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Bio-Assess
An Environmental Game For Simulating Biological Assessment of a
Stream In The Classroom
General Background:
The game Bio-Assess simulates a bioassessment of a stream’s aquatic benthic
macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrates are used in bioassessments because they are
abundant, diverse, and sedentary. Individual macroinvertebrates are represented by cards
which picture the organism on one side and give its life history and ecology on the other.
Try to learn the names and details about the macroinvertebrates as you play the game.
Student Objectives:
1. To learn identifications, life histories, and ecology of common macroinvertebrates
2. To learn how to calculate the biological index of water quality
3. To interpret biological data and its relationship to human activity on a watershed
Game Instructions: The following instructions are based on using one set of cards for
every 6 people. Each deck (white, yellow, blue) represents a stream sampling site. If
more those 6 people per set are playing, divide players evenly among the sets.
1. Each group uses one deck of bioassessment cards (white, yellow, blue). Your deck
represents a macroinvertebrate sample from one site on a stream.
2. Examine a stream map provided to see where your sample site is and what human
activities are taking place on the watershed.
3. Work with the other two groups using the other two decks in your set. Fill out the
heading on the “Stream Quality Assessment Form”, listing team members by color of
deck or stream sampling site.
4. Examine the cards and note the common and scientific names of each
macroinvertebrate. Make sure that the pictures all face in the same direction. Learn
the names.
5. Shuffle the deck thoroughly then count out 100 cards. These represent the 100
macroinvertebrates in your sample. Put the remaining cards away so they won’t get
mixed in your sample.
6. Sort the 100-card sample by pictures into piles (picture side up).
7. Name the organism using the picture key. Confirm identifications with the
information on the back of each card.
8. Combine the piles of cards according to their taxa listed on the one-page picture key
titled “Macroinvertebrates Groups—Beginner’s Protocol Picture Key”. Note this is
the same grouping as found on the “Stream Quality Assessment Form.”
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1. Take the combined taxa piles and group them into Group 1, 2, and 3 based on
“Macroinvertebrates Groups—Beginner’s Protocol Picture Key”. Do not combine
taxa piles, just move them by groups to different places on the table. These three
groups represent three levels of tolerances to pollution. Group 1 taxa are pollution
sensitive; Group 3 are pollution tolerant, Group 2 has a wide range of tolerances.
2. Fill out the “Stream Quality Assessment Form”.
a. Count the number of cards in each taxa and letter code the number for each taxa
present in your sample
(R = 1-3 individuals = Rare)
(C = 4-9 individuals = Common)
(A = 10+ individuals = Abundant)
b. Total the number of taxa for Group 1 and record this sum at the bottom of the
Group 1 column. Do the same for Group 2 and 3 columns.
c. Calculate the index value by multiplying the number of taxa by the factor
indicated for each column.
e. Add together the number of taxa in each column/group and record your sum in the
box at the lower left of the “Stream Quality Assessment Form”
f. Add the index values for each column/group and record the sum in the bottom left
box of the form.
g. Check the appropriate “Stream Quality Assessment” box on the lower right of the
form
3. Complete the “Observations and Conclusions” on the back of the “Stream Quality
Assessment Form”.
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Observations and Conclusions
1.
Refer to Stream Map and explain why your site has the water quality value that you’ve found in your
bioassessment.
2.
Identify possible sources of pollution at your site and explain their impact on water quality.
3.
Because of shuffling the cards, the results from a site (deck of cards) will not be exactly the same each
time the game is played. How does this relate to what you might expect in real sampling of a stream
on different occasions?
4.
How did you sort and categorize different life stages of the same organism? Why?
5.
How did you treat organisms that were in your sample but not on the data form? Why?
6.
What would be the advantage of knowing the topography of the watershed and the scale of the map?
7.
What is ecological recovery? Does your team’s bioassessment suggest that recovery is taking place
anywhere in the watershed?
8.
If you could choose one additional site on the map to do a bioassessment, where would it be? How
would biological information from that site help in your interoperation?
9. Is there an “indisputable interpretation” to the bioassessment you’ve done? How does
this relate to “real life” bioassessments?
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