OVERVIEW

Students will collect and identify insects and other macroinvertebrates from the stream and learn how these species can help indicate the health of a stream and the larger watershed.

LEARNING GOALS

• Learn how to collect macroinvertebrate samples from a stream
• Practice scientific methods, species identification, and inquiry
• Explore how the presence or absence of living things can indicate the well-being of an ecosystem

VOCABULARY

• Macroinvertebrate
• Aquatic
• D-net
• Tolerance
• Sensitivity
• Pollutants

WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS

• Print out these info and coloring sheets for a number of common aquatic macroinvertebrates
• Do the Build-A-Bug activity: ask students to invent their own aquatic invertebrate species based on what adaptations and features they would need to survive in a stream.
• View this slideshow and review the aquatic invertebrate facts

MORE LEARNING RESOURCES

• Macroinvertebrate page at Encyclopedia Britannica
• How macroinvertebrates are used in scientific research
• Suggestions for teaching about aquatic invertebrates

Download the printable station guide here: