Adaptations of life to the living conditions in a river

1. Take the worksheet “The shape of a riverbed” and have a discussion with students about the living conditions in a river:

• What form of riverbed is characteristic for each of the river sections?
• What are the characteristics of the habitats in each section of a river?

2. Use the worksheet “Life in a river” and look at the pictures. Explain to students what the most important living conditions in a specific section of a river are. Ask students to use worksheet Adaptation to the river conditions and make notes.
   1. In the upper section of a river, life is mainly connected to the bottom of a riverbed, where the water current is the slowest. Animals have specific adaptations of their body parts to be able to hold on to the bottom (some nymphs develop hooks at the tip of their legs, ), or they adapt certain types of behaviour (some larvae cover their body with small stones, some fish stay behind large stones and jump into the water current only for food.
   2. In the middle section, where the water current is slower, the pebble is covered by algae that create a good living environment for various animals, and plankton develops.
   3. In the lower section, where the speed of water current is very slow, plants and animals inhabit the whole water space (floating and hovering creatures).
3. Go with students to the nearest stream and determine what the life in that stream is.

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