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?
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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?
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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.
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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.