What Lives in Wetlands? (HS)
There are over a million wetlands in North Dakota (https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/habitats/wetlands-lakes). Wetlands provide important ecological roles, including flood protection, water filtration and habitat for numerous plants and animals. A large proportion of North Dakota’s wetlands have been lost or threatened due to agricultural development, climate change, and other environmental threats such as invasive species. Wetlands, and the organisms in them, are used for hunting and subsistence, and there are direct connections with wetland science to these activities that could stimulate interest in environmental careers and STEM education.
objectives
Students will:
• Identify the importance of wetlands and the interrelationships of wetland organisms
• Explain that all organisms, not just the large ones, have an important role in a
wetland community
• Describe how environmental changes (both natural like floods/droughts and direct
impacts from humans, such as oil or contaminants) can alter habitat for aquatic organisms.
Topic(s)
Wetlands, migration, food chains, food webs
type
High school lesson
9-12
Grade(s):
time needed
Three 50-minute class periods
author
Jon Sweetman, Brittany Hagen
national next gen standards
• HS-LS2-6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
• HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
north dakota standards
• HS-LS2-6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
• HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.