Science allows students to explore through hands on activities to learn about scientific concepts and ideas. This unit allows the students to understand how microbes can adversely or positively affect the survival of plants and animals in a particular habitat, Long Island Sound.
The following unit is designed for students from kindergarten to second grade. The focus will be on the role that microbes play in the survival of plants and animals and their ability to sustain life and thrive in the water. The students will learn about the characteristics of the plant life in the Sound.
The students will discover what bacteria are and how they can help or hurt plants and animals. They will also learn about germs in order to make a comparison between bacteria and germs. The students will learn about the biological processes that microbes and plants must carry out in order to survive. They will learn how rocks and minerals are transported and carried to the water through weathering and erosion and deposited on the seafloor. The students will investigate the impact that weather has on a habitat. The students will also discover the role that pollution has in the survival of a habitat and its inhabitants.
