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Lake Norman State Park An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 4-8 THE WATERS TESTING

TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

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Page 1: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

Lake Norman State ParkAn Environmental Education Learning Experience

Designed for Grades 4-8

THE WATERS

T E S T I N G

Page 2: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

i

�Earth is home to us all. Water is life to us all.Share it responsibly.�

� North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Page 3: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

ii

Funding for the original printing of thisEnvironmental Education Learning Experience

was contributed by

Page 4: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

iii

This Environmental Education Learning Experiencewas developed by

William C. Rhinehart, Jr.,Lead Interpretation and Education Ranger, Lake Norman State Park,

& Lea J. Beazley,West District Interpretation and Education Specialist

William G. Ross, Jr.Secretary

Michael F. EasleyGovernor

N.C. Division of Parks and RecreationDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources

Page 5: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

iv

Other Contributors . . .

Park volunteers;

Ken Manuel, Division of EnvironmentalManagement, Duke Power Company;

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction;

The N.C. Division of Water Resources;

The N.C. Department of Environment and NaturalResources;

and the many individuals and agencies who assistedin the review of this publication.

500 copies of this public documentwere printed at a cost of

$3,210 or $6.42 per copy.

Printed on recycled paper.6-96

November 2002 - Revised for Publication on Website

Page 6: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

v

Table of Contents

1. Introduction� Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System............................................ 1.1� Introduction to Lake Norman ................................................................................... 1.2� Introduction to Lake Norman State Park .................................................................. 1.3� Introduction to the Activity Packet for Lake Norman State Park ............................. 1.5

2. Activity Summary ...................................................................................................... 2.1� Correlation Chart ...................................................................................................... 2.2

3. Pre-Visit Activities� #1 Key It Out............................................................................................................. 3.1� #2 Picture This .......................................................................................................... 3.2� #3 River Roots .......................................................................................................... 3.3

4. On-Site Activities� #1 Life at the Bottom ................................................................................................ 4.1� #2 Water Lab ............................................................................................................. 4.2� #3 Lake Watchers ...................................................................................................... 4.3

5. Post-Visit Activities� #1 Park Lake ............................................................................................................. 5.1� #2 Guilty or Innocent? .............................................................................................. 5.2� #3 Pollution Dilution ................................................................................................. 5.3

6. Vocabulary ................................................................................................................. 6.1

7. References .................................................................................................................. 7.1

8. Forms ......................................................................................................................... 8.1

9. Notes ........................................................................................................................... 9.1

Page 7: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

11.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System

For more information contact:

N.C. Division of Parksand Recreation

1615 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC 27699-1615

(919) 733-4181www.ncsparks.net

reserving and protectingNorth Carolina�s naturalP The North Carolina state

parks system has now beenestablished for more thanthree quarters of a century.What started out as onesmall plot of public land hasgrown into 61 propertiesacross the state, includingparks, recreation areas, trails,

rivers, lakes and natural ar-eas. This vast network ofland boasts some of the mostbeautiful scenery in theworld and offers endless rec-reational opportunities. Butour state parks system offersmuch more than sceneryand recreation. Our landsand waters contain uniqueand valuable archaeological,geological and biologicalresources that are importantparts of our natural heritage.

As one of North Carolina�sprincipal conservation agen-cies, the Division of Parksand Recreation is responsiblefor more than 168,000 acresthat make up our state parkssystem. The division man-ages these resources for thesafe enjoyment of the publicand protects and preservesthem as a part of the heritagewe will pass on to genera-tions to come.

An important componentof our stewardship of theselands is education. Throughour interpretation and envi-ronmental education ser-vices, the Division of Parksand Recreation strives to of-fer enlightening programsthat lead to an understandingand appreciation of our natu-ral resources. The goal ofour environmental educationprogram is to generate anawareness in all individualsthat cultivates responsiblestewardship of the Earth.

resources is actually a rela-tively new idea. The seedsof the conservation move-ment were planted early inthe 20th century when citi-zens were alerted to the dev-astation of Mount Mitchell.Logging was destroying awell-known landmark � thehighest peak east of the Mis-sissippi. As the magnificentforests of this mile-highpeak fell to the lumbermen�saxe, alarmed citizensbegan to voice theiropinions. GovernorLocke Craig joinedthese citizens in their ef-forts to save MountMitchell. Together theyconvinced the legislatureto pass a bill establishingMount Mitchell as the firststate park. That was in1915.

Page 8: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

21.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Introduction to Lake Norman

struction of this enormousresource began. Four yearslater, Cowan�s Ford Dam, lo-cated near Huntersville, NC,was closed and the CatawbaRiver began to back up andform Lake Norman. It tookapproximately three years tofill the huge basin created bythe dam and another year tocomplete the entire LakeNorman project.

Today, Lake Norman pro-vides electricity to the pied-mont of North Carolina intwo ways. First, it powersthe hydroelectric generatorsat Cowan�s Ford Dam, andsecond, it cools the steam

that drives the turbines ofMarshall Steam Station andMcGuire Nuclear Station.The lake also serves as a wa-ter supply for several citiesand protects downstream ar-eas from flooding. A varietyand abundance of wildlifealso benefit from the lake, in-cluding osprey, ducks andmany species of freshwaterfish, such as largemouth andstriped bass and catfish. Notonly do wild animals callLake Norman home; morethan 60,000 people residealong its shores and enjoyboating, fishing, skiing andother water sports.

Lake Norman is one of ten manmade lakes along

the Catawba River, but it dif-fers significantly in one as-pect � size. In fact, LakeNorman is nearly as large asthe other nine lakes com-bined! The larger lakes in-clude Lake James, LakeHickory, Lake Wateree andLake Wylie. When LakeNorman is completely full, itcovers 32,510 acres and has520 miles of shoreline. It�sno wonder the lake is nick-named �the inland sea.�

In 1959, 43 years afterDuke Energy announcedplans to build the lake, con-

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 9: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

31.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

�Water, water, everywhere...�and there�s plenty for everyoneat Lake Norman State Park,which is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Norman.As if there isn�t enough waterin Lake Norman, the park hasits own 33-acre lake, which isseparated from Lake Normanby an earthen dam. But wateris not all you�ll find at the park;there are also about 1,500 acresof rich piedmont forest here,most of which was donated byDuke Energy. Together, thelake and forest provide homesfor a multitude of wildlife.Waterfowl, including ducks,geese, great blue herons andkingfishers, are common sightsaround the water. Below thesurface, you�ll find a variety offreshwater fish, includinglargemouth and striped bass,crappie, catfish and bluegill.On the park grounds, there arewhite-tailed deer, wild turkeys,coyotes, red foxes, bobcats andgroundhogs. The water andwoods are also home to a vari-ety of insects, amphibians andreptiles. Plant life is abundant;not only are there piedmontspecies, but there are severalmountain plants as well, in-

Introduction to Lake Norman State Park

cluding mountain laurel andwhite pine. And don�t forgetto look up into the sky abovethe park, where you might seeowls, woodpeckers, hawks andmore than 150 species of mi-grating birds.

Of course, wildlife is not allyou�ll find at Lake NormanState Park. There are also vari-ous recreational facilities avail-able. These include a commu-nity building, two picnic areas,a picnic shelter, more than sixmiles of hiking trails, a moun-tain bike trail, a swimmingarea, pedal boat and canoerentals, and family and groupcampgrounds.

Scheduling a TripTo make a reservation, con-

tact the park at least two weeksin advance. Complete thescheduling worksheet on page9.1 and provide the followinginformation:

� Name of group (school).� Name, address, work and home telephone numbersof

the group contact person.� Date, time of arrival and

meeting place at the park.� Departure time from the

park.� Number of participants and

adult leaders. A maximumof 30 participants is rec-ommended. Please haveone adult leader per 10students. Adult leadersare responsible for main-taining control of thegroup.

� Age range and/or specialneeds of participants.

� Desired activities; assis-tance needed by parkstaff.

Guidelines for a Reward-ing Experience at LakeNorman State Park

Groups are encouraged tovisit the park during all seasonsof the year for hikes, explora-tion, and environmental educa-tion programs and activities.Leaders may choose to con-duct their own activities or re-quest the help of park staff.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 10: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

41.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

While at the ParkPlease obey these rules:

1. To help you get the most outof the experience and increasethe chance of observing wild-life, be as quiet as possiblewhile in the park.2. On hikes, walk behind theleader at all times. Stay onthe trails. Running is notpermitted.3. All plants and animals with-in the park are protected.Breaking plants and harminganimals are prohibited in allstate parks. This allows futurevisitors the same opportunityto enjoy our natural resources.4. Help keep the park cleanand natural; do not litter. Ifyou find litter left by others,please pick it up.5. Swimming is permitted onlyin the designated swimmingarea under the supervision ofpark lifeguards.

6. In case of accidents oremergencies, contact park staffimmediately.

Following the Trip1. Complete the post-visitactivities in this activity packet.2. Build upon the fieldexperience and encourageparticipants to seek answersto questions and problemsencountered at the park.3. Relate the experienceto classroom activities andcurriculum through reports,projects, demonstrations,displays and presentations.4. Give tests or evaluations,if appropriate, to determine ifstudents gained the desired in-formation from the experience.5. File a written evaluation ofthe experience with the park.An evaluation form is availableon page 9.3.

Park InformationAddress:

Lake Norman State Park159 Inland Sea LaneTroutman, NC 28166-9620

Telephone: (704) 528-6350Fax: (704) 528-5623E-mail: [email protected]: www.ncsparks.net/lano.html

Hours of Operation:November - February 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.March, October 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.April, May, September 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.June - August 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Park gates are locked at closing hours.The park is closed Christmas Day.

Page 11: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

51.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Introduction to the Activity Packet for Lake Norman State Park

This Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience(EELE), Testing the Waters,was developed to provide envi-ronmental education through aseries of hands-on activities atLake Norman State Park. Thisactivity packet, designed to beimplemented in grades 4 - 8,meets curriculum objectives ofthe standard course of studyestablished by the N.C. De-partment of Public Instruction.It includes three types of ac-tivities: pre-visit, on-site andpost-visit. The on-site activi-ties will be conducted at thepark, while pre- and post-visitactivities are designed for theclassroom. These activitiesshould be performed in a seriesto build upon students� newlygained knowledge and experi-ences.

The EELE Testing the Wa-ters will acquaint students withthe following major concepts:

� Water quality� Watersheds� Aquatic sampling� Water pollution� Preservation of natural

areas� Land useVocabulary words used

throughout this EELE will ap-pear in bold type the first timethey are used in each activity.These words and their defini-tions may be found in the vo-cabulary list at the back of theactivity packet. A list of refer-ence materials used in devel-oping the activities follows thevocabulary list.

This document was designedto be reproduced, in part orentirety, for use in North Caro-lina classrooms. If you wish tophotocopy or adapt it for otheruses, please credit the N.C.Division of Parks and Recre-ation.

NOTE: The on-site activitiesmay require hiking that couldexpose the students to hot, hu-mid conditions and insects, ven-omous snakes and poisonousplants. Accessibility to some ofthese areas will be difficult forpersons with physical disabili-ties.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 12: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.1.1Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Activity Summary

The following outline provides a brief summary of each activity, the major concepts andlearning skills introduced, and the objectives met by completion of the activity.

I. Pre-Visit Activities#1 Key It Out (page 3.1.1) Students will learn to use a dichotomous key through a series of fun activities. In Part I,students will use a simple key to identify unknown tree leaves. In Part II, the students willuse a more complex key to identify macroinvertebrates found in Lake Norman.

Major Concepts:� Dichotomous key� Macroinvertebrate external anatomy� Taxonomy

Learning Skills:� Observing, classifying and communicating� Reading informational materials (scientific keys)

Objectives:� Use a dichotomous key to correctly identify pictures of ten unknown leaves and five

unknown aquatic macroinvertebrates.� Name at least two aquatic macroinvertebrates that are tolerant of pollution and two

that are intolerant of pollution.� Explain how people use aquatic macroinvertebrates to help determine the water

quality of a river or other body of fresh water.

#2 Picture This (page 3.2.1) By creating, presenting and displaying posters, students will become familiar with water-related words in the vocabulary section of this EELE.

Major Concepts:� Water� Water cycle� Water quality� Watershed

Learning Skills:� Communicating� Recognizing key words� Creating visual representations of concepts

Objectives:� Define the terms water, water cycle, watershed and water quality.� Illustrate an aquatic vocabulary word and explain its meaning to other students.

MACROINVERTEBRATE: An invertebrate usuallylarge enough to be seen without the aid of magnification.

Page 13: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.1.2Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

#3 River Roots (page 3.3.1) Students will understand the concept of watersheds and become familiar with the parklake watershed by outlining and identifying the features of the watershed on a topographicmap and working in groups to answer questions on a worksheet.

Major Concepts:� Watersheds� Topographic maps

Learning Skills:� Communicating, measuring, inferring and predicting� Reading and interpreting topographic maps� Measuring and estimating� Working effectively in groups

Objectives:� Use a legend to identify common symbols on a topographic map such as the symbols

for a creek, permanent structure, forested area and open area.� Correctly locate specific geographic features on a topographic map such as rivers,

mountains and watersheds.� Use a map scale to estimate distances on a topographic map, and read contour lines

to estimate elevations.� Draw inferences from a topographic map regarding human activities and their

possible effects on specific watersheds.

II. On-Site Activities#1 Life at the Bottom (page 4.1.1)

Students will use different methods to collect and identify aquatic organisms and makeinferences concerning the quality of the water based on their findings.

Major Concepts:� Water quality � Macroinvertebrate external anatomy and adaptations� Indicator species � Species identification� Aquatic sampling � Aquatic habitats

Learning Skills:� Observing, classifying and communicating� Interpreting data and making inferences� Sampling and calculating aquatic index values

Objectives:� Describe three characteristics of an aquatic macroinvertebrate.� Key out and identify three macroinvertebrates in the field.� Calculate the aquatic index value and aquatic index rating for a water body.� List three or more ways humans can affect aquatic life.

Page 14: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.1.3Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

#2 Water Lab (page 4.2.1)Students will work in teams to conduct some simple physical and chemical tests

(pH, turbidity and temperature) to determine the quality of a body of water.

Major Concepts:� Water quality � pH� Turbidity � Temperature

Learning Skills:� Observing, communicating results, predicting, interpreting data� Measuring� Reading and interpreting scientific charts

Objectives:� Name and describe three characteristics of water that contribute to the overall quality

of a water sample or body of water.� Determine the pH, temperature and turbidity of lake water samples and make

inferences regarding the overall water quality based on the test results.� Using the test results and other information, write predictions for the kinds of aquatic

life that might live in the lake.

#3 Lake Watchers (page 4.3.1)Students will take a short nature walk along the lakeshore to get a glimpse at some of the

major factors affecting local water quality. Students may also observe and identify aquaticwildlife.

Major Concepts:� Water quality � Urbanization � Aquatic life� Recreation � Dams � Turbidity� Runoff � Water pollution � Sedimentation

Learning Skills:� Observing, communicating, inferring� Collecting, analyzing and evaluating information� Map reading and taking responsible action

Objectives:� Describe three positive effects and three negative

effects of dams on people and wildlife.� Describe two ways that people can minimize the negative environmental impacts of

dams.� Identify three examples of aquatic plants and animals found in the field.� Use a topographic map to identify direction, elevation and landmarks in the field.� Describe three characteristics of water that people can observe in order to make

inferences about water quality.� Explain how urbanization affects water quality.� List two negative impacts of recreation on water quality.

Page 15: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.1.4Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

III. Post-Visit Activities#1 Park Lake (page 5.1.1)

Using a map of the park lake watershed and land use cutouts, student teams will create aland use plan for a portion of the Lake Norman area.

Major Concepts:� Human impacts � Preservation of natural areas� Land use issues � Stewardship� Water quality

Learning Skills:� Interpreting data, communicating, evaluating� Organizing and analyzing information� Problem solving and critical thinking skills

Objectives:� Evaluate the potential effects of different land uses on water quality and aquatic life

in the park lake.� List and describe at least five things we can do as individuals or societies to protect

water quality.� Create a land use plan for a small watershed that minimizes damage to water quality.

#2 Guilty or Innocent? (page 5.2.1)Students will discuss ways water becomes polluted and evaluate the

actions of fictitious characters. They will also examine effects oftheir own actions on the quality of water and learn whatthey can do to minimize pollution.

Major Concepts:� Water quality� Environmental ethics� Polluted runoff

Learning Skills:� Communicating ideas verbally and

through art� Inferring and elaborating

Objectives:� Describe at least five ways that average

citizens might contribute to water pollution.� Identify at least five things people can do to

help prevent water pollution.

Page 16: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.1.5Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

#3 Pollution Dilution (page 5.3.1)Students will become familiar with the major types of aquatic pollution and predict the

potential effects of a variety of aquatic pollutants on wildlife and people.

Major Concepts:� Water pollution� Watershed� Point pollution� Nonpoint pollution

Learning Skills:� Interpreting data, communicating� Graphing� Organizing and analyzing information

Objectives:� List at least four major types of aquatic pollution.� Given a list of pollutants in a water sample and a description of land use in a water-

shed, make inferences on the probable causes of the pollution in the sample.� Predict the potential effects of a variety of aquatic pollutants on wildlife and people.

Page 17: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.2.1Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Grade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

1.01, 1.02Nature of SciencePersonal & Social Persp.

1.02, 1.05, 1.06Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

2.02, 2.03, 2.04Nature of SciencePersonal & Social Persp.

1.04Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

Pre-Visit Activity #1: Key It Out, p. 3.1.1

Soc. Studies

Note to classroom teachers: The following Correlation Chart shows how eachactivity in this Environmental Education Learning Experience (EELE) correlates with theN.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) objectives in science, mathematics, socialstudies and English language arts. The activities are listed in the order in which theyappear in this EELE. The recommended grade levels are listed along the side of the chart.Notice that only the objective numbers are listed. Use your DPI Teacher Handbook foreach subject area to get a complete description of the objectives in that subject area.

Science

4

5

6

7

8

Correlation Chart

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.06, 3.06, 4.02,

4.03

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.07, 2.09, 3.01,

3.06, 4.03

1.03, 1.04, 2.01, 2.02,5.01, 6.01

1.03, 1.04, 2.01, 2.02,5.01, 6.01

1.03, 1.04, 2.01, 2.02,5.01, 6.01

2.7

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 18: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.2.2Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

Pre-Visit Activity #2: Picture This, p. 3.2.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

Correlation Chart

1.03Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

1.06, 4.01Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

2.03Nature of SciencePersonal & Social Persp.

1.01, 2.02Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

1.03, 1.05, 2.01, 2.07,3.05, 3.06, 4.02, 4.03,

4.09, 5.01, 5.06

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.07,3.01, 3.05, 3.06, 4.09,

5.01, 5.05, 5.07

2.01, 2.02, 5.01, 5.02

2.01, 2.02, 5.01, 6.01

2.01, 2.02, 5.01, 6.01

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

Pre-Visit Activity #3: River Roots, p. 3.3.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.05,2.06, 2.07, 4.02

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.05,2.08, 2.09, 4.02

1.03, 2.01, 5.01

1.03, 2.01, 5.01

1.03, 2.01, 5.01

1.03Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

1.06Nature of SciencePersonal & Social Persp.

1.03, 2.03Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.05, 2.02Nature of Science

Personal & Social Persp.

1.01, 1.04, 6.04Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.04, 1.08, 3.01, 4.05, 4.06

1.01, 1.06Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,

1.04, 1.08, 3.01, 4.05, 4.06

1.2, 2.1, 2.7, 2.10

2.1, 2.2, 2.9, 2.10

2.8, 2.9, 2.12, 2.13

2.1, 2.2

Page 19: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.2.3Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

On-Site Activity #1: Life at the Bottom, p. 4.1.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.06, 2.07, 4.02, 4.09

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.07, 2.09, 4.02, 4.03,

4.09

1.03, 2.01, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 5.01,6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 5.01,6.01

Correlation Chart

1.01, 1.02, 1.03Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.05, 1.06Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

2.02, 2.03, 2.04Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

1.02, 1.04, 2.03Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

1.17, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

4.2, 4.3, 4.8

4.1, 4.2, 4.9

4.3, 4.4

4.4

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 20: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.2.4Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

On-Site Activity #3: Lake Watchers, p. 4.3.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

4.02, 4.03, 4.05, 4.07

4.02, 4.03, 4.09

3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 5.01,6.01

3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 5.01,6.01

3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 5.01,6.01

1.03Nature of Science

Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.06, 3.01Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

Personal & Social Persp.

1.03, 2.03Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

Personal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.05, 2.02,2.03, 2.05Nature of Science

Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

1.01, 1.03, 1.04, 6.04,7.02Skills: 3.01, 3.02, 4.01,4.05, 4.06

1.01, 1.06, 5.01, 6.02Skills: 3.01, 3.02, 4.01,4.05, 4.06

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

On-Site Activity #2: Water Lab, p. 4.2.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

Correlation Chart

1.03Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

1.03, 1.04Nature of ScienceScience as Inquiry

2.03Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

1.04, 4.05Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

1.02, 1.04, 1.05,2.03Nature of Science

Science as Inquiry

7

8

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.06, 2.07, 4.02, 4.09

Goal 1 and 2.01, 2.02,2.07, 2.09, 4.02, 4.03,

4.09

1.03, 2.01, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 5.01,6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 5.01,6.01

2.7, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4,4.5

2.9. 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,4.5, 4.6

2.11, 2.12, 4.1,4.2

4.4, 4.5

2.12, 4.3, 4.4

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2.2.5Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

Post-Visit Activity #2: Guilty or Innocent?, p. 5.2.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

Goal 1, 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 3.01,4.02, 5.01, 5.02, 5.03

Goal 1, 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.07, 3.01, 4.02,

5.01, 5.02, 5.03

1.04, 2.01, 4.02, 4.03,5.01, 6.01

1.04, 2.01, 4.02, 4.03,5.01, 6.01

1.04, 2.01, 4.02, 4.03,5.01, 6.01

1.03Personal & Social Persp.

1.06, 2.02Personal & Social Persp.

1.03, 2.03Personal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.05, 2.05Personal & Social Persp.

1.04, 4.03, 6.04, 7.04Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,

1.04, 4.01, 4.05, 4.06

1.06, 6.02Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.04, 4.01, 4.05, 4.06

9.01, 9.03Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.04, 4.01, 4.05, 4.06

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

Post-Visit Activity #1: Park Lake, p. 5.1.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

1.04, 2.02, 2.05, 2.07,2.09, 3.01, 3.06, 4.02,

4.03, 5.01

1.03, 2.02, 2.05, 2.07,2.09, 3.01, 3.06, 4.02,

4.03, 5.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 3.02,4.02, 4.03, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 3.02,4.02, 4.03, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 3.02,4.02, 4.03, 5.01, 6.01

Correlation Chart

1.01, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05,4.03, 6.01, 6.02, 6.04,7.05 Skills: 1.04, 1.05,2.01, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 3.01,4.01, 4.02, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07

1.01, 1.02, 1.06, 5.01,6.02 Skills: 1.04, 1.05,2.01, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 3.01,4.01, 4.02, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07

9.01, 9.03Skills: 1.04, 1.05, 2.01,2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 3.01, 4.01,4.02, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07

1.03, 4.01Personal & Social Persp.Science & Technology

1.04, 1.06, 3.01Personal & Social Persp.Science & Technology

1.03, 2.03Personal & Social Persp.Science & Technology

1.04Personal & Social Persp.Science & Technology

1.04, 1.05, 2.01,2.02, 2.03, 2.05Personal & Social Persp.Science & Technology

Page 22: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

2.2.6Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

ScienceGrade English Lang. Arts Mathematics

Post-Visit Activity #3: Pollution Dilution, p. 5.3.1

Soc. Studies

4

5

6

7

8

Goal 1, 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.09, 3.01, 4.02,4.03, 4.05, 5.01, 5.02,

5.03

Goal 1, 2.01, 2.02,2.05, 2.09, 3.01, 4.02,4.03, 4.05, 5.01, 5.02,

5.03

1.03, 2.01, 3.03, 4.02,4.03, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 3.03, 4.02,4.03, 5.01, 6.01

1.03, 2.01, 3.03, 4.02,4.03, 5.01, 6.01

Correlation Chart

1.04, 4.03, 6.01, 6.04,7.04 Skills: 1.01, 1.02,1.03, 1.04, 1.06, 2.06,3.02, 4.01, 4.06

1.06, 5.01, 6.02Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.04, 1.06, 2.06, 3.02,4.01, 4.06

9.01, 9.03Skills: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03,1.04, 1.06, 2.06, 3.02,4.01, 4.06

1.03Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.06Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

1.03, 2.03Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

1.04, 1.05, 2.01,2.02, 2.03, 2.05Science as InquiryPersonal & Social Persp.

4.2, 4.3, 4.4

4.2

4.1, 4.5, 4.7, 4.8

4.2, 4.3, 4.4

4.4

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3.1.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Pre-Visit Activity #1 Key It Out

Major Concepts:• Dichotomous key• Macroinvertebrate external

anatomy• Taxonomy

Learning Skills:• Observing, classifying,

communicating• Reading informational ma-

terials (scientific keys)

Subject Areas:• Science• English Language Arts* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with DPIobjectives in these subjectareas.

