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Contents
1.  What you can do
2.  Water
3.  Ecology
4.  Amphibians
5.  Environmental Issues
6.  Keystone species
7.  Get Wet!-
     Field Study Ideas

8.  The Zoo Experience
9.  Frogs & Friends
10. Case Studies
11. Resources
12. Glossary

Welcome to the Wetland Curriculum Resource!

Please use the following links to quickly and easily find the information you're looking for:

:: Browse the Wetland Curriculum Resource's
Table of Contents ::
:: Visit our
Curriculum Links and Expectations Index

to find activities for specific grades and how they fit into the new Ontario Curriculum::
 

Or simply read through this Introduction to find out more. To return to this page from anywhere in the site, click on "About this Guide" on the menu of any page.


Why Did We Create This Guide?

The short answer is because educators and their students became involved in the Toronto Zoo Adopt-A-Pond Programme and they asked for it. They wanted to do more, to learn more, and to explore the naturalized habitats they were creating. The story of one such educator, Rob Ferguson of R.H. Cornish School in Port Perry, appears in the May 1995 issue of our newsletter Amphibian Voice . It tells of students, teachers and community members transforming a site that was previously used for piling ice and snow into a living wildlife habitat. Their new front yard is now a source of pride, beautifying their community and creating a sense of accomplishment. "But," as Rob Ferguson, the catalyst for all this activity says, "Now what?" Rob and the students of R.H. Cornish see their wetland as a resource, as alive and dynamic as the students who created it. They want to discover more about the life that now sits at the school's front door. At the urging of Rob and other educators, the Adopt-A-Pond Programme developed Toadally Wetlands, an educator's guide to wetland issues with resources that will provide them with ideas and the tools to look beyond their "adopted" wetland.

About This Guide

The Adopt-A-Pond Programme is about people and helping them to recognize what they can do to make a difference. We introduced this manual with the section "What You Can Do ", just in case you needed some inspiration.

This guide includes four basic study modules : " Water ", " Wetland Ecology ", " Amphibians " and " Environmental Issues ". Each module outlines the Expected Learning Outcomes for that unit and provides Background Information for Educators, a variety of student activities geared to different levels and Answers to the questions posed in the activities. A fifth unit highlights one of the most significant creators of natural wetlands in Ontario, The Beaver . While many of the activities throughout these units provide learning opportunities for younger students, we have included a separate unit, " Frogs and Friends: Fun for Pre-Schoolers and other Polliwogs " for pre-school and young primary level students.

To provide further out-of-classroom learning opportunities, we have included 2 sections:

Unit 7: Get Wet - Field Study Ideas , and Unit 8: a specially designed Zoo Experience . The tour suggestions appearing in the Zoo Experience are augmented by Zoo Links which are incorporated throughout this guide.

Educators participated in the creation of this guide and the activities have been written to tie in with the learning outcomes outlined in the Ontario Curriculum. These curriculum links are outlined in each activity and in Unit 11. We are aware that Ontario's Curriculum and learning objectives will continue to be altered as education priorities change. Nonetheless, this book remains as a guide or supplement which can be merged into many curriculum subjects. Outcomes are broad based, practical life skills that may be adapted to any formal curriculum. Links to the curricula of other provinces and states exist, although they have not been outlined here.

To complete this resource we have included: Amphibian Case Studies , a glossary , sources for hard-to-find materials, an outline of the outcomes specified by the Ontario Curriculum, a "Toad Survival Game", other Resources, and an Index .

We would love to hear from you. Write us a note and forward it to: Adopt-a-Pond , 361A Old Finch Ave. Scarborough, ON M1B 5K7


Key to Activity Pages

Each module includes outlines activities that relate to the topic. The purpose, appropriate level, curriculum links and required materials appear in the heading of each activity outline (please see example below).

Level
Due to the variation in provincial designations we have used the following categories to indicate the appropriate grade/age level for the activities.

	P	Primary		JK - Gr. 3		4 - 8 yrs. old  
	J	Junior		Gr. 4, 5, 6		8 - 11 yrs. old  
	I	Intermediate	Gr. 7, 8, 9		12 - 14 yrs. old
	S	Senior		Gr. 10 - OAC	14 + yrs. old

P J
Purpose: To illustrate the relative abundance of saltwater and freshwater on the earth.

What You Need: 10 litre aquarium :: jar :: water :: 2 glasses :: salt :: tablespoon :: measuring cup

Optional: 2 small plants (same species, similar size)

Curriculum Links:

Purpose:
Each activity outlines the main purpose for the exercise.

What You Need:
This lists the required materials and resources. If an activity specifies a "Student Activity Sheet", a copy is included and these may be photocopied for class use. Sources for hard-to-find materials are listed in the Appendix., "Where to Get Materials".

Optional:
Optional materials will enhance the activity but are not necessary for its successful completion.

Curriculum Links:
Outlines the links between the Activity and the outcomes specified in the Ontario Curriculum. For your convenience, these outcomes are contained in Curriculum Links and Expectations Index . Other Topical Links (e.g. Language Development, Computer Skills, ethics) appear in this section.

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