7th+grade+ServiceLearning

=**__http://castlendms.wikispaces.com__** = The Chesapeake Bay is North America’s largest estuary. With an area of 64,000 square miles residing in six states and the District of Columbia, the Bay provides a home to about 3,600 species of wildlife. The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed are an important natural resource to the region as a source of seafood, a hub for commerce, a natural habitat, and a place for people to enjoy its beauty. But why is a watershed important? How do different types of pollution affect the Chesapeake Bay? What actions are groups recommending that people take to conserve this valuable resource? Your job is to learn about the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. You will investigate the Chesapeake Bay and its importance as a key to Maryland’s environmental health. You will answer a set of questions about watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay to demonstrate what you have learned. Once you’ve conducted some research to increase your knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, you’ll create a brochure of information targeted at a specific audience. The purpose of this brochure is to help the group you select understand the importance of the Chesapeake Bay, become informed about the effects of pollution to this ecosystem, and offer specific steps for conserving the Bay and its watershed.
 * __ Introduction __**
 * __ Task __**

=[|Brochure Rubric]=

=[|Citation for Images]= First, read through the following set of questions before you being your Internet research. As you explore each site, look for answers to the questions. Questions about the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed
 * __ Process __**
 * What types of pollution have the greatest impact on the Chesapeake Bay? Where do these pollutants come from? What is their effect on the bay? What is being done to reduce their effects on the ecosystem?
 * What types of animals, plants, and microorganisms are native to the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed?
 * What actions are government agencies (regulations) and citizen groups (Ex. Chesapeake Bay Foundation) recommending to improve of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed?

Questions: [] Information on animals, plants, and microorganisms in the bay
 * 1) .According to the following site there are 6 different types of organisms living in the bay. List the categories and give an example of each.
 * 2) What is a benthic organism? Give an example
 * 3) Choose one specific organism and describe their habitat, feeding, reproduction, predators, and give a description of the organism.

Question: The following website describes 4 sources of the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. In your own words describe each source. Be specific! [] Sources of Bay pollution

Question: Using the following site, summarize the geography, watershed, and flora and fauna. You won't need to write all details just choose 2 or three that you think are the most important.

[] This page has a lot of information about the clean up of the Chesapeake Bay.

Question: Look at the names of Maryland's Watersheds. Which watershed do you live in. []

Questions: For the following website change the reporting region to the Choptank River. Using the symbols and descriptions describe the health of the bay. Which indicators are healthy and which are not.

[] This page has summaries on the bay health and water quality.

Question: Get the research paper from Mrs. Castle when you get to this question. Use the following website to complete it.

[] epa website on nutrient pollution

Additional Resources:

[] Save the Bay brochure example [] Fish facts [] Story about how fertilizing your lawn pollutes the bay. [] Information on animals and plants in the bay [] The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a conservation organization whose mission is to save the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Visit their Web site and click different links to find current information about the watershed. [] The EPA regulations.