Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway

Transcription

1 How can we help keep our waterways healthy? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway What can aquatic life tell us about the health of our waterways? Suitable for grades 4, 5 and 6 Written by: Jill Reade Graphic Design: Lisa Eastman CONTENTS LIST PAGE OVERVIEW Introduction 2 and Teacher Background PAGE ENGAGE Lesson 1a - What lives in our waterways 6 and where do they live? 1b - Wow! Water critters! 7 EXPLORE Lesson 2 - Where are the houses for water animals? 8 Lesson 3a - How do we classify living things? 9 3b - Classifying and identifying water animals 11 PAGE EXPLAIN Lesson 4 - Who needs a home? 12 ELABORATE Lesson 5 - Let's see what we 14 can find! - an excursion EVALUATE Lesson 6 - What is the health 16 of our waterway? 1

2 OVERVIEW Facts OVERVIEW ENGAGE Introduction and Teacher Background Information What I Want to know How Examine will I find pictures out of a range of aquatic What life I and have name Learnt as many as possible. What is distinctive about these animals? Lesson 1 a - What lives in our waterways and where do they live? b - Wow! Water critters! Plan and go on an excursion to a local waterway to collect information about the waterway. EXPLORE EXPLAIN Lesson 2 Where are the houses for water animals? Lesson 3 a - How do we classify living things? b - Classifying and identifying water animals Lesson 4 Who needs a home? Sketch a model of a waterway as a class group, showing habitats for the animals - both aquatic and riparian. How and why do scientists classify animals and plants? Using a classification key, identify the names of common aquatic and riparian species. Research water animals and their homes. Look at what the animals tell you about the health of a waterway. ELABORATE Lesson 5 Let's see what we can find! - an excursion Organise and conduct an excursion to a local waterway and assess its health. EVALUATE Lesson 6 What is the health of our waterway? Present a display of information about the local waterway and plan how it may be looked after into the future. HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 2

3 OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION This series of learning activities is part of a wider learning sequence based around the guiding question - How can we help keep our waterways healthy? The entire unit consists of five parts an introduction to water, then sections on turbidity, temperature, salinity and a final section on water life and habitat. The sequence uses the 5Es model for teaching and learning in Science. SCIENCE OUTCOMES Students will be able to: Identify habitats in waterways riparian and aquatic, e.g. reeds, under rocks. Describe some animals and plants which would be seen in a local waterway. Classify types of animals that live in waterways, e.g. fish, snails, worms. Explain how to help care for water fauna. Conduct simple investigations about the life in a waterway. Identify some ways in which living things depend on the environment and on each other. Explain how types of animals provide information about the health of a waterway. What does aquatic life tell us about Teacher Background Information the health of our waterways? Waterways can contain a huge variety of organisms in and around them. Some of the better known and prominent animals are frogs, fish, platypus and birds. While generally not as obvious to the eye, the animals known as macro-invertebrates are the most abundant. Macro-invertebrates are also known as water-bugs however macro-invertebrates are really a much broader range of animals than just the group correctly called bugs. Other macro-invertebrates are worms, snails, crustaceans (e.g. prawns and yabbies) as well as insects such as mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, mites and beetles. Macro-invertebrates live all or part of their lives in water habitats such as streams, rivers, ponds, estuaries, wetlands, drains and lakes. Macro-invertebrates are different from frogs and fish in that they do not have a backbone. Some macro-invertebrates are very small, e.g. water fleas, while others are relatively large and easily seen with the unaided eye, e.g. dragonflies. Looking for macroinvertebrates in water environments, when water monitoring, is particularly useful as the number and type of these animals present in a stream is a useful indicator of waterway health. Many macro-invertebrates belong to the class Insecta, which is an extremely large group of animals within the animal kingdom. (More information about animal classification can be found in most children s science encyclopaedias. This is one of those topics which might be more easily researched from books rather than on the net, however the following link has some useful information: ) Where do macro-invertebrates live? Animals choose their homes for camouflage, protection and for food. This means they may be found in all different parts of a waterway. Some of the different types of habitat are: Edge habitats the edges and the water surface including overhanging vegetation from the banks. Pools deeper areas where the water is still or has slower flow. The bottom of these pools can consist of mud, silt, sand, gravel, rocks or boulders. Aquatic plants plants growing in the water. Continues on next page! HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 3

4 OVERVIEW Water Life - Continuing from previous page CONNECTIONS TO THE STATEMENT OF LEARNING Year 3 Science as a Human Endeavour Students share responsibility for the quality of their immediate environments. Year 3 Science as a Way to Know Students begin asking questions and make predictions. Students plan and conduct simple investigations. They collect, record and present data. Students share findings, discuss how an investigation could be changed and consider fairness of tests. Year 5 Science as a Human Endeavour Students consider appropriate ethical issues and consequences of human activity. They investigate how their actions contribute to sustainability of local environments. Year 5 Science as a Way to Know Students derive questions and predictions for testing. They plan an investigation, collect data, checking and repeating observations. Students present data in appropriate ways and then identify patterns. They compare results with predictions and draw conclusions. Note These statements have been summarised. Curriculum Connections to other learning areas Numeracy measurement, reading scales, using informal and formal measurement. Literacy students maintain a journal of their activities, thoughts and ideas as they proceed through the unit. Teachers use a word wall. Riffles shallow rocky sections of rivers with fast flow. The riparian zone - the area of vegetation directly adjoining a waterway. It includes the bank vegetation and the verge. Note The quality of vegetation in and around a stream is very important as it provides protection against erosion, controls water temperature, helps maintain water quality as well as providing a habitat for fauna. Examples of common macro-invertebrates (Retrieved 01/09/07) Continues on next page! HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 4

5 OVERVIEW Water Life - Continuing from previous page What does aquatic life tell us about the health of our waterways? Macro-invertebrates are often very sensitive to pollutants, because a big part of their lives is spent in a water environment. This means that the variety and number of macro-invertebrates can be a good indicator of water quality. Water animals including macroinvertebrates can be divided in to three groups: those that are sensitive to pollution: those which are tolerant; and those which are very tolerant. For example, stoneflies belong in the sensitive grouping as they like clear, cool, well oxygenated streams so they are very sensitive to changes in temperature and turbidity. By comparison midges are very tolerant to low levels of oxygen so they can survive changes in temperature or increased turbidity. Worm like animals and animals with shells tend to be tolerant or very tolerant, whereas crustaceans and insect like animals tend to be more sensitive. Some animals require a range of nutrients in streams so they are better suited to a stream where there is a range of leaf litter in the water. Each group of macro-invertebrates has been allocated a pollution sensitivity grade number based on how sensitive each group is to various pollutants. Pollution sensitivity grade numbers range from 1 (most tolerant of pollution) to 10 (most sensitive to pollution). The SIGNAL Index value (a measure of stream health) is calculated simply by averaging the pollution sensitivity grade numbers of the families of macro-invertebrates present at a site. The higher the SIGNAL value, the better the condition of a site. In summary the wider the variety of animal types and the greater the number of each type the healthier the waterway. If only one or two species are present even if they are in large numbers then the stream is probably degraded( polluted). invertebrate shredders The role of macro-invertebrates microorganisms (e.g. hyphomycete fungi) vertebrate predators More information about macro-invertebrates may also be found in the Tasmanian Waterwatch Reference Manual. coarse particulate organic matter flocculation dissolved organic matter fine particulate organic matter invertebrate collectors larger plants (e.g. mosses, red algae) microorganisms epilithic algae Macro-invertebrates are an important part of the aquatic food chain. The energy in sunlight is captured and stored in organic (food) molecules during photosynthesis by aquatic plants (large water plants and algae). Some plant material breaks down to fragments and becomes detritus (rubbish) which is carried downstream. Detritus and plant eating macroinvertebrates are eaten by other macro-invertebrates which in turn are eaten by larger animals. invertebrate scrapers invertebrate predators HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 5

6 ENGAGE OVERVIEW What animals live in the water and why do they live there? What are their homes like? Students Match pictures of animals and their home environments. Suggest ways that animals are suited to living in particular environments. Share ideas about which animals live in waterways and where they live. Read the book - Strange Beginnings a book about insects that live in a water environment and how they change during their life cycle. HELPFUL HINTS Animals have adapted to live in different places depending on the food they eat, shelter they need and reproduction. Collect suitable pictures of a range of animals from various habitats e.g. kangaroo, koala, possum, fish, tadpole, frog, kookaburra, dragonfly, bee, brown snake, devil, yabby, penguin, dolphin, earthworm, huntsman spider, and crocodile. Aim to illustrate that a range of habitats is available to living creatures. Choose a range of Australian, preferably Tasmanian, animals with a very few well known exotic species to provide a contrast e.g. beaver, grizzly bear, carp. Lesson 1a What lives in our waterways and where do they live? Lesson steps 1. What are the different groups of animals and where they do they live? Which ones live in and around waterways? 2. Look at the pictures of animals together with a picture of various habitats. Try to name the animals and match them with where they are likely to live. 3. Share matchings as a class. Check the animals' common names. What features (adaptations) do the animals have that make them suited to live in a particular place? (For example fish have fins to help them swim and gills to breath in water.) Share ideas on what the animals eat, how they like to live, what shelter they need and how they gain protection from predators. Compare animals that live around waterways with ones which live in non-water habitats to see how they are different. Setting up a reference collection To build a reference collection of aquatic invertebrates place up to three or four of each kind in a small glass jar. Fill the sample jars with methylated spirits. Add a label that records the type of macro-invertebrate, date and place of collection. Samples should be checked every few months and the liquid topped up if necessary. You may need to get permission from your state government agency to sample and preserve macro-invertebrates. By building a reference collection you will come to know the macro-invertebrates much better and it will make it easier to identify them. Get your collection checked by an aquatic ecologist. 4. Read the book Strange Beginnings written by Karen Needham and illustrated by Launi Lucas. This is a book about some insects and their lifecycles. Research the life cycles of several groups of insects such as dragonflies, stoneflies or mayflies using an encyclopaedia. How are these animals different from us and other animals we are more familiar with? Make a list of as many differences as you can find. Why do they look different at different stages in their lifecycles? Life cycles - references The life cycle of a stonefly Egg Nymph Adult life cycle adaptation habitat predator HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 6

7 ENGAGE OVERVIEW Visit your local waterway and see first hand the animals that live there and where they live. Students Visit a local waterway. Collect water and air samples and look for different species of living creatures. Record where the creatures were found. Make a display of pictures of the animals and where they live. HELPFUL HINTS White meat trays make good surfaces for looking at little animals. When using anyloupes place the specimen on a flat surface, otherwise the image is blurred. For microscopes use a plastic dish on a white base. Make sure there is a little water on the tray or plastic dish and return the animals to water within a reasonable time. Click here to see this worksheet! STUDENT EXTRA For some help on ways to collect macro-invertebrates see the student worksheet. Lesson 1b Wow! Water critters! Lesson steps 1. Visit a stream/ pond/ wetland with fine sieves or nets, gumboots and some white trays. (Ice cream containers are suitable, but make sure they are filled only to one third with water otherwise creatures will be difficult to see.) 2. Look for water creatures on the water surface, in the water column and on the bottom. 3. Use the sieves/nets to swish through water weed and reeds, lift and rinse rocks into containers, dig carefully into the stream bed and place the dirt in sieves and kick sample from downstream. 4. Take a look around, on or under snags in the water, as snags provide a good place for animals to live. 5. Rinse the contents of the sieves until excess mud has been washed out. Tip the washed contents out into the white container which has clean stream water in it. Wait till it settles out and begin to look for living things. 6. Plastic spoons or eye droppers will also help you to catch things for a closer look. Anyloupes, magnifying glasses and microscopes let you see identifying features and characteristics more easily. Use a digital microscope to record pictures of what you see. 7. Record what you have found using a camera or draw a picture. Look for the animal s number of legs and claws, wings, breathing tubes and what its body is like. In addition make a record of where the animals were found. 8. Make a display of your pictures showing which animals you found in various parts of the stream. 9. In lesson 3 you will be looking at the types of animals found in waterways so keep your information for looking at them. anyloupes snags specimen water column Suggestion! Anyloupe Add to the word wall as you go through the lessons. HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 7

