Planning for the ecosystem tanks
started last year. One of our team members, Andrew,
was the first student planner.
One of our coaches, Rob, is a graduate student at Ohio State University.
Rob built the tanks and connected them. Two students from each classroom
went on a field trip at the beginning of this school year to gather items
for the tanks. Students collected sand, pebbles, gravel, rocks, and
plants from the stream bed. Other students collected soil, branches,
twigs, dry leaves and living leaves, and plants.
Materials were placed in specific tanks, depending on which ecosystem it would contain. Tap water was added to the tanks. A few weeks later, ecosystem organisms were inroduced to each tank. The tanks ARE connected, so there is some movement "downstream". We took the tank pictures in the beginning of March 2001.
The tanks are not designed to be "fish tanks". Students are studying the microsopic animals and plants that live in the ecosystem tanks. Examples include: zooplankton, ameba, protozoa and algae. Students can add small samples of pond water.
Rob Day is at Tremont every Tuesday working with students on the ecosystems. He has a page on the Tremont webpage where kids can ask him questions about the tanks. Rob also has pictures and information on this page. A teacher at Tremont, Mrs. Fryman, has added a Tank Observation Booklet to the Ask Rob page. Students use it when they study and observe the tanks. Check out the Ask Rob. (Use your browser back button to get back to our thinkquest page).