WETLAND STEWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES
NOTE: Wetland Stewards lessons are designed to be taught using the hands-on activities and small group investigations outlined, and with the use of inquiry-based techniques. Individual assessment through journal prompts in science notebooks is encouraged.
Lesson 1: Discovering the Wetlands
Lesson 2: What's in Wetland Soil?
Lesson 3: Horizons Under Ground: Digging through Wetland Soil
Lesson 4: Nature's Recycling Program
Lesson 5: Wetland Water Testing
Lesson 6: Wetland Food Webs
Lesson 7: Seeds of Wetland Life
Lesson 8: Pollinators and Wildflowers
Lesson 9: Wetland Plant Detectives
Lesson 10: Next Stop, the Watsonville Wetlands
Lesson 11: Where do Birds Live?
Lesson 12: Watershed Landscape
Lesson 13: Traveling Through Time, Wetland Style
Lesson 14: Sounds of the Wetlands
Lesson 15: Wild, Wild Wetland Life
Lesson 16: Nature Art
Lesson 17: Field Guide to the Sloughs
Math in the Wetlands: Summer School Program- 4 Lessons
Lesson 1: Discovering the Wetlands
This is an introductory wetland lesson. Students become acquainted with the importance of wetlands and how human actions can impact them. They also become familiar with the various types of plants and animals that one might encounter while visiting a wetland, through various activities including bird watching, art, microscope use and a computer exercise.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Bird Color Adaptation Image (JPG)
Lesson 2: What's in Wetland Soil?
Does soil from different places have different proportions of
organic and inorganic materials? In this lesson, students will
perform tests and take measurements to determine how the
composition of wetland soil compares to that of sandy soil.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 3: Horizons Under Ground: Digging through Wetland Soil
Students collect soil samples and compare the physical
characteristics of each. The students learn how to determine different soil types based on soil texture, structure, and color.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 4: Nature's Recycling Program
In this lesson, students will understand that trash in the landfills pollutes the wetlands and that composting food waste can minimize negative impacts. They learn what compost is made from, the role microorganisms play in decomposition, and how to take care of a worm bin. The activities include observation of decomposed materials, a worm bin scavenger hunt, a computer game and microscope use, as well as a gardening experiment. This lesson requires follow up observations.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Adventures of Vermi the Worm (Interactive Game)
Links to Additional Resources
Lesson 5: Wetland Water Testing
Using concentration card games, hands-on activities, computer
activities, and water quality vocabulary, students understand
some different properties that affect water quality, and
learn to measure one chemical characteristic that helps
determine water quality.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 6: Wetland Food Webs
What is the web of life? Why is it important to have diversity
in an ecosystem? Through different role-playing games,
students understand the relationship and importance
of all forms of wetland life.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Webbing Card Template (PDF)
Lesson 7: Seeds of Wetland Life
How do seeds travel? Students investigate the adaptations different plants have made in order to spread their seed. Students make connections between seed dispersal and native and non-native plant populations and also participate in hands-on seed propagation. Other activities include a seed race, seed collection, a computer game, and a craft activity.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Online activity on seed travel
Seeds Drawing Worksheet (PDF)
Movie clip on seed dispersal (MOV file, 20.53 MB)
Lesson 8: Pollinators and Wildflowers
Students will understand that plants depend on pollinators to reproduce and maintain their populations. They learn about wetland plant identification, plant anatomy and plant reproduction while dissecting local wetland flowers, they play in a pollinator relay race, then go outside to collect and identify local pollination insects.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 9: Wetland Plant Detectives
Students follow a scavenger hunt map through the reserve,
learning to classify and identify wetland plants by type,
using wetland plant wheels created by Pajaro Valley High
School mentors.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Plant Wheel 1 (coming)
Plant Wheel 2 (coming)
Lesson 10: Next Stop, the Watsonville Wetlands
Students play games to learn the process of bird migration and
understand that migrating birds depend on the wetlands.
