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6/01 cJCIRC/DatoDuopBS-pJS

NEW APPROACHES TO TEACHING
WATER QUALITY USING EXAMPLES
FOUND IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

By

Cynthia Stultz-Eichbauer

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Division of Science and Mathematics Education

2003

ABSTRACT
NEW APPROACHES TO TEACHING

WATER QUAIJ'I'Y USING EXAMPLES
FOUND IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

By
Cynthia Stultz-Eichbauer

The purpose of this research project was to improve the water ecology unit taught in a
high school ecology course, resulting in an improvement in the students’ comprehension
and enthusiasm for the content. Students were provided with a wide range of activities
including labs, in-class activities, and research projects. These activities required both
inquiry and problem-solving on the part of the students. For example, students were
given problems regarding water pollution or water quality and asked to apply their
knowledge to develop a solution. The sample population included juniors and seniors
who may not be college bound and were enrolled in the Ecology course at Allegan High
School. The students had completed two year—long coursed covering physical, life,
earth and environmental sciences. A pretest which consisted of a variety of both
objective and subjective questions including true and false, calculations, and short
answer was given to the class prior to the start of the unit. A posttest consisted of the
same pretest questions with additional questions added to allow for a formal test grade.
When comparing the pretest and the posttest results, a substantial increase in objective
and subjective scores was observed and the data were supported by statistical analysis
using a paired Heat. The objective and subjective portions were supported with 99.5%
confidence within 16 degrees of freedom. The T-statistic for the objective portion was
5.99, the subjective portion was 8.93, and when combined the overall T-statistic was

13.27.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND RATIONAL FOR STUDY

LITERATURE REVIEW

 

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CLASSROOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIT 20
EVALUATION 30
DISSCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 34
APPENDIX A - PARENTISTUDENT CONSENT FORM 38
APPENDIX B - PRETEST AND POSTTEST 40
APPENDIX C - STUDENT ACTIVITIES
APPENDIX C1 - PONDWATER LAB 44
APPENDIX C2 - GREAT LAKES INVADERS 49
APPENDIX C3 - GREAT LAKES FISHING TRIP 50
APPENDIX C4 - MACROINVERTEBRATE LAB 56
APPENDIX C5 - DRAGONFLY POND 61
APPENDIX C6 - CONTAMINANTS IN GREAT LAKES HS" 69
APPENDIX C7 - DUCKWEED’S FAVORITE FOOD LAB 75
APPENDIX C8 - POTATO AND SALTWATER LAB 82
APPENDIX C9 - WATER YOU WANT TO BE? 84
APPENDIX C1 0 - ASSESSMENTS: QUIZ 5.1, 5.2. AND 5.3 91

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

INTRODUCTION
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND RATIONALE FOR STUDY
The question addressed in this study was whether new activities would increase
students’ knowledge and understanding of topics discussed in the water ecology unit.
Since teachers do not have the ability to take their students into the field for an entire
unit, activities must be developed that model fieldwork within the classroom setting. To
make the water ecology unit, projects were used that aim to model scientific
invesh'gation. Three methods were implemented into the unit through the chosen and
designed activities: 1) using relevant ecology activities within the classroom, 2) using
inquiry, or problem-solving, to model true scientific means, and 3) using authentic
assessment to measure the students’ understanding. Students completed investigative
labs, in-class group activities, and research projects which connected the information to
their own lives. Students were asked to investigate water ecology problems and
develop solutions by applying the scientific method. Several methods of assessment
were used; traditional, using objective and subjective questions, and authentic, using

task driven observations.

The activities developed required students to use their new knowledge along with their
prior knowledge of their local and/or regional environment. Students were asked to
solve potential problems related to water issues that may actually arise in their living
area. These activities wquired students to use this information to make their own lives
richer and healthier. These methods including relevant ecology, inquiry through

problem-solving, and authentic assessment are used instead of the traditional approach

of having students reiterate the information onto tests and homework with no real life

application.

The impetus for the work documented here was a conference focusing on using river
studies in the classroom. The related project is called The Rabbit River Watershed and
is supported by both the Allegan Math and Science Center and the Allegan
Conservation District USDA Service Center. The Rabbit River is located in central and
eastern Allegan County including Dorr, Leighton, Monterey, Hopkins, Wayland and
Salem townships. Agricultural uses dominate the watershed impacting water quality and
degrading the habitat. The Rabbit River Watershed Project is a volunteer monitoring
program, in which teachers twice a year take students to sites along the river and
analyze the water quality of the sites. The students rate the quality of the river sites
based on four criteria: general information (stream name and location), weather
(weather conditions, recent precipitation, air and water temperatures), stream habitat
(surface water velocity, morphology, clarity, substrate, riparian vegetation, stream
shading, and bank erosion), and macroinvertebrate sampling (involving collecting,
identifying, and calculating the population). This information is then submitted to the
Department of Environmental Quality, where it becomes part of a complete analysis of
the Rabbit River quality. The Rabbit River conference initiated my analysis of the current
water ecology unit I had been teaching. After close examination, I decided to alter my
water ecology unit because I felt that many of my students do not possess relevant
knowledge of their immediate surroundings and I did not previously address this in the
water ecology unit. By using inquiry water-based activities, students should be able to

see the relevance of water quality to their own lives (Green, 1 996). lnquiry being the

2

Opportunity for students to be presented with a problem and allowing them the freedom
to develop a solution to the problem by investigation. Allegan County, located 15 miles
from Lake Michigan, has many bodies of water. Based on student comments and
disinterest in related conversations, the students seem to have a loose grasp on the
decisions being made about the quality of these areas. I felt that by using local sites as
examples in the water ecology unit, the students would develop a more comprehensive

understanding and appreciation of water ecology.

Other factors contributed to my redesign of the water ecology unit. The labs and
activities should require that my students get involved and work together. Students
often do not know how to work as a team and adequately divide the tasks. One
objective was to have them investigate real-life problems and work with each other in
solving them. By working in small groups, students get a true experience of how real
water quality problems are dealt with by private and public organizations. Secondly,
students should be able to solve problems using the variety of resources available to
them. Since we focused on the ecology of the Great Lakes region, the textbook used
was not sufficient for them to complete the work. Students need to learn to use other
resources such as maps, lntemet, resource books, and journals.

The Ecology course typically covers a wide variety of topics, using an environmental
science framework over one semester. The course begins with a defining
environmental science from a global perspective. The main environmental problems are
identified and compared between developed and developing countries. The tools used
by scientists to solve environmental problems are presented and a decision making

model is discussed. Next, students are introduced to ecosystems and how living

3

organisms depend on each other within individual ecosystems. Abiotic and biotic factors
are defined and the organization of an ecosystem is presented. The relationships
between organisms are reviewed and evolution by natural selection is presented. Then,
students study the flow of energy and cycling of materials within an ecosystem. Food
chains and food webs are explained along with the carbon, nitrogen, water, and
phosphorus cycles. The course also covers primary and secondary succession within
ecosystems. Biomes are introduced and the earth is divided into land and water
biomes. Students distinguish between the different forest, grassland, desert, and tundra
ecosystems including abiotic characteristics and endemic biotic organisms. At this point,

freshwater and marine ecosystems are described.

These topics should be review for these students. A majority of the material is covered
in their tenth grade science class at Allegan High School. Of course, the ecology class
takes a closer and more detailed look at these subjects, but overall it should not take

long for the class to learn this material.

The class is now introduced to the topic of water ecology. Topics traditionally covered
include water resources and the problems of freshwater and ocean pollution. The class
then investigates the topic of air quality by defining air pollution and identifying the
primary and secondary muses of air pollution. Healthorelated effects are discussed and
indoor air pollution is identified. A discussion of acid precipitation completes the study of
this topic. Next, the course looks at biodiversity and the current threats to biodiversity
along with the various efforts to preserve it. The effect of humans and the importance of
preserving biodiversity are discussed. Public policies and potential conflicts with

4

legislation are introduced. The course concludes with a look at populations, primarily the
explosion of the human population. Factors that affect population growth are discussed
with an application of these factors to the human population. A description of how the
human population has changed and a discussion of the different stages of population

growth are presented. Problems that arise due to population growth are dbcussed.

Traditionally, the water ecology unit has been a short section of the class (2-3 weeks)
that is covered midway through the semester. Students spend time learning about
aquifers, watersheds, recharge zones, desalinization, point pollution, nonpoint pollution,
wastewater treatment plants, bioaccumulation, thermal pollution, artificial eutrophication,
and marine water pollution. The class did not take any fieldtrips. The water ecology unit
required change including the implementation of more water-based labs and

participation in fieldtrips that were relevant to the unit.

LITERATURE REVIEW

This attempt to introduce a more relevant water ecology unit into the classroom by using
inquiry based activities and authentic assessment is not founded on new ideas. These
methods have been tried many times since ecology was introduced to the scientific and
public arena. Over a century ago, biologists began to analyze the impacts of human life
on the environment. These scientists fought often fruitlessly to encourage ecology and
environmental science to be studied in laboratories and taught in classrooms
(Vandervoort, 1999). It was in 1866 that Ernst Heckel, a leader in the study of
Darwinism, coined this portion of scientific study as ‘oecologie- the science of relations
of living organisms to the external world, their habitat, customs, energies, parasites, etc.“
(in Worster, 1977). It seemed that at the time, the scientific world could not agree on the
value of ecology. Charles Bessey, the founder of Harvard University's Department of
Botany, referred to ecology as, “somewhat of a fad among a certain class of botanists“
(in Tobey, 1 981 ). The study of ecology was meet with resistance because it challenged
the latest advancements in human civilizations. The controversy arose because these
advancements, particularly in technology, have held strong on to the idea that natural

laws do not affect these improvements (Vandervoort, 1999).

At the beginning of the 19th century the interest in ecology was off to a strong start but
soon began to wane. As is the case today, schools often have financial problems when
trying to implement new programs along with the added difficulty of finding qualified
instructors to teach the new courses. This seems to be the case when trying to

implement a relevant ecology course (Vandervoort, 1999). In addition, too often

6

ecology, which is appropriate for the high school level, is left to be taught with what time
is left in a biology course and found in the last chapter of the text (Kuechle, 1995). In the
1960’s, with the writings of Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson, the nation began looking
closer at the health of the earth. Currently, more schools and teachers are seeing the
importance of teaching ecology and are thinking about the impact of humans on the

environment (Vandervoort, 1999).

The increasing awareness of ecology and the environment has fostered an appeal for
teachers to discuss the importance of monitoring water resources. As a result, more
and more students of all ages are participating in water-quality monitoring. These
hands-on activities can greatly encourage an appreciation of ecology, Chemistry, and
biology (Gannaway, 1996). Often students view these bodies of water as a place to go
when the weather is nice and participate in recreational activities. Rarely do they see
them as a complex and fragile ecosystem that can be damaged by carelessness.
Students do not see these areas as places to conduct science labs and learn from their
data (T urkall, 1996). When students are asked to study these areas and see the real-
life connections they have an increased interest in the topic. That is one reason for
fostering a partnership between schools and classes that study water ecology and the
professional organizations that are funded to regulate such areas. These partnerships
also help encourage public support of schools to increase their science offerings.
Students are also introduced to careers in science that they may not have considered
before by working with people in science-related fields. Of course, organizations benefit
as well from this type of partnership. They are able to see the offerings and limits that

dictate how a class is designed. In short, a partnership of students and professionals

7

helps produce young people who are interested in preserving our natural resources

(Hairston, 1997).

Strategies to develop and nurture ecological relevance beyond the field work and water
studies have been repeatedly tested and tried by instructors. It seems obvious that
students will enjoy and relate to the hands-on fieldwork, but a problem arises when
teachers take the students back into the classroom. Since teachers are limited to how
often they can have students away from the school; in-class assignments must be used
that continue to foster this appreciation and model problem solving skills when back in

the everyday setting of the classroom.

