1. SR.FISHKILL.11 Introduction  As an assigned Fish Mortality Investigator (FMI) of Spirit Lake, you will be trained to identify some of the common causes of fish kills and how to analyze data of some local lakes in Washington and Minnesota before traveling back to MSH.

2. SR.FISHKILL.12 The Scenario and Questions You and another investigator travel to your assigned lake. As you approach the lake, you are almost overwhelmed by a horrible smell. When you arrive at the lake, the source of the smell is clearly evident: dead fish of all shape, sizes, and species are floating on the surface of the once pristine lake. You and your colleague wonder,  “What causes fish kills?” and  “If there is more than one cause, how do you determine the cause of a specific fish kill?” Last update: July 2010 Created by Sharon Grimes April 2009 BCPS Research Module or Slam Dunk Model, Copyright 2005, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Jamie McKenzie’s Slam Dunk Lesson module available at http://questioning.org/module2/quick.html.Baltimore County Public Schoolshttp://questioning.org/module2/quick.html Photo courtesy of Maryland Department of Natural Resources

3. SR.FISHKILL.13 Preliminary hypothesis:  Before you gather information and data, what is your preliminary hypothesis about what caused the fish kill? (Record this in your notes.)

4. SR.FISHKILL.14 Background Information  The first site you will visit examines the common causes of fish kills. common causes of fish kills.common causes of fish kills.  Scientists, like researchers, begin by gathering background information. After you visit the Web site, Common Causes of Fish Kills, list the common causes in your notes. Common Causes of Fish Kills Common Causes of Fish Kills Photo courtesy of the NASA Earth Observatory

5. SR.FISHKILL.15 Background Information  The second site you will visit is from the Maryland Department of the Environment where you will examine data about the number and causes of fish kills in Maryland. Maryland Department of the Environment Maryland Department of the Environment  Now that you have an overview of the primary causes of fish kills, you will need to dig a little deeper to find the most likely cause(s). Based on the information that you gathered from the Maryland Department of the Environment, what are the top two causes of fish kills in Maryland?

6. SR.FISHKILL.16 Data Collection  After you build your background knowledge about fish kills in general, you will analyze data from the Water on the Web Project to identify the specific cause of the fish kill you and your friend observed. Water on the Web Project Water on the Web Project  Use the Data Visualization Toolkit Directions to load your data.

7. SR.FISHKILL.17 Group Research  After you are assigned to a group and a lake to investigate, then, click on the appropriate link to collect the data that will allow you to identify the cause of the fish kill. Enter your data on the graph on your notes page. Lake Washington, Washington Lake Washington, Washington Lake Washington, Washington Lake Washington, Washington Lake Sammamish, Washington Lake Sammamish, Washington Lake Sammamish, Washington Lake Sammamish, Washington Ice Lake, Minnesota Ice Lake, Minnesota Ice Lake, Minnesota Ice Lake, Minnesota Shagawa Lake, Minnesota Shagawa Lake, Minnesota Shagawa Lake, Minnesota Shagawa Lake, Minnesota Medicine Lake, Minnesota Medicine Lake, Minnesota Medicine Lake, Minnesota Medicine Lake, Minnesota

8. SR.FISHKILL.18 Lake Data Assignments GroupLake Date #1 Date #2 Date #3 A N. Lake Washington 7/15/20019/30/20026/25/2004 B S. Lake Washington 6/17/20016/17/20026/17/2004 C N. Lake Sammamish 7/13/20027/13/20037/13/2004 D S. Lake Sammamish 4/17/20014/17/20034/17/2004 E Ice Lake 9/4/20029/4/20039/4/2004 F Shagawa Lake 10/11/20019/24/200310/11/2003 G Medicine Lake 10/6/200110/6/200210/6/2003

9. SR.FISHKILL.19 Data Analysis  Just like a detective, you will begin by examining the primary suspect on three dates which in this case is the principle cause of fish kills as revealed by your research. Lake Dissolved Oxygen TemperatureSalinitypHTurbidity Normal Range

10. SR.FISHKILL.110 The Assessment Activity  Record your answers to the questions below on your notes page.  Analyze the real time data you collected. Based on your analysis, what conclusions did you draw about the probable primary cause of the fish kill? Remember to justify your response and include a brief explanation of how you came to that conclusion.

11. SR.FISHKILL.111 Enrichment Activities  Now that you understand the causes of fish kills, what if anything can be done to prevent them?  Go to Common Causes of Fish Kills and read about what can be done to prevent fish kills. You are encouraged to research more ideas on your own! Common Causes of Fish KillsCommon Causes of Fish Kills  Application: As a trained FMI, what factors would you like to investigate in order to solve the fish kill of Mount St. Helens? Photo courtesy of Brown University

12. SR.FISHKILL.112 Evaluation  Now, create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) informing the public about what they can do to prevent future fish kills! Post your PSA on the wiki!

13. SR.FISHKILL.113 Teacher Support Materials Objective: Students will analyze real time data to determine the probable primary cause of a fish kill. A. Scientific Inquiry: 1. Access and process information from readings, investigations, and/or oral communications. Overarching Question: How are organisms Dependent on living and non-living factors for their survival?? Teacher Note: The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability is 14.9 on the Maryland Department of the Environment; review with students how to use text features and graphs to gather information. Time Management Strategies:  Two 45-minute periods are recommended.  Students can be partnered for the student activity. Differentiation:  Give students a checklist of activities to complete during the lesson.  Use the Read Aloud feature in NetTrekker if students have difficulty reading the text independently. NetTrekker  Give students a graphic organizer to help with the extended constructive response.  Print student copies; allow them to highlight important information; bold key terms.  Allow students to work in pairs. AVID Strategy: Collaborative Learning Learning Styles:, Active,, Global Understanding, Analytical Understanding Learning Styles: Visual, Active, Reflective, Global Understanding, Analytical UnderstandingActiveGlobal UnderstandingAnalytical UnderstandingVisualActiveReflectiveGlobal UnderstandingAnalytical Understanding Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum   Goal: 3.0 Life Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from the interactions that occur over time. Ecology, Indicator: 1. Give reasons supporting the fact that the number of organisms an environment can support depends on the physical conditions and resources available. b. Identify and describe factors that could limit populations within any environment, such as disease, introduction of nonnative species, depletion of resources, etc. enGauge “As society changes, the skills needed to negotiate the complexities of life also change…To achieve success in the 21 st century, students also need to attain proficiency in science, technology, and culture, as well as gain a thorough understanding of information in all its forms.” (enGauge)enGauge Digital-Age Literacy includes: Information Literacy Technological Literacy Scientific Literacy