Turtle Pond Exploration
Materials
Reading Connection:
Jo McDonald Saw a
Pond
(Mary Quattelbaum)
Engage
Pond Exploration Tub
Large pond nets
Containers for holding water and pond specimens
Book: Jo McDonald Saw a Pond
SAFETY:
Water is a drowning
hazard and students must
be closely supervised at all
times.
Any students with open
cuts or scrapes on their
hands should not be
allowed to handle pond
water or specimens.
Have students sit around the picnic table. Tell students that they
will be exploring the ecosystem of a pond.
Ask: Do you know what an ecosystem is? Discuss. Guide students to
the understanding that an ecosystem is a community of living and
nonliving things that work together.
Ask: What are some of the nonliving things of a pond ecosystem?
(Answers should include water, air, sunlight, soil, rocks, etc.)
Ask: What are some of the living things that you might find in a
pond ecosystem?
(Answers should include turtles, frogs, salamanders, fish, etc.)
Explain
Read Aloud: Jo McDonald Saw a Pond
SAFETY continued:
Banks of the pond can be
slippery, WALK at all
times.
Dock can be slippery when
wet, WALK at all times.
ONLY 4 students allowed
on the dock at a time.
NO STUDENT ALLOWED
ON THE DOCK UNLESS AN
ADULT IS ON THE DOCK
WITH THEM.
At the conclusion of the story explain to students that they are now
going to be exploring Turtle Pond.
Tell students the safety guidelines of the pond exploration:
1. WALK at all times, the banks of the pond are slippery
2. Remain calm and quiet, you will see more!
3. No students are to be on the dock without an adult.
4. Only four allowed on the dock at one time
5. Use nets carefully so as not to injure the pond critters.
6. Do not touch any of the critters without permission and
supervision.
7. Make sure your hands are wet when you handle salamanders
8. Any critters that are captured in your net must be put in
water in the large viewing tubs immediately.
9. Any mud left in the nets should be put back into the pond, as
there might be small critters hiding in the mud!
10. Keep your hands and fingers away from you face, especially
your eyes, ears and mouth
Check for thorough understanding of the safety guidelines.
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Explore
IMPORTANT!
Do NOT handle any
water insects, as they
may sting or bite.
Extend
Do NOT use hand
sanitizer.
Hand sanitizer can be
absorbed through the
skin of the pond
critters and may be
toxic them.
WASH HANDS WELL
with SOAP and
WATER at the end of
the lesson.
Evaluate
Clean Up
TAKE ALL STUDENTS
TO THE ROUND
HOUSE TO WASH
THEIR HANDS!! Hand
Sanitizer is not
enough to clean hands
adequately.
Fill viewing tubs ½ full of pond water and put on the center of
the picnic table.
Provide each student with a net. Make sure you supervise students
closely in the use of the nets. Allow students to collect critter from
the pond. Remind them again not to run.
Place the specimens in the containers with water so that students
can easily see the pond critters. DO NOT handle any pond insects, as
they may sting or bite. If students will be handling the salamanders,
make sure the students have wetted their hands with water. Dry
hands peel away the protective layer of mucus on the salamander,
increasing its risk of infection. Handle critters gently, standing over
the water tubs so that if they wiggle lose, the critters do not fall onto
the ground.
Ask: Students to identify the types of critters found. (Salamanders,
turtles, frogs, etc.)They will not find any fish because the dissolved
oxygen level in the water is too low to support fish life.
Lead student to an understanding of the role of turtles, salamanders
and frogs in the pond ecosystem. Discuss what each one eats.
 Salamanders eat daphnia, aquatic worms, mosquito larva
and other aquatic insects.
 Turtles eat aquatic worms, insects, tad poles, small
salamanders and snails and water plants
 Frogs eat insects and aquatic worms
Ask: What is one thing that all the animals they looked at have in
common?
Answer: They all need WATER to live in.
Return all critters to the pond in a gentle manner.
Make sure that all nets are free of mud and plants
Stand nets on end with net part up leaning against a tree to dry.
Make sure all viewing containers are empty.
Have students wash hands well in the round house.
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