Two structured activities for classroom use — suitable for any group with or without digital access. Print and distribute, or work through on-screen.
Habitat Assessment Simulation
Practice identifying key features of a stream habitat using photos before visiting a real site. For each photo provided by the facilitator, categorize what you observe using the options below — mirroring the process on Page 2 of the Wai Care booklet.
| Photo | Watercourse | Land Use | Substrate | Shade | Current | Bank Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo A | ||||||
| Photo B | ||||||
| Photo C |
How might a "Stony" substrate be better for insects than a "Muddy" one?
Why is "Shade" an important factor for a healthy stream?
Data Analysis — Calculate the Macroinvertebrate Community Index
Use the Sensitivity Scores (Sc) from the Wai Care booklet to calculate the WIMP Score and Estimated MCI for the sample data below. The WIMP Score is the average sensitivity of all taxa found. The Estimated MCI = WIMP Score × 20.
| Taxon Found | Sc (from booklet) |
|---|---|
| Swimming mayfly | |
| Stenoperla stonefly | |
| Cranefly | |
| Pond skater | |
| Flat spiral snail | |
| Total Sum of Scores |
If you found only leeches and oligochaete worms at a site, what would you expect the WIMP score to be, and what does that tell you about the water quality?