An interesting framework has been developed to assist teachers in using relevant
science back in the classroom. The approach is called REAL (Realistic Experiences
Activate Learning), and was designed by the SMILE (Science and Math Investigate
Learning Experiences) program at Oregon State University. This program is a
collaboration between the university and eight rural Oregon school districts. The goal is
to provide science enrichment to both minority and disadvantaged school districts. The

framework is based on the following 7 guidelines:

1) Background knowledge. Students need to acquire the basic
knowledge that will be used in solving the problem.

2) Problem exposition. The problem should be a current real-life issue
that will interest the students.

3) Data collection. Students are given the opportunity to observe and
model how scientists collect the data in the field.

4) Data analysis. Students should be guided on correctly analyzing
data.

5) Data synthesis. Students should collaborate to develop possible
solutions to the posed problem.

6) Solution presentation. Students should present their findings to their
peers.

7) Career information. Students should become more aware of

scientific careers.
The SMILE program challenged high school students to use this framework to solve two
scientific problems. The first problem was to analyze Hydroville’s, a fictitious town, water
supply and identify the contaminants present. The students had to advise the town on
how to clean the water. The second problem was presented a year later and asked the
students to assess the possible effects of a pesticide spill near Hydroville. The students
had to devise a means to clean up the pesticide and make a recommendation to the

town (Bloomfield, Dahl, and Paasch, 1996).

lnquiry is one way to continue the scientific based learning back in the classroom. By
using inquiry, students apply the scientific method to answer a question or solve a
problem. This process involves students using both their prior knowledge and new
knowledge to formulate a hypothesis. Students discover that there are several means
to an end and that a correct answer is not always the end product. Problem solving is
often used synonymously with inquiry which is a technique that needs to be modeled

and taught in the science classroom.

“When science instruction is a verb something that is done
and not just something that is memorized, blindly followed
or even conceptually understood- then science instruction

is inquiry science” (Waterman, 1998).

lnquiry-based Ieaming began to stand out in education in the late 19503 and early
19603. Many new curricula of the time encoumged the use of inquiry in science
classrooms, one being the Biologieal Sciences Cuniculum Study during the post-Sputnik
era. The science reform committees have recently encouraged the use of inquiry in
school science classes. The National Science Education Standards stated that inquiry
is fundamental to teaching the method of science (Chiappetta, 1997). So why is it that
inquiry is not often used in the classroom? This question was presented to several

teachers and their responses are as follows (Costenson and Lawson, 1986):

50-90% of all K-12 teachers base their instruction on a single book

~Most questions arise from the textbook and are over terminology and

definitions

Students are taught to find the correct answers from the text

Less than half of all biology teachers regularly use lab activities, and

25% report that they never, or no more than once a month use lab
activities

-Instruction usually follows the 'assign, recite, test ‘pattern based on the
text

It is evident that the traditional lecture-memorize method of teaching science is not

effective when students Often say," We did it, but we don’t know whY' (Waterman, 1998).

10

Several studies analyze whether or not inquiry is a better method of instrucfion. Lott
completed a meta-analysis of 39 studies published from 1957 to 1980 to see ifthis
was in fact the case. He found that performance of students was Significantly better
when the inquiry approach was used. The results showed that high levels Of thought
were invoked which led to better student scores and equal student scores on low level
cognitive outcomes. This mega-analysis indicated that students perform better when

lab-based inquiry methods are used in a science classroom.

So, the question arises as to why more teachers are not using this method of instruction
in their classrooms. When presented with this question, teachers responded with the
following comments (Lott, 1983).

lnquiry requires too much time and energy to implement

lnquiry requires too much time away from the curriculum

Administration will not understand the inquiry method and will feel time
is being wasted in the classroom

Students are too immature to use inquiry in the classroom

-I do not want to change my style of teaching after doing it this way for so
long

-It is too expensive to run an equipped inquiry lab

These comments seem to hold no validity when analyzed closely. In actuality, inquiry
labs require less set-up then the traditional “cookbook” labs. If teachers focused on their
students mastering the material rather than quickly getting through chapters, they would
see an increase in understanding. It is the responsibility of the instructor to educate the

administrator in the conect use of inquiry in the classroom. Wasting time and being off

11

task is an issue of classroom management, not a problem with inquiry learning.
Experienced teachers can learn new ways and will want to when it is evident that inquiry
Ieaming results in better student understanding. Many items for inquiry learning can be
purchased at local stores or donated by parents. It seems as though there is need by
teachers for a better understanding of what inquiry learning entails. Teachers need 1)
training in methods of inquiry, 2) involvement with actual biological research that models
inquiry, and 3) assurances that teachers can distinguish between valid concepts and the

trivial (Costenson and Lawson, 1986).

It is true that inquiry-based science classes have shown marked improvement over the
traditional science classrooms. lnquiry, just like any other method of teaching, is not
designed to be the method for everyday instruction. Students do need the important
content information and conceptual ideas to apply to an inquiry activity. Teachers must
be able to know when it is appropriate to use inquiry methods and when it is beneficial to
the students to use more traditional methods. Inquiry activities seem to be most
effective when a new topic is introduced, to reinforce the scientific process, or to apply

the learned information to solving a problem (Waterman, 1998).

Many different activities can foster the Ieaming of students in an inquiry-based
classroom. It is important for teachers to use different types of activities to address the
needs of all their students and at the same time introduce students to the methods of
scientists. This will enhance both the students’ interests and their scientific

abilities. Many different activities can accomplish this task, but some specific ideas

include cooperative learning by research and communication of their research to their

12

fellow classmates. It is important to make use of the collaborative idea because this
directly models the world in which scientists work. Most research today is done by
teams of scientists dividing up the tasks and working together. One way for high school
students to express their findings is by the use of a presentation and poster. The format
of using a poster to illustrate the information researched displays the product in a brief
visual form which allows the students to express their creativity in a different way. The
creators of the poster are also available to answer any questions that may arise, which

in this case, is the rest of the class (Mulnix and Penhale, 1997).

One type of approach to inquiry that should not be forgotten is problem-solving. This
method causes students to become active in the Ieaming process. Most importantly,
the Ieaming can become relevant and important to the student. Problem solving
encourages the student to apply the scientific method (Chiapiatta, 1997). The problem
solving method is so vital because it can be performed within or outside a lab-based
environment. Students can be instructed to solve a problem in verbal, written, or
illustrated form. This method of inquiry is often used at the end of the learning process
and may double as an assessment piece. Students take the knowledge they have
acquired and apply it to a real-life problem. The solution should be based on both what

they have learned and their prior knowledge.

Finally, to adequately determine if students have acquired the intended knowledge base,
an instructor must use the appropriate means of assessment. In any Ieaming situafion,
authentic assessment is vital to monitor the growth of the student’s understanding of the

topic, in this case water ecology. Authentic assessment can be defined as a way of

13

genuinely evaluating the academic growth of a student. The assessment asks the
students for the application of knowledge, Skills, and work habits through a performance
task (Bmaldi, 1998). Authentic assessment can involve observing students as they
complete a task or project but it does not mean to evaluate completely on the basis of a

standardized test.

Students in this study were assessed in a variety of ways. Students did take a
standardized pretest and posttest along with three quizzes. Authentic assessment was
also used when students were asked to complete a task or project. The authentic
assessments used asked students to develop a concept map, illustration or drawing,
and to solve problems. These assessments allowed students to use their creativity and

prior knowledge along with the new information.

The growing awareness of authentic assessment is due in part to the accountability of
school districts to score well on standardized tests. In the 19603 standardized testing
was launched district-wide. Then in the 19703, statewide testing programs were
designed and are implemented in every state in the country. Recently, President Bush
has signed a law that requires every student in the country to take a standardized test in
mathematics and reading every year in grades 3-8. It seems as though the importance

of these types of assessments will not wane (Stiggins, 2002).

Ironically, these tests do not always model authentic assessment of the students they
are targeted to measure. To encourage the responsibility of schools to 'raise the bar' on

education, politicians have often rewarded success with financial gains for the school

14

and/or student. While teachers and schools should have to show evidence of Ieaming,
the assessments used to gage this growth should be a legitimate tool. There seems to
be confusion between using assessments to monitor Ieaming and using assessments to

encourage learning (Stiggins, 2002).

Assessment should be blended into instruction and will then possess the ability to
inform the teacher of what is needed to enhance the Ieaming process. The correct level
of teaching should be identified. The teacher can appropriately plan which activities and
assignments will most effectively work within the classroom. Using assessments in this
manner will identify when it is time to move on to another topic or when it is appropriate

to give more instruction over the topic (McMillan, 2000).

There are several basic fundamentals of using assessment for Ieaming and they are as
follows: (Stiggins, 2002)

Teachers identify and state prior to teaching the goals students should
accomplish.

These goals should be stated at a level the students can understand

Teachers should be able to produce assessments that monitor the student’s
progress toward these goals.

Assessments are used in the classroom to encourage students to do better and
strengthens their confidence.

Results of the assessments are presented in a non-judgmental manner.

Students understand their own progress and work closely with the teacher to
reach their goals.

Teachers will change the instruction to meet the needs of the students.

Students can communicate their growth to others.

15

One way to use assessments for Ieaming is to implement performance-based
assessments into the class. The first step in using any assessment is to determine its
purpose more specifically: what skill or concept is being assessed. After the purpose of
the assessment is identified then the teacher must determine the activity to be used.
Factors that influence this discussion include: amount of time required, resources
available to be used, and what amount of data is need to adequately assess the task
Every hands—on activity is not considered a performance-based assessment, but most

require the student to apply their knowledge to complete a task (Brualdi, 1998).

Two types of performance-based assessment that can be used in the classroom have
been identified. Informal assessment may occur when the student does not know they
are being assessed. This is often done by teachers to assess a student’s behavior in
the classroom and/or skill at a particular task. Formal assessment differs because the
student is aware of the evaluation process being performed. The student is often asked
to complete a task or perform a skill. The teacher can then evaluate the performance as
it occurs or the final product that is created (Stiggins, 1994). One way for teachers to
evaluate performance is by using a Checklist. This simply requires that the elements
that are being considered are present or absent in the completed assessment.
Teachers can then provide a written evaluation or a grade to the student. Another idea
is to have students assess themselves, providing them with the checklist. This method
involves the student in his or her own learning process and often teachers find that

students assess themselves with careful scrutiny (Brualdi, 1998).

16

Ecology, particularly water ecology, is a fundamental topic in any biology course. The
tepic of water ecology can truly excite high school students by showing relevance and
importance of it in their own lives. The problem of teaching it arises when a teacher is
unable to set up the classroom along side a river for 4 weeks. How then does a teacher
sufficiently instruct students on this topic? lnquiry-based learning and performance-
based assessing are two ways that can enhance this topic in the classroom. Every
class and student benefits fiom diversified instruction and these two methods can add to

the many styles of teaching and encourage young thinkers.

17

Demographics of class

Allegan High School, the location of this study, is situated in a relatively rural area of
Southwestern Michigan and has approximately 860 students. The majority of the
students are from lower middle Class to middle class families. Most high school students
are Caucasian with fewer than 5% being minorities. The importance of education is not
always reflected by the parent population. This is seen in the level of parent involvement
at the high school. At the fall 2001—2002 Parent Teacher Conferences held in
November, 63% of students were represented. At the spring conferences held in late
March, 47% of students were represented. The graduation rate is 95.5% with a 1.3%
dropout rate. At Allegan High School 42% of the students tested received the Michigan
Merit Award scholarship for their demonstrated proficiency in all four areas of the MEAP
test with the state average being 54%. Allegan High School also offers Advanced
Placement courses across all subject areas. In the 2001-02 school year, 112 AP exams
were taken and 63.8% scored at a 3 or above with the state average for these scores

being 50.7%.

