y or N ● Do you have any allergies? (i.e. food, medicine, pollen, etc.) ○ Y or N ○ If so, please list _________________________________________ I, _________________________ have read and understand each of the above safety rules set forth in this contract. I agree to follow them to ensure not only my safety but also the safety of others in the field. I also agree to follow the general rules of appropriate behavior for a classroom at all times to avoid accidents and to provide a safe learning environment for everyone. I understand that if I do not follow all the rules and safety precautions, I will not be allowed to participate in the scientific activities. ________________________________ Student Signature ________________________________ Date Parents or Guardian, please read the above list of safety rules. No student will be allowed to perform science activities unless this contract is signed by both the parent/ guardian and student and is on file with the teacher. _______________________________ Parent/ Guardian Signature _______________________________ Date 19