New Generation Science Standards

Students observe and record some of the structures of a crustacean, the crayfish, and compare it to other organisms. They establish a feeding and maintenance schedule for the organisms. Students investigate crayfish behavior and map where the crayfish spend time within their habitat. Through readings, organism cards, and a video, students learn about adaptations of organisms in different environments. Students engage in an outdoor simulation activity to explore food chains.

This experiment was a success. The experimental procedure from the lab manual was followed. The right materials needed for this experiment was also used. Each group recorded the data of the name of species and percent cover for species in the three transects. After, the class data was assembled, pie-charts and bar graph were drawn from the data using excel.

Explain how the ecosystem was affected by the missing species for each round of the demonstration.

Through our research we aimed to determine if there were any differences in water quality of both the north and south forks of Strawberry Creek. As time progresses and the environment changes it is important to keep track of how certain species are being impacted by these features, and how they cope with change. We hypothesized that due to the lack of pollution, the south fork will promote a greater diversity of macroinvertebrates. This was due to the fact that there was less runoff and trash that could be introduced to the water in the south fork, than there was in the north fork. We gathered data by analyzing the different organisms living in both forks. We collected a total of fifty vials composed of five organisms from each fork, and inspected them under microscopic view. After gathering data and identifying the different kinds of organisms living in the different forks we assessed whether the organisms from the samples could live in high or low resolution water. We also took a t-test to assess the probability of these differences being due to relevant factors or by chance. Our major findings suggest that organisms in the south fork showed a higher demand to living in cleaner water indicating that our hypothesis was correct.

Exercise Lab 1. How much does temperature vary in large and small aquatic environments? Lab 2. What determines the water clarity of lakes, rivers and oceans? Lab 3. Where does the phosphorus go? Lab 4. How does human activity in watersheds affect the quality of lakes and rivers? Lab 5. Are the Great Lakes being influenced by the global greenhouse effect? Lab 6. How is the flow of the Red Cedar River influenced by the weather? Lab 7. What is the relationship between flow and turbidity in the Red Cedar River? Page 2 4 6 8 12 15 18

The process skills approach to teaching is defined as the educator helping children develop science skills and processes to confidently undertake their own investigations (Campbell, 2012). These skills are developed through: communicating, science language, asking questions, making sense of phenomena, predicting, modelling, conducting investigations, planning, testing, observing, reasoning, and drawing conclusions of science concepts (Campbell, 2012). When the educator assist children’s learning, it is important to put the emphasis on the nature of science and scientific concepts. Guided discovery approach to teaching requires the educator to ask effective questions that encourage children to explore and extend their investigations throughout science learning (Campbell, 2012). This can be developed through play experiences as children explore their world around them. An interactive approach to teaching children is based on questions that lead explorations and the educators to provide essential resources to guide these explorations (Campbell, 2012). It is the educators’ responsibility to support children’s development, ideas, questions, ways of thinking, and develop scientific thinking. Furthermore, an inquiry approach to teaching relates to children investigating the answers to their own

The 7th graders took a nature hike and observed the nature around the Portage River. There, a nature expert talked about invasive species, seed distribution, and plants. When the water rises the seed pods come off of plants and float on the water, the seeds then are carried to new places. The 7th graders talked about how the monarchs are declining because of the lack of milkweed. They also talked about plants like goldenrod and poison ivy. Around the Portage River there are habitats like prairies, forests, and floodplains. Plants in the riparian zone help to filter the water before it goes into the river.

The state of Michigan is a fascinating area. From its mitten-like shape, to its historical background, to the presence of the Great Lakes, Michigan has a story unlike any others. One very important part of Michigan’s story is how water has shaped the land making up the state. Seeing as the Great Lakes surround Michigan, it is obvious that the hydrologic system plays a great role in the water supply and the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. The hydrologic cycle includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation, groundwater, transpiration and runoff, all of which keep the Great Lakes functioning year after year. The University Corporation of Atmospheric Research developed an image to simply explain the hydrologic cycle as well as graphs explaining how each of the elements of the hydrologic cycle affects The Great Lakes on a monthly basis (located below).

Summative Observation Objective: Using their observations from both investigations, students will write or verbally state a claim, and with three pieces of evidence describe how young animals resemble their parents

The United States Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education (“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”, n.d.). Despite this commitment, reports indicate a decline in STEM proficiency as well as a lack of qualified teachers to respond to the deficiency (Holdren, Lander, & Varmus, 2009). The lack of qualified STEM teachers has resulted in critical shortage areas in many districts across the United States, prompting policy reform allowing alternative certification pathways to alleviate shortages (“Alternative Routes”, n.d.). Even with a reduction in critical shortage areas, preliminary reports continue to show little or no

As part of the science curriculum, it is mandatory to introduce the concept of enquiry through experiments and investigations. The practical element of science promotes the idea that children need to develop a certain level of scientific enquiry through a wide range of activities suggests, Cross and Bowden (2014). Some examples of scientific enquiry can range from; nature walks in order to observe the numerous mini beasts amongst the school

Students are considered to be scientists in the inquiry process. Children will view themselves as scientists as they learn. They look forward to science, demonstrate a desire to learn more, seek collaboration with their classmates, they are confident in doing science, and willing to take risks. Students are readily engaged in exploring science. They have curiosity, ponder observations, move around to get the materials they need, and have the opportunity to try out their ideas. Students are able to communicate using various amounts of methods. They express their ideas in journals, reporting, or drawing. They listen, speak, and write about science. They communicate their level of understanding of concepts and ideas. The students propose explanations and solutions based off their data. They use investigations to satisfy their own questions. They sort out information that is needed and important. They become willing to revise explanations and gain new knowledge. They raise questions, use questions to lead them to investigations, and students begin to enjoy using questions to ponder ideas. Students begin to observe rather than look. They see details, detect sequences, and notice change, similarities, and differences. The students begin to make

Class input data into excel and a class mean and standard deviation was gathered from both wetlands for each species. Excel was used to produce the mean and standard deviation for all data, then graphed for ease of interpretation.

The patterns of biological diversity in rivers and streams among taxa vary on a spatial and temporal scale (Ligeiro et al. 2010; McGarvey and Terra 2015). Variations in stream ecology can be contributed to water quality, habitat, and history of disturbance (Lingeiro et al. 2010). Creeks and streams feed into rivers and other larger bodies of water, which provide food, water, and other commercial and recreational services as well as a home to an array of plants and animals which rely on clean water. The health of these smaller bodies of water can act as indicators for the health of the larger watershed.

I decided to test the ecological status of the wetland by gathering samples from the wetland and testing it for various aspects in the water and the plants that are found within the area.