Special Considerations:None

Location: Classroom

Group Size:30 students, class size

Estimated Time:Part I: 20 - 30 minutesPart II: 30 - 50 minutes

Appropriate Season: Any

Materials:Provided by educator:Per student: Student’s Infor-

mation, Key to 10 CommonLeaves, Ten CommonLeaves Worksheet, pencil

Per group: Key to AquaticMacroinvertebrates – Cataw-ba River Watershed andAquatic Life IllustrationsWorksheet

Objectives:• Use a dichotomous keyto correctly identify pic-tures of ten unknown treeleaves and five unknownaquatic macroinverte-brates.• Name at least two aquat-ic macroinvertebrates thatare tolerant of pollutionand two that are intolerantof pollution.• Explain how people useaquatic macroinvertebratesto help determine the wa-ter quality of a river orother body of fresh water.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Educator’s Information:

The purpose of this two-part activity is to intro-

duce students to a simple di-chotomous key. In Part I,students will learn why keysare useful to scientists andwill be introduced to the useof a simple key. In Part II,the students will work insmall groups and will keyout several macroinverte-brates using a key similar tothe one they will use at thepark for the on-site activity“Life at the Bottom.”

Instructions for Part I:Have the students read the

Student’s Information. Dis-cuss taxonomy and how or-ganisms are classified intonaturally related groups. De-fine a key and discuss whykeys are useful. Explain howa key works. Give each stu-dent a copy of the Key to 10Common Leaves and TenCommon Leaves Worksheet.Ask each student to workthrough this key to identifyeach of the 10 tree leaves.As a class, go over the an-swers and discuss any diffi-culties encountered.

Instructions for Part II:Divide the students into

groups of four or five. Giveeach group a copy of theAquatic Life IllustrationsWorksheet and the Word Keyto Aquatic Macroinverte-brates of the Catawba RiverWatershed. Note: For youngstudents, you may prefer touse the Picture Key to Aquat-ic Macroinvertebrates, alsofound in this activity. As aclass, work through the keyto identify the first animal,

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3.1.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

then have the students workwithin their groups to identi-fy the rest of the macroin-vertebrates. When thegroups are done, have eachgroup share how they identi-fied one of their macroinver-tebrates. Discuss the diffi-culties encountered and rein-force the importance ofkeys.

The keys also list whetheran animal is tolerant, moder-ately tolerant or intolerant ofwater pollution. Discuss:If your lake, stream or otherwater body had the particu-lar combination of animalsfound on the Aquatic LifeIllustrations Worksheet,what can you concludeabout the water quality?Answer: The water qualitymust be fairly good to haveat least one intolerant spe-cies present, as well as a va-riety of moderately tolerantspecies. If there were onlytolerant species present, thenone might conclude the wa-ter quality was poor. Thediversity, or lack of diversi-ty, of macroinvertebrates ina water body helps us deter-mine water quality. Gener-

ally, the greater the variety ofspecies, the better the waterquality is.

Assessment:Use the test included in

this activity or create one ofyour own. On the back oftheir test papers, ask studentsto explain how people usemacroinvertebrates to helpthem determine the waterquality of a water body.

Suggested Extensions:1. Ask students research themetamorphosis of severalaquatic insects. Many in-sects undergo an incompletemetamorphosis: egg tonymph to adult. Examplesare dragonflies, damselfliesand mayflies. Other aquaticinsects undergo a completemetamorphosis: egg to larvato pupa to adult. (A butter-fly is a terrestrial insect thathas complete metamorpho-sis.) Examples of aquatic in-sects are mosquitoes,craneflies and caddisflies.

The educator could assignone of the aquatic insects inthe picture key to each stu-dent or team of students. The

students should present infor-mation on the life cycle oftheir insect and include illus-trations of each stage in thelife cycle.

2. Students might also do re-search to learn more aboutthe adaptations of eachmacroinvertebrate in the pic-ture key. For example, howdoes each animal breathe?Mosquito larvae have a snor-kel-like tube, while mayfliesand damselflies have leafygills. How do the insectsswim or move? What type ofcamouflage do they employ?What is their preferred habi-tat? Do they show any colo-nial behaviors?

3. Groups of students couldwork together to illustrateaquatic food webs using themacroinvertebrates in thepicture key, and other ani-mals. Remember that mostfood webs begin with energyfrom the sun. Add aquaticplants and detritus, espe-cially fallen leaves, to yourfood webs.

Where do the various ani-mals on the picture key fit inthe food web? Which onesare primary consumers?(Example: mosquito larvae)Which are secondary con-sumers? (Example: dragon-flies) Which are decompos-ers? (Example: caddisfly lar-vae) Add higher level con-sumers such as fish, turtles,raccoons and people to yourfood web.

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3.1.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

phylum groups are dividedinto smaller groups calledclasses. Dragonflies belongto the Class Insecta. A classis further divided into groupscalled orders. In NorthAmerica, there are 27 ordersof insects. Dragonflies are inthe Order Odonata. The nexttwo divisions are family andgenus. The final division isspecies. Worldwide thereare about 4,500 species ofdragonflies, while in NorthCarolina there are only 186species. If you have a drag-onfly and want to know whatspecies you have, you coulduse a key.

Example: Classification ofthe Ten-Spot Skimmer

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Arthropoda

Class Insecta

Order Odonata

Family Libellulidae

Genus Libellula

Species pulchella

Keys:A key is a list of character-

istics that describe an organ-ism. Keys are used by scien-tists and students to identifyunknown organisms. Keysoften use a combination of

pictures and written descrip-tions to aid in identification.Once you know the name ofan organism you can look upmore information about it. Itall starts with a name!

Dichotomous Keys:Most keys are dichoto-

mous, meaning they dividethe characteristics that de-scribe an organism into twochoices. At each level of thekey, you pick the choice thatbest describes the organismyou are trying to identify.

How a Key Works:A dichotomous key has a

list of either/or statements.For each pair of statements,choose the one that best de-scribes the organism you’retrying to identify. For ex-ample, if you were handed aleaf from a pine tree to iden-tify, you would start at the topof the key with these twochoices:

1. Leaves long and needle-like.

2. Leaves not long andneedle-like.

Of course, a pine leaf (orneedle) is long and needle-like, so you would choose thefirst option and continue tothe next choice under thatside of the dichotomous key.

Taxonomy is the branch ofbiology that classifies

organisms by establishedgroups. The word taxonomycomes from Greek wordsmeaning arrangement andlaw. Through taxonomy, or-ganisms are placed into re-lated groups based on theirsimilarities.

All organisms are groupedinto large groups known askingdoms. There are fivemajor kingdoms:

1.Animalia (mammals,insects, birds, reptiles,etc.)

2.Plantae (plants)3.Fungi (mushrooms,

molds, yeasts, etc.)4.Protista (some algae and

protozoans)5.Monera (bacteria and

blue-green algae)These kingdoms are further

divided into smaller, moreclosely related groups. Forexample, let’s trace the taxo-nomic classification of adragonfly called the ten-spotskimmer. Dragonflies belongto the Kingdom Animalia.From here, they are placedinto a smaller group called aphylum. Dragonflies belongto Phylum Arthropoda, whichcontains all insects and insectrelatives, such as spiders,crabs and scorpions. The

Student’s Information – Part I

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3.1.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

You may be wondering whyanyone would go through allthe trouble to key out thename of a particular water“bug” or macroinverte-brate. It turns out that thesesmall organisms are veryhelpful to humans. For ex-ample, they can help us findout if our water quality isgood, or if there are prob-lems that we can’t see orsmell with the water. When-ever we pollute the water,the macroinvertebrates areaffected, some more thanothers.

Notice that each macroin-vertebrate’s name on the keyis followed by a letter “T”(tolerant of pollution), “I”(intolerant of pollution) or“M” (moderately tolerant ofpollution). If you find onlymacroinvertebrates that aretolerant of pollution in a riv-er and no moderately toler-ant or intolerant species, thistells you the river has poor

water quality. You mightwant to look more carefullyto discover the sources ofpollution that are damagingthe water quality. Some ofthese pollutants could beharmful to people who mightswim, fish or play in the riv-er. If the river is a source ofdrinking water, poor waterquality is of special concern.

Food WebsMacroinvertebrates are

important for other reasons,too. All macroinvertebratesplay an important role in thefood web of a river orstream. Some of the macro-invertebrates are predatorsthat eat other animals. Forexample, the dragonflynymph and the giant waterbug are predators. Othermacroinvertebrates, likefreshwater mussels, scudsand caddisfly larvae, eat de-tritus (decaying materials) in

the water. Some, like leech-es, are parasites on fish, tur-tles and mammals.

Many fish depend onaquatic macroinvertebratesfor food. Without them,most of the fish wouldstarve and the food webwould begin to collapse.Mussels, snails and crayfishare eaten by a wide varietyof animals, including someterrestrial (land-based) spe-cies such as the raccoon. Insome parts of the world, fishand other aquatic animalsare a food item for people.

So the next time you seean “ugly bug” in the water,don’t turn away in disgust.Learn its name by keying itout. This little animal cantell you what’s happening toyour favorite swimminghole or to the water supplyfor your city. And, it’s partof a food web that suportsyour favorite game fish andmany other animals.

Student’s Information – Part II

Who Cares about Macroinvertebrates?

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Tolerant Species (T) Moderately Tolerant Species(M)

Intolerant Species (I)

Stonefly Nymph

Mayfly Nymph

©

©

Dragonfly Nymph

Crayfish

©

©

Blackfly Larva

Mosquito Larva

©

©

Page 27: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

3.1.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Am

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an h

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Page 28: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

3.1.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Ten Common Leaves Worksheet

7. 8.

9.

10.

1. 2.3.

4.5.

6.

Page 29: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

3.1.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Ten Common Leaves Worksheet – Answers

7. 8.

9.

10.

1. 2.3.

4.5.

6.

Willow oak

Shortleaf pineTulip poplar

SassafrasSweet gum

River birch

American holly White oak

Red maple

Loblolly pine

Page 30: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

3.1.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Macroinvertebrates

with shells, clam-like

shell unattachedshell attached tosubmerged objects

shell oblong

obvious legs

three pairs of legs

adult bugs or beetleswith two pairs of wings

larvae or nymphs withno wings, but some haveundeveloped wing pads

sucking mouth parts(true bugs)

thick body,up to 3" long

Giant water bug (M)

chewing mouth parts,front wings thick (beetles)

hind legs short(swims on surface)

hind legs long thin body, longspider-like legs

hind legspaddle-like

(swims rapidly)skates on

water surfacewalks on bottomnear plants, longtube on abdomen

hind legs notpaddle-like (crawls onsubmerged objects)

abdomen soft andworm-like

Riffle beetle (I)

Water strider (M)Water scorpion (M)

Whirligigbeetle (M)

Predaceousdiving beetle (M)

dark brown to black body,prominent pinching jaws

white to greenish body, withor without portable case

Caddisfly larva (I)

Caddisfly larva with case (I)

*Zebra mussel (T)

Native freshwatermussel (I)

Hellgrammite,Dobsonfly larva (I)

* Non-native nuisance species. The zebra mussel is not yet knownin North Carolina. It is moving into the southern states. Reportits occurrence to park, wildlife or Duke Energy authorities.

©

©

©©

© ©

©

©

©

shell triangular

©

*Asian clam (T)

Picture Key to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

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3.1.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

without shells

no obvious legs

more than three pairsof legs (crustaceans)

sponge- or jelly-like, grows onsubmerged objects

usually a flattened pad ball-likesmall claws on front legs,may be hard to see

large claws onfront legs

body flattenedside to side

body flattenedtop to bottom

entire body (exoskeleton)hardened and flattened

no obvious tail obvious tail

three tails

tails broad, leaf-like tails slender,gills on abdomen

Mayfly nymph (I)

Damselfly nymph (M)

Dragonfly nymph (M)

two tails, no gillson abdomen

Stonefly nymph (I)

worm-like

no obvious head(lives on submerged

leaves and moss)

obvious head

fat, rounded abdomen(lives in groups, attaches

to rocks and sticks)

Black fly larva (T)

flattened, gray toblack color

small appendagesand/or hairs

long, slenderabdomen

cylindrical,red color

Aquatic worm (T)Leech (T)

small hairs on body(lives in stagnant water)

bright red body (liveson submerged objects)

Mosquito larva (T)Chronomid midge (T)

Amphipod, Scud (M) Isopod, Sowbug (M)Crayfish (M)

Cranefly larva (M)

Pollution Tolerance Index Value(I) – Intolerant Group I

(M) – Moderate Group II

(T) – Tolerant Group III

LEGEND

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

©

©©

©

©

©

©©

©

©©

©©

Freshwater sponge (M) Bryozoa (M)

no appendages

Catawba River Watershed

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3.1.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Macroinvertebrates

with shells, clam-like

shell unattachedshell attached tosubmerged objects

shell oblong

obvious legs

three pairs of legs

adult bugs or beetleswith two pairs of wings

larvae or nymphs with nowings, but some may have

undeveloped wing pads

sucking mouth parts(true bugs)

thick body, upto 3" long

Giant water bug (M)

chewing mouth parts, frontwings thick (beetles)

hind legs short(swims on surface)

hind legs long thin body, longspider-like legs

hind legspaddle-like

(swims rapidly)skates on

water surfacewalks on the bottom near

plants, long tube on abdomen

hind legs notpaddle-like (crawls on

submerged objects)

abdomen soft andworm-like

Riffle beetle (I)

Water strider (M) Water scorpion (M)

Whirligigbeetle (M)

Predaceousdiving beetle (M)

dark brown to black body,prominent pinching jaws

white to greenish body, withor without portable case

Caddisfly larva (I)

*Zebra mussel (T)

Native freshwatermussel (I)

Hellgrammite,Dobsonfly larva (I)

* Non-native nuisance species. The zebra mussel is not yet knownin North Carolina. It is moving into the southern states. Reportits occurrence to park, wildlife or Duke Energy authorities.

shell triangular*Asian clam (T)

Word Key to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Page 33: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

3.1.11 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

without shells

no obvious legs

more than three pairsof legs (crustaceans)

sponge- or jelly-like, growson submerged objects

usually a flattened pad ball-likesmall claws on front legs(may be hard to see)

large claws onfront legs

body flattenedside to side

body flattenedtop to bottom

entire body (exoskeleton)hardened and flattened

no obvious tail obvious tail

three tails

tails broad, leaf-like tails slender,gills on abdomen

Mayfly nymph (I)Damselfly nymph (M)

Dragonfly nymph (M)two tails, no gills

on abdomenStonefly nymph (I)

worm-like

no obvious head(lives on submerged

leaves and moss)

obvious head

fat, rounded abdomen(lives in groups, attaches

to rocks and sticks)Black fly larva (T)

flattened, gray toblack color

small appendagesand/or hairs

long, slender abdomen

cylindrical,red colorAquatic

worm (T)Leech (T)

small hairs on body(lives in stagnant water)

bright red body (liveson submerged objects)

Mosquito larva (T)Chronomid midge (T)

Amphipod, Scud (M) Isopod, Sowbug (M)

Crayfish (M)

Cranefly larva (M)

Pollution Tolerance Index Value(I) – Intolerant Group I

(M) – Moderate Group II

(T) – Tolerant Group III

Freshwater sponge (M) Bryozoa (M)

no appendages

LEGEND

Catawba River Watershed

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3.1.12 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Aquatic Life Illustrations Worksheet

©

©

©

©

1.

Hints: Found on bottomunder rocks; has three pairs oflegs, undeveloped wing pads,soft abdomen, dark brownbody and big jaws!

2.

3.©

©

Hints: Found on bottom nearplants; has three pairs of legs,two pairs of wings and suckingmouth parts.

Hints: Found near surface ofstagnant water; has a definitehead, slender abdomen andsmall appendages.

Hints: Found swimming onsurface of water; has three pairsof legs, two pairs of wings andchewing mouth parts.

Hints: Found on bottom; hasa red color, cylindrical shape,and no legs or otherappendages.

Hints: Found on bottom; hasthree pairs of legs, undevelopedwing pads, hard and flat body,and no obvious tail.

4. 5. 6.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Which of the above organisms is/are tolerant of pollution?

Which of the above organisms is/are intolerant of pollution?

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3.1.13 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Aquatic Life Illustrations Worksheet – Answers

©

©

©

©

1.

Hints: Found on bottomunder rocks; has three pairs oflegs, undeveloped wing pads,soft abdomen, dark brownbody and big jaws!

2.

3.©

©

Hints: Found on bottom nearplants; has three pairs of legs,two pairs of wings and suckingmouth parts.

Hints: Found near surface ofstagnant water; has a definitehead, slender abdomen andsmall appendages.

Hints: Found swimming onsurface of water; has three pairsof legs, two pairs of wings andchewing mouth parts.

Hints: Found on bottom; hasa red color, cylindrical shape,and no legs or otherappendages.

Hints: Found on bottom; hasthree pairs of legs, undevelopedwing pads, hard and flat body,and no obvious tail.

Hellgrammite ordobsonfly larva

Water Scorpion

Mosquito larva

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Which of the above organisms is/are tolerant of pollution?

Which of the above organisms is/are intolerant of pollution?

4. Whirligig beetle 5. Aquatic worm 6. Dragonfly nymph

Mosquito larva and aquatic worm

Hellgrammite or dobsonfly larva

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3.1.14 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Test for Key It Out

©

©

©

©

©

©

Hints: Found attached to astick under the water; looks likea large blob of jelly.

Hints: Found on bottom underdead leaves; has no obvioushead or legs.

Hints: Found on water surface;has two pairs of wings, threepairs of legs and sucking mouthparts.

Hints: Several found together,attached to submerged sticks;has a head and smallappendages but no legs.

Hints: Usually found onbottom inside a case; has threepairs of legs and a softabdomen, and is green incolor.

Hints: Found swimming indead leaves underwater; has abody flattened from side toside.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

2. 3.1.

4. 5. 6.

Which of the above organisms is/are tolerant of pollution?

Which of the above organisms is/are intolerant of pollution?

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3.1.15 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Test for Key It Out – Answers

©

©

©

©

©

©

Hints: Found attached to astick under the water; looks likea large blob of jelly.

Hints: Found on bottom underdead leaves; has no obvioushead or legs.

Hints: Found on water surface;has two pairs of wings, threepairs of legs and sucking mouthparts.

Hints: Several found together,attached to submerged sticks;has a head and smallappendages but no legs.

Hints: Usually found onbottom inside a case; has threepairs of legs and a softabdomen, and is green incolor.

Hints: Found swimming indead leaves underwater; has abody flattened side to side.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

2. 3.1. Bryozoa

Cranefly larva Water strider

4. Amphipod or Scud 5. Caddisfly larva 6. Black fly larva

Which of the above organisms is/are tolerant of pollution?

Which of the above organisms is/are intolerant of pollution?

Black fly larva

Caddisfly larva

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3.2.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Pre-Visit Activity #2 Picture This

Major Concepts:� Water� Water cycle� Water quality� Watershed

Learning Skills:� Communicating� Recognizing key words� Creating visual representa-

tions of concepts

Subject Areas:� Science� English Language Arts* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with theDPI objectives in thesesubject areas.

Location: Classroom

Group Size: Class size

Time:1-2 hours for poster creation,1 hour for presentations

Materials:Provided by the educator:Per class: Dictionary; encyclo-

pedia; science textbook;shoebox; assorted environ-mental/agricultural/travelmagazines; assorted colorsof markers, crayons orpencils; assorted colors ofconstruction paper

Per student: One sheet ofposterboard (assorted col-ors), scissors, paste or glue,sheet of paper, pencil

Educator�s Information:

Objectives:� Define the terms water,

water cycle, watershedand water quality.

� Illustrate an aquaticvocabulary word andexplain its meaning toother students.

at the park: algae, aquaticindex, classification, detri-tus, dissolved oxygen, efflu-ent, genus, groundwater,impervious surface, indica-tor species, key, larva, mac-roinvertebrate, metamor-phosis, mussel, nymph, pH,runoff, sediment, silt, tax-onomy, tributary, wastewa-ter treatment plant, water,water cycle, water quality,watershed. The studentsshould not memorize the def-initions, but they shouldknow how to use the wordscorrectly in a sentence. Thegoal is for students to relatethese words and concepts totheir everyday experienceswith water.

Tstudents with as many water-related words as possible.The following words, foundin the vocabulary sectionof the EELE, are especiallycritical as they will be usedduring the on-site activities

he purpose of thisactivity is to familiarize

Bryozoa

Scud

Freshwatersponge

Damselfly nymph

Asian clam

Blackfly larva

MACROINVERTEBRATES: Macro means �large,� invertebrate

means �without a backbone.� An invertebrate usually large enough to be

seen without the aid of magnification.

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3.2.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

nition somewhere ontheir poster. They can dotheir own artwork or usemagazine pictures to il-

lustrate how their word isrelated to water, water cy-

cle, watershed and/or waterquality.5. Have each student presenthis/her word to the class byreading the definition anddisplaying the poster. Turnyour classroom and/or hall-way into a gallery of water-related art. The posters willserve as visual remindersof important conceptsand will help promotewater quality awareness toother students in theschool.

Assessment:1. Give a vocabulary test.2. Have a vocabulary con-test. Divide students intoteams. Write all of the vo-

cabulary words in theEELE on separate

pieces of paperand place

them in theshoebox.

Use the wordsto play �Piction-

ary� in which oneteam member pulls a

vocabulary word froma shoebox and draws a

picture(s) to illustrate theword. Fellow team mem-bers must guess the correctword within 30 seconds orother teams can guess to�steal� a point. For anothergame, have one student from

each team face off with an-other to see which team candefine the most words thefastest on paper.

Suggested Extensions:1. Create vocabulary flashcards.2. Create a vocabulary wordsearch or crossword puzzle.3. Instruct student teams to

create word webs us-ing as many

EELE vocabulary words aspossible. Provide each teamwith a copy of the vocabularysection of this EELE. Otherrelated words could be in-cluded as well.4. Have a student team actout a vocabulary word. Oth-er teams watch the skit. After30 seconds, each team turnsin their guess written on aslip of paper. Each team thatguesses correctly gets onepoint. The performing teamgets one point if one or moreof the other teams guesses theword correctly. If none of theother teams are able to cor-rectly identify the vocabularyword, the performing teamdoes not score a point.

Instructions:1. Write aquatic vocabularywords on separate pieces ofpaper or index cards. Youwill need one word for eachmember of the class. Be sureto use the words listed in theEducator�s Information. Addmore words, if needed, fromthe vocabulary section of theEELE.2. Read and/or discuss theStudent�s Information withthe class. Tell the studentsthat each of them will be re-ceiving a vocabulary wordrelated to water. They willbe using these vocabularywords during their activitiesat Lake Norman State Park.Their task will be to design aposter that shows how theirword is relatedto water, watercycle, watershed and/or water quality.3. Place the wordsin a shoeboxand ask eachstudent totake one word.4. Instruct students todevelop a definition fortheir word using a dictionary,the EELE vocabulary sec-tion, science textbook, ency-clopedia and/or other refer-ence books. They shouldwrite their word and its defi-

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3.2.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Water is central to alllife and life�s activ-

ities, including reproduc-tion and growth! Plantsand animals must havewater to survive. Wa-ter represents about75 percent of aperson�s bodyweight and cov-ers nearly 75 per-cent of the Earth�ssurface. Nearlyeverything on Earthcan be directly or indirectlytraced to a connection withwater, or is involved in thewater cycle. Even the driestdesert contains water. It iseasy to see why scientistscall Earth the �waterplanet.�

Water is always onthe move. Rocks andsoil filter water andchannel it into streamsand rivers both underand above the ground.Ponds, lakes, marshesand swamps slow thewater down and mayhold it for awhile.But water is alwaysescaping by evaporat-ing from the surfaceand floating into theair. Clouds carrylarge amounts of wa-ter vapor across thesky until the waterfalls back to Earth as

Student�s Information

A watershed is the total landarea that drains into a partic-ular river, lake or stream. Ifwe pollute the water in onepart of the watershed, thewater quality in the rest ofthe watershed will be affect-ed. Some people use bodiesof water as places to dumptrash. This not only affectsthe water, but it can hurt theother people and the wildlifethat live in that watershed.

Scientists manage thewater quality of a lake, suchas the lake at Lake NormanState Park, by studying itswatershed. They test the wa-ter in many parts ofthe watershedand look forpossiblesources ofpollution.The kindsof animalsliving inthe watergive scientists clues aboutwater quality. Some insectsand other macroinverte-brates can only live in waterthat is very clean. If theseanimals are present, theyindicate good water quality.When you visit the park, youwill have the opportunity tostudy the water quality andexplore the watershed. Youmay even discover new waysto improve the water qualityin the park�s watershed.

rain, sleet or snow. Even theglaciers, our planet�s largestfreshwater storage tanks, areconstantly moving, meltingand changing shape.

