Chesapeake Bay Streams, Creeks & the Watershed: Extension Lesson
Lesson Plan
Program length: 2-3 class periods
Synopsis
This optional extension lesson can be done anytime after the field trip to Pickering
Creek. Students will start the Stream Health Data Sheet on the field trip and
complete the worksheet by testing Pickering Creek water samples in class. Students
will record their observations and data into FieldScope and review the assessments
that scored between Fair and Poor. Based on the data, students will recommend
actions and location of those actions Pickering Creek can perform to improve their
waterway.
Learner Objectives
Learn how to input data into FieldScope.
Test water chemistry, specifically pH, nitrate and dissolved oxygen concentration.
Interpret Physical, Biological, and Chemical characteristics to determine the health
of a waterway.
Understand how dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and pH affect the health of a waterway
and methods used to control their concentrations.
Learn to select the best actions a site may take to improve the health of their
waterway.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards, Disciplinary Core Ideas:
LS2.A – Interdependent relationships in Ecosystems
LS2.C – Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
ETS1.B – Developing Possible Solutions
ESS2.C – The Role of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
ESS3.C – Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ETS1.A – Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems
ETS1.C – Optimizing the Design Solution
Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards:
Standard 1 – Environmental Issues, Topics A and B
Standard 4 – Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems, Topics B and E
Standard 5 – Humans and Natural Resources, Topics A and B
Standard 6 – Environmental Health, Topic B
Standard 7 – Environment and Society, Topics A and B
Standard 8 – Sustainability, Topic B and F
Materials
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DNR Stream Health Data Sheets from Pickering Creek field trip
Water samples collected from Pickering Creek
Materials needed to test water nitrates and pH
Computer(s) for access to FieldScope
Solution Cards
FieldScope “Data Entry Instructions” sheet
“Actions to Improve Water Quality” sheet
Land use map of Pickering Creek
Lesson Components
Part 1. Review DNR Stream Health Data Sheet
Part 2. Test water samples
Part 3. Input data into FieldScope
Part 4. Interpret Stream Health Data Sheet and Research Solutions
Part 5. Make recommendations to Pickering Creek
Lesson
Part 1. Review DNR Stream Health Data Sheet (15 minutes)
Review the Stream Health Data Sheets, which were filled-out during the Pickering
Creek Field Trip. Remind the students of the data and observations they recorded.
Physical, Chemical, and Biological characteristics are considered together when
determining the best actions to take to improve a waterway’s health.
Have students calculate the Stream Corridor Habitat Rating at the bottom of page 3
based on their Physical Assessment observations.
Have students calculate the Biological Water Quality Rating at the bottom of page 4
based on their Macroinvertebrate Survey.
Part 2. Test Water Samples (30 minutes)
Have students test, at least, the pH and Nitrates from the water samples collected at
Pickering Creek. Students should have already recorded the Water Temperature and
Dissolved Oxygen found at their sample site.
Record the test results on the Stream Health Data Sheet and determine the Chemical
Water Quality Rating at the bottom of page 6.
On the last page of the Data Sheet, copy the scores of the Stream Corridor
Assessment, Macroinvertebrate Survey, and Water Quality Test and determine the
Overall Stream Health Score.
Part 3. Input data into FieldScope (15 minutes)
Use the attached Data Entry Instruction sheet to input all collected data into
FieldScope. The student’s data, along with data from other schools and scientists,
are used to monitor the health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Regular
monitoring across the watershed allows scientists and politicians to select the most
effective actions for improving the watershed’s health and keeping the 18 million
people that live within the watershed healthy and safe.
Part 4. Interpret Stream Health Data Sheet and Research Solutions (30-40
minutes)
FieldScope allows politicians and scientists to monitor the entire watershed.
Assessments like the Stream Health worksheet allow residents, cities, parks, and
wildlife sanctuaries to determine the health of their local watershed and select
appropriate actions for protecting and improving the habitat.
Review the Stream Health Data Sheet and record each assessment that scored Fair
or Poor at Pickering Creek. For each of those assessments, write down possible
solutions.
Solutions to Physical Assessments that scored Fair or Poor are rather
obvious; students can use the Data Sheet for this section and review the
Solution Cards introduced in the 101 lesson but they should be realistic with
their suggestions. For example, if Floodplain Vegetation is Poor, a solution
would be to plant. Or, if Shelter for Fish is Poor, it would be hard to dig out a
pool in the stream but we could add pieces of wood.
The Biological Assessment is closely tied to the Physical and Chemical
Assessment. If Pickering Creek scored poorly during the Macroinvertebrate
Survey, improving the Poor or Fair ratings found in the Physical and
Chemical Assessment will improve the Macroinvertebrate population.
Actions to improve Water Chemistry (Dissolved Oxygen, pH, and Nitrates)
can be found on the attached document. Students can then reference the
Solution Cards for how to translate those actions into restoration projects.
Part 5. Make Recommendations to Pickering Creek (time varies based on the
level of detail within the Restoration Proposal the teacher requires)
This final part of the lesson is recommending two actions to Pickering Creek that
may best improve the health of their waterway.
Students should review the assessments and solutions they recorded in Part 4 and
choose two solutions they think may have the most positive impact at Pickering
Creek. Their suggestions could be based on fixing the assessment that scored the
worst or, the action that appeared as a possible solution when reviewing more than
one Fair or Poor assessment.
Once the two solutions are selected, students should write a Restoration Proposal to
Pickering Creek. The proposal should include the results from their Stream Health
Data Sheet, a list of the assessments that scored poorly, and an explanation on why
their two chosen solutions should be implemented.
Students should use the attached Pickering Creek Land Use map to suggest where
their solutions should take place. This map should be referenced and attached to the
Restoration Proposal.