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  • Mussel Mania: How Streamflow Affects Freshwater Mussels Over Long Time Periods
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Mussel Mania: How Streamflow Affects Freshwater Mussels Over Long Time Periods

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Water
  • Wildlife
  • Ecosystem Changes
  • Indicator Species
  • Mollusks
  • Mussels
  • Sclerochronology
  • Streamflow
  • Water Quality
Cover of the Mussel Mania article. The main image is a photo of a hand holding a mollusk shell on top of an area full of pebbles and other shells.
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Mussels are very sensitive to changes in the environment which makes them good indicators of the health of an aquatic ecosystem. Mussel shells, like growth rings from a tree, can show scientists the age and growth rate of the animal. The scientists in this study wanted to know how streamflow affected mussels and their growth.

Mussel Mania: How Streamflow Affects Freshwater Mussels Over Long Time Periods

Part Of

Freshwater - Vol. 18 No. 1

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  • In this FACTivity, you will be the scientist and analyze real-time streamflow data from the three rivers that the scientists in this study studied. The question you will answer in...

    FACTivity – Mussel Mania

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Water
    • Analyzing Charts
    • Compare and Contrast
    • Freshwater Mussel
    • Reading Data
    • Rivers and Streams
    In this FACTivity, you will be the scientist and analyze real-time streamflow data from the three rivers that the scientists in this study studied. The question you will answer in...
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)

    Part Of

    Mussel Mania: How Streamflow Affects Freshwater Mussels Over Long Time Periods

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Glossary

View All Glossary
  • agricultural

    (a gri kəl ch(ə) rəl): Of, relating to, or used in farming or agriculture.

  • aquatic

    (ǝ kwä tik): Growing or living in or often found in water.

  • carbon

    (kar bun): A chemical element present in all life forms.

  • data

    (dā tǝ or da tǝ): Factual information (such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.

  • dendrochronology

    (den drō krə nä lə jē): The science of dating events and variations in an environment in former periods by the study of growth rings in trees and aged wood.

  • diversion

    (də vər zhən): The act or an instance of diverting or straying from a course, activity, or use.

  • diversity

    (dǝ vǝr si tē): The condition of having or being composed of differing elements; variety.

  • drought

    (drau̇t): A long period of dry weather.

  • ecosystem

    (ē kō sis tǝm): A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions.

  • endangered

    (in dān jǝrd): Threatened with extinction.

  • floodplain

    (fləd plān): Flat land area next to a stream or river.

  • hydrologic

    (hī drä lə jik): Relating to the properties, distribution, and circulation of water on and below Earth’s surface and in the atmosphere.

  • mollusk

    (mä ləsk): Any of a large phylum of invertebrate animals (such as snails, clams, and octopuses) with a soft body lacking segments and usually enclosed in a shell containing calcium.

  • organic matter

    (ȯr ga nik mat ǝr): A substance that is made from living things.

  • reservoir

    (re zǝ vwär): An artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use.

  • sclerochronology

    (skler ə krə nä lə jē): The study of chemical and physical changes in the gradual increase in hard tissue of organisms.

  • sediment

    (se dǝ mǝnt): Material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers.

  • siphon

    (sī fən): Tube-like organ in animals and especially mollusks or arthropods used for drawing in or ejecting fluids.

  • turbid

    (tər bəd): Clouded or discolored by the material from a liquid that settles to the bottom (sediment).

  • velocity

    (və lä sə tē): Speed of movement.

  • watershed

    (wȯ tǝr shed): A region or area bounded on the edge by a dividing ridge and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water.

  • Photo of Andrew Rypel using an increment borer to take a tree core.

    Andrew Rypel

    Aquatic Ecologist

    My favorite science experience is finding something totally unexpected that other people can’t believe, but also can’t argue with, because the data are so clear!
    View Profile
  • Photo of Dr. Wendell Haag, he is sitting at a desk with mollusk shells and a microscope.

    Wendell Haag

    Fisheries biologist

    When I was a kid, I loved to roam the fields, woods, creeks, and even my backyard, catching salamanders and crayfish and looking at plants and birds. In high school,...
    View Profile

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  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
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  • Education Files

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Global Connections
  • Individual Development and Identity
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

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What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

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  • Number Crunches

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  • Glossary

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  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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Lessons

  • In this lesson, students will create a storyboard to graphically represent the main points from the research article they read. This can be used with any Natural Inquirer article.

    Lesson Plan – Storyboard (Freshwater)

    • Lesson Plan
    • High School
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    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
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    • Citizen Science
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    • Guided reading
    • Story Telling
    In this lesson, students will create a storyboard to graphically represent the main points from the research article they read. This can be used with any Natural Inquirer article.
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Freshwater - Vol. 18 No. 1

Education Files

Jump To

  • Additional Resources

Additional Resources

  • U.S. Geological Survey: Water Data

    Explore real-time data on daily streamflow conditions from the USGS.

    Visit Website
  • Florida Museum of Natural History: Sclerochronology

    Learn more about the study of Sclerochronology from the Florida Museum of Natural History.

    Visit Website
  • Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries: Freshwater Mussel YouTube Video

    Freshwater mussels are one of the few animals that improve our water quality. The live in many streams and rivers, and they filter algae, bacteria and other small particles in the water, making it cleaner for drinking, and providing for recreational opportunities like swimming and fishing. When freshwater mussels are present in a river it generally means the ecosystem is a healthy one. Like a canary in a coalmine, they serve as an indicator species, as they cant tolerate poor water quality and will disappear from polluted waters. Virginia has 81 different species of mussels, with 37 species considered endangered. This is a short video clip from the 3rd Annual Mussel Festival held recently in Bath County to educate landowners and the public about the importance of these animals to our rivers and streams.

    Watch Video
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