Although water is con-stantly recycling, thisdoesn�t mean it willalways be available forour use. Fresh watermay be scarce in some

places and abundant inothers. Sometimes water be-comes polluted or poisonedand is difficult to clean. Caremust be taken to protect ourwater resources, especiallytheir water quality. Wouldyou want to take a shower orwash your clothes in dirtywater? Would you want toswim or fish in a pollutedlake or river? Most peoplewant excellent water quality

not only for drinking butalso for bathing, swim-

ming and growing food. Making sure we

have enough cleanwater can be a diffi-

cult task. We allcan help by being

careful with thewater we use.Each of uslives in awatershed.

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3.3.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Pre-Visit Activity #3 River Roots

Major Concepts:� Watersheds� Topographic maps

Learning Skills:� Communicating, measuring,

inferring and predicting� Reading and interpreting

topographic maps� Measuring and estimating� Working effectively in

groups

Subject Areas:� Science� Social Studies� Mathematics� English Language Arts* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with theDPI objectives in thesesubject areas.

Location: Classroom

Group Size: 30 or smaller ingroups of 5 or less

Estimated Time:1 to 1 1/2 hours

Materials:Provided by the park upon

request:Per educator: One U.S. Geo-

logical Survey (USGS)topographic map, already col-ored, that will serve as theanswer key

Per group: One laminatedUSGS topographic map ofTroutman, N.C., Quadrangle;set of overhead projectorpens (colors: red, green, blueand black)

Provided by the educator:Per group: Ruler and one copy

each of Supplementary andTopo Enlargement

Per student: River RootsWorksheet, pencil

Educator�s Information:

This activity is designed tohelp students understand

the concept of watershedsand to become familiar withthe park lake watershed. Us-ing a topographic map, stu-dents will outline the water-shed; identify creeks, roadsand structures within it; andanswer various questions con-cerning possible influences onthe park lake�s water quality.Students will participate ingroups to complete the work-sheet.

Familiarize students withthe EELE vocabulary beforedoing this activity. You mightuse Pre-Visit Activity #2, �Pic-ture This.�

Objectives:� Use a legend to identify

common symbols on atopographic map such asthe symbols for a creek,permanent structure, for-ested area and open area.

� Correctly locate specificgeographic features on atopographic map such asrivers, mountains andwatersheds.

� Use a map scale to esti-mate distances on a topo-graphic map, and readcontour lines to estimateelevations.

� Draw inferences from atopographic map regard-ing human activities andtheir possible effects onspecific watersheds.

Optional: Teachers can pur-chase their own copy orcopies of this topographicmap from the N.C. Geologi-cal Survey at (919) 715-9718.Order the Troutman, N.C.,Quadrangle, N3537.5-W8052.5/7.5, 1993.

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3.3.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Instructions:1. Distribute one copy of theStudent�s Information toeach student. Read and dis-cuss this information. Makesure students understand thevocabulary words in boldprint.2. Guided Practice: Dividestudents into groups of fivestudents or less. Give eachgroup one copy of the TopoEnlargement, which is a sec-tion of a topographic map(page 3.3.10). Use the TopoEnlargement to show the stu-dents how to identify water-sheds and other geographicfeatures on a topo map.3. Pass out the topographicmap of the Troutman Quad-rangle and the Supplementa-ry (page 3.3.9). Point out themap legend and north arrow.Use the Supplementary toteach the students about oth-er symbols commonly usedon topographic maps. Youmay also wish to show stu-dents how to estimate dis-tances using the map scale,how to estimate elevation byreading contour lines andhow to calculate the area of atriangle. (Pass out the rulersat this time if you are doing ameasuring practice; other-wise wait until step 4, be-low.)4. Distribute a ruler, a set ofoverhead projector pens andthe River Roots Worksheet toeach group. Each studentshould do one of the exercis-es under part A of the work-sheet. Caution students to

B. As rain, snow and otherprecipitation fall on the parklake watershed, what do theycome in contact with? (An-swers: forests, fields, roofs,roads, parking lots, lawns,etc.)C. What types of pollutantsmight the precipitation pickup as a result of these con-tacts? (Answers: fertilizers,soil, silt, animal wastes, etc.,from fields and lawns; petro-leum products like oils, tar,gas and automotive fluidsfrom roofs, roads and parkinglots; etc.)D. Identify less obvious waysthe watershed communitymight pollute the waters.(Answers: overflowing sew-age systems, air pollutionsuch as acid rain, leakingunderground storage tanks,etc.)

use only the projector pensprovided when working onthe laminated topographicmaps. Permanent ink willruin the maps. Studentsshould use their own pencilswhen answering questions onthe worksheet. We recom-mend that the students worktogether on part B, but eachstudent should fill out his/herown copy of the worksheet.5. Review the worksheet an-swers with the students. Dis-cuss the following questionsas a class:A. What are some of theways people are using thewater in the park lake water-shed? (Answers: recreation,diluting wastewater, irriga-tion for crops and a watersource for livestock, and do-mestic uses).

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3.3.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

E. How can the watershedcommunity prevent pollutedrunoff and protect the wa-ters? (Answers: farmerscould use erosion controlmethods such as silt fences,terraces and catchment basinponds, as well as reduce useof fertilizers and pesticides;homeowners could reduceuse of fertilizers and pesti-cides on lawns and gardensand maintain cars and septicsystems properly; landown-ers could maintain forestsand/or stabilize soils by othermethods; etc.)5. Enlist student help to re-move the pen marks from thetopographic maps. Use onlywater and a damp sponge orsoft cloth. Return the mapsto the park within two weeks.

Assessment:Conduct this same activity

for your school�s watershed,or for a watershed in anothercounty. (This will necessitatepurchasing additional quad-rangle maps. Laminate themaps so that they can be usedagain.) Compare watershedsin terms of the natural andhuman communities, possiblesources of pollution and thegeology of the watersheds.

Suggested Extensions:1. Have students create post-ers illustrating the effects ofwatershed pollution. Theyshould show how pollutantsin one part of the watershedcan migrate to other parts,and even to different water-

sheds in the same river ba-sin. How might pollution af-fect wildlife and people?2. Using maps of theCatawba River Basin, havestudents trace the flow ofwater from its headwaters tothe South Carolina state line.These maps are availablefrom: Stream WatchCoordinator, N.C. Divisionof Water Resources, 1611Mail Service Center, Raleigh,NC, 27699-1611, (919) 733-4064. Order the Upper andLower Basin maps. A mapand a chart of vital statisticsof the Catawba River Basincan also be found on theDivision of Water Qualitywebsite at:http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/basin_maps.htm

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3.3.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Each of us lives in a water- shed. One way to picture

a watershed is to think of amountain valley. Imagine youare standing at the bottom ofthe valley, near a river. Look-ing up, you can see high ridgesall around you. These ridgesare the boundaries of the water-shed. Since water alwaysseeks the lowest level, all theprecipitation that falls on theridges and slopes will eventu-ally end up in the river at thebottom of the valley. All theland between the high ridgesand the bottom of the valley ispart of this watershed. Activi-ties that occur anywhere in thewatershed will affect the river�swater quality.

In the Piedmont and CoastalPlain, the land slopes moregradually to a river or lake. Al-though the watersheds aren�t asobvious as those in the moun-tains, they do exist. One wayto picture a watershed in thePiedmont is to look at a map.Find a river and its tributaries.If you think of the river as a gi-ant tree and the tributaries as

the tree�s roots, all the land sur-rounding the �roots� is a partof this watershed. Whateverhappens in the river�s roots af-fects the entire river. The largewatershed of a river is often re-ferred to as a river basin.

Watersheds are naturallyself-destructive. The creeks orrivers that shape the watershedgradually erode the land. Hu-man actions such as land clear-ing, dam building, farming,water diversion and industrialdevelopment can speed up thisnatural process. If not careful-ly done, these activities canloosen the soil, allowing exces-sive amounts of sediment torun into the creeks and tributar-ies of the watershed. The sedi-ments fill stream channels andharbors, and suffocate fish andother aquatic animals by clog-ging their gills.

People can harm a water-shed in other ways. When itrains, fertilizers (sometimescalled nutrients) run off farmfields and lawns into the water.Nutrients can also enter the wa-tershed from wastewatertreatment plants and septicsystems. Fertilizers causelarge amounts of algae togrow, creating an algae bloom.The algae die after they haveused all the nutrients. As bac-teria decompose the dead al-gae, they use up the oxygen inthe water that fish and otheraquatic animals need tobreathe. A fish kill may result.Fertilizer can also cause aquat-ic weeds to grow, cloggingstreams and ponds. This dead-

Student�s Information

ly process, known as eutrophi-cation, greatly reduces thewater quality.

Other pollutants such aschemicals from industry, pesti-cides used in agriculture, andmotor oil from cars can causeproblems in a watershed. Manychemicals are poisonous towildlife and people. Aquaticanimals are especially vulnera-ble. Chemicals in one part of awatershed can work their wayto other parts. One seriouspollution event can damageaquatic food chains in the wa-tershed for many years.

It is important to realize thatalthough we can study individ-ual watersheds, the watershedsare actually connected to oneanother. For example, a riverbasin contains the smaller wa-tersheds of all the river�s tribu-taries. If one of these smallerwatersheds becomes contami-nated, it will eventually affectthe watersheds downstream.As water flows downstream tothe ocean, contaminants can ac-cumulate and cause great dam-age to the lower part of the riv-er basin.

In this activity, you will usea topographic map to study thepark lake watershed. This smallwatershed connects with thelarger watershed of Lake Nor-man that, in turn, is part of theCatawba River Basin. You willlook at human activities in thepark lake watershed and possi-ble sources of pollution. Whenyou visit Lake Norman StatePark, you will be able to ex-plore the watershed firsthand.

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3.3.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

River Roots WorksheetName:______________________________

A. Exercises: Use only the projector pens provided.1. Locate Lake Norman State Park and trace its boundary with the green pen.2. Locate the park lake and outline it with the blue pen. (Note: The park lake is part of

the Norwood Creek watershed and is separated from Lake Norman by an earthendam.)

3. Trace all of the creeks, branches and tributaries that empty into the park lake withthe blue pen.

4. Trace the boundary of the park lake watershed with the red pen using the nearestroads as a general outline.

5. Identify and count all structures within the watershed by striking through them withthe black pen.

6. Trace all light-duty roads within the watershed with the black pen.

B. Questions:1. Lake Norman State Park is located near what town?

________________________________________________________________2. In what county is the park located?

________________________________________________________________3. What is the only neighboring county listed on the map?

________________________________________________________________4. Count all of the named creeks and branches that empty into the park lake. How

many are there? _____ List the names:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Using the scale at the bottom of the map, estimate the length of each of thesenamed creeks and branches in miles. Also add them together for a total.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. In addition to these larger creeks/branches, a number of unnamed streams andbranches feed the park lake. Approximately how many are there?________________________________________________________________

7. Knowing that the watershed is in the shape of a triangle (roughly), determine itsapproximate area in square miles by using the following formula:

Area of a triangle = 1/2 base x height

____________________________________________________Find other ways to estimate the watershed area, such as by us-ing a grid.

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3.3.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

8. Is most of the watershed forests or fields?________________________________________________________________

9. Besides the park, what large educational facility lies within the watershed?________________________________________________________________

10. Approximately how many structures/buildings lie within the watershed?________________________________________________________________

11. Using the scale and road classification key at the bottom of the map, estimatehow many miles of light-duty roads lie within the watershed.________________________________________________________________

12. Into what large body of water does the park lake�s water flow?________________________________________________________________

13. Before the park lake�s water reaches the main body of Lake Norman, into whatportion of the lake does it empty?________________________________________________________________

14. What river was dammed to form Lake Norman?________________________________________________________________

15. In what compass direction do most of the park lake�s tributaries flow? ________________________________________________________________16. Calculate the change in elevation from park lake to the highest point in the

watershed.________________________________________________________________

17. Name some possible sources of pollution in the park lake watershed. Thendescribe the type(s) of pollutant that each source might contribute.

Source List or Describe the Water Pollution

ex: road oil and other chemicals from cars

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3.3.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

River Roots Worksheet (Answers)

A. Answers to Exercises:1. Locate Lake Norman State Park and trace its boundary in green.2. Locate the park lake and outline it with the blue pen. (Note: the park lake is part of

the Norwood Creek watershed and is separated from Lake Norman by an earthendam.)

3. Trace all of the creeks, branches and tributaries that empty into the park lake withthe blue pen.

4. Trace the boundary of the park lake watershed with the red pen using the nearestroads as a general outline.

5. Identify and count all structures within the watershed by striking through them withthe black pen.

6. Trace all light-duty roads within the watershed with the black pen.(See 1993 version of Topographic Map for answers to Exercises 1-6.)

B. Answers to the Questions:1. Lake Norman State Park is located near what town?

Troutman, N.C.

2. In what county is the park located?Iredell

3. What is the only neighboring county listed on the map?Catawba

4. Count all of the named creeks and branches that empty into the park lake. How many�are there? Three. List the names:Norwood Creek, Bass Creek, Powder Spring Branch

5. Using the scale at the bottom of the map, estimate the length of each of these namedcreeks and branches in miles. Also add them together for a total.Norwood Creek: 4 miles, Powder Spring Branch: 3 miles, Bass Creek: 1 mileTotal: 8 miles

6. In addition to these larger creeks/branches, a number of unnamed streams feedthe park lake. Approximately how many are there? 25

7. Knowing that the watershed is in the shape of a triangle (roughly),determine its approximate area in square miles by using the formula:

Area of a triangle = 1/2 base x height

Area of watershed = 1/2 (4 miles x 5 miles) = approx. 10 sq. miles

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3.3.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

8. Is most of the watershed forests or fields?Approximately equal

9. Besides the park, what large educational facility lies within the watershed?South Iredell High School

10. Approximately how many structures/buildings lie within the watershed?400

11. Using the scale and road classification key at the bottom of the map, estimatehow many miles of light-duty road lie within the watershed.18

12. Into what large body of water does the park lake�s water flow?Lake Norman

13. Before this water reaches the main body of Lake Norman, into what portion ofthe lake does it empty?Hicks Creek

14. What river was dammed to form Lake Norman?Catawba River

15. In what compass direction do most of the park lake�s tributaries flow?South

16. Calculate the change in elevation from park lake to the highest point in the watershed.

See the intersection of SR 1333 and SR 1004:980 ft. - 760 ft. = 220 ft. change in elevation

17. Name some possible sources of pollution in the park lake watershed. Thendescribe the type(s) of pollutants that each source might contribute.

Source List or Describe the Water Pollution

ex: road oil and other chemicals from cars

homes treated sewage

gas stations gasoline from leaky storage tanks

logging operations runoff � sediment

boaters and picnickers litter

housing developments runoff � sediment, fertilizers, pesticides

farms fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides, herbicides

industry chemicals, dyes

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3.3.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Supplementary USGS Topographical MapSymbols and Legends

Symbol(s) Description

Type of permanent structure

______________________________________________________________________

Stream, creek or other flowing water

______________________________________________________________________

Forested area

_____________________________________________________________________

Open area (i.e. fields, lawns, etc.)

_____________________________________________________________________

Park boundary

GREENAREA

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3.3.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Topo Enlargement

900

900

900

900

900

900

Fern

Cre

ek

Lau

rel C

reek

Rocky Creek

Cle

ar C

reek

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4.1.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

On-Site Activity #1 Life at the Bottom

Objectives:� Describe three character-

istics of an aquatic macro-invertebrate.

� Key out and identify threemacroinvertebrates in thefield.

� Calculate the aquatic in-dex value and aquatic in-dex rating for a body ofwater.

� List three or more wayshumans can affect aquaticlife.

Educator�s Information:

In lakes and other aquatic environments, the pres-

ence or absence of certainorganisms, called indicatorspecies, reveals much aboutthe water quality. The crea-tures that live in the watercan help us calculate anaquatic index, which tellsus the relative health of awater body.

Water with a rich and var-ied range of aquatic speciesis usually a healthy environ-ment. Water with only a fewspecies usually indicates lesshealthy conditions. Healthyis used here to mean an envi-ronment supportive of life.Pollution generally reducesthe quality of the environ-ment and, in turn, the diver-sity of life. In some cases,the actual biomass, oramount of living material,increases due to pollution,

Major Concepts:� Water quality� Aquatic sampling� Indicator species� Aquatic habitats� Species identification� Macroinvertebrate external

anatomy and adaptations

Learning Skills:� Observing, classifying and

communicating� Interpreting data and mak-

ing inferences� Sampling and calculating

aquatic index values

Subject Areas:� Science� English Language Arts� Mathematics� Math: measurement* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with theDPI objectives in these sub-ject areas.

Location:Park lake shoreline and tribu-taries (Contact park staff forbest location.)

Group Size:30 or fewer in groups of 5 orless

Estimated Time: One hour

Appropriate Season:Spring, summer, fall

Credits:Adapted from A FieldManual for Water QualityMonitoring, an Environmen-tal Education Program forSchools by Mark K. Mitchelland William B. Stapp.

Materials:Provided by park:Per student: Life jacketPer group: Kick net, seine net,

dip net, plastic cups, aquari-um or white tray, dissectingscope, magnifying glass,tweezers or plastic spoons,field guides, table, laminatedaquatic macroinvertebratekey, rubber gloves, extra ac-tivity sheets, examples ofadult macroinvertebrates

Per class: Throw ropeProvided by educator:Per student: One copy of

Student�s Information andCalculating the Aquatic IndexValue

Per group: Pencil, clipboard,Aquatic Sampling Worksheet,Picture Key to Aquatic Mac-roinvertebrates � CatawbaRiver Watershed

Per school: First aid kit

Special Considerations:Carry rescue throw rope. It isrecommended that all stu-dents wear life jackets duringthis activity. Students shouldwear gloves when sortingsamples. Handle organismscarefully so that they are notharmed, and return them tothe water after the activity.Before the activity, advisestudents of appropriate dress(i.e. old shoes without holes inthem, old jeans, etc.) Makesure participants bring a com-plete change of clothes.

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4.1.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

while the diversity of speciesdecreases.

The major purpose of thisactivity is to help studentsrecognize indicators of waterquality in the park lake andother aquatic habitats. Thestudents will work in groupsto collect and identify mac-roinvertebrates in the lake.

Students must be dressedappropriately. It is recom-mended that all students wearlife jackets, provided by thepark, during this activity.Bring a first aid kit from yourschool, if possible. Educa-tors who have not taken anEELE workshop at the parkshould visit the park and dis-cuss safety considerationswith the park staff before theclass� visit. The educator isresponsible for seeing that allsafety precautions are fol-lowed.

In preparation for theirvisit to the park, studentsshould complete Pre-VisitActivity #1, �Key It Out.�Also, read and discuss theStudent�s Information andCalculating the Aquatic In-dex Value, found in this on-site activity. Ask students toreflect on how the macroin-vertebrates they find in thepark lake will help them de-termine the water quality.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

what it is and how it is ac-complished; and indicatorspecies, what they are andhow they are used to deter-mine the health of the lake.

2. Demonstrate the use of thedip, seine and kick nets.

a.When using a seine orkick net, spread the sampleout evenly over the net.Keep the net with the sampleat least one inch above theground at all times.

b. Using a plastic cup,carefully pour water over thesample to wash away debris.

3. Demonstrate the techniqueof sample analysis.

a.Fill an aquarium orwhite tray halfway with wa-ter.

b. Carefully search thecleaned sample for macroin-vertebrates. You may needto use a magnifying glass.

c. With tweezers or plastic

Instructions:

1. At the park, the educatorshould stop at the park officefor assistance in locating theequipment provided by thepark. Before beginning thesampling at a site determinedby the park staff, the educa-tor should conduct a briefreview focusing on:macroinvertebrates, whatthey are and why they areimportant; metamorphosis,

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4.1.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

spoons, carefully remove theorganisms and place them inthe aquarium or tray.

d. Place the aquarium ortray on the table for observa-tion/identification. Use fieldguides, the laminated macro-invertebrate key, the exam-ples of adult macroinverte-brates and dissecting scopesto identify the organisms.

Note: Remind your stu-dents that the key is not com-plete. They should match theorganisms they find asclosely as possible to the pic-tures in the key. For ex-ample, there are 186 dragon-fly species in North Carolina.The key shows only one spe-cies of dragonfly nymph;however, the illustration isgeneric enough that studentsshould be able to success-fully identify any dragonflynymphs they find.

e. Record the macroinver-tebrates by group on theAquatic Sampling Work-sheet. Calculate the aquaticindex value for the lake.

f. Return all organisms tothe water after completingthe research.

4. Divide the class intogroups of five or less. Passout the worksheets and keysto each group leader. Ask thestudent groups to predict theaquatic index rating for thepark lake and write their pre-dictions under Part A on theworksheets. Next, ask thestudents to put on their lifejackets, gather their samplingequipment and spread out to

collect their samples. Ob-serve the students to ensurethey are using proper collect-ing techniques and followingsafety procedures. Thegroups using the nets shouldmove to the shore to identifythe macroinvertebrates foundand to complete their work-sheets.

5. As time permits, allow stu-dents to observe the physicaland behavioral adaptationsof the collected macroinver-tebrates. Can they see anyexamples of predator-prey re-lationships? Are any of themacroinvertebrates well cam-ouflaged? Can students ob-serve gills or other structuresthat allow the animals tobreathe? Can students deter-mine the stage of metamor-phosis of each collected in-sect? Remind the students toreturn the animals to the wa-ter when they have finishedtheir research.

6. Instruct the groups to cleantheir equipment and return itto the location where theyfound it.

7. Gather the whole class andhave each group present itsfindings. According to thestudents, what is the aquaticindex value and aquatic indexrating of the park lake�s waterquality? How does it com-pare to the students� initialpredictions? If the predic-tions and results are different,encourage students to explorereasons.

Do different groups havedifferent results? If so, canthey suggest reasons why?(Possible answers: impropercollection and/or identifica-tion techniques, different hab-itats or bottoms may havebeen sampled by each group,etc.)

Finally, discuss how hu-mans can affect aquatic life inthis lake. Did the studentsnotice any possible humanimpacts while they were con-ducting the study? (Possibleanswers: People can affectaquatic life by damming ariver or by otherwise chang-ing its flow. Polluted run-off has a major affect onaquatic life. Soil and chem-icals washing off fields,lawns, parking lots andstreets within a watershedcan harm aquatic animalsand their bottom habitats.People can also directly pol-lute the water by dumpingtheir trash in it. Less obvi-ous impacts on aquatic ani-mals come from air pollu-tion, such as acid rain, andfrom the introduction ofnon-native species, such asthe Asian clam or zebramussel.

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4.1.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Assessment:Use the test provided at

the end of this activity, or de-sign one of your own. Stu-dents will need one of thekeys to aquatic macroinver-tebrates found in this EELEto answer the test questions.

Answers for the test:

Group I: no organisms.Group II: bryozoa, isopod(sowbug), water scorpion,dragonfly nymph, craneflylarva, damselfly nymph andcrayfish. Total = 7.Group III: Asian clam andmosquito larva. Total = 2.Aquatic index value: 16[(7 x 2) + (2 x 1) = 16].Aquatic index rating: Fair.

The water quality in BurnsLake is on the high end offair. We might conclude thatthe health of the lake has

been compromised in someway. It is interesting thatthere are no species fromGroup I, which includes spe-cies intolerant of pollutionand indicates excellent waterquality. See the discussionunder step 7 in the Instruc-tions for examples of howhumans might be affectingBurns Lake.

Suggested Extensions:

1. Ask students to use theirdata from the Aquatic Sam-pling Worksheet to create abar or circle graph thatshows the relative numbersof macroinvertebrates fromGroups I, II and III in theirsamples collected at the parklake. How do their graphsreflect the water quality ofpark lake?

2. Sample Lake Norman�sbottom sediments and com-pare the results to thosefrom the park lake. Usegraphs or charts to illustratethe differences or similari-ties.

3. Sample different locationsin park lake (i.e. below thepark lake bridge, near themouth of the creek, etc.) orin the various streams feed-ing the park lake. Usecharts, graphs or tables toillustrate how different habi-tats may result in differentspecies and different aquaticindex values.

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4.1.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

�Water, Water everywhere nor any drop to drink.�

So says the sailor inSamuel Taylor Coleridge�s�Rime of the Ancient Mari-ner� as their boat is becalmedat sea. Fortunately, in ourarea water is everywhere andthere seems to be plenty todrink. But that may bechanging as Lake Norman be-comes more developed and isused by more people. Let�stake a closer look at waterand discover what a fragileand sensitive resource it is.What is Water?

The dictionary defines wa-ter as a colorless, odorlesstransparent liquid occurringon Earth as rivers, lakes,oceans, etc., and falling fromthe clouds as rain, snow, ice,etc. Water occupies morethan 70 percent of the Earth�ssurface, and it makes up ap-proximately 60 percent of thehuman body. You may haveheard the saying, �Water islife.� Think about it for aminute. Can you think of anyorganism that does not de-pend on water?

