The following information is based on Grades 5 to 8 Science: Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes which itself is based on the Pan-Canadian's Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes (K - 12). Each outcome includes a brief description of the outcome, teacher background information, suggestions for instruction, a list of the general learning outcomes (GLOs) covered and overall skills and attitudes (cluster 0 outcomes) addressed in the outcome. Each outcome also contains a page number reference to the Manitoba Education and Youth document entitled "Grades 5 to 8 Science: A Foundation for Implementation" (2000). Also, where appropriate, worksheets, activities and examples have been included.     To download these activities and/or worksheets (A=Activity... W=Worksheet... E=Example... ), click on the corresponding colour button(s) for each learning outcome. The exercise(s) will be saved to your computer as an adobe PDF file(s). To view these files, you will require a copy of adobe acrobat reader to be installed on your computer. To download a free copy of the reader, click here.

Fish are animals - they move, they have sensory organs (eyes, mouth, barbels), and they have body structure (skeleton, skin). They eat other organisms to survive. They breathe oxygen.     A fish's respiratory system is much different from a human's. While fish have nostrils and can "smell", they actually breathe by "inhaling" water through their mouths. The water is then passed over special structures called gills. The gills absorb the oxygen from the water as it flows over the delicate gill filaments (or lamellae) and then exits the fish's body. Carbon dioxide is released from the blood through the thin membranes of the gills into the water at the same time. Thus the laminae perform the same function as the alveoli in human lungs. The gill filaments are protected and covered by a gill cover or operculum, just behind the cheek. Fish gills are far more efficient than human lungs; fish are able to utilize up to 80% of the oxygen contained in water passing over the gills, while humans can extract only about 25% of the oxygen in air inhaled by the lungs.     At the opening of the fish's throat, there are projections, called gill rakers, which help to guide food away from the gills and into the throat. These may be few, small and sharp in fish that swallow their food whole to help fish hold and swallow their prey, or numerous and filamentous in plankton feeders to filter out small food particles.     A fish's circulatory system consists of a heart, which acts like a pump. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body. Veins carry oxygen-poor blood from the body back to the heart. A typical fish heart has four chambers (although these may be developed to different degrees and occasionally absent, depending on the fish species): the sinus venosus (chamber into which the veins open); the atrium; the ventricle (which contracts to pump the blood around the body); and the bulbus arteriosus (bulb at the base of the main artery carrying blood to the gills). Fish have less blood than humans do and it flows rather sluggishly through their bodies. Fish are cold-blooded; in other words, the temperature of their blood is about the same as that of the surrounding water.     A fish's nervous system is similar to a human's, including the brain, spinal chord, and cranial and peripheral nerves leading from the brain or spinal chord to the various sense and other organs and muscles.     A fish's eyes may be large or small. Fish that are piscivores (i.e. eat other fish) tend to have big eyes, to better see their prey. A walleye's large eyes are actually sensitive to bright sunlight; they tend to feed at twilight or dark periods. Fish that feed off the bottom of a lake or river, or who frequent murky water, tend to have small eyes. Also, some of these fish, such as lake sturgeon , channel catfish, bullheads, and stonecats, have barbels or fleshy feelers ("whiskers") that hang in front of their mouth. These barbels are sensory structures that help the fish detect its food as it swims along the bottom of a river or lake. They rely more on their sensitive "whiskers" to detect their food than on their eyesight.     Although fish do not have an external ear structure, they do have ears and can hear. Water is even better than air as a conductor of sound. Sound waves pass through the fish's head, reaching its ears which are embedded in the cranium near the midbrain on either side of its head. The same as in a human, fish ears contain three semicircular canals, which assist with balance. They are fluid-filled and have sensory hairs that detect the rotational acceleration of the fluid. One semicircular detects yaw (side-to-side movement), one detects pitch (up and down), and one detects roll. The actual hearing components of a fish's ear are the two large earstones, or otoliths, which are made of bone. They vibrate with the sound and stimulate surrounding hair cells.     