Wetland Survival
by Sukey Forsman
Introduction ·
Question ·
Background Info ·
Individual Roles ·
Group Process
Rubric ·
Conclusion ·
Teacher's Guide
Introduction ·
Question ·
Background Info ·
Individual Roles ·
Group Process
Rubric ·
Conclusion ·
Teacher's Guide
Introduction
Congratulations! You have just been awarded a huge grant from a wetland conservation group. You are part of a team of scientists who will develop a wetland wildlife refuge. In order to receive your grant money (and your grade) you must fulfill certain requirements.
1) As individual scientists, you will research your expertise for the refuge. Working with your team, you must develop a model of a wetland environment that has all the components to meet the scientific definition of a wetland. Your model may be either a diorama or a mural.
2) Your wetland must be a thriving ecosystem with interrelated plant, animal, and insect populations that survive within viable food chains and food webs.
3) You must be able to identify the important function your wetland serves for the environment.
4) You must allow public access to your wetland that does not harm your wetland components or disrupt the fragile ecosystem.
5) Your team will present a model, either a mural or a diorama, and a PowerPoint presentation or a brochure to the class that describes your Wildlife Refuge.
The Question
The main question you will be asked to find an answer for is:
How can we protect and help the fragile wetland ecosystems in our area to survive?
Add two or more of your own inquiry questions to your research mind map.
Background Information
Before you apply your individual expertise as scientists, you and your team will need background knowledge.
Use the Background Links to research the questions listed below. Be sure to keep track of your sources and take complete notes.
Your background investigation mind map should answer the following questions:
1) What is a wetland? What are the necessary components of a wetland in our climate?
2) Why are wetlands important? What functions do they serve for the environment?
3) What are the threats to wetland ecosystems?
Kid's Tools for Searching the Internet
Environmental Concern - glossary This site has words that you may want to use in your investigation report.
Environmental Concern - What is a wetland?
Fact Monster On line resource for additional information
Wetlands Map This site describes many different kinds of wetland ecosystems with descriptions of plants and animals. This site has great information and resources for all the scientists. Go back and use this site for your individual research.
Wetland Functions
Wetland Information Use this site to find threats to wetlands, as well as for your group project
Individual Roles
Wetlands are complex ecosystems with interrelated parts. Each person on your team will assume the role of a scientist who will be an expert on a specific scientific component of the ecosystem.
In order to fulfill the requirements of your grant and receive your grant money (and your grade), you will have to work together and use all your expert knowledge to create a viable wetland ecosystem.
Before you begin, browse through all the roles and choose one that interests you.
Ecologist
Use the links below to learn more about your roles.
Your job as ecologists, is to design the layout of your model wetland that would exist in our area. The ecologists will be responsible for making sure there is a viable food chain to sustain the ecosystem and that the wetland you have designed has the four basic elements for a wildlife refuge. You are also responsible to know the possible threats to your wetland ecosystem.
You must be able to answer the question: how does your model qualify as a wetland?
You will need to create a diagram of at least one food chain that exists in your wetland ecosystem.
- Food Chain
- The Food Chain - Thinkquest site
- World Climates
- Environmental Concern - Wetland Functions
- Importance of wetlands in the ecology of a region
- Wetlands
- Information on what a wetlands is as well as plants and animals.
- Vanishing Wetlands
- Cattail - food chain
- A good example of the food chain. Use the food chain diagrams from the Wetlands Map to choose your plants and animals.
- Four Basic Elements
- This site describes the four basic elements necessary for a wildlife habitat
Botanist
Use the links below to learn more about your role.
Your job, as the botanist, is to become an expert on the native plants in our area that make up wetland environments. You will be responsible for working with the ecologist, the zoologist, and the entomologist to provide adequate plant biodiversity to sustain a viable food chain that supports the survival of your ecosystem. This may include water plants, trees, and grasses.
- Biome/Habitat Animal Printouts
- Environmental Concern - Wetland Plants
- General information about the survival of wetland plants
- enature.com
- A good site to find native plants, animals, and insects. You must enter a zip code and an email address. You can use my email - the site does not appear to generate spam
Zoologist and Entomologist
Use the links below to learn more about your role.
Your jobs, as the zoologist and entomologist, are to become experts on the native animals and insects that make up wetland environment in our area. You will be responsible for working with the botanist and the ecologist to provide adequate insect and animal biodiversity to sustain a viable food chain that supports the survival of your ecosystem.
- Duck Stuff
- Environmental Concern -Wetland Creatures
- Information about the survival of creatures in a wetland
- The Virtual Zoo
- Descriptions of many different kinds of animals
- enature.com
- A good site to find native plants, animals, and insects. You must enter a zip code and an email address. You can use my email - the site does not appear to generate spam
Group Synthesis
Now you will become expert scientists on wetlands. It is time for you to use your expertise to develop a model of a specific type of wetland and create a Power Point presentation or, using Publisher, a brochure for your grant money (and grade).
Using the links below, the links with your role, and instructions from your teacher, plan and build a diorama or paint a mural of your wetlands model.
1) After each person on your team has chosen a scientist role begin your research. Make sure that your plants, animals, and insects can survive in our area and together.
2) Working together create your mural or diorama of your wetland ecosystem. This would be a good time to go back and review the grant requirements in the Introduction. Make sure you fulfill all the requirements. Each scientist must contribute her or his expertise to create the model.
3) Individually prepare your portion of the brochure or Power Point page and work together on your group model and presentation. As a team develop rules for public access to your wetland.
Your brochure or Power Point presentation must describe the components of your wetland (ecolgist), the native plants (botanist), animals (zoologist), and insects (etomologist).
Be prepared to answer questions such as these:
How will people be able to use your wetland?
What activities will be allowed?
What activities will never be allowed? Why?
Will you allow people to live there?
How will you protect the ecosystem?
How will people get in and out of your wetland without harming the fragile environment?
Be prepared to answer other questions and justify your choices for your ecosystem. The class will determine whether you have fulfilled all the grant requirements and will receive your grant money.
Wetlands Links to animals and dangers for wetlands
Water Pollution
Wetlands Map
Biomes of the World This site describes the different biomes
Habitats and Landforms This site has lots of links (some that work and some that do not) to help you decide what type of wetland and environment you would like to have.
Refuge Brochures This site has brochures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
enature.com This site will help you find native plants and animals for your refuge. You must enter a zip code and an email address. You can use my email - the site does not appear to generate spam.
Dioramas This artist creates dioramas for museums.
Wildlife Refuges You can click on this map and investigate wildlife refuges in our area.
CA Department of Fish and Game - Wildlife Areas You can find wildlife areas close to us. Many of lists of the plants and animals you would find. Also maps to get there.
Real World Feedback:
Conclusion
Receiving a grant to conserve a part of our environment is becoming more important as the world's economies expand and become more global and interrelated. How do people meet their needs and survive within the natural environment? How can the natural environment survive with people? During this project you have had to research into the interrelated parts of an ecosystem. You have learned that there are no simple answers to the questions we face as a global community. You have learned to work as a team to come up with a complex solution to very important questions. People will have to continue to try to solve these questions. Because you have taken the time to learn how wetland ecosystems work, you can now be a knowledgeable participant in the discussion to try to find solutions.
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created by Sukey Forsman email: sforsman@wusd.k12.ca.us http://web-and-flow.com/members/sforsman/wetlands/webquest.htm |