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Posted by wetlands in category: Initial Ideas
What is the idea all about? What is the broad topic, what are the main aspects to be covered?

 

    Teacher's handbook.


    Posted by wetlands in category: Initial Ideas

    A Teacher’s Guide to Wetlands

    An Understanding of an Overlooked Ecosystem

    Virginia Ortiz

    5/3/18

    Wetland Environment

     

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    Table of Contents

    Preface                                                                                                                                                            3

    Curriculum Guide                                                                                                                                          4

    Background of a wetland                                                                                                                        5-7

    ·         Soil Type

    ·         Hydrology

    ·         Hydrophytes

    ·         Wetland Classification

     

    Wetland Types                                                                                                                                           8-9

    ·         Marsh

    ·         Swamp

    ·         Bogs

    ·         Fens

     

    The Importance of Wetlands                                                                                                              10-11

    ·         Good and services

     

    How are they in danger?                                                                                                                     12-13

    ·          Agriculture runoff

    ·          Sewage

    ·          Hydrology alterations

    ·          Invasive species

     

    Wetlands and Climate Change                                                                                                           14-15

    ·         Carbon storage

    ·         Sea level rise

    ·         Water Quality

    ·         Poor recovery

     

    Wetlaculture                                                                                                                                          16-17

    ·         Sustainable Practices

    ·         Mesocosm Models

    ·         Recycled Fertilizer

    ·         Algal Blooms


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    Why is there a core curriculum?

    The Elementary Science Core Curriculum has been written to assist teachers and supervisors as they prepare curricula, daily instruction, and assessment for the elementary level (grade 5) content and skills of Standards 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 of the Florida State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology.

     

    Applications of the core curriculum: This core curriculum reflects only a portion of the content to be covered in an elementary science program. It is expected that additional content will be supplied locally. This core curriculum reflects the content that must be addressed at the elementary level. Content in this document, especially the major understandings, can appear on State examinations. A core curriculum allows teachers the flexibility and professional freedom to expand upon and develop instruction that addresses the Florida State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology at the appropriate level for their students. Since this core curriculum contains less than 100% of the content, the time required to teach can vary with the needs of individual students (especially in terms of remediation or acceleration).

    The elementary science program should emphasize a hands-on and minds-on approach to learning. Students learn effectively when they are actively engaged in the discovery process, often working in small groups. Experiences should provide students with opportunities to interact as directly as possible with the natural world in order to construct explanations about their world. This approach will allow students to practice problem-solving skills, develop positive science attitudes, learn new science content, and increase their scientific literacy. Children’s natural curiosity leads them to explore the natural world. They should be provided opportunities to have direct experience with common objects, materials, and living things in their environments. Less important is the memorization of specialized terminology and technical details. Good instruction focuses on understanding important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and applications of concepts. Future assessments will test students’ ability to explain, analyze, and interpret scientific processes and phenomena more than their ability to recall specific facts. It is hoped that the general nature of these statements will encourage the teaching of science for understanding, instead of for memorization. Teachers are encouraged to help their students find concepts that interconnect many of the key ideas to each other. It is hoped that the units designed using this core curriculum will prepare our students to explore the most important ideas about our physical setting and our living environment. Scientifically literate students understand the basic concepts and processes and can apply them in real-life situations.

     

     


     


     

     

     

     

     

     

    Curriculum

    Guide


     

     

     

     

    Concept map of unit

    Background

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher:

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5th grade

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Soil            

    Hydrology

    Hydrophytes

    Wetland Classification

    What type of soil is found in wetlands?

    What are some hydrologic indicators?

    Identify hydrophytes by their indicator status.

    What are the names of the five wetland classifications?

    Visit different wetlands- Soil sampling, observation of both hydrology and flora/fauna.

     

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Be able to identify hydric soils through observation.

    Become familiar with the different kinds of hydrology indicators.

    Discover the three distinctive categories for wetland plants.

    Distinguish between the five wetland types.

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    Under observation, how can you identify hydric soils?

    If there were no water present, what kind of indicators can you find and what are they?

    What are the different categories for hydrophytes? And how many are there?

    What are the names of the five different wetland types?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    Hydric Soils

    Evapotranspiration

    Emergent Plants

    Palustrine

    additional information

    Presentation:

    ·        When identifying hydric soils, a field trip will take in place to a local wetland and samples will be taken.

    ·        Hydrological indicators will be pointed out and will be asked to identify some from a list.

    ·        Form different groups and have each group identify in which category the plants belong to.

