Ecology/ Lesson 15 Topography The Human-Water Connection
Overview Science This lesson explores the interaction between State Goal 12: Understand the fundamental humans and their most important natural concepts, principles and interconnections of the resource – water. Using Fort Sheridan’s location life, physical and earth/space sciences. as a springboard, students study the importance of water to human activity and, in return, the 12.B. Know and apply concepts that describe impact human activity has on water resources. how living things interact with each other and Students create a large food web and discuss with their environment. specific examples of how pollution destroys life 3a. Identify and classify biotic and abiotic factors in the lake. in an environment that affect population density, habitat and placement of organisms Core Subject Areas in an energy pyramid. science, social studies 12.E. Know and apply concepts that describe the Instructional Level features and processes of the intermediate Earth and its resources. 3c. Evaluate the Learning Objectives biodegradability of renewable By completing this lesson, and nonrenewable natural Choppy waves on Lake Michigan students should be able to: resources. • Explain why water is an important and vulnerable resource. Social Science • Describe the effects of pollution on a State Goal 17: Understand world geography lake ecosystem. and the effects of geography on society, with an • Describe four different types of water emphasis on the United States. pollution. 17.C. Understand relationships between geographic factors and society. • Create a food web and understand the importance of each organism within the web. 3a. Explain how human activity is affected by geographic factors. State Goal 18: Understand social systems, with State Standards Addressed an emphasis on the United States. This lesson addresses the following Illinois State Standards: 18.B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Bizzaro page 161 3a. Analyze how individuals and groups interact bacterial pollution: pollution of water caused with and within institutions (e.g. educational, by excess harmful bacteria military). ballast water: water taken into the hold of a ship in order to keep the ship stable; when the Suggested Time Allocation water is later released into a body of water, it often carries harmful organisms with it Four to five 45-minute sessions carnivore: consumer that eats only other consumers Materials Required consumer: organism that cannot produce • Land to the North of Chicago map its own food; relies on the consumption of producers to obtain energy • Lake Michigan Species Cards ecosystem: the interaction of organisms • String in a community with each other and their environment • Paper arrows (at least two sets per group) filter feeder: an aquatic organism, such as a • Water Pollution Overview (for teachers) clam or sponge, that feeds by filtering organic • Water Pollution Overview reproducible for material from water students food chain: model used to demonstrate how energy passes from one organism to another • Human Activity Scenario Cards food web: model used to show several • Internet access overlapping food chains within an ecosystem herbivore: consumer that eats only producers Lesson Preparation invasive species: nonnative species that reproduce quickly and outcompete native 1. Familiarize yourself with important terms. species in a specific habitat 2. Review the Water Pollution Overview. macroinvertebrate: an organism without 3. Familiarize yourself with the Chicago-area a backbone that is large enough to be seen map. without magnification 4. Copy scenario and species cards for nutrient pollution: pollution of water caused by groups. excess nitrogen and phosphorus 5. Review history of Fort Sheridan at http:// omnivore: consumer that eats producers and www.fortsheridan.org. other consumers producer: organism that makes its own food Important Terms sediment pollution: pollution of water by eroding sediments; clouds the water, preventing autotroph: an organism, such as algae, that can light from penetrating far beneath the surface create its own food from inorganic substances, toxic pollution: pollution of water caused by using photosynthesis harmful chemicals
page 162 Lesson 15: The Human-Water Connection Lesson Steps Water has an impact on human activity; human activity has an impact on water. Introduction 1. Divide students into several small groups and distribute the map of the area north of Human Activity and Pollution Chicago to each group. 