Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders....Oh MY!

We began our ecology unit by going out to visit our local ecosystem....The Vernal Pool! We were so lucky to have rainfall just before our visit.

 Students observed the vernal pool using all of their senses.  We could hear the Wood Frog sending warning signals.  I found a video on Youtube that has the sounds of the wood frog.
http://nicertube.com/fikmaxgj

 This is a great opportunity for students to explore the area they live in.  Kids were surprised to learn that the vernal pool is right here on school property hidden behind the trees of the parking lot.

DAY 2

On of our next visit we collected water samples to bring back to the classroom to investigate water quality and what organisms could we see with a magnifying glass.

 We were VERY careful not to fall in! 

We tested the water to see if it contained nitrates, sulfur, or phosphates

 What is that? 

Common Core: Science and Technology/Engineering > Curriculum Frameworks > 2.13 - Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

Science and Technology/Engineering > Curriculum Frameworks > 2.14 - Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.

Science and Technology/Engineering > Curriculum Frameworks > 2.15 - Explain how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living organisms and how this process contributes to the system as a whole.