Lets Teach it ! H2O
A Unit Guide Framework
Prepared by East Gippsland Waterwatch
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4-5
6-8
9-13
13-14
15-16
17-18
19-20
21
23-26
27
Title Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
Curriculum Framing Questions and Activities
Activity: A Drop in the Bucket
Activity: Catchment Story
Activity: Land use in a Catchment
Background Information: Water Quality Monitoring
Intro to Activity: Water Quality Monitoring
Activity: Understanding Water Quality Parameters
Water Quality Record Sheets and Smiley Rating System Instructions
Water Quality Record Sheets
Activity: Water Quality Monitoring
Results Sheet – In the Field
28-32
Background Information: Ecology & Habitat Assessment
33
Habitat Ratings
34
35-36
Ecology & Habitat Assessment Field Sheet
Activity: Macroinvertebrate Survey – Bug Hunting!
37
38-39
Activity: Macroinvertebrate Survey – Bug Hunting!
Activity: Build A Bug
40-41
Your bug’s lifestyle Sheets
42-46
Activity: The Dragonfly Life Cycle
47-48
49-52
53
Game: Ducks and Dragonflies
Game: Clean Machine – The Wetland Demonstration
East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
Contact Details regarding Waterwatch
2
Lets Teach it ! H2O
Unit Guide
Introduction
This document is intended to be a framework for your school to use in developing a
unit of work around water, it is not all encompassing. For more teacher background
information on all topics mentioned please refer to Gippsland’s Environmental
Education Resource – Linking our Catchments and Estuaries to the Coast. All
Gippsland schools were provided with a hard copy – check your library! For water
conservation information, the Water Learn it! Live it! resource is available from East
Gippsland Water. The activities may be adapted to suit any level but are generally
targeted at Level 4 or grades 5/6. If you would like a higher level of information
please contact Waterwatch for assistance.
In this unit students learn about their local waterways focusing on river health, water
quality and water conservation. Resources for the unit are taken from the East and
West Gippsland Waterwatch Programs and local Water Authorities Programs.
Learning Focus
There are 3 main parts to the unit; Catchments, Water Quality and
Macroinvertebrates. Each part could be turned into a separate unit, or used
together as one. There is ample opportunity for extension in each section.
Focus of the Unit
Students will look at the role of water in the environment and consider the
effects humans have on the availability and quality of water as well as the
importance of water in terms of sustainability.
Students will investigate a local waterway ecosystem and its inter-relationships.
The structure and function of a range of organisms will be explored
Students will be able to develop informed ideas and opinions about their impact
on waterways. They will be able to explore potential solutions and positive
behaviours in relation to conserving and protecting the environment and natural
resources.
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Curriculum-Framing Questions & Activities
Part 1 Water in Catchments
These activities aim to give the student a broad overview of the catchment system in
which they live. The concept of connectivity between areas and issues within a
catchment is central to this topic/activities.
Introduction to Water
Why is water essential for life?
What is the water cycle and how does it work?
What influences do humans have on the water cycle?
Catchments
What is a catchment? What catchment do I live in?
What sort of positive and negative affects can a community have on the water
quality in their catchment?
What can an individual or school do to protect & improve our catchment?
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Activity: A Drop in the Bucket
Activity: Mini Water Cycle (Refer to GEER page 99).
EXTENSION – Water Learn it! Live it! – Water Authority Education Resource
Activity: Catchment Story
Activity: Land Use in a Catchment
Activity: Make a Catchment Model (Refer to GEER page 97-98).
Part 2 Water Quality & Habitat
Why is water quality important?
What factors contribute to the quality of water?
What can individuals/groups do about poor water quality?
How can we monitor water quality?
How does the health of the waterway at one location compare to other parts of
the catchment?
Who looks after the water?
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Activity Understanding Water Quality Parameters
Activity Water Quality Monitoring
Activity Ecology & Habitat Assessment
Part 3 Macroinvertebrates
What life can I find in and around a waterway?
What is a macroinvertebrate and what do they look like?
How can macroinvertebrates tell us about water quality? What makes them
“tolerant” or “sensitive”?
Which macroinvertebrates live in which part of the waterway and why?
Why do some species of macroinvertebrate live in this waterway, and not
others?
4
What are the important functions of an ecosystem?
How are plants and animals linked in an ecosystem food web?
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Activity MDFRC online bug guide www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/
Activity Macroinvertebrate Survey – Bug Hunting! (in class or field, WW can
facilitate if desired and resources allow)
Activity Build A Bug
Activity Life Cycle of a Dragonfly
Activity Food Webs (Refer to GEER pages 69-76)
Additional


Game: Ducks and Dragonflies
Game: The Clean Machine
Notes for teachers using this document:
There is ample opportunity for extension activities in a water education unit, if you
want to focus more on water “conservation” the WATER LEARN IT! LIVE IT resource
available from East Gippsland Water is excellent and very comprehensive.
Gippsland’s Environmental Education Resource – Linking our Catchments and
Estuaries to the Coast has additional activities in all aspects of environmental
education.
Please contact us if you have any issues or require assistance with this material .
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Activity: A Drop in the Bucket
What is abundant and rare at the same time?
By investigating (estimating and / or calculating) the percentage of available fresh
water on Earth then discussing and exploring the implications of their findings,
students understand that this resource is limited so must be conserved and managed
sustainably, on personal, local and global scales.
Materials:
»Water
»globe and /or world map
»1000 ml beaker / cylinder
»100 ml graduated beaker
»small dish or beaker
»dropper or glass stirring rod
»food dye
»Salt
»small bucket
»copies of Water Availability table
Method:
Note: Discussion points in italics
1. Fill a 1000ml container with water. If demonstrating to a class, colour the water
with a few drops of food dye so it is easier to see.
This represents all the water on Earth.
Ask where most of this water is located - refer to globe or map. Ask students to
estimate the amount of salt water on the Earth's surface.
2. Pour 30 ml from the 1000 ml into the graduated beaker - this represents the 3% of
the Earth's water that is fresh. Put salt into the remaining 97% to simulate the water
in the oceans, unsuitable for human consumption.
Consider the 30ml remaining. In what state is that remaining 3%? What is found at
the Earth's poles? Again ask for an estimate of how much water is frozen at the
Poles.
3. Pour 6ml of the fresh water into the small dish or beaker. The remaining 24ml can
be placed in a freezer or frig if one is nearby, or otherwise simulate ice, eg. pour into
an ice cube tray.
Almost 80% of the Earth's fresh water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. The amount
of water in the small container (approximately 0.6% of the original amount)
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represents non-frozen fresh water. Only about one quarter of this is surface water;
the rest is underground.
4. Use a dropper or stirring rod to take a single drop of water. Release this into a
small container, e.g. a small metal bucket so students can listen for the "drop".
This represents clean, fresh water that is not polluted or otherwise unavailable for
use - about 0.003% of the total. This precious drop must be managed with care.
5. Discuss the conclusions students have drawn from the demonstration. Many will
have concluded that there is only a very small amount of water available for humans.
In fact, on a global scale the single drop actually represents a large volume of water but … See suggestions for further discussion and activities.
6. Use the Water Availability table to calculate the actual amount of fresh water
available per person.
Water Availability Table:
Quantity to be divided
Amount Available litres
among people on Earth
per person
All the water on Earth
222 billion
Only the fresh
water(calculate 3% of the
amount available
Only the non-frozen fresh
water(calculate 20% of the
remaining amount
available)
Available fresh water that
is not polluted, trapped in
soil, too far below the
ground, etc.(calculate
0.5% of the remaining
amount available)
% of total water
100%
3%
0.6%
0.003%
1. Is this enough? Devise a means to estimate how much water you use per year.
Compare the estimate to the calculation above. What do you conclude?
2. List the other uses of water that affect you, but are not a direct result of your
actions. Does this alter your conclusion? Why?
Discussion:
» Discuss global distribution of water. Why does more than one-third of the world's
population not have access to clean water?
7
» Investigate the factors affecting water distribution on Earth (land forms,
vegetation, proximity to large areas of water, role of oceans , etc). Have class work in
small groups and report back to share their findings.
» Explore other environmental and natural influences on the availability of water
(droughts, floods, pollution, etc). Research current events, conditions and activities
affecting the availability of water, - locally, in Australia and elsewhere in the world.
» Discuss long term events, activities and behaviours which will reduce the amount
of fresh, potable water available for human consumption. Consider at a local and
global scale. Consider other users of water, apart from humans.
Acknowledgment: This activity is adapted from Project Wet Curriculum & Activity
Guide 1995 Montana State University. Waterwatch have used the Landlearn version
of the activity, available on their website.
Answer Key:
Water Availability table based on a global population of 6.3 billion
Quantity to be divided
among people on Earth
All the water on Earth
Only the fresh water
Only the non-frozen fresh
water
Available fresh water that
is not polluted, trapped in
soil, too far below the
ground, etc.
Amount Available litres
per person
222 billion
6.6 billion
1.3 billion
% of total water
6.5 million
0.003%
100%
3%
0.6%
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Activity: Catchment Story
Materials
1. Catchment Story
2. A large clear plastic container
3. Small film canisters (you can get these from photo shops for free)
4. Labels for canisters
5. Various materials to represent pollution as outlined in the list below, includes
food dye, dirt, leaves, vinegar, water, litter items (pretend cigarette butts, plastic,
polystyrene, paper), soap, chocolate lollies.
6. Two large glasses
7. Paper towels, strainer and milk carton to ensure correct disposal of polluted
water and clean up.
Preparation
1. Label each of the film canisters with a character’s name from the story.
(Duplicate containers can be prepared to cater for all of the members in the group
if necessary).
2. Place the appropriate materials into each canister in accordance with the list.
3. Fill the container with clear, clean water and place in a prominent, visible and
accessible position.
4. Distribute the labeled canisters to each student. Request that they be careful and
keep the container closed until they are told to open it.
5. Introduce the Catchment Story.
6. Fill one large glass with water out of the container; demonstrate its cleanliness
and properties by pouring from one glass to another. Leave the glass aside for
comparison at the end of the story.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Name
Gumboot Farmer
Willow Woods
Lenny Labourer
Barren Barry
Ima Miner
Andy Absent
Olive Oil
Freddy Fisher
Linda Litterbug
Bob Builder
Trent Turbine
Joe Homeowner
13 Lucy Leadfoot
14 Peta Polluter
15 Doris Dogowner
Land Use
Dairy
Reserve
Forestry
Irrigation
Quarry
Land owner
Recreation
Recreation
Tourism
Development
Electricity
Land owner
Motorist
Industry
Recreation
Substance
Green water
Leaves
Thick mud
Salt
Vinegar
Yellow water
Vegetable Oil mixed with blue food dye.
Fishing line
Litter items
Soil
Vinegar
Material to represent fertiliser such as bicarb soda and dirt
mixed.
Vegetable oil mixed with red food dye.
Water mixed with blue food dye and liquid soap.
Chocolate sultanas or bullets.
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Activity: Catchment Story
Introduction
Introduce a large poster of the region (available from Waterwatch). Students should
be able to see the model or poster during the story.
This story is to show how everyone in Gippsland impacts upon the health of our
rivers, the Gippsland Lakes and the coast. The tank represents the Gippsland Lakes.
As the Thomson, Latrobe, Tambo, Macalister, Avon, Mitchell and Nicholson Rivers
travel through the catchment; they collect water from rainfall, stormwater, irrigation
and industry. This ultimately ends up in the Lakes.
Does everyone know what a catchment is?
Everyone lives in a catchment. It includes all the land drained by these rivers, creeks
and streams. Even if you can’t see a river near where you live, you are still all linked
in a catchment. Each of you has been given a canister with a name on it. When the
name on your canister is mentioned in the story you are to empty it into the lake.
Question: Can anyone tell me some ways that the water we use in our homes
returns to our rivers and streams?
In our homes we use water from tanks and reservoirs. Grey water is wastewater we
have used to wash our clothes and ourselves. It could be easily used to water our
gardens. Mostly it passes into the sewer systems with black water from our toilets
and kitchen sinks, which needs bacterial treatment to be safe. All this water ends up
at ocean outfalls when we are connected to the sewage systems in towns and cities.
Some areas have septic tanks, which can overflow into river systems.
Action: (Take out one glass of water from the container to leave aside for the end of
the story.)
Action: Reading the Story
Our rivers begin higher up in areas like Mt Baw Baw and the Strzelecki Ranges. Water
flows down and around hills, places like Noojee and Neerim, Dargo and Heyfield,
Maffra and Bruthen through farms, small urban areas and into the big country
towns. We will follow raindrops as they fall from the sky and enter fern covered
clean mountain streams and down our rivers, until they enter the Gippsland Lakes.
As the water goes down the slopes it gathers speed and enters into farming districts.
Most of the farmers are trying hard to practice good Landcare principles, some
though are not. A little stream flows past Gumboot Farmer’s dairy farm. Gumboot
washes down the dairy yard after milking. Instead of catching the manure in an
effluent pond like his neighbours, he lets it run down the hill into the creek. His
neighbour Willow Woods looks after the reserve next door. On the banks of her
river are willow trees. These have all just dropped their leaves, adding lots of
nutrients to the water when the leaves decay. Work has been done to remove some
of these willows, but there are still many more. These added organisms use up the
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oxygen in the water, making it difficult for macroinvertebrates to survive. The
willows have also changed the river channel shape.
In another part of the catchment, a clear mountain stream gathers momentum as
the rain falls heavily. Water pours across the recently opened logging coupe. Lenny
Labourer hasn’t paid attention to the best forestry practices and has poorly
constructed the drainage on this site. Muddy water from access tracks flows down
the slope and stains the water orange with clay sediments.
As the water passes Barren Barry’s farm, salt enters the river. This is because all the
trees on his property have been removed and they no longer take up ground water.
The water table has risen close to the surface. It has brought up salt from old marine
rocks below. Salt makes it difficult for plants to grow, leaving exposed soil, so some
more sediment washes in too.
Ima Miner mines for sand up the hill from here. The mine pumps water out of the
river to clean the sand and the equipment. It then drains back to the river. This
waste includes acids which are harmful to the plants and animals in the water.
Slowly one river starts to wind its way through the outskirts of a major town, out
here there are a number of weekenders. People like Andy Absent come to stay out
in the country on the weekend to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Andy’s holiday house is not connected to the sewerage system; he has septic tanks.
The septic system sometimes overflows and raw sewage enters the river.
On a river some people are boating. Olive Oil has not looked after her boat. Oil is
leaking from the engine directly into the river. Freddy Fisher has thrown his snagged
fishing line in the water before he sets off for a fish. Not only is this harmful to the
animals, but what do you think about the appearance of the water?
Down the near a river mouth tourists are on a kayak tour. Lunch is provided but
people like Linda Litterbug don’t see the need for bins. She is just throwing empty
drink cans overboard, and watching them float away.
A river is now passing by the urban areas of the bigger country towns where Bob
Builder is busy putting in a new housing subdivision. The development of housing
has removed the protective vegetation from the soil. More sediment enters the
river. All these extra homes need electricity. In the Latrobe Valley Trent Turbine and
his team at the power station are burning coal to make electricity. Pollution in the
form of gases enters the atmosphere where they combine with moisture. When it
rains, the pollutants enter the waterways.
In the newly finished subdivision down the road, Joe Homeowner has not yet started
his garden. The original trees have been removed and when it rains the top layer of
soil is eroded, and adds to silting up the river. Joe’s neighbour Doris Dogowner walks
her dog along the road and doesn’t carry a bag for its poo. When it rains, the poo is
washed off the footpath into the stormwater drain and into the river.
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People like Lucy Lead-Foot are heading home down the Highway. Oil drips out of
Lucy’s engine, and her excessive speed and constant breaking leaves rubber on the
roads. Oil and rubber are washed off our streets into stormwater drains and then
into the river as pollutants, all reducing our water quality. Our poor water is really
starting to look very sick now!
Outside the major towns are some industrial areas. Peta Polluter is one of the
industry owners that use detergents to keep equipment clean. She sometimes hoses
out the factory, allowing the water and detergent to wash into the stormwater
system. In this industrial detergent are phosphates, which can cause algal blooms in
the river. Blue Green Algae is poisonous to humans and other animals. Now the
rivers are entering the Lakes.
Action: Using a glass, pretend to drink the water. Compare it to the original water in
the glass, and ask the students which they would rather. Look at what we have done
to the water in our waterways. Look at how dirty it looks and it doesn't smell too
good either. Could you imagine being a fish and living in that water or a plant trying
to grow? (If possible give students a closer look.)
Conclusion
Questions to ask
How did the colour and appearance of the water change?
How would you feel about swimming in the water?
What were some of the things that happened in the story that may be against the
law or wrong?
How we can reduce our impact on waterways?
Here are some suggestions:
• Use compost as a mulch to reduce watering, and as a fertiliser for plants
• If you have to use chemicals, use less toxic ones and dispose of them safely
• Don't put items down the toilet or down the sink, as it can clog up the sewerage
system
• Wash dishes in the sink rather than in the dishwasher. It uses less water, energy
and detergents
• Take a plastic bag when you are walking your dog
• Keep waste out of the stormwater drain, e.g. litter, grass clippings
• Join a community group. Plant trees along the riverbanks to reduce the amount of
soil being washed into the river
• Don’t litter, and pick up rubbish when you see it so that it doesn't go down the
stormwater drain and into the river
• Plant native trees and shrubs to enhance suburban and rural biodiversity
• Try companion planting to deter pests. Most insects, however, are helpful to the
plants.U
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Assessment - Think, pair, share
Students are to begin by reflecting on their character’s role in the story.
Who was your character?
What was their role in the story?
What did they do to affect the health of river and therefore the Gippsland Lakes?
Then the students are to pair up with the person next to them to discuss their
ideas and opinions.
What could your characters have done differently? What could they have done
better so their impact on the water was lessened?
Next, the students share their ideas and collate a group response as a class. This
could be done in a large mind or issues map.
Activity: Land Use in a Catchment
The land use in the upper catchment varies greatly to that in the lower catchment. In
the upper catchment there are forests, small farms and towns. In the lower
catchment there are larger towns, industry and bigger farms including orchards,
dairy farms and irrigation. What happens in one part of a catchment is likely to affect
the health of the rest of the catchment downstream.
The following activity reinforces the idea of a catchment and the land uses within.
By using your local catchment the students are able to form a picture about what is
happening in their own area. The thinker’s keys are a good tool to get students
thinking about cause and effect.
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Activity: Land Use in a Catchment
1. Using the map of your catchment area, mark and label the town where your
school is.
2. What is the name of the stream or river closest to your school?
3. Is that stream part of a larger river catchment? Where does the water end
up?
4. What are some of the land uses around where you live?
Try to list them under the following headings:
Recreation
Urban (Towns)
Farming
Environment
Thinkers Key – What if?
5. Think about the following questions and what would happen if they came
true. Select one or make up your own to write a paragraph about below.
What would happen if I emptied a tanker load of oil into the river?
What would happen if I introduced piranha into the river?
What would happen if we had no rain for 6 months?
What would happen if the earth’s temperature rose by 10 degrees?
What would happen if the sea level rose by 1m?
What would happen if no one monitored the water quality?
What would happen if __________________________________________________________?
6. Can you think of some more What if? Questions? List below.
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Background Information: Water Quality Monitoring
Your class will be collecting important information about the water quality and
health of your local waterway. You may choose to do this once as a learning exercise
or you could sample on a regular basis to build up a picture over time. Different
classes or groups may like to collect samples from points along a waterway to see if
there are any differences. If the waterway is too far from the school, samples can be
collected by a teacher or parent and brought to the classroom.
Waterwatch volunteers are community members who collect data at least monthly
to provide catchment managers with the information they need to look after the
health of our streams, rivers and lakes.
What are we testing for?
When referring to different water quality tests we use the word “Parameters” (A
parameter is a variable, measurable property whose value is a determinant of the
characteristics of a system).
You will be using the equipment in your kit to carry out some chemical and physical
tests on the water sample you have collected. These tests will provide you with
water quality information about your local waterway.
Your class will be testing the water for: salinity (electrical conductivity), turbidity, pH,
temperature and if desired, reactive phosphorus. You will also be recording the
rainfall in your area.
Parameters
Rainfall
Rainfall is measured in millimetres (mm) using a rain gauge.
Once you have completed your water tests use a rain gauge to read and record the
rainfall for the last 24 hours. If you don’t have access to a rain gauge you can find the
nearest Bureau of Meteorology gauge at
http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/vic/rain_river.shtml
pH
We test for pH to work out if the water is acidic or alkaline.
Animals and plants in stream adapt to a certain range of pH, an increase or decrease
in pH outside the normal range will cause the loss of some of these species
depending on their sensitivity. 7 is neutral pH, the acidity increases as the value
decreases (from 6 to 0 is increasingly acidic) and alkalinity increases as the value
increases (from 8 to 14 is increasingly alkaline). The measurement unit is pH.
Salinity
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Salinity or electrical conductivity is the amount of salt present in the water. Salinity is
measured in electrical conductivity units (EC) using an instrument called a
conductivity meter.
Salinity can be a problem when present in high amounts. Plants and animals, like us,
need a little bit of salt to help them grow. However, when there is too much salt in
the water, plants and animals have trouble surviving. Not many plants and animals
can live in waterways that are too salty.
Some waterways are very salty because too many trees have been removed from
the nearby land for farming and irrigation. When deep-rooted trees are removed,
water seeps down through the soil and causes the groundwater or the level of the
watertable to rise. As this water moves to the surface it brings with it large amounts
of salt that has been stored in the soil and rocks. Most plants can only tolerate a
small amount of salt and when the groundwater rises into the root zone of plants
they take up the salt in the water which can often kill them.
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or clarity of the water. Turbidity is measured in
Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) using an instrument called a turbidity tube.
When the water is very cloudy or murky the amount of light that passes through the
water is very low. Plants need light for survival as it helps them grow. This affects the
animals that feed on and live amongst the water plants. Turbidity can be caused by
soil particles, decaying plants and chemicals in the water as well as bank erosion.
Clean rivers have a low turbidity of around 1 NTU and murky creeks are highly turbid
at around 200 NTU.
Temperature
Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (°C) using a thermometer.
Temperature can speed up or slow down the rate of many chemical reactions that
occur in the water; that is why it is important to record temperature when doing
chemical testing.
Ortho or Reactive Phosphorus
Ortho phosphorus is the amount of phosphorus that is available for plants and
animals for consumption in the water. Ortho phosphorus is measured in milligrams
per litre (mg/L) using a phosphorus testing kit.
