STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

Questions for Students In First Jigsaw Grouping

Jigsaw Group A (Figures 5A-1 and 5A-2). To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions:

* Individual and Groupwork Directions: Individually examine Figures 5 A-1 and 5 A-2; take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. Be sure to read through the “explanations of the graphs” below. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will not have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feels comfortable teaching this material in the next grouping.

* Explanation of the Graphs: Figure 5A-1 is a compilation of data from 4 types of ecosystems in the U.S. In this case “input” is amount (a mole is the molecular weight of an element in grams) of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) going into each square meter of that ecosystem in a year. Make sure you understand the scale of the axes. What does this figure show? Which ecosystem receives the highest loading of the nutrients N and P? Why might this be?

* Figure 5A-2 shows the relationship between input of the nutrient N and the concentration of chlorophyll in phytoplankton in estuaries around the world. Chlorophyll is a main plant pigment and it is a good measure of the biomass of phytoplankton in water. Phytoplankton (“wandering plants”) are microscopic plants that are the base of the food chain in the ocean. Note the scales on the axes.

* After you figure out each graph separately, relate them to each other. Why would estuaries be receiving high loadings of the nutrients N and P? Using what you know from Figure 5A-2, what would you predict about phytoplankton biomass in estuaries receiving high loads of N and P? Why might this be a problem?

_________________________

Jigsaw Group B (Figures 5B-1 and 5B-2). To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions:

* Individual and Groupwork Directions: Individually examine Figures 5B-1 and 5B-2 and the “explanation of the graphs”. Take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will now have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feels comfortable teaching this material to other students in the class.

* Explanation of the Graphs: Figure 5B-1 is data from the waters in the Florida Bay collected during June and July. There are 3 stations that are progressively farther from shore - Port Pine (an artificial canal system with houses around it), Pine Channel (a seagrass meadow farther out), and Lodge Key (an offshore reef area about 6 miles from shore). The researchers measured the nutrient ammonium (NH4+) in micromoles (a mole is the molecular weight of an element in grams) and also the pigment chlorophyll in 2 water samples collected at each station on each date. Chlorophyll is a main plant pigment and it is a good measure of the biomass of phytoplankton in water. Phytoplankton (“wandering plants”) are microscopic plants that are the base of the food chain in the ocean. Figure 5B-2 is from a different study by the same researchers. They measured ammonium and the concentration of dissolved oxygen in many water samples in near-shore waters of the Florida Keys during summer months. Oxygen values of 2 mg/l or less are considered “hypoxic” and deadly for many aerobic animals; values of 0 mg/l indicate anoxia which means that there is no oxygen in the water.

* After you figure out each graph separately, try to relate them to one another. There is a series of events taking place here. These data show that nutrient concentrations can increase in coastal waters like Florida Bay. What could cause this increase? Think about what the Pine point channel probably looks like; this may give you a clue. Imagine collecting water samples at the Port Pine site. When ammonium concentrations reach high levels, what would you expect happens to chlorophyll concentrations? Why? How might an increase in ammonium affect oxygen levels? How might this in turn be related to chlorophyll concentration (phytoplankton biomass)? Why can elevated plant matter in the water result in low oxygen?

_________________________

Jigsaw Group C (Figure 5C). To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions:

* Individual and Groupwork Directions: Individually examine Figure 5C; take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. Be sure to read through the “explanations of the graphs” below. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will now have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feel comfortable teaching this material in the next grouping.

* Explanation of the Graph: Figure 5C is a 3 dimensional plot of oxygen dissolved in water (units are mg/l which is equivalent to parts per million or ppm; percent is parts per hundred), salinity parts per thousand or ppt) and tide in meters. The data are from one location - Port Pine Channel - which is close to shore and to houses. The scientist collected literally thousands of data points with an instrument that automatically measured these 3 parameters very frequently. Three-D plots are not easy to figure out, so take your time with this one.

_______________________________________________

Questions for Students In Second Jigsaw Grouping (all groups have one A, one B, and one C person)

* Each A, B, and C person should take a few minutes and explain your figure(s) to your other group members. Patiently teach them what your data show.

* Finally, your group should use your combined knowledge to explain why nutrient loading into the Florida Bay region results in loss of corals, seagrasses, fish and other organisms,

* Hint: a main focus of your second group will be to explain the low oxygen in Florida Bay, so this is an important figure for everyone to understand. It will be easier to look at 2 of the variables at a time. When salinity is low, what happens to oxygen? Which is the independent and which is the dependent variable (e.g. what causes what)? Why might oxygen change like this when salinity changes? If you and your group do not know why this likely happens, just make sure that you can the “what” and then focus on the “why” in your next group. The other students will have clues that will help you understand this. Now look at the effect of tide on oxygen and salinity and see how they relate.