    ·        By observation, recognize what type of wetland visited.

    ·        At the end of the lesson, have a short fill in the blank test.

     

    Background Information: The three indicators that a wetland is present is hydric soils, hydrophytes and hydrology. Hydric soils are soils which are saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part that favor the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation.

    Whether there is water present or not, nature tends to leave little clues that stand out from the surrounding area. Examples are: water marks on trees, lichens, carpets of moss growing on the ground floor.

    Wetland plants are categorized in three different types: emergent, submergent, and floating leaves.

    Examples of emergent plants: cattails

    Examples of submergent plants: sea grasses

    Examples of floating leaves: lily pads

    Given the diversity of wetland environments, many classification schemes have been proposed and utilized over the years. At the highest level these are the five wetlands:

    Marine -- Open ocean, continental shelf, including beaches, rocky shores, lagoons, and shallow coral reefs. Normal marine salinity to hypersaline water chemistry; minimal influence from rivers or estuaries. Where wave energy is low, mangroves, mudflats or sabkhas may be present.

    Estuarine -- Deepwater tidal habitats with a range of fresh-brackish-marine water chemistry and daily tidal cycles. Salt and brackish marshes, intertidal mudflats, mangrove swamps, bays, sounds, and coastal rivers. Drowned coasts, where supply of river sediment is insufficient to infill estuary basin.

    Riverine -- Freshwater, perennial streams comprised of the deepwater habitat contained within a channel. This restrictive system excludes floodplains adjacent to the channel as well as habitats with more than 0.5‰ salinity.

    Lacustrine -- This system includes inland water bodies that are situated in topographic depressions, lack emergent trees and shrubs, have less than 30% vegetation cover, and occupy at least 20 acres (8 ha). Includes lakes, larger ponds, sloughs, lochs, bayous, etc.

    Palustrine -- All non-tidal wetlands that are substantially covered with emergent vegetation--trees, shrubs, moss, etc. Most bogs, swamps, floodplains and marshes fall in this system, which also includes small bodies of open water (< 20 acres), as well as playas, mudflats and salt pans that may be devoid of vegetation much of the time. Water chemistry is normally fresh but may range to brackish and saline in semiarid and arid climates.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


     

    Concept map of unit

    Types

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5TH gRADE

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Marsh

    Swamps

    Bogs

    Fens

     

    What are the unique features of each type of wetlands?

    Visit a library and check out books on the different types

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Learn how marshes differ from each other

    Learn the extensive flooding period of swamps

    Learn the distinctiveness of a bog and how they differ from other wetlands

    Fens- review how diverse this wetland is in plants and animals.

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    What kind of vegetation are found in marshes?

    What is the dominating vegetation found in swamps?

    What are the special features of a bog?

    Where does the water that feeds into fens come from?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    Vegetation

    Cypress Trees

    Precipitation

    Groundwater

    additional information

    Presentation:

    ·         Have a PowerPoint presentation of the different types of wetlands.

    ·         Incorporate a game to learn the features of each

    ·         Matching game that teaches the name of vegetation and what wetland they are found in.

    ·         A short fill in the blank test.

     

    Background Information: There are many different types of wetlands. Each specific type has unique features that identify it. Some areas have a number of different types of wetlands at one site, even overlapping. Wetland identification and delineation are the only ways of protecting these unique natural features. The five different types are as follows: Marsh, swamp, fen and bog.

    Marsh: Marshes are defined as wetlands frequently or continually inundated with water, characterized by emergent soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions. There are many different kinds of marshes, ranging from the prairie potholes to the Everglades, coastal to inland, freshwater to saltwater. All types receive most of their water from surface water, and many marshes are also fed by groundwater. Ex’s of vegetation- shrubs and grasses

    Swamp: A swamp is any wetland dominated by woody plants. Swamps are characterized by saturated soils during the growing season and standing water during certain times of the year. The highly organic soils of swamps form a thick, black, nutrient-rich environment for the growth of water-tolerant trees such as Cypress, Atlantic White Cedar, and Tupelo. Ex’s of vegetation- cypress trees

    Fens: Fens, are peat-forming wetlands that receive nutrients from sources other than precipitation: usually from upslope sources through drainage from surrounding mineral soils and from groundwater movement. Fens differ from bogs because they are less acidic and have higher nutrient levels. Therefore, they are able to support a much more diverse plant and animal community. Ex’s of vegetation- grasses and sedges

    Bog: Bogs are one of North America's most distinctive kinds of wetlands. They are characterized by spongy peat deposits, acidic waters and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. Bogs receive all or most of their water from precipitation rather than from runoff, groundwater or streams. As a result, bogs are low in the nutrients needed for plant growth, a condition that is enhanced by acid forming peat mosses. Ex’s of vegetation- orchids

     

     

     


     

    Concept map of unit

    Why are they important?

