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SQUAMISH RIVERS– PRIMARY

Squamish Rivers Teachers Guide

December 2006

SQUAMISH R IVERS– PRIMARY

Squamish Rivers School Program Acknowledgements: The Project team would like to thank the following people for their support and enthusiasm from Mamquam, Brackendale, and Squamish Elementary schools: Linda Law, Cara Tarling, Hilary Fisher, Linda Kelly-Smith, Liz Carson, Lynne Bouchard, Cindy Shier, Nancy Sotham, Donna Watson, Barb Farmer, Ian Kent, Paul Lorette. Thanks to Anita Brunckhurst for her very special artwork for the Stewardship Bingo! activity. Also, special thanks to Edith Tobe, Project Coordinator from the Squamish River Watershed Society: without her vision and support – this project would not have been possible. Thanks also to: Rob Bell-Irving from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for his enthusiasm and unwavering support on our field days and for the whole project; and to Kerrie Mortin from Wild BC who has provided support and in-kind funding for the project. Finally, thanks to the Pacific Salmon Foundation who provided the funding for this special project. This project was coordinated by DG Blair Whitehead, M.Sc. Whitehead Environmental Consultants Ltd. November 2006

Squamish Rivers School Program: 2006 Goal: The Squamish Rivers School program is part of the Rivers Day education project. The overall project goal is to support education activities to increase public understanding (including school children and their teachers) of the value of fisheries, impacts of development on fisheries, and the value of restoration of fisheries habitat.

Objectives: Teachers will:

• Increase their knowledge about local river ecosystems & habitats • Increase their skills to lead science-based outdoor activities • Appreciate teaching activities that link community projects with their classroom

Students will:

• Value that projects such as the Mamquam Reunion have for healthy, sustainable fisheries resources and watersheds.

• Understand the following key concepts:

o All life must have enough clean water. o Fish and wildlife need a healthy habitat. o You can help make your watershed a good place for both people and wildlife.

After, Gough, 2005: Sustainable Schools: renovating educational processes in Applied EE& C; V4N4

Stage 1:

“Let’s Get Started”

Initiate planning with teachers/admin/PAC to: - complete School needs assessment /prior knowledge/ (assessment tools: incl. survey) -ID priorities for whole school (define “whole school”) participation Prepare a whole school plan

Stage 2:

“Getting Ready” Teacher Training

Building Engagement by a focus on:

Systems thinking, Act, Inspire, Understand

Direct Experience Active Learning

Stage 4:

“Let’s Celebrate!”

• Free field trip to project site with at least 2 field based activities

• Closing celebration

• follow-up and

planning for next year’s program

Stage 3: “Let’s Get Going” Implementation: Teachers and students complete at least 4-6 activities in the classroom on rivers/water theme -Squamish Rivers School program provides consultations & teacher support as needed Tracking of activities by teachers & students

Squamish Rivers School Program School Based activities: Choice of 4-6 activities from the following list:

• The Life Box • Water Address • A House of Seasons • Hooks and Ladders • A Drop in the Bucket • Aqua Words • Are You Me? • Water Plant Art • Everybody needs a Home • Watershed Model • Stewardship BINGO!

Mamquam Field Day activities: Participate in 2 hour field day at Mamquam River site with local volunteers and fisheries staff at four stations:

• Stream Sense • Riparian Areas • Fry Release • Habitat plantings with riparian plants

Closing celebration

• Return of the Salmon Festival (November) &/or school based celebration

Squamish Rivers Activities x K-3 Science Learning Outcomes The Life Box (Project WET page 76)

Water Address (Project WET - page122) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical

Science Earth & Space Science

K describe features of local plants and animals compare common animals compare local plants

1 describe the basic needs of local plants and animals describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment

2 explain why air, water, and soil are important for living things

3 ask questions that foster investigations and explorations relevant to the content

Project WET

Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science

Earth & Space Science

K Uses the five senses to make observations; share with others information obtained by observing

describe features of local plants and animals; compare common animals

demonstrate the ability to observe their surroundings

1 communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways;

describe the basic needs of local plants and animals classify living and non-living things

2 use their senses to interpret observations infer the probable outcome of an event or behaviour based on observations


compare familiar plants according to similarities and differences in appearance and life cycles

A House of Seasons (Project WET - page155) Processes & Skills Life

Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science

K use the five senses to make observations share with others information obtained by observing

describe properties of materials, including colour, shape, texture, size, and weight

demonstrate the ability to observe their surroundings describe features of their immediate environment

1 communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways describe changes that occur in daily and seasonal

cycles and their effects on living things 2 3 Hooks and Ladders (Project WILD - page 184) – modified for younger students Processes & Skills Life Science Physical



describe features of local plants and animals compare common animals

1 communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways

describe the basic needs of local plants and animals describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment

2 infer the probable outcome of an event or behaviour based on observations use their senses to interpret observations

describe ways in which animals are important to other living things and the environment explain why air, water, and soil are

important for living things


A Drop in the Bucket (Water Stewardship – draft & Project WET – page 238) modified for K-3 Processes & Skills Life

Science Physical Science Earth & Space

Science K use the five senses to make observations

share with others information obtained by observing describe properties of materials, including colour, shape, texture, size, and weight

1 communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways describe changes that occur in daily and seasonal cycles and their

effects on living things 2 infer the probable outcome of an event or behaviour based

on observations explain why air, water, and soil are important for living things


Aqua Words (Project WILD – page 55) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science K use the five senses to make observations

share with others information obtained by observing 1 communicate their observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways 2 3 Are You Me? (Project WILD- page 64) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical



1 share with others information obtained by observing classify objects, events, and organisms

describe features of local plants and animals compare common animals

2 classify familiar animals according to similarities and differences in appearance, behaviour, and life cycles

3

Water Plant Art (Project WILD – page 62) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical



compare local plants 1 communicate their observations, experiences, and

thinking in a variety of ways 2 3 compare familiar plants according to similarities and differences in

appearance and life cycles Everybody needs a home (Project WILD- page 26) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical


K demonstrate the ability to observe their surroundings


describe the basic needs of local plants and animals describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment

2 describe ways in which animals are important to other living things and the environment

3

Rainy Day Hike/ Watershed Model (Project WET page 186) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science K share with others information obtained

by observing describe properties of materials, including colour, shape, texture, size, and weight



describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment

describe changes that occur in daily and seasonal cycles and their effects on living things


describe some changes that affect animals distinguish ways in which air, water, and soil

interact

3 ask questions that foster investigations and explorations relevant to the content describe shapes that are part of natural

and human-built structures Riparian Field Trip (Water Stewardship – draft) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science K share with others information obtained

by observing compare local plants describe properties of materials,

including colour, shape, texture, size, and weight



describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment describe changes that occur in daily and

seasonal cycles and their effects on living things


describe some changes that affect animals distinguish ways in which air, water, and soil interact



describe shapes that are part of natural and human-built structures

Stream Sense (Project WET page 191) Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science K share with others information obtained

by observing use the five senses to make observations

compare local plants describe features of local plants and animals

describe properties of materials, including colour, shape, texture, size, and weight






describe some changes that affect animals distinguish ways in which air, water, and soil interact



describe shapes that are part of natural and human-built structures

Stewardship BINGO! (Protected Areas – page 68) modified Processes & Skills Life Science Physical Science Earth & Space Science K share with others information obtained by

observing use the five senses to make observations

compare local plants describe features of local plants and animals

describe ways to rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle






describe some changes that affect animals distinguish ways in which air, water, and soil

interact

3 ask questions that foster investigations and explorations relevant to the content describe shapes that are part of

natural and human-built structures

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Squamish Rivers Teachers Guide

Welcome to the Squamish Rivers teachers’ guide for K-3 teachers and their students. This package was made possible through the efforts of teachers at Mamquam, Bracken-dale and Squamish Elementary Schools, the Squamish River Watershed Society, Wild BC, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. This package is intended to add local infor-mation and modifications to Project WET, Project WILD, and other curriculum re-sources for teachers to use in their own schools and community. The project was coordinated by DG Blair-Whitehead. 2006

Key Concepts:

All life must have enough clean water.