Phosphorus is a nutrient that is essential for all forms of life and is an essential part
of the food chain. High levels of phosphorus can cause algal blooms (such as bluegreen algae), excessive growth of aquatic weeds and a loss of species diversity.
High levels of phosphorus in waterways are often the result of human activities.
Rural and urban runoff, sewage effluent and industrial discharges can all contain
large amounts of phosphorus from fertilisers, eroded soil, detergents and plant and
animal wastes. Refer to GEER pages 49-50 for more information.
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Activity: Water Quality Monitoring
Ideally this activity would be conducted in the field at a location close to the school.
If this is not possible water samples may be brought from home or collected by the
teacher (test as close to collection as possible as time affects some tests). More than
one site may be tested on the one waterway to give a small snapshot of the
catchment.
Before testing water samples you may like to undertake the activity Understanding
Water Quality Parameters to give your students an idea of what parameters are and
what they mean.
Materials
Waterwatch Testing Kit (You will need to purchase a kit from West Lab)
Freecall 1800 358 101
T 03 5333 2941 F 03 5333 4144 A 122 Fussell Street, Ballarat Victoria 3350
E [email protected] W www.westlab.com.au

Includes equipment to test temperature, pH, salinity (EC), reactive phosphorus,
turbidity; sample poles; disposable gloves; safety glasses; all instructions
 Results sheets (one per student or one per group)
 A3 Results sheets (see below) laminated
 Smiley Faces & blue tack
 Whiteboard marker
 Pens
 Clipboards
If going into the field
 Wet weather gear including appropriate footwear
 Hand sanitiser
 Safety equipment as per school policy
 Digital camera
If not going into the field
 Samples of water from home including a record of the temperature at collection.
Interpreting Your Results
All the water bodies you are testing are in different parts of the catchment. When
you record your results on the class sheet you will also need to rate them. Included
in the unit are A3 sized sheets to be printed off and laminated. On these sheets are
rating systems for each parameter so you will be able to tell if your water quality is
poor, good, very good or excellent. There is a sheet of instructions included with the
sheet.
The ratings vary depending on which part of the catchment you live in; the upper,
middle or lower catchment. We would expect water quality in the upper catchment
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(where the river/creek starts) to be much better than the lower catchment (at the
end of the river/creek).
Sunshine Wheel
As a class use a sunshine wheel diagram to think about what kinds of
things you might test water for. You can expand the diagram into a
mind map of you like to include what might cause some parameters
to change e.g. (note you could use simpler language!)
Hot
weather
Temperature
What to test water
for?
Lots of
Irrigation
Heavy
rain
No
trees
No trees
Salinity
Turbidity
Cold
weather
Planting
trees on
banks
Planting
trees
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Activity: Understanding Water Quality Parameters
Experiment : Conductivity of various solutions
The salinity of water is measured via electrical conductivity of the salt particles
moving in the water. To assist in understanding this concept students test common
– safe solutions to see if they are good or poor conductors of electrical current. Some
solutions increase the conductivity and some lower it, depending on the nature of
the solution that is created. Solutions that are able to conduct electricity well contain
electrolytes that when dissolved in water yield ions that are free to move. The
movement of these charged particles through the solution conducts an electric
current. In a solid form the ions are not free to move. Most inorganic compounds
conduct well. Most organic compounds conduct poorly.
Note: Explain to students that there is no danger of electrocution from these
particles as the current is so low!
Materials
EC Meter, distilled water, liquids to test such as: tap water, distilled water , salt
water, sugar water, Gatorade, milk, orange juice, grapefruit juice, tea, tea with sugar,
tea with artificial sweetener , coffee, detergent, beakers
Steps
1. Pour 20 mls of each liquid into a beaker.
2. Test with a conductivity meter.
3. Rinse the meter in distilled water between each test.
4. Record your results for each liquid.
Experiment: Turbidity of common liquids
The turbidity of water is tested using by using a turbidity tube which in reality is a
measure of clarity or how well light can penetrate the water. Measure the turbidity
of common safe liquids –
Materials
Turbidity tube, common liquids such as; juice, tap water, milk tea, lemonade, soapy
water; muddy water
Steps
1. Guess the turbidity first and record your guess,
2. Test each liquid and record the measurement.
Experiment: pH of common liquids
First discuss the concept of acidity and alkalinity relating them to household
substances. Students first guess the measurements of the pH of common liquids
then line them up in order of pH (0-14), thus gaining some understanding of the
scale.
Materials
19
pH meter or pH strips, safe liquids such as coffee, milk, vinegar, orange juice,
lemonade coke, deionised water, dish detergent and cups. Labels to line up pH scale
0-14.
Steps
1. Guess the pH and record your guess.
2. Test the pH and record your measurement. Use a new pH indicator strip for
each liquid.
NOTE FOR ALL EXPERIMENTS: Please discuss safety with students if using items
such as dish detergents. If concerned, the teacher may only touch any items that
may be deemed hazardous. DO NOT PLACE LIQUIDS IN DRINKING VESSELS.
pH of common liquids
source: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PH_scale.png)
Note: Dangerous items such as battery acid are included in the diagram below for
reference purposes only! If you wanted to include them in the pH line-up you could
use a picture or made-up bottle.
20
T
Water Quality Record Sheets and Smiley Rating System Instructions
1. Print the following sheets on A3 sized paper and laminate.
2. Print out the smiley faces, these can be laminated also if desired.
Excellent
Good
OK
Poor
Very Poor
3. After conducting each of your water quality tests, record the result on your
A3 page in large numbers using a whiteboard marker.
4. If you are doing more than one site, you can write the name above each line
of results, or rub them off and start again.
5. Select the smiley face that relates to the result and stick it below the number
with blue-tack. The faces give a visual picture of the overall rating.
6. Line up all parameter sheets in a vertical row, what is the average result
overall? Refer to questions under the heading – Interpreting Your Results.
7. Students should also complete a Water Quality Monitoring Results Sheet.
21
NOTE FOR TEACHERS:
The following are generalised ratings for flowing freshwater environments and are
not generally applicable to still water or areas with a naturally high salt content
such as estuaries and coastal environments.
22
Turbidity
Excellent
Good
Ok
Poor
Very Poor
<15
17.5
<20
<30
>30
23
pH(0-6 Acidic, 7 Neutral, 8-14 Alkaline)
Excellent
Good
Ok
Poor
Very Poor
6.0-7.0
5.5-6.0
Or
7.0-8.0
8.0-8.5
5.0-5.5
Or
8.5-9.0
>9
Or
<5.0
24
Salinity (Electrical Conductivity μS/cm)
Excellent
Good
Ok
Poor
Very Poor
)
0-249
250-714
715-2139
2140-5000
>5000
25
Reactive Phosphorus mg/L
Excellent
Good
Ok
Poor
Very Poor
<0.008
<0.02
<0.04
<0.08
>0.08
26
S
Activity: Water Quality Monitoring
Results Sheet – In the Field
Names
Site Name
Date
Time
Test Results
o
Water Temperature
Air Temperature
Electrical Conductivity (Salinity)
pH
Turbidity
Reactive Phosphorus
C
o
C
μS/cm
(0-14)
NTU
mg/L
Weather Conditions at time of Sampling (tick box/es)
Sunny
Windy
Raining
Cloudy
Water Flow
Flowing
Litter – List any
found below
Rapid Fast Slow (Circle)
Not Flowing
Lake/Pond/Wetland
Water Appearance
Clear
Foamy
Milky
Stained Green
Muddy
Smelly
Oily
Scummy
If you can, take a photo of your site for future reference.