8 EXPLORE OVERVIEW Provide students with a shared visual understanding of what a water environment would be like and where animals might live. Students Assist in the modelling of a waterway. Identify areas where water animals live. Construct a model waterway (if desired). Suggest the types of animals that might live in particular places. Lesson 2 Where are the houses for water animals? Lesson steps 1. Use a blue marker to draw a pair of blue lines across the whiteboard to represent a stream. Make the stream more interesting by varying the width and placing a bend in it. EQUIPMENT White board markers of four different colours. Pictures of macro-invertebrates, specimens or a giant lobster. (optional) Note This diorama could also be built as a 3D model. HELPFUL HINTS A rocky area is called a riffle zone. Rocks disturb water flow, which may help re-oxygenate the water and provide a home for animals. Plants stabilise the bank, provide homes and shelter and food for animals, and provide shade to help keep water cool. Some animals to include are the giant freshwater lobster, platypus, frogs, fish and macro-invertebrates such as snails and insects. If strange and inappropriate animals are suggested query whether they have been seen around this area. Concentrate on finding the range of places where animals live rather than listing lots of animals. Add in any extra points from the teacher graphic near the end to give students the extra information. 2. Build a picture of a stream. Consider what a stream looks like and what features you would find in and around it. 3. Think about streams in your local area. Start with the stream bed, then the water, then the plants. Think how a stream can be a good place for lots of animals to live. 4. Some questions: Will we put rocks on the stream bed? How do rocks change a stream bed? How do they change the water flow? Will the stream have a rock pool? Why is a rock pool a useful feature to find in a waterway? What should the water in our waterway look like and feel like if it is to be a good home for animals? Will there be plants around or in the waterway? Will there be plants in the water? Will there be trees? Will plants grow under the trees? What happens to the leaves that fall from the trees? What happens if a tree dies and it falls into the water? What jobs do plants do around a waterway?. 5. Now that the stream has lots of places for animals to live we can think: What animals will live in and around our stream? What animals have we found when we went to the local stream? Make a list of animals that might live in waterways in Tasmania. 6. Now think: Where are the animals homes? Draw in pictures of some animals in suitable places. 7. To make a record of the drawing take a digital photograph as you go along and make a display. Write about the activity in your science journal listing any new things that you learnt. Acknowledgement Todd Walsh Click here to see this worksheet! A teacher graphic: EXPLORE lesson 2 - is available to download to show you a picture of what your drawing might look like when complete. HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 8

9 EXPLORE OVERVIEW How (and why) are animals classified into groups? Students Classify common objects from everyday lives. Share ideas on why animals and plants are classified. Explain what classification means. Use a chart to classify some macro-invertebrates. Identify several different classes of animal and explain some differences. Know the difference between invertebrates and vertebrates. HELPFUL HINTS To talk about living and non-living it would help to have some examples of actual living things as well as pictures. Use a pot plant or a student from the class to illustrate the idea. Kingdom classification is based on characteristics such as: plants produce their own food, animals must consume food to live, and fungi consume food but are more like plants in other ways such as they do not move. Reference Note Part 2 of this lesson on classification focuses on macro-invertebrates. If you want to incorporate vertebrate animals please do so as long as at least a reasonable number of invertebrates are included as well. Lesson 3a How do we classify living things? Lesson steps 1. What is classification? A library classifies books into fiction and non-fiction sections. Vehicles are classified into cars, trucks, or vans for vehicle registration. Films are classified into G, PG, M and MA. A stamp collection can be classified in many ways, by country, by purpose or type. People classify or group lots of things. 2. Collect a group of objects you use at school such as pens, books, and so on. Think of two different ways to group or classify them, e.g. things I write with and things I don t write with. 3. Put together a class group of objects. Add (pictures of ) other objects such as plants or animals to the collection. (Have quite a range.) Line up the objects on a table or in one area of the room. Look at the materials. 4. Ask questions such as: How many different ways can you find to group or pair these objects? Is one of your ways of grouping living and non-living? Which objects are non-living? Which are living organisms or pictures of living organisms? How do you know if something is living or non-living? 5. Now choose a living organism from the group of animals you used in lesson 1a and group it with two other animals shown in these pictures on the basis of a characteristic they have in common. thinking questions s 1. Why did you put these animals in the same group? 2. What features did they have in common? 3. What might be the epurpose of these features? A more comprehensive introduction to classification could be achieved using an activity such as this using stamps Create a dichotomous key using stamps. Start with a pile of stamps and ask students to divide the stamps into two groups using an observable characteristic; e.g. Australian stamps vs. foreign stamps. Continue to divide the stamps using different characteristics, until only one stamp remains in each group. For younger students suggest that students group their stamps by using the pictures on the stamps. For very young students provide containers marked with categories (e.g. flowers, people, animals, hearts). To introduce the scientific concept of classification explain that, in the same way that they developed a system to categorize and classify stamps, biologists have a system that classifies every living organism. Continues on next page! HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 9

