The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate

Sampling and Identification: �The Biological Indicators for Water Quality of Perennial Streams in Arizona

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates �Sampling and Identification: �The Biological Indicators for Water Quality of Perennial Streams in Arizona

A 4th Grade STEM Lesson

Author:

Michael Angelo�B. De La Cruz

Date:

1/15/2024

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Notes for teachers

• Context: This lesson takes place outside the classroom for more than an hour or more.
• This activity should be done in a perennial stream (or could be a river) with riffles area for macroinvertebrates sampling.
• Students must work in small groups of 2-4.

List of Materials

• Aquatic D-Net (Macroinvertebrate Net) or any alternative
• Macroinvertebrates Pollution Tolerance Index and Chart
• Arizona Rivers and Streams Chart
• a bucket for each group
• stream boots or repel footwear
• strainer filter
• small clear containers
• gloves (optional)
• AquaBugs App

Standards

Science Standards �

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4.L4U1.11: Analyze and interpret environmental data to demonstrate that species either adapt and survive or go extinct over time.

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Crosscutting Concepts &

Background Information for Educators

Crosscutting Concepts

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Stability and Change

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Background information

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When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others move into the transformed environment, and some die.

Standards

Technology

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3-5.1.d. Students explore age appropriate technologies and begin to transfer their learning to different tools or learning environments.

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3-5.3.d. Students, in collaboration with an educator, explore real world problems and issues and collaborate with others to find answers or solutions.

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3-5.3.b. Students, in collaboration with an educator, learn how to evaluate sources for accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance.

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Standards of Mathematical Practice

4.MP.4 Model with mathematics. Mathematically proficient students apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.

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4.MP.8 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

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ELA

4.W.7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

4.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

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Objective(s):

• Today, we will learn how the pollution affects the aquatic biodiversity of a stream near our area.
• Today, we will do macroinvertebrate sampling using the D-net method.
• Today, we will identify macroinvertebrates using chart and a phone app called AquaBugs.
• Today, we will explain that the macroinvertebrates present in the body of water could be used as biological indicators to determine the water quality of the stream near our area.
• Today, we will write a scientific report about the environmental health status of the stream near our area using the evidence collected and other supporting information from reliable sources.

Agenda (20 minutes)

RECALL TIME

Note: Before this activity, the teacher must have discussed that different environmental factors might affect the living things present in an ecosystem since 4.L4U1.11 is all about how the environment can either make species adapt and survive or go extinct over time. To connect the lesson from the past days and today, ask these questions for recall:

• What is biodiversity?
• Why is biodiversity important?
• What are the different kinds of pollution?
• How does pollution affect the living this? biodiversity?

“For today, we will gather data, macroinvertebrates from our stream, to understand that biological indicators can be used to determine the environmental health status of an ecosystem.”

Opening (Background / Phenomenon - 10 minutes)��What Are Biological Indicators?

Biological indicators or bioindicators are living organisms (microbes, animals, and plants) that are used as a potential tool to monitor the changes (either positive or negative) in environmental health and their possible impact on human civilization.

Source: Biological Indicator - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344721283/figure/fig1/AS:947731493289986@1602968204705/Different-types-of-bioindicators-with-example.png

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Opening (Background / Phenomenon - 10 minutes)��What Are Biological Indicators?

Different groups of living organisms have been employed in soil, water and air as bioindicators to sense the quality of the environment exposed to a variety of environmental pollutants. Bioindicators in the environment are regulated by moisture, temperature, the transmission of light, and suspended solids.

Source: Biological Indicator - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344721283/figure/fig1/AS:947731493289986@1602968204705/Different-types-of-bioindicators-with-example.png

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Opening (Background / Phenomenon - 10 minutes)��What Are Biological Indicators?

Bioindicators are cheap, effective, and easy to use tools that do not alter natural systems’ chemistry after being utilized.

Common examples of bioindicators are lichens and Blackspot fungus.

Source: Biological Indicator - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Source:https://static.prepp.in/public/image/e15d17d71fbabc26819ab0dc8cc9b9fb.png?tr=w-512,h-384,c-force

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Opening (Background / Phenomenon - 10 minutes)��Ask Your Students - Think, Pair, and Share

Do we need bioindicators?

Why or why not?

Hands-on Activity Instruction

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Pre-experimentation (10 minutes)

After the opening and for the pre-experimentation, discuss the things that they should or they should not do.

