Kenan Fellows
Determining Stream Health by the Diversity and Types of Benthic Organisms
How diverse are the benthic organisms found in local streams? Using the information learned in previous lessons on identification of macroinvertebrates and on calculating stream index values, groups determine the health of local streams....
Curated OER
How Am I Supposed to Eat THAT?
Students explain nutritional strategies of benthic organisms.They describe nutritional strategies of benthic organisms and describe these physical characteristics.
Kenan Fellows
Use of Dichotomous Keys to Identify Stream Organisms
What kind of organisms are living in the stream? After an explanation on how to use a dichotomous key, groups of three to four use the keys to identify macroinvertebrates from a local freshwater stream. Using the the concept of Stream...
Curated OER
Questions - Appearances are Deceiving
Five evolution-related questions are answered by beginning biologists on a separate sheet of paper. First, they are asked to list adaptations that allow organisms to survive under various conditions. The second question refers to...
Curated OER
Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...
NOAA
What's New?
Biodiversity in some areas is more diverse than one might think. Using a two-day lesson, pupils consider the biodiversity of the Hudson Canyon and the characteristics of one organism. They begin with an analysis of the common earthworm...
Curated OER
What's That?
Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another lesson be completed first. In that lesson, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic communities. In this lesson,...
Curated OER
Chemosynthesis for the Classroom
Explorers set up Windogradsky columns with local mud so that they can culture microorganisms. After three and six weeks they make observations of the mud and the organisms growing in it. In this way they observe succession and relate...
Curated OER
Biochemistry Detectives
Students explore the process of chemosynthesis and relate it to the biological communities in cold seeps. In this biochemistry instructional activity students interpret analyses of enzyme activity and draw inferences about organisms in...
Curated OER
Entering the Twilight Zone
Students describe major features of cold seep communities and list organisms that are found in these communities. In this water habitat instructional activity students examine trophic levels, describe the process of chemosynthesis and...
Curated OER
Benthic Bingo
Students identify organisms of a benthic community. They place the correct organism in the correct community and practice using marine terms. They play this game like a game of bingo.
Curated OER
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Students survey and describe a stream ecosystem. They sample the benthic macroinvertebrate populations of a given stream and determine community structure through the use of the Chandler Index and a species diversity index.
Curated OER
Critter Clues
Students work together to examine water quality. They identify the indicators of water quality and complete an experiment. They discuss their results.
Curated OER
TE Lesson: How Clean is that Water?
Middle schoolers examine the factors the affect water quality, and allow for animals and plants to live. They look at how engineers apply water quality information when making stream modifications in order to ensure drinking water...
NOAA
Ocean Zones
How can organisms light up in water? Bioluminescence is light produced in a chemical reaction that can occur in an organism's body. First, learners determine what happens to light/color as you move into the deep ocean. In groups, they...
Kenan Fellows
Determining the Effects of a Golf Course on Stream Health
Do golf courses affect the water organisms in nearby streams and ponds? Small groups collect samples of water upstream and downstream from a golf course and analyze the macroinvertebrates found and the stream index values of the two...
Curated OER
Three Cold Realms
Students identify organisms within the realms of pelagic, benthic and sea ice. They explain how these three interact with each other.
Curated OER
Keep it Complex
Students consider the importance of biodiversity in the ocean layers. In this oceanography lesson, students use the Shannon-Weaver diversity index to analyze data. Students analyze the information collected and write a report offering...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Biotic Water Quality of a Stream
In this lesson, learners properly use a taxonomic key to identify benthic organisms. Students go onto collect aquatic macroinvertabrate and then ennumerate all organisms colelcted. The culminating activity is the Project Watershed...
Curated OER
Charleston Bump Expedition Eddies, Gyres and Drowning Machines
Students describe at least three types of effect that physical obstructions may have on water flowing past the obstructions. Students explain at least three ways in which current flow can be significant to benthic organisms.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Diverse Life Forms of the Ocean
Pupils recognize marine organisms and differentiate between plankton and nekton. In this investigative instructional activity students create a concept map using their list of terms and study marine life forms.
Curated OER
To See or Not to See
Learners identify and discuss key factors that determine how effective color camouflage is in certain habitats. In this investigative instructional activity students divide into groups and study light.
Curated OER
Let's Get to the Bottom of the Arctic!
Pupils identify the three realms of the Arctic Ocean, and describe the relationships between these realms. They describe different species associations in a benthic community.
Curated OER
Getting to the Bottom
Pupils identify taxa in Arctic benthic communities. They discover organisms that live in these Arctic areas. They analyze data compiled for the Canada Basin Benthic Samples, 2002.