7. Ask students to share their responses to 2. After the students have had several the statement above. minutes to survey the map, give them the 8. As a class, brainstorm ways that humans following scenario: pollute the water (i.e., sediment, toxic, bacterial, It is 1886. To alleviate the constant fear of labor-force and nutrient pollution). riots, the United States War Department has agreed 9. Divide the class into four groups. Assign to build a military establishment north of the Chicago each group a type of pollution to investigate. area. You are a team of army officers assigned the 10. Using the Internet and books, each group task of locating a suitable site for the construction will prepare a short 3-5 minute presentation for of a fort to be used for stationing and training the class about their topic. Each presentation troops. Approximately 600 acres are needed for the should include the following: establishment. Using the map provided, propose a construction site. • Definition of the chosen type of pollution 3. After everyone has completed the task, • Cause(s) of the chosen type of pollution each group should share their proposed site • Prevention of the chosen type of pollution with the rest of the class. 4. Lead the class to a discussion about Lake • Handout for other students summarizing Michigan and the important role water played the information (Before their presentation, in the early life of Fort Sheridan. The following students should make enough copies for questions might be helpful in guiding the everyone in the class.) discussion in the desired direction: Before the presentations, distribute one blank Water Pollution Overview reproducible to each • Which criteria did you use to choose the student. Instruct students to take notes on this site for the fort? Explain. reproducible during each presentation. • Which natural resources are available in this area? Pollution and the Lake Michigan Food Web • Aside from the obvious uses of water 11. Review the concept of a food web with (drinking, bathing, etc.), how could a site on students by sketching a simple diagram. Make the Lake Michigan waterfront benefit a fort? sure students have a working knowledge of 5. Reveal the true location of Fort Sheridan the following terms: food chain, ecosystem, to the students. producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, 6. At the end of class, or for homework, omnivore. ask the students to respond to the following 12. Divide the class into 2-3 groups. Give each statement in paragraph form: group a set of species cards, paper arrows, and some string.
Lesson 15: The Human-Water Connection page 163 13. Each group will create a food web using Lesson Extensions and the species cards (representing organisms in the Modifications web), arrows (representing the flow of energy), Extensions and string (showing the relationship between organisms). Walk around while students are • As a follow-up, students are asked to working to make sure they are on the right pick one way that humans have an impact track. Note: One common mistake students on the lake ecosystem and research possible make is placing the arrows in the wrong methods of prevention/treatment. direction. Remind them that the arrows point • Have students pick another ecosystem in the direction of energy flow — producer and create species cards and a food web for consumer, not the other way around! that system. 14. Once the groups have completed their webs, pass out the Human Activity Scenario • Ask students to research local, state and Cards. Each group should receive a different federal laws regulating pollution. card. Students should read the scenario • Take a field trip to Fort Sheridan and cards and determine how this human activity look for evidence of pollution around the will contribute to water pollution, and as fort itself. a result affect their food webs. Students should rearrange their webs to show how the introduction of the pollution affects the Modifications environment. For example, an increase in nutrients might cause an algal bloom, followed • To shorten this lesson, the following by a decrease in consumers due to lack of modifications can be made: oxygen. Within their groups, they discuss the - Rather than having students do the impact of the varying types of pollution on research themselves, give them handouts or the different organisms in their food webs. By notes defining types of water pollution. rearranging the food web, students are able to see the impact of pollution at different levels. - Save one human activity card aside and 15. If time allows, each group can repeat Step use that for the assessment. This eliminates 14, using a different card. the time needed for each group to create its own scenario. Assessment • To lengthen this lesson, the following modification can be made: 16. Each group creates a scenario card describing a human activity around Fort - Create more scenario cards for students Sheridan that infers a type of pollution. The to practice with before the assessment. groups then switch cards and adjust their food webs to the new scenario as in Step 14. • For classes with little prior knowledge of food webs, the food web activity can be completed as a class with help from the teacher.
page 164 Lesson 15: The Human-Water Connection Writing Prompt
• Over the past several days we have discussed the negative impact that humans have had on the waters of Lake Michigan. Are there ways that human activity has had a positive impact on the lake? Explain.