Fish have another sensory organ - a mechanical receptor called a lateral line, which has elements of hearing and touch. The lateral line is composed of a line of neuromasts. They look like little pores along a line down the side of the fish. A neuromast is a cluster of hair cells linked in a glob of jelly. These tiny sensory organs are like sonar - fish use them to detect vibrations and sense what they cannot see. Stimulated in sequence along the lateral line, they give a fish information about the location of other fish or other objects around it and help with short-range prey detection.     Fish have a swim or air bladder. This gas-filled sac is located in the body cavity along its back and is used to control buoyancy. It also can be used for respiration. The central mudminnow, for example, will gulp air at the surface of the water when oxygen content is low. Gas bladders also help with hearing by acting as a resonator connected with the fish's ear. In some fish, the connection is through a chain of ossicles called the Weberian apparatus. These fish have particularly good hearing and include carp. Did you know that goldfish belong to the carp family? Look out! Your goldfish may be listening!     The digestive system in a fish is very similar to humans. Fish use their mouths to take in food, although they do not chew. The shape and position of a fish's mouth reflects what it eats and how it consumes its food. Some fish, such as catfish, have a longer upper jaw than bottom, because they tend to see and feed on their prey from above. Fish that feed on the bottom of a river or lake, such as a sucker or carp, have "sucker-shaped" mouths under their head which they use to "vacuum" up their food, including aquatic insects or plant material. Fish that are carnivores or piscivores (i.e. they eat other fish) will have strong jaws and well-developed teeth (like a northern pike or walleye). They will likely have mouths at the end of their snout, or even above it (like a bass), which helps them seize their prey.     Like a human, fish have an esophagus, or gullet, that carries the food to the stomach. Most fish have a stomach, which varies in size and shape, depending on what they eat. A fish that is an herbivore (eats plant material) usually has a very long intestine, while a carnivore's intestine is much shorter, and an omnivore's somewhere in-between. Similar to the shark, the primitive sturgeon has a corkscrew fold of tissue (called a spiral valve) down the length of its intestine to increase the absorptive surface area. (This is another adaptation that separates the sturgeon from all other species of Manitoba fish.)     In most fish, at the end of the stomach where it empties into the intestine, there may be one or many blind sacs called pyloric caeca which help with digestion and absorption. ( Northern Pike and catfish do not have these.)     Like humans, fish have a liver (for bile secretion, digestion, and glycogen storage), gall bladder (bile storage), pancreas (digestive enzyme and insulin production), spleen (white blood cell production and red blood cell destruction), and kidney ( waste extraction from blood and excretion). All wastes are excreted through a single opening - the vent.     A fish's reproductive system is directed at early maturation and production of thousands to millions of eggs annually. This ensures that population numbers remain stable or increase rapidly if the opportunity arises, in spite of all the offspring that will be lost due to numerous hazards, such as predation or poor reproductive (spawning) habitat, etc. Female fish have ovaries which produce eggs, and male fish have testes which produce sperm, called milt. Eggs and milt exit the fish through the vent. Fertilization of eggs takes place externally.     Fish have skin which is made up of the usual two layers - an outer epidermis and an inner dermis. Most fish have scales, which originate in the dermis. Scales may be very large or barely visible to the naked eye, depending on the species of fish. Scales grow in concentric circles. Like the rings of a tree, the rings on a scale can be used to tell the age of a fish. Scales help to protect fish from injury and small predators. They overlap to reduce friction through the water, however fish with larger scales give up some flexibility and speed for the added protection. Some cells in the epidermis are actually mucus glands that discharge the mucus that forms the slimy covering on fish. This slime protects the fish from bacteria and disease, and makes them difficult for predators to grasp. It also helps the fish to slip through the water more easily.     The colouration of fish helps to camouflage them against their surroundings so they can stalk their prey or hide from predators. [See Outcome 6-1-13]     Fish move through the water using their fins for locomotion, stability or balance, and steering. The tail, or caudal fin, helps to propel the fish forward as it is moved back and forth - the actual forward thrust coming from the pressure of the fish's tail against the surrounding water. Fish with smaller caudal fins undulate their bodies to move forward.     