Aquatic Life

revised March 7, 2008

Unit goals

Every student loves to explore a pond, or at least is fascinated to some degree by the creatures that live there. The goal of this unit is to encourage excitement and respect for aquatic habitats and the life which occurs in them. This will be accomplished by visiting several different aquatic sites and through the collection, identification, and discussion of various aquatic organisms.

This unit is specifically designed to address appropriate
AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks as well as first grade
Minnesota Academic Science Standards 1VD 1B 1VB 1VF

-- Summary Box --

Before your visit, please review with your students ...

What makes an "aquatic habitat"
Review some of the different aquatic habitats found at River Bend and around the world
Some of the animals and plants that live in aquatic habitats.
Behavior expectations during the visit.

At River Bend ...

During the introduction we will review the above material.
We will divide each class in half (maximum of 4 groups; assuming normal size classes, classes of less than 15 will likely not be divided)
Each group will proceed onto the trails to visit several of River Bend's aquatic habitats to observe wildlife, scoop for critters, discover signs of other animals, and why they live in those habitats.
To encourage discovery and interest, students will be given significant freedom to free-explore, as conditions and behaviors permit, under the guidance of a naturalist.
In the closing we will ...
- inquire about discoveries at the ponds
- Instill in the students the importance of aquatic habitats in nature.
- Discuss the importance of freshwater habitats to people.
- Remind the students of their next visit as second graders in the fall
- Talk of upcoming events at River Bend
- Invite the students to return on their own with family and friends

Back in the classroom ...

Create some form of art, such as a diorama or wall mural, depicting an aquatic habitat and have the student enhance the habitat and create critters to "live" there.
Have the students think of ways that they can save water and take other steps to protect aquatic habitats.

What is a habitat?

Review the material from the Fall unit.

What does "aquatic" mean?

Aquatic means "water," so aquatic life means things that live in water habitats.

What types of aquatic habitats are at River Bend Nature Center?

Marsh - shallow water with non-woody plants growing above water level
Swamp - like a marsh but with bushes and trees growing from the water as well
Pond - a small and shallow body of water with plants growing above water level only on the edges; generally freezes solid during winter.
River - a moving body of water that flows from one place to another.
Stream - smaller than a river, may even dry up sometimes
Puddles - any body of water that lasts for a few days or more and may attract aquatic life

What will we see at River Bend?

You never know what you'll find when you go exploring at River Bend ...

Here are the three aquatic habitats you'll explore at River Bend ...

Prairie Pond

Turtle Pond

Straight River

...and here are three more that you can come back and explore sometime!

Upper Pond

Spring and Stream

Waterfall and Stream

Can you think of any other aquatic habitats on the planet?

lake, ocean, creek, lagoon, bog, sea, glacier, tidal pool

geyser, fen, flood plain, bog, estuaries, aquifer

Maybe even a birdbath or water dish if left standing long enough!

What lives in River Bend's aquatic habitats?

Make a list of aquatic life that you might find at River Bend Nature Center, which could include any of the following organisms. Perhaps group them by habitat type, above or below water, etc.

algae, toad, duck, giant water bug, frog, muskrat, scuds, back swimmers

cattails, crayfish, beaver, diving beetles, duckweed, minnow, mink, water striders

sedge, turtle, fish, red mite, salamander, fisher spider, dragonfly larvae, snail, clams

whirligig beetles, water bugs, leech, mosquito larvae

Why are aquatic habitats important?

Discuss the importance of freshwater aquatic habitats to people, asking the students about all the different ways they use water. Remind them that the water they use doesn't come just from a faucet, but originally comes from nature. If desired, set up an aquarium in the classroom, and prepare it to receive a few aquatic organisms caught at River Bend.

What do we need to remember when we visit River Bend?

The quieter you are, the more animals you'll probaby see.
Wear a name tag so we can get to know you better.
Listen to whomever is talking.
Raise your hand if you have something to say.
Do not pick anything unless given permission.
Stay with your group and on the trail unless your leader tells you differently.
Be nice to nature - and to each other!

Some suggested pre- or post-visit activities

Send us your ideas here!

Introduce the key concepts by showing pictures like those above to your students on your classroom monitor. Ask questions about the pictures.
There are many, many good aquatic wildlife books that showcase how they live in their habitats. Ask you school librarian for help.
Allow the students to create a wetlands mural, first make the habitat, then add animals where they might live.

Interesting links

Send us your ideas here!

A page full of pond related activities in many disciplines can be found here
A great site to explore different wetlands is here, just click away!
A cool site with pond life activities
A kids page about turtles and more
Perform a search at Yahooligans, as there are many, many more pages to be found