Additional Resources
• http://www.fortsheridan.org
• http://www.explorethefort.org
• http://www.lakemichigan.org
• http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org
Lesson 15: The Human-Water Connection page 165 Land to the North of Chicago - 1823
1 square inch = about 496 acres
Map courtesy of LCFP’s Lake County Discovery Museum Lake Michigan Species Cards - photocopy with descriptions on reverse as double-sided copies
Lake Whitefish Sea Lamprey Coregonus clupeaformis Petromyzon marinus
Rainbow Smelt Lake Trout Osmerus mordax Salvelinus namaycush
Bloater Chinook Salmon Coregonus hoyi Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Invasive Fishhook & Spiny Waterfleas Native Waterfleas Cercopagis pengoi & Bythotrephes cederstroemi Daphnia galeata
Images courtesy of NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Lake Michigan Species Cards - photocopy with photos on reverse as double-sided copies
Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Eel-like, parasitic fish that bores holes in its prey Most important commercial species with a rough tongue Native Non-native Eaten by lamprey Carnivore Eats macroinvertebrates such as opossum shrimp Top predator and zebra mussels, and zooplankton such as Eats whitefish, salmon and lake trout copepods and Daphnia
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax Valuable commercial fish that is often over-fished Introduced as food for salmon Native, fished out of the Lake by 1940 and later Non-native re-introduced Carnivore Carnivore Eaten by salmon, lake trout and whitefish Eaten by the lamprey Eats invasive fishhook and opossum shrimp Eats rainbow smelt, alewife, and bloater
Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Bloater Coregonus hoyi Stocked for commercial fishing and to control Commercial fish alewife population Native Non-native Eaten by salmon and trout Carnivore Eats zooplankton and other bottom-dwelling Eaten by lamprey organisms Eats alewife, rainbow smelt, and bloater
Native Waterfleas Daphnia galeata Invasive Fishhook & Spiny Waterfleas Filter-feeding zooplankton Cercopagis pengoi & Bythotrephes cederstroemi Native Tiny crustaceans with long, sharp barbed tail spikes Eaten by forage fish such as whitefish and bloater Introduced by ballast water from transoceanic ships as well as macroinvertebrates (e.g. opossum Carnivores shrimp, invasive fishhook) Eaten by alewife and yellow perch Eats blue-green algae and green algae Eats zooplankton Lake Michigan Species Cards - Green Algae photocopy with descriptions on reverse as double-sided copies
Alewife Aloso pseudoharengus
Amphipods Diporeia
Cyclopoid Copepods Cyclops bicuspidatus
Opossum Shrimp Mysis relicta
Zooplankton
Zebra & Quagga Mussels Dressena polymorpha & Dreissena bugensis
Photo courtesy of Shane Anderson, NOAA
Diatoms
Yellow Perch Perca flavescens
Images courtesy of NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, except where noted Green Algae Lake Michigan Species Cards - Microscopic, single-celled plants photocopy with photos on reverse Main support of food web as double-sided copies Anchors to rocks near shore, some are bottom- dwelling Producer Alewife Aloso pseudoharengus Eaten by zebra mussels, amphipods, opossum Invasive shrimp and Daphnia Carnivore Eaten by trout and salmon Eats bloater and yellow perch Amphipods Diporeia Most common fish diet Numbers dependent heavily on number of producers Herbivore Eaten by whitefish, yellow perch, alewife and bloater Cyclopoid Copepods Cyclops bicuspidatus Eat green algae and diatoms Greatly affected by shift in pH of environment (Increasing acidity decreases copepod population.) Native Omnivore Opossum Shrimp Mysis relicta Omnivore Native Eaten by whitefish, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, alewife and bloater Eats algae, Daphnia and copepods Zooplankton Eaten by invasive fishhook, opossum shrimp, whitefish, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, alewife, and bloater Eats algae Zebra & Quagga Mussels Dressena polymorpha & Dreissena bugensis Filter-feeder Invasive Eaten by diving ducks, whitefish Eats algae and diatoms Diatoms Microscopic plants encased in silica shells Producer Eaten by zebra mussels, amphipods, opossum shrimp and other macroinvertebrates Yellow Perch Perca flavescens Forage fish Native Eaten by alewife Eats opossum shrimp, invasive fishhook, and zooplankton
Human Activity Scenario Cards (page 1)
Scenario A Scenario B In the 1940s, the Alewife invaded the waters of In the early 1980s a harmful bacteria entered Lake Michigan, entering the lake through the the lake water and there was an outbreak of a ballast waters of large ships. They preyed upon bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in the Chinook the native bloater and yellow perch species, Salmon population. decreasing their numbers. Rearrange your food web to show a decrease/ Rearrange the pieces of your food web to show disappearance of the Chinook Salmon and write the invasion of the Alewife. a paragraph describing the effect(s) on the 1. Which organisms are directly affected by the ecosystem. Alewife? Explain. Brainstorm possible causes of bacteria entering 2. Which organisms are indirectly affected by the waters. How could these outbreaks be the Alewife? Explain. prevented? In the 1950s, Chinook Salmon, a non-native species, was introduced to control the Alewife population. Rearrange the pieces of your food web to show the introduction of Chinook Salmon and write a paragraph describing the effect(s) on the ecosystem.