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5TH gRADE

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Goods and services: wetlands and nature, wetlands and people, natural products, flood protection.

     

    How are wetlands important to both humans and life around?

    Watch a movie on the good and services wetlands bring to any ecosystem

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Learn the diversity of species living in this ecosystem

    Wetlands provide and filter water for consumption. Learn how this important resource is vital for human survival.

    Learn different natural products wetlands provide

    Determine how mangroves help with storm surge

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    How wetlands are consider “biological supermarkets?

    What resource do we need to survive?

    What is a staple food that is grown in wetlands?

    What is an example of a wetland that is great with storm surge?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    Ecosystems

    Water quality

    Habitat

    Storm buffer

    additional information

    Presentation: Present a short film that shows the good and services wetlands bring to the table.

    ·        As the students are watching the film, have them fill in the bank to the provided questions.

    ·        Study the sheet and quiz at the end of the week.

     

    Background Information: Wetlands and nature: Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. Wetlands can be thought of as "biological supermarkets." They provide great volumes of food that attract many animal species.

    Wetlands and People: Far from being useless, disease-ridden places, wetlands provide values that no other ecosystem can.  These include natural water quality improvement.

    Natural Products provided by wetlands: We use a wealth of natural products from wetlands, including fish and shellfish, blueberries, cranberries, timber and wild rice.

    Flood protection: Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters. Trees, root mats and other wetland vegetation also slow the speed of flood waters and distribute them more slowly over the floodplain. Ex: mangroves

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Concept map of unit

    How are they in danger?

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5TH gRADE

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Agriculture runoff

    Sewage

    Hydrology alterations

    Invasive species

     

    Are these negative impacts on wetlands?

    Visit Lake Ocheechobee to see how agriculture runoff effects wildlife

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Review the two main agriculture pollutants found in wetlands

    Determine the wetlands associated with sewage discharge

    Grasping where the extraction of water in wetlands can occur

    Prepare to know who can be effected by these drastic changes

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    What is a non-point source pollution

    What are the most common wetlands sewage gets discharge in?

    What part of the wetland can alter the hydrology if extracted for water use?

    If water availability is diminished, who can be effected by these changes?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    runoff

    effluent

    Hydrology

    Herbaceous

    additional information

    Presentation: Visit a local wetland that is facing major loss and degradation because of the listed activities

    ·        Have some of the kids identify any current activities altering the wetland.

    ·        Discuss how they feel about what is happening to the wetland and spring up any ideas how they can help in their community.

     

    Background Information: Agriculture is one of the main sources of pollution that affects lakes and wetlands. It is considered a kind of diffuse or non-point-source pollution, since agricultural pollutants do not come from a specific location but from a wider area, accumulating in watercourses and runoff that ultimately supply wetlands. The two main types of agricultural pollutants are the excess of nutrients, and pesticides and other chemicals.

    Sewage: This effluent is discharged in rivers, streams or directly in lakes and wetlands, raising the concentrations of these substances above the natural levels and contributing to eutrophication. The concentration of phosphorus is proportionately raised by much more than that of ammonium and nitrate.

    Hydrology Alterations: Withdrawals of water from a certain watershed for irrigation, industries or domestic use affect the hydrologic and ecological functions of wetlands, diminishing water availability and changing water levels, thus affecting the composition of animal and plant communities. These extractions may take place in upstream rivers or streams, groundwater or, less often, in the wetland itself.

    Invasive Species: Alteration of habitat structure by invasive plants, by lowering the water table, shifting from herbaceous to woody plants or vice versa, stabilizing river banks, or reducing topographic heterogeneity. Reduction of plant and animal diversity and richness.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Concept map of unit

    Wetlands and Climate Change

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5TH gRADE

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Carbon storage

    Sea level rise

    Water quality more acidic

    Less time to bounce back from storm damages

     

     

    What is climate change and how is it effecting wetlands?

    Have a local climate scientist visit the class

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Become verse how wetlands store carbon

    Gain knowledge how rising sea levels are detrimental to wetlands

    Prepare to understand the ph level scale

    Understand that frequent hurricanes are fueling warmer climates

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    How do wetlands help with rising carbon levels?

    How is rising sea levels affecting coastal wetlands such as mangroves?

