Activity 3 - Life in the Fast Lane

PART I

Activity Description: WETLAND METAPHORS

Estimated Time of Activity: 20 min

Goals: Process Skills and Content Knowledge:

  • Students will describe characteristics of wetlands.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of wetlands to wildlife and humans.
  • Students will identify ecological functions of wetlands.

Materials:

If possible, gather the real items in a bag and allow students to reach inside to retrieve an object without seeing the contents. If not, make picture cards of the following items and have students pick out of a bag the same way.

  • Sponge
  • Small pillow
  • Soap
  • Egg beater
  • Small doll cradle or pics of nursery items
  • Sieve or strainer
  • Paper coffee filter
  • Bottle of antacid tablets
  • Small box of cereal or wild rice
  • Picture of zoo
  • Picture of resort or motel

Pre-Activity:

  • Do Now: What is a home, sponge, and strainer all at the same time?
  • Go Over questions from the H.W. assignment, Functions and Values of Wetlands.

Activity Instructions:

  • Ask students to answer the Do Now question: What is a home, sponge, and strainer all at the same time? If they did the homework assignment, they should respond wetlands.
  • Go over questions to the H.W. assignment. If not assigned, hand out “Function and Values of Wetlands” fact sheet and give them 5 – 10 minutes to read.
  • Tell students that they will be formulating Wetland Metaphors (compares seemingly unrelated subjects) using household items that we use or see regularly.
  • Divide the class into groups of four or five. Ask a representative from each group to choose an item from the Mystery Metaphor Container. Each group must decide how the object could represent what a wetland is or does.
  • Have them pick one by one until each group has seen every item.
  • Allow time for students to discuss their answers in groups before each group presents its object and ideas to the class.
  • Have the group fill out one Wetland Metaphor chart to hand in as credit.
  • Have student fill out exit ticket summarize what they learned for the day.
Object Metaphoric function
Sponge Absorbs excess water caused by runoff; retains moisture for a time even if standing water dries up (sponge stays wet even after it has absorbed a spill)
Pillow or bed A resting place for migratory birds
Egg Beater Mixes nutrients and oxygen into the water
Cradle Provides a nursery that shelters, protects and feeds young wildlife
Strainer Strains silt and debris from water (keeps water supply clean)
Coffee filter Filters smaller impurities from water (excess nutrients, toxins)
Antacid Neutralizes toxic substances
Cereal, rice, picture of garden Provides nutrient-rich foods for wildlife and humans
Soap Helps cleanse the environment
Picture of zoo Habitat for diverse wildlife
Picture of resort or motel Resting or wintering place for migrating water fowl.

 

PART II

Activity Description: Cornell Notes

Estimated Time of Activity: 15 -20 min

Goals: Process Skills and Content Knowledge:

  • Students will learn an effective way of taking notes.
  • Students will practice Cornell Notes with class material.

Materials:

Pre Activity Instructions:

  • Ask students “What is the purpose of note-taking?” “How did you learn how to take notes?”

Activity:

  • Go through Cornell Notes power point.
  • Practice Cornell notes using “Overview of Wetlands” EPA fact sheet.

 

PART III

Activity Description: Life in the Fast Lane – Vernal Pool Introduction

Estimated Time of Activity: 2 class periods (45 min each)

Goals: Process Skills and Content Knowledge:

  • Students will describe physical and biological components of temporary wetlands.
  • Students will recognize the importance of temporary wetlands to larger ecosystems.
  • Students will explain how organisms in temporary wetlands race against time to obtain water, shelter, food and a mate.

Materials:

 

Pre-Activity Instructions:

  • Have students answer the Do Now question: Define temporary wetland.

Activity Instructions:

  • Show students an image of a dry vernal pool and ask students to write or call out responses to these questions:
    • What do you see?
    • What plants or animals do you think live here?
    • What do you think the ground feels like?
    • What predators may live here?
    • What animal do you think is at the top of the food chain?
    •  Does this look like a good place to build? Why?
  • Show students an image of a wet vernal pool image and ask students to write or call out responses to these questions:
    • What do you see?
    • What plants or animals do you think live here?
    • What do you think the ground feels like?
    • What predators may live here?
    • What animal do you think is at the top of the food chain?
    •  Where does the water come from? Where does it go?
    •  Does this look like a good place to build? Why?
  • Inform the students that the two photographs were of the same place: a seasonal/temporary wetland in Massachusetts, near where I collect the clam shrimp that I study.
  • Tell students that today we will be examining the physical and biological components of temporary wetlands.
  • Go through the Vernal Pool Power Point presentation. (see teacher notes on slides)
  • Have students complete the activity sheet as you present the lesson.

Assignment:

  • Hand out EPA Seasonal Pools text (or just the specific pages) and have students create a Cornell Notes sheet on section 1.3 “Definition of a Seasonal Pool” pgs. 3 – 6.
  • Read article on Clam shrimp and list any unknown vocabulary words.

Assessment:

  • Quality of Cornell notes of EPA Seasonal Pools.

 

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