LabLearner—The Science of Learning
LabLearner—The Science of Learning

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Watersheds

Investigation 3 – PostLab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Investigation 3

ZERO-IN

The italicized font represents information to be shared orally or physically completed with the students at this time.

The non-italicized font represents additional information included supporting the teacher’s understanding of the content being introduced within the CELL.

ANALYZE IT

Instruct students to complete the Analysis Questions in their SDRs then discuss them as a class. Use the suggested responses below to guide students’ answers.

1. Instruct students to complete the Analysis Questions in their SDRs then discuss them as a class. Use the suggested responses below to guide students’ answers.

  • What is dissolved oxygen? Dissolved oxygen is oxygen gas in water.
  • Why is dissolved oxygen important in watersheds? Organisms that live in water depend on dissolved oxygen to survive. The amount of dissolved oxygen in water determines what kind of organisms can live in the water.
  • What instrument did you use to measure dissolved oxygen content? Students used an oxygen meter to measure dissolved oxygen.

2. Ask students: What factors can affect the dissolved oxygen content of a watershed? During the course of this Investigation, students discovered that dissolved oxygen content can be affected by temperature, salinity, and water velocity.

GET FOCUSED

Instruct students to complete the Focus Question in their SDRs then discuss it as a class. Use the suggested response below to guide students’ answers.

  • How do the abiotic factors of temperature, water velocity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen affect a watershed? Students should indicate that abiotic means non-living. Through the course of this Investigation, students should indicate that they discovered that dissolved oxygen levels are higher when water temperatures are lower. Students found that dissolved oxygen content increases with increasing water velocity. Students also discovered that dissolved oxygen decreases with salt concentration. Therefore, any of these factors could also affect live organisms in the watershed, since these organisms are affected by dissolved oxygen content.