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Aquatic Entomology Project //Activity Summary// For the aquatic entomology project our group, composed of Katie Smith, Jeff Irwin, Karli A., and Raihan Duzan, led several of our peers in observing, collecting, and classifying insects and other organisms in and around Lake Alice. Both the group leaders and the participants took an active role in the activity to the best of our abilities. Based on the findings, our group created a food web to model the interactions between the organisms that we discovered.

//Would you use these activities in your classroom and how would you use them?//

We would definitely use the aquatic entomology project in our classroom because it is a fairly straightforward activity that can be extended into several other areas of science and academics. This project would be an effective activity for third- through fifth-grade students as it involves in-depth collection and identification. The activity could be easily implemented as it was implemented for our project in classrooms that are located near a natural area or school pond; otherwise, teachers may be able to organize field trips to natural areas to carry out the activity. Also, teachers may have difficulty locating appropriate nets for the activity, but standard sand sifts may work effectively.

Perhaps the only change that would need to be made to the activity is the size of the groups. With younger students, the groups would need to be no larger than four students in order for the activity to be effective. The smaller group size would enable each student to take an active role in the project. In addition, each group may have a group leader, but the leader will probably not function as a teacher unless the teacher has prepared the student beforehand. Accordingly, we would implement this activity in our classrooms using smaller groups and we would change the role of the group leader to suit the abilities of our students.

//Which subject areas would you address and which adaptations would you make to cross disciplines?//

The activity itself is fairly straightforward; the procedure is simple, yet the end result can be connected to many areas of the curriculum. For the area of science, we could complete the activity as it was completed in this project and lead our students through discoveries about habitats, animal needs, ecosystems, and food webs. We could also examine pollution and the effects that humans have on the environment when comparing the function of each organism in the food web. During these discoveries, we could also include topics such as math when examining the transfer of energy between the levels of the food web or language arts if we read children’s literature about animal habitats and food webs and write about our findings. Finally, this activity could also be connected to geography in that students could discuss the differences between the food web that they created and food webs that they can create in other locations, such as a drier area on campus. This comparison activity can then be broadened so that students can draw conclusions about the organisms and food webs in the major biomes of the world.

//Which activity was your favorite and why?//

Our favorite part of the activity was the actual collection and classification of the macroorganisms. We enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the activity in that we were allowed to be both teachers and “real” scientists as we led our peers through the process. We also enjoyed discovering the many animals in the area that we often overlook on a day-to-day basis. The activity enabled everyone to realize that our surroundings are truly alive with creatures that are just as important as we are.

//What science skills were gained by your class for each activity?//

During the activity, our group practiced the following general science skills: observing, classifying, and communicating their results. Our group also improved their skills with specific tools, including a basket net, d-net, magnifying glass, eye dropper, tweezers, and field reference guide.

//What life skills were gained by your class for each activity?//

Although our activity contributed directly to our group’s scientific skills, our group was also able to practice a few life skills, including basic outdoor safety and an understanding that all organisms are connected and can be affected by human activities.

//What did you learn about the subject or your teaching techniques that you would not have known without leading this exercise?//

As three of four of our group leaders are nearly completed with the ProTeach coursework, we were already very familiar with a variety of teaching techniques, including discovery-based or project-based learning. This activity was the perfect example of this form of learning as it placed the leaders in the facilitator position, which allowed us to guide our group through the project so that they made their own discoveries and owned the knowledge. Regarding the actual subject knowledge, we were all familiar with food webs, but we had never applied the concept to a real-world situation. Accordingly, we expanded our practical knowledge of food webs as well as our knowledge of organisms that live in or near water.

Overall, the activity was both enjoyable and educational for both the group leaders and our group members.