27
T
Background Information: Ecology & Habitat Assessment
Habitat is the environment in which specified plants and animals live ; the natural
environment which provides food, water, shelter and space.
These activities are aimed at giving students the opportunity to connect with their
water quality monitoring site. They use basic observation principles and introduce
the importance of habitat whilst identifying the complexity of the aquatic ecosystem.
Habitat surveying involves visually assessing the habitat value of the area
immediately adjacent to your monitoring site. The condition of the vegetation in
and around a stream provides a good indication of the likely conditions of the
aquatic environment.
Stream-side vegetation, if it remains intact, makes a good natural buffer against
erosion and the transport of sediment into streams and wetlands. When the streamside vegetation is degraded it provides less protection against land use impacts and
the subsequent deterioration of water quality and of conditions for aquatic plants
and animals. Ensure that you conduct your habitat survey in a safe manner.
What is being surveyed and what might it tell us about stream health?
A habitat survey involves looking at the vegetation along the stream and the
condition of the banks and stream-bed. The riparian zone refers to the zone directly
adjoining a waterway. It includes bank vegetation, which covers the bank, and verge
vegetation, the strip of land up to 30 metres (for the purposes of this assessment)
from the waterway channel. The land beyond this is considered to be the
surrounding land use area.
Riparian vegetation is a valuable source of food, shelter and breeding habitat for
aquatic and terrestrial animals. It also has the potential to stabilise stream-banks and
limit the effects of catchment run-off into streams by impeding water flow and
trapping sediments and nutrients.
Because of their leaf litter and fallen branches, overhanging trees provide food and
energy sources for fish species and other aquatic life, as well as shelter and habitat
for birds and animals. Shade provided by overhanging vegetation influences stream
temperature and light penetration. Streams and water sources dominated by
introduced deciduous plants such as willows have less of these benefits, because the
plants lose their leaves in winter and thus cannot supply the year-round shelter and
food supply so important for native fish, water-birds and other animals. Fallen
branches also provide shelter and habitat for fish.
28
Some factors causing changes to stream habitat
Clearing of vegetation along the stream bank and on immediately adjacent land, and
allowing stock to access the stream bank zone can both contribute to the
degradation of streamside habitat. Stock foraging can lead to soil compaction and
increased erosion along the stream bank and wetland fringes; alteration of streamside vegetation through reduction of plant cover and regeneration; and increases in
organic matter content of waterways from stock manure. River management works
such as the removal of trees likely to cause snags, construction of levees or
channelisation may increase bank erosion, widen streams, reduce habitat for aquatic
organisms and change natural water flow and volume of a stream. Logging (clearing),
fire, weed invasion and salinity can also cause severe habitat loss.
Conducting a habitat survey
To assess the health of the habitat around the stream you are monitoring, you will
need to look at a number of the factors described and illustrated in this section. For
each factor, survey a distance of 100 metres in each direction on both banks (if
possible) near your monitoring site.
2
1
3
1. Bank Vegetation
Bank vegetation refers to trees, shrubs, and grasses actually growing on the bank.
The canopy is the overhanging tree cover. This vegetation provides food and shelter
for aquatic organisms in the form of fallen leaves, twigs and branches.
2. Verge Vegetation
The stream verge is different from the bank. For this stream habitat survey the verge
is considered to be the section of land up to 30 metres from edge of the bank. The
verge vegetation can be quite extensive but many streams in urban settings have
almost no verge vegetation at all.
3. In-stream cover
Fish and other aquatic organisms require snags, logs and rocks. These provide shelter
from predators and fast flows, provide sites for reproduction, provide sites to
establish territories, and serve as mar creatures; apart from providing food, their
29
presence has a direct effect on the available oxygen in the water, which in turn can
affect the type of fish and other animals living in the
stream. Protruding snags provide roosting and preening sites for birds. Markers for
navigation. Aquatic plants are also very important for fish and other aquatic
4. Bank erosion and stability
Streams naturally erode, particularly on bends (meanders). However, changes to
adjacent land can cause a stream to become unstable, resulting in continuous
erosion along its channel. Such changes result in increased run-off from impervious
surfaces and piped tributaries, stock access, or direct interference such as
straightening or channeling of the stream. If it has been channelised or stabilised
with concrete banks, the stream will obviously be stable with little erosion, but
should not be ranked highly as it has no vegetation cover or a greatly reduced one.
5. Riffles, pools and bends
Rocks and debris in the stream may create shallow areas over which the water
rushes quickly to form a rapid, which is called a riffle. Upstream of a riffle the water
is often quiet and may form a pool. Pools are important in providing deeper areas for
fish. Riffles are important for aerating (adding air and therefore oxygen) the water
and providing habitat for many invertebrates. Streams that have a number of pools
and riffles are able to support more life and greater variety of species than those
that do not vary in character at all. Larger, slow-flowing rivers may not have riffles,
but bends in the river can provide different habitats because the cutting action of
the water on bends provides deeper areas of different water speed.
The proportion of pools, riffles and bends varies naturally between major, minor and
tributary streams, so the rating categories provide descriptions for each of the
different stream types.
Ranking your Waterway
Each criterion being measured, (such as bank vegetation) is ranked from `excellent'
through to `very poor'. A number score has also been given to each ranking, which
will allow you add up all the factors you survey and obtain a total score for the
particular site. The scoring system has been designed to give more weighting to
conditions that are more important to stream or water-source health. For example,
bank vegetation is more important than the proportion of pools and riffles in a
stream.
The survey can, if desired, be conducted every 6 months to keep track of changes. It
will provide you with one source of ideas to improve the health of your stream. You
will find it very informative to walk along as much of the length of your stream as
possible and observe the changes. Photographic records are also valuable for
monitoring changes.
Keeping a visual record
Sketches are useful means of keeping a visual record of your stream, you can
include;
• the shape (cross-section) of the stream channel – like the one on the previous page
• a ‘bird's eye' view (looking down from above)
30
Photographs
A picture is worth a thousand words. Photographs provide an excellent record of
exactly how a stream changes. ‘Before' and ‘after' pictures are very valuable in
depicting stream alteration. Some streams will change more dramatically than
others. Take care to ensure that you choose a representative portion of the stream
for your photographs.
Some photos to help with your assessment (taken from Index of Stream Condi tion Field
Manual 1996, DSE). Keep in mind: In some cases showing example photos can make the
process more confusing for students due to the huge variety of stream types,
therefore you may want to use these for your information only.
Excellent bank and verge vegetation on
both sides of the stream; in-stream
vegetation and logs/snags; overhanging
vegetation; no signs of erosion or site
alteration.
Gentle banks with no sign of
erosion. Good vegetation cover.
Lots of erosion, very little
vegetation, all introduced.
Stock access to banks.
Little vegetation, signs
of erosion, no in-stream
vegetation.
Some snags present, one side
appears cleared, some
vegetation on edges of bank.
31
Activity: Ecology & Habitat Assessment
Introduction
This activity involves students assessing the quality and condition of the habitat
present at their monitoring site. Students will assess in-stream and riparian
environments. This activity is fairly advanced but loses its rating system value if
altered. If you wanted to do a simpler version, you could avoid the rating system
and concentrate on taking the photos, sketching the site and talking about what is
present in regard to the components of stream habitat.
Purpose
1. Provide students with an understanding of the concept of ‘habitat’.
2. Identify different habitats within the monitoring site.
3. Assess the quality of habitat at monitoring site.
4. Introduce concept that habitat condition is constantly changing and would
therefore need to be monitored over time.
