TEKS Covered: 112.47 (b) 1-6, (c) 1A-F, 2A&B, 3B, 4, 5B, 6A, 7ABDE, 8BC, 9AC, 10B&D, 11A&D, 12A, 13, 14C&F
Equipment used: field journals, data sheets, water quality equipment, seines, plankton nets, measuring equipment, binoculars, field guides, dichotomous keys, psychrometers, anemometers, compasses, cameras (not provided), flow meters, soil test kits, thermometers, pH meters, turbidity tubes, hand lenses
Vocabulary: biotic/abiotic, pH, salinity, nitrogen compounds, mineral content, turbidity, producer, consumer, decomposer, interdependence, watershed, ground water, surface water, freshwater, brackish water, salt water, adaptations, energy flow, food chain, food web, food pyramid, invasive species
Field Trip Stations:
Fish Journal – Use several instruments to collect water quality data, as well as to catch and identify different organisms that live in the bayou.
Waterfowl – Identify birds by writing accurate descriptions. Use the descriptions to justify where they live, what they eat, and how they are adapted to their environment.
Water Quality – Collect data at the pond and compare this ecosystem to the bayou.
Halophyte Plant ID – Observe the types of plants that are in the bayou and how they are adapted to the salty soils.
Aquatic Science Careers – Discuss careers associated with conservancy, natural resources (Clean Water Act), animal protection (poaching & Endangered Species Act.) and many other fields related to Aquatic Science.
Quiet Sit – Use your skills and creativity to create sound maps, sketches and acrostic poems based on observations made throughout the day.
Due to the size of most middle/high school trips, we usually host the grade levels over a series of days. During the field trip, a number of stations will be run by our education staff & volunteers. Students will rotate through these stations. The activities provided are sample trips for each grade level, but as always, you may customize your field trip by meeting with the educator.
For more information in planning your field trip or to customize a trip, please use our teacher workbook.
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