Fish may have one or two dorsal fins (fins on top of the fish on their back). If they have two, they may be separate or joined together. Some fish have an adipose fin on their back, which is actually a fleshy lobe that is a "leftover" of a more developed dorsal fin that was lost as the particular fish species evolved. Some fish, such as walleye, sauger and perch, have spines in their dorsal fins. While offering some protection from predators, these spines also help to stiffen the fin to assist the fish in swimming. Fish also have pelvic fins (fins underneath their bodies), and an anal fin just behind the vent (where they excrete wastes). Dorsal, pectoral and anal fins all help a fish with balance. Dorsal and anal fins act like "keels" to control rolling. Pelvic fins help to control pitch (movement up and down).     The pectoral (or "shoulder") fins of a fish help them to steer - up or down (pitch), left or right (yaw). They also act as brakes by causing drag when they are flared out. Some fish have spines along the leading edge of their pectoral fins, either for protection (as in a catfish) or to stiffen the fin for swimming (e.g. sturgeon).     Fish can fold up against their bodies all of the smaller fins used for turning and orientation, streamlining them and reducing drag when they must swim quickly.

Provide each student with a copy of the External Features of a Fish and the Internal Features of a Fish. Review the parts and discuss the uses of some of the more unusual features. 1. Divide the class into two or more teams (an even number). 2. Place cards (enlarge and photocopy back to back; A to A1 and B to B1), face down, in columns according to the category (e.g. Digestion), in sequence from the least amount ($200) to the highest amount ($1000) at the bottom. If played with entire class, in 2 teams, enlarge each card and stick them to the blackboard. 3. Each team picks one spokesperson to relay the "chosen" answer (picked through group consensus), to the Game Master (Answer key - ). 4. Flip a coin to see who starts. 5. First person chooses a specific question according to category and amount. 6. The Game Master reads the question aloud and that team has 30 to 60 seconds to answer. If they answer correctly, they get that amount of money credited to their team. If they don't get the right answer, the opposing team gets a chance to answer and steal the points. If neither team answers correctly, the Game Master reads the answer to the participants and another person asks for a question according to category and amount. 7. The team with the most money wins. Note: a) Points are deducted if team members yell out answers. b) Everyone should get a chance to request a question before players have more than one turn.

Streams develop by two processes: down-cutting into the stream bed, which deepens the valley, and back-wasting the sides of the valley, which widens the valley. There are three stages in stream development.     The youthful stage is generally in the mountains and is characterized by V-shaped valleys with steep walls, steeper gradient (slope), higher velocity, and relatively lower discharge. The dominant process at this stage is down-cutting.     The mature stream stage is generally flowing through an area of more rounded hills and valleys, moderate gradient, moderate velocity and moderate discharge. The old age stream stage is generally found near the mouths of river systems with very low topographical relief (essentially flat), minimal gradient, very slow velocity and increased discharge. Meanders and oxbow lakes are common and back-wasting is the dominant process.     At this stage, the river's water tends to be more turbid due to the suspension of particles. It is often warmer from the exposure to the sun and frequently contains less oxygen.     As a river goes through a number of changes from its headwater source to its mouth so does the character and quality of its fish and aquatic communities and the human activity within the drainage area.     Meanders, floodplains and natural levees and deltas are three formations that result from the geological action of streams and rivers.     Meanders are bends in the stream that reflect how the stream minimizes resistance to flow and spreads energy as evenly as possibly along its course. In a stream or river, the velocity of moving water throughout the channel is not the same. Velocity is lowest along the stream bottom and sides as this is where water encounters the most friction and therefore reduces the flow. Along a straight channel water moves the fastest in the mid-channel near the surface. However as the water moves around a bend, the zone of the high velocity swings to the outside of the channel. The increased velocity at the outer part of the bend continually erodes sediment from the riverbank and carries it downstream. Meanwhile the slower flow around the inner side of the bend accumulates coarse sediment and forms point bars. This is how a meandering pattern is created with shallower water and point bars on the inside bends and steep banks on the outside.     