10 EXPLORE Lesson 3a - Continuing from previous page 6. To help people work with all the plants and animals that exist in our world scientists have grouped them into just five large groupings called "kingdoms". The three kingdoms we see most often around us are the Animal Kingdom, Plant Kingdom, and the Fungi (like mushrooms). A living thing is placed in a particular kingdom because it shares a few really major characteristics in common with other members of its kingdom, like how they get their food and whether they move around. 7. Each kingdom is broken up into smaller and smaller groups that have more and more characteristics in common. One example of a characteristic that is used to help divide the animal kingdom into smaller groups is whether or not an animal has a backbone. 8. Each subgroup has a special name such as Order or Family so that scientists can keep track of how similar or different the groups are. 9. Animals or plants which belong to the same species have many characteristics in common. All humans belong to the same species and our species name is Homo sapiens. What characteristics do humans all have in common? Make a list of the special characteristics that humans have. Parasol mushroom Photographer: Kim Eastman 10. A group that you will come across a lot in waterways is the insect group. There are many species of insects but all insects are grouped together because they are invertebrate animals with six legs. Synlestes weyersii The Water Bug Book 11. Use a dictionary, encyclopaedia or the internet to find out more information about classifying and in particular some common species. Find out about some important larger groupings such as the vertebrates and invertebrates or mammals, amphibians and reptiles, insects and spiders. Berosus beetle The Water Bug Book thinking questions s 1. Can a bird be an animal and a vertebrate? 2. Can a dog be related ed to a cat? 3. Why are vertebrates es placed in alarge group together? 4. When classifying, why are scientists more interested in what animals look like inside than how they behave or look on the outside? HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 10

11 EXPLORE Lesson 3b Classifying and identifying water animals Lesson steps 1. Some freshwater water animals belong to groups of vertebrates such as fishes, amphibians or reptiles but most freshwater animals belong to the invertebrates or animals without backbones. These are the animals we know as macro-invertebrates. Some of the types of macro-invertebrates are worms, insects, snails (Molluscs) and crayfish (Crustaceans). 2. Research which types of animals belong to the worms, insects, molluscs and crustaceans and find out what characteristics each group has in common. 3. Now use the Waterwatch Macro-invertebrate Identification Chart to identify some of the animals found on your excursion and put them in their group. Click here to see a sample of this chart!* 4. Choose a macro-invertebrate from the chart and find out: What is its group name? For example worms, beetles and bugs, stoneflies. What does it look like? (Does it have an exoskeleton? Does it have legs and how many, a head, a tail, a soft body? Is its body made up of segments?) What is its life cycle? Where does it live? Why does it live in that type of place? What special features if any does it have to help it live in its environment? Many water animals are sensitive to changes in their environment if you can, find out how sensitive your macroinvertebrate is to changes in the temperature, salinity, or turbidity in the environment? Activity Prepare a written report in your journal on your group of macro-invertebrates or other animals and make a poster or booklet ready to share your information with others. Extra information for this section is available to download: Student Worksheet EXPLORE Lesson 3 - Where do macro-invertebrates live? Click here to see this worksheet! Word Wall classification invertebrates crustaceans macro-invertebrates vertebrates mammals fungi amphibians molluscs reptiles Engaeus The Water Bug Book Glytophysa The Water Bug Book * If you would like to purchase this chart from North West Waterwatch Inc., please log onto and visit the online shop. HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 11

12 EXPLAIN OVERVIEW Summarise and extend learning about macro-invertebrates and their habitats. Make connections to previous learning about turbidity, temperature and salinity. Construct an action plan to investigate the health of a waterway. Students Share and summarise findings about macro-invertebrates and their habitats. Identify characteristics of a variety of macro-invertebrates. Plan and produce a poster which will represent understandings. Explain how knowledge of macroinvertebrates helps indicate the health of a waterway. Produce a flow chart action plan to show how they would investigate the health of their local waterway. For extra help look at these guidelines for assessing water health: Lesson 4 Who needs a home? Lesson steps 1. The animals? Work in big groups to share your research findings collected in the previous lessons about macro-invertebrates or other animals. (Organise your group around a particular type of animal e.g. insects, worms, crustaceans, frogs.) Aim to answer these questions: What are the characteristics of this type of animal? Where do these animals live in waterways? What factors affect where they live? For example temperature, water flow. What does the presence or absence of this particular type of animal tell us about the health of a waterway? Each big group will deliver a short presentation to the class about their group of animals. Click here for printable version! 2. Water animals and waterway health Sampling provides information about the animals in a waterway and will help you tell its story. When you are finding out about a waterway you want to look at the abundance, diversity, composition, and pollution tolerance of the groups of animals that are there as this will tell you about how healthy the waterway really is. Abundance Abundance refers to the number of animals present. Very large numbers of macroinvertebrates, particularly snails, tend to be found in water with extra fertiliser or rotting leaf litter. However, small numbers may indicate erosion, toxic pollution or scouring by flood waters. Diversity Diversity refers to the number of different types of animal present. Healthy streams usually have a greater diversity than less healthy streams, although sometimes lack of types of food can also cause low diversity. Communities with many different species appear to be more stable and healthy than ones with few species. Composition Composition of the community refers to the proportion of different types of animals living together. A sample from healthy streams tends to contain a good number of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies. However, if the sample contains a lot of worms and midge larvae (chironomids), the stream is probably less healthy. Pollution tolerance Pollution tolerance refers to the tolerance of animals to pollution from sewage etc., e.g. most stonefly families are intolerant of pollution whilst worms are more tolerant. Pollution tolerant animals also occur in natural streams where oxygen is being used up by rotting plant material. Continues on next page! HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 12