The ecology course is not required for graduation. In their ninth grade year students
take an Integrated Science course which primarily focuses on physical and earth
Science. In their tenth grade year students take an Integrated Science course that
focuses on environmental and life Science. At Allegan High School, students are
required to take two years Of Science and are strongly encouraged to take at least a

third year in their junior year to assist them in preparing for the MEAP.

18

My one semester ecology class in which this study was performed enrolled 18 students.
Eight were seniors and ten were juniors with seven females and eleven males. All
students were considered regular education students. The ecology class is usually
made up of non-AP students and non-college bound students. Each student was given
the option of participating in the study. Those not choosing to participate in the study, of
which there was one male, did the same work but their scores and answers were not
included in the results. A parent consent form (Appendix A) was sent home and

returned in a sealed envelope, which was not opened until after the semester grades
were tabulated.

19

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIT
Theecologyclassinwhichthestudytookpfaceisacoursethathasbeenofferedforthe
past six years. It was designed by a teacher who accepted a teaching position
elsewhere the summer prior to its first year being taught. Although I did not develop this
class, I have taught this course from its beginning and have slightly changed the topics
and activities each year. This course is a one-semester fall course offered to juniors and

seniors. The class meets everyday for 57 minutes.

I started teaching the water ecology unit on October 2, 2002. It immediately follows the
ecology review unit consisting of four Chapters at the beginning of the semester. I
thought it would be a good idea to implement this unit at that time so as not to have to
contend with the weather in late fall. I was planning on taking the class on several
fieldtrips and did not want to have to eliminate them due to inclement weather. I also felt
that after reviewing the first four chapters of the course, my students would feel confident
and ready to begin some new material with a positive attitude. Also, I felt that after the
review material, my students would be able to reflect back on that knowledge and apply
it to the water ecology unit For all of these reasons, I decided to implement water

ecology unit in the early middle of the ecology course.

The greatest problem I had planning the water ecology unit was working around all Ofthe
disruptions that commonly occur in the fall semester. Despite careful planning, there is
never a perfect time to implement an entire unit. High school Classes require some
degree of flexibility by both the instructor and the students. Although I thought I had

planned appropriately, there were some interruptions that disrupted the desired

20

implementation of the unit. First, teaching in Allegan, Michigan always involves some
number of fog delays in the fall. During the fall of 2002 we called a delay three times
due to fog. Unfortunately, the ecology class was scheduled for the first hour of the day
and therefore was greatly impacted. Next, I began the water ecology unit during the
week of Allegan’s Homecoming festivities. The typical events planned during this time
usually cause some minor disruption to the normal Class time, as was the case this year.
The main problem is a decrease in focus of the students for the week. Allegan Public
Schools Parent Teacher Conferences fell in the middle of the unit. Due to the class only
meeting three times and with no class for an entire four-day span between Wednesday
and the next Monday, I needed to plan creatively. For example, no long-term labs could
be run during this time since students would not be in class everyday to collect data.
Students were still expected to complete reading and homework assignments that came
directly from their textbook. I did not want to fill Class time with notes and homework.
Instead, I used class time to discuss and implement supplemental material and activities
designed during my research. Throughout the course we went on three fieldtrips: Rabbit
River Watershed study, Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Wolf Lake
Fish Hatchery.

An outline of what I planned and completed is described below. The outline shows the

topics covered, labs performed and activities completed within the water ecology unit.

The new topies, activities, and labs are indicated with an asterisk.

21

Week 1
Topics: surface and ground water
watershed and aquifers
desalinization
water conservation
Great Lakes exotic species
Great Lakes Water and the Economy"

Activities: pretest”
Pond Water Lab"
Great Lakes Invaders Concept Map
Fishing Trip Assignment"
intemet lab research

Week 2

Topics: Water Quality
Rabbit River Watershed Project”
Macroinvertebrates"

Activities: Fishing Trip Presentations"
Macroinvertebrate PowerPoint presentation"
Rabbit River Fieldtrip*
Quiz: Surhce and Groundwater

Week 3

Topies: freshwater pollution
point and nonpoint pollution
wastewater treatment plants
bioaccumulation

artificial eutrophication

thermal pollution

Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant"
calculating parts per million in organisms"

Activities: East Lansing Wastewater Treatment Plant Power Point Presentation"
Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour"
Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Tour"
Dragonfly Pond Activity"
The Lighter Side Activity‘
Quiz: Freshwater pollution

Week 4
Topies: ocean pollution
Exxon Valdez oil spill
MARPOL
territorial sea and exclusive economic zone
Water Careers"
Activities: Duckweed Lab‘
Water Career Research"
Quiz: Ocean Pollution

Week 5
Topics: Review for Water Quality Test
Activities: posttest"

Water Career Presentations"
Saltwater Potato Lab

To begin the unit on water ecology unit, every student was given a pretest (Appendix B).
The pretest consisted of an objective portion, which included true and false questions
and short answer questions addressing the water quality, freshwater pollution, and
ocean pollution material. The pretest also included a subjective portion, which asked
short answer and essay questions over the additional material presented describing
artificial eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and water-related careers. The students were
not given grades that reflected their score on the pretest but rather a participation grade
for completing the pretest to the best of their ability.

After the pretest, I wanted to engage my students in the complexity of water ecology.
Students were given the question, “What does this jar of pond water contain?". They
needed to use inquiry to answer this question. Most students if given a jar of pond or

river water and asked what it contains would just say “a bunch of gross stuff” or “nothing,

23

I can’t see anything”. I wanted to show my students that there is much more to water
and to keeping it healthy than what meets the eye. The first activity was a simple Pond
Water Lab (Appendix Cl) where students made slides from different depths pond water
in a jar and analyzed it for biodiversity. Students worked in partners to complete this
activity. Students were given Pond Water Guidebooks and handouts with pictures of
possible microscopic organisms. They found an enormous variety of organisms in the
pond water. All students were successful at locating a variety of organisms. They were
completely surprised at the diverse morphology of the organisms found within a small
sample. Their assessment was to draw and color Six different species found, attempt to
correctly label the organism and include the correct magnification. A discussion was
lead to again answer the question, “What does this jar of pond water contain?” and l
encouraged them to think about the purpose of these organisms along with the effects of

water pollution to these organisms and ultimately the entire environment.

The next two days included an activity (Appendix C2) on exotic species in the Great
Lakes. Students were given a short article from the Kalamazoo Gazette on various
exotic species in the Great Lakes. They read the artue and we discussed the
information as a class and looked at preserved examples of some exotic species and
photographs of the others. Students were instructed on the purpose and correct method
of designing a concept map. Extra points were given in this authentic assessment for
including linking words for every connection and for showing how two ideas are related
by cross-linking terms or ideas. These concapt maps were then displayed for the class

and we briefly discussed each one. The class also watched a short video entitled, Great

24

Lakes Unwelcome Visitors which summarizes the problem of exotic species within the

Great Lakes.

I introduced the research project entitled; Great Lakes Fishing Trip (Appendix C3) and a
corresponding article (Appendix D1). This activity asked students to look at the Great
Lakes region from an environmental science focus. By researching the economic impact
that fishing has on the area, students will see another reason to maintain healthy water
sources. Students were placed into groups of three with each group given the task of
planning and budgeting a fishing trip within the Great Lakes region. Some groups were
told to charter a boat, eat every meal out, and stay in a hotel. Others were told to plan to
camp, bring their own fishing gear, rent a fishing boat, and cook all meals at the
campground. Still others were told to stay in their RV and bring their own fishing boat.
All groups were given different locations around the Great Lakes and were presented
with the problem of calculating the cost of the trip. Students had to find the price of all of
their equipment including fishing tackle, fishing boat, RV in order to calculate one tenth
of the price into the total cost. Groups had to locate the destination on a map, plot out
their driving route and calculate the mileage to determine the cost of gas. Students
chartering or renting a boat had to locate a charter or rental service at their destination
and call them to get a price. Groups also had to find prices for the lodging and calculate
thecostofmeals. Finally, eachgroupwasprovidedwith an amountin poundsoffish
caught on the trip and calculated per pound the cost of

the fish in regards to the trip cost. Then they compared this cost to the current per
pound cost in several grocery stores. I found that my students were very excited about

this activity. They really used their imagination in planning their trip and enjoyed actually

25

calling the different business to get prices. The cost per pound of the fish caught really
surprised them and they could see how important sport fishing is to the Great Lakes
economy. They were asked to list as many jobs that depend someway on the
production of the goods and services for sport fishing. Groups gave a ten-minute

* presentation on their research, trip, and calculated outcomes. Extra points were given

for using a visual aid in their presentation.

Next, I took two days and introduced the concept of using a macroinvertebrate study as
a means of determining the health of a river. I explained the purpose of the Rabbit River
Watershed Project and told them the data they produced would be passed on to the
DEQ for further analysis. The macroinvertebrate keys used to identify the samples
collected were explained and I presented a macroinvertebrate Power Point presentation
which was provided by the Allegan Math and Science Center. Students observed the
macroinvertebrate collection I had gathered the previous summer during research so to
see up Close they samples they were to collect. Finally, I gave them handouts that
contained pictures of samples collected form various fictional streams. Students were
asked to identify them based on the information presented and by using the macro-
invertebrate key provided. Next, the class went to two different sites and collecmd the
required data. Since the forms and information were required for the DEQ, the lab
(Appendix C4) was not altered in anyway. Diane Homebrook of the Allegan
Conservation District and Amy Oliver of the Allegan Math and Science Center met us at
the two sites. The class was divided into three groups and told to collect the entire data
for each site.

The third week was dedicated primarily to the topic of freshwater pollution. Students
were presented with a Power Point Presentation® that gave them a virtual tour through
the East Lansing Wastewater Treatment Plant This presentation was provided by two
fellow researchers Kari Smart and Angela Clark. This presentation was given after the
students had been assigned the book reading over wastewater treatment plants.
Students were asked to make a map describing the treatment of wastewater through a
treatment plant for assessment The next day the class went on a fieldtrip to the
Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant This allowed them to make comparisons
between the processes they have learned about. One of the questions they asked at the
plant was, ”What is the strangest item every recovered from the plant?” and the answer
was a large safe that had been stolen! During the same day students toured the Wolf
Lake Fish Hatchery in Kalamazoo and watched a video on the preservation and
importance of fishing in Michigan. This tour wrapped up the importance of healthy
waterways to the economy of Michigan that the students had earlier investigated in the

Fishing Trip Assignment.

The week continued with students using the infonnation learned regarding freshwater
pollution to solve a real-life problem. The activity Dragonfly Pond (Appendix CS) asked
students to design a community around a body of water. Students were given cutouts
that illustrated various businesses and industries that were important components of the
community. They had to situate the different components around Dragonfly Pond based
on the land use effects of the business. Students had to make a plausible decision
based on what they knew about freshwater pollution. I chose to do this activity near the

end Of the freshwater portion to allow my students to exhibit what they have learned and

27

it was treated as an authentic assessment piece of this portion of the unit. Finally, the
class looked at the concept of bioaccumulation specifically within the Great Lakes by
completing the mini activity Contaminants in Great Lakes Fishes (Appendix 06).
Students were g'Nen the problem of determining if the different regional fish were
suitable for consumption by the US. Food and Drug Administration. Students need to

calculate the part per million of contaminants in the fish.