When the river water runs into more resistant sediments, the downstream movement of the meander is slowed. Upstream meanders continue to migrate through softer sediments until they intersect the slower-moving meander and cut off the channel between the two. This forms an independent loop (oxbow) that will become an oxbow lake.     Floodplains and natural levees are formed during floods. As the water flows over the bank its velocity is slowed and the heaviest sediments are deposited. This forms the natural levees along a river bank. As the water continues to flow out onto the valley the finer sediments, silts and clays, are deposited. These are the floodplains and these plains can be flooded periodically.     Deltas are formed when faster flowing water from the river enters a larger body of water like a lake or ocean. The water slows down quickly depositing heavier sediments near the river mouth while finer sediments are fanned out. This broadcast of material forms a crude triangle resembling the Greek letter "delta".     The natural flow regime is very important in sustaining the diverse biological and ecological systems in rivers. These flow regimes are meant to vary and vary on both on time scales (hours, days, seasons, years etc) and regionally. Man's attempt to control the natural flow regime disrupts the dynamic equilibrium between the movement of water and the movement of sediment. This disruption affects the river's diverse habitat features which in turn affects the species that have adapted to these features.

This activity will demonstrate how water and gravity create a river by using simple materials in the class room. Students will be identify river features that form (sandbars, deltas, valleys etc.) It is best to try this activity out first to familiarize yourself with the materials and the river cutting process that will occur. You may want to do this activity as a lead in with little or no discussion to your class re: erosion and how rivers are formed.     Note the following activities are based on the "River Cutters" Teacher's Guide Grades 6-9. The guide was prepared by GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science), Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley). Materials:     The following materials are needed for each group of 4 -5 students: 9 kg (20 lbs) of diatomaceous earth (swimming pool type only) lots of water, paper towels and sponges tin pie plates blue food colouring plastic tubs measuring 15" wide, 20" long and 5" deep (can purchase at a restaurant supply house) plastic coffee stir sticks, paper clips and plastic cups disposable dust mask blocks of wood or other material described below for alternative siphon Procedure: River cutting tubs ... Students should not help with mixing the diatomaceous earth and you should do this in a well ventilated area wearing a mask. set out tubs add 12 cups of water wearing dusk mask, place 13 cups of diatomaceous earth into each tub mix together with hands, trowel or sturdy spoon (when earth is wet remove mask) test for consistency: should be mushy with no puddling or tilt the tub by placing a block of wood under one edge. Slowly pour some water onto the earth. If it soaks in you need to mix more water into the earth, if it runs off and forms a little gully, you have enough. To stack tubs until needed or during activity periods (if more than one) place plastic garbage bags over the surfaces to prevent earth from clinging to bottom of the tubs. Siphon... Simplest and least expensive. small styrofoam cup and a clothespin poke hole in bottom of cup and attach to side of the tub with clothespin water drips out at approximate correct rate but difficult to stop and start again. Another method: insert straightened paper clip into plastic coffee stirrer. Gently bend stirrer into half moon create a siphon in stirrer. Place into the notch in the paper cup filled with water same difficulty regarding controlled stops and starts Recommended system is the Rain Cloud dripper: 1 plastic water bottle, 500 g to 1L size silicone caulk (type that remains flexible when dry) or hot glue gun 1 piece of flexible aquarium air hose, 3"-5" long 1 adjustable plastic aquarium control valve 1 Phillips screwdriver (medium to large size - slightly smaller than diameter of the aquarium hose) 1 candle or gas stove 1 metal coffee can, sturdy box, or plastic container to support the plastic bottle 8"-10" above the table (a piece of wood can also be used) 1. Approximately one half inch from the bottom on the side of the water bottle, melt a hole with the screwdriver heated from the flame of either a candle or gas stove. Hole should be just large enough to accommodate the air hose. 2. Insert the air hose into the hole, and apply caulk on the outside, to seal the hole in the bottle. The caulk will need to dry at least 24 hours before use. 3. Add the control valve to the end of the hose, then attach another small piece of hose. 4. Create a platform by turning the coffee container upside down at one end of the tub and place the dripper system on it. Make sure the valve is closed