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Introduction to the Hudson River

Module 1: Hudson River Ecosystem Unit Plan
Day 1:

A Journey Down the Hudson River:

Objective: Students will know the components of the Hudson River ecosystem and be able to revise their initial concept maps to create a more complete view of the ecosystem.

Activities:
1. Students draw their idea of a Hudson River ecosystem 2. Working in groups, students identify biotic vs abiotic objects 3. Students discuss what it means to be “alive” 4. Students create a diagram of the Hudson River ecosystem, complete with biotic and abiotic factors, as a class 5. Students view a powerpoint of the Hudson River and add to their drawings

Assignment: Revise diagrams created at the beginning of class. Read “Hudson River and Tides” in preparation for tomorrow

Materials: Is it alive? objects, depending on version of the activity, Sticky notes, Journey down the Hudson powerpoint (optional: video worksheet), string (~10 feet long)

Day 2:

Hudson River Tides:

Objective: Students will know how tides affect the Hudson River and be able to create a graph showing a two day pattern of tides in the river.

Activities:
1. Teacher demonstration of salt and fresh water mixing and stratification 2. Students use Hudson river data to determine the impact of tides on salinity 3. Students discuss their graphs

Assignment: Complete graphs from classroom lesson or complete enrichment graphs using “A Day in the Life” data. Read “Watersheds” for tomorrow

Materials: For demonstration: 2 clear plastic containers, 2 siphons (or spoons if you want to do a smaller demonstration), clear fresh water, fresh water with drops of food coloring, clear salt water, salt water with drops of food coloring. For student groups: computers with excel, copy of worksheet

Day 3-4:

Watersheds:

Objective: Students will know
a. How water flows around their school and be able to create a map of their local watershed.
b. What a watershed is and will be able to explain how pollution and permeability within a watershed will affect water quality.

Activities:
1. Students discuss what they know about watersheds and create a drawing of their school’s watershed after a walking tour 2. Students create a watershed model 3. View powerpoint explaining the importance of land cover in watersheds

Assignment: Students respond to written prompt. Read “Rocks Serve as Snapshot of Valley’s Timeline”

Materials: For each group: a plastic or metal tray, a spray bottle filled with water, newspaper, paper towels, plastic wrap, food coloring or kool aid, tennis ball, tape measure, local topographic map For each student: copies of Runoff worksheet

Day 5-6:

Hudson Valley Rocks:

Objective: Students will identify each of the rocks provided, locate where in the valley they are found and be able to explain why the rocks came to be as they are in each place.

Activities:
1. Students will brainstorm origin of rocks in their backyards 2. Students identify rocks in lab pairs, completing lab packet

Assignment: Complete lab packet

Materials: class sets of Hudson Valley rocks: gneiss, dolostone, shale, slate, schist (mica schist if possible), conglomerate, sandstone, basalt, and glacial till.

class set of Earth Science Reference Tables, class set of the article “Rocks Serve as Snapshot of Valley’s Timeline, , Geologic Map of New York State Southeastern sheet and Legend sheet, class set of Geologic Map of New York State Southeastern sheet and Legend sheet

Day 7:

Glacial Groundwater:

Objective: Students will identify the permeability rates in different glacial deposits and be able to infer what local townships can best benefit from residential wells.

Activities:
1. Students read excerpt from “The Hudson: A History” 2. Students complete lab activity to determine the permeability of different glacial deposits

Assignment: Complete lab report

Materials: Glacial Deposits Map of Dutchess County, Ground Water Occurrences of Dutchess County, Soil Permeability of Dutchess County. One clear plastic cup of each of the following: Glacial Till (mixed particle size), Lacustrine deposit (stratified silt and clay), Sand and Gravel (stratified sand and gravel), 100 ml beaker, food coloring, stopwatch

Day 8-9:

Human Accelerated Environmental Change:

Objective: Students will know some of the major changes that have taken place in the Hudson River watershed and be able to determine what has caused these changes.

Activities:
1. Students view a powerpoint of different human impacts on a global scale, taking notes and discussing questions when necessary. 2. Using the jigsaw technique, students examine one type of change more closely and then explain this to other classmates. 3. Students answer questions based on a short reading assignment.

( Version 1 is for lower level students)

Assignment: Complete group handout

Materials: powerpoint presentation, Copies of HAEC Notes-one for each student, Copies of HAEC questions-one packet for each student, Copies of HAEC group handout-one copy for the class; can be laminated and used again (color printing is best), Copies of HAEC Summary Graphs-one per student, Copies of HAEC reading-one for each student

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