Wetlands

This four-week unit contains activities in which students investigate the natural history of a wetland, identify its boundaries, and study how it functions in the environment. They will investigate the formation of wetlands in Maine; prepare a series of map overlays researching wetland conditions for a site they have chosen in the community; learn how to recognize a wetland by hydrology, vegetation, and soil type; inventory the functions of the wetland site; and write an evaluation for it. To conclude the unit, the students will hold a mock town meeting in which they discuss the views of the various interested parties in preserving or destroying the wetland and debate the merits of the proposed changes to federal wetlands regulations. Educational levels: High school, Middle school