before adding blue water to the bottle and testing the flow. Use the control valve to select a drip rate of approximately two drops per second. Use a pie plate to collect the first test of drips. On Activity Day: Prepare blue water by adding 6-10 drops of food coloring to two pitchers of water and keep food coloring handy in case you need to replenish the supply of blue water. Assemble dripper systems so students can easily retrieve them. River cutting tub set up: Prepare the slope of the earth by doing the following. Elevate the tub at one end by placing a wooden block under it. While holding down firmly on the end supported by the block bang the other end of the tub up and down to level the earth. Remove the block and place the tub flat on the table. There should be a uniform gentle slope. Wait a few minutes to let some water drain out. Use the sponge to smooth the surface of the earth and soak up some of the water that will continue to collect at the bottom of the slope. P.S. this part of the activity is noisy and you may want to prepare the slopes in advance. Demonstrate How to Make a River 1. Use one of your prepared tubs (earth sloped with no block under one end) as a demonstration tub. 2. Show how to set up the dripper system, letting it drip for a minute or two. Show students how to adjust the drip rate to 2 drips/sec. 3. You could invite the students to imagine the tub as a miniature landscape and that they themselves are tiny. You could ask them questions that would orient themselves to this miniature setting. For example, if you were smaller than a tiny ant what features might you expect to see while walking along the banks of the tiny model river? What might you encounter during a raft trip down this miniature river? 4. Stop your river and show them how to use the piece of wood to re-slope the earth in the tub. If the ground does not level completely, tell them to try banging harder. 5. If you have not already filled the drippers assign two people from the class to fill and distribute. 6. Once teams are assembled tell them to split in half and while one group is leveling the tub the other half can set the drip rate (using a pie plate). River Models 1. and for the geological features handout, photocopy and distribute to each student. Have students work in pairs or small groups to review the material with the goal of identifying as many features as they can that might appear in their model rivers. 2. for suggestion on making river feature flags that the students can plant in the earth whenever they observe a feature. 3. Once the teams have their tubs and drippers prepared, tell them to start their river models by letting the water drip for 5 minutes. These 5 minutes represents 5,000 years in the life of a river. Ask them to describe and talk with each other about what they see happening during this 5 minute period. 4. Remind the students not to alter the course of the river during the experiment as they want to see what happens as the river is cut naturally into the earth. Also not to touch the dripper system as it may affect the rate of flow. Remind them to flag the features as they appear. 5. As you circulate around the class answering any questions and checking the drip rates it is an opportunity to note the vocabulary and ideas students are expressing. Encourage them to describe what is happening to the water and earth. 6. After the 5 minutes are up have them stop the drippers. Hand out a piece of white paper to each student and have them draw the rivers they have created. Have them label features and write notes about anything special they observed. 7. Have pairs of teams share their experiences and river systems with each other, discussing the events and features they observed. Ask them to share what they learned about how water shapes the land from this activity. 8. Did the features they recognized in the model remind them of any real geological features in their community or from somewhere else? 9. Are there features of a real river that they have not seen in the model? (Encourage any comments that suggest the students are making a connection between their models and the real world. Erosion gullies or places where streams flow across the beach on their way to the ocean are good examples. In this particular activity meander bends and inside sand bars may not be apparent). 10. Ask them what has happened to the earth in their model where the water cut a river (moved it downstream to the lake/ocean). This moving of material by water is called erosion. Anytime water runs over rock or soil erosion is occurring. Other forms of erosion are by waves, wind or glaciers. Ask the students if they have seen areas of water erosion. After several responses if no one has done so mention erosion that often occurs after a rainstorm because the soil can't soak up any more water. 11. Explain that material carried by water is called sediment and that it can be deposited in the form of deltas, on floodplains and alluvial fans. Weathering and erosion wear away landforms while deposition builds up new landforms in new areas.

