LEE
STATE PARK
487 Loop Road
Bishopville, SC 29010
(803) 428-4988
Lee
Lee State Park, located in Lee County, is one of South Carolina’s oldest state parks. It was
built by Company 4471 of the Civilian Conservation Corps and much of the CCC’s
handiwork can still be seen at the park today. The park is in the coastal plain of South
Carolina, located conveniently one mile north of 1-20 exit 123. The park is host to diverse
habitats, including the State Scenic Lynches River which flows along the park’s western
boundary, extensive bottomland hardwood forests, sandhills and an upland pine forest. All
of these areas contain a variety of wildlife species such as white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers and fox squirrels.
We encourage you to experience a park by participating in a Discover Carolina program.
Pre-site, on-site and post-site lesson plans have been developed to ensure a quality educational experience for you and your students.
Directions
From I-20:
Take exit 123 (Lee State Park Road). Go
one mile north and turn left into the park
entrance.
When you arrive a ranger will direct the bus
to park in one of the designated bus parking areas. A ranger will meet the children
as they get off the bus and direct them to
where they go from there.
Reservations and Program Information
For reservations, contact:
Laura Kirk
Park Interpreter
Phone: (803) 428-4988
lkirk@scprt.com
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Lee State Park: Pre-Site
Content Area:
Science
Grade Level:
6
Lee: Pre-Site
Time to Complete:
1 homework & 1 class period
Title of Program:
Freshwater Ecology
Lesson Description
By completing the crossword puzzle students will learn new information about the
park and terms to help them use the macroinvertebrate dichotomous key. They will
then practice using the key, which is the
same one they will use at the park.
Material/Equipment/Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
crossword puzzle
clues to the crossword
crossword answers
aquatic macroinvertebrate introduction
aquatic macroinvertebrate photo page
aquatic macroinvertebrate dichotomous
key practice (Ranger will send this in a
pre-site packet.)
Books:
• Pond Life: A Guide to Common Plants
and Animals of North American Ponds
and Lakes by George Reid. St. Martin’s
Press, New York.
• Dictionary
Websites:
• Environmental Protection Agency: Invertebrates as Biological Indicators
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http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitorin
g/vms40.cfm
• Canterbury Environmental Education
Centre: Virtual Pond Dip
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond
dip/
Teacher Preparation
1. Complete steps in “Plan Your Discovery”. http://discovercarolina.com/html/
s06registration.html
2. Read background information and
share with students.
3. Complete pre-site activities.
Background Information
Lee State Park has a variety of aquatic
resources. Set on the banks of the scenic
Lynches River, the park unfolds to show a
myriad of habitats ranging from upland
forests to sandhills to low-lying forested
wetlands. While visiting the park on a
Discover Carolina field trip, you and your
students will complete a field study designed
to help monitor the park’s water quality. The
park’s waters come from different sources.
The Lynches River receives most of its water
from surface sources like rain whereas the
artesian ponds’ are almost entirely fed by a
series of artesian wells. Every class that
comes out to the park to complete a field
study helps to develop a database of
long-term water quality data for the park.
Data collected over the weeks, months, and
years will help develop a longterm water
quality database that will help identify and
alert if there is a change in the park’s water
quality.
Macroinvertebrates are animals that have
no backbone and can be seen with the
naked eye. They can be identified by look-
Please have students visit: http://
www.discovercarolina.com/html/
Lee%20clicktour%20v3/LSNA01.htm This
will get them acquainted with Lee State
Park.
Lee: Pre-Site
ing at their physical characteristics such as
the number of limbs, number of tails, and
presence or absence of external gills. Some
aquatic macroinvertebrates are restricted
to aquatic habitats during a portion of their
lifespan like dragonflies and damselflies,
while some are restricted during their entire
lifespan like clams and mussels. Some are
herbivores while others are carnivores and
sometimes cannibals. Many aquatic macroinvertebrates are affected by what happens
to the water. Birds can fly away from pollution. Fish can swim away from pollution.
