COMPETITION IN ESTUARY HABITATS:
TEKS Covered: 112.27 (a) 1ABDE 2-5 (b) 1, 2B&C, 3, 4A, 5B&C, 11, 12, 13
Equipment used: field journals, hand lenses, microscopes, measuring items, thermometers, water test kits, pH probes, temperature probes, collecting nets, insect traps
Vocabulary: producer/consumer, predator/prey, parasite/host, aquatic/terrestrial systems, biotic/abiotic, populations, ecosystem, environmental changes, human uses, topographic map, satellite images, erosion, predictions, deposition
Field Trip Stations:
Ecosystem Observations – Observe the different layers of the habitat. Study common uses of plants- ethnobotany.
Interdependence- Make observations on the pond and its relationships with the abiotic and biotic factors in that ecosystem. Think about the pond and its role in a food chain. Look at the needs of water for wildlife.
Microscopic Wonders- Hike with a hand lens and think about the different relationships within an ecosystem and the living things that interact with it: plants, animals, etc.
Sound map – Hone observation skills and create evidence-based conclusions.
Ecosystem Observations Compare & Contrast – Observe and evaluate similarities and differences of ecosystems of different locations. Nature is a natural filter. How do these habitats achieve this effect?
Who’s Been to Rincon? – What evidence of organisms and what types of habitats are found at Rincon Bayou?
Water Quality and Biodiversity – How do the characteristics of the water itself influence the level of biodiversity?
Extra station ideas for customization:
Watersheds – Observe how the landforms interact with the watershed. Make observations and learn about point and non-point source pollution.
Soils – Learn about our soils as a filter.
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 view our Teacher Workbook.