Vallisneria is a submersed (underwater) native species in the Hudson River. How does dissolved oxygen enter into aquatic ecosystems? In this way, they learn first hand what an air photo is, and begin to develop the skills of land cover classification and quantification from something that they've created themselves.
[Location: Cary Institute, Millbrook NY]. ), Developed and written by Jen Rubbo and Andrea Caruso, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies | Millbrook, New York 12545 | Tel (845) 677-5343, A guide to invertebrate life in the leaf litter, Air Pollution Trends in the United States, Hudson River Ecology Water & Watersheds, Aquatic Invertebrate Life History and Populations, Balance of Photosynthesis and Respiration, 3-5 6-8 9-12, Biodiversity - Baltimore Ecosystem Study RET, Biomagnification: Cadmium in the Food Web, Blood Lead Levels, Poverty and Housing Trends for Mid-Hudson Valley and NYC, 3-5 6-8 K-2 9-12. Go deeper into fascinating topics with original video series from TED. Students will learn about the habitat and life cycle of stream invertebrates with a focus on how the life history of aquatic invertebrates is connected to the terrestrial ecosystem. Throughout this lesson it is important to identify and discuss all types of interactions when appropriate. Living Organisms: Are the species that we expect to see in a given stream present and doing well?

They will also know that the Hudson River food web is changing in response to the zebra mussel invasion, and will be able to make predictions about how native organisms will be affected by this invasion.

This dataset shows their results for tomcod, striped bass, rainbow smelt, and American shad. Common algae found in the Hudson estuary answering: What is it? Students will gain data indicating how frequently the different areas of the schoolyard are used. Students will collect diatom samples and compare diatom communities from their sampling site with salinity levels.


Which ground dwelling insects live in this area? A collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of Ecology. Students will know how to answer the question, “Are some fish less harmful to eat from the Hudson River than others?” and be able to provide evidence to support their answer. Thinking about the flow of matter and energy with students is one of the key ways of exploring ecosystems. They also imagine studies that show how organisms relate to the physical environment -- air, water, and soil. For example, insects that are highly sensitive to stream speed, composition, and pollution – such as mayflies – can act as indicators, or “canaries in the coal mine.” If ecologists know to expect populations of mayfly larvae in a given stream, the absence of mayflies can indicate a problem in the health of that stream. Finally, they analyze a real air photo of their school site, identify land cover types, try to quantify these, and ground truth them through field reconnaissance. Students will know that the presence of humans has an impact on soil communities in their schoolyard. Students will know how temperature affects aquatic organisms' metabolism and be able to graph data and interpret results from an experiment examining metabolic effects. By carrying sediments, nutrients, and other materials downstream, streams ensure the health and resilience of both the environment directly surrounding them and the environments of rivers, lakes, and estuaries into which they flow. There are separate versions of the lessons that are appropriate for middle school and high school students. Students write predictions of how a proposed change to their study site would affect the organisms that live there. Teaching about the water cycle can be made more realistic and valuable for students by incorporating what they know about water-where it comes from, what happens to it after they use it, and what problems are associated with its use. Each group will get 15-20 minutes to explore the stream with their kick nets. Hurricane Irene caused extensive flood and wind damage as it traveled across the Caribbean and up the East coast of the United States.

Students will know how the climate of the Hudson Valley has changed over the last glaciation and be able to explain these changes. Students will know what level of salt concentration affects aquatic plants and/or animals, and will be able to explain the results of an experiment to determine these levels. How does salt pollution impact plants & animals? Students will know that changing the abiotic factors of an ecosystem affects the organisms living in the ecosystem, and will be able to explain at least two ways in which salt affects organisms from different ecosystems. Students will draw what they see. Students learn to classify macroinvertebrates into different taxa based on unique characteristics that they observe on live specimens. Looking at air temperature records can tell us about the climate of a certain location. Students will know the history of nutrient loading in the Hudson River, the consequences, and be able to recommend ways to reduce the levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in the future. Through a game and outdoor investigation, students compare the behavior of animals in different areas of the schoolyard and experience an authentic ecological research method. Why climate change is a human rights issue. You want to know how much goes in, and how much goes out, of your bank account. Students will know how the hydrofracking fluid affected the health of the trees and soil in the forest, and will be able to explain the drawbacks of flowback water with respect to ecosystem health. Students will know how temperature affects dissolved oxygen and be able to create a graph showing this relationship.