Activity
1. Introduce the concept of habitat.
2. Discuss different habitats present at monitoring site and their importance in an
ecological sense.
3. Students assess habitat quality using the descriptions provided on the ratings
sheet.
4. Discuss findings
Assessment
Written results can be assessed. Understanding of concepts can be observed during
the activity.
32
Habitat Ratings
Excellent
Good
Ok
Poor
Very Poor
4
2
Introduced grass
little native
understorey or over
storey,
predominantly
introduced
vegetation
Introduced ground
cover w ith lots of
bare ground,
occasional tree. Also
includes sites w ith
concrete lined
channels
Bank Vegetation
10
Mainly undisturbed
native vegetation.
No signs of site
alteration
8
6
Mainly
native
vegetation.
Little
disturbance or no
signs of recent site
disturbance
Medium cover,
mixed native &
introduced. Or one
side cleared, the
other disturbed
Verge Vegetation
10
8
6
4
2
Mainly undisturbed
vegetation on both
sides of the stream.
Verge more than
30m w ide
Well-vegetated w ide
verge corridor.
Mainly undisturbed
vegetation on both
sides of stream;
some introduced of
reduced cover of
native vegetation
Wide corridor of
mixed native and
exotics, or on side
cleared, and the
other w ide corridor
of native vegetation
Very narrow corridor
of native or
introduced
vegetation
Bare cover of
introduced grass
such as pasture land
4
2
Only slight cover the
stream is largely
cleared, w ith
occasional snags
and very little instream vegetation.
Generally no
overhanging
vegetation
No cover. No snags,
boulders,
submerged of
overhanging
vegetation. No
undercut banks. Site
may have rock or
concrete lining
In-Stream Habitat
10
Abundant cover;
Frequent snags,
logs or boulders,
w ith extensive areas
of in-stream and,
aquatic vegetation
and overhanging the
bank
8
6
A good cover of
snags of boulders
present and/or
occasional areas instream and over
hanging vegetation
Some snags and
boulders present
and/or occasional
areas in-stream or
overhanging
vegetation
Bank Erosion & Stability
5
4
3
2
1
Stable; no erosion/
sedimentation
evident. No
undercutting of
banks, usually
gentle slopes, low er
banks covered w ith
root mat grasses,
reeds and shrubs
Only spot erosion.
Little undercutting of
bank, good
vegetation cover,
usually gentle bank
slopes, no significant
damage to bank
structure
Localised erosion. A
relatively good
vegetation cover.
No continuous
damage to bank
structure of
vegetation
Significant active
erosion, especially
during high flow s.
Unstable, extensive
areas of bare banks,
little vegetation
cover
Extensive or almost
continuous erosion.
Over 50% of banks
have some form of
erosion; very
unstable w ith little
vegetation cover
Riffles, Pools & Bends
5
4
3
2
Wide variety of
habitats. Riffles and
pools present of
varying depths.
Bends present
Good variety of
habitats e.g. riffles
and pools or pools 7
bends. Variation in
depth of pool and
riffle
Some variety of
habitat e.g.
occasional riffle or
bend. Some depth
variation
Only slight variety of
habitat. All riffle or
pools w ith only slight
variation in depth
1
Uniform habitat.
Straight stream, all
shallow riffle or pool
of uniform depth e.g.
channelled stream
or irrigation channel
33
S
Habitat Assessment Field Sheet
Date
Time
Names
Site Location
Habitat Ratings From Description Sheet (Tick which box best suits your site)
Bank
Vegetation
Verge
Vegetation
In-Stream
Cover
Erosion &
Stability
10
10
10
5
5
8
8
8
4
4
6
6
6
3
3
4
4
4
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
Excellent
36-40
Good
29-35
Fair
Poor
20-28
12-19
Very Poor
8-11
Pools, Riffles &
Bends
T
Total Score From Above (Add up all the ticked boxes) _____________
Overall Habitat Score For Site (Tick which range box the number above fits into)
34
Activity: Macroinvertebrate Survey – Bug Hunting!
Teacher Background Information - Refer to pages 53-54 of GEER
This traditional Waterwatch activity aims to highlight the diversity of macroinvertebrates.
Students use simple sampling techniques to collect macroinvertebrates. Species are
identified using a visual key and water quality is determined from species diversity and
numbers. NOTE: This activity is best undertaken with a Waterwatch facilitator - *contact the
EGCMA- you maybe able to borrow all equipment if you wish to run the activity yourself.





Macroinvertebrate Identificatin Guide
Macroinvertebrate Data Sheet
Sampling nets
White plastic trays
Ice cube trays



Magnifying glass and or microscope to help with identification
Tea strainers
Identification books and charts
Learning methodology
Sweep sampling for vegetated edges and still water
This technique is best used to sample the animals living in and around the vegetation
and/or edges of water sources. Generally the sample length is determined by
multiplying the width of the stream at its widest point by ten, i.e. if your stream is
one metre wide, sample no more than 10 m of stream bank length.
1. Using your net, actively sweep the water around the banks, sweeping through any
vegetation. You can walk along the stream-bank and scrape the surface of tree roots,
gravel, piles of leaves and other debris with the sampling net. Dip the net into the
bottom while scooping it forward, disturbing about the first 10 cm of bottom
material. Continue the forward motion to lift up the net. Allow the water to drain
and sort the sample. If this collects too much debris and leaves, an alternative would
be to sweep the net back and forth over leaf packs, dislodging animals and some
leaves, which would then be swept into the net.
2. To avoid collecting a sampling net full of mud, water can be poured through to
wash out fine silts before emptying the contents into the tray for identification.
3. Gently empty its contents into a white tray for identifying and counting.
4. Rinse the net so that all the animals and debris are removed before taking another
sample.
35
5. Sort for 30 minutes and transfer macroinvertebrates into an ice cube tray.
6. Use the photos and any resource books available to identify the species.
If time permits you can prepare sheets of bugs printed from the online bug guide
found at the following links. Simply copy pictures into a program of your choice, print
out in tolerance bands on A3 paper to have in the field for identification.
http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/resources/rr_clearedhillsSB.htm
http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/resources/rr_forestsASB.htm
7. Refer to instructions on the Macroinvertebrate Data Sheet to determine the
stream condition.
Definitions – For Teachers
• Macroinvertebrate: an animal without a backbone that is visible by eye, without a
microscope
• Biodiversity: the variety of animals living in an area
• SIGNAL grade: a number given to each type of macroinvertebrate that indicates its
pollution tolerance or intolerance.
A SIGNAL grade of 10–8 indicates a high sensitivity to pollution.
A SIGNAL grade of 7-5 indicates a greater tolerance to pollution.
A SIGNAL grade of 4-3 indicates a tolerance to pollution.
A SIGNAL grade of 2-1 indicates a greater tolerance to pollution.
• Ecological health: the ability of an area to sustain animal life. A diverse community
of high grade types indicates a healthy ecosystem. A community with high numbers
of a few low grade types indicates a degraded aquatic ecosystem.