David Quammen, in hisbook Natural Acts, A Side-long View of Science and Na-ture, says, �Without life, therewould still be water. Withoutwater no life.�

Recipe for a LakeFor your visit to Lake

Norman State Park, you needto know more about water in

1. Sunlight � Algae, moss,diatoms and aquatic plantsneed some sunlight to photo-synthesize. However, toomuch sun heats the water androbs it of dissolved oxygen.2. Dissolved oxygen andcarbon dioxide � All theanimals in the lake need dis-solved oxygen to breathe.These same animals breatheout carbon dioxide that is es-sential for algae and otheraquatic plants. These plants,in turn, take in the carbon di-oxide and give off oxygen.3. Fallen leaves � Deadleaves provide the mainsource of energy for a riversystem and thus for a lake aswell. In the fall, leaves driftdown from the trees into thewater where they soon sinkto the bottom or get caught inlogjams or wedged betweenrocks. Decomposers, suchas bacteria and fungi, climbaboard the leaves and beginto �munch out.� They causethe leaves to break down intosmaller pieces. The half-eaten leaves, bacteria andfungi are eventually sweptdownstream where they pro-vide food for the wonderfullyadapted macroinvertebrates(macros), such as stoneflynymphs, mayfly nymphs andcaddisfly larvae. These or-ganisms further break downthe leaves into a very finemulch called detritus.

In addition to themunchers, grazers and filter

the form of a lake. A lake isdefined as a large inlandbody of fresh or salt water.To really understand a lake,you also have to know aboutits watershed � all the landthat drains into the lake. Ahealthy lake must have awell-protected watershed be-cause any disturbance to theland in the watershed affectsthe water quality in the lake.

Lake Norman is actually amanmade lake. It is the larg-est of a series of reservoirslocated along the CatawbaRiver. The watersheds of theCatawba River�s many reser-voirs and tributaries are in-terconnected. They form agiant watershed, known as ariver basin. Lake Norman isaffected by all the watershedsupstream in the CatawbaRiver Basin. Likewise, LakeNorman affects all the water-sheds downstream in thisriver basin.

Recipe for a LakeA lake can be compared to

a fine stew or soup. Just likea lake, a fine stew or soupneeds a variety of healthy in-gredients. A stew also needssmall amounts of spices tomake it taste just right. Ifyou try to make a stew withjust one ingredient, or if youleave out an important spice,your stew is not going to begood.

Here, then, is a recipe for afine, healthy lake:

Student�s Information

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4.1.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Is the Lake Healthy?The five ingredients just

listed are the minimum ingre-dients needed for a healthylake. A lake needs only natu-ral ingredients � unnatural in-gredients can have a bad ef-fect. David Quammen sumsup what makes a healthy lakeor river when he talks about atrout stream: �A good troutstream must first be an excel-lent insect stream, a superiorhaven for algae and fungi andbacteria, a prime dumpingground for dead leaves, a sur-passing reservoir of oxygenand calcium. It will then also,and thereby, be a good ospreystream, a favorite among ot-ters, a salvation to dippersand kingfishers and bankswallows and heron, mergan-sers and Canada geese andwater shrews, mink andmuskrat and beaver. Not tomention the occasional griz-zly bear. And who knows butthat, sometime, a humanmight want to drink.�

feeders, some macroinverte-brates prey on other macroin-vertebrates. Lots of differentkinds of macros are a sign ofa healthy lake or river.4. Aquatic plants and ani-mals � Aquatic plants pro-vide cover for macros andsmall fish. All the aquaticanimals in the lake providefood for each other and fornon-aquatic animals in acomplex food web. Whenthe various plants and ani-mals die or excrete waste,they return essential nutrientsthat were borrowed so thatthey could live.5. Various minerals � Thefine spices of a lake includecalcium bicarbonate, potas-sium, nitrates and phos-phates. These ingredientshelp balance a lake�s pH;provide building material forthe shells of snails, mussels,clams and crayfish; help fishbreathe more efficiently; andact as natural fertilizers es-sential for aquatic plants.

By taking samples of theaquatic animals, you canmonitor the lake�s water qual-ity. Before you sample, studythe Picture Key to AquaticMacroinvertebrates. The ani-mals listed as � I,� intolerant,are indicators of good waterquality. They belong toGroup I. The animals listedas �T,� tolerant, are membersof Group III. If you find onlyanimals from Group III inyour water sample, the lake ispolluted. You can use the an-imals you collect to calculatean aquatic index value andaquatic index rating of a lakeor stream. The aquatic indexis a measure of the health of awater body. A healthy lakehas a high aquatic index val-ue and is home to a wide va-riety of different species ofplants and animals.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

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4.1.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Calculating the Aquatic Index Value

The aquatic index value (AIV) is a measure of the water quality of a lake, river or otherbody of water. In general, water bodies with the greatest number of different kinds of

macroinvertebrates have the best water quality. Macroinvertebrates are divided into threecategories or groups based on their tolerance to pollution:

Group I � includes macroinvertebrates that are very intolerant (I) to water pollution. If youfind many species from Group I in a river or lake, this indicates good to excellent waterquality. For the AIV calculation, species in Group I are given an index value of 3.

Group II � includes macroinvertebrates that are moderately tolerant (M) to a reduction inwater quality. For the AIV calculation, species in Group II are given an index value of 2.

Group III � represents macroinvertebarates that are tolerant (T) to pollution. If you findmostly species from Group III in a river or lake, this indicates poor water quality. For theAIV calculation, species in Group III are given an index value of 1.

To calculate the aquatic index value, you will use a simple formula:

AIV = (3 x number of Group I) + (2 x number of Group II) + (1 x number of Group III)

As an example, let�s say that you have sampled a lake and found the following species:

Group I Group II Group III1. Hellgrammite 1. Dragonfly nymph 1. Black fly larva2. Mayfly nymph 2. Crayfish 2. Freshwater worm3. Stonefly nymph 3. Water scorpion4. Caddisfly larva

AIV = (3 x 4 species) + (2 x 3 species) + (1 x 2 species) = 19

Find the AIV on the chart below to get the aquatic index rating:

An AIV of 19 lies within the �Good� range. Your lakehas good water quality, at least in the areas in whichyou collected samples.

AquaticIndex Rating

ExcellentGood

FairPoor

CumulativeIndex Values23 and above17 to 2211 to 1610 to less

Adapted from A Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring, An Environmental Education Program for Schools byMark K. Mitchell and William B. Stapp.

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4.1.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Macroinvertebrates

with shells, clam-like

shell unattachedshell attached tosubmerged objects

shell oblong

obvious legs

three pairs of legs

adult bugs or beetleswith two pairs of wings

larvae or nymphs withno wings, but some haveundeveloped wing pads

sucking mouth parts(true bugs)

thick body,up to 3" long

Giant water bug (M)

chewing mouth parts,front wings thick (beetles)

hind legs short(swims on surface)

hind legs long thin body, longspider-like legs

hind legspaddle-like

(swims rapidly)skates on

water surfacewalks on bottomnear plants, longtube on abdomen

hind legs notpaddle-like (crawls onsubmerged objects)

abdomen soft andworm-like

Riffle beetle (I)

Water strider (M)Water scorpion (M)

Whirligigbeetle (M)

Predaceousdiving beetle (M)

dark brown to black body,prominent pinching jaws

white to greenish body, withor without portable case

Caddisfly larva (I)

Caddisfly larva with case (I)

*Zebra mussel (T)

Native freshwatermussel (I)

Hellgrammite,Dobsonfly larva (I)

* Non-native nuisance species. The zebra mussel is not yet knownin North Carolina. It is moving into the southern states. Report itsoccurrence to park, wildlife or Duke Energy authorities.

©

©

©©

© ©

©

©

©

shell triangular

©

*Asian clam (T)

Picture Key to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

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4.1.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

without shells

no obvious legs

more than three pairsof legs (crustaceans)

sponge- or jelly-like, grows onsubmerged objects

usually a flattened pad ball-likesmall claws on front legs,may be hard to see

large claws onfront legs

body flattenedside to side

body flattenedtop to bottom

entire body (exoskeleton)hardened and flattened

no obvious tail obvious tail

three tails

tails broad, leaf-like tails slender,gills on abdomen

Mayfly nymph (I)

Damselfly nymph (M)

Dragonfly nymph (M)

two tails, no gillson abdomen

Stonefly nymph (I)

worm-like

no obvious head(lives on submerged

leaves and moss)

obvious head

fat, rounded abdomen(lives in groups, attaches

to rocks and sticks)

Black fly larva (T)

flattened, gray toblack color

small appendagesand/or hairs

long, slenderabdomen

cylindrical,red color

Aquatic worm (T)Leech (T)

small hairs on body(lives in stagnant water)

bright red body (liveson submerged objects)

Mosquito larva (T)Chronomid midge (T)

Amphipod, Scud (M) Isopod, Sowbug (M)Crayfish (M)

Cranefly larva (M)

Pollution Tolerance Index Value(I) � Intolerant Group I

(M) � Moderate Group II

(T) � Tolerant Group III

LEGEND

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

©

©©

©

©

©

©©

©

©©

©©

Freshwater sponge (M) Bryozoa (M)

no appendages

Catawba River Watershed

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4.1.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Aquatic Sampling Worksheet

Name: __________________________________________ Date: _________________

Location: ________________________________________________________________

Methods used to sample: ____________________________________________________

A. Prediction of the park lake�s aquatic index: Excellent Good Fair PoorCircle your choice. Why do you think the park lake will have this aquatic index?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Instructions:1. Use the Picture Key to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates to identify organisms.2. Record the species found by your group in the space below. Use the key to classify them

by their tolerance levels: I (intolerant), M (moderately tolerant) or T (tolerant).

Group I (I) Group II (M) Group III (T)

(3 x no. of species in Group I)(2 x no. of species in Group II)

+ (1 x no. of species in Group III) = Aquatic Index Value (AIV)

Adapted from A Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring, An Environmental Education Program for Schools byMark K. Mitchell and William B. Stapp.

3. Calculate the aquatic index value (AIV) for the park lake by multiplying the number ofspecies in each group by the index value for that group. Then, add the resulting threenumbers to obtain the aquatic index value.

AquaticIndex Rating

ExcellentGood

FairPoor

CumulativeIndex Values23 and above17 to 2211 to 1610 to less

Aquatic Index Value = ______ Aquatic Index Rating = _____________

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Total =

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Total =

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Total =

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4.1.11 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

4. What does the aquatic index tell you about the health of the park lake? What does thismean for plants, animals and people?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What do you think has contributed to the water quality? Hint: Remember the five ingredi-ents for a healthy lake in the Student�s Information.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How do people affect the aquatic life in the park lake? Hint: Look around you for evi-dence of human activities.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What would happen if the aquatic food web in the park lake was damaged or disrupted?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

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4.1.12 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Life at the Bottom � Test

Name: __________________________________________ Date: _________________

Instructions:1. Use the Picture Key to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates to identify the macroinvertebrates below,which were found in Burns Lake.2. Write the name of each species under the correct group. Use the key to help you classify themacroinvertebrates by their pollution tolerance levels.

(3 x no. of species in Group I)(2 x no. of species in Group II)

+ (1 x no. of species in Group III) = Aquatic Index Value (AIV)

Adapted from A Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring, An Environmental Education Program for Schools byMark K. Mitchell and William B. Stapp.

3. Calculate the aquatic index value (AIV) for Burns Lake by multiplying the number ofspecies in each group by the index value for that group. Then, add the resulting threenumbers to obtain the aquatic index value.

Aquatic Index Value = ______ Aquatic Index Rating = _____________

4. On the back of this paper, describe the health (water quality) of Burns Lake, based on themacroinvertebrate sample above. Describe at least three ways that humans might beaffecting the aquatic life in this lake.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Total =

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Total =

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Total =

AquaticIndex Rating

ExcellentGood

FairPoor

CumulativeIndex Values23 and above17 to 2211 to 1610 to less

Group I (I) Group II (M) Group III (T)

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

©

©©

©

©

©

©

©

©

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4.2.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

On-Site Activity #2 Water Lab

Per team: One copy each ofWater Lab Data Sheet, Wa-ter Quality InformationSheet, and Picture Key toAquatic Macroinvertebrates(See On-Site Activity #1.)

Safety Considerations:Because students will be onthe beach when taking thepH reading, and on the boatdock when the temperatureand turbidity readings aredone, they will all be re-quired to wear life jackets.

Credits: The Water QualityInformation Sheet wasadapted from �A LessonPlan for Some Water Inves-tigations,� InvestigatingYour Environment series.U.S. Forest Service, revised1977. Printed with permis-sion.

Educator�s Information:

In this activity, students willconduct some simple phys-

ical and chemical tests to de-termine the quality of a bodyof water. Working in teams,students will determine thepH, turbidity and tempera-ture of water samples fromthe park lake and record theirfindings on their data sheets.Using the data collected andthe Water Quality Informa-tion Sheet, they will predictthe types of organisms thatthe park lake can support anddraw conclusions regardingthe overall water quality.

To ensure the success ofthis activity, teachers shouldconduct one of the pre-visitactivities in this EELE andpractice the skills suggestedin the Instructions for this ac-tivity. If time permits, stu-dents should do the On-SiteActivity #1, �Life at the Bot-tom,� as a follow-up. Thiswill help students check theaccuracy of their predictionsabout the types of aquaticlife inhabiting park lake.

Major Concepts:� Water quality� Temperature� pH� Turbidity

Learning Skills:� Observing, communicating

results, predicting, inter-preting data

� Measuring� Reading and interpreting

scientific charts

Subject Areas:� Science� Mathematics� English Language Arts* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with theDPI objectives in these sub-ject areas.

Location:The old rental boat dock onpark lake

Group Size:Maximum of 25 divided intothree groups, one adult persix students

Time: 1 hour

Appropriate Season:Spring, summer or fall

Materials:Provided by the park:Per class: Life jackets, pH kits,

vinegar, ammonia, two plas-tic cups, basters, largebucket, large clear plastic jarcontaining water samplefrom Lake Norman, largeempty clear plastic bottle,thermometer, white paper,Secchi disk with string

Provided by educator:Per student: One copy of

Student�s Information andWater Quality InformationSheet

Objectives:� Name and describe three

characteristics of waterthat contribute to the over-all quality of a water sam-ple or body of water.

� Determine the pH, temper-ature and turbidity of lakewater samples and makeinferences regarding theoverall water quality basedon the test results.

� Using the test results andother information, writepredictions for the kindsof aquatic life that mightlive in the lake.

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4.2.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Instructions:

1. Before departing for thepark, go over the Student�s In-formation and Water QualityInformation Sheet with theclass. Explain the types oftests the students will be con-ducting at the park. Divide theclass into teams of two to threestudents. Conduct a guidedpractice of skills they will beusing at the park.

Suggestions for Skills to Prac-tice:

If you have thermometersavailable, let the teams prac-tice taking air temperaturereadings in the classroom andon the school grounds. If youhave litmus paper, let theteams take pH readings of var-ious materials such as tap wa-ter, soda, milk, vinegar,bleach, hand soap, etc. Al-though the students will be us-ing a more sophisticated testfor pH at the park, the litmuspaper test will familiarizethem with the pH ranges ofcommon materials. You couldalso give each team one copyof the Water Lab Data Sheetand Water Quality InformationSheet. Then, explain how tomake predictions using theWater Quality InformationSheet. For example, if a stu-dent team discovers that thepH of the lake water is 6.0,what types of organisms couldlive in the water? (Answer:bacteria, carp, suckers, catfish,some insects.)

If the water temperatureis 69ûF, what kind of organ-

isms could survive? (Answer:much plant life, many fish dis-eases, most bass, crappie,bluegill, carp, catfish, caddis-fly, etc.)2. Upon arrival at the park, theteacher should stop at the parkoffice to get assistance in lo-cating the equipment providedby the park. (See Materials.)Before beginning the waterlab tests, the teacher shouldreview the tests to be conduct-ed and demonstrate the safeuse of equipment such as thepH kits, thermometers andSecchi disks. Provide eachteam with a copy of the WaterLab Data Sheet, the WaterQuality Information Sheet andthe Picture Key to AquaticMacroinvertebrates (fromOn-Site Activity #1).3. Group the teams into threelarge groups, which will rotatethrough the three water qualitytesting stations: pH, turbidityand temperature. After theteams in each group completea test, the groups shouldswitch stations until all teamshave completed all three tests.Remind the students that theyshould take turns within theirteams to conduct the tests andrecord the data. Instructionsand procedures for each testare given on pages 4.2.3 -4.2.4.4. When all the teams havedone all the tests, gather thestudents together at the picnicshelter for a follow-up discus-sion. Ask individual teams toreport their findings and pre-dictions. Discuss the informa-

tion in Predicting Aquatic Ani-mals (Student�s Information)again for emphasis.

Assessment:Create temperature, turbidi-

ty and pH readings for a ficti-tious lake. Give each student acopy of the Water Quality In-formation Sheet and the Pic-ture Key to Aquatic Macroin-vertebrates. Ask students tofirst explain how each individ-ual factor (temperature, turbid-ity and pH) might affect aquat-ic life in general. Then, con-sidering all three factors to-gether, students should predictwhat kinds of organisms couldlive in the fictitious lake.

Suggested Extensions:1. If you have extra time whenvisiting the park, do On-SiteActivity #1, �Life at the Bot-tom.� Did the students� obser-vations of aquatic life matchtheir predictions made duringthe �Water Lab� activity? Ifnot, why not?2. Find the range, median andmode for the class� data on pH,surface temperature and tur-bidity. Use a graph to showthe change in temperature withdepth.3. Repeat the water lab tests atanother lake or river to com-pare with the park lake. Dis-play results using graphs, ta-bles or charts.

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4.2.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

conduct a pH test on lakewater samples, as describedbelow.3. Each group will receive abaster and pH kit.4. Collect a sample of thepark lake water in a largebucket. Have one memberof each group use the basterto draw water from the buck-et and place it into the tubein the pH kit, filling the tubeto about a quarter inch fromthe top.5. Have another team mem-ber place one drop of theindicator solution in the tube,place the lid on the tube,shake it and wait 10 seconds.Have all three students com-pare the color of the solutionin the tube with the chart onthe front of the pH kit andchoose the number of thecolor it most closely resem-bles.6. Have the third studentrecord the pH reading on theteam�s data sheet.7. Using the data sheet andinformation sheet (sectionon pH ranges), discuss theresults. Have the studentsdescribe the health of the

Temperature Test1. Lead the group to the boatdock area to conduct thetemperature tests. One stu-dent in each team will be re-sponsible for handling thethermometer, another for re-cording the data, and a thirdfor timing the temperaturetests. Demonstrate the pro-cedure for taking tempera-ture at various depths.2. First, holding the ther-mometer in a shaded place,and have the students deter-mine the temperature of theair. Caution them to avoidtouching the thermometerbulb.3. Next, to measure the tem-perature of the surface water,grasp the top end of the ther-mometer and place the bulbjust under the surface of thewater. Hold this position fortwo minutes. Take a reading.4. Lower the bulb three feet(measured along the pre-marked string), wait twominutes, and take anothertemperature reading.5. Lower the bulb to a depthof six feet, wait two minutes,and take another temperaturereading.

6. Have the students recordeach temperature reading ontheir data sheet. Surfacewaters will be somewhatwarmer (except in winter)than deeper water. Not onlydo surface waters absorbmore sunlight, but warm wa-ter �floats� on colder water.Note: Water is the mostdense at 39ûF (4ûC). Watercooler than 39ûF will floaton top of this warmer water!This is why ice forms on thelake surface rather than thelake bottom.7. Using the data collectedand the information sheet(section on temperatureranges), have the studentsdescribe what types of lifethey think might be present.

pH Test1. Lead the group to thebeach area to conduct the pHtest.2. Demonstrate to the classthe different extremes on thepH scale by using the pH kitto measure the pH of a cupof vinegar (very acidic) anda cup of ammonia (very alka-line). Demonstrate how to

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

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4.2.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Turbidity Test1. Lead the group to theboat dock area (but awayfrom temperature testers) forthe turbidity test.2. Collect a sample of thepark lake water in a largeplastic jar. Make sure it isfree of any obvious debris.3. Have the students examineit against a background ofwhite paper.4. How would they describethe color? Is it colorless,greenish, murky tan, a cleartea or coffee color? Discussthe possible explanations forthe color.5. Present a glass jar that hasa water sample taken fromLake Norman. Place itagainst a background ofwhite paper and discuss howit differs from the parklake sample.

6. Have one member of eachteam lower a Secchi disk intothe water slowly. The otherteam members should ob-serve and record on the datasheet the depth at which theSecchi disk disappears. Notethat the string has beenmarked to aid students in de-termining the depth in feet.7. Discuss what effect thewater�s clarity (or lack of it)might have on the aquatic or-ganisms living there. Use thePicture Key to Aquatic Mac-roinvertebrates to identify an-mals that are intolerant topollution. On the basis ofthis key, which organisms doyou predict could live in parklake and which ones are mostlikely absent? Write yourpredictions on the data sheet.

water in terms of its pH lev-el. What life forms mightthey expect this water tosupport? (Possible answers:bacteria, algae, bass, crap-pie, trout, mayfly, stonefly,bass, crappie, caddisfly, carpand catfish.) What lifewould this water not sup-port? (Possible answers:snails, mussels, clams.)What factors may have con-tributed to this pH reading?(Possible answers: acid raincaused by nitrogen oxidefrom automobiles and sulfurdioxide from factories, agri-cultural runoff containing asurplus of nitrogen fertiliz-ers, lime from residentialrunoff, and decaying vegeta-tion in water.) How does thepH of the park lake comparewith the pH level of LakeNorman? Note: Contact thepark staff for this informa-tion. (Possible answer: LakeNorman is usually slightlyless acidic than the park lakebecause Lake Norman has ahuge volume of water thatdilutes potential pollutants.Therefore, Lake Normancan handle more pollutantsthan a smaller lake beforethe overall water quality isaffected.

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4.2.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

lake water a minute. Thelake water helps condensethe steam produced to turnthe turbines. The water usedfor cooling is eventually re-turned to the lake, slightlywarmer than the rest of thelake water. According toDuke Energy, the water isnot warm enough to hurt fishor other aquatic life.

The area where theMcGuire Nuclear Stationdischarges warm water intoLake Norman is known as a�hot spot� and is very popu-lar with fishermen, especiallyin winter. Shad flourish inthe warm waters and manylarger game fish go into thesewaters to feed on shad.Since the lake is large, thefish can migrate back andforth between warmer andcooler areas.

Another factor affectingwater temperature is a natu-ral process called thermalstratification. This processoccurs to some degree in allbodies of water. The lighter,warmer water floats on top ofthe denser, cooler water.These two separate layersprovide different habitatswhere different types ofaquatic plants and animalslive, mainly due to the differ-ences in temperature.

This is why fish that needcooler water, such as troutand striped bass, swim to thedeeper parts of lakes duringwarm summer days.

(14°C). Carp, on the otherhand, are considered warm-water fish. They can easilywithstand water temperaturesas warm as 100°F (38°C).

Temperature also affectsdissolved oxygen, theamount of oxygen dissolvedin water. Fish and otheraquatic animals need the ox-ygen that is dissolved in wa-ter. When the oxygen levelfalls below a certain point,they die. The rule is thewarmer the water, the lessoxygen it can hold. As watertemperatures rise, dissolvedoxygen escapes from the wa-ter into the air. Some animalsneed more dissolved oxygenthan others. Therefore, waterthat is considered deadly andpolluted for some fish, be-cause of low dissolved oxy-gen levels, may be perfectlysafe for other fish. (See theWater Quality InformationSheet for temperature rangesand dissolved oxygen re-quirements for aquatic or-ganisms.)

Many factors such asweather, the seasons andmanmade facilities affect wa-ter temperature. McGuireNuclear Station and MarshallSteam Plant, both located onLake Norman, use largeamounts of lake water to cooltheir steam turbines, accord-ing to Duke Energy. Whenoperating at full capacity,McGuire circulates two mil-

lion gallons of

Water quality is a termused to describe the

ability of a body of water tosupport life. Several charac-teristics of the water mustfall within certain ranges ifthe water is to be considered�safe� for people to drink orfor wildlife to use. LakeNorman, the park lake andother bodies of water canonly absorb certain amountsof pollutants before the over-all water quality goes down.Then, animals die and peopleget sick.

When you come to LakeNorman State Park, you willbe measuring three charac-teristics of water: tempera-ture, turbidity and pH. Aftermaking your measurements,you will have a better idea ofthe overall water quality ofthe park lake. You will alsobe able to predict the kindsof animals that could livethere.

TemperatureWater temperature is a life

or death factor for the manyanimals, plants and microor-ganisms living in water.Most trout, which thrive incold water, will die if the wa-ter temperature gets as warmas 77°F (25°C). In addition,their eggs won�t hatch if the

water is any warmerthan 57°F

Student�s Information

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4.2.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

electric power plants releaseother gases such as sulfur di-oxide into the air. These gas-es create more acid rain. Theacid that falls to Earth lowersthe pH level of lakes, riversand streams. In some placesin the world, the water is soacidic that it is called �dead.�The water may look cleanand pure, but nothing canlive in it and no one candrink it.