Fish and wildlife need a

healthy habitat.

You can help make your watershed a good place for

both people and wildlife.

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Grades: K-3

SQUAMISH RIVERS

The Life Box

Background:

Why all the fuss about water? Why worry? The an-swer is really quite simple: without the availability of water is a matter of life and death. Throughout history people have engineered ways to meet their needs and to protect themselvleves from water related natural events like floods and drought. You can not simply snaop your fingers and get water. You can not wish water out of the sky or locate below the ground where it does not exist. Plants, wildlife, and human commu-nities have formed around water. Four factors are necessary for life to exist: Soil: Soil is the result of rock that has been broken down by physical and/or chemical processes called weathering. Soil contains organic matter from decomposed plants and animals. Soil provides plants with minerals and nutrients, and it helps transport water to plants’ roots. Sunlight: Radiant energy form the sun illuminates and warms

Materials

• Potted plant

• Rock

• Cups of soil

• Bottles of water

• “Life Boxes”, labeled

(optional, 250ml milk cartons,

soil, water, seeds)

Key Concepts: All life must have enough

clean water.

Objectives: Students will identify four

essential factors necessary for life and explain how living

things use these four factors.

Time required:30 minutes

Key Words: Soils, water, photosynthesis

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, discussion, interpreting

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science,

The Life Box Background continued: the Earth’s surface. Plants use the sun’s energy to make sugar from carbon dioxide and water – a process called photosynthesis. Sunlight and soil are used directly by plants and indirectly by animals. Plants get minerals from the soil. Animals get their nutrients and energy from plants (or from animals that eat plants). Aquatic life in our rivers depends on sunlight reaching the depths through clean, clear water. Air: Air is a mixture of numerous gases that make up Earth’s atmosphere, including nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, and others. During plant photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is used to build sugar. Oxygen helps many plants and animals metabolize sugar in their cells. The burning of sugar, or respiration, supplies energy to living things. Water: Water is the combination of two colorless and odorless gases – hydrogen and oxygen. It is needed to dissolve and carry nutrients in solution for transport of food and waste within organisms. The process of photosynthesis also requires water. Soil erosion and air or water pollution compromise the life-supporting properties of these resources. Through awareness of our dependence on clean water, soil, and air, and perhaps through more direct use of sunlight for energy resources, we can learn to sustain the quality of our resources for future generations.

Procedure:

1. Assemble several “Life Boxes” prior to class; each with 1 cup of soil and a bottle of water inside. Label each box “The Life Box.” Place lids securely on boxes.

2. Show students a live potted plant, a rock, and a child selected from the class. Ask them to identify the two things that are living.

3. Circulate the Life Boxes among your students. Ask each student to open a box and note what is inside. After each student has examined the contents, he or she should place the cover back on the box and give it to the next student.

4. Ask the students what they found in each box. They will likely answer soil and a bottle of water. Their interest should grow when you tell them that each box contains two more items.

5. Circulate the boxes again and repeat the question: “What is in the box?” If, after a short brainstorming session, your students still have not identified air and light, provide the answer.

6. Tell students that each box contains the four things necessary for most life. Actually three things are in the box – water, soil, and air. The fourth, light, entered when the box was opened!

7. Explain how each of these factors is used by living things (see background).

8. In addition to the four essential life factors, discuss with student the important concept that living things require a healthy environment: food, shelter, water, and space. What would happen if food was limited or polluted or water was contaminated? Would life such as salmon survive?

The Life Box 9. Bring the selected student back to the front

of the room; also display the potted plant. Ask the class how each of these organisms uses the four life factors.

Extensions:

1. Have student plant two or three seeds or beans in each 250 ml milk carton and water them lightly each day, thus verifying that the four factors will cause dormant seeds to germinate and grow. Remind students that they must keep open the top of the carton to allow sunlight to enter.

Evaluation:

1. Identify the four essential factors of life. 2. Describe how living things use the four

factors of life. Community Connections: 1. Visit a local green house or local fish hatchery to see the four factors in real life action. Or, invite a green house owner or fish hatchery volunteer into your classroom for a presentation. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “The Life Box” from Project WET (1996).

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Water Address

Background:

Living organisms can be found all over Earth’s sur-face. Since three-quarters of Earth is covered with water, many plants and animals live in water environ-ments such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. Other organ-isms are able to live on land, including deserts, wet-lands, mountains, grasslands, etc. To survive in these varying environments, plants, animals, and other liv-ing things have special features or adaptations. Devel-oped over time, these adaptations help organisms ac-quire available nutrients and energy, protect them-selves against enemies, and cope with diverse condi-tions (e.g. arid, aquatic, tropical). Because water cov-ers most of the planet and is essential for life, many adaptations relate to water. Animals and plants have become suited to live in aquatic environments in many ways. For example, fish have stream-lined bodies and fins to help them maneuver through water. Ducks have webbed feet for swimming and glands that produce a waxy oil for waterproofing feathers. Other organisms have

Materials

• Water Address

cards, supplied

• Markers or crayons

• Photos of

organisms

(optional)


clean water

Objectives: Students will recognize water related adaptations of some

plants and animals .


With 30 minutes prep

Key Words: adaptation

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, discussion, classification, interpreting, communication, work,

matching

Grades: K-2

Subject, Science, Language Arts

Water Address

Background continued: developed the means to filter oxygen from water; for example, fish have gills. To live in fast-flowing water, such as a mountains stream, some organisms have modified mouth parts or fins that resemble suction cups, to keep them from being swept downstream. Water lilies anchor themselves on the bottoms of ponds and lakes, but their large leaves float on the surface, gathering light. Some land animals have adaptations that help them obtain and conserve water. The kangaroo rat, a desert dweller, feeds only on dry seeds. The animal metabolizes proteins and fats in a way that provides all the fresh water it needs. A camel can survive for days or even months without water. This animal gets moisture from its food and retains most of the water that is in its body. Camels do not sweat much and can tolerate an increase in body temperature of 11 degree F. A camel stores water in fat cells through its body. Plant adaptations for dry conditions include large root systems for collecting water, decreased leaf size, and a thick protective covering that resists water loss. The ribs of the saguaro or giant cactus expand or contract like an accordion for water storage. Plants and animals also possess adaptations related to cold water. Seals, penguins, and whales have insulation called blubber (a thick layer of oily fat beneath their skin) that keeps their body heat from escaping. Plants in cold environments must adapt to water scarcity, since the water in the soil around their roots is often frozen. The pine needle, a specialized leaf, has a thick, waxy coat and a small surface area to reduce the amount of water loss.

The behaviour pattern of an animal can be a response to the lack or abundance of water. Elk, moose, and deer migrate, sometimes great distances, to avoid heavy snows during winter. Migration patterns of birds correlate with winter and summer seasons. To prevent water loss during the heat of the day, some desert animals seeks shade. When water dries up in a pond, certain species of frogs bury themselves in the mud and can hibernate for many years, waiting for the rains to return. Procedure:

1. Discuss the importance of water to life. What is the longest time student can remember going without water? Inform them that humans can not survive more than three or four days without water.

2. Review the concept of adaptation (the modification over time of the structure, function, or behaviour of a plant or animal which enables it to be better suited to its environment). Ask students to brainstorm about plants or animals that have special water adaptations.

3. Tell students they are going to play a puzzle game in which they must guess an organisms identity and “water address.” Ask them to form groups of three or four.

4. Hand out a set of Water Address cards to each group. Instruct students not to look at the cards before the game begins.

5. Have one student in each group to turn over a card and try to name the plant or animal found there and it’s water address. If a student can not answer, the card gets passed along to the next student. When the group believes they have the correct answer, they should verify they have the correct answers (answers are listed on the master card template). The group receives

Water Address

one point per correct answer (e.g. “beaver” lives in “streams or rivers” = 2 points).

6. Continue the game until all the cards have been read.

7. Discuss how adaptations enable organisms to live in their environment. Have students summarize the special features or adaptations that help the organism live in its environment.

Extensions:

1. Students can create a new organism in an environment in the future or in a fictional water environment on a different planet such as “Zork.” Have students draw this new plant or animal and how it lives.

Evaluation:

1. Identify a plant or animal that has water adaptations.

2. Describe how adaptations enable plants and animals to live in different environments such as rivers or deserts.

Community Connections: 1. Bring photos of local animals and plant samples into the classroom and look for adaptations. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Water Address” from Project WET (1996).

SQUAMISH RIVERS

A House of Seasons

Background:

As the seasons change, so can the quantity and forms of precipitation. In the summer, long, hot, humid days can produce spectacular thunderstorms. In the late fall, water can be seen when dew forms on the grass and spider webs. Water in winter is used in snowball fights and in snow fort building. In spring, melting snow and plentiful snows create puddles, which are often a nuisance but can also be great fun! Not all parts of Canada experience the changing sea-sons in the same way. A west coast winter (generally very wet) is quite different from the deep freeze of Winnipeg! No matter where in the country we live, variations in weather occur through the year. These wet, wonderful changes influence how we plant our gardens, plan vacations, and perhaps even view the world.

Materials

• Old children’s or

nature magazines

• Scissors

• Glue

• Construction paper

• Tape


clean water

Objectives: Students will recognize the

presence of water throughout the seasons .

Time required:50 minutes &

30 minutes prep

Key Words: Seasons, water

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Gathering information, organizing,

Analysis, presentation

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science, Language Arts, Fine Arts

A House of Seasons Procedure:

1. Ask students to describe the difference seasons. Write down or note their responses. Circle or have students identify how many of their descriptions involve water in some forms (snow, rain, puddles, etc.) Which season do they like best? Why?

2. Organize students into small groups. Have students look through children’s or nature magazines. Ask them to locate and cut or tear out pictures that show the different seasons. Encourage students to look especially for pictures that contain water images. Students may also draw pictures of seasons.

3. Tell students to arrange the pictures in four piles, one pile for each season. Have students place each picture on a different coloured piece of construction paper representing each season (i.e. white for winter, green for spring, yellow for summer, and red for fall).

4. Have each student fold a piece of paper into quarters, dividing it into four equal sections. Instruct students to make collages with the photographs or pictures. Keep each season within its quarter section.

5. Discuss the presence of water in each season. Have students compare what water looks like in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Do they think there is a different quantity of water in each season? Does water have anything to do with why they

do or do not like a season? How do people manage water during different seasons (i.e. watering gardens or shoveling snow)? 6. Give each student a sheet of construction

paper. Have them cut four stuttered windows in the paper. The location of the cuts should correspond to the placement of the seasons in the collage. Teachers may wish to pre-cut the windows.

7. Have students lay the construction paper over their collage and tape the edges to the collage. When they open the windows, they should see winter, summer, fall, and spring scenery.

8. Have students share their collage with a friend. See if the friend can identify the seasons and describe what water looks like in that season.

Extensions: 1. Older students can add to their collage

newspaper headlines about water in the seasons.

Evaluation:

1. Have students: a. identify or draw pictures of the

seasons; b. Sort the pictures c. Design a collage d. Compare the appearance of water

in each season. Community Connections:

1. Have students bring in photos of their local rivers, streams, lakes, estuary and other community locations throughout the seasons.

A House of Seasons

2. Go on field trip once per season and build a classroom photo collage over the school year.

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “A House of Seasons” from Project WET (1996).

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Hooks and Ladders

Background:

In this activity, students simulate Pacific salmon and the hazards faced by salmon as they go through their life cycle. Many fish live part of their lives in one habitat and then migrate to another. Some make their migratory journeys to mature and reproduce. Pacific salmon are an example of one of the most spectacular of the migrating species. There are five species of Pacific salmon in North America: chinook, coho, pink, sockeye, and chum. We find coho and XXX in the Mamquam River and nearby channel habitat. Pacific salmon are destined to spawn only once in their lifetime. Within their genetic fiber is an encoded instinct that drives them from the time of hatching along a monumental journey from their freshwater spawning beds downstream to the sea. Once in the sea, they spend several years reaching the maturity needed for their single return journey to their original hatching ground. Once there, they salmon spawn and die. Salmon face a myriad of hazard that serve as lim-iting factors in the completion of their life cycle.

Materials

• Jump rope

• Rope for marking

boundaries

• Traffic cones

• Cardboard boxes

• 100 tokens or chips

• Large play area


clean water. Fish and wildlife need a

healthy habitat.

Objectives: Students will be able to

understand that some fish migrate as part of their life cycle; and that a healthy

habitat is an important part of that migration.


Key Words: Life cycle, migration, habitat

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Observation, analysis, discussion,

psychomotor development, using time and space

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science

Background Continued: Limiting factors are factors that reduce the populations of living organisms. Sometimes the limiting factors are natural, and sometimes they result from human intervention with natural systems. The female Pacific salmon deposits 1,500 to 7,000 eggs in her freshwater spawn. The eggs are deposited in a shallow gravel depression scooped out by the female. Once deposited, the eggs are fertilized by the male, and then both fish nudge the gravel back over the eggs to offer as much protection as possible. Within a few days both the male and female salmon have completed their reproduction and soon die. Spawning habitat contains shallow beds of gravel that are called “redds”. The eggs, before and after hatching, are susceptible to many limiting factors. Smothering silt can be washed in suddenly from watersheds damaged by a variety of land-use practices and events – including erosion from development, road building, logging, and fires. Floods can wash away eggs and predators can eat some of the eggs and damage hatching populations. Dropping water levels can isolate salmon offspring in streamside depressions to remain isolated and die. After hatching, the small fish – called “alevins” spend their first two weeks hiding in the gravel. Gradually they absorb their yolk and soon become known as “fry.” If they survive their first two weeks, they then begin their journeys. Young pink, chum, coho, and the very occasional Chinook all live in our local rivers. They may spend several months to as much as a year in the river habitat before migrating to the estuary and

then to the open ocean. Chum salmon and pinks don’t stay in our rivers at all but go directly into the ocean. Chinook salmon spend a year in the estuary and then goon their migratory journey. Coho salmon fry typically spend 1 – 2 years in the Mamquam and its ground water channels before they head out to sea. We also have Steelhead, Cutthroat, Dolly Varden, and resident rainbow trout in local rivers and streams. The small ocean bound salmon, now known as “smolts,” are at once confronted by hazards on their downstream journey. Examples are dams, low water in streams, and predatory birds, mammals, and larger fish. Up to 90% of salmon that hatch never reach the ocean. When in the ocean, the salmon grow rapidly by feeding on the ocean’s rich food supply. Predators such as sharks, killer whales and other marine mammals take their toll. In addition, humans fish for salmon commercially and for personal reasons, including food and recreation. In two to five years, the Pacific salmon start the journey that will guide them back to the rivers and streams leading to their own hatching site. Our salmon have a 4 year life cycle – so for pinks and chums, once hatched, they are in the ocean for 4 years and then return; for coho and chinook they return either 2 or 3 years later. Early returns (3 years) are known as Jacks. The upstream migration from the ocean is also a series of hazards. For example, dams hinder their journey and would block it completely if fish ladders were not installed. Fish ladders are water-filled staircases that allow the migrating fish to

