In this lesson, students are introduced to a number of water quality indicators, particularly dissolved oxygen. Students are given the opportunity to measure dissolved oxygen in the laboratory before collecting data during a field study.
Students also learn about pH and how that affects aquatic organisms.
Again, student-collected data are compared to data describing current conditions in the Galveston Bay area. Given the appropriate lab supplies, students will be able to demonstrate the proper technique for measuring water quality indicators. Given a map with values for water quality indicators, students will be able to determine the health of the body of water. Given a map with values for water quality indicators, students will be able to explain how these values can be altered. Focus Provide students with a diagram of a pond with fish and plant life and the shore with plants and animals.