The students then follow the migration of the American white
pelican from Mexico through the Watsonville Wetlands in an
interactive online computer game.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Interactive Computer Game- American White Pelican Migration
Hopscotch cards- Restoration (PDF)
Hopscotch cards- Threats
(PDF)
Lesson 11: Where do Birds Live?
Where do different wetland birds make their nests? Students
explore some in-depth facts about two wetland cavity nesters,
learn some benefits these birds provide to the wetland ecosystem,
and make connections between the needs of cavity-nesting
birds and human activity.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Links to Additional Resources
Lesson 12: Watershed Landscape
Students create a human landscape and interact with a
watershed model and to make connections between topography,
natural watershed features, water quality, and human activity.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 13: Traveling Through Time, Wetland Style
Using clue cards containing maps, photographs, and bits of
information, students divide into small groups to piece
together timelines of the cultural history of the Watsonville
Wetlands. As they travel back in time, they examine changes
in wildlife, agriculture, growth, and immigrant populations. Then the students imagine and draw what they think West Struve Slough would look like at different time periods.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 14: Sounds of the Wetlands
Students will develop their listening skills as they learn about different bird calls and other common sounds observed in the wetlands. The students participate in a bird tune game show, a blind-folded walk with docent partners, and a sound mapping activity.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Name that Tune Interactive Game (PPS)
Lesson 15: Wild, Wild Wetland Life
Students become familiar with local plants and animals of
the wetlands while playing a wildlife bingo game. The
students then hunt for evidence of animal presence on the
wetland ESHA by searching for scat, owl pellets, burrows,
and other clues that point towards animal presence. The
lesson concludes with owl pellet dissection and a discussion
about wetland food chains including an owl food chain.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Wildlife Facts (PDF)
Animals in the Wetlands Presentation (PPS)
Lesson 16: Nature Art
Students explore the beauty of the wetlands through
an open-air water color activity. This is followed by
the creation of sculptured clay models of native
wetland animals.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Lesson 17: Field Guide to the Sloughs
Students learn how to use field guides as they construct their own class wetland wildlife guide or plant guide. The construction of the guide includes research, sketching, painting, photography, and descriptive writing.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
MATH IN THE WETLANDS SUMMER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Lesson 1: Classroom Presentation- Introduction to the Wetlands
Students are introduced to the concept of a food web and
accompanying ecological vocabulary. Then they explore
West Struve Slough in small groups using binoculars,
bird and plant guides, and the food web concept as tools to
complete a wetland scavenger hunt.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Introduction to the Watsonville Wetlands worksheet (PDF)
Introduction to the Wetlands Presentation (PPT)
Lesson 2: Math in the Wetlands Field Trip 1
Students conduct hands-on restoration and monitoring
projects utilizing the fraction and volume math concepts
they are covering in summer school. This practical
application of math concepts includes transplanting
native plants and monitoring invasive plant populations
using transects and quadrats.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Wetland Scavenger Hunt Worksheet (PDF)
Lesson 3: Classroom Presentation- Introduction to Restoration
Students are introduced to the concepts of ecological
disruptors such as pollution and invasive plants. They
also learn how local ecosystems change for the better -
through restoration and other actions they can take both
at home and in the community. This lesson includes an
interactive PowerPoint presentation, a short skit about weed
invasion, and a practice activity at monitoring weeds.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Fractions worksheet (PDF)
Weed Invasion Story (PDF)
Weed Story Card Templates (PDF)
Introduction to Restoration Presentation (PPS)
Lesson 4: Math in the Wetlands Field Trip 2
Students conduct hands-on restoration and monitoring
projects utilizing the fraction and volume math concepts
they are covering in summer school. This practical
application of math concepts includes transplanting
native plants and monitoring invasive plant populations
using transects and quadrats.
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Plant Population Quadrat Sampling worksheet- classroom (PDF)
Plant Population Quadrat Sample Data Collection Sheet (PDF)
Create your own Potting Mixture (PDF)
Updated 4/14/2009