Water resources are defined in terms of containment (the lake, river, bog or even the ground in which they are held), quantity, and quality.     Many people do not realize that when we talk about "fish resources", (and this is a "fishy" website!) we mean both the animal and its habitat - the water in which it lives, and the entire aquatic ecosystem of which it is a part.     An aquatic ecosystem can be anything from a drop of pond water, to a river or lake, to a watershed, to the oceans that cover the earth.     Water is essential for distribution of energy and nutrients throughout ALL ecosystems, including terrestrial and riparian (shoreline). Because of water's "essentialness" and fluid nature, the impacts on a small aquatic ecosystem can have far-reaching effects. Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM)     Ecosystem based management (EBM) is the most recent development in the century-old conservation movement. Since the "exploitation" era of early industrial society, this movement has spanned various phases from conservation through preservation, multiple-use and integrated resources management. Applying sound ecological principles, EBM's primary objective is to protect the integrity of natural systems. Instead of focusing on a single component of an ecosystem, EBM requires you to look at the "big picture". We must learn to balance values associated with our resources (air, soils and water, fisheries, wildlife, recreation and forests) with various land use activities, including industrial development.     An ecosystems approach recognizes that humans are part of the ecosystem, not just observers! EBM acknowledges the importance of human needs and our dependence on healthy, functioning terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to meet them.     While all organisms affect and are affected by their ecosystem, humans have the greatest capacity to alter their environment and change the relationships and interactions within their own and connecting ecosystems.     Ecosystems are naturally dynamic. Without any human intervention, they change over time through natural processes such as forest succession or lake eutrophication, interspersed with natural disturbances, such as forest fire, flood, drought, or wind.     In forest succession, grassy meadows slowly fill in with shrubs and saplings, climaxing in a forest of trees. Natural disturbance, such as fire or insect infestation, can destroy the trees, breaking down their nutrients and returning them to the soil where they begin a new cycle of grasses to shrubs, etc. Lakes undergo eutrophication [see outcome 7-1-04 for details], that is, as nutrients and silt flow into the lake over time, the water becomes more "soupy". The open water slowly fills in, vegetation grows, and eventually the lake becomes a swamp or a bog, and finally dry land.     In managing water or any other kind of resources, we have to understand how the ecosystem functions and where we fit in. When we "do" EBM, we must look at what is happening in an area we are studying, try to understand the needs and desires of people living in or affected by the area, and determine the capacity of the ecosystem to meet those needs and desires.     As with any resource, there are environmental, social and economic factors that must be considered in managing water: Environmental - e.g. water quality and quantity, water flows, lake and stream morphology (size, shape, depth), shoreline (riparian) habitat. We have to know what is there now and how will our actions change the existing resource - not only the water but the other organisms that depend on that water - the aquatic vegetation that feeds and provides shelter for aquatic invertebrates and small fish that feed larger fish, that are eaten by birds and mammals, including humans. How do we preserve not only the water but also the health and ability to function of the entire ecosystem that affects and is affected by the water component? Economic - e.g. jobs, income, resource harvesting and use business development opportunities. Many people may depend on water resources to make a living and feed their families. To what extent can we maintain or increase our use of water without degrading the resources - not only for people today, but also for future generations? Social/Cultural - e.g. recreation (angling, boating, canoeing, adventure travel, ecotourism), traditional use (aboriginal domestic fishing for food), spiritual/religious beliefs and renewal, education, health, welfare, lifestyle. An individual may enjoy canoeing on a pristine lake in Northern Manitoba. First Nations people have the constitutionally protected right to fish for food. How do we respect the values of the individual as well as those of various cultures and communities when we make decisions in allocating resources? How do we find out what people's values are?     Obviously people have many different interests, needs and wants, and many of these are conflicting. Finding out what they are and trying to satisfy everyone are the primary challenges of managing water (or any other) resources. Which people do we consult? Whose interests should be a priority? Where can we afford to compromise? What are the possibilities and how do we choose among those possibilities? How can we make the right decision?     