Hooks and Ladders

swim upstream around the dam. Humans who fish, eagles, bears and other predatory animals also reduce the numbers along the way to the spawning ground. Sometimes landslides and log-jams provide unexpected new barriers. So too do the natural waterfalls and rapids that the now 10 – 15 lb adult salmon must overcome. Once back at the spawning ground the life cycle of the Pacific salmon begins anew. To maintain the Pacific salmon population, some biologists believe that only one pair of fish from each spawn much return to deposit and fertilize eggs. All possible conditions are not covered by the design of this activity. However, the activity does serve simply and effectively to illustrate three important concepts: life cycle, migration, and the importance of healthy habitat as part of that migration. Procedure:

1. Begin by asking students what they know about the life cycle of fish that live in the Squamish , Mamquam and other rivers and streams in their neighbourhood. Make a list of these fish – which ones migrate?

2. Tell students that they are going to learn about one species of fish that moves from one habitat to another to live out its life – the Pacific salmon.

3. Set up the playing field as shown in the diagram – including spawning grounds, downstream, upstream, and ocean. Assign roles to each of the students. Some will be salmon, others will be potential hazards to the salmon. Assign student roles as follows:

• Turbine team: two students to operate the jump rope which represents the turbines in hydroelectric plants. When all the

salmon have passed through the turbine, these students move to the upstream side to become the waterfall broad jump monitors. • Predatory wildlife: two students to

be predators should start below the turbines to catch salmon heading downstream. Later, when all the salmon are in the sea, they should move to above the waterfall broadjump to catch salmon just before they enter the spawning grounds.

• Fishing fleet: two students to operate “fishing boats” in the ocean. These students use cardboard boxes as boats and must keep one foot in their “boat” at all times to reduce their speed and maneuverability.

• All remaining students are salmon. Note: these figures are based on a class size of 25-30. With smaller classes, adjust the numbers of hazards and predators accordingly.

4. Begin the activity with all the salmon in the spawning ground. The salmon then start their journey downstream. The first major hazard is the turbine at the dam. The salmon can not go around the turbine (jump rope) but can slip under the swingers’ arms if they do not get touched by doing so. A salmon dies if it is touched by the jump rope or swingers’ arms.

Note: any salmon that “dies” at any time in this activity then goes immediately to become part of the fish ladder. Students who are the fish ladder crouch down (like in leap frog), leaving at least a body space width between them. (Salmon will

Hooks and Ladders

later use the fish ladder when swimming back upstream.)

Once past the turbines, the salmon must get past the predatory wildlife. The predators try to catch the salmon by tagging them with both hands. Dead salmon are escorted to the fish ladder by the predator so that they will become part of the ladder (this helps keep the predators off the field to give a more realistic survival ratio of salmon).Once in the ocean, the salmon can be caught by the fish boats. The salmon must move back and forth across the ocean to gather four (4) tokens. Each token represents one year of growth. When each fish has four tokens, that fish can begin migration upstream. The tokens can only be picked up one at a time on each crossing. Again, the fishing boats must use a two hand tag and escort dead salmon to the fish ladder. 5. Heading upstream, the salmon must go

through the entire fish ladder – but while in the ladder, predators may not harm the salmon.

6. Once through the ladder, salmon face the broad jump waterfall. The waterfall represents one of the natural barriers that salmon face going upstream. The salmon must jump the entire breadth of the waterfall to be able to continue. Thus, be sure the distance is challenging but not impossible! If they fail to make the distance, then they go back to the bottom of the fish ladder and may try again.

7. Above the waterfalls, the predators who started the game below the turbines have one last chance to catch salmon. They represent bears, who are one example of predatory wildlife at this stage of the salmon’s life cycle.

8. The game ends when all the salmon are gone before the spawning grounds are reached or when all surviving salmon reach the spawning grounds.

9. Ask students to summarize what they learned about the life cycle of the salmon. Discuss what might happen to salmon if any of their habitats were impacted by pollution. How can we help salmon live their life in all stages of the salmon life cycle?

Extensions:

1. Draw a picture of a salmon life cycle. Evaluation:

1. Name three habitats that make up part of the Pacific salmon life cycle.

2. Name some hazards that salmon face to grow from an egg to a mature fish.

Community Connections

1. Contact your local fisheries group to get a tour of your local fish hatchery.

2. Participate in a salmon aquarium program and release young fry into local streams nearby the school.

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Hooks and Ladders” from Project WILD (1997).

Hooks and Ladders

SQUAMISH RIVERS

A Drop in the Bucket

Background:

There is only so much water available on earth at any given time. The amount of water safe for human con-sumption (potable water) is very limited. It is interest-ing that on a planet extensively covered in water (71%), this resource is one of the main limiting fac-tors of life on earth. The earth is essentially a closed system in which the water cycle operates with no de-letions or additions. With our West coast abundance of freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes, one may eas-ily forget the very small proportion of this limited resource which is actually accessible and usable to us. By observing the following demonstration, students can learn that although the Earth is covered mainly by water, only a small amount is available for human consumption. Water is a limited resource and should be used wisely.

Materials

• water

• 1000 ml beaker or

measuring cup

• 50 ml beaker/cup

• 10 ml measure

• Dish & Dropper

• Small metal bucket


clean water

Objectives: Students will recognize the

limited amount of fresh water that is available to living

things


Plus 30 mins. extension

Key Words: Salt water, fresh water,

water conservation

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Observing, gathering information,

interpreting

Grades: K-3


Procedure:

1. Study a globe or map of the Earth and have students guess how much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. (71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water.) Record the guesses on the board.

2. Read the following information: • 95% of the world’s water is ocean water • 3.4% is ground water • 1.6% is frozen • .005% is water in lakes, streams & rivers 3. Show the class a beaker with 1000 ml of

water. Tell them it represents all the water on Earth.

4. Ask where most of the water on Earth is located? (Refer to the globe or map.) Pour out 28 ml of water into a 100 ml cylinder or container. This represents the Earth’s fresh water, about 3% of the total. Put salt in the remaining 972 ml to simulate the water found in oceans, unsuitable for human consumption.

5. Ask students what is at the Earth’s poles? Almost 80% of the Earth’s fresh water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. From the 28 ml, pour out 5 ml into a dish and place the rest into a nearby freezer or ice bucket. The water in the dish (around 0.6% of the total) represents the non-frozen fresh water, while the water in the freezer represents the water frozen in ice caps and glaciers.

6. From the 5 ml, pour out 4 ml to present the ground water in aquifers and underground streams. That leaves 1 ml of water that is surface water, found in lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, and wetlands.

7. From the remaining 1 ml, use an

eyedropper to remove a single drop of water. Release this drop into a small metal bucket. Make sure students are very quiet so they can hear the sound of the drop hitting the bucket. This drop represents clean, fresh water that is not polluted or otherwise unavailable for use, about 0.00003% of the total! This precious drop must be cared for very carefully!