13 EXPLAIN Lesson 4 - Continuing from previous page Activity - Lesson step 1 Use the Waterbug Identification Chart from North West Waterwatch to find the Macroinvertebrate Sensitivity Score for the animal group you researched. (This score tells how sensitive the animal is to pollution. The higher the number the more sensitive the animal.) Record the score and write a short explanation to say what this score tells you about the animal s sensitivity and what its presence or absence would tell you about a waterway s health. * If you would like to purchase this chart from North West Waterwatch Inc., please visit the online shop at Activity - Lesson step 2 Click here to see a sample of this chart!* For the group of animals that you researched draw a food chain showing at least one thing that they eat and one thing that eats them. 3. Food chains Macro-invertebrates are important members of the food chain in a waterway. Macro-invertebrate can be grouped according to their eating habits: grazers - feed on algae attached to rocks or logs in the water, e.g. snails, some mayflies and water pennies. shredders - eat larger pieces of food (> 1 mm) such as wood and leaves that fall into the water, e.g. dragonfly larvae. collectors - feed on small bits of food (< 1 mm) either by filtering the passing water e.g. black fly larvae, or gathering it from the bottom, e.g. caddis fly larvae. predators - capture and eat other animals, e.g. water striders. Suggestions for planning an excursion. 4. What else affects water health? To review learning from previous units about water health parameters work as a class to answer these questions: Turbidity What does turbidity look like in a stream? How do we measure it? Why does it cause problems to animals? What action can we take to help if it is a problem? Temperature How do we measure temperature? Why does it cause problems to animals? What action can we take to help if it is a problem? Salinity How do we know there is a problem? How do we measure it? Why does it cause problems to animals? What action can we take to help if it is a problem? Activity - Lesson step 3 Invite a Waterwatch co-ordinator to visit the class to talk about problems in the local area. Make a list of questions about the waterway that the class can ask. Produce a flow chart plan of how to investigate the health of the local waterway using some of the guidelines shown in the next lesson section. 1. What are the known problems of this waterway e.g. Have any areas been cleared? Is there much run-off from farms? 2. What time is best to go there? How often can the class go? 3. Decide on about three sites to monitor at various locations. 4. Collect equipment. 5. Organise working groups who will monitor the turbidity, the temperature, the salinity and look for macro-invertebrates. 6. Will each group look at just one thing or take it in turns to monitor different things? HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 13

14 ELABORATE OVERVIEW Conduct an excursion to a local waterway to measure the water parameters and assess its health. Students Monitor 4 parameters of waterway health at various sites. Analyse the information they have collected about the waterway. Write a report titled: The health of our waterway SAFETY NOTE Clothing and protection for any excursion. Wear proper clothing and footwear, including long pants, long socks, long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy waterproof shoes. Warm clothing and a raincoat are essential in wet weather. Wear a hat and use sun screen in sunny weather. Take a towel to dry your hands. If a site is in a heavily vegetated area, wear bright, easily visible clothing. Take gum boots with a good grip for entering shallow waters. Consider packing gloves and a rubbish bag to collect occasional rubbish found on site. Lesson 5 Lets see what we can find! an excursion Lesson steps 1. Surveying the Catchment Complete a catchment survey of the local stream if you have not already done so. Walk the stream (or drive through the catchment) to see what it looks like and its condition first hand. Make a sketch of your chosen site showing its major features. 2. Equipment When preparing to go to the site organise all the equipment you will need some suggestions are on the equipment list. Click here to see this list! 3. Sampling for Turbidity, Temperature and Salinity First note the appearance of the waterway. What does the water look like and smell like? Does the water have any unusual material on the surface such as oil or froth? How fast is the water flowing? What vegetation is in or around the water? Make a record of how many different types of plants are on the banks and in the water and look for any common weeds such as blackberry or willow. How is the land around the site being used is it farmland, scrub, forest or houses? Collect water samples from the waterway. Have samples from near the edge and in the middle. Record the turbidity, temperature and salinity on a table. EQUIPMENT General Equipment Waterwatch Manuals data result sheets pens, pencils, note paper marker pen (waterproof )/pencil clean water paper towel rubbish bag first aid kit sun cream and hat camera and film or batteries drinking water and food gum boots/walking boots/raincoat Specific equipment kitchen sieve or net white bucket or flat tray for holding samples during sorting four white containers e.g. ice cream containers Sorting implements to pick animals from plants and rocks: tweezers (forceps) plastic spoon for large bugs (with 2-3 very small holes) plastic squeeze pipette for small animals (about 5mm diameter) fine paint brush for lifting small animals (small artist type) HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 14

15 ELABORATE Lesson 5 - Continuing from previous page 4. Sampling for Macro-invertebrates Sample one of the following areas at your site using the method suggested. (Record which method you used on your record sheet.) Riffles a) Rock rubbing method. At your riffle site, randomly choose several rocks of about hand size. Place the rocks in your bucket or tray, add stream water and with your hands gently brush off anything which could be living. b) Kick method. Alternatively, stand in the stream with gum boots and kick the rocks to dislodge animals. Hold the net downstream to catch them. Leaf packs in edge waters or pools a) Remove several handfuls of submerged leaves that have collected on the bottom and place them in the tray. Remove leaves one at a time and look closely for the presence of animals. Use tweezers, spoon or small paint brush to carefully remove anything that looks like an animal into the bucket or tray. Aquatic plants in edge waters or pools Using a sieve or net, sweep backwards and forwards through any aquatic plants near the water s edge to trap animals attached to the plants or swimming in the water. Do not collect too much material in your net. Empty the contents of the sieve or net into your bucket or tray. Now Label each ice cream container with a name, e.g. worm-like, animals with shells, crayfish-like and insect-like. Add stream water to the containers (about 1cm deep). Sort through your samples. Use a pipette, spoon or brush to transfer your animals to the labelled containers for a closer look. Sort the specimens so that similar looking animals are all placed in the same container. Use the Waterbug Identification Chart to name major types of macro-invertebrate. Record on a table the types of animals you found and roughly how many of each type you found. WARNING! Return all the animals, leaf matter and rocks to your waterway before you leave the site. Wash your hands to remove parasites. Clean the equipment and leave no rubbish. Upon return to the classroom review your results Discuss Water - what is the water s condition? Plants - what variety of plants are present and where are they? Animals - what animals are present and where are they? Concerns - are the any obvious problems on the waterway? Future Plans - what needs to happen to ensure the health of the waterway into the future? HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 15

