Consider introducing students to some historical and literary references to swamp and marsh lands. There is the strength, the marrow of Nature. Your students might also enjoy discussing the ways in which wetland terminology has become part of our modern speech. To truly understand the value of wetlands to Chesapeake Bay and the entire Bay watershed, students will need to know not only about wetlands as habitat, but also about the role that they play in flood control and filtering water. Throughout this lesson, wetlands will be compared to everyday objects in an attempt to clarify the important things that wetlands can do.
Wetlands are sometimes like sponges, absorbing and holding water.
They are also a nursery for baby fish and other critters. They filter water like a coffee filter, and act as a strainer for larger particles. These ideas will be reviewed for your students when they complete the Marsh Metaphors Worksheet at the end of this lesson. This lesson particularly focuses on the interactions between all wetland inhabitants. The salt marsh ecosystems of Chesapeake Bay are among the most productive ecosystems in the world.