What is in the Water?
The focal point of this section is for the students to compare and contrast water chemistry from two different sample sites: an ephimeral stream on
the school grounds that is surrounded by farmland and a fresh water creek in a nature preserve surrounded by a deciduous forest.  Following this exploration the students should be able to make inferences about the effect of various abiotic factors on the community ecology.

 

 
Objectives
Students will be actively excercising common scientific skills in order to understand community ecology.  Through the use of water chemistry kits they will investigate abiotic factors in the water that will effect the biotic organisms that live within them.  They will in turn investigate the macroinvertebrate communities within the two sites to determine what abiotic factors may be present in the water.
Materials

Materials: per group of four students

 -LaMotte Green Low Cost water monitoring kits
 -ice cube tray
 -small paint brush
 -water quality macroinvertebrate keys
 
 
Procedure
1-Students will go into the field whenever possible, when not possible bring the field or stream to them!
 
2-Students will use the data collection sheet for gathering abiotic and biotic information to make inferences about the quality of water in 
   two varying sample sites.
 
3-Using the LaMotte water monitoring kits students will work together in groups of four to collect pH, temp, dissolved O 2 , phosphate, and
   nitrate levels.  Students will consolidate all grade level data to determine mean statistics.
 
4-Students will then collect/identifiy a sample of macroinvertebrates from both stream locations and use the water quality keys to determine
   if there are abiotic factors in the bodies of water that may effect the fauna that exist within them.
References
PA State Standards 4.3.7 A, 4.5.7 A, 4.6.7. A/C
State Standards
Lesson Resources