Students investigate how aquatic insects, pollinators, and forest insects can serve as bioindicators of ecosystem health by collecting field data, graphing patterns, and building claim-evidence-reasoning explanations about local stream, pond, or forest conditions. They design and revise a simple experiment on native insect behavior, use partner feedback from parks staff, beekeepers, and conservation groups, and apply evidence to evaluate how environmental changes affect biodiversity and population stability. Across the project, students create and refine solutions such as habitat improvement recommendations and models that reduce human impacts on biodiversity. The experience builds scientific reasoning, collaboration, communication, and self-direction through public sharing of findings with community audiences.

Students will design and revise a fair test about native insect behavior, identify variables, collect field observations, and use graphing to analyze patterns in biodiversity, population change, and habitat health. They will use aquatic insects, pollinators, and other bioindicators to make and defend claim-evidence-reasoning explanations about stream, pond, and forest conditions using survey data, water-quality results, and habitat observations. Students will evaluate how environmental changes and human impacts affect ecosystem stability, species survival, and biodiversity, then propose and refine habitat improvement solutions with feedback from parks staff, beekeepers, and conservation partners. They will strengthen collaboration, communication, and self-direction by presenting proposals, posters, and community science briefings, reflecting on how their evidence and thinking changed over time.

Students will create a native insect behavior experiment proposal and results display that includes a testable question, variables, prediction, data table, graph, and brief defense shaped by feedback from a beekeeper, parks staff member, or conservation partner. Across the project, they will build an investigation portfolio with field notes, insect survey maps, water-quality results, annotated graphs, CER writing, and weekly reflections that show how their ideas changed over time. By the end, teams will produce a CER poster set judging local stream, pond, or forest health using aquatic insect counts, habitat observations, and mathematical representations of biodiversity patterns. They will also present a habitat improvement model and a community science briefing with evidence-based recommendations for reducing human impact on pollinators, aquatic insects, and forest ecosystems.

Kick off with a Stream Safari Scavenger Hunt at a local stream or pond where teams collect macroinvertebrate clues, test basic water-quality indicators, and graph quick insect counts in the field. A county parks staff member and a local environmental lab or conservation partner guide students in noticing how aquatic insects act as bioindicators, while a beekeeper or pollinator specialist helps students compare aquatic and terrestrial insect roles in ecosystem health. Back in class, students build a question board from their observations, make an initial claim about site health using claim-evidence-reasoning, and sketch a first idea for a native insect behavior experiment they could test during the project. End with a short team debrief naming one surprise, one question, and one pattern they noticed in the data.

End with a community “Stream Safari Showcase and Pollinator Power Expo” where students host live poster stations for families, peers, county parks staff, a beekeeper or pollinator specialist, and a local conservation or lab partner. Teams present their claim-evidence-reasoning posters, insect survey maps, water-quality graphs, behavior experiment displays, and before-and-after portfolios, then defend their conclusions about stream, pond, forest, and pollinator habitat health. Include a gallery walk featuring habitat improvement models and community science briefings with specific recommendations for reducing human impact on biodiversity. Build in a rehearsal exhibition the week before so visitors can leave feedback on clarity, evidence, and action steps, and students can revise before the final public event.