Aquatic Habitats: Exploring Desktop Ponds, Grades 2-6

In this compelling and unique series of life-science activities for grades two through six, student groups set up and observe living, desktop models of a pond. Over a period of weeks, each group studies and adds one type of organism at a time to a small tank, transforming the containers into aquatic habitats. As the model ponds develop and change over time, students discover firsthand some of the complex interactions within a typical pond ecosystem. Unlike clean, filtered aquariums, these aquatic habitats more closely model what happens in the natural world. Plants, worms, snails, fish, and other organisms compete for limited space, food, and resources. Concepts such as life cycles and food webs take on real and memorable meaning as students become increasingly drawn into the drama of life itself.