Background

Wetlands are among the most productive and diverse biological systems on earth. They support an enormous variety of plants and animals, such as microorganisms and macroinvertebrates. Microorganisms consist of microscopic plants and animals, which are plentiful in the Ecolinc wetland. Microorganisms float, drift or move freely. Macroinvertebrates are quite small but many can still be seen with the naked eye. Macroinvertebrates live in a variety of habitats within the wetland; on the surface of the water, in the water body, on the surface of the mud, on rocks or on plants.

Prior Knowledge

Some exposure to cell organelles is preferred.

Learning Intentions

In this activity students will:

• learn how to use compound and dissecting microscopes
• learn how to prepare different types of microscope slides
• compare the specialised cells of multicellular organisms to unicellular ones

Activities

The students will:

• Examine the structure and function of cells of different tissues/organs/systems
• Use a compound microscope to investigate a self-prepared wet mount slide of elodea
• Trap and investigate several protist species
• Use a dissecting microscope to investigate multicellular bugs, leaves and flowers

Victorian Curriculum

• Cells are the basic units of living things and have specialised structures and functions (VCSSU092) [1]
• Multicellular organisms contain systems of organs that carry out specialised functions that enable them to survive and reproduce (VCSSU094) [2]