Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP15_Wetland Visit
Lesson Plan 15: Wetland Visit
Overview
In this lesson students visit a local wetland to learn about creatures that live in a wetland
environment and to build an understanding of the dependency that all living things have
on water.
Background Knowledge:
Students should have an initial exposure to some of the learning outcomes associated
with the Alberta Grade 5 Science Wetland Curriculum (5 – 10) including:
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Recognize and describe one or more examples of wetland ecosystems found in
the local area;
Understand and appreciate that all animals and plants, not just the large ones,
have an important role in a wetland community.
Identify human actions that can threaten the abundance or survival of living
things in wetland ecosystems; e.g., adding pollutants, changing the flow of water,
trapping or hunting pond wildlife.
Identify individual and group actions that can be taken to preserve and enhance
wetland habitats.
Safety concerns in a wetland environment and respect for the plant and animal life
must be discussed prior to the field trip.
Time Required: 1 Day
Grade Level: Grades 5 and 6
Subject Area: Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art
Key Words: Ecosystem, Wetland, Organisms
Alberta Curriculum Links: See curriculum link table
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP15_Wetland Visit
Lesson Plan 15: Wetland Visit
3 hrs
Learning Expectations
1. Recognize and describe one or more examples of wetland ecosystems found
in the local area.
2. Identify some plants and animals found at a wetland site, both in and around
the water.
3. Understand and appreciate that all animals and plants, not just the large
ones, have an important role in a wetland community.
4. Identify human actions that can threaten the abundance or survival of living
things in wetland ecosystems.
Materials
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Net for Dipping (ideally one for every two students)
One small and large bucket or container per student
Laminated identification cards
Pencil
Pencil crayons
Notebooks
For a more detailed list of materials refer to the selected Pond Dipping Lesson (below).
Preparation
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Fill out all required forms for field trip
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Organize transport
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Organize parental supervision
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Talk to students about safety concerns and appropriate conduct during field
trip.
Introduction
15 minutes
1. When you arrive at the wetland, ask student to find a place to sit or stand
where they can still hear and see you clearly but are not close to any of their
classmates.
2. Ask them to close their eyes and listen to the sounds around them.
Encourage them to take a deep breath of air through their nose and smell
their surroundings. Tell them to feel the wind against their skin, and the
temperature.
3. Ask them to think about how it feels to be in a wetland.
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
Drawing the Environment
LP15_Wetland Visit
1 hour
1. Ask students to find an object, plant or animal in the wetland that they find
interesting and to draw the object, taking into account all the details of its
structure.
2. Ask them to draw the object from various perspectives including: bird’s eye
view, side view, close up and far away.
Pond Dipping
1.5 hrs
1. Explain to student that they are going to discover the creatures that are living
within the Wetland,
2. Follow one of the lesson plans below to lead students through a pond dipping
exercise:
a. Wetland Ecosystems 1: Habitats, communities and the diversity of life.
This Ducks Unlimited Resource provides a full range of lesson plans that
can be used to teach your students about Wetlands. Lesson 3 on Wetland
Zones and Cycles of Life provides all the information and tools that you
will need for pond dipping. Identification cards for classifying the
organisms in the pond are included at the back of the resource.
b. Wetlands: Webbed Feet Not Required. Teachers Guide. This teachers
guide from the Alberta Government and Ducks Unlimited, provides a full
unit of lesson plans on Wetlands. Section III on Wetlands Field Trip
details the work thats required prior to a trip to the Wetlands, and also
describes safety concerns. Activity 12 of this section, Investigating
Aquatic Invertebrates, describes pond dipping.
c. A Beginners Guide to Pond Dipping. This is a straightforward lesson on
the basics of Pond Dipping put together by the British Ecological Society.
Review
20 minutes
1. Ask students to describe the highlights of their field trip in their journal and
what they can do to protect the wetland.
Teacher Reflection
Encourage students to become part of ecosystem and recognize the solitude and
peacefulness of it. Notice students’ reactions to being part of a natural environment.
Some students have never left a city.
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