Investigating a Marsh Environment: Elementary Science Lesson

Jun 13, 2011
James Gibson

Area of Water and Reed Bed on Landward Side of a Flood Defence Bank - David Wright

An exercise for a family or class field study in a marsh environment. Bring along identification charts and a GPS on your hike.

Field studies may be carried out in a great variety of ways. The entire class, small groups, or individuals may be involved on separate occasions in observing and recording conditions in the local environment and then reporting their findings back to a group or an instructor.

Types of Wetlands

Discuss the types of wetlands before conducting the inquiry. There are four:

A pond: a well-defined basin filled with stagnant water and fringed with vegetation.
A marsh: boundaries not as well defined as a pond, overgrown with coarse grasses, sages and rushes. As defined by W.G. Moore, it is a "tract of soft, wet land, usually low-lying and partly or completely under water; the extreme dampness is due to the impermeable nature of the soil, such as clay, and the poor drainage."
A swamp: essentially a wooded marsh; a waterlogged area supporting trees, tall shrubs, herbs and mosses. As defined by W.G. Moore, it is "a tract of low-lying land which is saturated with moisture and usually overgrown with vegetation. It may adjoin a marsh or a bog, and there is sometimes confusion between the terms."
A peat bog: poorly drained area covered by mats of moss. (e.g. sphagnum )

Ecosystem Model

For context, review the parts of a typical ecosystem with its energy gains and losses and its nutrient flows:

Source of energy e.g. the sun
Producers e.g. plants
Consumers e.g. a cow
Decomposers e.g. snails

Method

After a discussion of the four types of wetlands:

Locate an area for study by using students' general knowledge or by reference to a 1:25 000 topographic map of the area.
Record on a field study sheet, have it copied along with appropriate information (e.g. maps, sketches) for group members or instructor, and give a short report. Include the evaluations/conclusions, with evidence.

Organize by obtaining the necessary resource materials. They include the following:

Water bottles: small (5)
Thermometer
Meter Stick
Shovel for checking soil types
Marker pen for labeling
Sketch pad for maps and diagrams

Design an assessment rubric with four levels e.g. poor- 9 points, fair-11 points, good- 13 points, and excellent- 15 points. Following are suggested criteria:

An ecosystem model e.g. Student exceeded the expectations of the instructor by accurately and neatly displaying the ecosystem model
Photographs of ecosystem e.g. 7-8 photos of ecosystem
Report: Content/Vocabulary e.g. over 95% of the questions are answered correctly, demonstrating high knowledge of marsh ecosystem terms and concepts
Report: Organization e.g. Organization and structure of the paper are clear and easy to follow. Paragraphs contain appropriate transitions. The paper’s length is appropriate for ideas expressed.
Report: Grammar/Spelling e.g. Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct. The language is clear, sentences display consistently strong varied structure.
Overall: Neatness e.g. Project is neatly written and drawn. All parts are understandable. There is just enough color to create a pleasing experience.
Presentations e.g. Presentation identifies type of ecosystem, natural and geographic characteristics that define it and types of organisms found in it; student is prepared to give presentation and answer questions from the audience.

Field Study Questions

The study involves collecting data and then analysing it.

Step #1: Samples

Using small water bottles take five (5) water samples of marsh water from representative areas of the marsh. Label them according to their location. Then check the soil type in three (3) different locations: