Educational Fun

Educational Fun

Application based activities

Did you know that the air pressure that scuba divers breathe is automatically adjusted by the regulator system in such a way as to deliver the air at the diver's ambient pressure. In the regulator system shown, the first stage (attached to the tank) reduces the pressure from tank pressure to ambient plus 120 psi. The second stage (in your mouth) then takes the pressure from 120 psi above ambient to ambient. Here TLCA member Stéfane Filion is using SCUBA to conduct smallmouth bass research.

1. The secret of the two stage regulator system used in SCUBA diving is the balanced first stage design. Using your library, research how this design works, and present and explain the design to your classmates.

2. Read the "Physical Properties" section of the Web Site. Draw a map of Northern Ontario (using your Atlas - or a computer program of your choice) and draw:
a) the manner in which the Great Lakes drained into the ocean ten thousand years ago.

b) the manner in which the Great Lakes drain into the ocean today

3. Download the Four Mile Bay bottom contour map and print it in large format using a graphics computer package of your choice. Using multiple layers of corrugated cardboard, make a 3 dimensional model of Four Mile Bay. Knowing that the east-west length of Four Mile Bay is four miles long, add a scale to your model.

4. Make a plankton net and discover the microscopic life that exists in your pond or lake. What you need: a plastic round bottle (250 ml to 500 ml), small sized mesh (a used nylon stocking works well), a metal clothes hanger, a little rope and a stainless steel gear clamp (see the plumbing section of your hardware store).
Assembly: cut the stocking near the toes and insert the bottle "mouth end first" into the stocking. Clamp securely in place with the gear clamp. Your specimens will be collected in this bottle. About a half meter to a meter up from the toes, cut the nylon stocking in a lateral direction. Now cut the clothes hanger and make a circle about 30 cm in diameter. Use duct tape to wrap the ends of the wire onto each other. In this way the circle will maintain its shape during the next step. Wrap the top of the stocking around the wire hoop and sew into place with a sewing machine. Add a bridle with small nylon rope of your choice (a three strand bridle works well. Attach a line to the top of the bridle and either haul your net horizontally or from bottom to surface.

You will be amazed at the different types of organisms you collect.. Use the zooplankton section of this web site as your initial guide to common and important zooplankters. For a more in depth study, we suggest you consider acquiring or borrowing the following resources:

Guelph University has produced, under the direction of Dr. Paul Hebert, an excellent series of CD-ROMS dealing with aquatic biodiversity and identification of zooplankton. They have also produced further CD-ROMS on the the Great Lakes, both from a physical and bilogical point of view. Contact the Aquatic Biology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CA, N1G 2W1. Phone: 519-824-4120 Fax: 519-767-1656 Email: aquatic@uoguelph.ca
A very good hard-cover guide to freshwater zooplankton is: Fresh-water invertebrates of the United States, both 2nd and 3rd Edition, by Robert W. Pennak, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.,1989. ISBN 0-471-63118-3. The second edition has an excellent insect larvae section. The third edition has forgone the insect section for a more expanded protozoan section.
An excellent guide to the fish species of Canada is: Freshwater Fishes of Canada, by W.B. Scott and E.J. Crossman, 1973 (Bulletin 184 - hard cover - over 1000 pages), published by the Government of Canada (Environment Canada). This book is available by contacting Galt House Publications, 2062 Oakmead Blvd., Oakville, ON Canada L6H 5B4. Telephone (905) 849-0014 or visit http://www.interlog.com/~galthous/

1.	The secret of the two stage regulator system used in SCUBA diving is the balanced first stage design. Using your library, research how this design works, and present and explain the design to your classmates.
2.	Read the "Physical Properties" section of the Web Site. Draw a map of Northern Ontario (using your Atlas - or a computer program of your choice) and draw: a) the manner in which the Great Lakes drained into the ocean ten thousand years ago. b) the manner in which the Great Lakes drain into the ocean today
3.	Download the Four Mile Bay bottom contour map and print it in large format using a graphics computer package of your choice. Using multiple layers of corrugated cardboard, make a 3 dimensional model of Four Mile Bay. Knowing that the east-west length of Four Mile Bay is four miles long, add a scale to your model.
4.	Make a plankton net and discover the microscopic life that exists in your pond or lake. What you need: a plastic round bottle (250 ml to 500 ml), small sized mesh (a used nylon stocking works well), a metal clothes hanger, a little rope and a stainless steel gear clamp (see the plumbing section of your hardware store). Assembly: cut the stocking near the toes and insert the bottle "mouth end first" into the stocking. Clamp securely in place with the gear clamp. Your specimens will be collected in this bottle. About a half meter to a meter up from the toes, cut the nylon stocking in a lateral direction. Now cut the clothes hanger and make a circle about 30 cm in diameter. Use duct tape to wrap the ends of the wire onto each other. In this way the circle will maintain its shape during the next step. Wrap the top of the stocking around the wire hoop and sew into place with a sewing machine. Add a bridle with small nylon rope of your choice (a three strand bridle works well. Attach a line to the top of the bridle and either haul your net horizontally or from bottom to surface. You will be amazed at the different types of organisms you collect.. Use the zooplankton section of this web site as your initial guide to common and important zooplankters. For a more in depth study, we suggest you consider acquiring or borrowing the following resources: Guelph University has produced, under the direction of Dr. Paul Hebert, an excellent series of CD-ROMS dealing with aquatic biodiversity and identification of zooplankton. They have also produced further CD-ROMS on the the Great Lakes, both from a physical and bilogical point of view. Contact the Aquatic Biology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CA, N1G 2W1. Phone: 519-824-4120 Fax: 519-767-1656 Email: aquatic@uoguelph.ca A very good hard-cover guide to freshwater zooplankton is: Fresh-water invertebrates of the United States, both 2nd and 3rd Edition, by Robert W. Pennak, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.,1989. ISBN 0-471-63118-3. The second edition has an excellent insect larvae section. The third edition has forgone the insect section for a more expanded protozoan section. An excellent guide to the fish species of Canada is: Freshwater Fishes of Canada, by W.B. Scott and E.J. Crossman, 1973 (Bulletin 184 - hard cover - over 1000 pages), published by the Government of Canada (Environment Canada). This book is available by contacting Galt House Publications, 2062 Oakmead Blvd., Oakville, ON Canada L6H 5B4. Telephone (905) 849-0014 or visit http://www.interlog.com/~galthous/