Identifications
• Insecta (insect adults, nymphs, larvae): 3pairs of legs; divided into head, thorax,
abdomen; with or without wings; size up to 110 mm
• Collembola (springtail): 3pairs of legs; divided into head, thorax, abdomen; no
wings; size up to 3mm
• Acariformes (water mite): 4 pairs of legs; body round, not divided; size up to 5 mm
• Crustacea (crustacean): 5 pairs of legs; distinct head; body segmented; with or
without soft shell; size up to 400 mm
• Gastropoda (snail): no legs; single hard shell; size 3 –30 mm
• Bivalvia (freshwater mussel): no legs; 2 hinged hard shells; size 5 — 200 mm
• Insecta (insect larvae): no legs; no shell; body long, round, segmented; head hard,
dark; size 2 — 25 mm
• Hirudinea (leech): no legs; no shell; body long, round, segmented; no head visible;
with suckers; size up to 80 mm
• Oligochaeta (segmented worm): no legs; no shell; body long, round, segmented; no
head visible; no suckers; size 1 – 100 mm
• Nematoda (round worm): no legs; no shell; body long, round, not segmented; size
up to 4 mm
• Tricladia (flat worm): no legs; no shell; body long, flat, not segmented; size up to 20
mm
• Hydrozoa (hydra): no legs; no shell; with tentacles; attached to other objects; size
up to 15 mm
36
S
Activity: Macroinvertebrate Survey – Bug Hunting!
Instructions
1. Write your group name, water site name and date at the bottom of this page
2. Tick the image of each different type of macroinvertebrate collected on the
3. Biodiversity: add up the number of different types of macroinvertebrates and
write it in the space for total number of types in the table below.
4. Ecological health: work out which group had the most number of different types
of macroinvertebrates and write it in the space for dominant group in the table
below.
5. Ecological health: add up the SIGNAL grades on each ticked image and write it in
the space for total site score in the table below.
6. Look at the rating table below for total site score and circle the quality rating for
the water surveyed.
7. Look at the rating table below for total number of types and circle the quality
rating for the water surveyed.
Total Number of Types
0-5
poor
6-10
ok
11-15
good
16-23
very good
24+
excellent
Total Site Score
0-44
45-55
56-73
74-110
111+
poor
ok
good
very good
excellent
Total Number or Name
Biodiversity
Ecological health
Total Site Score
How many different types of
macroinvertebrates?
Enter total number in box
Which group had the most types of
macroinvertebrates? This is the
dominant group,
Enter name in box e.g.
Add the grades for each
macroinvertebrate type listed on
the photo page.
37
Activity: Build A Bug
The activity asks students to create a hypothetical water bug (or macro-invertebrate)
out of craft materials. The students are given information on the habitat their bug
will live in and other factors that may affect its adaptations and structure. Once the
bugs are complete the concept of water quality is introduced and the students
evaluate the effect of pollution and other factors on the survival of their bug. The
activity familiarises students with the concept of adaptation, and with the concept
that some organisms are better able to withstand human impact than others (and
therefore human impact on biodiversity).
Materials
 Space to conduct activity
 Craft materials (macaroni, pipe cleaners, goggle eyes, pom poms, glue, scissors,
foam shapes, balls, straws, fabric, blue tack, tape, toilet rolls, card board, textas,
plastic cups, wool etc)
 Your bug’s lifestyle Sheets
 Information on and pictures of macro-invertebrates
Learning Methodology
1. Lead a short discussion on the concept of adaptation.
2. The students are split into groups of three to five.
3. Each group is given a space to work in, an information sheet on their bug’s
habitat and lifestyle, information on macroinvertebrates and a selection of
craft materials
4. The students build their bugs! They are encouraged to look at the habitat
and lifestyle sheets and give their bugs adaptations to survive them
5. After the bugs are complete or the time for the activity is up (~30
minutes) the groups take turns to display their bugs to the class and explain
their adaptations
The following is optional, and covers the idea of environmental tolerance and
human impact on biodiversity
6. Inform the class that the habitat their bug is adapted for has been altered by
people!
7. Lists different environmental changes that could have occurred, and the class
ranks their bugs in order of their tolerance to this change.
Questions/Discussion Points
 1. What kinds of features help animals to survive in different environments?
 2. What features help animals to survive (or make them less likely to survive)
 the impact of humans?
38








3. What sort of animals may be affected by human impact in the local
catchment?
4. What can be done to protect them?
Secondary students can be asked the additional questions:
5. Does the group an animal belongs to affect its adaptations (eg: in the same
environment, will a snail develop the same adaptations as a water beetle)?
6. How are these adaptations likely to evolve?
7. Are any new adaptations likely to evolve as a result of human impact on
the environment? How long might this process take?
39
The environment your bug lives in:
1. I swim around in slow-flowing water
2. I hunt and eat other bugs
3. Fish and other animals in the water like to eat me
4. I need to breathe oxygen from the water or the air
The environment your bug lives in:
1. I live in leaf litter and sticks at the bottom of ponds
or wetlands
2. I hunt and eat other bugs that live in the water
3. Fish and other animals in the water like to eat me
4. I need to breathe oxygen from the water or the air
40
The environment your bug lives in:
1. I live in ponds or wetlands
2. My habitat sometimes dries out completely in
summer
3. I eat algae floating in the water
4. Bigger bugs like to eat me
5. I need to breathe oxygen from the water or the
air
The environment your bug lives in:
1. I live in fast-flowing streams
2. I feed on dead things that float along in the water
3. Fish like to eat me
4. I need to breathe oxygen from the water or the air
41
Activity: The Dragonfly Life Cycle
(Adapted from Ribbons of Blue
www.ribbonsofblue.wa.gov.au/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,85/ -)
Understand types of life cycles and stages of development.
Outcomes: Students will understand:
• living things grow and reproduce offspring that have many characteristics of the
parent
• groups of living things have similar types of life cycles
• information can be located directly and ideas inferred from the words and graphics
of a text
• ways to represent diagrammatic data.
Preparation:
Prepare an overhead or multiple copies of Life Cycle diagram and multiple copies of
relevant worksheets.
Class Activities:
Lesson 1
1. Read the “Life Cycle of a Dragonfly” sheet to or with the students.
2. Discuss insect life cycles with class. Explain that there are three types of insect life
cycle:
i. Complete metamorphosis (e.g. butterfly)
ii. Incomplete metamorphosis (e.g. dragonfly)
iii. No metamorphosis (e.g. ant). N.B. Metamorphosis means “change”.
3. Distribute Life Cycle Diagrams or show on overhead or smart board.
4. Have students identify the aspects of the nymph which are:
i. the same as the adult (six jointed legs – three parts to body etc)
ii. those things which are different (e.g. live in water, breathes through tail)
iii. those things which are similar (e.g. wings starting to grow)
5. Distribute worksheet of Dragonfly nymph and sheet of labels.
6. Follow instructions on label sheet
7. Assess for accuracy and neatness of presentation, assess that students follow
the given protocols for labelling diagrams (refer to lesson on microscopic drawing in
this section).
Lesson 2
Students complete comprehension questions.
Extension:
Students research further information on dragonflies – description, habitat, features
(e.g. eyes), food,feeding style (e.g. predator), dangers and anything else relevant.
State resources used.
Draw a diagram (labelled) of an adult dragonfly. State resource used.
Build a ‘3D’ model
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The Dragonfly Life Cycle Diagram
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S
Dragonfly Life Cycle
Answer the following questions. Use full sentences where appropriate.
What do dragonfly nymphs eat?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How many wings does a dragonfly have?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Which takes longest to occur? (Circle the correct answer)
a) egg to larva.
b) larva to adult.
c) adult to egg.
Answer either true or false for each statement:
a) ___________ A male and female dragonfly mate in the water.
b) ___________ Dragonfly nymphs live in the water.
c) ___________ Dragonfly adults eat bees.
d) ___________ Dragonfly nymphs are excellent flyers
Why would the dragonfly nymph usually crawl out of the water in the morning and
not in the afternoon?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Draw a dragonfly. Use an illustration to guide you and try to include as much detail
as you can. Use a sharp pencil. A dragonfly’s tail is often brightly coloured.