Marshall Steam Station isa large power plant on LakeNorman. In burning coal togenerate electricity, this plantemits sulfur dioxide into theair. This plant is one of themany sources of acid rain inour area. It is difficult to de-termine how much this pow-er plant is actually affecting

the pH of Lake Norman.In addition to acid rain,

runoff affects the pH level ofthe lake. When it rains, extrafertilizers from farm fieldsrun into the lake. Most fertil-izers contain nitrogen, whichlowers the pH of the water.Runoff from people�s yardscan add more nitrogen to thelake. Some homeowners uselime, which is very basic, tomake their grass greener andhealthier. If lime washes intothe lake, it may cause pHlevels to go up.

Wastewater treatmentplants also have an impacton pH levels in the water.There are a number of waste-water treatment plants inyour home town and on LakeNorman. Whenever we usethe bathroom, take a shower,wash dishes, do laundry orwash a car, the dirty water is

pHpH is a measure of how

acidic or basic something is.Scientists use a pH scale todefine degrees of acidity.The scale is represented bynumbers from 1 to 14. A pHof 1 is extremely acidic,while a pH of 14 is extremelybasic, or alkaline. A pH of 7is neutral, neither acidic orbasic. Pure water has a pHof 7. Some examples of thepH of common liquidsaround you include:

Vinegar pH of 2.25Cola pH of 4Rain pH of 5.6Milk pH of 6.5Sea Water pH of 7.5

pH Scale 1———----- 7 ———----14acidic neutral basic

If you look at the WaterQuality Information Sheet,you will see how pH affectsplants and animals. Bacteriacan live at almost any pHlevel, from 1 to 13. Mostplants and animals, however,can�t survive for very long inwater that is below pH 6.0 orabove pH 9.0.

Many factors affect the pHlevels in a lake. Every daymillions of cars emit a gas-eous pollutant called nitrogenoxide. Nitrogen oxide mixeswith water vapor in the air tocreate acid rain. In addition,thousands of factories and

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4.2.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

piped to a wastewater treat-ment plant. Here it iscleaned and released backinto the lake. Many of thehousehold cleaners we con-sistently flush down the drainare basic, but some are veryacidic. Occasionally, treat-ment plants are overloadedand are unable to bring thepH to a more neutral level.

TurbidityTurbidity refers to the

amount of sediment or for-eign particles suspended inwater. Turbidity is anotherindicator of water quality.Very muddy, dark or densewater is called turbid. Tur-bidity is determined by anumber of factors, both natu-ral and manmade.

Very green-colored watermay be overpopulated withalgae. This could be the re-sult of extra fertilizers fromagricultural runoff. A tan,murky color may be the re-sult of a heavy load of silt.Silt is a very fine-grainedsediment that doesn�t easilysettle out of running water.Silt particles will settle out ifthe water sits undisturbed fora few days. A body of waterthat is a reddish color is fullof suspended clay that hasnot yet settled to the bottomof the water. A weak tea orcoffee color in otherwiseclear water indicates decom-posing leaves and bark. Tan-nin or tannic acid from de-caying leaves is a major con-tributor to the turbidity of

water. This same color mayalso be an indicator of chemi-cal pollution.

The macroinvertebrateslisted as intolerant to pollu-tion (I) on the Picture Key toAquatic Macroinvertebratesare especially sensitive tosediment pollution. Toomuch sediment sitting on thebottom of a lake can destroythe habitat for many bottom-dwelling animals. Sedimentsalso directly smother theseanimals or their eggs and lar-vae. When smaller animalsare killed, the larger animalsthat depend on them for foodwill have to find food else-where or die. In this way,sediments can destroy thefood chains or food web ofan entire lake. People whodepend on fish, or otheraquatic animals, for theirlivelihood are also affected.

Sediments can cause reser-voir volumes to decline bydisplacing water with soil.This reduces the storagecapacity of the reser-voir. It will not be

able to hold as much drink-ing water or absorb as muchfloodwater. Large silt depos-its at the mouths of rivers, orin lakes, can cause naviga-tion problems for boats.Dredging to remove sedi-ments is costly. Overall, sed-iment pollution is the hardesttype to prevent or clean up!

A Secchi disk is onedevice that is used to mea-sure turbidity. The disk islowered into the water until itdisappears from view. Thedepth of the disk can be readfrom the marked rope. Forstill water, a Secchi diskreading of five feet or less in-dicates the water is verymurky. A large number ofparticles are probably sus-pended in the water. A read-ing of 20 feet would indicatefairly clear water with fewsuspended materials. Clearerwater allows sunlight to pen-etrate deeper into the water.

Submerged aquaticplants can grow atgreater depths in clear-er water.

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4.2.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

also need to consider the im-pact of isolated pollutionevents. For example, if thewater temperature is ex-tremely high for one week ofthe year, it could kill someanimals that might normallylive there. When you visitthe park lake, the tempera-ture readings that you takemay not be very high. And,based on your readings, youmay predict that many kindsof animals should be able tolive in the lake. But, waterquality can change from dayto day. One significant pol-lution event could destroyanimals and their habitats. Itcould take a long time for theanimals to return.

PredictingAquatic Animals

After you determine thetemperature, pH and turbidityof the water in park lake, youwill use the Water Quality In-formation Sheet and the Pic-ture Key to Aquatic Macroin-vertebrates to predict thekinds of animals that mightlive there. As you make yourpredictions, remember: The animals in a river orlake reflect the worst possibleconditions in that body ofwater. For example, if thewater is clear and cold, butthe pH is below 6.5, youwould not expect to see trout,stoneflies or mayflies. You

It is also important to re-member that Lake Norman isa manmade lake. Most of theaquatic animals that live inLake Norman or the park lakeonce lived in a river or streamenvironment. Only the ani-mals that were able to survivewhen the river was convertedinto a lake are found in LakeNorman today. Scientists callthese animals �tolerant� be-cause they are able to survivefairly large changes in tem-perature, pH and turbidity.They can exist in a wide vari-ety of water quality condi-tions. Animals that are lesstolerant of change were prob-ably eliminated when the riv-er was converted to a lake.

Macroinvertebrates Listed on the Water Quality Information SheetT = Tolerant of Pollution; M = Moderately Tolerant; I = Intolerant of Pollution

Black fly larva (T)

Caddisfly larva (I)

Damselfly nymph (M)

Diving beetle (M)

Dragonfly nymph (M)

Freshwater mussel (I)

Hellgrammite (I)

Mayfly nymph (I)

Scud (M)

Stonefly nymph (I)

Water scorpion (M)

Water strider (M)

Riffle beetle (I)

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

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4.2.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Water Quality Information Sheet

pH Ranges That Support Aquatic LifeMOST ACIDIC NEUTRAL MOST BASIC

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

bacteria 1.0 13.0

plants (algae, rooted plants, etc.) 6.5 13.0

carp, suckers, catfish, bream, dragonfly nymph 6.0 9.0

bass, crappie, damselfly, crayfish, water strider 6.5 9.0

snails, clams, mussels 7.0 9.0

largest variety of animals(trout, mayfly, stonefly, caddisfly, riffle beetle) 6.5 7.5

Temperature Ranges (Approximate)Required for Certain Organisms

Greater than 68°F (20°C) warm water much plant life, many fish diseasesmost bass, crappie, bluegill, carp, catfish, caddisfly,dragonfly, damselfly, water scorpion, diving beetles,crayfish, scud, water strider

Middle range: 55°F – 68°F (12.8°C – 20°C) some plant life, some fish diseasessalmon, trout, stonefly, mayfly, caddisfly,water beetles, black fly larva

Low range: Less than 55°F (12.8°C) cold trout, caddisfly, stonefly, mayfly,hellgrammite, freshwater mussel

Dissolved Oxygen Requirements for Native Fish and Other Aquatic LifeDissolved Oxygen in parts per million (ppm)

(below 68°F) (above 68°F)Cold-water organisms (including salmon and Warm-water organisms (including fish such ascaddisfly, stonefly, mayfly, hellgrammite) bass, crappie, catfish and carp)

6 ppm 5 ppm©1987 Western Regional Environmental Education Council. From “A Lesson Plan for Some Water Investigations.” Investigating Your Environment series. U.S.

Forest Service. Revised l977. Printed with permission.

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4.2.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Water Lab Data Sheet

Date: ____________

Team members’ names: __________________________________________________________________________________________

pH of Park Lake Sample: _____________________

Predictions of aquatic life: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Temperature Readings:Air temperature ________ Surface water temperature ________

Temperature at different depths:3 ft. ________ 6 ft. ________

Predictions of aquatic life: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Turbidity:

Depth where Secchi disk disappears: __________

Predictions of aquatic life: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the overall water quality of the park lake and the kinds of organisms youmight expect to find there. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4.3.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Major Concepts:� Water quality� Dams� Runoff� Sedimentation� Turbidity� Urbanization� Recreation� Water pollution� Aquatic life

Learning Skills:� Observing, communicating,

inferring� Collecting, analyzing and

evaluating information� Map reading and taking

responsible action

Subject Areas:� Science� English Language Arts� Social Studies* See Activity Summary for a

correlation with DPI objec-tives in these subject areas.

Location: Alder Trail

Group Size: 30 or less, pref-erably in groups of 10 or lesswith a minimum of one adultleader per group

Time: 1 - 1 1/2 hours

Appropriate Season:Any � spring and fall recom-mended

Special Considerations:� Leaders should scout trail

before the walk to becomefamiliar with recommendedstops and to recognize po-tential hazards (i.e. slipperyrocks, cliffs, poison ivy,etc.)

� Leaders should carry a firstaid kit, water, a whistle anda throw rope.

On-Site Activity #3 Lake Watchers

Materials:Provided by park:Per adult leader: One leader�s

kit containing a throw rope,whistle, topographic map,Pond Life guide and severallaminated Lake WatchersInvestigation Charts

Per each pair of students: Onelitter bag

Provided by the school:Per class: One first aid kit and

water bottlePer adult leader: One copy of

the Lake Watchers Teacher�sGuide, Common Alder TrailAquatic Plants and Wildlife,Lake Watchers InvestigationChart and Lake WatchersTrail Map

Objectives:� Describe three positive

effects and three negativeeffects of dams on peopleand wildlife.

� Describe two ways thatpeople can minimize thenegative environmentalimpacts of dams.

� Identify three examples ofaquatic plants and ani-mals found in the field.

� Use a topographic map toidentify direction, eleva-

tion and landmarks in thefield.

� Describe three characteris-tics of water that peoplecan observe in order tomake inferences aboutwater quality.

� Explain how urbanizationaffects water quality.

� List two negative impactsof recreation on waterquality.

Educator�s Information:

This activity is an easyhike that takes place on

the Alder Trail, a three-quar-ter-mile loop trail. The trailfollows the shoreline of alarge peninsula located be-tween the Hicks and Nor-wood creek sections of LakeNorman. The purpose ofthis activity is to provide stu-dents with a firsthand look atsome of the factors that af-fect water quality and to

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4.3.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

allow students the opportuni-ty to study the effects of suchfactors. Educators will guidestudents along the trail andstop at six different locationsfor observation and discus-sion. Depending upon theseason, students will haveopportunities to observe andidentify examples of aquaticflora and fauna, includingturtles, waterfowl and vari-ous plants. Take advantage ofunexpected wildlife sightingsand stop to enjoy them.

At Stop 1, the studentswill examine the park lakedam, discuss the reasonsdams are constructed, andidentify the benefits anddrawbacks of dam construc-tion. At Stop 2, they will lookclosely at the water, examin-ing the color, turbidity, pres-ence or absence of aquaticplants and animals, odor, andpresence or absence of sudsor films. They will be en-couraged to use their obser-vational skills to study andmonitor bodies of water intheir home communities. AtStop 3, students will examinered clay and learn how exten-sive farming practices havedepleted the soil of valuablenutrients. At Stop 4, theywill see and locate on a topo-graphic map the actual areathey studied during the Pre-Visit Activity #3, �RiverRoots.� They will also dis-cuss the effects of urbaniza-tion on water quality. AtStop 5, students will examineshoreline erosion and the ef-fects of recreation on water

quality. At Stop 6,they will survey thelitter they have collected dur-ing the hike and learn howthis litter affects wildlife andpeople. At this final stop, thestudents will also review anddiscuss what they learnedduring the hike. This hands-on interaction with the aquat-ic ecosystem will help stu-dents appreciate the naturalresource and encourage themto become better stewards ofthe environment.

Instructions:1. To ensure the successof this on-site activity, werecommend you conductPre-Visit Activity #3, �RiverRoots,� in this EELE.2. Before bringing studentsto the park, study the LakeWatchers Teacher�s Guideand Lake Watchers Investiga-

tion Chart. Visit the park toscout the trail yourself. Ide-ally, this should be done atleast one week prior to yourclass� visit and at the sametime of day. This will helpyou identify potential trailhazards (slippery areas, steepbanks, etc.) and become fa-miliar with the exact loca-tions of the stops described inthe Lake Watchers Teacher�sGuide. You could also lookfor additional stops to viewplants and wildlife.

If you are unfamiliar withaquatic environments, youwill need to carry a fieldguide or request assistancefrom park staff. An excellentall-purpose guide is PondLife by the Golden Press.(See References section.) Alist of commonly-observedwildlife is also included in

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4.3.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

this activity. Two importantpoints to recognize whenobserving organisms are: (1)It�s not always important toidentify the specific name ofa plant or animal as long asthe students appreciate it andunderstand its place in the ec-osystem; (2) It is important tohelp your students relate theplants and animals to waterquality � their dependence orinfluence upon it.3. Divide the class intosmaller groups of 10 studentsor less. Provide one adultleader per small group. Priorto the hike, give each leader acopy of the Lake WatchersTeacher�s Guide, CommonAlder Trail Aquatic Plantsand Wildlife, Lake WatchersInvestigation Chart and LakeWatchers Trail Map.Note: You may choose to as-sign each trail stop to a teamof two students within eachhiking group. If so, eachteam will need a copy of theinformation in the LakeWatchers Teacher�s Guide fortheir assigned stop so thatthey can prepare to lead thecorresponding activity.4. During the hike, one ofthe group leaders should car-ry the first aid kit and waterbottle. All the leaders shouldcarry a throw rope, whistle,topographic map, Pond Lifeand several Lake WatchersInvestigation Charts. Eachstudent should have a �bud-dy� in his/her group. Eachpair of students will be givena small litter bag at the parkto help with trail cleanup.

5. Begin the hike with abrief introduction duringwhich you will cover thetheme, trail distance, time,difficulty and the specialrules, a - f, below.

a. Stay on the trail untiltold otherwise.

b. Watch for roots, stumps,sloped walking areas andother hazards. Running isnot allowed on the trail.

c. Do not pick, injure ordestroy any plants or animalsin the park. (The purpose ofthe state parks system is topreserve and protect our nat-ural resources.)

d. Being quiet will helpyou see more wildlife.

e. The adult leader shouldbe at the front of the group.

f. When picking up litteralong the trail, do not touchbroken glass, twisted metalor fishing line with hooks.6. When conducting thehike, start each small groupat a different stop along Al-der Trail so that the groupsdo not get too close to oneanother. Make sure all theleaders know the amount oftime they have to spend ateach of the five stops on Al-der Trail. All groups shouldend their hikes at Stop 6, thepicnic shelter. Remind theleaders that when pausing fordiscussion or to view an in-teresting object along thetrail they should lead theirgroup halfway beyond theobject so that all studentswill have a good view. Threeloud blasts on the whistle al-ways indicate an emergency.

Be sure to review emergencyprocedures with all the lead-ers before the hike.

Assessment:

Use the Discussion Ques-tions at the end of the LakeWatchers Teacher�s Guide onpages 4.3.8 and 4.3.9.

Suggested Extensions:1. Lead a walk in a differentaquatic environment. Askstudents to record their ob-servations and write conclu-sions about the water qualitybased on their observations.In groups, have them developplans to improve the waterquality and present theseplans to the class.2. Have students participatein the activity �To Dam orNot to Dam� found in theProject WILD Aquatic Edu-cation Guide. Students roleplay individuals representingdiffering perspectives andconcerns related to the con-struction of a dam on a river.In �Something�s Fishy Here,�another activity from thesame guide, students identifypotential cause and effect re-lationships involving aquatic-related pollution, generateand evaluate alternative solu-tions to problems of aquaticpollution, and outline an ac-tion plan to reduce the nega-tive consequences of aquaticpollution in their communi-ties. See References sectionunder Council for Environ-mental Education.

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4.3.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

STOP 1: Park Lake Dam� What�s It Good For?

Ask these questions to en-courage the students to ob-serve and make inferences:1. What are the major fea-tures of the park lake dam?

Concrete apron, spillway,wooden gates, large earthenbarrierBackground Information:

The dam itself consists ofmore than just the small areaof concrete and wood yousee in front of you. It actual-ly starts back where we tookthe sharp right off of the Al-der Trail. Tons of dirt andstone were brought in to cre-ate an earthen barrier to holdthe water inside the parklake. Once the dam wasbuilt, Norwood Creek beganto back up and expand farbeyond the sides of the origi-nal creek bed.2. Why do you think thisdam was built?

It was constructed acrossNorwood Creek to create asafe swimming area wheremotorboats are not permit-ted.3. Look closely at the con-crete once again. Why doyou think it was built toallow a small amount ofwater to flow over it?

This feature is called aspillway. It allows the parklake to remain at a constantlevel throughout the year, un-less there is an exceptionally

Lake Watchers Teacher�s Guide

heavy period of rain orlengthy drought. The lake ismuch safer for swimmingwhen it is maintained at aconstant water level.4. What is the purpose ofthe two wooden gates oneach side of the spillway?

The gates allow more wa-ter to be released at one time.Background Information:

Sometimes rangers mayneed to open the gates to letwater flow out of the lake ata faster rate than usual. Forexample, it may rain so muchthat the spillway alone can�trelease enough water to pre-vent flooding.5. What are some possiblenegative impacts of dams?

Dams alter the flow of ariver and therefore changethe habitat for aquatic life.Animals that require cold,fast-moving water will notsurvive. Dams also trap sed-iment, which can smotherbottom-dwelling animals.

STOP 2: Small CoveBeyond Dam � Be a LakeWatcher! Script � �We are nowon the Lake Norman side ofthe dam. This creek, Nor-wood Creek, is a part of LakeNorman. Did you know that,without any expensive equip-ment, you can begin to deter-mine the quality of water?That�s right � all you need is

your ability to make good ob-servations with your eyes andyour nose. If the water looksor smells unusual, there isprobably something wrongwith the water quality. Let�suse the Lake Watcher�s In-vestigation Chart to helpus make inferences about thewater quality of NorwoodCreek.�

Pass out the Lake Watch-ers Investigation Chart andchallenge students to makecareful observations. Warnthe students that if they smellany strong odors or see any-thing unusual in the waterthey should not touch the wa-ter. Let them work with their�buddies� to make inferencesfrom their observations aboutthe water quality in the creek. In addition to the observa-tions included in the chart,students should look for thepresence or absence of aquat-ic plants. If no aquatic plantsare present, this could indi-cate that the water is too tur-bid to allow sunlight to pene-trate.

The presence or absence ofaquatic animals is also an im-portant indicator of waterquality. In general, the

greater the varietyof aquatic

animals,

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4.3.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

the better the water quality.There are also certainmacroinvertebrates, such asmussels and mayflies, thatare indicator species forgood water quality. Ofcourse, if students find deadfish or other dead animals,this could indicate very seri-ous water quality problems.

When students have com-pleted their investigation, askthem if they think the waterin the creek is becoming pol-luted. What could be doneabout it? Please report yourfindings to the park. Script � �Making surethat our water remains safefor wildlife and people is avery important task, and onein which you can be in-volved. Be a lake watcher!Take time to investigatestreams, ponds and lakes inyour communities as we havedone here today. If you seesomething suspicious, notifythe police department or theNorth Carolina Departmentof Environment and NaturalResources. You can helpprotect your drinking water!�

STOP 3: Exposed RedClay Area � �BygoneDays� Script � �Look at all thered clay that is present here.Feel how slick and firm it is.What does it smell like?Why do you think we see somuch red clay here and so lit-tle vegetation? Long beforethere was a Lake Norman,

before the dam was built, theland beneath the lake wasfarmed extensively. Cottonand corn were major cropsin the area. The fertile low-lands near the river werefilled with valuable nutrientsand moisture, and were idealfor farming. But after de-cades of farming, the nutri-ents in the soil were mostlyused up, leaving behind thered clay we see here. This redclay forms much of the lakebed in Lake Norman andlacks the nutrients needed forgrowth by aquatic vegetation. �The fact that youngVirginia pines dominate thisarea instead of a mature hard-wood forest indicates that nottoo long ago this area wasfarmland. In the process ofsuccession, Virginia pinesare one of the first trees toinhabit an area that was oncean old field. Let�s learn howto identify this tree. TheVirginia pine has short(1 1/2 - 3 inches), twistedneedles in bundles of two.� Guided Imagery Exer-cise (as time permits) �

Ask students to sit downon the ground and close theireyes. Tell students that youare going to describe whatlife in this area may havebeen like more than 100years ago. The studentsshould try to imagine whatyou are describing.

Script � �We are goingto travel back in time to theearly 1800s. There is no parklake; in fact, there is no park!

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4.3.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

There aren�t many trees be-cause the forests have beencleared for farming. Youlive in an old farmhouse thatyour grandfather built in1750 near the Powder SpringBranch of Norwood Creek.You get your water from aspring, and your mother doesthe family laundry in thecreek.

�You share the farmhousewith six brothers and sisters.You sleep on a mattress madeof straw, and your bathroomis an outhouse! A familycow provides milk and theflock of chickens in the henhouse provides eggs. You eata lot of cornmeal muffinsbecause corn is a major cropon your farm. �Every day you help yourparents farm the fields nearthe river. You have to workvery hard to raise enoughcotton and corn to help feedthe family. John Cavin, aneighbor, has recently estab-lished a grist mill on HicksCreek. You really enjoyhooking up the horse andwagon and travelling to themill with your father. It is awelcome relief from all thehard work in the fields. �You don�t have any tele-vision or video games, soyou find your fun in otherways. Your favorite place toplay is the Catawba River.You like swimming there, butyour mother won�t let youswim alone. The current isso swift that it would be easyto drown. You like to fish,and sometimes you race toy

boats made of sticks withyour brothers and sisters.You really enjoy boatingdownstream to your uncle�sfarm. Of course, you don�thave a motorboat, and youhave to row hard to get backupstream again. Still, youlike being in the boat, andone day you want to see theocean. �The world was very dif-ferent back then. As yougrew up, you realized that thefields were producing lessand less because the topsoilwas washing away. Youknew you would have tomake your living elsewhere,maybe in the big city ofCharlotte! �Let�s come back slowlyto the present now. Openyour eyes. What if you hadreally lived back in the 1800sand were still alive today?What changes would you seeif you came back to your oldhomestead? What changesdo you think are good? Whatchanges are not so good?�

STOP 4: Confluence ofHicks and NorwoodCreeks � Map Exercise If the teacher did not use�River Roots� as a pre-visitactivity, the leader may haveto explain to the students howto read a topographic map.First, see if the students canpoint out due North (withoutlooking at the map), and thenuse the map to see how closethey came. How could thismap help if you were lost?

Next, the leader shouldpoint out major features ofthe topographic map such ascontour lines, symbols fordwellings and numbers indi-cating elevations. Note thatthere is a 10-foot change inelevation between each con-tour line. Challenge the stu-dents to match landmarks orfeatures that they can seearound them with those onthe topographic map.Possible Questions:� Can you find our locationon the map? What is the ap-proximate elevation? (An-swer: 760 feet.)� How far is it by boat fromour location to Lake Norman(Answer: About two to threemiles.)� What would happen if yougot into a boat here and trav-elled to the left? (Answer:You would eventually go un-der a bridge.)� Looking at the map, isthere much developmentalong Hicks Creek? Why orwhy not? (Answer: No, thearea on the right side of

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4.3.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Hicks Creek is state parkland.)� Find the Rocky Creek areaon the map. Is it a developedarea? (Answer: Yes, there aremany black squares indicat-ing structures.)� Looking at the map andalso looking around you,what activities can you findthat may damage the waterquality of Lake Norman?Background Information:

Currently Lake Normanhas more than 60,000 perma-nent residents living along its520 miles of shoreline.Thousands more individualslive within the lake�s water-shed. (A watershed is all theland area that contributesrunoff to a particular bodyof water.) Cities, towns, in-dustries, farms and otherbusinesses are also locatedwithin the watershed. To-gether, all of these peopleand places can significantlyimpact Lake Norman�s waterquality. As the watershed be-comes more urbanized, thepotential damage to the wa-ter quality is greater. A big concern is pollutedrunoff. As rain washesacross lawns, fields, parkinglots, etc., it picks up fertiliz-ers, soils, animal waste, toxicchemicals, petroleum prod-ucts and other detrimentalsubstances. This pollutedrunoff enters Lake Normanwhere it can damage the wa-ter quality. Some pollutantscarried in runoff killplants and macroinverte-

brates that are essential to thelake�s food web. Even in alake as large as this one, pol-lutants can build up overtime. Maintaining wetlands,forests and other vegetativebuffers around the lake andits tributaries will help filtersome of this polluted runoff.

