Introduction >Home Page >About this Guide >Table of Contents 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 |
Wetland Curriculum Resource
Unit 3. Ecology - Activities 3.3 SWAMPED! Purpose: To understand the importance of swamps in an aquatic ecosystem. What You Need: pen :: data sheet What You Do:
As I sit on a lily pad in the middle of the water, I am amazed with the beauty that surrounds me. I like the trees and plants that live here, because if it were not for them, there would not be such a diversity of wild life. The trees prevent floods during times of heavy rainfall. The swamp absorbs most of the surface water runoff from the land and then slowly releases it, helping to sustain water flow during dry spells. It is a hot day, but the moist air and shade keeps me cool. From this position on my floating raft, I see a small turtle emerge from the dark waters to bask on a log in the spring sunshine. Under a nearby maple tree I see a young deer nibbling on some leaves and a snake silently awaiting his next meal. I must watch out for him but now I am safe on my lily pad. I hear the "jug-o' rum" of the bullfrog coming from the edge of the water. I am surrounded by animals big and small. Insects burrow in the bark and feed on leaves. Woodpeckers knock away at tree trunks in search of food. A beaver swims quietly across the water with a poplar branch clenched between his teeth. I can even see butterflies flying past, stopping to sip the nectar from the bright yellow flowers. How wonderful it is to live in a swamp! Questions:
Click here to see the answers to these questions. Extension: The Underwater World Use dramatic story about wetlands and wetland species (consult your schools or local library), and, in the background, play one of the following pieces of music: Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"; Rossini's "William Tell Overture"; Vivaldi's Spring from the "Four Seasons"; Dvorjak's "New World Symphony"; or Beethoven's Storm from the "6th Symphony". Ask the students to find a comfortable position, to close their eyes and to listen closely to your voice. Turn down the lights. Ask them to image the setting. Then ask them to imagine that they are an animal underwater during a rainstorm. Ask them to imagine how it would feel to be underwater during a storm. Discussion:
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