Most aquatic macroinvertebrates cannot
escape water pollution. Different groups of
macroinvertebrates are affected by pollution differently. Stoneflies are some of the
most sensitive animals while leeches and
aquatic worms can live in clean or polluted
water. Biologists have created a formula
to determine water quality by studying the
aquatic macroinvertebrate community.
Procedures
1. Read the “Clues To the Crossword” - a
story about a dragonfly nymph. It will
help the students complete the vocabulary crossword.
2. Complete crossword.
3. Explain how to use a dichotomous key.
4. Have each student try to identify the 6
macroinvertebrates on the photo page
using the dichotomous key.
5. Discuss answers.
Extension
Have students calculate the water quality
score based on the 6 macroinvertebrates
they identified on the photo page using the
on-site data sheet.
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Lee: Pre-Site
Crossword Puzzle
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Crossword Puzzle Clues
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Across
Down
1. the number and variety of organisms found in a specific area
5. bottom of a sea, pond, lake, stream or river
8. the scientific study of the life and phenomena of fresh water, especially lakes
and ponds
9. a hard outer structure, such as the shell of an insect or crustacean, that provides
protection or support for an organism
13. these hairs grow out of the exoskeleton and help the macroinvertebrate to feel
changes in water pressure
14. relating to still waters like lakes and ponds
15. unjointed appendages that look like stubby legs
19. jointed appendages used for locomotion
Word Bank
abdomen antennae benthic biodiversity biotic water quality index macroinvertebrates legs carapace chitin dissolved oxygen exoskeleton gills lentic prolegs Lee: Pre-Site
2. relating to moving water like streams and rivers
3. invertebrates you can see without the aid of magnification
4. sensory parts located above eyes
5. formula for testing water quality based on the macroinvertebrates found in the
water
6. the midsection of a macroinvertebrate
7. appendages that can be present at the back of a macroinvertebrate
9. the shedding of an outer layer, as by insects, crustaceans, and snakes
10. main ingredient in the exoskeleton of some macroinvertebrates like crayfish
11. soil, silt or dirt that floats through the different layers of water and does not
settle to the bottom of the waterbody; can clog gills
12. the respiratory organ of most aquatic animals that breathe water to obtain
oxygen, consisting of a filamentous structure of vascular membranes across which
dissolved gases are exchanged
16. exoskeleton that covers the head and thorax of a crustacean like a crayfish
17. the end section of a macroinvertebrate’s body
18. oxygen found in water
lotic
limnology
ecdysis
sensory
suspended sediment
tails
thorax
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Lee: Pre-Site
Clues to the Crossword
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Crossword Answer Key
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Lee: Pre-Site
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Lee: Pre-Site
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Introduction
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Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Photo Page
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Lee: Pre-Site
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Lee: Pre-Site
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Dichotomous Key Practice
Extension
Have students calculate the water quality score based on the 6 macroinvertebrates
they identified on the photo page using the on-site data sheet.
Extension answer: 10 poor water quality
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Lee State Park: On-Site
Content Area:
Science
Grade Level:
6
Time to Complete:
2 hours
South Carolina State Standards Addressed
Science
6-1.3 Classify organisms, objects, and
materials according to their physical characteristics using a dichotomous key.
6-1.5 Use appropriate safety procedures
when conducting investigations.
6-3.1 Compare the characteristic structures
of invertebrate animals (including sponges,
segmented worms, echinoderms, mollusks,
and arthropods) and vertebrate animals
(fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals).
Lesson Description
The presence or absence of macroinvertebrates is an indication of the long-term effects of pollution on water quality. Students
will participate in a program designed to
teach them how to determine water quality
by sampling the park’s macroinvertebrate
population. They will use scientific methods
and quantitative measurements to gather
information. They will use dichotomous
Culminating Assessment
Complete post-site activity.
Material/Equipment/Resources
All materials will provided by park:
1.
dichotomous key
2.