The fourth week was dedicated to setting up the Duckweed’s Favorite Food Lab
(Appendix C7), discussing the problem of ocean pollution and investigating water
careers. Students began the week by setting up the Duckweed’s Favorite Food Lab
which analyzes the growth rate of duckweed in varying nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium levels. Students were given the task of determining the preferable nutrient
source for duckweed. Students set up petri dishes with different fertilizers and tracked
the population growth of the duckweed over time. Once this lab was set up it only
required about 5 minutes everyday for the students to count the duckweed fronds. One
day was spent looking at the effect of salt water on organisms by completing the Potato
and Saltwater Lab (Appendix C8). Students bored corks of potato and recorded the
mass, length, width, and texture of the pieces. These potato corks were soaked over
night in tap water, salt water, and distilled water. Students then measured the mass,
length, width, and texture of the pieces again and noted any changes. Last, in groups of
3 or 4 students completed the Water You Want to Be? (Appendix 09) and used
magazines to list as many water-related careers as they could. Students individually

chose one water-related career and developed a poster to illustrate the important

28

aspects of that career. Students had to locate one person in that field and interview

them.

My class really enjoyed doing this project They researched first on the lntemet and then
did their interviews. Some students Simply contacted people via the lntemet (for
example the underwater photographer) others completed a phone interview (for example
the underwater archeologist). Their posters were due the day after the water unit test
and they briefiydescribedtheirresearched career. Thisactivitywasa nicewaytofinish
the unit. Students had a chance to work independently and be as creative as they
wanted.

Several types of assessments were given throughout the water ecology unit. Besides
the authentic assessments, including the Great Lakes Invaders concept map,
wastewater treatment plant drawing, and the Dragonfly Pond activity, an assessment in
the form ofa formal quizwas given aftereach section in thetextbook (Appendix C10).
The final assessment used to evaluate the students’ Ieaming was the Water Unit
posttest. This assessment had the same questions as the pretest but I added more
questions to the test so I could also use their scores in their marking period grade. I
decidedtousethesametestso I could directlycomparepreunitquestionstothepost—
unit questions. The students did not know the same test questions would appear on the

posttest.

EVALUATION
All of the students were given the same pretest and posttest which contained a set of
objective true and false questions. The objective set contained questions that covered
the water ecology terms and concepts. After comparing the objective portion of the
pretest and posttest, l determined that the students did Show a significant improvement
in their knowledge and understanding of water ecology (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Mean Test Scores by Percent

 

Percent Correct Answer:

 

 

 

 

MW Walkab- TdflSOcc
Tat Scores
L] m I Pun-t

30

Of the 18 students in the class, 17 students signed the consent forms opting to
participate in the study. The class average for this portion of the pretest was 9.24 or
58.8%. The class average for the posttest was 12.35 or 77.2%. A paired t-test was
performed to focus on the difference between the paired data. This type of comparison
eliminates the variation that exists when performing a simple t-test. The statistical
analysis shows that with 17 data points, the mean difference is 2.47 and the T—statistic is
5.99. Wrthin 16 degrees of fieedom, the distribution of probability is 99.5% sure that the
difference between the pretest and posttest scores is significant. The statistical analysis

supports the idea that students increased their knowledge of water ecology significantly.

The pretest and posttest also contained a set of short answer subjective questions. The
subjective set asked the students to apply their knowledge and solve problems related
to water ecology. The subjective portion of the posttest indicated a noticeable increase
when compared to the pretest (Figure 1). The class average conect for this portion of
the pretest was 6.411 or 37.7%. The class average for the posttest was 11.7 or 68.9%.
The statistical analysis shows that with 17 data points, the mean difference is 5.29 and
the T-statisfic is 9.93. Wrthin 16 degrees of freedom, the distribution of probability is
99.5% sure that the difference between the pretest and posttest scores is significant.
While the posttest subjective average is not as high as I would like, this tends to be the
more dilficult part of any test and an obvious area that I need to work with my students
on improving in the future. It is valuable to note that all students improved to some

degree on the subjective portion of the posttest.

31

It was obvious that students improved when their written answers on the pretest were
compared to the written answers on their posttest One student improved greatly when
asked, ”Describe as best you can where the water in your home comes from.” The
student’s pretest answer was, ”The water fiom my home comes fiom a water place that
gets its water fiorn a nearby water source.” The same student showed impressive
improvement when asked to answer the same question on the posttest. The student’s
posttest answer was, ' The water from my home is city water, water is taken fiom either
a river, pond, lake, or groundwater and taken through a screen to get rid of plants, fish,
etc. Then, alum is added to form sticky flocks that help collect impurities. Chlorine is
added to kill microorganisms. The alum impurities settle and are taken out, then it is
taken to my home.” While this student did not completely answer the question conectly,
definite improvement was made in the posttest. Another student showed improvement
on the subjective portion of the posttest. When asked, ”do you think the water you drink
at home is pure or polluted? Explain you answer." the student's initial response was
simple and did not elaborate. The student replied, ”The water I drink at home is pure
because it has been filtered being city water fiom the water plant that it comes from.”
This answer illustrates that students will often believe what they hear until they further
investigate the subject. The same student replied to the identical posttest question,
”yes, city water goes through a very good purifying process. In fact, city water is
checked by the government more than bottled water is. Considering all they do to purify

the water (see question 1) I am sure my water is safe and pure.”

In comparing the overall, both the objective and subjective portions, pretest and posttest

scores, it is obvious that the students improved their knowledge of water ecology. I feel

32

strongly that this is due to the modified activities and labs that were used in the unit. The
statistical analysis does support this within a 99.5% confidence. The overall average
pretest score was a 16.29 or 49.36%, thle the overall average posttest score was a
24.06 or 73.9% (Figure 1 ). The paired t-test statistics Show that the T-statisb’c is 13.27
with a mean difference of 7.76 and is significant within 16 degrees of freedom. It is
important to note that prior to the unit only 3 of the students passed the pretest with the
highest score being a 70%. After the unit, all students were successfully in passing the

posttest with the highest score being a 91% and the lowest being 64%.

I received several positive and informal responses from the students. Students allowed
their creativity to be expressed in many of the research activities. Due to their
excitement to share, many students volunteered to give their presentations. Several
students commented positively on the fieldtrips. I observed them genuinely listening to

the tour guides and asking relevant questions.

33

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The paired t-test does support the idea that using relevant ecology activities including
inquiry and authentic assessment increases the Ieaming of students with the overall
T-statistic equal to 13.27 within 16 degrees of freedom. The students tests scores show
an obvious increase in the comprehension of the students after completing the water
ecology unit. By developing and implementing this unit, I have come to several

conclusions regarding its future use in the classroom.

While having a class of lower achieving students has its problems, there are some
benefits as well. These students really appreciated the fieldtrips. These students are
not often provided with these opportunities and showed genuine interest during the trips.
In the future I would like to make the three fieldtrips I implemented standard activities for
the course. However I can see a problem with this goal due to the recent budget cuts

our school district has faced resulting in the cancellation of all fieldtrips.

I did find that overall the unit ran very smoothly. l credit this to all of the time spent in
preparation for this unit. I knew exactly what my lesson plans were and what projects
and activities I was implementing ahead of time. I found that being prepared for an
entire 5-week unit allowed time to work with students on their projects for the class. It
would be of great benefit to all teachers if they could find the time to prepare for each

unit as well as I did for the water ecology unit.

One struggle I had in preparing and implementing this unit was knowing what to leave in
and what to cut out of the unit. As an ecology teacher, I find that there are so many labs

34

and activities that would benefit the students’ Ieaming process. Since this class is only a
one-semester course, time is always a critical factor in determining which activities to
use. I found that I had developed more new and revised labs and activities and had to
leave some of the prepared lessons out. It would be no problem to teach a one-

semester course just on water ecology.

Another struggle I had in preparing this unit was determining when and how much of the
different teaching styles I should use. As was stated in the literature review, a teacher
cannot use one type of teaching method exclusively in their classroom. Sometimes it
was difiicult to know when to use the inquiry and problem solving methods and when the
students really need some traditional instruction to get the fundamental concepts of the
topic. I did not want to overuse any one type of method. Knowing the appropriate
timing of using a teaching method comes with experience, having taught the unit once I
would make some changes. First, I would provide brief notes exclusively at the
beginning of a new section. This gives the students the background knowledge they
need to successfully complete the tasks related to the material. Although lecturing is
important, I used concise fill-in style note for this particular class. I found that when
notes were needed this worked well because the typical ecology student can easily lose

focus if the material is not presented in a simple style.

Although I am pleased with the outcomes of this unit, there are some changes I would
make in the future. First, I would implement more problem-solving activities. The
subjective assessment percentages were not as high as I expected and I think this is

due to two reasons. One was being the writing level of the students. Many of these

35

students can not effectively express themselves in writing. To help them improve; I
would implement more writing activities and assignments to provide them with practice.
To do this effectively I would need to supply immediate feedback on these assignments.
Also, I think that these students need more practice in answering subjective type
questions. As was stated in the literature review, so much is objectively asked of
students that teachers need to make a conscience effort to implement more subjective

type questions so the students understand what is being asked of them.

Second, I would monitor the class partners and groups more closely. I often allow the
students to choose their partners and group members, which often leads to the same
people working together throughout the semester. I believe that if I make a deliberate
effort to mix up the students they would learn much more from working with new people.
Not only will they teach each other more effectively, but the wasted time in class that

happens when friends work together would be reduced.

One of most valuable responses that I received were the verbal comments that I
received fiom my students. They genuinely enjoyed getting out of the classroom and
getting their hands dirty in the stream monitoring lab and fieldtrip. The class really
enjoyed the trip to the Rabbit River. My students connected with the need to conectly
collect and report these data. This was obvious by their fairly meticulous methods of
data collection. I think that they felt that the data being collected were not just simply for
the purpose of doing a lab but for the analysis of the watershed. I noticed that some
students whom I wouldn’t think would enjoy the macroinvertebrate collecting had no

trouble getting in the river and collecting a variety of insect larva. I provided them with

36

an extra credit opportunity by challenging each group to find an example of a
Hellgrammite. Unfortunately no one was that lucky. While they researched the lntemet
and media center for several of the activities, I observed many groups really working
together and being creative developing their presentations. They enjoyed emailing
people to obtain information on their water career of choice. Many students would give
me daily updates on their email conversations and would ask when they could check
their email again for responses. Several groups added to their presentations by either
bringing in props and/or dressing the part. It was the overall enthusiasm that I often
observed that made the most difference for me and the implementation of this unit. The

increased test scores were an added pleasant achievement for my students.

In conclusion, I am very pleased with the progress my students made through this unit. I
feel that the time devoted to developing and implementing the new and modified
activities greatly enhanced the water ecology unit for my students. I plan to use many of
the same activities again next year in the ecology class for example; Pond Water Lab,
Fishing Trip assignment, Rabbit River Fieldtrip, Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant
Tour and the Water Career activity. I especially feel pleased with the feedback that was
provided by my students on a daily basis. I could easily tell that they appreciated the
extra effort I made in making their experience a richer one. They seemed to find humor
in my dependence on them in obtaining my Masters degree. I truly feel that they knew

we were all working together, giving 11 0% to this unit.

37

APPENDIX A
ParentIStudent Consent Form

Date: August 21, 2002

To: Parents/GuardiansIStudents

From: Ms. Eichbauer

Re: Collection of Data for Master’s Thesis

For the past 3 summers I have been working on my Masters Degree at Michigan State
University. This past summer I worked on redesigning the Water Quality Unit in the
Ecology class that I teach in the fall semester. I have developed a new water pollution
lab, tested new water quality labs, and gathered activities that I feel will enhance the
students’ understanding. This unit we will begin in October and will take 4—5 weeks to
complete.

An important requirement for obtaining the Master’s degree is to write and submit a
thesis explaining this work and its implementation into the curriculum. To accomplish
this task, I will be collecting data from pre- and post- tests, surveys on the students’
reflections and opinions, student interviews, as well as pulling essay and short answer
questions from the labs, homework, and assessments. Wrth your permission, I would
like to use this data in my research thesis. At no time will the students’ names be
attached to or within the thesis paper. Your privacy will be protected to the maximum
extent allowable by law.

The requirements for the course will remain the same for all students whether their work
is used in my thesis or not. At any time throughout the course, you may request that
your student’s work not be included in the data analysis. There is no penalty for not
giving consent or for revoking consent in the future.