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S
Activity: The Dragonfly Life Cycle
1. Cut out the dragonfly nymph and paste onto a new page.
2. Cut out each label and paste neatly close to the part mentioned. The two general
items can fill spaces in the corners.
The nymph uses its legs
like paddles to move
through the water
The nymph’s skin does
not grow, so it has to
shed its skin and grow a
new one.
A dragonfly nymph hatches
from an egg and lives in the
water about one year
Wings can be seen
developing on the
nymph’s back.
Like all insects, a
dragonfly larva has
six legs.
The nymph has a tube on
its tail for breathing air.
Like all insects, the
dragonfly nymph has three
parts to its body.
Each leg has three
sections.
Nymphs have very s trong
jaws for hunting small
aquatic animals.
Large eyes on the side of
its head gives the nymph
excellent vision.
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Answers
The following are games that you can play if you are looking for activities to do
outside or the students need to burn some energy!
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Ducks & Dragonflies
This is a game similar to the old game “Octopus”. In this version
students adopt a role in an ecosystem and observe predator-prey
relationships and the way organisms rely on habitat and each other.
Required: “food” tokens – can be anything, large flat area to run in.
Divide the class into the following:
• 15 Swamp Paperbark trees (or more)
• 4 dragonflies (or more)
• 2 ducks
 Give the “trees” 5 food tokens each. These represent small insects that are prey
to dragonflies.
 Spread the trees over an area to represent a wetland and define the wetland
boundary.
 The dragonflies begin on one side of the wetland and on the starting signal move
between the trees, collecting food tokens with the goal of reaching the other
side of the wetland with 5 tokens. They can get more, but cannot go to the same
tree twice in one crossing and cannot cross the boundary with less than 5
tokens.
 When a dragonfly stands next to a tree they are safe because it is where they
obtain food and safety from predators such as ducks. Each dragonfly has to
move from tree to tree to find food.
 The ducks try to catch the dragonflies as they move between the trees.
 When a dragonfly is caught it is out of the game and any food tokens it has are
given back to the trees.
 No two dragonflies can be at the same tree at the same time because they are
territorial.
 Play the game once and repeat, gradually removing the trees to represent a
wetland being changed or drained.
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 You can experiment with increasing ducks or dragonflies to replicate the balance
in food chains.
 Discuss between each game the significance of the trees, the food tokens and
the vulnerability of the dragonflies if their habitat is removed. This can lead into
discussion over the reasons why wetlands are altered.
 Students can discuss other options for development while maintaining habitat.
 The winner (if you want one) is the remaining dragonfly, roles can be reversed.
Adapted From “Owls and Gliders” Australia: State of the Environment Teachers’ Study
Guide [Environment Australia (1996)]
Unit 1 – page 8 of 17
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Clean Machine – The Wetland Demonstration
OBJECTIVES
The student will be able to:
1. Describe a wetland.
2. Identify how wetland components can remove contaminants.
3. Describe limitations to wetlands' cleaning ability.
MATERIALS

large play area

3 green and 3 brown ribbons or labels, either tape, stick-on labels, or pieces of
cloth

red and blue ribbons, enough for all students to have 3 red and 6 blue

boundary markers

signs to mark the "inlet" and "outlet" of the wetland
BACKGROUND
You could think of a wetland as a passive washing machine, with its plants and soil
acting as the soap. Together these elements clean up water that flows into a wetland.
The first step is to slow down the water.
As water moves through the vegetation, sediments settle out and bacteria and other
microorganisms in the wetland soil go to work, "scrubbing" out the pollutants
(neutralising them through chemical reactions). Wetland plants absorb other
contaminants, using some — such as nitrogen — as nutrients.
In some areas, irrigation waters can send large amounts of fertiliser and pesticides into
waterways. Wetlands can help clean up some of this contamination, but not all.
That's why state and federal government agencies are working together with the
agriculture industry to reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides, or to apply them
more effectively so less run off into our waterways.
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All wetlands have some sort of inlet and outlet, although these aren't always obvious.
You can see the inlets and outlets for wetlands along streams, rivers, and around lakes.
But bogs and other isolated wetlands have more subtle exchanges of water. Water flows
in from surrounding upland, and usually remains in the wetland until the water seeps
into the ground or evaporates.
PROCEDURE
Students will simulate water moving through a wetland and wetland components that
remove contaminants
1. Discuss with students how water enters a wetland and the components of a wetland.
2. Set up a large play area as a wetland: Mark its boundaries, and also its inlet and
outlet.
3. Explain the roles available for this activity:
A) PLANTS of the wetland (3 students). These students wear a green ribbon and
will remove fertiliser from the water.
B) SOIL of the wetland (3 students). These students wear a brown ribbon and will
remove sediments and contaminants (such as metal) from the water.
C. WATER (the remaining students). Each person wears 2-3 pieces of red tape
and of blue tape. (Blue tape represents fertiliser; red tape represents sediments
and contaminants.) They will move through the "wetland."
4. Pick students to fulfill these roles or ask for volunteers. Make sure the students
understand their roles.
5. Position the water students at the inlet of the wetland, and the plant and soil
students inside the wetland.
6. Give the students these instructions:
A. The water students wait at the inlet until you give them the cue to proceed
through the wetland. Then they walk through the wetland, allowing the plant
and soil students to remove their ribbons.
B. The plant and soil students move among the water students, removing
ribbons. They attach each ribbon to themselves.
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C. When you give the cue to exit the wetland, all the water students move
through the outlet.
7. Have the water students stand together so that everyone can see how many ribbons
remain on them. Then discuss how many ribbons are now on the plant and soil
students.
A. Compare the distribution of ribbons now to the beginning of the activity.
B. Discuss how and why the ribbons have been rearranged as they are. How does
this compare to the way that a wetland really works? Why do they think
wetlands behave this way?
C. Discuss how many ribbons remain on the water students. Where will the
remaining contaminants go? What will happen to them?
8. Conduct this activity again, explaining that this time the wetland is downstream from
a farm. Runoff from irrigation and rain carry fertilizers into the stream. Ask the water
students how many more blue ribbons they should wear (double). Repeat Steps 6 and 7;
in the discussion, be sure to compare the results between the two runs of the activity. In
addition, ask the following:
A. Are there more contaminants leaving the wetland outlet? If yes, how would
this affect the water downstream? Would it harm aquatic animals? Terrestrial
animals? How might it affect humans?
B. How could these extra contaminants be controlled at the farm, in the stream,
in the wetland, and after leaving the wetland?
EVALUATION
Explore students' understanding of this activity by discussing or acting out additional
alterations to a wetland, such as:
1. A developer dredges the wetland and removes all the plants.
2. A storm dumps a huge amount of water in your area.
3. You have a wetter than normal summer or a drier than normal summer.
4. A mudslide buries the wetland.
5. A fire burns the trees and vegetation of a wetland.
6. Boaters want to be able to motor through the wetland.
7. Anglers want to be able to fish in the wetland.
8. A rare plant or bird is discovered in the wetland.
9. A non-native plant is discovered in the wetland.
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EXTENSIONS
1. Divide the students into three small groups: water, plants, soil. Ask each group to
develop a poster that illustrates a real wetland and how their component contributes to
filtering out pollutants. Display the posters where other students can view them.
2. Ask the students to choose a wetland in your community. Explain that they are to
investigate this wetland: discover its hydrology, its plant and animal community, and
what pollutants may flow into it and out of it. They can choose the format of their
investigation and report, but it should be a group effort.
Adapted from Idaho Fish & Game Activity
http://www.idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/wetlands/wetland.html
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Contact
Contact: East Gippsland Catchment Manangement
Authority
574 Main Street Bairnsdale 51520600
[email protected]
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