8. Refer students to the recorded guesses about the Earth’s water. Have students explain their reasoning for their initial guesses. How would they adjust their estimates now?

Extensions:

1. Make a spinner out of sturdy cardboard using the disk pattern supplied. Have students colour in the disk. Make the spinners with a disk, pointer, washer and paper clip (teachers may want to make this ahead of time).

2. Give each student a copy of the Water Chart. Students spin the pointer and then colour a box in the chart on the row where the pointer lands. Which row of the chart will fill up first?

Evaluation:

1. Have students: a. Describe the relative amount of

fresh water that is available for living things.

Community Connections: 1. Have some one from the Squamish Regional District water utility come in to speak to the class

A Drop in the Bucket

about the community water supply and water conservation. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “A Drop in the Bucket from Project WET (1996), and “Analyzing the World’s Water Supply” from Water Stewardship (1995).

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Aqua Words

Background:

Water is central to all life and life activities. Plants and animals must have water to survive. Water repre-sents about 75% of a person’s body weight and covers about 71% of the earth’s surface. About 8% of Can-ada is covered by water. Canada has 16% of the world’s fresh water, making it one of the wettest countries in the world. Nearly everything on earth can be directly or indi-rectly traced to a connection with water. Rocks chan-nel water into streams, streams and rivers carry water across the land into seas and oceans. Ponds, lakes, marshes and swamps often hold water in place. Trees draw water from the soil and transport it up into the leaves and out again into the air. Clouds are airborne carriers of water across the sky. Wildlife needs water for survival. The water must be clean and free of toxic contamination. Humans use water for many purposes other than drinking. Care must be taken to protect water quality. Water is a

Materials

• Markers/crayons

• Large piece of

butcher or other

paper (or chalk

board)

Key Concepts: Fish and wildlife need a

healthy habitat


describe a variety of ways and reasons why water is

important to people and wildlife.


Key Words: water

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, discussion, listing, writing/

drawing

Grades: K-3


Background continued: source of beauty and recreation. It is the basis of a massive planetary transportation system. Water grows our food, cools our cars, and is one of the first things on the list of substances the astronauts take into space. The driest desert has water. There are about 1,330 million cubic kilometers of water in the oceans. The tiny plants that live in the earth’s oceans – phytoplankton – produce one third or more of our oxygen, a gas vital to vertebrate respiration. The major purpose of this activity is for student to increase their appreciation of the importance of water and watery habitats. Procedure:

1. Ask students to think about some of the ways they have used water that day. Emphasize how all living things are ultimately connected to water (see background information). Water is important. All life depends on water in some way.

2. Lay a long strip of butcher paper on a table or use spacious empty chalkboard and draw an outline of the banks of a river along the entire sheet. Use this river image to create a “river of words” and ask the students to list or draw 100 items that have something to do with water within the banks of the river. Ask them to think of words about water, including its importance to people and wildlife. Keep students stretching into new areas by suggesting examples and categories if they get bogged down.

3. Using the words and pictures that were recorded, ask the students to create webs

of related words/pictures on a separate paper. 4. When students have finished several water webs, have them look at what they have done and create one or two poems about water.

Extensions:

1. Create a class River of Words book with each student’s page included. Students can write their poem and then illustrate their ideas.

Evaluation:

1. Have students: a. Tell three ways you use water b. Tell how plants use water c. Tell how animals use water. d. Describe why water is important.

Community Connections: 1. Collect water words from outside your school! Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Aqua Words” from Project WILD (1995).

Aqua Words

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Are You Me?

Background:

Many animals look significantly different in their earliest stages of development, compared to adult-hood. This is obviously true for some aquatic insects. Many aquatic insects undergo metamorphosis. Meta-morphosis means change during growth. Some insect experience simple metamorphosis, while others un-dergo complete metamorphosis. In simple metamor-phosis, the insect egg hatches to produce a nymph. Insect nymphs have all the features of adults. As they grow, they are visibly similar at each stage. Insects that experience complete metamorphosis are characterized by eggs that hatch into larvae. The larva grows through several stages and then changes into a pupa. Pupae are usually encased in a protective cover for their next stage of growth. From the pupae emerge the soft-bodied, often pale coloured insects. They differ remarkable in appearance from their earlier forms, but are not yet completely formed. Gradually the soft pale body develops firmness and colour. In

Materials

• Cardboard for

making picture

cards

• Graphics supplied—

photocopied

• Glue

• Markers or crayons

• Photos from home


healthy habitat

Objectives: Students will be able to recognize various young

stages of aquatic animals and match them with adult stages

and their required habitat needs .


Key Words: Aquatic animals, grow, change, adult,

young, habitat

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, discussion, classification,

interpreting, communication, small group work, matching

Grades: K-2

Subject, Science,

Are You Me? Background continued: complete metamorphosis, there is little resemblance between the adult and earlier forms. There are also remarkable similarities and differences between other aquatic animals in different life stages. The eggs of many animals hide their eventual form (alligators, turtles, birds). Pelican hatchlings, for example, may be the closest image to miniature dinosaurs to be found on the planet. Aquatic mammals often are easy to recognize. They frequently do not change as dramatically as some other animals in overall appearance as they grow from young to adult stages. The major purpose of this activity is for students to recognize that there are differences in the life stages of aquatic animals as they grow. The students will increase their appreciation of the diversity of wildlife, their understanding of growth and change in animals, and the variety of habitat each life stage requires. Procedure:

1. Photocopy the aquatic animal cards and cut out each animal picture without the label.

2. Ask students to glue the animal card onto cardboard.

3. Ask the students to bring two pictures from home. One should be of an adult, the other should be a picture of the same person as a child.

4. Outside of class-time, pair up the cards into adult and young aquatic animals. Use the graphic master as a guide.

5. In class, using the photos brought from home, divide the students into small

groups of three or four student. Have them hold their own set of photos in their hands at a designated station. 6. Have the students at each station place

their pairs of photos on the table and mix them randomly. Once the adult-child photos are mixed at each table, have the entire group shift to another table, so there will not be anyone at the tables where their own photos are placed.

7. At the new table, have the group attempt to match pairs of adult-child photos.

8. When the students have completed their efforts to match the pairs, ask all of the groups to return to their original tables. Are the matches correct? Ask the students to change any pairs that are not correct. Talk about how difficult or easy it was to correctly match pairs. Introduce the idea that many animals look remarkably different as adults than they appear in younger forms. Tell the students they are about to learn how to match young and adult forms of many different kinds of aquatic animals.

9. Introduce the aquatic animal cards and divide the class in two. Designate one half of the class “adults” and the other half “young animals.” Give each student in the adult group and adult animal image. Give each student in the young animal group a young animal image. Make sure there is a corresponding match for each card given. You can attach each animal card to a string loop so the pictures can be hung around students’ necks as they try to match the picture.

10. Ask students to try and find their match pairing adults with the juvenile forms.

Are You Me? When all the students have made their choices and think they have a match, let everyone help to see if the matches are correct. Some are more difficult than others so you may refer to the matched images on the master graphic. 11. Look at similarities and differences in how

different kinds of animals grow and change. What kind of adaptations did you use to help match the animal pairs? How are these adaptations useful for the animal in the habitat in which it lives?

Extensions: 1. Find out as much as possible about some

of the habitats in which these animals live.

