Pond Life Class

There is more to a pond than you might think! Search for signs of nocturnal animals, observe turtles basking in the sun, or catch a tadpole. In this hands-on class, you will use aquatic dip nets and dissecting scopes to identify many of the inhabitants of Armand Bayou Nature Center's ponds. Learn how pond diversity, indicator species, and water testing can help field scientists determine the health of pond ecosystems.

Grades	3^rd - 12^th
Time	10:00am -12:00 noon
Class Limit	Minimum 10, maximum 50 participants
Fee	$6/participant (children and adults, with the exception of teachers, who are free of charge). A 10-to-1 ratio of students to adults is required.

Please see the field trip planner for more information about scheduling a field trip. (Call 281-474-2551 x 13 for class dates and to enroll.)

The following objectives, vocabulary, and TEKs may be addressed during this field trip.

Objectives

Students will:

Observe and describe ponds.
Use tools to collect, observe, analyze and identify characteristics of pond animals.

Vocabulary

Pond – A depression in the ground that is filled with water by precipitation or runoff (also called a lenthic or standing water system)
Vertebrate – an animal with a backbone
Invertebrate – an animal without a backbone
Macroinvertebrate – an animal without a backbone that is big enough to see with the naked eye (without a microscope)
Ecosystem – An ecosystem is a complex, dynamic system that functions as a whole. An ecosystem is a natural unit and its size can be as small as a drop of water or as large as the Earth. Ecosystems consist of the interactions between organisms and between organisms and physical components, in which materials are exchanged following closed paths.

TEKS (2009-2010 or 2010-2011 Science)

4.1A, 4.2B, 4.4A (Pre and post-trip activities may also address 4.10C.)
3.1A, 3.2B, 3.4A, 3.9A (Pre and post-trip activities may also address 3.3C.)
6.1A, 6.2C, 6.4A (Pre and post-trip activities may also address 6.3B&C, 6.12C)
7.1A, 7.2C, 7.4A, 7.11A (Pre and post-trip activities may also address 7.3B&C, 7.10B)
8.1A, 8.2C, 8.4A (Pre and post-trip activities may also address 8.3B&C, 8.11A)

Pre and Post Trip Materials (PDF Format)