Grade Level: 2-5
Duration: 1 hour
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
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SC.2 E.7.1, SC.2.E.7.2, SC.2.L.17.1, SC.2.L.17.2, SC.2.N.1.6.
SC.3.L.15.1, SC.3.L.17.1, SC.3.L.17.2, SC.3.N.1.2, SC.3.N.3.3, SC.3.P.9.1.
SC.4.E.6.6, SC.4.L.17.1, SC.4.L.17.4, SC.4.N.1.1, SC.4.N.2.1, SC.4.P.8.2.
SC.5.E.7.1, SC.5.E.7.2, SC.5.L.15.1, SC.5.L.17.1.
Vocabulary
Program Overview: Students discover the water cycle
and southwest Florida’s different aquatic ecosystems.
Learn how underground aquifers are connected with
atmospheric thunderstorms and how we are a part of
this system. In this interactive program, students will
create a coastal watershed habitat, and identify human
impacts.
Adaptation
Brackish water
Habitat
Ecosystem
Ground water
Aquifer
Pollution
Objective: Students will learn the difference between fresh, salt and brackish water
ecosystems and what animals reside in each. Students will also become familiar with the
water cycle and the important role aquifers play and will understand the detrimental
effects pollution has on drinking water.
Pre-Program Activity 1:
Animal Adaptations
What is an adaptation?
An adaptation is a characteristic that helps an animal survive in its environment.
Show students Picture 1 (Gopher Tortoise). Can students identify this animal?
Picture 1: Gopher Tortoise
 Ask students to guess what habitat a Gopher Tortoise might live in. What evidence
can they gather from the picture?
 Explain to students that Gopher Tortoises have adapted to live on land and to dig
burrows underground. Can they spot the Gopher Tortoise’s adaptation that helps it
to dig its burrow?
o Point out that they have shovel-like feet with cushion pads and claws that
enable them to dig very efficiently.
 Do you think Gopher Tortoise use water?
o Explain to students that all living things need water to survive. However,
Gopher Tortoises live in dry areas called scrub which is almost like a desert
with very little water. Gopher Tortoises get most of their drinking water from
their favorite food – the prickly pear cactus.
Show students Picture 2 (Fresh Water Turtle). Can students identify this animal?
Picture 2: Fresh Water Turtle
 Ask students to guess what habitat this turtle might live in. What evidence can they
gather from the picture?
 What differences do they see between this turtle and the Gopher Tortoise? Can they
spot an adaptation that might help this turtle survive in its environment?
(Continued on next page)
 Explain to students that Fresh Water Turtles are semi-aquatic, they spend some
time in the water and some time basking on logs and on land. They also lay their
eggs on land. They have webbed feet for swimming and their claws help them to
climb out of the water onto rocks, logs, etc. to bask in the sun.
Show students Picture 3 (Sea Turtle). Can students identify this animal?
Picture 3: Sea Turtle
 Ask students to guess what habitat this turtle might live in. What evidence can they
gather from the picture?
 What differences do they see between this Sea Turtle and the Fresh water turtle?
Can they spot an adaptation that might help the sea turtle survive in its
environment?
o Sea turtles have flippers instead of webbed feet which help them to be great
swimmers. They also have small claws on the end of each flipper.
 Explain to students that Sea Turtles live in the ocean. They spend most of their time
in salt water and only go onto land to lay their eggs. Females dig their nests in the
sand with their back flippers.
 Did you know!? Sea turtles cannot pull their heads into their shells like other turtles
can. Their shell is much more narrow which helps them to move through the water
faster, but doesn’t allow much space for their head to hide.
Wrap up:
Review the concept of adaptations and ask for students to think of other examples of
animal adaptations to share with the class.
More Activities on the next page…
Pre-Program Activity 2:
The Water Cycle
Introduce students to the Florida water cycle by having them fill in the blank spaces using
the word bank provided (word bank optional). Each word will only be used once.
Teacher Copy
Student Worksheet
Word Bank
Evaporation
Florida Aquifer
Transpiration
Condensation
Solar Heat
Precipitation
Post-Program Activity 1:
Aquifer Simulation
Objective: To illustrate how pollution affects our aquifers.
Materials:
 A clear plastic cup of water for each student. Have students write their name on
their cup.
 Measuring cups and spoons (one set for a group of 3 students)
 Sugar
 Food coloring (various colors)
 A source of water (sink, bucket full of water etc.)
 Notebook and pencils
The cup of water represents an aquifer, where most of our drinking water comes from.
Sugar and food coloring will be used to represent pollution that enters the ground water
and ends up in the aquifer each day (we suggest that you use different colors of food
coloring if possible). Students will add water that represents rain and also take out water
representing when water is pumped out of the aquifer for drinking and irrigation. Have
students note the amount of water in the glass each day by making marks on their cup.
Each day, have students make observations and record their observations in a journal.
Activity continued on next page…
Day 1:
Review the definition of an aquifer and remind students where most of our drinking water
comes from in Florida.
Then, give each student a cup of clean tap water. Ask students if they think they would
drink this water. Explain to students that this cup represents the aquifer where they get
their drinking water.
Have students add one drop of food coloring and two teaspoons of sugar to the clean tap
water. Explain that the sugar and food coloring represents pollution that ends up in the
aquifer after it rains. Mark the water level on the cup and record observations in their
journals.
Day 2:
The water level in the aquifer has been reduced because a large farm is pumping out the
water for irrigation purposes. Have each student take 1/3 of a cup of water out of their
cup and add one drop of food coloring as well as two teaspoons of sugar. Mark the water
level on the cup and record observations in their journals.
Day 3:
There is a drought in town and an extra supply of water is needed from the aquifer, take
1/3 of a cup of water from the glass and add food coloring and sugar (same amount as Day
2). Mark the water level on the cup and record observations in their journals.
Day 4:
Finally some rain! There is a storm, add ½ cup of water as well as sugar and food coloring.
Mark the water level on the cup and record observations in their journals.
Day 5:
The farmers are happy after the rain but the people still need to take showers. More water
is pumped out of the aquifer. Take 3 teaspoons of water out of the glass and add sugar
and food coloring. Mark the water level on the cup and record observations in their
journals.
Day 6:
Discuss your results:
What color is the water?
How has the water level changed? What caused the water level to change?
Is this the water you would like for drinking, cooking , bathing etc.?
What are the consequences of adding pollution to the water in the aquifer?
More Activities on next page…
Post-Program Activity 2: Florida Aquatic Ecosystems Review
Have students complete the chart below. Place a check in the box if the animal can be
found in fresh, brackish, or salt water ecosystems.
Hint: Some of the animals can be found in more than one of these aquatic ecosystems.
Student Worksheet
Species
Bottlenose Dolphin
Eastern Oyster
American Alligator
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Blue Crab
Diamondback Terrapin
Water Moccasin
Largemouth Bass
Manatee
Southern Sting Ray
Bull Shark
Horse conch
Fresh water
Brackish water
Salt water