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Lesson 1- A Journey Down the Hudson River
This is an inquiry-based lesson asking students to think about the components of the Hudson River ecosystem, focusing on the difference between biotic and abiotic factors. Next, using a powerpoint presentation, students will be introduced to the changes and stresses that the river endures. Use the accompanying worksheet to guide students through the presentation and test their comprehension. The short reading complements information presented in the power point presentation. There are two optional labs, which ask students to think about the components of living ecosystems. Version 1 uses common items, while version 2 uses water samples from a local aquatic ecosystem. This is a way to extend the activity into a lab. For advanced students, use the 'Hudson as an Ecosystem' powerpoint to address more complex ecosystem basics.
Lesson 2- Hudson River Tides
In the Hudson River Geography reading students learn that the Hudson River is tidal. Native people called it 'The River That Flows Both Ways'. Understanding tides is essential to understanding the Hudson's chemistry and biology. Use the Tides lesson with its accompanying worksheet to teach students about the Hudson's tides. Students can either graph the data by hand or use Excel. A student-friendly reading entitled "Tides" can be given as homework before or after the lesson. For more advanced students, they can read one or both of the "Tides in the Hudson."
Lesson 3- Watersheds
The Hudson River, like all rivers and streams, is fed by its watershed. Start this lesson by taking students on a walk of the school grounds, asking them to draw the local watershed. Then, students create a 'model' of a watershed, and model different types of pollution and land cover. Finally, students view a powerpoint of the connections between land cover and runoff. Use the Runoff worksheet to help guide students during the outdoor activity. The reading can be used as homework before the lesson.
Lesson 4- Hudson Valley Rocks
Underlying all of the Hudson River Valley is its geology. The chemical and physical characteristics of the rocks that underlie the land can have profound effects on what flows into streams that feed the river and ultimately the river itself. In this lesson, students discover the geology of the Hudson River Valley. Included is a second activity that students can complete to study the regional geology of the New Paltz area.
Lesson 5- Glacial Groundwater
The Hudson Valley was covered by a glacier that had an enormous influence on the shape of the land and on the characteristics of the deposits in which groundwater sits. In this lesson, students learn about permeability and the availability of groundwater in different communities in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. By extension, students will think about which communities can best benefit from residential wells.
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