16 EVALUATE OVERVIEW Share information and learning about the local waterway. Students Create a display, model or PowerPoint presentation. Plan action to care for the waterway. Reflect on their learning. Lesson 6 What is the Health of our Waterway? Lesson steps 1. Create a display to show your parents, other classes in the school, or a community group what you have learnt about your local waterway. 2. What might be included? A model or diagram of the catchment. A record of the water health parameters from the excursion including an explanation of how they are measured. Pictures with labels showing any problems that your class have found in the waterway. An action plan for the future explaining how your school can help look after the catchment. 3. To complete your work write a reflection in your journal: What new things did you learn during the unit? What activity did you enjoy most? Why? Which activity would you like to change or add to? Why? What did you learn about human impact on the environment and how the community could help look after it? For example: make a display showing what creatures inhabit a healthy waterway. The Water Bug Book HOW CAN WE HELP KEEP OUR WATERWAYS HEALTHY? Part 5: Living in a healthy waterway 16

17 ENGAGE FOR STUDENTS Some ways to collect macro-invertebrates Kick sample This technique samples aquatic macro-invertebrates that are bottom dwellers, found on rocks and in the sediment and mud of the benthic zone. It is best used in running water. Select an area within the waterway that is shallow enough to stand in (ideally knee deep). Establish a clear path of 5 metres that can be walked upstream, in a straight line. Begin by facing down stream and submerge your sampling net so that it is positioned directly in front of your feet, on the floor of the river bed, with the mouth of the net facing upstream. Shuffle and kick the ground so that the sediment/mud/rocks are disturbed; the flow of the water will wash dislodged invertebrates into the net. Try not to collect too much mud, silt or organic matter. Slowly walk backwards as you continue this process, for a distance of 5m. Rock and log sample Vegetation sample Rock and log sample You may also wish to pick up smaller rocks and logs that you come across in your path, and rub the surfaces to remove any invertebrates that may be clinging onto the substrate, e.g. stonefly nymphs. Make sure you collect this material in your net and be careful to watch for sharp edges or foreign material. Vegetation sample Beat and scrape your net against the base and stems of aquatic plants to dislodge those invertebrates that like to live in the reed zone. Open water sample In slow moving water and pools, sweep your net across the surface and drag it through the water in a figure of 8 motion. This method covers the surface zone and the deep zone. Sorting Techniques 1. Half fill your white sorting tray with water. 2. Turn your net inside out and empty your sample into your sorting tray. Wash down the sides of your net with some water to make sure you get your entire sample into the tray. 3. Be careful not to overfill your sorting trays with sediment and leaves, as you won t be able to see the macroinvertebrates. If necessary, spread your sample over several trays. 4. Place your sorting trays in the shade, as macro-invertebrates do not like to be exposed to strong light. 5. If there is a lot of mud in your sample, let it settle for about 10 minutes, this will make it easier for you to find the critters. 6. Pick and sort through the collected material for at least 10 minutes. Some critters are great at camouflage and may take time to find. Some references: The Waterbug Book: A Guide to the Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Temperate Australia; John Gooderham and Edward Tsyrlin, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria; Return to: PART 5, Lesson 1b: Wow! Water Critters!

18 EXPLORE FOR TEACHERS Freshwater aquatic ecosystem Tasmania TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION This graphic can be used to help plan how you will build a picture of a model stream and its inhabitants. It is better to work with the students asking questions and allowing them to suggest ideas which will create the picture on the board rather than giving them a picture to look at and talk about. Trees Provide shade which helps keep the water cool. Provide logs and branches which are home for lobsters and bugs. Help stabilise the riverbank. Provide leaf litter which acts as a water filter on the bush floor. Slow water run-off, helping to prevent mud entering the river. Logs help to prevent erosion of the river bank. Shade Shade prevents too much sunlight reaching the waterway. This helps keep the water temperatures cool. Our aquatic creatures cannot tolerate higher temperatures like those on the mainland. Many of the bugs feed on shade plants and cannot digest those plants that take over when the shade is reduced. The model stream does not have to be the same as your local stream and may include extra features in it such as rocky areas if the students suggest them. Do not be too concerned that the students will not know many plant names if they do know some it is a bonus. The focus of this activity is mainly on identifying where the animals live and why they live in these places. As features of the picture are added you can add onto the picture information about how these features contribute to make the stream a healthy attractive environment for a wide variety of macro-invertebrates and other animals. Note If you do not feel able to draw a picture on the white board then you can use a large piece of paper and construct a collage using paper and pictures. Sediment (Mud) Sediment is one of the biggest killers of aquatic wildlife in Tasmania. Sediment covers the rocks which are homes to the bugs and a nursery to the lobsters and some fish. The sediment also covers the leaves which are a start of the food chain. Lobsters Adults prefer to live in the slower pools. Juveniles live in the riffle zone for up to 5 years. The riffle zone is shallow and has many hiding places to get away from predators. Platypus and larger fish cannot swim in the shallows. RIFFLE ZONE Macro-Invertebrates (bugs) live here. RIPARIAN ZONE Rocks Stabilise creek bed. Provide homes and shelter. Slow the water flow, helping minimise erosion. Assist in putting oxygen into waterway. Trap leaves etc to provide a food source for the bugs and the lobsters. POOL RUN Leaf litter Leaf litter is the mulch sitting on the floor of the bush. It slowly washes into the creek. Leaf litter is packed down and slows runoff as it moves toward the waterway. This allows most of the sediment (dirt) to settle instead of washing into the waterway and causing sediment (mud) problems. Water Clean water is essential. Tasmanian waterways must be cool (lobsters can die when the temperature is over 20 C and many bugs can die at temperatures outside their normal range). Flowing water provides oxygen. Water should be clear unless a heavy rainfall has occured in the last 24 hours. Water should be low in chemicals and fertilisers. Water must also be low in salts (salinity) to prevent loss of biodiversity. Too much fertiliser and sun can cause extreme weed growth in summer. Riffle zone Shallows Run Deeper, moving water Pool Deepest, slow moving water Riparian Zone Area of bush close to the riverbank (up to 50m). Filters out dirt from runoff. Return to: PART 5, Lesson 2 Where are the houses for water animals?

