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
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What is a watershed?
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Why is it important?
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Protecting the Lake Erie watershed and all
other watersheds is important to the
environment, public health, and economy.
What is a wetland?
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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
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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
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● 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
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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
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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)
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● 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
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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
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○ 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
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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?
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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
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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
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