Students should wear the boots or repel footwear and gloves for safety at all times.

Students should not taste or drink water from the streams.

Students should stay on the riffles and not allowed to go to deep areas.

Students should bring the required equipments such as D-net, bucket, strainer, and small clear containers.

Students should put their boots or repel footwears and gloves to a bag and wash their hands thoroughly right after the data collection.

OTHER RULES MUST BE MADE DEPENDING ON THE SITE AND TEACHER’S RULES.

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Hands-on Activity Instruction

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Pre-experimentation (10 minutes)

For reference to check the nearest river or stream your area, here is the link for Arizona - Rivers:� Arizona - Rivers (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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During Experimentation (30 minutes)

Teacher should demonstrate how the Kick D-net Method is being done. Students should do this several times.

Other option: This video can be shown to the students before going to the stream.

SHMAK Stream Life – Collecting Benthic Macroinvertebrates using the Kick-Net Method (youtube.com)

Source:NHBS

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Source:researchgate.net

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Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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During Experimentation (30 minutes)

• After the students do the Kick D-net method, they should put the content of their net to the bucket.
• Students should try to look for anything that moves and strainer can be used to get the macroinvertebrates for initial identification and examination.
• Lastly, put it in the small clear container for final identification and further examination.

NOTE: Students should have roles and their roles should be rotating so everyone can experience it.

Source:Neonscience

Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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Post-experimentation (20 minutes)

Here are the charts teacher can print for the students to determine the water quality:

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Source:Agriallis

Source:Sciencephoto

Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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Post-experimentation (20 minutes)

A useful app to identify the aquatic macroinvertebrates: AquaBugs

Source:https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/MKPtj9F3z0gF3_slJZW5EwXRF61chL_bJaOVpversM0yg9u1hjXNFXDDiiNyLmrUIlM

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Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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Post-experimentation (20 minutes)

Here are the charts teacher can print for the students to determine the water quality:

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Source:https://agriallis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/INSECT-AS-POLLUTION-INDICATORS-OF-ENVIRONMENT.pdf

For full article and complete information for each macroinvertebrate, teacher can print the “Insect as Pollution Indicators of Environment” (pages 8 - 10 only).

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Link:INSECT AS POLLUTION INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENT | agriallis

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Hands-on Activity Instruction (Group)

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Post-experimentation (20 minutes)

Students should accomplish this table:

Assessment - What is your final report? (Independent)

• Using lined paper, students must create their final statement (a report), whether the stream is healthy or not, supported by the evidence collected.
• They must think like a scientific reporter and they will be publishing it for their scientific readers.
• They have to use collected evidence and cite more evidence from reliable sources with five sentences at least.
• They can draw and color the macroinvertebrates they collected for visuals.
• Please refer to the rubric for specific grading criteria on the next page.
• Teacher can use the GRASPS activity model on the next page.

What is your final report? (Independent)

Teacher can use/modify this GRASPS activity model:

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• GOAL: To inform scientific readers of the findings about the water quality of specific stream in Arizona based on the macroinvertebrates present you recently studied.
• ROLE: You are a scientific writer and reporter.
• AUDIENCE: Your audience are scientific readers.
• SCENARIO: You are a scientific writer and reporter and your job is to update the scientific readers in your community about the status of the stream near your place.
• PRODUCT: A scientific paper / written report.
• Standards: Check the rubric.

Link: Rubric

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Extension / Enrichment:

Additional Classroom Resource / Activity About Aquatic Biodiversity

• This article will help students to learn more about the importance of aquatic biodiversity aside from aquatic macroinvertebrates and how to sustain it.
• After reading and annotating the article, teacher could group the class into 2-4 members each and give a challenging question or statement which follows the ABC (Agree, Build, and Challenge) Probing.
• Let the students in the group decide if they agree or disagree on the challenging question or statement for the class. Then, students will build on their knowledge and will be allowed to cite from other sources. Lastly, let the class have a short debate on why they agree or disagree.

Link: vt.edu

Differentiation

The assessment should be done independently. For IEP and 504 students, teachers may:

• let students work with paraprofessional for extra support
• lessen the required sentences from 5 to 3
• provide direct sources that students can use to support their claim
• give more time
• provide sentence stems
• pull them to the teacher table to create a small group hands-on support

Remediation

Another Extension/Enrichment

Look for online news and/or reports for the last 5 years on how pollution affected a specific place’s aquatic biodiversity.