10x magnifying glass
3.
net
4.
jar
5.
forceps
6.
video-microscope
7.
datasheet
Teacher Preparation
1. Review Basic Field Trip Recommendations at http://discovercarolina.com/
html/s06registration02.html
2. Call park for reservation.
3. Complete all pre-site activities.
4. Have students wear clothes that they
can get muddy. The river floodplain’s
bottom is mud so it is not a question of
if we will get muddy but how muddy.Day
Lee: On-Site
Title of Program:
Freshwater Ecology
keys to identify the aquatic macroinvertebrates.
of the field trip to Lee State Park:
5. Please bring back the pre-site activity kit
to the park.
6. Have nametags on students- this helps
to make our teaching more effective!
Procedures
1. Walk to river floodplain.
2. Have students get into pairs.
3. Each student will get to dip once and
get one macroinvertebrate.
4. The students paired together will help
each other use the dichotomous key to
ID their two animals.
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Lee: On-Site
5. Take all animals back to park laboratory.
6. Students will be introduced to water
quality based on aquatic macroinvertebrates.
7. Students will look at animals using the
videomicroscope to double check ID using the dichotomous key.
8. Students will calculate the water quality
score.
9. We will discuss the importance of dichotomous keys (how misidentifying
animals could affect the water quality
calculation, show students examples of
detailed macroinvertebrate dichotomous
keys).
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___ scuds
___ dragonfly nymphs
___ damselfly nymphs
___ caddisfly larvae
___ riffle beetle adults
___ gilled snails
___ # of organism types
multiplied by 2 =____
and larvae
___ all other beetle adults
___ riffle beetle larvae
___ crayfish
___ cranefly larvae
___ # of organism types
multiplied by 1 =____
___ leeches
___ midgefly larvae
___ blackfly larvae
___ lunged snails
___ aquatic worms
Lee: On-Site
Compare your final calculation to the WATER QUALITY INDEX below.
____ excellent (>22) ____ good (17-22) ____ fair (11-16) ____ poor (<11)
Now, add the 3 answers = _________ This is your water quality score.
___ # of organism types
multiplied by 3 =____
___ aquatic sowbugs
___ mayfly nymphs
___ dobsonfly larvae
___ clams and mussels
___ stonefly nymphs
Class 1: "We need clean water every day. We are worth 3 points."
Class 2: "We do OK in some dirty water. We are worth 2 points."
Class 3: "We can live in clean or dirty water. We are worth 1 point."
Class 1: pollution intolerant
Class 2: somewhat pollution tolerant Class 3: pollution tolerant
record total number of each animal type captured
Aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling:


Datasheet
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Lee State Park: Post-Site
Content Area:
Science
Grade Level:
6
Lee: Post-Site
Time to Complete:
1 or 2 class periods
Title of Program:
Freshwater Ecology
Lesson Description
Using skills they practiced for the pre-site
and on-site activities, the students will make
their own dichotomous key.
Material/Equipment/Resources
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•
•
•
notebook paper
pencil and eraser
eight objects for the key
dictionary and thesaurus for aid with
descriptive words
Procedures
1. Choose eight objects. Ideas: nuts and
bolts, student’s shoes, buttons, leaves,
fruits and vegetables.
2. Brainstorm descriptive visual characteristics about your objects. When you
look at your objects, what do you see
and how would you describe them to
other people? What makes each object
unique? How do they differ in shape,
size, color or texture?
3. Choose the characteristics that do not
vary much between individuals. For
example, if you are making a key to dis-
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tinguish apples and oranges, using the
characteristic red skin to distinguish the
apple from the orange will not be much
help if the user of your key has a green
or a yellow apple. A better choice may
be the texture of an apple’s skin versus
the texture of the orange’s skin. You
could still use color if you are comparing a red apple and an orange.
4. Start to write your key. Each step should
contain one pair of contrasting choices.
There should be one less step in your
key than the total number of objects that
your key identifies. The key you used at
the park has 24 steps and identifies 25
aquatic macroinvertebrates. Therefore,
since you are constructing a key for 8
objects, you should have seven steps.
5. Trade your key with someone in your
class and test it out. Does their key
work?