Scenario C Scenario D Increased boating on Lake Michigan and dumping As a result of phosphorus loading leading to a of household detergents has dramatically decrease in autotrophic production, dumping increased the phosphorus content of the water. of household detergents and other phosphorus Rearrange the pieces of your food web to show sources has been banned. the effect of phosphorus overload and write Rearrange the pieces of your food web to show a paragraph describing the effect(s) on the the effect of the ban and write a paragraph ecosystem. describing the impact on the ecosystem. 1. Which organisms are directly affected by an Is a long-term ban on household cleaners increase in phosphorous? Explain. practical? Why or why not? Brainstorm a list of 2. Which organisms are indirectly affected by an “safe” cleaning products. increase in phosphorous? Explain. Human Activity Scenario Cards (page 2)
Scenario E Scenario F Lake Whitefish is the most important commercial The Sea Lamprey invaded Lake Michigan through species native to Lake Michigan. Over-fishing has man-made canals and replaced the Lake Trout as occurred. the top predator species. Rearrange your food web to show the impact Rearrange your food web to show the new of over-fishing and write a paragraph describing hierarchy and write a paragraph describing the the effect(s) over-fishing would have on the impact on the ecosystem. ecosystem. In an effort to control the Sea Lamprey How does over-fishing affect the economy? population, the waters are treated with a chemical called TFM that seems to have a greater effect on the lamprey than on other fish. Rearrange your food web to show the effect of chemical treatment on the lake ecosystem. Do you agree with this method of controlling the Sea Lamprey population? Why or why not? Water Pollution Overview - Teacher Version
Type Description Effect Examples Toxic Occurs when High levels can cause Pesticides, gasoline Pollution poisonous chemicals a ban on fishing. Low and oil, household enter the water, levels can also be cleaning agents, killing organisms. lethal when predators industrial waste consume large products amounts of poisoned prey.
Sediment Occurs when Sediments make the Areas where there Pollution sediments (dirt, water cloudy and is little to no minerals, sand, etc.) decrease the amount vegetation to prevent erode from the land of sunlight that can run-off into the water. reach underwater autotrophs. Sediments can also clog gills, bury eggs, and smother mollusks.
Nutrient Occurs when there Leads to a Fertilizers, animal Pollution is an overabundance proliferation of waste, waste from of nutrients plants, especially boaters, household (phosphorus and algae. This clouds the detergents nitrogen) in the water and prevents water. sunlight from reaching bottom- dwelling autotrophs. Oxygen is depleted by bacteria as they work to decompose the dead material. As a result, animals die.
Bacterial Occurs when there is Large concentrations Sewage, septic Pollution an excess of bacteria. of harmful bacteria systems, manure can cause illness to humans and wildlife.
Additional information can be found at: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/LFB/lessonplans/pollution/pollution.pdf#search=’types%20of%20 pollution’ Water Pollution Overview
Name:
Type Description Effect Examples Toxic Pollution
Sediment Pollution
Nutrient Pollution
Bacterial Pollution