Date: Teacher

Name: _______________________________________
Date:
_______________________________________
Teacher: _______________________________________
Pollution and Resource Use
Coastal areas surrounding the Great Lakes
reported a decline in fish species from the late
1950s through the mid-1970s.
Today we monitor more than just oxygen and
sewage levels. Lake personnel currently screen
for chlorophyll concentrations, dissolved
oxygen concentrations, mycrocystin
concentrations, water temperature, amount of
rainfall, number and size of algae blooms, and
nitrogen concentrations.
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© 2010 CompassLearning, Inc.
Activity #
Name: _______________________________________
Date:
_______________________________________
Teacher: _______________________________________
1. Which hypothesis is supported by the
1950–1970 data and the current data from
Lake Z?
A. As lake temperatures increase,
dissolved oxygen levels increase,
causing the number of fish in the lake to
increase.
B. As lake temperatures increase,
dissolved oxygen levels decrease,
causing the number of fish in the lake to
decline.
C. As the number of fish in the lake
increases, dissolved oxygen levels
decrease, causing the temperature in
the lake to rise.
D. As the number of fish in the lake
decreases, dissolved oxygen levels
increase, causing the temperature in
the lake to decline.
2. Explain why you selected this hypothesis.
The graph from 1950–1970 clearly shows that
fish die due to increased oxygen levels. The
temperature graph and oxygen-level graph for
Lake Z further support this hypothesis. As
oxygen levels decline, temperature rises. This
means we can say that as temperature rises in
the lake, the fish will slowly die off.
3. Which hypothesis is supported by the data
from Lake Z?
A. As the temperature of the lake
increases, so do the number of algae
blooms, which causes a decline in
dissolved oxygen and the number of
fish.
B. As the temperature of the lake
decreases, so do the number of algae
blooms, which causes a decline in
dissolved oxygen and the number of
fish.
C. As the temperature of the lake
increases, the number of algae blooms
decreases, causing a decrease in
dissolved oxygen and the number of
fish.
D. As the temperature of the lake
increases, the number of algae blooms
increases, causing an influx of dissolved
oxygen and the number of fish.
4. Explain why you selected this hypothesis.
We have already shown the correlation
between increasing temperature and declining
fish populations. When we look at the graphs
for Lake Z, we can also see that the increase in
temperature corresponds directly to the
increase in algae blooms.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2010 CompassLearning, Inc.
Activity #
Name: _______________________________________
Date:
_______________________________________
Teacher: _______________________________________
5. Which hypothesis is also supported by the
data from Lake Z?
A. When daily rainfall totals are high, the
number of algae blooms increases,
causing an influx of dissolved oxygen
and the number of fish.
B. When daily rainfall totals taper off, so
do the number of algae blooms, which
causes a decline in dissolved oxygen
and the number of fish.
C. When daily rainfall totals are high, the
number of algae blooms decreases,
causing a decrease in dissolved oxygen
and the number of fish.
D. When daily rainfall totals are high, the
number of algae blooms increases,
causing a decline in dissolved oxygen
and the number of fish.
6. Explain why you selected this hypothesis.
Again, this can be done by correlating the data.
When looking at the Lake Z graphs, we see that
as the rainfall total increases, the number of
algae blooms increases. We have already shown
a correlation between the number of algae
blooms, the amount of dissolved oxygen, and
the number of fish.
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© 2010 CompassLearning, Inc.
Activity #