2. Pick a pair of images and find out more about the life cycle of the animals shown.

Evaluation:

1. Pick two aquatic animals. Draw a picture of each animal as an adult and another picture of when it was young

2. Shall your pictures with the class, telling about where that animal lives.

Community Connections:

1. Visit or look at photos of habitats of the animals from the cards that live nearby the school.

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Are You Me?” from Project WILD (1997).

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Water Plant Art

Background:

Aquatic plants grow in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colours. They are essential to the web of life in any aquatic ecosystem. The major purpose of this activity is to heighten students’ awareness and ap-preciation of aquatic plant life.

Note: a guide to common aquatic plants would be helpful. The Golden Press guides to pond life and seashores are examples of helpful resources that tend to be readily available.

Materials

• Plant samples

• Heavy white paper

• Wax paper

• Plant press or

heavy books

• Photos of aquatic

plants, animals,

habitats

• waterproof marking

pen (optional)


clean water; Fish & wildlife need a healthy

habitat


identify a variety of aquatic plants

Time required:40minutes

Key Words: Aquatic plants

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, classification, comparing

similarities and differences, discussion

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science, Art

Procedure:

1. Talk with students about the importance of there being a variety of plant life in aquatic habitats. Plants are important parts of aquatic ecosystems. They may provide food or shelter for aquatic animals.

2. Show students pictures of some different kinds of aquatic plants, aquatic animals, and aquatic habitats. Freshwater habitats like streams and lakes, and marine habitats like saltwater bays and ocean environments are examples.

3. Show students a small variety of a sample of local aquatic plants. Seaweed from saltwater areas or grasses and algae from freshwater areas work well. If you collect these yourself, do not take a large amount from any one area, or if possible, from any single plant. Make sure the plants are abundant and that you will do no permanent damage to the aquatic habitat by bringing your sample of plants to class. While gathering these plants, look carefully for aquatic animals. Gently remove any you find on your plant sample and put them in the water or on another plant in the environment, rather than accidentally taking them with you on your sample of plants.

4. Discuss the similarities and differences among the plants with students. Look at plant leaf shapes, colours, and size. Discuss any special adaptations that the plants may have that are specific to living in the water. Ask students to guess which animals might make use of these plants.

5. Place the plants in a pan filled with fresh water. Clean the plants. Plants may be broken into smaller size pieces for ease of placement on the white paper.

6. Gently lift the plants and place on heavy, white, porous paper. Arrange plant parts or plant into the desired design.

7. Cover the arrangement of plants with wax paper.

8. Write on the wax paper with waterproof pen the kind of plant (if known) and where and when it was found.

9. Place the artwork between several sheets of newspaper. The wax paper protects the plant, while the water will seep through the white paper. As the plant dries it will adhere to the white paper.

10. Make of stack of newspapers/art work and place on a flat surface. Place several heavy books on top or use a plant press. Drying may take several days or up to a few weeks, depending on humidity.

Extensions: 1. Go visit an aquatic habitat and gather plant

samples prior to making the water plant art Evaluation:

1. Name or draw two aquatic plants. 2. Add animals to the drawing and show how

these plants help animals that live in water.

Community Connections: 1. Have a local expert come to the classroom to help identify plants and share a story about them. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Water Plant Art” from Project WILD (1997).

Water Plant Art

Common Aquatic Plants found around Squamish:

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Everybody Needs a Home

Background:

Humans and other animals—including pets, farm ani-mals, and wildlife—have some of the same basic needs. Every animal needs a home. But that home is not just a house like people live in. Home for many animals, is a much bigger place—and it’s outdoor. The scientific term for an animals home is habitat. An animals habitat includes food, water, shelter, and space. Because animals need the food, water, shelter, and space available in a way that is suitable to the animals’ needs, we say these things must be available in a suitable arrangement. The major purpose of this activity is for students to generalize that fish and other aquatic animals need homes. Homes are not just houses. A house may be considered shelter. People build houses, apartments, trailers, houseboats, and other kinks of shelter in which to live. Fish don’t need a home that looks like a house—but they do need some kind of shelter, access to clean water & plentiful food, and space to live in.

Materials

• Drawing paper

• Crayons or chalk

• Fish colouring sheet

(optional)


clean water.

Fish and wildlife need a healthy habitat.

Objectives:

Students will be able to generalize that people and other animals share a basic

need to have a home


Key Words: Differences, similarities,

food, water, shelter, space

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, comparing similarities and

differences discussion, drawing, generalization, visualization

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science, Language Arts, Art

Procedure:

1. Ask each student to draw a picture of where he or she lives - or to draw a picture of the place where a person they know lives. Ask the students to include picture in their drawing of the things they need to live where they do: for example, a place to cook and keep food, a place to sleep, a space around their house in a neighbourhood.

2. Once the drawings are finished, have a discussion with the students about what they drew. Ask the student to point out the things they need to live that they included in their drawings.

3. Make a gallery of homes out of the drawings. Point out to the students that everyone has a home.

4. Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine a home for fish (salmon), aquatic insects (water strider), or aquatic mammals (beaver). (Optional: show the students pictures of these homes.)

5. Discuss the similarities and differences among the different homes with the students. Talk about the things every animals needs its home: food, water, shelter, and space in which to live, arranged in such a way that the animal can survive. Summarize the discussion by emphasizing that although the homes are different, every animal- people, pets, farm animals, wildlife – needs a home. In some ways, it is more like a neighbourhood. For animals, we can call that neighbourhood where all the survival needs are met a habitat. People go outside their homes to get food at a store, for example. Fish and other animals have to go outside of their

“houses” to get the things they need to live.

6. Ask each student to draw a picture of an

aquatic home for a fish such as salmon or an animal such as a beaver. Compare them to places where people live.

Extensions:

1. Go outside and look for aquatic animal homes. Be sure not to bother the animals or the homes in the process!

Evaluation:

1. Name three reasons why people need homes.

2. Name three reasons why animals need homes.

Community Connections: 1. Contact your local fisheries group to get a tour of “home improvements” such as a habitat restoration project nearby your school. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Everybody Needs a Home” from Project WILD (1997).

Everybody Needs a Home

EVERYBODY NEEDS A HOME:

HELP KEEP OUR STREAMS CLEAN AND SAFE FOR FISH!

This salmon was coloured by:

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Make a Watershed Model

Background:

Puddles, streams, rivers, and lakes all have something in common. They collect water that is drained from watersheds. Watersheds are like funnels; they are drainage basins where surface water runs off and drains into a common collection site. Watersheds are separated from each other by land forms (ridges or mountain divides). Water falling on each side of the divide drains into different watersheds and collection sites. Surface runoff flows over a school’s grounds on its way to the collection site (a local stream for example), therefore, schools are part of a watershed. The anal-ogy of a huge deciduous tree may be helpful in ex-plaining the concept of watersheds. When rain falls, one drop may join with others to form a rivulet. These rivulets join together (streams), which then join along branches (rivers), then trunk of the tree (large river leading to the ocean). It is important to realize how we affect water as it passes by us. Everything we do

Materials:

• Chalk

• Popsicle sticks,

bread tags or chips

• Sand pile, sponges,

watering can,

plastic sheet

• digging tools, rocks

(optional)

Key Concepts:

You can help make your watershed a good place for

both people and wildlife

Objectives: Students will predict where

water will flow in watersheds and understand the impact of

water flow in their school yard.

