Learners investigate the environment of a stream or lake to collect and observe macroinvertebrates in their natural environment. They record data and summarize the information obtained. Students look to see if there has been any human...

Learners design an ideally adapted macroinvertebrate to live in a water habitat. They illustrate their animal, name it and specify the adaptations it has that enable it to survive.

Seventh graders use a pond to explore macroinvertebrates and other organisms. They use a dichotomous key to classify the organisms and maintain a journal recording their findings.

Students make their own fly-fishing flies.  In this aquatic macroinvertebrates instructional activity, students look at images of different species of aquatic macroinvertebrates.  Students compare the similarities and...

High schoolers 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.

Students determine if human practices have any noticeable effects on the quality of stream life as measured by the presence of certain macroinvertebrates. They collect, preserve and identify macroinvertibrate samples and quantify the data.

Investigate the parts of a healthy stream to build content-specific vocabulary and ecological awareness. The class builds vocabulary and determines why clean water is important for trout. They design a shoe box to show what a clean...

Students conduct an experiment using leaf packs.  In this leaf instructional activity students complete an activity in groups and complete a handout. 

Learners design an experiment to test the effects of a change in the amount of dissolved oxygen of water on aquatic plants and animals. Questions are offered for exploration and experiment design. Results are tabulated and conclusions...

Students use the net they make to dip macroinvertebrates at or below the surface. The flat side of the net allows pressure on the substrate so that organisms do not escape under the net. Two students hold onto the handles and submerge...

Students examine the impact that human development has on streams.  In this stream sampling lesson students compare macroinvertebrate data and graph it.

Students explore our ecosystem by investigating the quality of our water. In this aquatic insect lesson, students examine a group of random insects collected from different streams and ponds in the area. Students record their...

Who knew bugs could be so informative? A hands-on activity has pupils assess the sustainability of a water ecosystem based on the presence of invertebrates. The class places a homemade trap in a local pond, and after several weeks,...

Learners are asked to respond to questions such as:" Have there been surveys of the area to inventory the species?" (For example, for a wetland area, do they know what amphibians live there and how abundant they are?) Are there any...

Students discuss the relationships between dissolved oxygen in a stream, stream temperature, organic waste loads, and stream conditions by studying and using a model of dissolved oxygen in the stream.

Students analyze data from a student discussion website and write a report on the outcome of an investigation regarding their local water quality. As part of a larger unit students then post the summary of their investigation on the...

In this wetlands ecosystem learning exercise, learners use a set of links to complete an investigation into habitats, mammals, birds, macroinvertebrates, amphibians, trees and plants of a wetlands ecosystem.

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...

Learners conduct water tests and sample macroinvertebrates from a nearby source to make a general determination about the overall quality of water. They use worksheets and analyze data as part of a larger unit.

Students collect water samples from local freshwater sources and test for pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, macroinvertebrates, phosphates, and coliform bacteria in order to determine water quality for each source.

Students study outside sources of energy that are associated with the headwater streams in northern Michigan. They study how leaf fall is an important food source for macroinvertebrates and how photosynthesis drives the production of...

Students experiment collecting macroinvertebrates from a stream and identify the specimens collected and then log in the information into a data table. From the data, they make qualitative and quantitative interpretations of water quality.

Fifth graders describe a wetland habitat and its components. They provide, in writing, at least one example of a wetland food chain, relate wetlands to ecological functions, and relate the importance of wetland functions to their own...

Field trip! The class will review what they know about organisms that dwell in freshwater ponds, then trek down to the old water hole to collect specimens for examination. This includes several web links, useful tips, and an excellent...