The other (and perhaps greater) challenge in managing resources is "what scale are you working at?" Should you be only looking at site-specific issues, regional, national, or even global? You have to draw a line somewhere, and define the borders of what you are trying to manage, even if they are somewhat artificial.     There are many ways to determine peoples' values and interests, including personal interviews, questionnaires, phone surveys, and public meetings. However, perhaps the most important factor in managing water resources is the need to communicate and develop relationships among everyone involved so we can work together to derive a plan that best meets the needs of everyone. This means sharing information, educating each other (whether in the area of fields of expertise or personal interests and knowledge), and developing a common language so we can better understand each other.

First, discuss with your students the water resources within your community. They may include lakes or rivers, or a retention pond near your school. Discuss what the water is used for (e.g. habitat for fish or wildlife, drinking water, recreation, irrigation, hydro-electricity, catchment basin) and by whom (animals, humans, community residents, canoeists, anglers, businesses).     Discuss how within your community, there may be many people who have watched and/or used these water bodies all their lives, and have seen them change over time. Their knowledge about the water is not written down anywhere. Interviewing these people may give students much more meaningful information about the water resources than they could find in a book or newspaper article. 1. Have the students work in groups and brainstorm about the questions they would ask someone about a community water resource. Some sample questions are: How long have you lived in this area? What was this water resource [river, lake, pond] like when you were my age? What did you use this water body for? Did you use it in different ways than we use it now? How do you feel about this water body today? What are your hopes for it in the future? Have the students role-play interviewing each other so they can test out their questions and the possible responses that they might get. 2. Ask the students to choose a water resource in their neighbourhood and interview several people about it. (They will need a weekend or more to do this as a homework assignment.) Suggest they try to interview older people who have lived in the area for some time (parents, grandparents). The interviewees should be given some notice about the purpose of the interview and kind of questions that will be asked so they have some time to think about what their answers might be. They should be told how long the interview will last and how the results will be used.     When interviewing, students should try to draw people out and get them to expand on brief answers. For example, if they say "I used to fish in this river", the student could ask what kind of fish they caught, and where exactly along the river they fished. 3. Have the students discuss their results: How do the students' views of the water resource differ from those of the people whom they interviewed? Is the water resource the same today as it was years ago? How is it different? Has the water itself changed? Has the landscape around it changed? Did the people interviewed use the water resource the same way as the student does now? 4. Consider having the students make a booklet for each water resource that they investigated, describing its history and interest to the community. Have the students research the water resources in books or local newspapers to see what additional information they can find. Perhaps the people they interviewed can provide old pictures or personal stories. (Make sure the students give a reference for the sources of all information, including information contributed by interviewees. Personal photographs should be cited "Courtesy of ...".)     Select a local water resource where there is currently a proposal that presents environmental concerns. It could be a stream where there is pollution from run-off waters from surrounding industrial or agricultural development. Perhaps further development is proposed along its shores. The water resource could be an aquifer that many people depend on for wells for their drinking water and a new waste disposal site is proposed nearby. It could be a river running through a park where there is a dispute over maintenance of shoreline vegetation or new access development. 1. Introduce the water resource and the problem associated with it to your students. Provide factual information (newspaper articles, scientific data, etc.) on the specific case study or ask the students to research it themselves. Explain that students are going to participate on an Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) Team tasked with finding out all the different interests and concerns associated with this water resource, to help decide: "Will we allow this proposal to take place?" 