EM3050 Activity: Water Life Detectives: Make Your Own Water Scope & Water Creature Coloring Sheet
OBJECTIVES
To learn about the insect life in and around freshwater.
The health of our local waterways can be detected in many ways. In 30/50 Activity #25, you tested water ph and acidity. In this activity, you will be a Water Life Detective to search out bugs and other living creatures that might indicate the presence or absence of pollutants. To do so, you will make a water scope and explore the edges of local waterways!
MATERIALS
Clean, empty plastic beverage bottle
Scissors
Plastic wrap
Sturdy rubber bands
Insect information sheet
Insect coloring sheet
ACTIVITY
- Rescue a plastic beverage bottle from your recycling bin. With a sharpie, draw two circles around the bottle -- one just below the neck of the bottle, and one just above the bottom of the bottle.
- With an adult’s supervision, use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a slit in the lines drawn.
- Insert scissors into the slit and cut around the bottle, making sure to leave no sharp edges.
- Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap and lay on a table. Place one end of bottle in the center of the sheet, and pull sheet up around the bottle, wrapping securely.
- Place rubber bands (should be a tight fit -- if not, find a different size rubber band) around the plastic wrap to secure in place.
Your scope is ready to use!
- Download and print this water creature identification sheet (go ahead and color if you want!) and bring along to the water with you. You might put it in a ziplock bag to keep it dry.
- Explore pond, creek, and river edges with your water scope. Look on top of rocks. Look under rocks. What do you find??
Here’s a description of what you might find and what those bugs might tell you about water health. This image is from Salmon WILD.
Share your photos, journal pages, thoughts, experiences, and/or feedback with us! Post on social media with hashtags:
#umbrellaarts #musketaquid #concordearthday #musketaquidearthday #earthday3050
Or email Caroline at caroline@theumbrellaarts.org
Special thanks to our Earth Month sponsors
