Grade: 9-12 Version 2 Sept. 2017 Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems Design and develop a self-sustaining ecosystem that can support at least five complimentary organisms in a closed-loop system www.seiinc.org
Table of Contents Curriculum Introduction... 5 Setting the Stage... 7 Aquarium Check... 7 Activities... 7 Aquarium Activities... 7 Assignments... 8 Assessments... 8 Handouts... 8 Extensions... 8 Academic Content Standards... 9 Water Industry Skills Covered... 12 Materials List... 13 Teacher s Guide to the Aquarium Project... 16 Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems Pre & Post-Test... 20 Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems Pre & Post-Test Key... 22 Lesson 1: Water Chemistry & Aquarium Set Up... 24 Key Words... 24 Preparation... 25 Setting the Stage: Intro to the Aquarium Ecosystems Project... 25 Aquarium Activity 1: Aquarium Set Up & Testing Your Tap Water... 27 Assignment... 30 Aquarium Check... 30 Setting The Stage: Water Chemistry... 31 Activity 2: Nitrogen Cycle and ph Videos... 34 Aquarium Activity 3: Testing and Recording Water Chemistry... 34 Assessment... 35 Assignment: Begin A Technical Draft of the Aquarium... 35 Aquarium Check... 36 Setting the Stage: Adjusting Water Chemistry... 36 Activity 4: Adjusting Water Chemistry... 36 Aquarium Check... 37 Extension... 38 Assignment... 38 Assessment... 39 Handout: Introduction to Engineering Your Aquatic Ecosystem... 40 Handout: Calculating Aquarium Volume & Carrying Capacity... 41 Calculating Aquarium Volume & Carrying Capacity Teacher Key... 43 Handout: Nitrogen Cycle and ph Videos Worksheet... 45 Nitrogen Cycle and ph Videos Worksheet Teacher Key... 46 Handout: Drafting Your Aquarium Ecosystem... 47 Handout: Adjusting Water Chemistry... 50 Handout: Water Quality Requirements for Freshwater Organisms... 51 Water Quality Requirements for Freshwater Organisms Key... 52 Lesson 2: Ecosystems... 53 Key Words... 53 2
Preparation... 53 Aquarium Check... 54 Setting the Stage: Ecosystem Ecology & Trophic Levels... 54 Activity 1: Calculate TLTE... 55 Assignment: Research Organisms for a Closed Aquarium... 56 Assessment... 57 Setting the Stage: Food Webs... 58 Activity 2: Online Ecosystem Lab... 59 Assignment... 59 Aquarium Check... 59 Setting the Stage: Keystone Species... 59 Activity 3: Reading a Scientific Paper... 60 Assessments... 62 Assignment: Continuing the Draft of Your Aquarium Ecosystem... 62 Aquarium Check... 62 Handout: Researching Your Aquarium Organisms... 63 Handout: Online Ecosystem Lab... 65 Handout: Reading a Scientific Paper - Keystone Species... 66 Lesson 3: Ecosystem Services & Climate Change... 67 Key Words... 67 Preparation... 68 Aquarium Check... 69 Setting the Stage: Ecosystem Services & Biospheres... 69 Assessments... 72 Setting the Stage: Ecosystem Engineers & Climate Change... 72 Activity 1: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide & Water ph Demonstration... 73 Assignment... 78 Setting the Stage: Ecosystem Engineering... 78 Activity 2: Engineering Ecosystems Case Study... 78 Aquarium Activity 3: Add Organisms & Seal Off the Aquariums... 79 Assignments... 80 Assessments... 81 Handout: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide & Water ph Demonstration... 82 Handout: Ecosystems - The Impacts of Climate Change... 83 Handout: Ecosystem Engineering Case Study... 84 Handout: Assessing The Health of Your Ecosystem... 85 Handout: Graphing Water Quality Data... 87 Handout: Final Presentations... 88 Lesson 4: Water Careers... 89 Key Words... 89 Preparation... 89 Activity 1: Exploring Green Career Pathways... 90 Setting the Stage: Exploring Green Career Pathways... 91 Setting the Stage: Water Careers... 94 Activity 2: Skills Assessment and Job Research... 96 Assignments... 97 Assessments... 97 Setting the Stage: Social Media and Career Development... 98 Setting the Stage: Applying for Jobs... 99 3
Activity 3: Resume Writing & Cover Letter... 100 Extension... 100 Assignments... 101 Assessments... 102 Handout: Skills Assessment Worksheet... 103 Handout: Skills Assessment Matrix... 104 Handout: Cover Letter and Resume Writing... 106 Handout: Cover Letter Outline... 108 Sample Cover Letter for Requesting an Informational Interview... 109 Handout: Resume Outline... 110 Handout: Sample Resume... 111 Handout: Career Informational Interview & Shadowing Questions... 112 Handout: Career Professional Panel... 113 4
Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems Lesson 1: Water Chemistry & Aquarium Set Up Lesson 1 Overview Estimated Time Three 45-minute periods (135 minutes) Standards Covered NGSS: HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6 CCSS: Math N-Q, F-LE ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text 7-9, Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 3, 4, 7, 9 CTE: Pathway E1.1, E1.5, E6.4 Objectives: Students will be able to: Understand the components of an ecosystem and the nitrogen cycle Calculate the carrying capacity of an ecosystem Conduct water quality testing and demonstrate how water quality and nutrient cycling impacts ecosystems Calculate water change and buffer addition Prep Time One hour for reviewing lesson and assembling materials Handouts 1.1 Introduction to the Project 1.2 Calculating Volume & Carrying Capacity 1.3 Nitrogen Cycle and ph Videos Worksheet 1.4 Drafting Your Aquarium Ecosystem 1.5 Adjusting Water Chemistry 1.6 Water Quality Requirements for Freshwater Organisms Materials (per group): Plastic