STOP 5: Hicks CreekSide of the Peninsula �Recreation Impacts

Script � �Look and listen.Do you see any fishermen orhear any boat traffic? In ad-dition to the thousands ofpermanent residents on LakeNorman, there are many oth-er visitors, especially onweekends and holidays.Fishing, boating and waterskiing are some of the mostpopular recreational activi-ties on Lake Norman. Un-fortunately, recreation is notall fun and games. See ifyou can observe any harmfuleffects caused by recreation-al activities.�

Allow students to lookaround. Caution them tostay on the trail, away fromthe edge of the steep bank.After two or three minutes,ask students what theyhave found. Here are somepossible answers:1. Litter � This is the mostobvious type of pollution thatmay be the result of recre-ational activities. Litter killsbirds and fish when they be-come entangled in fishingline or six-pack rings. Someanimals such as turtles maymistake styrofoam productsfor food and ingest the litter,thereby clogging their diges-tive systems.2. Petroleum products �Students may be able to seea multicolored sheen on thewater, or they may infer thisfrom their observations ofboats on the lake. Failure tomaintain boats properly,spillage of gas while refuel-ing and thoughtless disposalof oil all contribute to petro-leum pollution.3. Shoreline erosion � Thisis a significant problem fac-ing unprotected shores ofLake Norman. Motor boatsforce powerful waves ontothe shore, eroding the banks.

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4.3.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

As the banks cave in, the soilbreaks up and sediment en-ters the water. Some fisher-men worsen the problem bycutting down trees along theshoreline to establish shelterfor game fish. The tree rootsthat hold the soil in place canno longer do their job.

STOP 6: (Last Stop)Picnic Shelter � LitterSurvey Script � �Okay, now it�stime for our litter survey.What are some of the differ-ent types of trash you col-lected on the hike? On ascale of 1 to 10, 10 being themost hazardous, how wouldyou rate these items in termsof how potentially hazardousthey are to wildlife and peo-ple? Why?�Background Information:

� Styrofoam is often mis-taken as food by fish and tur-tles. It takes 500 years tobreak down.

� A fish hook and fishingline can also hook and entan-gle birds. The hook can get

caught in a bird�s bill orwings, causing the bird to be-come so tangled in the line itcan�t fly. Or the bird may cutoff one of its legs if it pullstoo hard trying to escape.Fishing hooks can also betreacherous for barefootswimmers.

� Six-pack rings are deadlynecklaces. Diving birds likeducks and geese cannot seethe rings and will noosethemselves, carrying therings with them until thebirds are strangled. The ringswill also cut into an animal�sskin as it grows, causinggreat harm.

� Aluminum cans andplastic bottles are traps forsmall animals that get theirheads stuck inside them. Theanimals die of starvation. � Cigarette butts thrown inthe water or on the groundare often eaten by wildlife.Fish and deer often mistakethem for food and developinternal problems from eatingthem. Script, continued ��Let�s throw all of the trashin the cans under the picnicshelter and leave our extra,empty bags there, too, where

the rangers can pick them up. �In addition to what wejust learned about litter,what else have we discov-ered on our hike today?

� �We learned the reasonsdams are constructed, theirbenefits and drawbacks, andhow dams affect waterquality.

� �We learned that expen-sive equipment is not neces-sary to investigate a bodyof water; our senses of sightand smell work great. And,we should get involved andbecome Lake Watchers.

� �We discovered thatmuch of the red clay we seealong the shores of LakeNorman is the result of ex-tensive farming practices thatremoved valuable topsoilfrom the land.

� �We learned that we areexcellent topographic mapreaders and that urbanizationcan adversely impact waterquality mainly due to theresulting runoff.

� �We learned that recre-ational activities can ruin thebeauty and safety of a lake ifpeople behave irresponsibly.�

Discussion Questions:Use the questions that fol-

low to help you assess whatstudents learned on the hike.Students can respond orally,or you can ask them to writetheir answers on paper. As-sessment can be done at thepark, if time permits, or backin the classroom.

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4.3.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

1. Do the effects of damsupon water quality out-weigh their benefits?Answers will vary, accord-ing to students� beliefs. En-courage students to explaintheir answers by listing prosand cons.2. How, if possible, can theeffects of dams upon waterquality be reduced?(1) Control introduction ofsuspended solids or runoffthrough use of silt fences,watershed protection, etc.,and (2) control activities onlakes to minimize turbidity,etc.3. What does the absenceor presence of certainaquatic organisms indicateabout the quality of water?In aquatic environments, thepresence or absence of cer-tain organisms, called indi-cator species, reveals muchabout the quality of thewater. Water with a richand varied range of aquaticcreatures is usually a healthyenvironment, whereas waterwith just a few species usu-ally indicates less healthyconditions.4. When you are being aLake Watcher and you dis-cover very green water,what could that mean?The water could be overpop-ulated with algae, possiblyfrom too many fertilizersfrom agricultural runoff.5. How about if you dis-cover water that is a weaktea or coffee color?

In otherwise clear water, thisdark color is an indication ofthe decomposition productsof leaves and bark. Thissame color could also be anindication of chemical pollu-tion.6. What are some waysthat residents, industries,farmers, etc., within thelake watershed can reducetheir negative impacts onwater quality?(1) Control runoff from theirproperty, (2) recycle usedmotor oil, (3) use biodegrad-able or �environmentally

tion, (2) increased runoffcomes from impervious sur-faces, i.e., paved roads andparking lots, roofs, etc., and(3) introduction of treatedwastewater that containschemicals and nutrients pol-lutes the water supply. A lessobvious answer might be thatthe increased air pollutionfrom cars, trucks, industries,etc., contributes to acid rain.8. What are some of theways to reduce the effectsof boats upon water quali-ty?(1) Properly maintain boats,(2) use extra care when refu-eling, and (3) always securelitter when boating.9. As individuals, what caneach of you do to controllitter?(1) Use trash cans, (2)participate in litter re-moval projects like Big

Sweep, an annual volun-teer effort to clean up the

state�s waterways, and (3)recycle as much trash as

you can.10. Why is water quality soimportant to wildlife?Water is essential to all life.Organisms need clean waterto breathe, drink, reproduceand grow.

Your Phrase toRemember:

�Earth is home to us all.Water is life to us all.Share it responsibly.�

safe� cleaners, herbicides,etc., (4) maintain forestedcreek bottoms and other wet-lands to filter runoff, and (5)prevent litter � recycle anddispose of trash properly.7. What are some of theways urbanization affectswater quality?(1) Removal of forests,which filter runoff and con-trol erosion, increases pollu-

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4.3.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Alder Trail � Common Aquatic Plants and Wildlife

MAMMALSMuskrat

BIRDSBelted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Wood Duck

Mallard Ducks

TREESSmooth Alder

River Birch

Silky Dogwood

Musclewood

OTHER PLANTSCardinal FlowerGiant CaneRushesGrasses

INSECTSWater Striders

Dragonfly

Water Boatmen

FISHLargemouth Bass

Black Crappie

Bluegill

Channel Catfish

REPTILESNorthern Banded

Water Snake

Painted Turtle

AMPHIBIANSSalamander

Bull Frog

MISCELLANEOUSBryozoan Colonies

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4.3.11 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Lake Watchers Investigation Chart

Observations . . . Possible Cause

very green color Water is overpopulated with algae probably due to ex-cess nutrients from runoff.

reddish color Water may contain excessive clay particles that havenot settled out yet (high turbidity).

tan, murky color May be the result of a heavy load of silt, a veryfine-grained sediment, due to erosion.

yellow coating on Indication of sulfur entering the stream bedstream bottom

white cottony masses This could be �sewage fungus� � gross!on bottom

multicolored sheen See if you can break it up with a stick. If so, it iscaused by bacteria as they decompose natural materials.If not, it is caused by petroleum products entering thestream.

foam on the water When white and thicker than three inches, it may becaused by detergents. Tan foam can be caused naturallydue to minerals in the water.

Smells . . .rotten egg odor Could be caused by natural decomposition in a swamp

or marsh, or by sewage pollution if a marsh is not present.

musky odor Could be caused by untreated sewage, livestock wasteor harmful types of algae.

bleach odor May indicate that a sewage treatment plant isover-chlorinating the water.

unusual chemical odor A chemical may be leaking into the water from a nearbysource. Be careful!

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4.3.12 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

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5.1.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Post-Visit Activity #1 Park Lake

Major Concepts:� Human impacts� Water quality� Land use issues� Preservation of natural

areas� Stewardship

Learning Skills:� Interpreting data, commu-

nicating, evaluating� Organizing and analyzing

information� Problem solving and criti-

cal thinking skills

Subject Areas:� Science� Social Studies� English Language Arts* See the Activity Summary

for a correlation with theDPI objectives in thesesubject areas.

Location: Classroom

Estimated Time: One tothree 45-minute periods

Appropriate Season: Any

Materials:Provided by educator:Per student: One copy of

Student�s InformationPer three students: Scissors,

masking tape, glue or paste,marking pens, paper, onecopy each of Land Use Cut-outs and Park Lake Map(two pages)

Objectives:� Evaluate the potential ef-

fects of different land useson water quality andaquatic life in the parklake.

� List and describe at leastfive things we can do asindividuals or societies toprotect water quality.

� Create a land use plan fora small watershed thatminimizes damage to wa-ter quality.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Credits: �Dragonfly Pond,�Project WILD Aquatic Edu-cation Guide � 1987, 1992.Council for EnvironmentalEducation. Adapted withpermission from ProjectWILD. In North Carolina,Project WILD is part of theN.C. WILD environmentaleducation program. For in-formation about N.C. WILD,contact the N.C. WildlifeResources Commission, Di-vision of Conservation Edu-cation, 1712 Mail ServiceCenter, Raleigh, NC, 27699-1712.

Educator�s Information:

This activity is a simula-tion where students ana-

lyze the potential impacts ofvarious land uses on theaquatic life and water qual-ity of the park lake. Studentteams will develop and de-fend land use plans for thepark lake�s watershed. Theywill also consider how theirdecisions affect aquatic re-sources in the river basindownstream.

If time permits, allow thestudents to do further re-search on new technologiesto prevent polluted runoffand other types of water pol-lution. These technologiescould be incorporated intotheir land use plans.

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5.1.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Instructions:

1. Prepare copies of the LandUse Cutouts and Park LakeMap (two pages) for studentgroups. Read and discuss theStudent�s Information withthe class. Ask students to de-scribe other land uses andgive pros and cons of each.Put these other uses on thechalkboard or overhead.

2. Divide the class intogroups of three or four stu-dents. Give each group acopy of the Park Lake Map(two pages), the Land UseCutouts, tape, scissors andmarking pens. Have the stu-dents tape the two sections ofthe Park Lake Map together.Then, have students cut outthe land use pieces. Explainthe following rules. You maywant to put them on thechalkboard:

� In making their land useplans, students must use allthe land use pieces. How-ever, they can choose tomake some of the piecessmaller � down to one half oftheir original sizes.

� None of the pieces canoverlap, and all must beplaced upstream above thestate park boundary. Nopieces can be placed withinthe park.

� Student teams can developand label additional land usepieces if they desire.

� The goal is to place all theland use pieces where theywill do the least amount of

permanently. They can usethe marking pens to addthings they think might helppreserve water quality andprotect plants and animals.For example, if polluted run-off is a problem, are thereways to reduce it and keep itout of the creek?

5. Give the students addi-tional time, as needed, tocome up with what they be-lieve is the best land use planpossible. Ask groups to useglue or paste to permanentlyfasten cutouts to their maps.Be sensitive to their frustra-tions and display all the finalland use plans in the class-room for all to see. Ask eachgroup to present the high-lights of its plan to the class.Analyze and discuss the mer-its of each plan. Point outthat although the solutionsmay not be perfect, damageto the park lake watershedcan be reduced.

6. Consider with them theidea that all the waters of theEarth are interconnected sothat all land use activities af-fect many other things. Dis-play one of the groups� mapson the chalkboard. Next,draw the rest of park lakeconnected to it. Label all thefeatures as shown on page5.1.9. What lies downstreamfrom the park lake? (Answer:Norwood Creek, Hicks Creekand Lake Norman) Howmight these aquatic systemsbe affected by the activitiesin the park lake watershed?Note that all the pollutants

damage to the aquatic lifeand water quality of the parklake.

3. For older students, theteacher might ask each teamto represent a specific inter-est group. For example:

A. Farmers - want to clearand use land to produce food,livestock and lumber.

B. Highway department -wants to build a highwaythrough the area to provideaccess for fire, police andemergency medical services.

C. Permanent residents -want development, but not somuch that their homes are af-fected by noise, traffic, pollu-tion, etc.

D. Business interests -want to use the land for com-merce and development(home builders, small busi-nesses, restaurants, etc.)

E. Public services - wantto build and operate a waste-water treatment plant in thearea.

F. Adopt-a-Park group -wants to help preserve addi-tional land for the state park.

4. Have students work intheir teams long enough tobegin serious debate over theland use decisions. Remindthem that no land use can beexcluded, but they can findways to reduce the damage tothe park lake. Have themlightly fasten the cutouts tothe map with small loops oftape. This will allow them tochange their minds beforethey stick the cutouts down

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5.1.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

dumped into the park lakewatershed will eventuallyflow downstream. Make in-ferences and predictionsabout the potential conse-quences of these activities.

7. Finally, ask students to cre-ate a list of actions that wecan take as individuals or associeties to reduce the poten-tially damaging effects of ourlifestyles on water quality. Ifpossible, have students trysome of these suggestionsand report periodically ontheir progress in carryingthem out. Remember, we alllive downstream!

Assessment:Create a map of an imagi-

nary watershed, or use a mapof an actual watershed. Askstudents to indicate wherethey would site a variety ofland uses from a list you sup-ply. Students should write asentence or two describingways to reduce damage towater quality for each use.

After this exercise, if a realwatershed map was used,show students where variousland uses have actually beendeveloped. Compare the lo-cations of actual developmentwith the locations suggestedby the students.

Suggested Extensions:

1. As student teams developtheir land use plans, ask themto do research to learn moreabout methods to control pol-luted runoff, such as sedi-

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

ment fences and vegetationbuffers. Encourage them toincorporate these technolo-gies into their land use plans.

2. If studying the atmo-sphere, ask students to do re-search to learn more abouthow land use plans might af-fect the airshed as well as thewatershed. For example, re-moval of trees and the intro-duction of more homes, carsand industries will increasethe amount of carbon dioxideand other greenhouse gasesin the atmosphere.

3. Invite a guest speaker froma private organization thatworks to protect natural re-sources. Examples of orga-nizations are the North Caro-lina Environmental DefenseFund, the Catawba LandsConservancy and the NorthCarolina chapters of The Na-ture Conservancy and SierraClub. Discuss �urbansprawl� � what it is and thepossible impacts on waterquality.

4. Organize a Stream Watchgroup in your community.Stream Watch groups�adopt� a waterway, or a por-tion of one, and act on its be-half. They take care of thewaterway by monitoring wa-ter quality, providing educa-tional programs, removing lit-ter, etc. For more informationon Stream Watch, contact:Stream Watch Coordinator,N.C. Division of Water Re-sources, 1611 Mail ServiceCenter, Raleigh, NC, 27699-1611, (919) 733-4064.

5. Collect newspaper articlesfor local water-related andland use issues as a currentevents activity.

6. Learn more about environ-mental impact statements.Try to obtain actual state-ments about natural areas inyour region. See what con-cerns are addressed in thesedocuments.

7. Find out about zoning lawsand land use regulations inyour area by contacting yourcity or county director ofplanning or zoning. Find outif the plan your group pro-posed for the park lake water-shed would be allowed inyour community.

8. Send a representativesample of the students� landuse plans to the park. (Wewould appreciate the feed-back.) Write to the IredellCounty Planning Board aboutany concerns you have withthe water quality of the swim-ming lake at Lake NormanState Park:

Planning Board, c/o IredellCounty Planning Depart-ment, PO Box 788,Statesville, NC, 28677.

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5.1.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Student�s Information

Think back to your visit toLake Norman State Park.

You learned that if the lakewater can support a varietyof plants and animals, it isalso healthy for people.Good water quality is im-portant to the many townsand cities that rely on waterfrom Lake Norman for drink-ing, industrial uses and irri-gation. Lake Norman is alsoused by many people for rec-reation � swimming, fishingand boating. What wouldhappen if the water qualitywas damaged in LakeNorman and/or in the parklake?

The Lake Norman area isgrowing rapidly. Manypeople seek undevelopedland to build new homes andindustries. This growth canhelp the local economy, butdevelopment within thelake�s watershed can alsodamage water quality and de-stroy communities of plantsand animals living in andaround the lake. Differentpeople have different ideasabout how to best use theland and water in the LakeNorman watershed and stillkeep the water clean. Let�sconsider some of the prosand cons of different landuses:

Housing DevelopmentsPRO

� Provide shelter forpeople.

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

� Provide jobs in construc-tion and home maintenance.CON

� Generate sewage andother wastes.

� Generate polluted runofffrom yards and streets.

� Damage or destroy habi-tats for wildlife and plants.

Farms and FeedlotsPRO

� Produce food for peopleand animals.

� Provide lumber andwood products.

� Provide jobs.CON

� Increase soil erosion �more sediment will enterlakes and streams.

� Use pesticides and herbi-cides that can get intoaquatic systems where theypoison wildlife and people.

� Increase nutrients in riv-ers and lakes from fertilizersand animal wastes.

Restaurants and ShopsPRO

� Provide jobs.� Provide convenient loca-

tions for people to get foodand other necessities.CON

� Increase runoff fromparking lots, roofs and otherimpervious surfaces.

� Generate waste and sew-age that must be treated.

� Contribute to the loss ofhabitat and natural commu-nities.

Wastewater TreatmentPlants

PRO� Remove disease-caus-

ing organisms from water.� Provide jobs in con-

struction, maintenance andoperation of the plant.CON

� Discharge effluent con-taining chlorine and nutrientsinto the water.

� Allow for more develop-ment � more homes, shopsand industries.

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5.1.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

HighwaysPRO

� Provide access to area forthe public and for emergencymedical services.

� Provide jobs in construc-tion and maintenance ofroads.

� Sometimes allow peopleto get to their homes and jobsfaster.CON

� Contribute to the loss ofhabitat and natural communi-ties.

� Increase runoff due toimpervious road surfaces.

� Increase soil erosion dur-ing road construction.

� Disrupt natural waterflow and animal migrationpatterns.

� Increase sources of litterin the watershed.

� Require use of herbicidesto maintain roadsides.

LaundromatsPRO

� Provide jobs in construc-tion and operation.

� Provide a convenientplace for people to wash theirclothes.CON

� May introduce signifi-cant amounts of polluted wa-ter into the watershed.

� Contribute to the loss ofnatural areas.

Gas StationsPRO

� Provide jobs in construc-tion, maintenance and opera-tion.

� Provide convenient loca-tion for people to buy gas fortheir cars, boats, etc.CON

� Increase runoff that willcontain pollutants such asgasoline and oil.

� May contaminategroundwater from leakingunderground storage tanks.

� Contribute to the loss ofnatural areas.

Parks, Greenways andNatural Areas

PRO� Provide outdoor recre-

ation opportunities such ashiking and nature study.

� Provide protection ofwatershed, natural communi-ties and habitats.

� May bring tourist dollarsinto the local economy.CON

� Remove lands for pos-sible development (i.e. agri-culture, forestry, industry,etc.)

� Require management,upkeep and protection.

Other Land UsesCan you think of other

land uses? What are theirpros and cons?

In the following activity,you will work with other stu-dents to develop a land useplan for the park lake water-shed. Think about how youcan include various land useswhile, at the same time, pro-tecting water quality in thepark lake and downstream inthe river basin. This can bea difficult and challengingjob � see how creative youcan be. Remember, we alllive downstream!

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5.1.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

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5.1.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C. 5.1.7

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5.1.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

House

Highway

LaundromatHouseHouseHouse

Natural Area Natural Area WastewaterTreatment Plant

Livestock Pasture

Farm Feed Lot

GasStation

ChickenFarm

Tree Farm

Tree Farm

Restaurant and Shops

Land Use Cutouts

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5.1.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

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5.2.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Post-Visit Activity #2 Guilty or Innocent?

Educator�s Information:

In this activity, studentswill discuss ways that wa-

ter becomes polluted andlearn how average citizenscan contribute to water pol-lution, often without realiz-ing it. Students will readabout the activities of fic-tional characters and decidewhether they are guilty or in-nocent of polluting the water.Students will also discussways they personally can re-duce water pollution. Theywill create posters to raiseawareness about what everyindividual can do to helpprotect water quality.

Per class: Paints, crayons and/or colored markers

Credits: Adapted with the per-mission of the National Wild-life Federation from the Pol-lution: Problems & Solutionsissue of Ranger Rick�sNatureScope. Additional in-formation from �What�s Upwith Our Nation�s Waters?�(booklet #841-B-01-004)from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency.

Major Concepts:� Water quality� Environmental ethics� Polluted runoff

Learning Skills:� Inferring and elaborating� Communicating ideas ver-

bally and through art

Subject Areas:� English Language Arts� Social Studies� Science* See Activity Summary for

a correlation with DPI ob-jectives in these subjectareas.

Location: Classroom

Group Size: 25 - 30

Time: One hour with addi-tional time for exploring waterpollution in the communityand creating posters.

Materials:Provided by educator:Per student: Student�s Infor-

mation, Guilty or Innocent?(two pages), pencil, poster-board

Objectives:� Describe at least five ways

that average citizensmight contribute to waterpollution.

� Identify at least five thingspeople can do to helpprevent water pollution.

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5.2.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

their decision.5. When everyone is fin-ished, go over page two withyour students. Use the an-swers on the answer sheetand background informationprovided in the Student�s In-formation. Be sure to ex-plain that some of the actionsof the people on page twomight not affect overall wa-ter quality very much bythemselves. However, if alot of people in the area weredoing the same things, thecumulative effect could bedisastrous. Unfortunately,this is exactly what happensin many communitiesthroughout North Carolinaand the rest of the UnitedStates.6. Discuss with your studentsthe fact that, like the charac-ters in the story, we are allguilty of polluting water, of-ten without knowing it. Ev-ery time we flush our toilets,wash our clothes, take show-ers and do any number of ac-tivities that require using wa-ter, we contribute to waterpollution problems.7. Ask the students if they�dlike to add any other sourcesof water pollution to theirinitial class list. Use the Stu-dent�s Information or otherresource materials to helpstudents create a more com-plete list.8. Point out that there aremany things we can do to re-duce the amount of waterpollution we create. Ask thestudents what the characters

on page two might do to re-duce their effects on waterquality. Here are some sug-gestions:

Joe � use fewer and less-tox-ic pesticides, or he might usenatural insect predators tohelp control pest insects. Hecould also make sure hiscows graze away from thestream.Leila � use collecting pans tocatch liquids emptying fromthe car. She could take usedmotor oil and antifreeze to acollection center for recy-cling or to a hazardous wastecollection center. She couldsoak up any spilled liquidswith cat litter and then takethe litter to a hazardouswaste collection center.Lee � switch to nontoxiclawn care. He might alsoconsider learning about xe-riscaping so that he couldprovide landscaping options

Instructions:1. Begin the activity by ask-ing the students to namesome ways that water getspolluted. Write their ideas ona chalkboard, easel or over-head projector. Ask them ifthey think they are guilty orinnocent of polluting theirwater. Who do they think ismost responsible for waterpollution?2. Give each student a copyof Guilty or Innocent?, pageone, and explain that thefacts on this page are all re-lated to water pollution. Thestudents will use these cluesto decide if certain people areinnocent or guilty of pollut-ing the water. Ask studentsto skim the page and under-line any terms that are unfa-miliar. Go over these terms.3. Next, provide each studentwith a copy of Guilty or In-nocent?, page two. On thispage, students will read aboutthe actions of five fictionalcharacters. They shouldstudy each description anduse the clues from page oneto decide whether or not eachcharacter is guilty or inno-cent of polluting the water.4. The students should write�guilty� or �innocent� on theline above each person�sname on page two. On theback of their papers, studentsshould write a short explana-tion of why they think eachperson is guilty or innocent.Tell them to include the num-bers of the clues from pageone that helped them reach

a n t i -

freeze

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5.2.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

that require less water andfewer chemicals than grassdoes.Martha � periodically checkher underground storagetank for leaks. She couldupgrade the tank so itdoesn�t corrode.Amy � use smaller amountsof detergents and cleaningproducts. She could alsouse less toxic cleaning prod-ucts such as baking soda andvinegar. She should avoidusing all that bleach, espe-cially if she has a septictank.9. Use the Student�s Infor-mation or other resourcematerials to help studentsmake a list of the actions all

story to illustrate the impor-tance of protecting waterquality. Display the postersor essays around the school.Encourage all the students towork together to reduce pol-lution in the river basin thatincludes your school or city.