Time required:30-60 minutes

& 45 minutes sand play

Key Words: Watershed, streams, lakes, rivers,

wetlands, pollution

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Gathering information, organizing, discussion, analyzing, interpreting

Grades: K-3

Subject, Science

Make a Watershed Model Background continued: affects the plants and animals using the water downstream. People who get their drinking water directly from streams and rivers are acutely aware of upstream activities such as livestock using the river (thus disturbing the channel bottom) or an upstream municipal sewage treatment plant. Groundwater sources of drinking water can also be impacted by activities in the watershed. Pollution can make its way through the watershed drainage into aquifer re-charge areas. If the water contains contaminants, then that aquifer water quality may be compromised. For the purposes of teaching the watershed concept, it is recommended to focus on a small watershed – play in a sand watershed model. Or, you can do a rainy day hike on the school grounds to investigate the flowing water into a puddle. Be sure to dress for the weather! Procedure:

1. Use chalk to draw a large tree-like structure on a paved area of the school playground. (See diagram). Make sure there are enough “twigs” for each student at the tip of the “tree.”

2. Give each student a blue chip/token or a bread tag. The tokens represent a water drop.

3. Ask students to walk down their twigs onto the nearest branch where they will join with other students. They should link hands. Like a grand march, keep joining the groups together until they are groups walking down the trunk of the tree.

4. Explain that they started as individual water drops and they then joined with others into streams and rivers to form the water flow in their watershed.

5. Repeat the procedure but give students in

one branch a Popsicle stick or other (non-blue) token. These tokens represent pollution such as an oil spill. Have students do the Grand March of the raindrops one more time.

6. When students have completed this exercise, ask them to summarize the general pattern of water flow throw the watershed. If possible, point out local mountains where the rain drops start and then local streams and rivers where the drops eventually collect.

7. For the second part of this activity, gather students in the sand area of your school playground. (Extra sand may have to be delivered prior to completing this activity. Sand should be left in a pile or piled up to make a “mountain” prior to beginning.)

8. Ask students to guess where on the sand “mountain” the watershed “twigs and “branches” might be located. Point out that the smaller twigs (streams) are located in the uppermost areas of the mountain and the larger branches (rivers) are like the trunk of the tree which leads to the ocean. The ocean is located at the base of the mountain.

9. Have students dig out the streams and rivers of the watershed. Rocks may be placed for added dimensions. Wetlands, lakes and ponds can be added using sponges to represent them (water is stored in wetlands, lakes, and ponds similar to a sponge).

10. When students are satisfied with their watershed, carefully lay a plastic sheet over the watershed. Tuck plastic into the created streams & rivers. Sponges should be transferred to on top of the sheet. Rocks

Make a Watershed Model can be placed around the sheet to keep it in place (optional). 11. Ask students to predict what will happen

when water is poured onto the watershed. Pour water from the watering can onto the watershed beginning at the mountain top and discuss what happens.

12. Repeat the exercise as many times as you have time for, changing the features of the watershed.

Extensions: 1. Add pollution to the watershed by placing

food colour in a small sponge at a location in the watershed prior to pouring on the water. Have students predict what will happen to the pollution. How can we clean up pollution in the watershed?

2. Go on a rainy day hike around your school yard. Have students work in small groups to investigate sites of flowing water on the school grounds. They should observe water colour and which way water is flowing. Children can use natural material (twigs and the like) to make tiny “boats” to float down the “river” to the ocean (puddle).

Evaluation: Have students:

1. compare their ideas about watersheds from before and after the activity;

2. Draw their idea of local watershed using a local river like the Mamquam River as a focus. Students can draw features from the mountains to the estuary and Howe Sound;

3. Discuss reasons why their watershed and school grounds must be kept clean.


1. Invite a member of a local streamkeeper group or fish and wildlife club to tell about your local watershedd

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Making a Watershed Model” from Water Stewardship (1995), and “Rainy Day Hike” from Project WET (1996).

Watershed Drainage Pattern

SQUAMISH RIVERS—

Riparian Field Trip

Background:

The word riparian refers to land next to a body of water such as land adjacent to streams, rivers, flood-plains, lakes, wetlands, and coastal shorelines. Ripar-ian areas provide a number of ecological functions that are a crucial component of watershed health. Ri-parian areas provide a transition area between wet habitat and drier upland habitat. Many species of wildlife use riparian areas to live, find food and water, reproduce, and establish viable populations. Riparian areas also function as a flow pathway for energy, ma-terials, and animals. Water and sediment flow through the area into streams and rivers. Wildlife uses the thick vegetation for cover while moving from one area to another. Healthy riparian areas benefit both stream habitat and the surround land uses. Benefits include: reduced wa-tershed asphalt areas (impervious surfaces), increased distance from urban land use to stream habitat, pre-vention of soil erosion from steep slopes, effective flood control, protection of stream banks, increased

Materials

• Hula hoops

• Pencils and crayons,

clipboards

• Mural paper

• Field guides

(optional)


healthy habitat. You can help make your

watershed a good place for people and wildlife.

Objectives:

Students will describe riparian areas and their importance for

healthy watersheds.

Time required:50 minutes &

prep time

Key Words: Riparian areas, plants, watershed

SQUAMISH R IVERS—

Skills: Gathering information, analysis,

classifying, describing

Grades: 2-4


Riparian Field Trip Background continued: sediment and pollutant removal, lower stream water temperatures essential for fish habitat, food, cover, and steam habitat, wetland protection, wildlife corridors, increased property values, and foundations for greenways, possibilities for future restoration. Identifying a riparian area often involves observing the plants that live there. Riparian plants enjoy having “wet feet” that is; moist soils and the ability to handle intermittent high water. Native plants or species of plants that naturally exist in riparian areas can be easily identified using field guides. Some riparian areas have introduced or non-native plants found there. Non-native plants can have an undesirable effect on some native species by out competing them for essential nutrients. Purple loosestrife is one non-native riparian plant that is devastating areas throughout the province. Introduction of non-native species can displace native plants and lead to a decrease in biodiversity. Procedure:

1. Before heading out into the field, brainstorm with students what they know about streams and the plants and animals that live nearby them. List the types of plants and animals that you might expect to find or find evidence of at your field site.

2. Introduce the concept of riparian area. Explain that riparian areas are important to the health of a watershed, including stream and river habitats.

3. At your field site, start next to the stream and run a or rope for 10-15 meters up the

slope away from the stream. This is your transect line. 4. Place students in small groups at intervals

along the transect line with hula hoops as their survey placement. Give hula hoop site a survey number. Have students fill in their data sheets with drawings of plants and evidence of wildlife and other features. Be sure that students note where their survey site on their data sheet.

5. Back in the classroom, recreate your riparian area. Draw a line on a large sheet of mural paper to represent the transect line in the riparian zone. Include the hula hoop survey sites. Have students draw what they found at their survey site on the mural. Ask students to tell about the plants and animals they have found all along the line.

6. Compare the plants and animals found closest to the stream and furthest from the stream. Is there a difference? Now look for signs of a change of plant communities. For example, is there an area where there was a change from low under-story (shrubs) to forest (trees)?

7. Ask students how animals might use riparian areas for food or shelter. Why would these areas be important to fish that live in the nearby stream?

Extensions: 1. Ask students to what they think might

happen if:: • A shopping mall was built in the

riparian zone that we visited? • A park was created in that same

area?

Riparian Field Trip

Evaluation:

1. Describe the ways in which animals might use the riparian area for food or shelter.

2. Describe the ways riparian plants and animals are connected to other watershed species or habitats. For example, aquatic species, land species, birds, or humans.


1. Invite a member of a local naturalist group to assist students identifying plants when doing the field study.

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Riparian Field Trip” from Wild BC.

