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By:
Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education
Professional Development Initiative
Laurie Rosenberg, Project Manager
Lori Sheridan, 2000 Graduate Assistant
Updated December 2003 by Rebecca Shackelford,
2003 Graduate Assistant
Introduction / The Quest / The Process / Roles and Resources /
Evaluation / Conclusion / Instructors' Notes/
Introduction
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What happened to all of the shad, oysters and blue crabs
in the Chesapeake Bay? Why is the water in the bay not as clear as it once
was? Why is there an increase of algal blooms in the bay? The answer to these
questions is simple; the water quality of the bay is responsible for many of the serious
environmental problems occurring in the Chesapeake Bay today. There are many
different watersheds draining into the Chesapeake Bay bringing nutrients and pollution
from far away places. What happens in New York or Pennsylvania can determine the
water quality in Maryland or Virginia. Additionally, with an interest in being
around water, more of the population in the region has moved near the bay. This
influx of people stresses the ecological system and provides a means for further
environmental degradation. This learning unit is designed to present a means to
examine what factors influence the quality of water in the Chesapeake Bay.
The Quest
A group of citizens has hired your group to investigate the problems
and causes of nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Your job is to provide a
comprehensive folio of information on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay for the
client, Concerned Coastal Citizens.
Be creative and carefully read the instructions!
Groups will be assigned by the instructor. Each group
will take on the role of either scientists, government liaisons, fisherpeople,
coastal residents or conservationists. Working within this group,
you will help to create a product for the client detailing the causes
of nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, using the provided links.
The Process
- Group members and roles will be assigned by the instructor.
- Group members should read the assignment carefully.
- Groups should divide the resource list between individuals.
- Individual group members should check out their resource links and
download information they might need to produce their group's product.
- Groups should set a time to gather all information together and produce
products.
- After sufficient research time, a design for the product should be
started.
- Group members should design their product, check spelling and have
another group review their product.
- Group members should gather and organize a presentation for the client.
Hints
- Visuals, overheads, charts and posters should be neat, simple and
legible.
- Plan before you produce!
- Organize your information with an outline, concept map or a flow chart.
- If you find information that might help another
group, be sure to share it!
Top of Page
Roles and
Resources
The tables below contain hyperlinked
resources for groups to obtain information to produce their product. Additional
information may be obtained through searches on the Internet, for example: www.google.com. |
 Scientists
Task: Use hard facts and data to provide information on nutrients in the Chesapeake
Bay, especially nitrates and phosphates. Include information
on how the bay's air quality may be related to nitrogen pollution in the
water.
Use the provided links to create a list of nutrient issues
that concern the citizens who live near and play in the Chesapeake Bay.
Be sure to include graphics (if applicable), downloaded by using the right
mouse button, on your overhead or chart.
Product: Overhead, chart or PowerPoint with a list of
nutrient concerns for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Resources:
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 Government Liaisons
Task: Use
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site to find information
on the Clean Water Act. This act protects the waters of the country
from adverse effects and promotes a healthy bay. For the focus of
your poster, highlight how the Clean Water Act works to protect the Chesapeake
Bay.
Product: Posters
or PowerPoint.
Resources:
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 Fisherpeople
Task: Using the fisheries data
found on the resource sites, compose the product with the most recently
available data about the fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay. The abundance
of fisheries, shellfish and finfish indicates a general health of the
bay. Pose a hypothesis about declining oyster and blue crab catches
in the Chesapeake Bay related to water quality.
Product: Chart, overhead or PowerPoint with fisheries facts and information
to support your hypothesis.
Resources:
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 Coastal Residents
Task: Your quality of life is
significantly affected by water quality in the coastal area. You
swim, boat, fish and relax near this large marine system.
Using the links provided, construct a map of the land surrounding the
Chesapeake Bay and indicate some interesting sites such as recreational,
historical, cultural and large population centers of importance.
Be sure that your map is large enough for the client to see!
Product: Map with
bay facts and places of interest marked.
Resources:
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 Conservationists
Task: You are a member
of a grass roots organization that watches over the environmental quality
of the Chesapeake Bay. For your product you want to produce a tri-fold
brochure about the bay with some facts, problems, solutions and natural
treasures. Endangered species are a treasure for the bay, so be
sure to highlight them.
Product: Brochure,
chart or PowerPoint of coastal facts, problems, solutions and natural treasures.
Resources:
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Evaluation
Group Reports and Presentations |
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Poor |
Good |
Excellent |
| Research Time Utilization |
The group
needed continual reminders to get back to work. |
The group was
usually on task, but needed an occasional reminder to get back to work; all work is
appropriate. |
The group was
always on task and did not need reminders to get back to work. |
| Participation in Project |
Team effort was
not visible. Group demonstrates some knowledge of their role. |
Team effort was
visible. Knowledge of their role was visible and shows some organization. |
Team effort
visible. The presentation was organized and demonstrates a knowledge of their role. |
| Accuracy of Information
During Project |
The group's
information was lacking in content and was not factually correct in many places.
Information may not be pertinent to the presentation. |
The group's
information was for the most part factually correct. Information may not be
pertinent to the presentation. |
The group's
information is factually correct and pertinent to the presentation. |
| Clarity of Presentation |
The group's
work is not well planned. The group was confused by much of the information
presented. The group was not clear in explaining topics. |
The group's
work is well planned. There seemed to be some minor confusion or misinterpretation
of information. |
The group's
work is well planned and clearly explained. The group showed a clear command of the
information presented. |
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Top of Page
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have discovered some problems
and causes of declining water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Learning about the
environment sometimes means making changes in your own lives to live up to a stewardship
role for the earth. What are three ways in which you can help to preserve or clean
up our nation's water?
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Instructors'
Notes
- Provide materials for posters, overheads, maps and brochures
for the products and presentations. If PowerPoint is available at your
school, plan to make the software and hardware available.
- For the Conclusion/Wrap-Up, have each student write a paragraph
responding to the question in the conclusion.
Suggested format and timeline for the WebQuest |
| Divide students into groups, assign and
go over roles. |
20-30 minutes |
| Group members download instructions and
start using the hot-linked resources to gather information. |
1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Group members meet to share
information. |
1 hour |
| Groups produce their products. |
3 hours |
| Groups plan and rehearse their
presentation for the client. |
45 minutes |
| Presentations |
15-20 minutes each |
| Conclusion/Wrap-Up |
30 minutes |
Optional Extension: Selected students read their paragraph to the entire class.
Follow-Up Lessons:
- Monitor water quality parameters in a nearby body of water for dissolved
oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, pH, turbidity, temperature, etc.
- Plan a "Bay Banquet" serving fish and shellfish from the bay,
along with other traditional regional foods.
- Have a speaker address the class about bay issues.
- Students can share their project by making presentations
to another class or a community group.
- Investigating Nitrogen Pollution: "Nitrogen pollution from school commuters: a study in impact
analysis". Green Teacher, Winter 2000, Issue 60, p.8. Green Teacher magazine can be obtained through www.greenteacher.com, e-mail greentea@web.net, phone: (416) 960-1244,
fax: (416) 925-3474 or by writing to Green Teacher at P.O. Box 1431,
Lewiston, NY 14092.
Links for Water Monitoring:
Top of Page
Send suggestions for additional
URLs, feedback or comments to info@pcee.org.
References
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Copyright © 2008 Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education. All Rights Reserved.
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