Assessment:Ask students to write

down at least five sources ofwater pollution. Next toeach source, they should ex-plain in one sentence howthey can help to reduce orprevent this type of pollu-tion in their river basin.

of us can take around ourhomes to reduce water pol-lution. Ask each student toillustrate one method of pre-venting water pollution on apiece of posterboard. An al-ternative to drawing mightbe writing an essay, poem or

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5.2.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

can end up in our waterways.Pesticides, chemical fertiliz-ers, animal wastes and othercompounds may flow direct-

ly into waterways or washdown storm drains.

Find out where thewater in your

storm draingoes. Most

storm drainsempty directly into

waterways. This un-treated stormwater can carryall kinds of bacteria andchemicals harmful to peopleand other forms of life.

Car CareA car engine can hold four

to six quarts of oil. If this oil

is dumped down a stormdrain, it can end up in a near-by waterway. Just one quartof oil can create an oil slickthat contaminates up to twomillion gallons of drinkingwater! Other car products,including antifreeze, are alsotoxic and may poison dogsand cats if they drink the wa-ter on your driveway. Or, ifthese chemicals are washedinto a nearby stream, they cankill aquatic animals.

Down the Drain?The stuff most people wash

down their sink drains andtoilets goes to a sewage treat-ment plant before it�s releasedinto rivers or other water-

Student�s Information

Water pollution is aglobal issue. It is easy

to understand that a crippledtanker leaking millions ofgallons of crude oil intothe ocean is pollutingthe water. But bigindustry cannottake all theblame. We areeach responsi-ble to some ex-tent for all formsof pollution. And, indi-vidual citizens can make apositive difference. Thereare many simple things wecan do around our homes andin our lifestyles to reducepollution and improve waterquality.

Ruinous RunoffWhenever it rains, many

pollutants end up in ourstreams, lakes and water-ways. One of the biggestpollutants carried in runoffis soil or dirt. When soil iswashed into streams and riv-ers, it smothers small ani-mals and kills any fish eggsclinging to rocks. Dirt canalso suffocate fish by clog-ging their gills. Look forbare patches in your yardthat might be contributing toruinous runoff. Plant sometrees or use other types ofground cover to keep yoursoil in place.

Almost anything we spray,dump, or spill on the ground

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5.2.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

ways. These plants can re-move many of the pollutantsin wastewater, including foodand other organic waste.However, treatment plantscan't remove all the hazard-ous materials. Watch whatyou wash down your drain!Paints and other householdchemicals do not belong inyour drain. Bring them to ahazardous waste collectionsite in your county.

Groundwater PollutionThere are approximately

five million undergroundstorage tanks in the UnitedStates. More than 200,000 ofthem may be leaking. Thesetanks are used to store gaso-line, oil, chemical waste andother hazardous liquids.Most of the tanks are madeof steel, which can corrode,and often develop leaks after20 to 30 years. Leaks in un-derground tanks and thepipes that lead to them areone of the most commonsources of groundwater pol-lution. If you have an under-ground tank, have it inspect-ed for leaks. Remember thatany materials you spray,dump or spill on the groundcan soak into the soil andpollute the groundwater.

Air Pollution = Water Pollu-tion

In most of the UnitedStates, cars are the majormeans of transportation. Theyare also one of the majorcauses of air pollution. Everyday, millions of people driveto and from work, school,church, shopping centers, etc.,all the while emitting a gas-eous pollutant called nitrogenoxide into the air. When itrains, nitrogen oxide com-bines with water to produceacid rain, snow or fog. Acidrain damages many plants andraises the acidity level inlakes, rivers and streams,which can hurt aquatic life.Try to combine your trips sothat you do not use your caras much. Ride a bicycle orwalk whenever you can.

Electric PollutionMost of the electricity peo-

ple use in the United Statescomes from power plants thatburn coal or oil. Burningthese fossil fuels contributesto acid rain and other kinds ofair pollution. The extractionof these fuels from the groundcan harm natural areas and re-sult in runoff problems. Whenrain runs off land that�s beendisturbed by bulldozers andother heavy equipment, itpicks up dirt and silt and car-

ries them into surface water.The more electricity we use,the more water and air pollu-tion we create. What aresome ways you can conserveelectricity?

Off the StreetsOil, dirt, litter and any-

thing else that�s on the streetswash into storm drains. Inmost areas of the country,these drains empty into a se-ries of underground pipesthat eventually dump directlyinto waterways. Join withothers to clean up litter be-fore it reaches our water.

Trashing the WaterWhen trash gets thrown

overboard it can create anugly mess � both in the waterand on shore after it�s washedup. Trash can also harm oreven kill wildlife. For exam-ple, thousands of sea birds,sea turtles and marine mam-mals die each year after eat-ing or becoming entangled inplastic debris floating in theocean. Make sure you don�tcontribute to this problem.Help keep our beaches andwaterways clean.

Be on the lookout for otherways that water can becomepolluted. Learn as much asyou can so that you can helpprotect the water. Remem-ber, if you pollute the water,you actually pollute yourself!

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5.2.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

6. Sewage treatment plantstreat waste water by remov-ing disease-causing organ-isms and food waste. Thenthe plants release the treatedwater into rivers, streamsand other waterways.

7. Septic tanks sometimesleak, especially if they arenot well maintained.

8. During floods or othertimes of high water flow,sewage treament plants maynot be able to process andtreat all the waste water.

9. Most sewage treatmentplants can�t remove all thechemicals in waste water,such as those found in manyhousehold cleaning prod-ucts.

10. Fertilizers, pesticides,road salt, animal waste, carfluids and other materialsthat wash into waterwayscan poison aquatic plantsand animals and/or decreasethe amount of oxygen in thewater.

11. When substances soakinto the soil, they can con-taminate groundwater. Thisincludes substances in trashthat is buried in landfills.

1. Rainwater that washesoff the land often flows di-rectly into streams, lakesand other waterways.

2. Most storm drains dumpuntreated water directlyinto rivers, wetlands,sounds or lakes.

3. Underground gasolineor oil storage tanks oftendevelop leaks after 20 to30 years.

4. In most areas of NorthCarolina, whatever goesdown people�s toilets andsinks either travels to aseptic tank or to a sewage(wastewater) treamentplant.

5. Crops grown with a lotof pesticides often look�perfect.�

Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?PAGE ONE

Laundry

detergent

12. Thick, green lawnsoften get that waythrough the use of chem-ical fertilizers and pesti-cides.

13. Many pollutantsfound in the air eventual-ly make their way intoour water.

14. North Carolinabanned the use of phos-phates in detergents in1988. Phosphate is a fer-tilizer that can cause al-gae blooms.

L a u n d r y

D e t e r g e n t

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5.2.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Two days ago, the city water inspector dis-covered pollutants in Fourth Creek, locatedjust east of town. A short time later, shefound contaminants in several private wells.Using the clues from Page One, can youfigure out which of these area residentsmight have contributed to the problem?

JOE RAMOSJoe Ramos� farm isone of the biggest in thearea. In the summerpeople come from allover to buy fruitsand vegetablesfrom Joe�s pro-duce stand. Everyone knows that Joe hassome of the most beautiful produce around� it�s almost always free of insect damage.Kids love to come to the stand with theirparents because they get a chance to seeJoe�s cows with their calves in the fieldnext to Fourth Creek.

MARTHA STONEMartha Stone�s small gasstation east of town hasbecome a landmarkin the area. Everyday Martha is there sell-ing gas, snacks and ice-coldsodas. Anyone who goes into the station issure to get an earful of stories about whatlife used to be like. First-time visitors to thestation almost always get a tour of it, start-ing on the sidewalk above the undergroundstorage tank. Here Martha shows peoplewhere she carved her initials and the year�1953� into the wet cement the day beforethe station opened.

LEILA KHALILLeila is a senior at the cityhigh school. A year agoshe bought a car withmoney she�d saved fromher part-time job. Sincethen she�s learned to domost of the car�s maintenancework herself. She changes her ownoil, maintains the wiper fluid andchanges the antifreeze. After Leila workson her car she cleans up, pouring her usedmotor oil down the storm drain and hosingdown her parent�s driveway.

LEE AKIZAWhen he started his lawn-care company five years ago,Lee Akiza had no idea itwould become so success-ful. In a recent interviewabout his company, Lee saidhe was sure his success wasdue to his special training programs inwhich he teaches his workers how best toapply fertilizers and weed killers. Mr. Aki-za also said he�s proudest of the thick,green grass that grows on the golf course atthe local country club, which is taken careof by his company.

AMY KAROWSKIAmy Karowski is a full-time homemaker with threedogs and three children wholike to play football, soccer andbaseball. She spends a lot oftime washing dirty uniforms,cleaning house and walking the dogs! Infact, the clerk at the supermarket often teas-es Amy about the huge boxes of heavy-dutydetergent, the gallons of bleach and otherhousehold cleaning products she buys.

Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?Guilty or Innocent?PAGE TWO

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5.2.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Guilty or Innocent? Answer Sheet

Martha Stone � guilty. Martha Stone�sgas station has an underground gasolinestorage tank that is more than 30 yearsold (3). If gasoline is leaking from thetank, it could pollute the groundwater(11). In addition, any fluids that drip offcars in Martha�s parking lot could bewashed down storm drains and into wa-terways (2), damaging the water quality(10).

Amy Karowski � guilty. AlthoughNorth Carolina does not allow the sale ofdetergents with phosphates, other chemi-cals in Amy�s cleaning productscan cause water qualityproblems. The dirtywater from her wash-ing machine, or othercleaning water that Amyputs down her sink, mightgo to a sewage treatmentplant (4). The plant may notbe able to remove all thechemicals (9) before discharging thewater back into a river. Or the detergentsand bleach could end up in her septictank (4), which may be leaking (7). Ei-ther way, the chemicals could eventuallymake their way to a stream or river wherethey could damage water quality (10). IfAmy throws old cleaning products intoher trash, the chemicals could leak in thelandfill and cause groundwater pollution(11). Finally, what does Amy do with allher pets� wastes? During a heavy rain,the wastes could run off the land and intoa creek (1, 2), polluting the water (10).

Joe Ramos � guilty. To grow �perfect�fruit and vegetables,Joe most likely useslots of pesticides (5).Rainwater may washthese chemicals intowaterways where theycan poison aquatic organisms (1,10).The pesticides may also contaminategroundwater (11). Also, Joe keeps cowsin a field right next to Fourth Creek.The cows� waste may wash into thecreek (10).

Leila Khalil � guilty. When Leiladumps her used motor oil down thestorm drain, it eventually flows into awaterway (2). Once in thewater, the oil can poisonaquatic animals (10). In ad-dition, if Leila lets any chemi-cals soak into the soil, theycan contribute to groundwaterpollution (11). When she hos-es down her parents� driveway,the water may carry more waste intostorm drains and then directly into wa-terways (2,10).

Lee Akiza � guilty. Lee most likelyuses chemical fertilizers and pesticidesto make lawns become thick and green(12). Rainwater may wash these chemi-cals into waterways (1, 2) where theycan cause problems for aquatic organ-isms (10). Some of the chemicals maysoak into the soil and contaminategroundwater (11).

(Fact numbers are listed in parentheses.)

L a u n d r y

D e t e r g e n t

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5.3.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Major Concepts:� Water pollution� Watershed� Point pollution� Nonpoint pollution

Learning Skills:� Interpreting data, commu-

nicating� Organizing and analyzing

information� Graphing

Subject Areas:� Science� Social Studies� English Language Arts� Mathematics* See Activity Summary for

a correlation with DPIobjectives in these subjectareas.

Location: Classroom

Group Size: 30 or smaller

Time: 1 - 1 1/2 hours

Materials:Provided by the educator:Per class: Nine different

colors of construction paper(two sheets of each color),colored markers, scissors

Per team: One Pollution Graph,tape (or glue), plastic con-tainer for simulated watersample, fact sheet for theirassigned lake and WaterSample Analysis Sheet

Per student: One copy each ofTypes of Pollution sheet andStudent�s Information

Credits: �Deadly Waters,�Project WILD Aquatic Educa-tion Guide � 1987, 1992.Council for EnvironmentalEducation. Adapted with per-mission from Project WILD.In North Carolina, ProjectWILD is a part of the N.C.WILD environmental educa-tion program. For more infor-mation on N.C. WILD, contact

Post-Visit Activity ##3 Pollution Dilution

Educator�s Information:

Objectives:� List at least four major

types of aquatic pollution.� Given a list of pollutants

in a water sample and adescription of land use ina watershed, make infer-ences on the probablecauses of the pollution inthe sample.

� Predict the potentialeffects of a variety ofaquatic pollutants onwildlife and people.

of aquatic pollutants on wild-life and people. Each teamwill receive a small containerwith different amounts ofcolored paper squares. Thecontainer represents a watersample from an imaginarylake; the paper squares repre-sent different types andamounts of water pollutantsin their lake. The studentswill graph the data from theirsample and use a fact sheetabout their lake to help themmake inferences about theprobable causes and severityof pollution in their lake.Using the Types of Pollutionsheet and Student�s Informa-tion, the teams will predictthe potential effects of spe-cific types of water pollutantson people and wildlife. Theteacher should read and studythe Student�s Informationand Types of Pollution sheetas background information.

In this activity, the studentswill become familiar with

the major types of aquaticpollution and will predict thepotential effects of a variety

the Conservation EducationDivision, N.C. Wildlife Re-sources Commission, 1712Mail Service Center, Raleigh,NC, 27699-1712.

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5.3.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Instructions:1. First, prepare the simulat-ed water samples for the stu-dent teams. It is recommend-ed that each team have twoto four members to ensure ahigh level of student partici-pation. These instructionscontain directions on prepar-ing water samples for fourimaginary lakes. You couldmake two water samples foreach lake so that you wouldhave a total of eight watersamples (eight studentteams). Although the sam-ples for a given lake will beidentical, the two studentteams may differ in their in-terpretation of the data. Thiswould be an excellent oppor-tunity to demonstrate theprobabilistic nature of sci-ence.2. Using nine different col-ors of construction paper,cut out half-inch squares sothat you have the number ofsquares per color as listedbelow. Remember to doublethe numbers if you are pre-paring two samples for eachimaginary lake. The colorsrepresent the categories ofwater pollution found onthe Types of Pollution sheet.If you need to substitute adifferent color for one of thecolors below, please correctthe color name on the Typesof Pollution sheet beforephotocopying it.

Green: 23 (Double = 46)

Brown: 19 (Double = 38)

Yellow: 16 (Double = 32)

Pink: 17 (Double = 34)

Black: 15 (Double = 30)

Light Blue: 12 (Double = 24)

Red: 8 (Double = 16)

Orange: 15 (Double = 30)

Dark Blue: 26 (Double = 52)

3. The �recipe� for the watersample from each imaginarylake is given below. If youare making two water sam-ples for each lake, you willneed a total of eight contain-ers. You could cut old two-liter drink bottles in half anduse the bottom half as a con-tainer. Label each containerwith the name of one of thelakes. Place the colored pa-per squares in each containeras called for in the �recipe.�Lake Ipecac: Dark Blue -12, Yellow - 2, Green - 7,Pink - 5, Black - 3, Brown -2, Light Blue - 4, Red - 1,Orange - 3.

Lake Chickamonga: Yellow- 6, Dark Blue - 5, Green- 4,Brown - 4, Pink - 4, Black -3, Light Blue - 2, Red - 1, Or-ange - 4.Lake Lapihiho: Green - 7,Brown - 11, Yellow - 4, Pink- 4, Black - 3, Dark Blue - 4,Light Blue - 2, Red - 2, Or-ange - 5.Lake Rockameenie: Black -6, Green - 5, Brown - 2, Yel-low - 4, Pink - 4, Dark Blue -5, Light Blue - 4, Red - 4,Orange - 3.4. Make one copy of theStudent�s Information andTypes of Pollution sheet foreach student. Make one copyper team of the fact sheet fortheir lake, the Water SampleAnalysis Sheet and the Pollu-tion Graph.5. To begin the activity, askstudents to call out examplesof different types of waterpollution. List their exam-ples on the board or over-head. Then give each studenta copy of the Types of Pollu-tion sheet. Have the studentscompare their examples withthe pollution types listed onthe sheet. Are there any newterms, or types of pollution,that are unfamiliar to the stu-dents? Also read and discussthe Student�s Informationsheet so that students are pre-pared to begin analyzing theirsimulated water samples.

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5.3.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

6. Divide the students intoresearch teams. Give eachteam a simulated water sam-ple, Pollution Graph and tape(or glue). Explain that thedifferent squares representdifferent types of pollution intheir water sample. The stu-dents should use the Types ofPollution sheet to match thecolored squares with the dif-ferent types of pollution. Ex-plain the graph, emphasizingthat the numbers along thebottom correspond to thenumbered pollutants on theTypes of Pollution sheet.7. Instruct the students to re-move the paper squares fromtheir water sample and glueor tape them in the appropri-ate location on the graph.The graph will provide agood visual representation ofthe whole array of pollutantsin their lake. Explain thatanything below the baselineon the graph represents an

acceptable level of pollution,not likely to be dangerous tohumans or wildlife. (It isnearly impossible to haveperfectly clean water!) How-ever, the fact that a pollutantis present should cause someconcern. The pollutants be-low the baseline should becarefully monitored overtime to make sure they don�tbecome a problem in the fu-ture.8. When each team has fin-ished their graph, give themthe fact sheet for their lakeand a Water Sample AnalysisSheet. The fact sheet willdescribe their watershed andthe types of human activitiesthat occur there. The teamshould use the Water SampleAnalysis Sheet as a graphicorganizer to help them orga-nize their inferences and pre-dictions. An example is pro-vided on the sheet. The stu-dents will list only the signif-icant (above baseline) pollut-ants on this sheet. Each teamshould write a brief report ontheir lake, summarizing sig-nificant types of pollutionas well as possible sourcesand effects.

9. When the teams areready, ask them toshare their summarieswith the class. Dis-cuss the similaritiesand differencesbetween the fourlakes. Why didthe lake with

the largest city, themost campgrounds and

the most hotels in its water-

shed (Lake Rockameenie)have less pollution than someof the others? Did they con-sider the size of the lakes andthe dilution factor? Whatpollutants would be likely tocause the most damage tonatural communities, wild-life habitat and people?Give examples and discussthe kinds of damage thatcould be caused. How couldthe pollution in each lake beprevented? If two teams ana-lyzed the same lake, comparetheir presentations. Weretheir inferences and predic-tions exactly the same? Whyor why not? Is it possiblethat there could be severallogical causes or sources forone type of pollution? Whatfurther testing could be doneto find the actual cause?

Assessment:Create a fact sheet and wa-

ter sample for your own ficti-tious lake. Ask students toanalyze the sample, graph thepollutants and write predic-tions regarding the possibleeffects of the pollution onpeople and wildlife.

Suggested Extension:Create a circle graph for

each lake that shows the pro-portion of various pollutantsin the water sample. Usingfacts from the lake�s factsheet, illustrate each lake andits watershed on poster paper.Display posters with their ac-companying graphs.

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5.3.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

ly easy to pinpoint. An ex-ample would be a specifictype of chemical that is beingused or made by a factory.The factory may be the onlysource of that particularchemical in the watershed.If we found this chemical inthe water, it would be verylikely that the factory wasthe cause. We could preventfurther pollution from thischemical by ordering thefactory to stop dischargingit into the water. Nonpoint pollution isharder to pinpoint. Nonpointpollution enters the waterfrom a variety of sources thatmay be hard to identify. Forexample, rain can wash mo-tor oil leaking from cars inmany parking lots into stormdrains. Eventually, this pol-luted runoff can make itsway into the city�s water sup-ply. Because it�s impossibleto pinpoint all the sources ofmotor oil in the watershed,this nonpoint pollution ismuch harder to manage thanpoint pollution.

When significant amountsof water pollution are discov-ered in a city�s water supply,scientists and law enforce-ment officials work togetherto find the cause. In the caseof point pollution, the personor persons responsible mustpay a fine for the damagedone to other people and toaquatic wildlife. In the caseof nonpoint pollution, we areall responsible and so we allmust play a role in correctingthe problem. In this activity, you willwork with other students toanalyze a water sample froman imaginary lake. Yourteacher will give your teama water sample along with afact sheet that describes thewatershed surrounding yourlake. You and your team willwork together to identify thekinds and amounts of waterpollutants in your sample.Then you will use your factsheet and your detective abil-ities to suggest possible caus-es of the pollution in yourlake. It could be from pointsources or nonpoint sources.Your teacher will give you aWater Sample Analysis Sheetthat will help your team or-ganize your clues. Finallyyou will present your analy-sis to the class. You will in-clude ways that you think thewater pollution in your lakecould affect people and wild-life. Good luck!

Student�s Information

All the water that has ever been available to

our planet is on, or in, theEarth right now. On the en-tire planet there are 326 mil-lion cubic miles of water. Ifthe Earth were the size of abeach ball, 28 inches in di-ameter, all of the water onthe planet would fill less thana cup. Most of the water inthat cup would be salt water.Less than one drop wouldrepresent the fresh watercontained in rivers and lakes! Our supply of fresh wateris fragile. Yet every day wa-ter is being damaged by pol-lution, and most of the pollu-tion is caused by people andtheir activities. There aremany different types of pol-lution. Several major kindsare listed on the Types ofPollution sheet that you willbe using with this activity. Scientists divide waterpollution into two major cat-egories: point and nonpoint.Point pollution comes froma localized source and is fair-

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5.3.5 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

1. DOMESTIC SEWAGE1. DOMESTIC SEWAGE1. DOMESTIC SEWAGE1. DOMESTIC SEWAGE1. DOMESTIC SEWAGE Color: GreenColor: GreenColor: GreenColor: GreenColor: Green

Human waste (sewage) that is not properly treated at a wastewater treatment plant and thenreleased into the water supply may contain harmful bacteria and viruses. Typhoid fever, polio,cholera, dysentery (diarrhea), hepatitis, flu and common cold germs are examples of diseases causedby bacteria and viruses in contaminated water. Sewage can be accidentally discharged from septicsystems or wastewater treatment plants. People can come into contact with harmful microorganismsby drinking polluted water, through swimming or fishing in polluted water or by eating shellfish frompolluted water.

2. FERTILIZERS & ANIMAL WASTES2. FERTILIZERS & ANIMAL WASTES2. FERTILIZERS & ANIMAL WASTES2. FERTILIZERS & ANIMAL WASTES2. FERTILIZERS & ANIMAL WASTES Color: BrownColor: BrownColor: BrownColor: BrownColor: Brown

A major source of pollution comes from surplus fertilizers in runoff from farm fields, feed lots,golf courses and lawns. Fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphorous that can cause large amounts ofalgae to grow. The large algae blooms cover the water�s surface. The algae die after they have usedall of the nutrients. Once dead, they sink to the bottom where bacteria feed on them. As the bacteriafeed on the dead algae, bacterial populations can become so large they use up most of the dissolvedoxygen in the water. When this happens, many aquatic animals that need oxygen die. Another type of fertilizer, animal waste, also pollutes the water. Unexpected flooding ofbarnyards or stock pens (used for raising cattle and other animals) can increase the toxic effects ofanimal waste in water. Animal wastes also act as a fertilizer and can cause algae blooms, just aschemical fertilizers do. In urban areas, pet waste can be a significant contributor to water pollution.

3. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC WASTE3. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC WASTE3. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC WASTE3. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC WASTE3. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC WASTE Color: YellowColor: YellowColor: YellowColor: YellowColor: Yellow

Food processing plants, paper mill plants, leather tanning factories and other industries releaseorganic wastes that bacteria consume. Organic materials come from once-living plants and animals.If too much waste is released, the bacterial populations increase and use up the dissolved oxygen.Fish die if too much oxygen is consumed by decomposing organic matter.

4. SEDIMENTS4. SEDIMENTS4. SEDIMENTS4. SEDIMENTS4. SEDIMENTS Color: PinkColor: PinkColor: PinkColor: PinkColor: Pink

Particles of soil, sand, silt, clay and minerals wash from land and paved areas into creeks andtributaries. In large quantities, these natural materials can be considered pollutants. Constructionprojects often contribute large amounts of sediment to waterways. Certain lumbering and farmingpractices allow for greater amounts of sediments in runoff. Sediments may fill stream channels andharbors that later require dredging. Sediments suffocate fish and shellfish populations by coveringthe fish nests and clogging the gills of bottom fish and shellfish.

5. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS5. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS5. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS5. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS5. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Color: BlackColor: BlackColor: BlackColor: BlackColor: Black

Oil and other petroleum products like gasoline and kerosene can find their way into water fromships, oil drilling rigs, oil refineries, gas stations and streets. Oil spills kill aquatic life (fish,waterbirds, shellfish and vegetation). Birds are unable to fly when oil coats their feathers. Shellfishand small fish are poisoned. If oil is washed on the beach, it requires much labor to clean up. Fueloil, gasoline and kerosene may leak into groundwater through damaged underground storage tanks.