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Stream Sense

Background:

Sense organs—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin—are needed to detect the surrounding environment. With information it receives through the senses, the brain interprets what we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. In addition to translating the information it receives, the brain also relates these details to memories and thought processes. In this way, recognition and learn-ing take place. In most humans, sight is the predominate sense organ. When an individual uses all of his or her senses to investigate the environment, the brain receives a broader range of information. This information pro-vides the opportunity for more thorough learning. A stream provides an ideal opportunity for students to use all their senses. People hear water rushing over rocks and lapping at the banks. They feel a breeze against their skin, and hear insects buzzing and chirp-ing among the willows. The air around the stream feels moist and carries a variety of particles

Materials

• Touch and feel bags

(with materials that

could be found near a

stream)

• Graphics supplied—

photocopied

• Pencils and crayons,

clipboards


healthy habitat. You can help make your

watershed a good place for people and wildlife.

Objectives:

Students will recognize how their senses provide them with

details about stream ecosystems .

Time required:2, 50 minute

periods & prep time

Key Words: Observation, sense organs

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Gathering information

Grades: K-4

Subject, Science, Fine Arts, Language Arts

Stream Sense Background continued: from flowers, damp earth, and chemicals in the water to their noses. Along the banks and in shallow portions of the stream, a variety of materials of different shapes and textures can be touched. It is important to protect the senses. Safety rules should be followed when students explore a stream. Procedure:

1. Review the five senses (sight, sound, touch, feel, and taste). Discuss how they are used in daily life. Ask student about previous trips or visits to natural areas such as streams. How were their senses involved in these visits?

2. Ask students to describe how they observe things. Do they think it is possible to observe using all their senses?

3. Distribute touch and feel bags to groups of students. The bags should include items commonly found nearby a stream such as a cattail, a pebble, a shell, twig, etc. Ask students to identify the objects inside by touch alone.

4. Tell students they will be visiting a stream and will be recording how they use their senses to observe the stream. Review the Stream Safety rules with students.

5. At the stream, hand out copies of the Sensory Observation Sheet. Explain that when they record their observations, students should draw or write things as they perceive them.

6. Ask students to find a quiet spot near the stream; have students sit very still to look, listen, smell and feel. Remind them to use

all their senses! Have students complete their observations sheets. 7. Explain that when they record their

observations, they should draw or write things as they perceive them. For example, when they look at things, they should describe shapes and colours; when they hear things, they write imitations of the sounds or draw what is sounds like; etc.

8. Throughout the trip, remind students to use their senses!

9. Discuss with students what they saw, felt, heard, and smelled while at the stream. Was it what they expected?

Extensions: 1. Create a “sensory guide” to the stream or

river for other people when they visit the stream

2. Pick a site or sound and find out more about it – what animal makes that sound? Or, what type of plant or tree did they see and smell?

Evaluation: Have students:

1. Complete the sensory observation form with words and/or drawings


1. Pick a nearby stream to monitor over the school year with the senses. What changes did you find?

Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Stream Sense” from Project WET (1996).

Stream Sense Observation Sheet Name:

Sights Smells

Touch Sounds

SQUAMISH RIVERS

Stewardship BINGO!

Background:

Stewardship involves participating in a variety of activities that can take place either in a backyard or in a protected area such as beside a stream or a park. For example, stewardship of our backyard habitat may involve composting our garden waste, while stewardship of a sensitive area like a stream may involve respecting wildlife by us-ing binoculars to not disturb nesting Great Blue Herons. District staff use a variety of tools such as land-use management plans and public out-reach to encourage stewardship of the areas they manage. This activity focuses on ways students can participate in stewardship of some protected areas like streams near their home, school, or in their community.

Materials

• BINGO template • Extra paper • Scissors • Glue sticks • Clipboards for outside • Pencils/pens • Crayons (optional)

Key Concepts: You can help make your

watershed a good place for both people and wildlife.

Objectives:

Students will be able to: identify stewardship activities that help care for a stream or

other sensitive habitat


Or more if outside

Key Words: Stewardship; Responsibility Steward;

SQUAMISH R IVERS

Skills: Analysis, discussion, listing, writing/

drawing

Grades: K-3


Procedure:

1. Photocopy Student Worksheet and hand out to students.

2. Students should colour, cut, and paste stewardship cards onto the bingo template prior to playing the game. Teachers should instruct students to “mix-up” their cards so that students have different bingo sheets. Some students also need to cut up blank cards for playing the game.

3. Teachers call out activity cards pulled from a hat “Bingo style”. For example, students who have the card “Respect wildlife” can then place a blank card over that space.

4. The aim is to complete a row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, to win.

5. Continue calling out activities until someone calls out “Steward!” when they have completed a row.

6. When most (or all) students are “stewards” ask students where they think these activities should take place. Is it appropriate to respect wildlife at home or in the schoolyard or in a park?

7. Draw the same game template on the board and then discuss with students where it is best to place each stewardship activity: home, school, community, or park. Discuss the pros and cons of each. Some activities might fit into all places – others may only be appropriate for one type of area.

Extensions:

1. Go on a Stewardship walk around the school and school yard. When a student finds a place where a stewardship activity could take place (like the school recycling bins) they can mark it off or colour it in on their BINGO! sheet. When all spaces are filled in, call the class together and discuss what they found.

2. Play different types of Bingo. Some variations include:

Four corners: cover all four corners plus the middle

One corner patch: cover one corner with four cards

Opposite corner patch: cover two corners with four cards each.

Winners of the bingo game can then become the Captain of the STEWARD – SHIP

Evaluation:

1. Have students name three types of activities that care or protect sensitive areas like streams and rivers.

Community Connections: 1. Take a walk nearby your school to find local areas that can be protected by stewardship activities such as a park, local streams or other special places. Resource: This activity has been adapted from “Stewardship Bingo!” from Protected Areas: Preserving our Future (2002).

Stewardship BINGO!

Stewardship BINGO! Name:

Respect wildlife 3 R’s Stay on trails

Put litter in its place Monitor streams Keep dogs on leash

Care for trees Protect fish Look at plants and animals

Stewardship BINGO! Name:

Contact List: Squamish Rivers School Program 2006 Name Organization Address Phone Fax Email Bell-Irving, Rob Fisheries & Oceans Canada Box 2360, Squamish BC V0N

3G0 604-892-2040

[email protected]

Blair Whitehead, DG

Whitehead Environmental RR#1 CH-11 Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0

604-947-0144

604-947-0141

[email protected]

Bouchard, Lynne

Mamquam Elem. 604-898-3601

[email protected]

Carson, Liz Mamquam Elem. 604-898-3601

[email protected]

Farmer, Barb Mamquam Elem. 604-898-3601

[email protected]

Fisher, Hilary Brackendale Elem. 604-898-4297

[email protected]

Kelly-Smith, Linda

Squamish Elem. 604-898-4285

[email protected]

Kent, Ian Mamquam Elem [email protected] Langford, Chessy

District of Squamish PO Box 310 Squamish BC V0N 3G0

604-815-5021

[email protected]

Law, Linda Brackendale Elem. 604-898-1770

[email protected]

Shier, Cindy Mamquam Elem. 604-898-8981

[email protected]

Sotham, Nancy Squamish Elem.

[email protected]

Tarling, Cara Brackendale/Squamish

[email protected]

Tattersfield Sea-toSky Highway Project #103 42000 Loggers Lane 604-898-2117

[email protected]

Tobe, Edith Squamish River Watershed Society

PO Box 1791, Squamish BC V0N 3G0

[email protected]

Watson, Donna Mamquam Elem. 604-898-3601

[email protected]

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