Bioaccumulation: Scale, proportion and quantity
Topics: Chemical markers Fish Food webs Human Impacts on Environment NGSS
Skills: Data Collection Data Manipulation Modeling Observation
Grade Levels: Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8
Resource Types: Kits
Settings: Indoors
Fish are a nutritious source of low-fat protein and omega-3s and provide many health benefits. Pollution in lakes, rivers, and streams can impact fish. Fish containing pollutants may pose some risk to people, but we make choices about balancing risks and benefits every day. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish per week. What should you do? Gather information and assess it effectively. Studies show that the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks as long as the fish are low in contaminants. In this lesson, students will simulate an aquatic food chain to observe how contaminants bioaccumulate and biomagnify.
Optional: The instructor demonstrates using a recipe and cooking fish. Students will taste the fish.
Minnesota Science Standards:3.1.1.1.1, 3.1.1.2.4, 3.1.3.2.1, 5.1.1.1.4, 5.3.4.1.3, 5.4.4.1.1, 6.1.3.1.1, 7.1.1.2.4, 7.4.1.2.1., 7.4.2.1.1, 7.4.2.2.3, 7.4.3.1.3, 7.4.4.1.2, 8.1.1.2.1, 8.3.2.3.2, 8.3.4.1.2, 9.4.4.2.4
Next Generation Science Standards: Crosscutting concept: Examining Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Bioaccumulation: Scale, Proportion and Quantity Lesson Plan
Credit: Science Institute 2014-2015/MN DNR MinnAqua Program
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