Freshwater

Class Length: 1 hour 15 minutes

Class Size: 6-20 participants

Class Location: Teva Center

Materials: • Blank observations sheets (1/student, double sided, one lake/side) • Pencils • Small clipboards/writing surfaces • Water quality testing supplies • Gray bucket with some water for Leo • Leo, the painted turtle

Objectives: • Students will practice making scientific observations using their senses in the field • Students will take and analyze water quality tests from two different bodies of freshwater • Students will make hypotheses about health based on water quality test results and observations

Standards: • 5-PS3-1 Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the sun. • 5-LS1-1 Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. • 5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, , and the environment. • 5-ESS2-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. • MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. • MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. • MS-LS1-5 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

1 Class Set-up: • Assemble “field notebooks” for each student—a writing surface, blank maps/observation charts, and a pencil • Pull out water quality testing supplies and ensure there are enough for tests at each lake • Fill grey bucket with enough water so that Leo can float

Safety Precautions: • Students may NOT go into the water when making observations • Students may NOT touch Leo (nobody wants Salmonella)

Introduction: (15 minutes) • Bring students into Teva Center and have them gather around Leo’s tank. o If not all students can gather around Leo’s tank at the same time, bring them in a few groups and let the other students check out the rest of the animals. • While you have students around Leo’s tank, ask them what kind of ecosystem or this tank is supposed to look like. o Is it supposed to look like the ocean? A lake? A ? o What kind of creature might live in here? o What do you think that creature might need to survive? • After all students have had a chance to check out Leo’s tank, have them take a seat at the tables. • Ask students to share their ideas about what kind of ecosystem Leo’s tank is supposed to replicate. If it doesn’t come up from the students themselves, explain that Leo’s tank is a freshwater ecosystem, specifically a pond or a lake. o What is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a biological of organisms that interact with both each other and their physical environment. o What is freshwater? Freshwater is any water that isn’t ocean, or salty water. • Ask students if they can think of any freshwater ecosystems that they have ever seen visited o The Great Lakes? A river? A lake? o Explain to students that in Michigan, we are SURROUNDED by freshwater ecosystems! • Explain to students that in this program, we are going to be working as ecologists, and we are going to study two different lakes in our freshwater ecosystem here at Tamarack and evaluate which one would be a better habitat for our painted turtle friend, Leo. o To do this, we are going to use two different kinds of scientific tools: . Our observational skills and our senses, which help us learn about what kind of habitat these two lakes are . Water quality tests, which help us learn about things we can’t see with the naked eye—how clean and healthy the water is o Together, our observations and what we learn from our water quality testing will give us a good idea about which pond may be healthier for Leo to live in.

2 • Explain to students how the rest of the program is going to go: o Observations and mapping at Lake 1 o Water collection at Lake 1 o Observations and mapping at Lake 2 o Water collection at Lake 2 o Come back to Teva, make a prediction o Perform water quality tests o Write argument, using evidence, for which lake you believe is healthier

Field Work: (30 minutes) • Bring students outside the Teva Center and take some initial weather observations. o What is the temperature? Is it raining? Windy? Cloudy? o Why record the weather? As field scientists, it is important to record the weather before we record data, because our data could change based on the weather • Walk down to Tamarack Lake and allow students to explore freely for 5 minutes. Before letting them go, give them boundaries (and place chaperones at the edge of the boundaries), and instruct them to look for evidence of why this may or may not be good painted turtle habitat. • After 5 minutes, gather students back together on the dock. Have them share their discoveries with the greater group. o What did you notice? o What kinds of plants live around this lake? o If you were a turtle, where would you live? o Did you see any evidence of food for turtles? What about predators? o What does the water look like? Is it clear, or cloudy? o What seems to be at the bottom of this lake? o Where do you think this water comes from? • After the students have shared their observations, instruct them to spend a few minutes recording their observations on the blank map of Tamarack Lake. Explain to them that this map will help them remember what Tamarack Lake was like when they’re back in the classroom, and that any observations they felt were important can go on the map (can use pictures or words). • After the students are done mapping, collect water in two vials—one for the nitrate test (long and rectangular vial), and one for the dissolved oxygen test (small and circular vial). • Repeat this same procedure at Phipps Lake.

Analysis: (20 minutes) • Back in the classroom, have students take a seat at the tables and pull out their maps. • Make a box and T-chart on the whiteboard and ask for students’ observations about the two lakes, based on what they recorded on their maps.

3 o What did both lakes have in common? (Goes in box on top) o What did only Phipps Lake have? (Goes in one side of the T-chart) o What did only Tamarack Lake have? (Goes in other side of the T-chart) • Ask the students to make a prediction, based on the evidence we have so far, for which lake they think would make better painted turtle habitat. Ask them to raise their hands for each lake and record the numbers on the box and T-chart. • Conduct water quality tests based on the directions provided, and allow students to participate. They can shake the bottles, do them in small groups, etc. • While the tests are in progress, explain to students what each of these tests measure. o Nitrates: Nitrates are fertilizer, and are naturally occurring, but too many of them—usually from pee getting into the water, or farms nearby—provides too much food, and can cause algae blooms, which is when there is so much algae in the water that other things, like bugs, , and other animals, can’t survive. o Dissolved Oxygen: Dissolved oxygen is just that—oxygen dissolved in the water. Animals that live in the water—bugs, fish, etc—need dissolved oxygen to breathe and survive. If there is too much bacteria in the water, or too many decaying mucky plants, there won’t be enough dissolved oxygen. • Once the tests are complete, help students with interpreting the data. o What does a darker or lighter color mean? o What does more or less nitrates or dissolved oxygen in the water mean? • Add the data points to the box and T-chart on the white board.

Conclusion: (5 minutes) • With all of the data points that we’ve collected, students must now write an argument, using evidence, for which lake they think is better painted turtle habitat. • Split students in to small groups (2-3), and give each group a piece of paper and a few writing utensils. • Ask students what “evidence” is. Why do we use evidence, as scientists? Why is it important to base our arguments on evidence? o Ask for a few examples of an argument using evidence, as opposed to a hunch. o Good example: I think that the Tigers are going to win the World Series this year because Miguel Cabrera is hitting really well and we’ve recruited a few new players that are very promising. o Bad example: I think that the Tigers are going to win the World Series this year because I love the way their team colors look together. • Instruct students to spend a few minutes writing their argument, as a small team. Their argument must include three pieces of evidence that we, as a whole group, collected today.

4 Debrief: (5 minutes)

• If there it time, ask a few student groups to share their arguments with the entire class. • Debrief Questions: o Why does it matter if these lakes are healthy enough to support painted turtles? o What other animals might rely on similar to painted turtles? o How do we, as humans, rely on healthy freshwater ecosystems? o What can we do to make our freshwater ecosystems healthier?

5 PHIPPS LAKE

Draw on the map, and record your observations below: What is the weather like? Where does this water come from? What forms of shelter, food, or predators do you see?

Dissolved Oxygen: ______Nitrates: ______

PHIPPS LAKE

Draw on the map, and record your observations below: What is the weather like? Where does this water come from? What forms of shelter, food, or predators do you see?

Dissolved Oxygen: ______Nitrates: ______

TAMARACK LAKE

Draw on the map, and record your observations below: What is the weather like? Where does this water come from? What forms of shelter, food, or predators do you see?

Dissolved Oxygen: ______Nitrates: ______

TAMARACK LAKE

Draw on the map, and record your observations below: What is the weather like? Where does this water come from? What forms of shelter, food, or predators do you see?

Dissolved Oxygen: ______Nitrates: ______