Please complete the lower portion, insert and seal the envelope provided and return this
letter to me by August 30, 2002. Envelopes will not be opened until semester grades
are complete. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or concerns
regarding your rights as a study participant, or are dissatisfied at any time with any
aspect of this study, you may contact-anonymously, if you wish- Ashir Kumar, M.D.,
Chair of the University Committee on Research Involving Human Subject (UCRIHS) by
phone 517-355-2180, by fax 517-432-4503, e-mail , or regular mail 202
Olds Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824. Please contact me if you have any questions or
concerns 673-7002 ext. 5129 (voicemail) or 6612 (classroom).

Sincerely,

Ms. Cynthia Eichbauer

38

, l voluntarily agree to participate in this study. Ms. Eichbauer will not use my
name and any student information will remain confidential.

, I do not agree to participate in this study. There is no penalty for choosing to
withhold my data.

 

 

Student Name (print)
Student Signature Date:
Parent/Guardian Signature Date:

 

39

APPENDpr

Pre-Assessmenthost-Assessment
Water Ecology

True or False
1. Water is considered a renewable resource.
2. Our everyday water comes exclusively from groundwater.

3. The area of land from which groundwater originates is called
the watershed.

4. The largest domestic use ofwater in the home is by
washing and bathing.

5. Alum is added to water to form sticky flocks that help
collect impurities.

6. Point pollution originates from several sources and is difficult to
control and regulate.

7. Sludge from water treatment plants is safe to use as a fertilizer.
8. Most chemicals that can bioaccumulate are fat-soluble.

9. Eutrophication can happen naturally just at a slower pace.

10. Chlorine is added to water to deter bacterial growth.

11. Fertflizers can cause eutrophication of a pond or lake.

12. Accidental oil spills account for 75% of oil pollution.

13. By building dams, conflict between countries that share a river is

reduced.
14. Warm water holds more oxygen than cold water.

15. Plastic bags, pop rings, and balloons are examples of water
pollution.

16. A city’s water supply originates fiom a nearby river.

Short Answer. (use complete sentences where applicable)

1. Describeasbestyoucanwherethewaterinyourhomecomesfrom.

4O

-f-l-l-l-I-I-l -l

-l-l

'I'I‘T'I‘I'I'TI'TI'TI'I'I

m

2. Do you think the water you drink at home is pure or polluted? Explain your
answer.

3. List and describe 2 ways to desalinize seawater.

4. Calculate the parts per million of contaminants in the following fish:

a. Perch weight = 1.8 kg
P = .0049
b. Whitefish weight = 3.1 kg
P = .0649

5. List and explain the problems caused by 2 exotic species of Michigan.

41

6. Identify the following macroinvertebrates:

     

a) b) c)

7. Make a list of the jobs that depend on someway on the production of the goods

and services for sport fishing.

8. How can artificial eutrophication be prevented in natural water bodies?

9. Where do PCBs turn up in fish and other animals?

42

10. Describe the path of the bioaccumulation ofthe pesticide DDT as it originates in
surface water runoff and ends in the body of Bald Eagles. Describe the
concentration levels and the effects of DDT.

43

APPENDIXC

STUDENT Acrlvmes

APPENDIX C1 - POND WATER LAB

Problem: What does a jar of pond water contain?
P_art l: Wet Mount Preparation

Materials: clean dry slide cover slip
dropper water

Instructions:

1. Using a clean dry slide, place one drop of water on the center of the slide.

2. Carefully pick up the cover slip and place one of the four sides on the edge of the
drop of water. (this is to make a complete seal)

3. After obtaining a complete seal, slowly lower the cover slip down onto the slide.
4. Practice this a few times or until you feel comfortable doing this task.

Part II: Letter 'e' Slide Preparation

Materials: clean dry slide cover slip
dropper water
small "e’

Instructions:

1. Make a wet mount slide of the letter “e'.

2. Focus your slide sample on your microscope.

3. Draw what you see on the lowest power and record the total magnification.
4. Draw what you see on the highest power and record the total magnification.

 

total magnification total magnification

1. Which way does the letter “e' appear to move when you move the slide to the right?

Part III: Pond Water Sl_ide Preparation

Materials: clean dry slide cover slip
dropper pond water

lnstrucb'ons:

Prepare a wet mount of pond water and observe it under low power.

Focus the slide under low power and then adjust to the next power.

Draw and color six different organisms that you observed.

Record the total magnification

Using the provided protozoa key, record the name of the organism.

(Hint: If some organisms are moving too fast for you to clearly see, place a piece of
stretched out cotton on the microscope slide then put your water sample directly on the
cotton and place the cover slip on top of it)

wewwe

45

 

 

 

 

total magnification total magnification
name name
total magnification total magnification
name name

 

total magnification total magnification

 

name name

47

Questions: Answer the following in complete sentences by using the Pond Life
Guidebooks.

1. If one of your microorganisms were said to be autotrophic what would this mean?
Give an example of an autotrophic organism found in a forest ecosystem.

2. What are the three ways in which protozoa are capable of moving?

3. In a jar of pond water, where are you most likely to find the greatest diversity of
microorganisms?

4. How can so many different microorganisms live in the same habitat?

5. Explain how the microscopic community fits into the pond ecosystem.

APPENDIX c2 - GREAT LAKES INVADERS CONCEPT MAP

Problem: To create a concept map that summarizes the article, Great Lakes Invaders.
Directions: With a partner your job is to create a concept map on the provided poster
board that summarizes the article you just read on exotic species in the Great Lakes.
Make sure your concept map is well thought out, organized and neat. You should
include linking words for each pair of connected concepts. Additional points will be given

for showing more complex relationships between concepts or cross links.

49

APPENDIX C3-GREAT LAKES FISHING TRIP

Introduction:

The term fishery refers to a complex relationship of the fish population, the environment,
and the people using the fish and the environment. Some types of fishery include: sport
fishery, commercial fishery, tribal fishery, and supplemental fishery. The Great Lakes
Region is fortunate to have an adequate environment and technology to support several
types of fishery. The different types of fisheries found in Michigan benefits the state in
several ways: economically, culturally, socially, ecologically, and through dietary means.
In fact, the Great Lakes regional economy is impacted by $2.3 to 4.3 billion per year.

Materials:

Role and destination cards (1 card for each group)

One WORKSHEET FOR PLANNING A SPORTFISHING TRIP per group
Masking tape

Newsprint

Markers

A road map for Michigan

The life of Lakes map/posters

Fish, boating, and outdoor magazines and catalogs

Overheads: Fisheries Science and Management, Sport-fishing In the Great Lakes:
Where It Occurs, Sport-fishing in the Great Lakes: What Species Anglers Prefer,
Commercial Fisheries in the Great Lakes

Procedure:

1) Obtain and read a role and destination card from the teacher.

2) You should calculate the costs of traveling to your intended fishing site and all
other costs you will have for the trip.

3) Using a Michigan Road Map calculate the distance it is from Allegan to your
destination. Use the instructions on the role and destination card to calculate
the transportation costs.

4) Brainstorm a list of goods that you will need for the fishing trip and write these
materials on the paper provided. This list may include things like: clothing,
food, tackle and transportation.

5) Brainstorm a list of services that are needed for your trip to be successful:
lodging (camping fees, hotel/motel rates, boat rental or charter.

6) Brainstorm a list of optional items that you would like one your trip: special
gear, special snack food, or entertainment).

7) Agree in your group upon the items you will keep on the list and then transfer
these lists to the group worksheet.

8) Research the cost of these items via magazines, catalogs, lntemet, or phone
calls to get an accurate expected price for each item or service.

9) Add up all of these expenses and record the sum.

50

10) Refer to your role and destination card to find out how many pounds of
salmon were caught on the trip. Calculate the cost per pound of fish caught.

11) Call a local supermarket and find out how much a pound of frozen of fresh
salmon costs. Find out where the market fish was caught.

12) Compare the cost of your fish from the trip to the cost of the fish purchased in
the market.

13) Be ready to give a 10-minute presentation on the description and cost of your
trip.

Analysis:

1) Would you prefer to pay the market price for salmon or catch it yourself?
Why?

2) What are the benefits to you, and society as a whole, of paying the higher
price
for the salmon you caught?

3) What are the benefits to you, and society as a whole, of paying the price of
the fish available in the market?

4) In the late 1980’s, sport anglers began to catch fewer and fewer salmon from
Lake Michigan. The populations of salmon had declined seriously, probably
due to a disease called bacterial kidney disease (BKD). What happens to the
communities when the population of a sport fish declines?

5) Make a list and of the jobs that depend on someway on the production of the
goods and services for sport fishing.

51

6) Make a list of the jobs that are generated by the commercial fishing industry.

7) How does the difference between the lists explain the difference in cost
between fish caught by a commercial fisher and fish caught by a sport
angler?

8) How is it possible that a small number of commercial fishers can produce
large quantities of fish more cheaply than a large number of sport anglers?
Why do commercial fishers still have a much smaller overall impact on the
economy of the Great Lakes region?

52

WORKSHEET FOR PLANNING A SPORTFISHING TRIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials Services Optional
Needed Needed Goods 8.
Services
Item Cost Item Cost Item Cost
Subtotal: Subtotal: Subtotal:
Fish Species: Grand total of costs: 3
Pounds of fish caught lbs.
From:

 

 

 

Cost per pound of fish: 3

 

Cost per pound of fish at store:$

53

 

Destination and Role Card: CamperslBoat Renters
You are a family of four planning to go on a sport-fishing trip. You are going to a
campground near where you will spend the weekend. Your
vehicle gets 20 miles per gallon of gasoline used. You will camp in a tent, and will rent a
fishing boat for two days. You own your own fishing tackle. Include one tenth of the
costs of your tent, sleeping bags and other camping equipment. Also add one tenth of
the costs of your fishing tackle. Your costs for boat rental will be $35.00 per day
(including gas). You will catch enough salmon to weigh five pounds when cleaned
(dressed).

 

 

 

 

 

Miles to destination (a)
Miles per gallon of gasoline (b)
Gallons of gasoline used: (alb) (c)
Current price per gallon of gas 5 (d)
Transportation costs: (ch) $

cut

 

 

Destination and Role Card: HotelICharter Boat Users
You are a family of four planning to go on a sport-fishing trip. You are going to a coastal
community called where you will spend a weekend. You “all
stay in a hotel or motel and rent the service of a charter boat for two days. Your vehicle
gets 20 miles per gallon of gasoline used. Estimate your charter boat costs at $75.00
per person per day. You will catch ten pounds of salmon, dressed.

 

 

 

 

 

Miles to destination (a)
Miles per gallon of gasoline (b)
Gallons of gasoline used: (alb) (c)
Current price per gallon of gas 3 (d)
Transportation costs: (ch) $

cut

 

 

Destination and Role Card: Recreational Vehicle (RV)lBoat Owners
You are a family of four planning to go on a sport-fishing trip. You are going to a fishing
spot near where you will spend the weekend. You will sleep in your
Recreational Vehicle (RV) and use your own boat. Your vehicle gets 10 miles per gallon
of gasoline used. Include in the costs onetenth of the cost of your recreational vehicle
and boat. Also add one tenth of the cost of your fishing tackle. You will catch five
pounds of lake trout, dressed.

Great Lakes Fishing Trip
Teacher Notes

Objective:

The students will be able to 1) name several jobs that relate directly or indirectly to Great
Lakes fisheries 2) plan a sport-fishing trip and make a budget for the trip’s cost 3)
identify and discuss the relative benefits to themselves and society of catching fish on a
sport-fishing trip and of buying Great Lakes fish in the market 4) suggest reasons why
many people prefer to catch their own fish.

Time:

1 day to introduce activity and have students make their lists
12 days for research and assembling the presentations

1 day for presentations

Teacher Preparation:

1) Make the needed copies of Destination and Role Cards and overheads for
introduction.

