A scavenger hunt at a freshwater biome, such as a local lake, river, pond, marsh or even puddles will challenge students and inspire friendly competition. In a smaller group, send students out in teams to identify a variety of freshwater biome inhabitants. Local birds -- such as ducks, freshwater fish -- minnows found at the shoreline, particular rocks, plants, fungus, algae and water conditions -- rapids, falls and springs -- are all potential ideas for the hunters. Students can be armed with small cameras to record their findings, or select samples directly as long as it is safe for them and the environment. If the group is small enough, students can simply shout when they find the specimen they're hunting for and check it off the list when everyone in the group has seen it. The first team to correctly locate and identify everything on the list is the winner.
Pet Shops that specialize in aquatic life are fun and fascinating places to bring students who are newly discovering the freshwater biome. Have every team or individual draw the name of a fish found in the shop out of a hat. Give students time and resources to learn all they can about their particular freshwater fish -- its identifying characteristics, evolutionary adaptations that support life in the freshwater biome, growth cycle and social behavior. Have students identify these chracteristics in the fish at the store. See how many of the things they learned can be identified when observing the real fish.
A great vocabulary builder and memory tool, biome bingo is a game that can be played inside when studying freshwater biomes. Create bingo cards with pictures of various freshwater biome inhabitants -- the plants, the fish, the rocks -- as well as different bodies of water. Draw from a bowl the various items, and have students identify the pictures on their cards. Winners have to know their terms, in addition to having the winning card.
A classic field work study done in teams is a non-competative and exciting activity for older students with access to a local freshwater biome. The students teams will be divided between shallow -- ankle level -- water habitat, and deep -- knee level -- water habitat. Review all safety precautions for the area and have the students wear old boots, waders or galoshes when working in the water. Students will observe water clarity, temperature, flow velocity, Ph level -- with litmus paper, plant varieties and animal presence. Afterward, have the deep water and shallow water teams compare data to illustrate the vast differences that occur between habitats, owing to just a foot or so of water.