Activities

1. Wetlands are lands where water saturation is the dominant factor determining the nature of the soil development and the plant and animal communities. Create a collage depicting a wetland.
   
   
2. Scientists often will use outlines to organize information. You may have used an outline to organize your thoughts before you complete a writing piece.
   Task: Read the following description of types of wetlands and create an outline.

There are 4 main types of wetlands: marches, swamps, bogs, and fens. Marshes can be tidal or non-tidal (wet meadows, prairie potholes, vernal pools, and playa lakes). When we consider swamps there are forested swamps (for example bottomland hardwoods) and shrub swamps (mangrove swamps). Bogs are dived into 2 categories: northern bogs and pocosins. Fens are the last type. Fens, like bogs, are peatlands, but because they are fed by groundwater they are not so acidic as bogs.

3. Imagine you are a journalist looking for a “hot scoop” on wetlands. You have the ability to ask any living thing in the wetland about their habitat. What would you ask? How might they answer?
   Task: Conduct a 5-7 question interview with a wetland animal. Focus on the science, but be creative!

4. What is so unique about mangroves?
   Task: Create a top 10 list of the things that make mangroves so unique.

5. There are two main types of wetlands: freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater wetlands are common in inland areas. Saltwater wetlands protect coasts from the open ocean.
   Task: Have a debate with your classmates about which is more critical to preserve.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student work will be assessed by the teacher. Work will vary, but might include words and pictures depicting animals that live in a wetland.

2. Answers may include, but are not limited to:

1. Marshes
   1. Tidal
   2. Nontidal
      1. Wet Meadows
      2. Prairie Potholes
      3. Vernal Pools
      4. Playa Lakes
2. Swamps
   1. Forested Swamps
      1. Bottomland Hardwoods
   2. Shrub Swamps
      1. Mangrove Swamps
3. Bogs
   1. Northern bogs
   2. Pocosins
4. Fens

3. Wetland interview
   Suggested Rubric: This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content:

4. What is so unique about mangroves?
   Suggested Rubric: This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content:

5. Teacher will evaluate student work on:

• research
• time spent in class
• working together as a group
• listening and speaking skills