Teacher's Guide to Activities

To begin students will start with and introduction to the Eco-Mystery.  Here they will learn about their Mystery animal by clicking on the links. When they are done students are then instructed to download their field journal and answer the questions about what they have learned.

The Field Notebook is a word document that can be downloaded to the students computer or printed out. If you wish to have students complete the journal on their word processors, they will need to be instructed on how to download the document and save it.

The Field Notebook will be shown as a clipboard on the student pages.

When they have completed this section they will be taken to Clue 1 Here they will take a pre-assessment quiz to see what they already know about Wetland Eco-systems. After they take the Quiz, they begin exploring information on Eco-systems and Wetlands.

Students are then presented with a picture that has links embedded in it that will take them to the activities for that clue. Each picture contains three activities. Students should move their mouse over the picture, when the arrow changes to a hand they click their mouse to go to that activity. Activities that have the icon are clues to help them solve the mystery.

Each activity will contain links that will give students more information on the Wetland Eco-system and it's animals, plants and important features. For each activity students will download the Field Notebook and complete the section for the activity they are working on. Some activities have experiments that can be performed in the classroom, while others have activities that involve going out and doing field research. These activities are not required to complete the unit but make great additions to student understanding.

Below each panoramic picture, Students will see two icons. The first icon is a by clicking on this icon students will be taken to the page in which they are able to solve the mystery. Although this icon shows up on the first picture. Students should be encouraged to wait until they have gathered all the clues. The second icon will take students to the final quiz, which they must complete before they solve the co-Mystery. This final assessment gives the students an understanding of what they have learned from completing all the activities. Students who score less then ten correct are instructed to go back and review the activities.

Students should continue to move through the clues and activities until they complete Activity 15. At the end of Activity 15 they will be instructed to take a quiz

This is the Post-Assessment quiz and will indicate what students have learned about Wetland Eco-systems through completing the unit. Once they have completed the Quiz and the Final Quiz, they are able to solve the mystery.

Students will be presented with three options. Using their notes and hypothesis, students check the answer that they believe answers what has happened to the Yuma Clapper Rail. If they are correct they are instructed to explain their answer in their Field Notebook.

Teachers should check the student's Field Notebook throughout the unit. When students have completed the unit and their Field Notebook,  they will be ready to move on to create their own eco-mystery.

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