2. Provide background information ecosystem on ecosystem based management and the role of an EBM Team. The team brings together people with scientific expertise, local knowledge about the water resource, and investigative skills that can help ensure that any final decisions on the proposal are based on the best information available. For example, an EBM Team addressing a proposal for industrial development on or near a river or lake in northern Manitoba may include government scientists (fisheries biologist, water resource planners), industry representatives, First Nations representatives, domestic harvesters, commercial fishermen, local community development officers, trappers, recreationalists (anglers, canoeists), game and fish groups, etc. Discuss ways of getting participation from a wide spectrum of interests, and the problems that may be involved in surveying people who may be affected by the proposal. 3. Brainstorm as a group the following aspects: What groups should be part of the EBM Team? Why? What type of problems will we encounter? (Environmental? Human?) Is there a way to prevent potential problems from occurring? What would be the benefits of approving this proposal? (Environmental? Human?) Consider factors that will affect the viewpoint of various groups. 4. Set up guidelines with your students concerning: their role in representing a specific group. their purpose as a team player in the overall picture. how they will provide feedback from their group. how all the groups will bring their information together (e.g. complete worksheets, debate panel, mock public hearing). how a final decision will be made (e.g. vote as a group, outside judging panel). 5. Assign each student a role or allow them to choose which group they would like to represent. 6. Provide each student with a Group Representative Worksheet [Blackline Master] and a Worksheet for the Ecosystem Based Management Team [Blackline Master]. Allow them time to brainstorm and complete the worksheets. (They should fill in only the Students with similar roles, e.g. all recreationalists (angler, hunter, canoeist) or all government scientists (fisheries biologist, water quality scientist) can brainstorm together to add to their ideas. If you have a large class, you may want to identify 4 to 6 roles, assign several students to the same role, and have the students in each group brainstorm together. 7. Stage a mock meeting of the EBM Team. The teacher can act as the Chairperson or you can assign a student to fulfill this role. The Chairperson should introduce each question on the worksheet, one at a time, and invite each student to respond according to his or her role. (If you proceded with 4 to 6 roles, have the students choose a group leader to present the group's initial response to each question. The others in the group can still be at the table and offer comments during the general discussion.) Allow time for discussion, additions, clarification, etc. before proceeding to the next question. Encourage students to record the responses of other representatives and any concerns, problems, or solutions that they may not have thought of during their brainstorming before the meeting. 8. At the end of the meeting, try to come to a group consensus, if possible, opposing or in favour of approving the proposal. Ask the students if they changed their initial vote, based on anything they heard at the meeting. Variation: "Hear" today, there tomorrow!     Instead of participating in an EBM Team meeting, your students can hold their own public hearing about a local environmental issue.     Select several students to be the hearing panel. The teacher, or one of the students, can act as Chairperson. Teachers can also invite people from outside their class (other students or staff, or someone from the community) to participate on the panel.     Assign roles to the students who are not on the panel. They can use the Group Representative Worksheet [Blackline Master] to think about and develop their roles, which may include government biologists, industry representatives, local community groups, environmental groups, local residents immediately affected by the proposal, people who would benefit from the proposal, etc.     Ask each student to prepare a brief presentation (maximum 5 minutes) for the panel, identifying the key interests and concerns of the character they are playing. They should also provide a written copy of their presentation to allow the panel to deliberate following the hearing.     Allow the panel sufficient time to make a decision following the hearing. They should provide the reasons for their decision. If students from your class were used for the panel, they can present their decision and reasons to the class at a later date. Outside panelists can provide a brief written statement if it is not convenient for them to attend a second class. Assessment:     For a Student Self-Assessment sheet, [Blackline Master] for an example, or teachers may wish to design their own.