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Benthic Macroinvertebrates: Tiny Creatures, Big Impact
Provided by: Otsego County Conservation Association |Published on: May 16, 2025
Lesson Plans
9101112AP
Synopsis
In this mini unit from the Otsego County Conservation Association, students will learn about organisms that live along the bottoms of streams, rivers, and lakes and their role as indicators of healthy ecosystems.
The unit uses games, presentations, and fieldwork to teach students all about these benthic macroinvertebrates, culminating in a group presentation to display what they have learned.
The game of tag used to teach the tolerance levels of the different benthic macroinvertebrates is a great way to engage students in learning this concept.
The field research students carry out makes the learning more relevant and hands-on.
Prerequisites
Teachers will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page to access the correct lesson.
Teachers will need access to an open area large enough for a game of tag.
Each portion requires materials that the teacher will need to prepare ahead of time.
Differentiation & Implementation
To demonstrate their understanding of the Explore 1 portion, students can select one of the benthic macroinvertebrates and create a poster illustrating their metamorphosis and detailing their tolerance to environmental stressors.
Teachers can begin a discussion about the activities that may lead to poor stream health and water pollution. Teachers can connect this to climate change by discussing, for example, the increasing frequency of flash flooding and the impact of stormwater runoff on water quality.
Students can use what they have learned in the lesson, collection, and data analysis to inspire a piece of art to communicate to others. Students can look at examples from artists, like this one from Jill Pelto, to see how some people use data to create art.
This lesson can connect to climate change topics such as biodiversity loss, the negative side effects of fossil-fuel based fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and cities, and ecosystem services that reduce energy demands.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Related Teaching Resources
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