19 EXPLORE FOR TEACHERS STUDENTS Where do macro-invertebrates live? Freshwater habitats Edgewater includes overhanging vegetation from banks. Bottom - mud, sand, silt, gravel, rocks. Aquatic plants - plants under the surface as well as those growing through the water and floating. Flowing water - riffles, pools and runs. Macro-invertebrates that may be living there Fast moving bugs and beetles, freshwater shrimp. Worms, fly larvae, bivalve mussels. Gripping insects, caddis flies, damselflies, shrimps, snails. Gripping insects, caddis flies, beetle larvae that have burrowed into logs and under rocks, mayflies and stoneflies. Special adaptations for living in moving water Adaptations for life in fast-moving water Animals living in moving water must be able to hang-on and catch their food. Here are some examples of these adaptations: streamlined bodies (water pennies) special hooks on legs (mayflies and stoneflies) suction body parts (black flies and snails) sticky secretions - to attach themselves to the bottom (caddis flies and midges) structures to keep themselves in place (caddis flies) specialised front legs and mouth-parts - to filter the water for food or catch food moving past, e.g. black flies have a structure like a comb for catching food carried past in the water. Adaptations for life in slow-moving or still water In contrast to fast moving water, animals in still or slow-moving water don t have to hang on and food is not brought to them in the current. They tend to have a wider range of sizes and shapes and to be more mobile, e.g. insects often have long legs which allow rapid movement. Some have special adaptations to live on the surface, e.g. water striders; while others burrow into the soft sediments, e.g. round worm. Synlestes weyersii The Water Bug Book Return to: PART 5, Lesson 3b Classifying and identifying water animals

20 EXPLAIN FOR STUDENTS Water animals and waterway health Collecting samples of animal life provides information about the animals present in a waterway and will help you tell the story of the waterway. When finding out about a waterway we particularly want to collect information about the abundance, diversity, composition and pollution tolerance of the groups of animals that are there. Abundance Abundance refers to the number of animals present. Very large numbers of macro-invertebrates, particularly snails, tend to be found in water with extra fertiliser or rotting leaf litter. However, small numbers may indicate erosion, toxic pollution or scouring by flood waters. Diversity Diversity refers to the number of different types of animal present. Healthy streams usually have a greater diversity than less healthy streams, although sometimes lack of types of food can also cause low diversity. Communities with many different species appear to be more stable and healthy than ones with few species. Composition Composition of the community refers to the proportion of different types of animals living together. A sample from healthy streams tends to contain a good number of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies. However, if the sample contains a lot of worms and midge larvae (chironomids), the stream is probably less healthy. Pollution tolerance Pollution tolerance refers to the tolerance of animals to pollution from sewage, etc. For example, most stonefly families are intolerant of pollution whilst worms are more tolerant. Pollution tolerant animals also occur in natural streams where rotting plant material has used up a lot of the oxygen. Some water bugs are sensitive to pollution (or changes in water quality) and may not survive it. Other bugs can tolerate some types of pollution. Healthy streams have highly sensitive bugs. Water bugs are given a rating based on their sensitivity to pollution. Pollution rating numbers from 1 to 10 indicate how sensitive each bug is. There are four grades: a) Very Sensitive 10, 9 b) Sensitive 8, 7, 6 c) Tolerant 5, 4, 3 d) Very Tolerant 2, 1 These numbers can be used to work out a Stream Pollution Index that will tell you how healthy your water is. Continues on next page! Return to: PART 5, Lesson 4 Who needs a home? page 1/2

21 EXPLAIN - Water animals and waterway health FOR STUDENTS Continuing from previous page Types of macro-invertebrates and their tolerance to pollution Animal body shape Worm-like animals, e.g. worms and leeches. They stick to rocks or sticks, or crawl slowly. Shelled animals, e.g. snails and mussels. Crayfish like animals. Insect-like animals. They include a wide range of animals that have distinct heads, legs, bodies and tails. They come in many sizes and shapes and often move quickly. Tolerance to pollution They are generally tolerant of pollution. They vary from tolerant to intolerant of pollution. These are generally intolerant of pollution. They are generally intolerant of pollution. What do your sampling results mean? If you find... Only one or two kinds of animals, e.g. worm-like animals, but many of them. A variety of animals, but only a few of each kind and the stream appears clean. No animals. Severe pollution from sewage Stream has undergone flooding (scouring) or the sample was taken during high flows from an area that was dry a few days before. Toxic pollution Return to: PART 5, Lesson 4 Who needs a home? page 2/2

