Macroinvertebrates & Lake Study

In fourth grade, the big idea is that there are organisms that have adapted to survive and are indicators of the health of an ecosystem. Benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates, or macros for short, are organisms that are large enough to see with the eye, that live at the bottom of the water, and don’t have a backbone. Students travel to Weaver’s backyard to investigate macros at Rice Lake. They take water samples and use digital photography to record the macros that they find. They learn about watershed environments and what it’s like to be a lake scientist from virtual presenters in the field. Original clay macros are designed and created using the engineering design process. The learning is captured in videos that individual students create. Classes will continue to take monthly trips to Rice Lake and participate in observational drawing classes focused on the macros in a residency program.

Click on a teacher's name to view their Macroinvertebrates Movie Playlist: