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High School

Day One and Two: Wetlands

Objectives

The students will do the following:

1) Learn about the various wetland environments

2) Get a "hands-on" feel for a wetland by visiting a local one

3) Write a five-page paper on a wetland of the student's choice

Subjects

Ecology, Writing skills, Internet Skills

Time

Two class periods

Background Information

What do you think of when someone says "swamp" or "bog"? Most think of a treacherous wasteland filled with danger and swarming with mosquitoes. As a result, more than half of America’s wetlands have been destroyed. But wetlands are extremely important for the survival of many different forms of wildlife. It is important to try and save the remaining wetlands before they all disappear.

What are Wetlands? Wetlands are where water meets the land. Wetlands come in various forms; they are not all the same. Bogs, coastal marshes, freshwater marshes, prairie potholes, swamps, and vernal pools are all different types of wetlands. These areas can be found in almost every climatic zone in the United States. Wetlands relieve the effects of floods and runoffs, improve water quality, recharge groundwater, prevent erosion, and provide ample resources for commercial fishing. These landforms are also vital habitats for many different flora and fauna because they can serve as breeding grounds, feeding areas, and resting places. Wetlands are also important for migrating birds. Because these birds must travel extremely long distances, such as from Maine to Louisiana, they rely on wetlands as a place for food and shelter.

The Lower Mississippi River Valley hosts a variety of these environments such as bogs, coastal marshes, freshwater marshes, and swamps. In Southern Louisiana, hardwood bottomland swamps and coastal marshes characterize the landscape. By visiting one of the many wetlands, you will get a sense for the importance and diversity of the environment.

Procedure

Day One:

1) Have each student pick a wetland type of their choice: Bogs, Coastal Marshes, Freshwater Marshes, Prairie Potholes, Swamps, and Vernal Pools.

2) The student will use the Internet and the school library to research their chosen wetland type. They will write a five page paper based on what they found. The paper will be due the following week

3) For extra credit towards the research paper, have the students fill out the crossword puzzle from the website http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/puzzle.html. This will be due the following day.

Guidance for the structure of the paper:

a) Describe the ecosystem, Include:

-the water regime

-common plants and animals

-soil types (if available)

-The importance of the wetland

-economic benefits to humans

-destruction of the wetland

-pollutants (invisible, visible, introduced species)

-What can people do to save the wetlands?

Some Internet Resources to get started on the research (this list is by no means exhaustive, and it is likely that the students will find additional resources for their paper)

General Information About Wetlands

What is a Wetland (simple definition)

http://www.nwf.org/nwf/kids/cool/wetland1.html

Overview of Wetland Types

http://nwf.org/nwf/wetlands/facts/types.html

America's Wetlands

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/wetlands.html

What are Wetlands?

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/what.html

What's a Wetland?

http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/iawetlands/About.html

Surface Water Word Search

http://www.metrokc.gov/dnr/Kidsweb/water/swwords/swwords.htm

EPA Wetland Information (for Kids)

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/scinfo.html#Kids

Wetlands Information

http://www.nwf.org/nwf/wetlands/index.html

Wetlands

http://www.epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/world.html

Links to Wetlands and Related Information

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/partners/links.html

Wetland Benefits

http://nwf.org/wetlands/facts/benefits.html

Threats to Wetlands

http://nwf.org/wetlands/facts/threats.html

Wetlands and Nature

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/nature.html

Wetlands and People

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/people.html

Status and Trends of Wetlands

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/status.html

Wetlands Protection

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/protection.html

WETMAAP, Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photography

http://www.rac.usl.edu/WETMAAP/index.html

CWPPRA Wetlands Information

http://www.LAcoast.gov/Programs/CWPPRA/Overview/CWPPRAintro/index.htm

Topic Specific Internet Resources:

The Fragile Fringe: A guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/ff_index.html/drainage.html

Coastal Salt Marshes

http:ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/coastal/plants/smarsh.html

Saltwater Marsh

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/research/range/rangelands/saltmarsh.html

Lower Mississippi Riverine Forest Province (hardwood bottomland swamp)

http://www.fs.fed.us/colorimagemap/images/234.html?arkansas

Wetlands: Lower Mississippi Basin

http://www.nwf.org/nwf/gulfwetlands/index.html

Bogs

http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/wetlands/chapter2/bogs.htm

