Biotic Water Quality Assessment

Activity Summary
Water quality monitoring is an important aspect of many environmental assessments. It is crucial to monitor water quality through both abiotic and biotic factors. In this activity students will assess the health of a local aquatic ecosystem by visually surveying the area for organisms (plants and animals) and creating a trophic pyramid. They will also gain familiarity with the
differences between food webs and trophic pyramids.

Grade Levels
9-12

Learning Objectives
1. Show energy flow in an ecosystem using a food web
2. Create a trophic pyramid for an aquatic ecosystem
3. Distinguish between food webs and trophic pyramids

Lesson Materials (view or download)
PowerPoint
Lesson Plans

Keywords
aquatic environment, abiotic factors, trophic pyramid, food web, ecosystems

Last updated: 3/6/2015