Biodiversity and Lab Concepts
Name: ________________________________________ Period:
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Background: The tiny organisms found in pond water are fascinating subjects to study under the microscope,
and can captivate both beginners and experienced microscopists for a lifetime! This virtual pond dip introduces
some of the more common types of pond organisms and hopefully encourages an exploration of the incredible
'world within a world' of a real pond. Each organism's relative size is to scale in the image; actual sizes are
given in the fact- files.
1) Go to this website:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/
2) Place the mouse over each organism to display its name.
3) Click on the Hydra. This gives links to more detailed articles. Fill in the table below. You will draw what they
hydra looks like, write down its size, and write down where they are found.
Sketch
Size
Where are they
found?
Color
One interesting fact:
a. How do hydras reproduce?
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Online Activity Virtual Pond Dip
Created by Kaela Yuen, September 2013
Biodiversity and Lab Concepts
b. Click on “Video Clips” under the picture of the hydra. How many ‘real-life’ pictures does this link show you?
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4) Go back to the big jar of pond life. Click on the ‘Water Flea’ - Daphnia next.
a. What does the daphnia in motion remind you of?
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b. Fill in the table below. You will draw what the daphnia looks like, write down its size, and write down where
they are found.
Sketch
Size
Where are they found?
One Interesting Fact:
c. If we are lucky, what might we be able to see the females do while we examine them?
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Online Activity Virtual Pond Dip
Created by Kaela Yuen, September 2013
Biodiversity and Lab Concepts
5) Go back to the big jar of pond life. Click on the Protozoa – Amoeba.
a. Fill in the table below. You will draw what the daphnia looks like, write down its size, and write down where
they are found.
Sketch
Size
Where are they found?
One Interesting Fact:
b. True or False: Amoebas are usually common in pond life.
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c. True or False: Amoebas are always abundant in pond life.
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6) Go back to the big jar of pond life. Click on any organism of your choice, one that we have not already looked
at.
a. Which organism did you select? _______________________________________________________
Online Activity Virtual Pond Dip
Created by Kaela Yuen, September 2013
Biodiversity and Lab Concepts
b. Fill in the table below. You will draw what your organism of choice looks like, write down its size, and write
down where they are found.
Sketch
Size
Where are they found?
One Interesting Fact:
7) Go back to the big jar of pond life. Click on the link in the green box that says “Pond Life Identification Kit”.
Use this table to answer the questions below.
a. Name three organisms that are single-celled. This means that the organism is made up of only one cell!
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b. Name two organisms that have tentacles.
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c. Name three organisms that are hairy or have hairs on them.
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8) In our next lab we will be looking at pond life through the microscopes! Which organism do you hope to see
through the microscope in this next lab? Explain why.
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Online Activity Virtual Pond Dip
Created by Kaela Yuen, September 2013