shoe box API tap water conditioner (1 bottle for class) Lamps (if daylight is not sufficient) Air pump Notebook (per student) Water testing kits Fish (1 per group) Thermometer Sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda) Access to computers and Microsoft Excel Ecosystems are made up of three main components, abiotic materials, biotic organisms, and energy. Living organisms need specific levels of oxygen, nitrogen, ph, and other water chemistry parameters to survive. In this lesson, students will learn about the nitrogen cycle, water chemistry in relation to aquatic ecosystems, how to test the water, and how to adjust the water chemistry. KEY WORDS Ecosystem: The interaction of biotic organisms with one another and their abiotic surroundings Biotic: Of, relating to, or resulting from living things Abiotic: Non-living things chemical and physical parts of the environment Conductivity: The degree to which a specified material conducts electricity Outgassing: The release of gas that is dissolved, trapped, or absorbed in a material Drip Loop: Simple knot or a dip in an electrical cord to prevent water from reaching an electrical device or outlet ph: The measure of acidity and alkalinity Nitrogen Cycle: The series of processes by which nitrogen is converted by bacteria in the aquatic environment into a form usable for living organisms Nitrifying Bacteria: Beneficial bacteria that process toxic forms of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle Ammonia: A colorless gas created by animal waste, and the first step in the nitrogen cycle Nitrite (NO2-): A chemical compound that is the result of ammonia converted by nitrifying bacteria 24
Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems Nitrates (NO3 - ): A chemical compound that is the result of NO2 converted by nitrifying bacteria Water Change: Removing a portion of aquarium water and replacing it with dechlorinated tap water Buffer Solution: An aqueous solution that can maintain ph PREPARATION Ø Gather all materials from the Teacher Materials Matrix. Students will need a fish to start the nitrogen cycle in their aquariums (guppy or goldfish recommended). A single fish is sufficient to start the nitrogen cycle, but you can add beneficial bacteria in water collected from an established aquarium, lake, or pond as well. This has the added benefit of bringing in small organisms that may become a food source in your ecosystem, but the danger of introducing pathogens. Ø Students should have a logbook or journal, which will be their Ecosystem Logbook. Students will start this logbook to record data, notes and observations throughout the project. Students will also use it to respond to prompts and answer questions throughout the unit, which will provide opportunities for participation and assessment of comprehension. Ø Review lesson materials on the aquarium project and water quality testing. Ø Make one copy of the following handouts per student: 1.1 Introduction to the Project 1.2 Calculating Aquarium Volume and Carrying Capacity (and Answer Key) 1.3 Nitrogen Cycle and ph Video Worksheet (and Answer Key) 1.4 Drafting Your Aquarium Ecosystem 1.5 Adjusting Water Chemistry 1.6 Water Quality Requirements for Freshwater Organisms SETTING THE STAGE: INTRO TO THE AQUARIUM ECOSYSTEMS PROJECT Ø Inform students they will work in groups to engineer a self-sustaining aquarium ecosystem. Each group will research the interactions of living organisms, use the engineering design process, draft their design, and implement their design in their aquarium. Ø Provide each student with a copy of the Introduction to the Project Handout 1.1 to illustrate the overall goal of the project. Review the handout as a class to prepare students for the work ahead. Ø This project is designed to help students understand ecosystem interactions, and the delicate balance of conditions that enables life to thrive within a closed system. The Earth is a closed system. The organic and inorganic materials on Earth cycle between different phases and 25
Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems states, but mass does not enter or leave Earth s system. The only input is energy from the sun, and the only output is radiation emitted from Earth back out into space. The closed aquarium system that students design is similar to our habitat, the Earth s closed system, and the challenge of maintaining healthy, balanced conditions for life in their ecosystem is similar to the challenge of maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem on Earth today.! Each student will keep an Ecosystem Logbook throughout their aquarium project. It will be the official record of everything the students do to engineer their aquatic ecosystems. Students should make daily entries and record all activities, measurements, and observations related to their aquarium. They will address questions posed throughout class in their Ecosystem Logbook, and they will track their aquarium water quality data. Ø The aquatic ecosystems students will engineer based on the same principles as Earth s closed system. Ask the class to brainstorm what is needed for a closed system to maintain life. (i.e. water, air, minerals, energy) Ask the students to write an example of an ecosystem, and describe the essential components of that ecosystem in their Ecosystem Logbook. Ø After 5 minutes, ask for a volunteer to share their answer. Then, share the definition of an ecosystem with the class. An ecosystem is the