I didn't put anything here.
-Mr. C
Introduction
This year, you have learned a lot about the ways plants and animals are adapted to their environment, as well as the ways they depend on it for survival. Today you will read about very small animals that live in streams, and how their presence (or absence!) can give us clues about the health of the entire ecosystem.
Task
Visit the following website: http://www.sjrwmd.com/education/macroinvertebrates.html
Read the introduction, and then scroll down to see the diagram of the St. John's River. Click on and read about the 16 species shown (many of these organisms live in Tennessee's rivers too!) You will use this information to complete the third task below:
1) Find the definiton of "macroinvertebrate" in the second paragraph. Write it on your paper.
2) The last sentence of the fourth paragraph begins with "If scientists..." Copy that whole sentence on your paper.
3) Imagine a polluted stream. What can scientists expect to find there? What will scientists NOT expect to find there? Make a T-chart on your paper--include all 16 macros from the St. John's River diagram.
Process
Visit the following website: http://fergusonfoundation.org/btw-students/macro-invertebrate-identification/
Follow the directions to identify and learn more about macros found in two hypothetical bodies of water: a Lazy Branch and a Scrubby Creek.
1) On your paper, make a chart to show which macroinvertebrates you identified in each body of water, and how many points each one was worth.
2) When you are done, write down which body of water is the cleaner of the two AND tell how we know (think about what the point values mean).
3) Write down the adaptations or traits--segmented legs, for example--shared by macros that are the most sensitive to pollution (the ones with the higher point values).
Evaluation
Your paper should be neat, organized, and easy to read. It should contain lots of information about macroinvertebrates and their habitats.
Go on to the final assignment.
Conclusion
On the back of the page, create an advertisement or design a poster that uses what you've learned about macroinvertebrates to encourage people to take better care of our streams and rivers. Refer to some of the specific examples from these websites.
Credits
Thanks to the St. John's River Water Managment District and the Alice Ferguson Foundation.