Lesson 5b: EXAMINING AND USING THE DATA AND SPECIMENS

Overview:

Students visited various sites on the river. They gathered data about the river’s temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen levels, current speed, and transparency. They also collected plant, rock, soil, and water samples and took photos of living organisms. They conducted stream walks at the various sites. Now they need to study their data to see what they can learn from it. You will set up stations where students can examine the collections and graph the data.

Focus:

What plants and animals live in or near the river? Can we graph the data?

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  •     use field guides to identify plant and animal specimens
  •     use microscopes to study water samples
  •     use a graphing program to graph the data
  •     create artwork based on their field trip experience.

Materials:

Station 1 -- Examining Water Samples:

___4 microscopes

___power strip

___slides and slide covers

___pipettes

___labeled water samples

___container for used slides

___data sheet 9

___laminated directions

A link that might help your students use microscopes is:

http://sciencespot.net/  The Science Spot  à The Science Classroom à  Biology à   Microscope Mania
 
Station 2 – Plant Identification:

___white paper

___tray with plant specimens

___field guides for plants (pond life, trees, wildflowers, weeds and pods, fungi, etc.)

___colored pencils

___laminated directions

Station 3 – Animal Identification:

___folder with photos of organisms discovered at the river

___Lamprey River notebooks completed at the river

___field guides for pond life

___white paper

___colored pencils

___laminated directions

Station 4 – Graph the Data:

___data recording sheet completed in class about pH, dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, speed, and transparency

___computer

___laminated directions

Station 5 – Painting of the River:

___painting paper

___crayons

___watercolors

___paint brushes

___water cups

___paper towels

___pencils

___laminated directions

Optional, alternate, or extra stations

  • continue Lesson 3 by adding information gathered on the field trip to the large map of the Lamprey River, such as photos of the sites, plants, animals, or structures
  • begin Lesson 6: People of the River
  • begin Lesson 7: A Message to the Lamprey
  • use microscopes to study pieces of plants in the plant tray
  • make a river food chain:
    • pictures of animals
    • construction paper
    • scissors
    • glue
    • field guides
    • directions  

           A link that might help with this is http://sciencespot.net/  The Science Spot  à The Science Classroom à  Biology à Pond Water Survey à Pond Water Webs… This pdf file has great pictures of animals and plants that live in and around ponds and a lesson about food webs.

Procedure:

1. Gather all the materials you need for the stations. Put the materials for each station in a container and put each container at a work area. Explain the stations to students. Teams will move from station 1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc, but one team starts at station 1, the next at station 2, etc. Assign a team to each station and ask students to begin working.

Station 1 - Examine Water Samples with Microscopes

Part 1

1. Find a copy of  Data Sheet #9, then write your name on it.

2. Look into the eyepiece of the microscope.

3. Do not change the slide or the focus.The microscope has been focused for you already. (Tell the teacher or another adult if you are unable see anything.)

4. Draw what you see inside one of the circles on Data Sheet #9. Write #1 near the circle.

5. Now you have an idea what you can see with a microscope.

Part 2

1. Put a drop of water from one of the Lamprey River samples in the indentation of the slide and then cover the slide with a thin plastic cover sheet.

2. Carefully put the slide on the platform, lift the clips, and put the slide under the clips.

3. Focus the microscope and/or move the slide around slowly and carefully until you can see something in the water.

4. Draw what you see in the water inside one of the circles on Data Sheet #9. Then label the drawing with the same label as the water sample.

5. Continue working until you have drawn something you saw in the water samples in all four circles. Put your work into the completed work basket.

6. Please clean up the work area: wipe up any spilled water, put used slides in the container that is labeled ”used slides, etc.”. Wash your hands when you are finished.

Station 2 -  Plant Identification

1. Take a blank piece of paper and write your name and "Plant Identification" at the top. Fold or draw lines to create four equal squares.

2. Select a plant specimen from the tray to identify.

3. Using the field guides and other resources that are at this area, identify your plant.

4. Sketch and label the plant in one of the four sections of your sheet. You may use colored pencils to make your sketches more realistic.

5. Repeat until all four sections are filled.

6. When you are finished, clean up the table and return plants to the tray.

7. Put your work into the work completed basket.

Station 3 - Animal Identification

1. Take a blank piece of paper. Write you name and "Animal Identification" on the top. Divide the page into four equal squares by folding or drawing lines.

2. Select a photo of an animal from the folder of photos and/or look through your Lamprey River notebook for clues about animals that live at the river (webs, burrows, home, etc.).

3. Using the field guides and other resources that are at the station, identify the animal in the photo or the animals that might have made the web, burrow, or home that you saw at the river.

4. Sketch and label the animal in one of the four sections of your sheet. You may use colored pencils to make your sketches more realistic.

5. Repeat until all four sections are filled.

6. When you are finished, clean up the table, return plants to the tray, and return your notebook to your desk.

7. Put your work into the work completed basket.

Station 4 - Graph the Data

Note: These directions created the graph below. Your graph might have different titles, names and numbers.

1. Open up a Microsoft Excel spread sheet.

2. Click on box A2 , type Northwood, then press enter; type Epping, press enter; type Lee, press enter; type Newmarket, press enter. (Type in the names of the different sites you visited on the top line. If you visited the same site at different times, type in the date for each visit.)

3. Click on B1 and type in Water Temperature, then press enter.

4. Type the water temperature for the first site, press enter; type the water temperature for the second site, press enter; do the same for the 3rd and 4th water temperatures.

5. Click on C1 and type in Air Temperature, then press enter.

6. Type the air temperature for the first site, press enter; type the air temperature for the second site, press enter; do the same for the 3rd and 4th air temperatures.

7. Click and hold on box A1, then drag the cursor until all of your data are highlighted.

8. In the second row of tools above your graph, find the chart wizard. The symbol is a graph. Click on the chart wizard symbol. The box that opens up gives you a choice of types of graphs you could make. Select bar, then click on "Next" which appears in a box at the bottom of the graph.

9. When the graph appears, look above it for the "series" tab. Click on the series tab which allows you to name what the colors on your graph represent. Your graph should only have two different colors. The longer bars are the air temperature readings and the short ones are the water temperatures. Give the color boxes the correct names. If there is nothing that goes with a color type:    space bar, space bar, space bar, etc…... Then there will be no label for that color. Click next.

10. In the box that says chart title, type Lamprey River Temperatures. Under category "X axis" type Sites. Under value "y axis", type Temperature in Fahrenheit. Click finish.

11. Click on your graph, then click and hold on the small black box in the lower right corner of your graph, then drag the box to make your graph larger. Save and print your graph.

Sites

Water

Air

  

Northwood

40

51

  

Epping

43

52

  

Lee

42

54

  

Newmarket

43

55

  


 Station 5 - Painting of the River

1. Using a piece of painting paper, write your name on the back of the paper.

2. Next make a light pencil sketch of a section of the Lamprey River which fills the whole page. Use your notebook, your memory, or photos to help you.

3. You may trace your pencil lines with crayons, then use watercolors to paint your picture. You may also skip the crayon outlines and just begin painting.

4. When you are finished, put you painting in a safe place where it can dry.

5. Clean your bush, painting cup, the table, and your hands.