Biodiversity Survey
Field Study 1 & 2
Overview: Student will examine the differences between still and moving water

Location: Outdoors

Learner Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to differentiate between three different kinds of insects
2. Students will be able to make and test a prediction about macroinvertebrate abundance in two water habitats (still and moving)

Materials

1. White Trays (1 per two students)
2. Ice cube trays (1 per two students
3. Suckers and tweezers (1 per two students)
4. Various pictures of birds (1 per student)
5. Buckets of water.

Preparation

1. Using the nets collect large tray (to fill smaller trays) of insects from two areas (river or ditch and a pond).
2. Each round refill the student's white trays with fresh water from the two areas, depending on what group they are in.

Clean-up

1. Return all insects to their habitats and clean and dry trays.

What's that moving in the water?

Explain. . .

" Wetlands are very important because they provide food for birds. What foods are these birds eating? Seeds, other birds, mice, INSECTS.

• Insects are one of the most important foods wetlands provide.
• By looking around, where are some of the places we might find insects? Air, under rocks, on plants, in the water.
• In a wetland, the water is one of the best places to find lots of insects. We have moving water like the river and the ditches (indicate by pointing) and we have still water like ponds (indicate by pointing).
• We are going to make a prediction about which of these water habitats has the most insects and food for the birds.
• In you journal, write down how many insects we are going to find in the moving water and then how many in the still water. Share some student predictions.

Do . . .

• To test our prediction we will need to do some sampling. Earlier today I collected samples from the moving water and the still water (indicate the two buckets).
• Half of the group will count how insects in the moving water and half the group will count insects from the still water - to see if we were close in our predictions
• In our journals, we can tally insects we find in our sample.
• Divide students into two groups (river and pond). In pairs help students get a sample from their assigned area and use the tools to start counting their insects. They can use the tweezers, suckers, and ice cube trays to sort them. Stress to be gentle with the insects and not to hurt them.
• Give students 10 minutes to explore the trays and count their bugs. When they are finished have them return all their bugs back to the larger buckets.
• Use the field guides to try and identify some of the insects and count how many kinds you find.
• If some finish early they can sketch one of their insects in their journals.

Discuss . . .

• Were our predictions right?
• Why do you think the pond/river has the most bugs?
• Which one has the most diversity in terms of insects?
• Which one has more food for birds?

Go to K-5 Curriculum