interaction of three key components: biotic organisms, abiotic materials, and energy. Biotic organisms are living things such as animals and plants. Abiotic materials are non-living things such as compounds (i.e. oxygen or water) and minerals; both of which are essential to life. Energy comes in the form of sunlight or in the form of heat (i.e. geothermal vents). Ecosystems are not defined by size, but by their three key components: biotic organisms, the abiotic materials, and energy. An ecosystem can consist of the whole Earth, a tropical rainforest, a local lake, or the area under a rock in your backyard. Ø Though an ecosystem is not defined by size, the size of the ecosystem will determine its carrying capacity. The carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available in the environment. Ø Every living organism in an ecosystem has a niche, or a specific role it plays in that ecosystem. Ecosystems evolve over time in relation to these specific organisms and their niches to make a complex interdependent system. Ø Show the class the plastic container they will use to design their ecosystem. Ask the class if an ecosystem could fit in this small space. Ø In groups of 2-3, students are going to create a closed aquatic ecosystem in the plastic shoebox. As students perform research and learn more about water chemistry, ecosystems, and ecosystem ecology, they will add organisms to fill the niches of their aquarium, eventually creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. 26
Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems AQUARIUM ACTIVITY 1: AQUARIUM SET UP & TESTING YOUR TAP WATER Teacher Overview Ø Form groups of 2-3 students that will work together throughout the entire duration of the project. Each student will use their personal Ecosystem Logbook to record all activities and observations related to their aquatic ecosystem over the course of the project. Provide each group with a lidded plastic container, substrate, air pump, and tap water. Ø In this activity student will set up their aquariums with water, substrate, and an air pump. They will test the water for chlorine, dechlorinate the water, and retest the water for chlorine. Ecosystem Logs µ 2-3 pages in the Logbook will be designated for recording water quality data. The water quality data log should have enough space to record data for approximately 50 entries. Below is an example of how the students could set up their water quality data log. Date Time Chlorine ph Temperature Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Notes Ø For the next 2 weeks, students will test the water quality daily and record their results in the water quality log in their Ecosystem Logbook. After they see evidence of the completion of the nitrogen cycle, water quality testing can decrease to 2-3 times per week. Today they will test only chlorine. Aquarium Set Up Ø Provide each group with a plastic container, roughly 13 in X 9½ in X 5 in, air pump, water, and rock substrate. Groups will begin to engineer their own self-sustaining aquatic ecosystem in the small container. Ø Have the students measure the exact metric units (cm) of their tank and record them in their Ecosystem Logs. Keep in mind, the tanks may be trapezoidal in shape, which means the length and width of the tank on the top may be different than the length and width on the bottom! Ø Have each group put substrate in the bottom of their plastic container. Then fill the container with tap water leaving 3-4 cm air space from the top of the container. Have the students measure the height between the surface of the water and the top of the tank, the height from the surface of the water to the top of the rocks, and the height from the top of the rocks to the bottom of the tank. These measurements will be used later to calculate the carrying capacity of the aquarium. 27
Engineering Aquatic Ecosystems! Students should record these heights in their Ecosystem Logbook. µenough Ask the groups to carefully cut a small hole in the plastic lid. The hole should be just big to fit the air tubing. Air Tubing 1 Ø Water is an abiotic component of the student s aquatic ecosystems, and there are important water quality parameters that need to be achieved to support the biotic components that students will add later. Ø Chlorine and/or chloramine are gasses often used in tap water as a disinfectant and are safe for human consumption at low levels. However, chlorine is highly toxic to aquatic animals. It can damage delicate gill and skin tissue and ultimately lead to death. Ø Chlorine can easily outgas from the water overnight, but chloramine does not easily outgas from a material. Outgassing is the release of gas that is dissolved, trapped, or absorbed in a material. Tomorrow students will test water quality after allowing time for the chlorine to outgas. If they observe a change, then the water was treated with chlorine. If there is no change, the water was treated with chloramine and requires alternative steps to remove the gas. Ø The air pump will help chlorine to outgas. Introduce Water Testing: Testing the Chlorine Baseline 1. Review your water testing kits/strips with the students. Share the manufacturer s instructions with the students. 2. Use a chlorine test kit or test strip to test the tap water in their aquarium for chlorine.! Record the test results in the Ecosystem Logbook. 3. In groups, have the students answer the following questions in their Ecosystem Logbook: 1 Image created by SEI. 28