2) Ask students for their definition of the term “fisheries'. Let them discuss this briefly.
Show the overheads and emphasize the term fishery refers to fish species, people
catching fish and the environment.

3) Ask the students to choose a destination for their fishing trip.

4) Explain that they will be planning a fishing trip for three different types of vacations.
One group will play the role of CAMPERS/BOAT RENTERS, another will be
HOTEUCHARTER BOAT USERS, and another group will be RECREATIONAL
VEHICLE/BOAT OWNERS. Divide the class into groups of 2-3 people.

5) Let the groups randomly pick what role they will be investigating.

6) Tell the students they can begin their lists and brainstorming activities.

Dann, Shari L., The Life of the Lakes, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University.

55

 

Appendix C4-Volunteer Stream Survey Form

Section 1: General lnforrnation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stream Name: Site Number.
Location: County:

Township/City. Sec: T: R:
Date: Time: Investigators:

 

 

 

Section 2: Weather Conditions
2.1 ( ) Sunny ( ) Partly Cloudy ( ) Cloudy ( ) Rain

2.2 Any Precipitation In the Last 5 Days: ( ) Yes ( ) No
If Yes, approximate amount:

 

2.3 Air Temperature (F) (C): Water Temperature (F) (C):

Section 3: Stream Habitat

 

 

3.1 Average Stream VVIdth (fl): (1. + 2. + 3. ) -:- 3 =
3.2 Average Stream Depth (ft): (1. + 2. + 3. ) + 3 =
3.3 Surface Water Velocity (ft/sec):
distance (ft): distance (ft): distance (ft):
time (sec): time (sec): time (sec):
(Trial 1 velocity: + Trial 2 velocity: + Trial 3 velocity: )+3
3.4 Estimate Flow (width X depth X velocity): cfs
3.5 Has the Stream Been Channelized? ( ) Yes ( ) No
3.6 Water Clarity/Coloration (describe): Water Odor (describe):
3.7 Trash In Stream! Along Banks? ( ) Yes ( ) No
Trash/Debris In Trees Above Stream? ( ) Yes ( ) No

3.8 Substrate (report relative % of each. 3.9 Obvious siltation? 3.10 Substrate Embeddedness
Leave blank if absent)

Clay ( ) Yes ( ) Completely (100%)
Silt () No () Mostly (75%)
Sand () Halfway (50%)
Gravel (.25-2') ( ) Little/None (0—2596)
Cobble (2-10')

Boulder (>10”)

56

 

3.11 Rigrian Vgggtation 3.12 Stream Shadigg 3.13 Bank Erosion

 

(Report relative % of each. ( ) 75—100% ( ) Extensive
Leave blank if absent) ( ) 50-74% ( ) Moderate
Trees ( ) 25-49% ( ) LittleINone
Shrubs ( ) 0-2496
Herbaceous Plants
Grass
Bare
Other (please describe):
Estimate Width of Riparian Vegetation ft.
3.14 Stream Habitat (Check all that are present) 3.15 W
( ) Riffles ( ) Abundant
( ) Runs ( ) Common
( ) Pools ( ) Rare
( ) Eddies ( ) None
3.16 Dams Present: ( ) Yes ( ) No
If Yes: ( )Man-made ( ) Beaver

3.17 Aquatic Plants: ( ) Periphyton ( ) Filamentous Algae ( ) Macrophytes
Are any of these plants very abundant? ( ) Yes ( ) No

3.18 Surrounding Land Use: (Rank relative abundance 1 most common, etc. Leave blank if
absent.)

 

 

 

Woodland: Wetland: Open Field:
(grassland/meadow)

Farmland: Residential: Commercial:

Other (please describe):

 

3.19 Does the Road Ditch Discharge Directly To the Stream At the Crossing?
( ) Yes ( ) No

3.20 Any Obvious Pollution Sources: ( ) Yes ( ) No
If Yes, Please Describe:

Other Observations:

Please Attach Photos to Survey Form (downstream, upstream, and others of interest)

57

Siggle Site Watershed Sm Data Sheet (page 2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: Site Number
Upstream Side/Downstream Side
POTENTIAL SOURCES (severity: S-sli ht, M - moderate, H - hi h
Crop Related Sources 8 M H Land Disposal M
Grazing Related Sources r S M H Orr-site Wastewater M
Systems
Intensive Animal Feeding S M H Silviculture (Forestry M
Operations NPS)
Highway/RoadlBridge S M H Resource Extraction M
Maintenance and Runoff (Mining NPS)
(Transportation NPS)
Channel ization S M H RecreationallTourlSm M
Activities (general)
Dredging S M H -Golf Courses M
Removal of Riparian s M H Marinaisecr. Boating M
Vegetation (water releases)
Bank and Shoreline Erosion! S M H , Marinas/Rea. Boating M
Modification/Destruction (bank or shoreline
Flow Regulation/Modification S M H Debris in Water M
(hydrology)
Upstream Impoundment S M H Industrial Point Source M
Construction: Highway/Road! S M H Municipal Point Source M
Bridge/Culvert
Construction: Land 8 M H Natural Sources M
Development
Urban Runoff S M H Source(s) Unknown M
(ResidentiallUrban NPS)
Site Summan lnforrnation
Survey Direction NIA UIS DIS
Site Similarity ? Y N
Overall Site L M H
Ranking
Site Follow Up L M H
Rank

 

 

 

 

 

 

58

 

 

 

Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

59

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530308088 9837. 332$ 0.088 .0830 m... 820$ 103.088 2.20 mco$
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2.80.0088 .10..o833.8$ 000308 60300.3. 333$ 800000 80.20:an
2000088 68:03. 333$ 000308 380033. 333$ 0.600.808 30:0..." i03$
4:030:88 3000.03. 820$ “8.00.3000 883$
03:0. 03:0 n 93:0 0
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08% . 408. u 08:0 n 4.08. n 08:0 0 ...08. n

408. 9803 000.3. 908 8:3 0. 88.0 8.. 08:00 .9 u

080.83 .vsmv 0000 .853 mm... A. 0-08 .uooa T. 8

 

a... 0:36 30 0030.50 0:0 0860203. 0.0 <0: 000020 03. .40.. 0.. 2:050» C <00 A v 20
= <00. 0.0000 0000200 3 0000.05.

APPENDIX c5 - DRAGONFLY POND
DRAGONFLY POND

Introduction:

Each use of the land either negatively or positively affects the environment. Each
land is an illustration of its importance to humans. Some people feel that the land and its
resources are there for the use and sometimes overuse. Others feel that the land and
environments should be protected from alteration. Finally, some people believe that a
balance of land use and land protection should be instilled.

At the center of the land use decisions is the idea of growth. The goal is for an
environment to be used and yet still show growth or even stability. Growth of an
ecosystem is dependent on limiting factors such as: food, water, shelter space and
available mates. If an ecosystem can be used by humans and still grow by not altering
any limiting factors significantly then it still maintains the ability to self regenerate. The
ability to self regulate is what allows all biotic factors to live together. It is important to
realize that all life forms must be maintained since they are all interconnected. Humans
have the ability to alter these limiting factors and upset the ecosystem. For example,
people can build dams to create power, water can be captured for irrigation, and
wetlands can be drained for homes and buildings. All of these activities affect wildlife
habitat.

Wetlands are often viewed as useless but they are important nurseries for fish
and birds, they are homes for a variety of animals, they assist in controlling flooding, and
help in cleaning the environment. Unfortunately, wetlands are delicate and can be easily
degraded by human influence.

Materials:

Scissors Glue

Paper (1) set of land use cutouts

( 1) Dragonfly Pond cutout (1) large piece of paper (18" X 24”)
Procedure:

1. Your group is responsible for arranging the pattern of land use around the
Dragonfly Pond. Your goal is to do the best you can to preserve the health of
this beautiful aquatic area while keeping in mind the assigned interest group
you are to represent.

2. Create a pros and cons list for each land use card.

61

. Cut out the land use pieces and the Dragonfly Pond. All the pieces must fit

on the large (18" X 24") paper which will represent your group’s map You may
out only the park and farmland pieces smaller but must be used. Parts may
touch but may not overlap. Hint: Only begin gluing when you all have
agreed on the location of the pieces.

. Each group should turn in the final arrangement and the pros and cons list.

. Once you have completed the placement of your pieces, on lined paper as. a

group come up with a list of pros and cons of each required land use.

. Turn in for class discussion.

62

Name:

Date: Hour.

 

Dragonfly Pond Discussion Questions

. If you could discard one land use card, which would it be? Explain why you chose

that one.

List some possible benefits of discarding the chosen card from above. List some
possible problems with discarding this card.

If you could enlarge one land use card, which would it be? Explain why you
chose that one.

List some possible benefits of enlarging the chosen card from above. List some
possible problems with enlarging this card.

Imagine that downriver from the land uses and Dragonfly Pond are other aquatic
systems (refer to drawing).

a) If we are looking a specifically the bleach factory effluent, what effect will
this possible have on these other aquatic systems?

b) How should it be treated? Where should it be treated? By whom?

0) Where will it go? With what effects?

63

. What could the people who are actually in charge of the various land uses do in
their practices to minimize the damage to Dragonfly Pond?

. Create a list of things you could personally do to begin to reduce the potentially
damaging effects of your own lifestyles on the “downstream' habitats. (at least 5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[3 Gas Dry Cleaners Restaurant
[ Station] 1
House House House
Farm Feed Lot ...................................... _
House House House
Farm Cornfield Bleach
Factory
Fire
House
Park
Condominium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

65

 

Dragonfly Pond
Teacher Notes

Objectives:
Students will be able to: 1) evaluate the effects of different kinds of land use on
wetland habitats: and 2) discuss and evaluate lifestyle changes to minimize
damaging effects on wetlands.

Methods:
Students create a collage of human land-use activities around an image of a pond.

Time:
1 class period to complete group activity
20 minutes to discuss homework assignment the next day

Background:
The major purpose of this activity is to encourage students to wrestle with these land
and water-use concerns. In this simulation, students use the “Dragonfly Pond” as a
microcosm of environmental concerns involved in management decisions. They
struggle with the arrangement of overlapping and conflicting land uses in an effort to
preserve a wetlands habitat. When the students reach some kind of agreement
about the local issues, the activity shifts to how what they have done affects other
dragonfly ponds downstream. The activity ends with consideration of the idea that
the planet is, in fact, a single “Dragonfly Pond.’

Teacher Procedure:
1. Prepare copies of the two cutout sheets ahead of time. Explain the activity.

2. Divide the class into groups of three or four individuals with each group
representing one of the interest groups:

- Residents — want to live in the area

0 Farmers - want to use the land to raise food and livestock

- Business interests — want to use the land for commerce and
economic growth

- Gas station owners — want to make a living in servicing and
repairing cars

- Parks department personnel - want people to have a place for

recreation

- Highway department personnel — want to maintain access in
the area

- Bleach factory representatives — want to preserve jobs and
commerce

67

3. Pass out the land use materials and large (18" X 24") paper to serve as the
base.

4. Hang the final arrangements on the board and have a spokesperson explain
the diagram and the groups reasoning.

5. Have all groups turn in diagrams and pros/cons list. Assign Dragonfly
questions for individual homework.

Resources:
Western Regional Environmental Education Council, pages 143-148, 1987.

