Make Your Own Plankton Net
Grades: 4+
Duration: 20 minutes
Materials:
-
- Plastic water bottle
- scissors
- nylons
- packing tape
- hole puncher
- string/ribbon
OSO alignment: Instructors pass around a plankton net and ask students to share their observations regarding the mesh size, how it operates in the water column, the types of plants and animals they may collect, and why. Students conduct a plankton tow and analyze their sample using a dichotomous key in the education center.
NGSS performance expectation: 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 5-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.