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Background Information for the Teacher

It is estimated that there are 1.5 million ponds in the US; they are a major aquatic habitat. A pond is a small, shallow standing body of water with a uniform temperature throughout. There are many pond dwelling animals, such as fish and a variety of amphibians, but, for the purposes of this project, we will focus on collecting macroinvertebrates.
The term macroinvertebrate refers to an invertebrate animal (animal without a backbone) large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Animals that are in this group include insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, gastropods, and arachnids. These organisms may spend all or part of their lives in water.

Collecting the Water Samples

Choose the sampling site.Teachers of younger students might find it easier to collect the water themselves. If the students are doing the collecting, they should be made aware of safety and animal handling guidelines.

Plan to collect 2-3 gallons.

Materials

Bucket (s)
Scoop or ladle
Turkey basters (Useful in collecting from between rocks)
Collecting net (use an aquarium dip net or make one from nylon stocking and coat hanger)
Strainer (Helpful to sift through bottom debris)

Collect samples from each of these locations:

The shallow water, where plants grow, near the pond's edge
The surface of the pond, where air and water meet and just above. Use the net to capture creatures that may skim across the surface.
The bottom of the pond. For more productive collecting, disturb the water by picking up rocks and sifting through bottom debris. It is all right to collect bits of plant material from the bottom of the pond along with the sample.

Take the samples to the classroom for immediate use. Try to use the water on the day it is collected because the longer pond water sits in the classroom, the more likely it will begin to stagnate and smell. However, if the teacher is collecting and he or she cannot go to the pond in the morning, the collection can be done the night before the lesson.


	Directions Background Information for the Teacher It is estimated that there are 1.5 million ponds in the US; they are a major aquatic habitat. A pond is a small, shallow standing body of water with a uniform temperature throughout. There are many pond dwelling animals, such as fish and a variety of amphibians, but, for the purposes of this project, we will focus on collecting macroinvertebrates. The term macroinvertebrate refers to an invertebrate animal (animal without a backbone) large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Animals that are in this group include insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, gastropods, and arachnids. These organisms may spend all or part of their lives in water. Collecting the Water Samples Choose the sampling site.Teachers of younger students might find it easier to collect the water themselves. If the students are doing the collecting, they should be made aware of safety and animal handling guidelines. Plan to collect 2-3 gallons. Materials Bucket (s) Scoop or ladle Turkey basters (Useful in collecting from between rocks) Collecting net (use an aquarium dip net or make one from nylon stocking and coat hanger) Strainer (Helpful to sift through bottom debris) Collect samples from each of these locations: The shallow water, where plants grow, near the pond's edge The surface of the pond, where air and water meet and just above. Use the net to capture creatures that may skim across the surface. The bottom of the pond. For more productive collecting, disturb the water by picking up rocks and sifting through bottom debris. It is all right to collect bits of plant material from the bottom of the pond along with the sample. Take the samples to the classroom for immediate use. Try to use the water on the day it is collected because the longer pond water sits in the classroom, the more likely it will begin to stagnate and smell. However, if the teacher is collecting and he or she cannot go to the pond in the morning, the collection can be done the night before the lesson.
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