Coastal Plain Bogs

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/bogs.html

The Bog Home Page

http://home.tampabay.rr.com/bog/

Bog- Weird Wetland

http://octopus.gma.org/katahdin/bog.html

The Carnivorous Plant FAQ (bog)

http://www.sarracena.com/faq.html

The Curious Bog

http://octopus.gma.org/Tidings/curious.html

Freshwater Marsh and Ponds

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/research/range/rangelands/fr_pnd.html

Information About Vernal Pools

http://earth.simmons.edu/vernal/pool/vpinfo_1.htm

Prairie Potholes

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/facts/ppothole.html

Day Two:

1)Visit a local wetland

Preplanning for the Teacher:

Choose one of the many wetlands in Southern Louisiana. For more information on the refuges of southeastern Louisiana, you can access the following websites: http://southeastlouisiana.fws.gov/, and http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/la_marsh.htm. For information on migratory birds, you can access the website http://southeast.fws,gov/birds/migbrd.html.

Prior to the fieldtrip, make sure to bring insect repellent and binoculars!

Additional Courses (High School) for Wetlands

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/lessons/95content.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School

Day Three: Sediment Deposition, Alluvial Valley, and Marine Delta Discussion

Objectives

The students will do the following:

1) Learn about various depositional environments, common sediments, continental shelf sediments, stream deposits, drainage systems, and marine delta systems

2) Apply the information to the Mississippi River Drainage Basin

Subjects

Geology

Time

One class period

Procedure

1) Read the Sedimentary Depositional Environments Packet handed out during class.

2) Once you are done with your reading, answer the following questions.

Questions

1) Vocabulary

Define the following terms and explain how they pertain to the Mississippi River Drainage Basin:

a. Sediment Load-

 

 

 

b. Lake Sediments-

 

 

 

c. Coarse grained stream channel deposits-

 

 

 

 

d. Estuary-

 

 

 

e. Marine delta-

 

 

 

f. Coarse marine sediment-

 

 

 

g. Floodplain-

 

 

 

h. Natural levee-

 

 

 

i. Terrace-

 

 

 

j. Overbank flow-

 

 

 

k. Alluvial Fan-

 

 

 

l. Fan delta-

 

 

 

 

m. Braid delta-

 

 

 

n. Foreset layer-

 

 

 

o. Bottomset layer-

 

 

 

p. Distributaries-

 

 

 

q. Drainage Basin-

 

 

 

r. Divide-

 

 

 

s. Stream Order-

 

 

 

t. Stream Capture-

 

 

 

u. Prograde-

 

 

 

 

v. Teche-

 

 

 

w. Balize-

 

 

 

 

2) Work in groups of two or three to answer the following questions

a. Describe the types of sediments that commonly accumulate on lakebeds.

 

 

 

 

b. What types of sediments will be deposited by a large and smooth flowing stream?

 

 

 

 

c. What kinds of sediments are deposited during spring floods? Why?

 

 

 

 

d. What happens to sediment deposits when a stream reaches the mountain front?

 

 

 

 

e. Describe the sediment deposition pattern in an estuary.

 

 

 

 

f. If you were to walk along the shores of an estuary marsh, what type of sediments do you think you would find and how would it feel?

 

 

 

 

g. Why do clay particles tend to aggregate into clumps when freshwater meets saltwater?

 

 

 

 

h. How are marine deltas built?

 

 

 

 

i. Name three different marine deltas that can be found around the world.

 

 

 

 

j. How much sediment has accumulated on the continental shelf of eastern North America?

 

 

 

 

k. Why is there a patchy distribution of coarse marine sediment in offshore areas?

 

 

 

 

l. What are some of the reasons why a stream may lose energy?

 

 

 

 

m. Why do New Orleans and its surrounding area flood so easily?

 

 

 

 

n. How do natural levees form?

 

 

 

 

o. Is New Orleans protected by natural levees?

 

 

 

 

p. What would happen if New Orleans’ levees were to break?

 

 

 

 

q. Why is a terrace considered a landform and not a deposit?

 

 

 

 

r. What types of sediment depositional patterns form an alluvial fan?

 

 

 

 

s. How is surface discharge reduced in an alluvial fan?

 

 

 

 

t. Why are no two alluvial fans alike?

