The Wonders of Louisiana’s Wetlands

Beginning in January , the seventy students in second grade will be introduced to four types of wetland environments found in Louisiana – barrier islands, bogs, forested wetlands (swamps), and marshes. Through online research, non-fiction trade book research, and by using the computer programs “Knee Deep in Louisiana Wetlands” and “Explore Coastal Louisiana with Boudreaux and Marie”, students will discover the unique characteristics and importance of each wetland environment (SE-E-A2). By traveling to neighboring wetland areas (Jean Lafitte National Park, Audubon Zoo, and the St. Tammany Parish water purification project) students will document wetland environments using digital cameras and video cameras. Through hands-on care and manipulation, students will and digitally document and raise two crawfish, two red eared slider turtles, a barking tree frog, and dragonfly nymphs to understand the life cycles, feeding habits, and movement of energy through the food chain in our wetland environments (LS – E – A1, LS – E – B1). In order to learn the features of and differences between terrestrial plants and hydrophytes, students will set up and monitor the growth of water lettuce and edible lettuce plants for four weeks in a mini-wetland environment contained in plastic shoe boxes (LS – E – A3). Through discussions, experimentation, and research students will investigate the reasons for wetland loss: destruction of habitat by humans, large storms, and natural processes (SE – E – A5). This portion of our wetland unit will last approximately seven weeks.

Taking their knowledge and research from the first seven weeks of this unit, students will compose their own chapter books and podcasts about Louisiana’s wetlands and their importance to our state and its people. Upon completion of these books and using the requested digital camera, students will create short digital films (approximately two to four minutes in length) showcasing the importance of the wetlands, wetland facts, and ways to prevent wetland loss (SI – E – A6). These two components will be viewed by and shared with other students, faculty, and parents during the final phase of this unit.

The final phase of this fourteen week unit consists of the construction of a forested wetland (swamp) biome in our school’s outdoor learning center. Students begin this section of the unit by measuring the outlined area using measuring tapes and meter sticks (SI – E – A4). Upon completion of the measuring, students will be introduced to the materials they may use to construct the biome: PVC pipes and connectors, plastic sheeting, clear duct tape, mallets, string, and scissors. With the assistance of a student’s parent who is an architect, the students will design a blue print of the biome including the doors and air vents. When the design is complete, students will work in teams of ten students and one parent volunteer to construct the roof system, base of the frame, four walls, and the entrance and exit. Once the structure is complete students will paint the interior wall surfaces with images of the plants and animals that they researched at the beginning of the unit. Additionally, students will fill the interior of the structure with living wetland plants, small ponds, cypress tree seedlings and the wetland creatures they raised and studied earlier (turtles, dragonflies, crawfish, and frog). The student will tour their parents, other family members, younger and older students, and teachers through the swamp biome upon completion. As they tour groups through the biome they will inform their visitors about facts relating to Louisiana’s swamps and other wetland areas in our state. Students will explain the interdependency between the wetland plants and animals they researched. At the conclusion of each tour, visitors will view the student produced wetland books and videos. Vidoes and podcasts will be available after the completion of the project on our school's websites.