Project WILD Aquatic Activities

Activities are available through our Project WILD workshops.

Aqua Words – Students brainstorm water words; make word trees with those words; and write poetic statements about water. Students describe a variety of ways and reasons why water is important to people and wildlife. Requires writing materials.

Are You Me? - Using picture cards students match pairs of juvenile and adult aquatic animals. Upon completion students recognize various adult and juvenile stages of aquatic animals; and define metamorphosis. Requires Are You Me cards and art supplies.

Habitracks – Students identify the components of habitat by using a map and exploring their school grounds. Upon completion students identify basic components of habitat; generalize that all animals including people need these components. Requires habitat maps, task cards, habitat components, glue or tape, pencils, scissors, chalkboard, and small paper bags.

Marsh Munchers – Students use body movement and pantomime to simulate the feeding motions of marsh animals. Upon completion students identify components of a food web in a salt march; and identify their interconnectedness in the food web. Requires timer; construction paper for tokens; predator feeding behavior cards; detritus eater cards; and one envelope per student.

Plastic Jellyfish - Students monitor the plastic waste production in their own households, research the effects of plastic waste on freshwater and marine life and propose various ways to lesson the problem. Upon completion students describe the potential effects of plastic waste on aquatic wildlife; and identify specific actions to remedy the problem. Requires plastic waste; a shallow tray or box for each group; soil; plastic bags; one tablespoon of tiny multicolored beads for each group; clock; and paper towels.

Silt: A Dirty Word - Students create a model to simulate changes to a stream and its water flow when silt and/or sand are added to the system. Upon completion students describe how sand and/or silt affects water flow; and identify human activities that add sand and silt to surface water. Requires for each group a clear plastic 1 gallon container; gravel to cover bottom of container; water to fill the container 1” from the top; 1 cup coarse sand; 1 cup silt; and three straws per person.

Water Canaries – Students investigate a stream or pond using sampling techniques. Upon completion students identify several aquatic organisms; and asses the relative environmental quality of a stream or pond based on indicators of pH, water temperature and the presence of a diversity of organisms. Requires identification books; student worksheets; sampling equipment, such as seine nets, sieve, trays, assorted container and white trays; magnifying lenses; eyedroppers and forceps; water quality test kits; thermometer; meter sticks or tape measures

Water We Eating? – Students visit a local supermarket and compile a list of products that originate in aquatic habitats. Upon completion students identify foods derived from aquatic resources and their geographic origins; and describe the importance of aquatic environments as food sources. Requires writing materials; a world map; magazines or newspapers.

What’s That, Habitat? – Students draw pictures of people and animal homes, comparing basic needs. Upon completion student identify their own basic needs and generalize that wildlife and other animals have similar basic needs. Requires drawing paper; crayons or chalk.