22 ELABORATE FOR TEACHERS Excursion hints for teachers From the Waterwatch Monitoring Manual Where is the best place to locate sampling sites? Riffle sites are preferred for sampling, so locate them and add these to your catchment map. Sites should be chosen from a variety of spots if possible: natural or least disturbed areas in the catchment (reference sites); areas near the headwaters and lowlands in the catchment; areas of differing land uses, e.g. urban, agriculture, forestry; an area near drains; areas near irrigated land, logging areas, or land treated with pesticides or fertilisers. Sampling for macro-invertebrates? Riffles and edge areas have the most diverse habitats for macroinvertebrates, and are the best collecting places. Under good conditions, they contain organisms that vary from tolerant to very sensitive. 3. By comparing riffle samples from one site to the next, any effects of human activities will be clearer. If there are no riffles where you would like them sample organisms living in and around vegetation on the edges of water bodies. Muddy bottom water bodies usually have fewer types of macro-invertebrates because the habitat is less suitable. The same type of habitat should be selected at different sites if you want to compare results. Collecting macro-invertebrates In fast flowing water, animals are found on or under submerged wood, rocks or stones. Some animals swim freely in still or slow moving water, while others hide among aquatic weeds, or crawl and burrow at the bottom. When sampling at the edge of the stream, it is best to select a sheltered alcove, if possible with overhanging vegetation and water plants. Areas that have been recently flooded are not suitable because the animals that were washed away may not have come back. SAFETY NOTE! Deep water and very fast flowing water can be unsafe and should be avoided. It is important to collect at least 100 macro-invertebrates and preferably to get a reliable stream pollution index. In slow moving water and pools, sweep the net across the surface to collect striders and beetles. Drag the net beneath the surface and through water plants to collect nymphs and water scorpions. Snails and worms live among the rocks, litter and sediment. In fast flowing water with a rocky river bed, hold the net on the floor of the river-bed so the mouth is facing upstream. With the net in position, thoroughly kick and rub stones in front of the net to dislodge the animals. Return to: PART 5, Lesson 5 Let s see what we can find! Page 1/2

23 ELABORATE FOR TEACHERS Some Excursion Equipment Hints From the Waterwatch Monitoring Manual. General equipment Waterwatch Manuals Data result sheets Pens, pencils, note paper Marker pen/pencil (waterproof ) Clean water Paper towel Rubbish bag First aid kit Sun cream and hat Camera and film Drinking water and food Gum boots/walking boots/raincoat Specific equipment Kitchen sieve or net White bucket or flat tray for holding samples during sorting Four white containers, e.g. ice cream containers Sorting implements to pick animals from plants and rocks Tweezers (forceps) Plastic spoon for large animals (with 2-3 very small holes) Plastic squeeze pipette for small animals(about 5mm diameter) Fine paint brush for lifting small animals (small artist type) Return to: PART 5, Lesson 5 Let s see what we can find! Page 2/2

24 Waterwatch Macro-Invertebrate Yes Caddisfly Follow Help Bugs Then Turn To Health Start PLE ONLY! ow the Lines SAMPLE and Clues to Identify ONLY your Y! SAMP SAMPLE Over Calculate ONLY! Waterway SAMPLE O Larvae 9 Does it have a H as it got any legs? Ye s 3 pairs of legs Tail or Tails? (Waterbug) Identification Chart No Y! SAMPLE ONLY! Has it got Soft Body? Does it live inside a Stick or Case? No 4 or More Pairs of Legs Yes 3 Tails No Has it got a Head? No Water Mite 6 Damselfly Larvae 3 Beetles and Bugs Snail Pro Legs Legs) Thin Tails SAMPLE SAMPLE ONLY! 1 (stubby 3 ONLY! ONLY! SAMPLE SAMPLE ONLY! Chironomid 3 Mayflies Short Tail, No Antenna There are different sorts Dragonfly Larvae 3 Worms Body Segments Segmented Worm 2 SAMPLE No Segments ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! Hairy Back Legs Fleshy End, no Pro-Legs Hair-Like Roundworm 3 Yes Crane Fly Larvae 5 Spinning Red Dot Side Swimmer Water Penny Scud 3 2 Tails SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! Stoneflies ONLY! SAMPLE There are SAMPLE ny 6 O different sorts Long Beaded Antenna Pear Shape, no Pro-Legs Fresh Water Crab 3 1 or 2 Tails No Fuzzy Tail Stonefly Larvae 10 Long Body Large Leaf Like Tails Riffle Beetle 7 Black Fly Larvae 5 Very Flat Mayfly Mayfly ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE Larvae 8 Leptophlebiidae e O SAMPLE O LY! SAMP LY! SAMPL s Not so Flat, Tail Rises Upward Mayfly Larvae Baetidae Fresh Water Tail The number each SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE Shrimp 3 Fuzzy ONLY! SAMPLE Sensitivity Score. SAMPLE higher number, O next to Bug is it s ONLY! ity The the Stonefly Larvae 8 the more sensitive it is to pollution. Gripopterygidae This is a rough guide only, for more intensive identification refer to The Waterbug Book Some of these photos were taken from The Waterbug Book with hanks to Gooderham some photos by Glides along Wriggles Water, Bristles body, Tom Krasnicki. Flatworm 2 Mosquito Larvae SAMPLE SAMPLE Bottom gles in on t John and Edward Tsyrlin, SAMPLE ONLY! 1 Lobster ONLY! 6 i. SAMPLE ONLY! 5 Some Caddisflies have Pincers on their head, and Hooks just below. Diving Beetle 2 ONLY! E Oar Like Legs, Big Eyes Water Boatman 2

25 SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! S S S S LY! SA LY! SA LY! SA LY! SA SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY! SAMPLE ONLY!