68

APPENDIX 06 - CONTAMIMANTS IN GREAT LAKES FISHES

Contaminants In Great Lakes Fishes

Introduction:

Biomagnification is the process by which contaminants, which breakdown slowly,
accumulate in the tissues of animals increasing through the food chain. If these
contaminants are fat-soluble (for example DDT and PCBs) they will remain in the tissues
of the animal and not be passed through the organism. When a predator consumes that
animal, it receives and stores all of the contaminants within the prey. The amount of
contaminants is compounded (or biomagnifies) as the predator feeds on many prey. In
fact, humans (being a top predator) can have contaminant concentrations that are
1million times greater than the water concentration. Some researchers believe that high
enough levels of these contaminants can affect birth weight and childhood development

Materials:
Per group:
8 iodine crystals
screw-top vial-77cc
water — 30 cc
vegetable oil - 300C

One PARTS PER MILLION: VERY SMALL FRACTIONS WORKSHEET per person
Part A:

Procedure:

1) Place the iodine crystals in the vial.

2) Pour in 30 cc of water. Screw the lid back on.

3) Shake the vial vigorously in an effort to dissolve the crystals.

4) After a few minutes of shaking, observe any change in color of the water and
whether the crystals have dissolved.

5) Unscrew the lid and pour 33 cc of vegetable oil into the vial . Screw the lid
back on.

6) Shake the vial again.

7) After a few minutes, hold the vial still and observe changes in the color of the
water, oil and amount of solid crystal present.

69

Analysis:
1 )

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

What happened to the iodine, when it was mixed with water?

What happened to the iodine and water when the oil was added?

In which substance is iodine more soluble, water or oil?

What type of bodily substance does the oil represent? The water?

Where do you think PCBs turn up in fish and other animals?

Why can’t they be “washed out” by blood or urine?

How are anglers told about contaminants in fishes they are trying to catch?

Suppose you want to cook a fish, which may have tiny traces of PCBs. What
would be the best way to prepare it?

70

Part B:
PARTS PER mLuon:
VERY SMALL FRACTIONS WORKSHEET

Contaminants are chemicals, which are found at undesirable levels in organisms
or the environment Scientists and people who make policies measure levels of
contaminants in units mlled “parts per million.” In fact, these amounts are so tiny that
scientists have trouble measuring them. Special expensive equipment is used to
measure parts per million.

Unfortunately, there are contaminants within the bodies of some plants and
animals in the Great Lakes. However, the amounts are very small. The amounts are
usually expressed as parts per million, or ppm for short.

For example. a scientist might say that a Coho salmon has 8.parts per million of
PCBs, a contaminant found in the Great Lakes. This would mean that if you divided the
fish’s weight into a million parts, 8 of those parts would be made up of PCBs.

How much is a part per million? One part per million would be like one drop of
chocolate in 64 quarts of milk.

The US. Food and Drug Administration sets limits on the amount of
contaminants that an be in a food product to be sold. For Great Lakes fish, they have
decided that level is 2 parts per million of PCBs. Therefore, fish over the “safety limit' of
2 ppm of PCBs cannot be sold for interstate trade. Most states have similar limits for
sales within their boundaries.

When the governments sets a level for a contaminant in you food, it does not
mean that eating something at that level will kill or harm you. It just means that it could
eventually be damaging to eat this food if you ate a lot of it over time. Usually, the
“safety limit” is much, much lower than the actual amounts, which might be harmful

Many of our foods have some level of contaminants. For instance, most bacon
and ham contains small amounts of chemimls, which kill bacteria and preserve the pork.

It is hard to avoid harmful substances; they are all around. Many potentially
harmful substances are around because they are “good” for something else. PCBs are
useful chemicals that, in the past, were used in making electrical equipment. Pesticides
may increase a farmer’s crop by killing insects that eat the crops. As you can imagine,
solving the problems of contaminants in our air, food, and water is going to be a complex
task.

71

Now Try This...

You can figure out parts per million with a simple formula:

Weight of fish: =F
Weight of PCBs in fish: =P make sure F & P are in the same units
Parts per million of P in F =X

The formula for figuring out X is:

X: (PIF) x1,ooo,ooo

So let’s take a look at a whitefish that a commercial fisher has caught. The fish weighs 3

kg. The government lab found .009 g of PCBs in the fish. Is the fish over 2 ppm? Let's
use the formula to find out.

First, change the weight of the fish to grams, just like the weight of the PCBs.
Since 1 kg is 10009, then 3 kg = 3 x 1000 = 3000 9.

Then, X = (.009 g/3000 g) x 1,000,000 = 3 parts per million
No, the Whitefish is not under the 2ppm limit, and cannot be sold.

Some other fish came in with the catch. Calculate the ppm of contaminants in each fish.

1. Whitefish Wt. = 2.5 kg
P = .007 g

2. Yellow Perch Wt. = .5 kg
P = .005 g

3. Sucker Wt. = 1.5 kg
P = .003 9

Some sport anglers come in with more fish. Calculate the ppm of contaminants in these
fish.

4. Coho salmon Wt. = 6.5 kg
P = 0.052 g

72

5. Lake trout Wt = 7.
P = 0.066 9

Analysis:

1) Trout and salmon have more fat in their bodies than fishes like whitefish,
perch, and smelt. Why might the amount of body fat have something to do
with parts per million of PCBs in a fish?

2) Why might it be difficult to determine the level of PCBs in humans?

3) Do you know any chemicals that have been banned or restricted by
governments? Are those substances still in the environment?

4) In Lake Ontario, a chemical called Mirex got into the fish at levels which the
government thought were unsafe for people to eat. The state of New York made
it illegal to possess a fish from Lake Ontario, even if you caught it yourself. In
Michigan, on the other hand, the government knew that salmon and lake trout
had high levels of PCBs, also a harmful substance. The state of Michigan did not
make it illegal to possess these fish. What they did instead was to put advisories
in information people received with their sport-fishing licenses. These advisories
asked people not to eat more than two Great Lakes fish meals per week and
asked women of childbearing age and small children not to eat any at all. Which

method of protecting people is better? Why? Does the government have the
right to control what you eat?

73

Contaminants In Great Lakes Fishes
Teacher Notes

Objectives:

The students will be able to 1) explain the term solubility 2) explain how and why
contaminants end up in fat tissues of some fish 3) suggest how to reduce the intake of
contaminants when eating Great Lakes fish 4) calculate parts per million concentrations,
given the weight of the organism and the weight of substance found in the organism 5)
explain the role that governments play in protecting citizens from exposure to
contaminants and 6) critique an article about contaminants in Great Lakes fishes.

Time:
Part A — 20 minutes
Part B — 30 minutes

Materials:
Teacher Prep:
1) Ask: What happens to a teaspoon of sugar when you mix it into a glass of water?

What would happen to a pat of butter if you mix it into a glass of water? Explain that the
two substances illustrate the concept of solubility. Solubility is the ability on one
substance to become evenly distributed in another substance.

2) Have the students complete Part A.

3) Explain that Part B will show them how people talk about contaminants and that they
will learn about the math behind the term “parts per million'(ppm).

4) Read the Part Per Million Worksheet and go over the practice problem.

5) Have the students answer the questions for homework.

Resources:

Dann, Shari L, The Life of t_he Liaise; Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University.

74

APPENDIX C? - Duckweed’s Favorite Food

Introduction:

Duckweed (Lemna minor) is a small aquatic plant, which floats on the surface of
ponds, lakes and streams individually or in large mats. Lemna minor has one rootlet
hanging from the underside from which it absorbs vital nutrients like nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium. There are about 25 different species of these small
flowering plants, which are feed on by waterfowl. Reproduction often takes place by a
division of the plant body. A duckweed plant has a leaf-like stmcture called a frond.
During reproduction, the mother frond can give rise to two or three daughter fronds. As
the daughter fronds increase in number the plant separates into individual plants. When
the correct abiotic factors are present, duckweed can reproduce within 24 hours. In this
experiment we will be trying to identify the optimal nutrient concentrations for duckmed.
Various solutions of fertilizers will be used. The fertilizer solutions will be identified by
their standard N—P—K (nitrogen—phosphorus—potassium) concentrations. All other factors
will be kept constant for the various solutions.

Ho (null hypothesis) —
H1 (your hypothesis)-

ldentifying and Counting Fronds:

Materials:

Clean petri dishes with lids (8)

Duckweed plants (10 fronds/jar)

Magnifying glass

Stirring rod

Nutrient solutions-
Distilled water 6-12-0 fertilizer solution
Pond water 30-10-1 0 fertilizer solution
15-30-15 fertilizer solution 6-10-10 fertilizer solution
10-60—10 fertilizer solution 12-0-0 fertilizer solution

75

Procedure:

1. Study the duckweed using a magnifying glass and draw and label a mother frond
and daughter frond(s) in the space provided.

2. Label each beaker with the following information: YOUR NAME, PARTNER’s NAME,
AND ASSIGNED SOLUTlON.

3. Add 75ml of each solution to the appropriate beaker.

4. Using a clean glass-stirring rod, lift several clusters of the Duckweed from the
stock bucket and float them off into the jar. Yellow or white fronds are dead.
00 Not include them.

5. Place the beaker on a white surface and using a magnifying glass mrefully count
the number of fronds in the culture. Refer to the diagram on the front side to
correctly count the number of fronds. Do not count any dead fronds that may
be in your beaker. Add or remove clusters, parts of clusters or individual fronds
until 10 fronds are present to start your culture. Record your counts as made on
the Data Table #1 under today's date. Place the jars under plant growth lights or
near a window, as directed by the instructor.

6. Properly title Data Table #1 in the space provided above the table.

7. Count the number of fronds in each culture and record the counts under the
proper data using the Data Table #1. Make counts every two days for about a
week, then every two to three days for another week or as you are instructed.
Disregard dead fronds in all counts. Be sure to count little, new fronds (buds)
as well as the larger, older fronds. Use the magnifying glass when counting.
Check the sides of the beaker for fronds or clusters that may be sticking there.

76

8. Properly title Data Table #2 in the space provided above the table.

9. At the conclusion of the experiment, use Data Table #2 to record the average
number of fronds for each of the different solutions.

Results:

Data Table #1

 

 

Date

 

Day #

 

Number of
Fronds
Present

 

Distilled
Water

 

Pond Water

 

15-30-15
Solution

 

10-60-10
Solution

 

6—12-0
Solution

 

30-10-10
Solution

 

6-10-10
Solution

 

 

12-0-0
Solution ‘

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

77

 

Data Table #2

 

 

Date

 

Day #

 

Class
Average
Number of
Fronds
Present

 

Distilled
Water

 

Pond Water

 

15-30-15
Solution

 

10-60-10
Solution

 

6-12-0
Solution

 

30-10-10
Solution

 

6-10-10
Solution

 

 

12-0-0
Solution

 

 

 

 

 

 

78

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis and Discussion Questions

1. Can you mpt or reject your null hypothesis? Why? (Give specific reasons
— use data)

2. Can you accept or reject your own hypothesis? Why? (Give specific reasons
-usedata)

3. Compare and contrast pond water as a nutrient medium with stronger
nutrient solutions.

4. Which solution showed the optimal nutrient concentrations for duckweed
reproduction? Explain.

5. Which solution showed the worse nutrient concentrations for duckweed
reproduction? Explain.

6. Did your data show similar trends when compared to the class average data
collected? Explain.

79

7. What could be some possrble sources of error that you had no control over?
(name at least 2)

80

Duckweed’s Favorite Food
Teacher Notes

Objective:

Students will be able to 1) identify duckweed 2) We the effects of various fertilizers
on the duckweed population and 3) understand the importance of nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium to plant growth and development

Time:
1 day to set up
5 minutes each day for 10 days to monitor growth

Teacher Procedure:
1) To prepare solutions: mix 1 gram of fertilizer with 100 ml of distilled water.
2) Stir mixture to dissolve most of the granular fertflizer.
3) Filter out any particles by pouring the solution through a funnel lined with filter
paper.

Resources:
“Growth of a population of organisms: Lesser Duckweed Lemna Minor L', obtained lab
from science teacher at a conference.

Reid, George K., Pond Life Golden Press, New York, 1987.

 

81

APPENDIX C8 - POTATO AND SALTWATER LAB
Question - Why is saltwater not suitable for drinking?