 

 

 

 

u. Why is a delta named after the Greek letter?

 

 

v. Does the Mississippi River Delta resemble this?

 

 

 

 

w. What are the two types of coarse sediments that make up a delta?

 

 

 

 

x. How does a delta grow?

 

 

 

y. Can you think of some reasons why the Mississippi River Delta is not growing?

 

 

 

z. How large is the drainage basin of the Mississippi River?

 

 

 

 

i. Explain the underlying pattern of stream order.

 

 

 

 

ii. Why does stream capture occur?

 

 

 

 

iii. Postulate what would happen if the Mississippi River were captured by the Atchafalaya?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School

Day Four: Calculating Community Metabolism in a Freshwater System

Objectives

The students will do the following:

1) Calculate and graph community metabolism through monitoring fluctuations of dissolved oxygen concentrations in a bayou

2) Learn about biological oxygen demand and eutrophication

3) Use key terminology associated with community metabolism testing procedures

4) Use logic and evidence to construct a graphic model

5) demonstrate how to gather, analyze, and interpret data using simple equipment

Subjects

Biology, Chemistry, Ecology

Time

Two short early evening visits to a local bayou (prior to BOD testing)

One early morning (for the teacher)

One class period for the experiment

General Background

This is a laboratory experiment designed by Amanda Harris. It can be accessed via the Internet at the following website: http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/lessons/metaboli.html

The lab is specifically designed for Vermilion Bayou, however another bayou can be used in replacement. Oxygen concentrations fluctuate throughout the day in a freshwater system. Samples (for the dissolved oxygen concentrations) will be taken at the following times prior to the laboratory experiment: if the lab is to be done on a Thursday, the first sample will be taken at 6 p.m. Tuesday night, the second, 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and the final sample at Wednesday night at 6 p.m. The teacher will be responsible for all samples taken, and the students should attend at least one of the sampling sessions.

To access a brief description about Biological Oxygen Demand, go to the following website: http://agen521.www.ecn.purdue.edu/AGEN521/epadir/wetlands/oxygen_demand.html

Eutrophication and its subsequent association with algal blooms are important and troublesome results of increased BOD. When raw sewage and/or excessive nutrients are introduced into a freshwater system, eutrophication, and algal blooms will occur. These have disasterous effects on freshwater systems and end up in fish kills.

To access a brief description about Eutrophication, go to the following website:

http://agen521.www.ecn.purdue.edu/AGEN521/epadir/wetlands/eutrophication.html

To access a brief description about algal blooms, go to the website:

http://agen521.www.ecn.purdue.edu/AGEN521/epadir/wetlands/agal_bloom.html

 

 

 

Questions Relating to Eutrophication

  1. Explain how nutrients such as Nitrogen and Phosphorous can cause fish kills in a bayou.

    2.  

     

     

  2. What other types of human effluence cause eutrophication?

 

 

 

3) How is BOD related to Eutrophication?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School

Day Five: Rivers and Flooding Discussion

Objectives

The students will do the following:

  1. learn and reinforce their knowledge about floodplains, the effects of land-use changes, channel patterns and floodplain formation, channelization, and impacts of flooding

Subjects

Geology, Politics, Group and Communication Skills

Time

One class period

General Background

The mighty Mississippi is both a vital and deadly river. It represents nature, commerce, industry, culture, and the potential for a massive disaster. Flooding by the Mississippi is always a constant threat for the inhabitants surrounding the area. Because of this danger, people have tried to tame the wild river through by several methods, such as levees and spillways. This attempt to control nature has both positive and negative effects. Sometimes, despite the massive efforts by man to control the rushing waters, destructive floods still take place.

Procedure

  1. The students will be split into five groups of equal size
  2. Each group will be assigned a different topic and given the appropriate reading packet

    3. Group One: River Processes

    Group Two: Types of Flooding

    Group Three: Response to Flood Hazards

    Group Four: The Channelization Controversy

    Group Five: Perceptions of Flooding

  3. Each group will have twenty minutes to prepare a five minute presentation on the information given in the packets. Have each person in the group discuss different subtopics.
  4. For homework, the student will write a one-page report on the particular information that the student presented in the class. The paper should discuss the important aspects of the particular subject and how it applies to the Mississippi River Basin