Harvard LTER Schoolyard Program
Water in the Landscape: Vernal Pools (SY003)
What seasonal changes take place in vernal pools?
What do these changes tell us?
Lesson Plans
Data Analysis
Presentations
Suggested Reading
Grade Levels: 1-12
Minimum Field Time: 4 times during schoolyear
Related Research at Harvard Forest:
Aquatic Ecologist, Betsy Colburn, is studying vernal pools that provide a unique home to specific kinds of plants and animals. As these environments have been understudied and underprotected in the past, research of vernal pools will provide information to better protect these resources in the future. (see Aquatic Studies).
Schoolyard Research Methods:
Students can contribute to this study by measuring and tracking water levels of vernal pools near their schools. Teachers may also choose to coordinate information on hydrology and climate with water quality monitoring, biological sampling, and/or wildlife surveys.
- HF Coordinator provides information packet, data sheets, and field supplies to teacher.
- Teacher maps and flags a nearby vernal pool in schoolyard or local conservation area for research, using guidelines in project protocol.
- Teacher and students practice measurement and data collecting techniques.
- Teacher and students (can be a volunteer and a small research group) continue data collection at least 4 designated times throughout the school year.
- Teacher attends 4 HF led Seminars to learn more about the research theme and implementation strategies.
- Teacher and students provide data to Schoolyard Coordinator.
- Data is posted on Harvard Forest Website for ecologist and public access.
- Teacher and students may choose to analyze data, and compare it to other schoolyard sites nationally. They may also want to compare their findings with ecological data from local or national LTER sites to understand how their findings relate to global patterns.
- Teacher and students are encouraged to come meet the scientist at Harvard Forest, and tour our research site to see how long term ecological study is done at the university level.