Water is a valuable and necessary resource. If changes are not made in the ways we use
it, soon water may become a nonrenewable resource. If that should happen, we may need
to look at alternative places other than our freshwater supply to meet our needs. In this
investigation, we will demonstrate why it is not possible to use saltwater for drinking
before using the desalinization process.

Materials: potato beakers (3) tap water
scale ruler saltwater
stirring rod distilled water

Procedure:

1. Cut a potato into three equal pieces. Determine and record the mass of each piece.
Measure and record the length, width, and thickness in metric units. Record the texture.
(can you bend it? is it soft?)

2. Then label and prepare three beakers as follows: In beaker l, dissolve 10 g of salt into

250ml of tap water. Into beaker 2, place 250 ml of tap water. Into beaker 3, place 250
ml of distilled water.

3. Only after determining the mass and dimensions! Place one potato piece into each
beaker. Let stand for 24 hours.

4. The following day, observe and record the texture of each piece of potato.

S. Blot dry with a paper towel. Measure the dimensions and record on the data table.
Determine the mass of each potato once again.

6. Calculate the difference in mass and record. Include the appropriate +/- sign.
(mass afier soaking - mass before soaking = mass difference)

7. Calculate the percent change in mass.
(mass difference / mass before soaking X 100)

8. Clean up lab station and return any materials.

82

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper and in complete sentences.

1.

What happened to each piece of potato as it soaked overnight? Why?
(describe texture, dimension, and mass changes)

. What would happen if people used saltwater as drinking water?

What process must saltwater be put through before using it as a drinking source?

What two ways can this be accomplished? Describe them.

. What is the main reason for not using processed saltwater?

How can we solve the possible approaching water crisis?

Each person needs to turn in and staple in the following order:

title page
data table (neat and professional with a title and appropriate units)
questions #1-6

83

APPENDIX c9 - Water You Wantto Be?

Scavenger Hunt
Teacher Notes

Objectives:

The students will be able to 1) identify the need for and diversity of careers related to
water habitats, 2) list several types of water-related careers and 3) state that people with
water-related careers work with habitats, biotic factors, abiotic factors, and people in the
community.

Materials:

Outdoor and environmental magazines and catalogs
Markers

Posterboard

Time:
30 minutes

Procedure:

1. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group several magazines
and catalogs, a piece of posterboard and some markers.

2. Tell the group that they will have 10-15 minutes to go on a scavenger hunt.
Theirjob is to use the magazines, catalogs and background information to list
as many water-related careers as they can. Have each group write their list
on the paper.

3. After the time is over, have each group share their list.

You may want to award a prize (bottle of water) to the group members that listed
the most careers or had the most unique careers.

Resources:

Arms, Karen, Envirfionmentatl Science, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., Austin, TX,
1 996.

Dann, Shari L., The Life of the Lakes, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University.

“Water Souroebook', Auburn University at Montgomery and Troy State University,
March, 1 997.

Water You Want to Be?

Introduction:

Water-related careers abound in science, industry, agriculture, recreation,
federal, state, and/or local government, research, transportation, engineering, and the
military. Wrth an increasing awareness of environmental concerns, these career options
can be expected to multiply. Some require no more than a high school diploma and on-
the—job training; some require a Ph.D. in a very specialized area. Many of these careers
will be unfamiliar to you; perhaps you will find your niche!

Procedure:

1. Research the water-related career that you have chosen including all of the
information on the checklist.

2. Locate and interview a person following this career including all the
information on the checklist. Include an address or phone number that the
person can be reached at in the future.

3. Design a poster illustrating the highlights and requirements of the career.
Describe the information to the class. Turn in the poster and the checklists
(one for research and one for interview).

85

Water Career Checklist
Interview
1. Job Trtle:

2. Education for job:

3. Where is this type of education available and ho long does it take?

4. What kind of a degree, certification, or bonding is required?

5. Who employs this type of worker?

6. What is the most common geographical location for this type of job?

7. What is the average annual salary range?

8. What are the job prospects/stability of employment?

9. Describe the work that is done on this job.

10. If there is anything else you learned in your research of this job, include it below.

11. Would you be interested in this type of job? Why or why not?

86

Water Career Checklist
Research

—8
0

Job Trtle:

2. Education for job:

3. Where is this type of education available and ho long does it take?

4. What kind of a degree, certification, or bonding is required?

5. Who employs this type of worker?

6. What is the most common geographical location for this type of job?

7. What is the average annual salary range?

8. What are the job prospects/stabilrty of employment?

9. Describe the work that is done on this job.

10. If there is anything else you learned in your research of this job, include it below.

11. Would you be interested in this type of job? Why or why not?

87

Water You Want to Be?
Teacher Notes

Objectives:

The student will be able to 1) describe the great variety in water-related careers and
2) compare specific careers regarding education, training, salary, and job
description.

Background lnforrnation:

Too often students have no clear career goals. Many of these water-related careers
will be unfamiliarto the students. Hopefully by doing this research and listening to
the reports, students will develop an interest in a water-related career.

Time:

2 class periods (one to research in media centerfmtemet lab and one in class to
design poster

out-of-class time for research and interview

Teacher Preparation:

1. Put each career from Student Sheet on Water-Related Careers on slips of paper
(one for each student). Cut them apart Put them in a container so that
students can draw them out.

2. Have students contact any people in the area who are in these careers. If they
are willing to be interviewed by the students, list their names and telephone
numbers where they can be reached.

3. Ask students what their career goals are. Are any water-related? What does
water-related mean? Ask for examples.

4. Tell students you have any expanded list and they are going to investigate these
careers by randomly picking one. Students may exchange their careers as long
as each student researches a different one.

Resources:
Arms, Karen, Environmental Science, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., Austin, TX,
1996.

“Water Sourcebook”, Auburn University at Montgomery and Troy State University,
March, 1 997.

88

Water-Related Careers
Teacher Sheet

Agricultural Engineer
Aquarium Director
Archaeologist

Aquatic Entomologist
Biologist

Biosolids Specialist

Boat Builder

Boater

Botanist

Bottled Water Company Employee
Chemist

Chemical Engineer

Civil Engineer

Coast Guard
College/University Professor
Commercial Fisherman
Desalination Plant Director
Diver

Docks Master

Ecologist

Environmental Attorney
Environmental Chemist
Environmental Engineer
Environmental Scientist
Farmer

Fire Fighter

Fisheries Biologist

Forester

Geographer

Geologist

Groundwater Contractor
Health DethEnvironmental Inspector
Hydraulic Engineer
Hydrologist

Ice Skater

Landscape Artist

Landscape Architect
Limnologist

Marina Owner/Operator or Employee

89

Marine Salvage Engineer
Marine Geophysicist
Marine Geologist

Marine Conservationist
Marine Explorer

Marine Technician
Merchant Marine
Meteorologist

Sail boater

Navy

Oceanographer
Photographer

Physical Scientist

Plant Physiologist

Plumber

Potter

Professional Tournament Fisherman
Rafting Guide

Ranger

Recreation Instructor
Science Teacher

Scuba Instructor

Scuba Diver

Ship Builder

Seaman

Snow Hydrologist

Soil Scientist

Structural Engineer
Submariner

Sunken Treasure Hunter
Tugboat Biologist
Underwater Photographer
Wastewater Treatment Engineer
Water Meter Reader
Water Level Controller
Water Resources Engineer
Water Quality Control Officer
Well Driller

Yachtsman

Zoologist

90

APPENDIX c1o - ASSESSMENTS: ourz 5.1, 5.2, AND 5.3

Matching:

a)
b)
C)
d)
e)
f)

9)
h)
i)

i)

k)

PNPWPP’N?

9.

Aquifer
Colorado River
Desalinization
Groundwater

Ice caps and glaciers
Mississippi River
Oceans
Recharge zone
Reservoir
Surface water
Watershed

Section 5.1 Quiz
Our Water Resources

Water found in lakes, rivers, and streams.

Area of land from which water flows into a river.

These hold 97% of the water on Earth.

This is the longest river in the United States.

Artificial lake created by building a dam.

Underground rock formations that hold water.

These hold 76% of all the freshwater on Earth.

Area of land through which water percolates to be stored as groundwater.
Removing salt from seawater to make fresh water.

10. This river only trickles by the time it reaches the deserts in Mexico.
11. Water that seeps down through the soil and accumulates beneath the ground.

True or False:
_12. Water is considered a renewable resource on Earth.

_13. Of all the water on Earth only 3% is fresh water.

__14. Distillation and towing are two examples of desalinization.
_15. Most of the water used in a household is due to toilet flushing.

91

16. Building dams reduce conflict between countries over sharing water.

_17. Distillation removes salts by passing water through a membrane that does not
allow the salts to pass through.

_18. Aluminum sulfate is added to water to form flocs, sticky globs, to, which
bacteria adhere to.

Fill-In
19. Describe what is happening at each stage of the water treatment process.

20. Using complete sentences, describe two ways that you can reduce your water
consumption everyday.

92

Section 5.2 Quiz
Freshwater Pollution

Matching:

Artificial eutrophication
Bioaccumulation
Nonpoint pollution
Pathogens

Point pollution

Sludge

Thermal pollution
Water pollution

escapees!»

1. Results from sewage mnoff or fertilizer buildup in lakes and slow moving
streams.
2. By product of the wastewater treatment process and maybe used as fertilizer.

3. The increasing concentration of a substance as it is passed through the food
chain.

4. This is dangerous to aquatic environments because it causes the amount of
dissolved oxygen to change.

5. Examples of sources would be: septic-tank systems or municipal landfills.
6. Diseasing causing agents that may be found in aquatic environments.

7. Examples of sources would be: storm-water runoff fiom streets or highway
construction and maintenance.

8. The introduction of chemical, physical, or biological material into an aquatic
environment causing damage to the habitat.

True or False
9. The Cuyahoga River was so polluted at one time that it actually caught on fire.

_10. The fecal coliforrn test will determine the presence and amount of E. coli in the
environment.

_11. DDT and PCBs are examples of toxins that are water-soluble.

_12. Warm water due to thermal pollution tends to hold more oxygen than cold
water.

_13. Nitrogen is found in fertilizers and sewage.

_14. Most of the wastewater from homes is biodegradable.

15. Phytoplankton are microscopic free-swimming animals.

_16. Stream-bottom macroinvertebrates can give some indication of the quality of
the water.

93

Fill-In
17. Describe what is happening at each stage of the wastewater treatment process.

18. How does nutrient-rich fertilizers cause fish kills?

19. List the 5 Great Lakes.

95

Section 5.3 Quiz
Ocean Pollution

Matching:
a) Exxon Valdez
b) Helsinki Convention
c) Law of the Sea Treaty
d) Marine Mammal Protection Act
e) Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
f) MARPOL

_ 1. States that the laws of the coastal nations extend 22km fiom its coasfline.
_ 2. Prohibits the release of oil or plastics into the ocean or coastal waters.
_ 3. Caused a spill of 11 million gallons of oil in Alaska in 1989.

_ 4. Prohibits any action that could harm aquatic mammals in the oceans.
__ 5. Attempts to control land—based sources of ocean pollution

_ 6. Created 15 marine refuges for marine animal species.

True or False

_ 7. Only 15 % of ocean pollution comes from the land.

__ 8. The United States is one of 134 countries that signed the Law of Sea Treaty.
_ 9. Only 5% - 15% of the oil pollution originates fiom oil spills.

_10. Salt water is not good for drinking because it causes our body cells to lose
wat
_11. Removing all of the toxic substances refines crude oil.

_12. The international Seabed authority controls the open oceans that are not
monitored by individual nations.

__1 3. The Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 help protect the dumping of
garbage into the ocean.

,2

Short Answer:
Answer the following using complete sentences.

14. Describe how and why the oceans are polluted.

15. Describe the effects of pollution of marine wildlife.

96

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