    What wetlands are effected by acid water levels?

    What natural occurrence is happening more often during the summer that doesn’t allow mangroves to bounce back?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    Carbon storage

    hectare

    Ph levels

    mitigation

    additional information

    Presentation: Invite a local climate scientist to talk about the climate altering ecosystems and how wetlands can help those alterations

     

    Background Information: Wetlands have some of the highest carbon sequestration rates because wetland plants, like mangrove trees, are fast growing and productive.  For example, coastal marshes and mangroves capture an average between 6 and 8 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year, which is about two to four times greater than global rates observed in mature tropical forests

    Sea level rise is the result of two primary biophysical factors. First, as the oceans absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere, it causes ocean temperatures to rise which expands the volume of water in the ocean. Second, as average global temperatures increase, arctic glaciers and ice caps melt, adding additional volume to ocean water levels.

    Water quality especially in the oceans, their ph levels are decreasing meaning the waters are becoming more acidic, resulting in coral bleaching.

    With warmer climate stronger natural disasters more stress is put on wetlands to mitigate these storms.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Concept map of unit

    Wetlaculture- the way of the future

    topic: Wetlands

    Subject: Earth Science

    Teacher

    Teacher’s name

    Grade: 5TH gRADE

    Student’s grade

    Key learning(s)

    unit essential questions

    optional instructional tools

    Sustainable wetland and agriculture practices

    Mesocosm models

    Recycled fertilizer

    Algal blooms

     

     

    How can we live more sustainable with wetlands?

    A field trip to Florida Gulf Coast University where the wetlaculture is being implemented

    Concept #1

    Concept #2

    Concept #3

    Concept #4

    Familiarize the concept of wetlaculture and sustainable approaches

    Introduce the idea of what mesocosm models are

    Review how wetlaculture can be recycled back into agriculture

    Determine what are harmful algal blooms

    Lesson essential questions #1

    Lesson essential questions #2

    Lesson essential questions #3

    Lesson essential questions #4

    How can agriculture benefit from wetlaculture?

    What are mesocosm models?

    What are fertilizers and how are they bad for wetlands and for the environment?

    What season do algal blooms seem to thrive in?

    vocabulary #1

    vocabulary #2

    vocabulary #3

    vocabulary #4

    wetlaculture

    mesocosm

    fertilizer

    Algal blooms

    additional information

    Presentation: Visit Florida Gulf Coast University for the day to meet with the person behind the idea- Dr. William Mitsch. Build a small and simplistic version of the wetlaculture mesocosm model. Create a science lab project where the student replicates similar looks to fertilizer runoff/pollution water. Collect pond water and have the students fill up 5 different jars with the pond water and add different pollutants to eventually start algal blooms. Ex: vinegar, laundry soap

     

    Background Information: What is wetlaculture? “Wetlaculture” uses wetlands as a retention to polluted bodies of water/storm runoff that would otherwise flow into an ecosystem and cause damage such as eutrophication and dead zones.

    Mesocosm models: any outdoor experimental system that examines the natural environment under controlled conditions. In this way mesocosm studies provide a link between field surveys and highly controlled laboratory experiments.

    Recycled fertilizer: By using the design of “Wetlaculture”, we are able to repurpose the excess nutrients retained, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to be used in agriculture/horticulture.

    Algal blooms: Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple photosynthetic organisms that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds.

     

     



     

     


     

      Wetland Students Worksheet


      Posted by wetlands in category: Initial Ideas

      Wetlands   Name________________________

       

      Now that you have learned a thing or two about wetlands, let’s put it to the test!

       

      What is the difference between a tidal marsh and a non-tidal marsh? What kind of species do you think live in each? Why?

       

      Name two types of swamps, describe their similarities and differences. If you were out in the field, how would you identify each of them?

       

       

      What is a Fen? What is a bog?

       

       

       

       

       

      Activity:

       

      For this assignment, think of your favorite living thing in a wetland. It could be a type of tree or plant, an animal, really anything that is alive on land or in the water! Research how this species lives their everyday life. Learn their habitat, their diet, what this species needs to be the healthiest they can be. Now apply what you have learned about climate change and how a warmer world might affect the environment of this particular species. How does the species adapt to change? Draw a picture of your species of choice. List out all of your ideas on how this species might be affected by climate change. Then, think of a source of mitigation. How can we fix this?

       


       

        powerpoint


        Posted by wetlands in category: Initial Ideas

         

          Planter picture


          Posted by wetlands in category: Initial Ideas