There is more to a pond than you might think!
In this hands-on program students will use aquatic dip nets to identify many of the inhabitants of Armand Bayou Nature Center's ponds. Extended program participants will also visit with a live animal ambassador and may enjoy games or other related activities.
Grades K - 12th
Group Minimum 10
Duration 2 Hours Fee $15.00/participant (children and adults)
Extended Program Duration 2.5-3 hours Fee $20/participant (children and adults)
Objectives
Students will:
Observe and describe ponds ecosystems.
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.
Abiotic – non-living or physical components such as light, temperature, water, rocks, etc.
Biotic - living things
Producers – plants, algae, phytoplankton or bacteria the make their own food from the sun or chemical sources (vents ocean floor where there is no light)
Consumers – Organisms that eat other organisms or organic matter
Decomposers – Organisms that convert dead organic material into inorganic material, nature’s recyclers
Diversity – variety of species in a given area
Life cycle – life history of an organism, including growth, development, aging, and death
Metamorphosis – The way that amphibians and insects develop, grow and change
Programs are adjusted to be age appropriate. All programs address the Science TEKS goal of engaging students in hands-on investigations of the natural world.
For specific, grade-level TEKS that may be included in our programs, see our Science TEKS chart below.