TYPES OF POLLUTIONTYPES OF POLLUTIONTYPES OF POLLUTIONTYPES OF POLLUTIONTYPES OF POLLUTION

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5.3.6 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Types of Pollution, continued

6. INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS6. INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS6. INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS6. INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS6. INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS Color: Dark BlueColor: Dark BlueColor: Dark BlueColor: Dark BlueColor: Dark Blue

Detergents, heavy metals and many manmade industrial chemicals are released into waterways.They often come from manufacturing and mining industries, oil field operations and other sources.These chemicals interfere with natural stream purification, and many are toxic to fish and harmful tohumans. They cause taste and odor problems with the water and often cannot be treated effectively.Some of these chemicals are very poisonous in small amounts. They also corrode expensive watertreatment equipment and increase the cost of boat maintenance.

7. ACID PRECIPITATION7. ACID PRECIPITATION7. ACID PRECIPITATION7. ACID PRECIPITATION7. ACID PRECIPITATION Color: Light BlueColor: Light BlueColor: Light BlueColor: Light BlueColor: Light Blue

Aquatic animals and plants are adjusted to a rather narrow range of pH levels. pH is a measureof the acidity of a solution. When water becomes too acidic, due to industrial chemical pollution oracid rain, fish and other organisms die. Acid rain is caused by car exhaust and smoke from coal-fired power plants. The smoke from an erupting volcano can also cause acid rain.

8. HEATED OR COOLED WATER8. HEATED OR COOLED WATER8. HEATED OR COOLED WATER8. HEATED OR COOLED WATER8. HEATED OR COOLED WATER Color: RedColor: RedColor: RedColor: RedColor: Red

The hotter the water, the less dissolved oxygen it can hold. Electric power plants use largeamounts of water to cool the steam turbines. The heated water is often returned to streams, lagoonsor reservoirs. With less oxygen in the water, fish and other aquatic life can be harmed. Watertemperatures that are much lower than normal can also cause habitat damage. Deep dams often letextra water flow downstream. When the water comes from the bottom of the dam, it is much colderthan normal.

9. PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES9. PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES9. PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES9. PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES9. PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES Color: OrangeColor: OrangeColor: OrangeColor: OrangeColor: Orange

Agricultural chemicals designed to kill or limit the growth of organisms are a common form ofpollution. By limiting the growth of undesirable species (i.e. weeds, insects, fungi), they help toincrease crop production. These chemicals are also used on golf courses and in people�s yards to getrid of weeds. Irrigation, groundwater flow and natural runoff bring these toxic substances intorivers, streams and lakes. Here they can kill aquatic plants and animals. Some of these chemicalsare also known to cause cancer in humans.

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5.3.7 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Size: Small, normally holds 40 billion gallons of water. Has 100 miles of shoreline.

Number of counties in watershed: Four.

City wastewater treatment plants discharging into lake: Four.

Industry in watershed with own wastewater treatment facilities discharging intolake:

� Machinery company.

� Oil company.

� Trucking company.

� Hosiery mill.

� Chemical company.

� Fruit product company.

� Clothing industry.

� Chainsaw manufacturer.

Development on lake:

� Eighty percent of shoreline is developed, mostly with homes using septic systems.

� Two medium-size cities and several medium-size towns in watershed.

� Several shopping centers in watershed.

� One private campground on lake with its own wastewater treatment facility.

� One public beach with septic system.

� Five large motels with own wastewater treatment facilities.

Recreational use: Used for boating, fishing and swimming.

Marinas on lake: Five.

Agriculture: Little agriculture in watershed.

Fact Sheet for Lake IpecacFact Sheet for Lake IpecacFact Sheet for Lake IpecacFact Sheet for Lake IpecacFact Sheet for Lake Ipecac

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5.3.8 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Fact Sheet for Lake Ipecac

Size: Large, normally holds 200 billion gallons of water. Has 480 miles of shoreline.

Number of counties in watershed: Six.

City wastewater treatment plants discharging into lake: Three.

Industry in watershed with own wastewater treatment facilities discharginginto lake:

� Large paper mill.

� Steel corporation.

� Furniture factory.

Development on lake:

� Forty percent of shoreline is developed, primarily with homes using septic systems.Many homeowners are there on weekends only.

� Two small cities and several small towns in watershed.

� A few shopping centers in watershed.

� Five private campgrounds on lake with septic systems.

� No public beaches on lake.

� Four large motels with own wastewater treatment facilities in watershed.

Recreational use: Used extensively on weekends for boating, swimming and fishing.

Marinas on lake: Eight.

Agriculture: Much land in watershed used for agriculture. Tobaccois primary crop.

Fact Sheet for Lake ChickamongaFact Sheet for Lake ChickamongaFact Sheet for Lake ChickamongaFact Sheet for Lake ChickamongaFact Sheet for Lake Chickamonga

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5.3.9 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Size: Small, normally holds 35 billion gallons of water. Has 95 miles of shoreline.

Number of counties in watershed: Three.

Agriculture: Much farming upstream of the lake � chicken farms, livestock and thou-sands of acres of corn crops.

City wastewater treatment plants discharging into lake: One.

Industry in watershed with own wastewater treatment facilities discharginginto lake: Fiberboard industry.

Development on lake:

� Thirty percent of shoreline is developed, mostly with homes using septic systems.

� One medium-size city and several small towns in watershed.

� Several shopping centers in watershed.

� Two public campgrounds on lake with septic systems.

� One public beach on lake with septic system.

� Three motels with own wastewater treatment facilities in watershed.

� One rest home with on-site wastewater treatment plant.

� One race track with on-site wastewater treatment plant.

Recreational use: Used extensively for boating, swimmingand fishing. Heavy day use.

Marinas on lake: Three.

Fact Sheet for Lake LapihihoFact Sheet for Lake LapihihoFact Sheet for Lake LapihihoFact Sheet for Lake LapihihoFact Sheet for Lake Lapihiho

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5.3.10 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Size: Very large, normally holds 300 billion gallons of water. Has 500 miles ofshoreline.

Number of counties in the watershed: Eight.

City wastewater treatment plants discharging into lake: Six.

Industry in watershed with own wastewater treatment facilities discharginginto lake:

� Foam products industry.

� Large food processing plant.

� Leather tannery.

� Yarn mill.

Development on lake:

� Sixty-five percent of shoreline is developed, mostly with homes using septic systems.Many residents live there year round.

� One very large city, one medium-size city and several medium-size towns inwatershed.

� Several shopping centers in watershed.

� Ten large privately-owned public campgrounds on lake with their own wastewatertreatment facilities discharging into lake.

� Two public beaches on lake with septic system.

� Ten motels with own wastewater treatment facilities in watershed.

Recreational use: Used extensively for boating, swimming and fishing. Heavy dayuse.

Marinas on lake: Fifteen.

Agriculture: Not extensive.

Other:

� Rock quarry in watershed.

� Twenty percent of watershed involved in timber harvesting.

� Coal-fired steam plant on lake that burns 20,000 tons of coal a day and uses lakewater as a cooling agent.

Fact Sheet for Lake RockameenieFact Sheet for Lake RockameenieFact Sheet for Lake RockameenieFact Sheet for Lake RockameenieFact Sheet for Lake Rockameenie

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5.3.11 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

IDENTIFY: INFER: PREDICT:

Significant Types of Possible Sources Potential Effects on Wildlife andPollutants (above baseline) People (social, economic, health)

Example: Petroleum • Runoff from streets • Fish die• Oil company • Money lost to local bait

shops that sell to fishermen

Water Sample Analysis SheetWater Sample Analysis SheetWater Sample Analysis SheetWater Sample Analysis SheetWater Sample Analysis Sheet

Lake _________________________________

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5.3.12 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

21 43 65 87 9

Type of Pollutant

Lake

Baseline

De

gr

ee

of

Po

llut

ion

Pollution Graph

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16.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Acid rain - Rain, or other precipitation, witha pH less than 5.6, resulting from atmo-spheric moisture mixing with sulfur andnitrogen oxides emitted from the burning offossil fuels. It may cause damage to build-ings, car finishes, crops, forests and aquaticlife.

Acidic - Having a pH less than 7; the chemi-cal state of water or another substance inwhich the hydrogen (H+) ions exceed thehydroxyl (OH-) ions. For example, a car�sbattery acid has a pH of 1. See pH.

Adaptation - A change in the function orstructure of a plant or animal that allows it toadjust to its environment.

Algae - Simple, one-celled or many-celledplants capable of photosynthesis. They areusually aquatic and have no true root, stemor leaf.

Algae bloom - A heavy growth of algae inand on a body of water. It usually resultsfrom high nitrate and phosphate concentra-tions entering water bodies from farm fertil-izers and detergents. Phosphates are alsonaturally occurring in some rock formations,such as those found in eastern North Caro-lina.

Anatomy - The branch of biology that dealswith the structure of plants and animals.

Aquatic - Living or growing in water.

Aquatic index - The relative health of awater body. It is based on the tolerance orsensitivity of macroinvertebrates to changesin water quality. It is calculated using asimple formula.

Basic - Having a pH greater than 7; thechemical state of water or another substancein which the hydroxyl (OH-) ions exceed thehydrogen (H+) ions. For example, soap hasa pH of 10. See pH.

Biology - The science that deals with theorigin, history, physical characteristics, lifeprocesses and habits of plants and animals.

Classification - The grouping of organismsinto categories based on shared characteris-tics or traits. For example, any animal thathas feathers is considered a bird and placedin Class Aves. If the bird has its eyes infront rather than on the side of its head, it isa member of Order Strigiformes (owls).

Condensation - The process by which avapor becomes a liquid.

Consumer - An animal that uses a produceror another consumer as its food. For ex-ample, a rabbit is a primary consumer be-cause it eats green plants (producers). A foxis a secondary consumer because it eatsrabbits (consumers).

Decomposer - A plant or animal that feedson dead materials and causes their mechani-cal or chemical breakdown.

Detritus - Dead organic matter, such asfallen leaves, twigs and other plant andanimal material that exists in any ecosystem.

Dichotomous - Divided into two parts,groups or classes, such as a dichotomouskey. Using a dichotomous key, one canidentify an unknown organism by followingthe one branch of each pair that best de-scribes the organism.

Vocabulary

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6.2Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Groundwater - Water that fills the spacesbetween rocks and soil particles under-ground. Groundwater is replenished whenrainwater trickles through the soil. Surfacewater, such as lakes and rivers, is oftenreplenished by groundwater.

Habitat - The environmental conditions ofan area where a plant or animal naturallygrows or lives; its environment.

Impervious surface - A surface that doesn�tabsorb water, such as a paved parking lot.

Indicator species - An organism whosepresence or absence in a particular environ-ment can be used to determine the health ofthat particular environment.

Insect - Any animal in the Class Insecta. Ithas a head, thorax, abdomen and three pairsof legs on the thorax. As an adult, it usuallyhas one or two pairs of wings attached to thethorax as well.

Irrigation - The pumping of water fromponds, lakes or rivers through pipes orcanals to supply crops or livestock withwater during periods of dry weather.

Key - An ordered list of significant charac-teristics of a group of organisms. A key isused to identify unknown species.

Larva - (larvae, plural) The immature formof an animal that changes structurally whenit becomes an adult, usually by completemetamorphosis.

Lifestyle - A way of life, including attitudes,values and priorities.

Macroinvertebrate - Macro means �large;�invertebrate means �without a backbone.�These small animals are usually largeenough to be seen without the aid of magni-fication.

Distribution - The act of scattering orspreading out; the geographic range of anorganism.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) - The amount ofoxygen gas molecules dissolved in water.Fish and other aquatic animals depend onDO to breathe.

Ecology - The science of the relationshipsbetween organisms and their environments.

Ecosystem - Plants, animals and their physi-cal surroundings that interact with environ-mental conditions, such as temperature andrainfall, forming an interdependent system.

Effluent - A liquid flowing out. The outflowof a sewer, septic tank, etc.

Erosion - The removal or wearing away ofsoil or rock by water, wind or other forces orprocesses.

Eutrophication - Naturally occurringchanges that take place after a water bodyreceives inputs of nutrients, mostly nitratesand phosphates, from erosion and runoff ofsurrounding lands. This process can beaccelerated by human activities.

Evaporation - The conversion of a liquid(water) into a gas (water vapor), usuallythrough the application of heat energy.

Food chain - The transfer of energy andmaterial through a series of organisms aseach one is fed upon by the next.

Food web - The interlocking pattern of foodchains that exist in an ecosystem.

Genus - The taxonomiccategory located betweenspecies and family.

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36.Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Metamorphosis - Meta means �change;�morphe means �form.� A change in form,structure or function as a result of develop-ment. A physical transformation undergoneby various animals during development fromthe larval stage to the adult form. For ex-ample, through metamorphosis, a hellgram-mite (larval form) becomes a dobsonfly(adult form). The change from a tadpole(larval form) to a frog (adult form) is anotherexample of metamorphosis.

Mussel - Any of the various freshwater orsaltwater bivalves, which are animals withtwo shells held together by a strong muscle.

Natural community - A group of plants,animals, bacteria and fungi that are naturallyassociated with each other and their physicalenvironment. Scientists often name a naturalcommunity for its most common or domi-nant plants.

Nonpoint pollution - Pollution that cannotbe traced to a specific point because it comesfrom many individual places or a widespreadarea (e.g., urban and agricultural runoff).

Nymph - The young of an insect that under-goes incomplete metamorphosis, differingfrom the adult primarily in size and struc-tural proportions (i.e. wings).

Organism - A living thing. Examples in-clude plants and animals.

pH - Potential of hydrogen. A measure thatindicates the relative acidity or alkalinity ofa substance. The pH scale is a logarithmicscale ranging from 1 (most acidic) to 14(most basic), with a pH of 7 being neutral.

Photosynthesis - A chemical process carriedon by green plants in which cells containingchlorophyll use light energy to produceglucose (a plant food) from carbon dioxideand water; oxygen is a by-product.

Point pollution - Pollutionthat can be traced to asingle point source, such asa pipe or culvert (e.g.,industrial and wastewatertreatment plant discharges).

Pollution - A human-caused change in the physical, chemical orbiological conditions of the environment thatcreates an undesirable effect on living things.

Precipitation - Water falling in a liquid orsolid state from the atmosphere to the Earth.Examples are rain, snow, sleet and hail.

Producer - An organism that makes its ownfood. For example, all green plants areproducers that make food through photosyn-thesis.

Pupa - The stage in the metamorphosis of aninsect that comes after the larval stage andbefore the adult stage. The pupa is usuallyenclosed in a hardened case or cocoon.

River basin - The watershed of an entireriver. It encompasses the many smallerwatersheds of the river�s tributaries orbranches.

Runoff - Rain, melted snow and other mate-rials that drain or flow off surfaces such ascity streets, roofs, suburban lawns and agri-cultural land.

Sediment - Deposits of soil or organicmatter that were suspended in water and thensettled to the bottom. It is often deposited inthe water by runoff.

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6.4Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

Septic system - A domestic wastewatertreatment system into which wastes arepiped directly from the home into theground. It consists of a septic tank anddrainfield. Wastewater is exposed to bacte-ria that decompose the organic waste. Deadbacteria and sediment settle to the bottomof the tank, and treated effluent flows outinto the ground through drainage pipes.

Sewage - Liquid and solid waste mixed withwater.

Silt - A sedimentary material consisting offine mineral particles intermediate in sizebetween sand and clay.

Soil - A collection of organic and inorganicparticles, mainly composed of clay, silt, sandand gravel.

� clay - less than 1/256 of a millimeter(mm) in diameter

� silt - between 1/256 and 1/16 of a mmin diameter

� sand - between 1/16 and 2 mm indiameter

� gravel - more than 2 mm in diameter

Species - The taxonomic category followinggenus that consists of similar organisms thatcan mate and produce fertile offspring.

Succession - The gradual replacement ofone natural community by another.

Taxonomy - The branch of biology dealingwith classifying organisms into naturallyrelated groups based on some commonfactor.

Thermal stratification - The processduring which waters of different tempera-tures form separate layers in a body ofwater with the lighter, warmer water float-ing on top of the denser, cooler water.

Tributary - A stream or river flowing into alarger stream, river or lake. For example, inthe park lake watershed, Powder SpringBranch is a tributary of Norwood Creek.

Volume - A quantity, bulk, mass or amount.The amount of space occupied in threedimensions.

Wastewater treatment plant - A facilitywhere household, business and industrialsewage are treated to remove harmfulbacteria and chemicals.

Water - A transparent, odorless, tastelessliquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen(H

20) that occurs on the Earth�s surface as

oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.

Water cycle - The path water takes throughits various states � vapor, liquid and solid �as it moves throughout the Earth�s systems(oceans, atmosphere, groundwater, streams,etc.)

Water quality - A way of determining ormeasuring certain characteristics of water.

Watershed - The total land area that drainsdirectly or indirectly into a particularstream, river or lake.

Page 118: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

7.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Balcom, Nancy C. (ed.). 1991. �Main-stream,� �Habitat Hunt,� �Where the WaterFalls� and �Little Limnologists� activities.Virginia�s State Parks: Your Backyard Class-room, Chesapeake edition. For informationcontact the Virginia Department of Conserva-tion and Recreation, Division of State Parks,203 Governor St., Suite 306, Richmond,VA, 23219.

Brown, Walker R., and Norman D. Anderson.1971. Earth Science � A Search for Under-standing. Philadelphia, PA: Lippencott Co.

Caduto, Michael J. 1985. Pond and Brook,A Guide to Nature Study in Freshwater Envi-ronments. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall,Inc.

Council for Environmental Education. 1987,1992. Project WILD Aquatic Education Guide.For information contact the N.C. WildlifeResources Commission, Conservation Educa-tion Division, 1712 Mail Service Center,Raleigh, NC, 27699 - 1712.

Dean, Jim. 1978. �The Year the FloodsCame.� Wildlife in North Carolina. February.N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1712Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699 -1712.

Earley, Lawrence. 1990. �Taking a River�sPulse.� Wildlife in North Carolina. August.N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1712Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699 -1712.

Everhart, Jerry (project director). 1986.Project MOST. Pitt County Schools, 1717West 5th St., Greenville, NC, 27834.

Izaak Walton League of America. �Save OurStreams.� 1401 Wilson Blvd., Level B,Arlington ,VA, 22209.

McCafferty, Patrick W., and Arwin W.Provonsha, illustrator. 1983. Aquatic Ento-mology, The Fisherman's and Ecologist'sIllustrated Guide to Insects and Their Rela-tives. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury,MA. www.jbpub.com. Illustrations reprintedwith permission.

Mitchell, Mark and William Stapp. 1990.Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring:An Environmental Education Program forSchools. Dexter, MI: Thomson-Shore Printers.

Montgomery County Public Schools. 1972.�Activities for Studying Streams.� Environ-mental Education Series, Bulletin No. 247 A.Montgomery County Public Schools, 850Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD, 28050.

Montgomery County Public Schools. 1972.�Activities for Studying Ponds.� Environmen-tal Education Series, Bulletin No. 247 D.Montgomery County Public Schools, 850Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD, 28050.

National Aquarium in Baltimore. 1987.�In Hot Water?� Living in Water: AquaticScience Curriculum for Grades 4-6.Baltimore, MD.

National Wildlife Federation. 1983. Acid Rain� A Teacher�s Guide. 1400 16th St., N.W.,Washington, DC, 20036-2266.

References

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 119: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

7.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

National Wildlife Federation. 1987. �We CareAbout Clean Air.� National Wildlife WeekEducators Guide, March 15-21. 1400 16th St.,NW, Washington, DC, 20036-2266.

National Wildlife Federation. 1990. Pollu-tion: Problems and Solutions from RangerRick�s NatureScope. 1400 16th St., NW,Washington, DC, 20036-2266.

National Wildlife Federation. 1990. �EarthDay Every Day � You Can Make a Differ-ence.� Educator�s Guide. 1400 16th St., NW,Washington, DC, 20036.

North Carolina Division of Water Resources.1991. �pH � What Does It Mean?�Streamwatch News, Issue #13, Feb. 1611 MailService Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699 - 1611.

North Carolina Division of Water Resources.1991. �Sediment: It�s Only Dirt, Right?�Streamwatch News, Issue #15, Nov. 1611Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699 -1611.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commis-sion, Conservation Education Division. Dec.1989. �Josh and the Fish Kill.� North Caro-lina WILD Notebook. 1712 Mail ServiceCenter, Raleigh, NC, 27699 -1712.

Slattery, Britt E. l99l. �Wet �n� Wild� activity.WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands: AnEducator�s Guide. Environmental Concern,Inc., P.O. Box P, St. Michaels, MD, 21663.

Swan, Malcolm D. 1983. Tips and Tricks inOutdoor Education � Approaches to Provid-ing Children with Educational Experiences inthe Outdoors. Danville, IL: The InterstatePrinters & Publishers, Inc.

Taylor, Mark. 1989. Streamwatching WithKids, An Outing Leader�s Guide. Reprinted byNorth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commis-sion, Conservation Education Division, 1712Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699 -1712.

United States Department of Agriculture. July1986. Teaching Soil and Water Conservation,A Classroom and Field Guide. Soil Conserva-tion Service, United States Department ofAgriculture, 4405 Bland Road, Raleigh, NC,27609.

United States Department of Agriculture.1989. Key to The Major Invertebrate Speciesof Stream Zones. Soil Conservation ServicePublication SCS-TP-161 Water QualityIndicators Guide, United States Department ofAgriculture, 4405 Bland Road, Raleigh, NC27609.

United States Forest Service. 1977. �ALesson Plan for Some Water Investigations.�Investigating Your Environment series.

Willoughby, L. G. 1976. Freshwater Biology.New York, NY: Pica Press.

Winborne, Ferne B. 1989. A Guide toStreamwalking. Division of Water Resources,1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC,27699 -1611.

Page 120: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

8.1Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET

For office use only:Date request received_______________ Request received by___________________________

l) Name of group (school) _________________________________________________________

2)Contact person __________________________ ____________________________________name phone (work) (home)

_______________________________________________________________________________address

3)Day/date/time of requested program _______________________________________________

4)Program desired and program length _______________________________________________

5)Meeting place _________________________________________________________________

6)Time of arrival at park _______________ Time of departure from park ______________

7)Number of students _________________ Age range (grade) _______________________

8)Number of chaperones _______________

9)Areas of special emphasis _______________________________________________________

10) Special considerations of group (e.g. allergies, health concerns, physical limitations)________________________________________________________________________________________

11) Have you or your group participated in park programs before? If yes, please indicate previousprograms attended: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If not, we will mail the contact person an Educator�s Guide.

12) Are parental permission forms required? _________ If yes, please use the Parental PermissionForm on page 8.2.

I, ________________________________, have read the entire Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience and understand and agree to all the conditions within it.

Return to: Lake Norman State Park Fax: (704) 528-5623159 Inland Sea LaneTroutman, NC 28166 - 9620

Page 121: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

8.2Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

PARENTAL PERMISSION FORM

Dear Parent:

Your child will soon be involved in an exciting learning adventure � an Environmental EducationLearning Experience at _______________________________. Studies have shown that�hands-on� learning programs improve children�s attitudes and performances in a broad range ofschool subjects.

In order to make your child�s visit to �nature�s classroom� as safe as possible, we ask that youprovide the following information and sign at the bottom. Please note that insects, poison ivy andother potential risks are a natural part of any outdoor setting. We advise that children bringappropriate clothing (long pants, rain gear, sturdy shoes) for their planned activities.

Child�s name ___________________________________________

Does your child:

� Have an allergy to bee stings or insect bites?_____________________________________If so, please have your child bring his/her medication, and stress that he/she, or the groupleader, is able to administer it.

� Have other allergies? ________________________________________________________

� Have any other health problems we should be aware of?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

� In case of an emergency, I give permission for my child to be treated by the attendingphysician. I understand that I would be notified as soon as possible.

___________________________________________________ __________________Parent�s signature date

Parent�s name ______________________________________ Home phone _______________ (please print) Work phone _______________

Family Physician�s name ________________________________ phone ___________________

Alternate Emergency Contact

Name________________________________________________ phone ___________________

Page 122: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

8.3Lake Norman State Park, N.C. November 2002

NORTH CAROLINA PARKS & RECREATIONPROGRAM EVALUATION

Please take a few moments to evaluate the program(s) you received. This will help us improveour service to you in the future.

1. Program title(s) _______________________________________________ Date ____________

Program leader(s) _______________________________________________________________

2. What part of the program(s) did you find the most interesting and useful? ___________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What part(s) did you find the least interesting and useful?________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What can we do to improve the program(s)?___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. General comments _______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

LEADERS OF SCHOOL GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZED YOUTH GROUPS

PLEASE ANSWER THESE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:

6. Group (school) name _________________________________________________________

7. Did the program(s) meet the stated objectives or curriculum needs? ____________________

If not, why? ________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Please return the completed form to park staff. Thank you.

Lake Norman State Park159 Inland Sea Lane

Troutman, NC 28166 - 9620Fax: (704) 528-5623

Page 123: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

9.1 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Notes

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 124: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

9.2 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Notes

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 125: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

9.3 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Notes

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.

Page 126: TESTING - North Carolina Norman EELE.pdfIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks System For more information contact: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation 1615 Mail Service

9.4 November 2002Lake Norman State Park, N.C.

Notes

McCafferty: Aquatic Entomology.© 1983: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass.

www.jbpub.com. Reprinted with permission.