Activities for A Wetland Field Study (title provided or enhanced by cataloger)

These activities were designed to enhance the sixth chapter of a module about wetlands. The activities can be used as part of the module or can stand alone as lab activities. In the first activity students set up a plant transect, identify as many different types of vegetation as possible in the wetland, and compare upland and wetland species by observing differences in their structure. The objective of the second activity is to observe soil profiles and record wetland soil characteristics. Next, students record direct and indirect observations of wetland wildlife. If there is a body of surface water at the site, students will investigate characteristics of water including velocity (for running water), temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and evidence of point and nonpoint source pollution in the water. Students next make an artist's inventory of the wetland by describing, illustrating, and photographing its shapes, colors, and sounds. In the final steps students observe and document any impacts that people have made to the wetland interior and boundaries and refine the measurements of the wetland base map. As they proceed, students should work together to assimilate the qualitative and quantitative information they have gathered in the field so it can be shared with others. Educational levels: Middle school