Wonderwise

Urban Ecologist
Urban Ecologist

Carmen Cid, Ph.D., climbs into hip boots and trudges through mud to investigate life in a pond. She records her observations, collects plants and seeds, and conducts experiments in the greenhouse. Her work as a plant ecologist helps scientists learn what keeps wetlands healthy.

Your students will develop an understanding of:

• how to conduct an investigation and interpret data
• diversity in ecosystems
• plant structures and their different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction
• how to conduct a simple experiment to learn about form and function
• the effects of environmental changes

Activities include:

• Sound Sense—use ears and then eyes to sharpen your observation skills.
• Cool Tool—learn how to test the health of your environment.
• Seedy Travelers—predict and then test the strategies that seeds use to travel.
• Walk on Water Bugs—create a water bug and use it to explore the effects of water pollutants.
• Drain Game—make a watershed to learn about toxic runoff into lakes and streams.

Check out the supply list for each activity.


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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 9909496.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).