Our Oceanography class just spent the class period observing Daphnia and Hydra and then watching Hydra catch and eat Daphnia. A great interest builder, with lots of excellent questions coming from their observations. If you have never done this, I recommend you try it.
You can do something similar with Paramecium and smaller ciliates in a hay infusion culture. Both have great wow factor. Do you have your students use a stereoscope or microscope on low power when viewing the Daphnia/Hydra interaction? Do you need to add methyl cellulose so that they move more slowly?
If anyone is studying predation in other areas, I just found out about this book that seems very interesting and relevant to the topic: http://www.nsta.org/recommends/ViewProduct.aspx?ProductID=21038 It would be a great addition to studying food webs!
Thanks for posting the book title! Ellen
There is also a great activity that could be used for middle and high school level kids called "Oh Deer" in which the students play the roles of deer and the components they need to survive. This is a great way for them to get engaged in the topic and students can also play the role of wolves to add the predator-prey aspect to it. The activity can be found in a book called "Project Wild" that has many other great activities in it as well for grades K-12.
I have used "Oh Deer" with elementary students and also with teacher training for PD. Thanks for reminding me to use it again next year! Ellen
Unless you do this activity in Arizona where the only thing the kids do is whine about it being hot and complaining about having to run. :)
Project WILD has many excellent activities. If you haven't already checked them out, there is also a Project WET and a Project Learning Tree.
We use deep-well slides from Carolina, which can be viewed on low power with a compound microscope or also used with stereo microscopes. I do not have students add anything to slow them down, the hydra do a good job of slowing their prey with their stinging cells. http://www.carolina.com/protist-viewing-supplies/slides-deep-well-carolina/FAM_603730.pr
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