AQUA PONICS

AGWORKS FIELD GUIDE

THIS BOOK BELONGS TO:

 THE SAFE SCIENCE PLEDGE WELCOME TO AGWORKS

Welcome to AgWorks, CCA’s living, learning, laborator y

I, pledge to be a safe scientist where students of all ages can discover how to grow using
by following these rules in the AgWorks lab: integrated agriculture, also known as aquaponics.

1. Watch your step for obstacles on the floor.

2. Repor t any hazards or spills to an adult.
3. Wear safety equipment (gloves, goggles, etc.)
when directed. How To Use Your Field Guide
4. Repor t any injuries, even minor injuries, to a CCA staf f This notebook is filled with activities to help you learn
member as soon as possible.
about aquaponics, fish, plants and much more as you
5. Wash your hands with soap and water regularly.
explore AgWorks. Use your pencil, map (on the next
6. Be careful when using scissors or gardening shears.
page), five senses and hints along the way to complete the
activities in this book.

Age:

Date:

Can ’t figure something out? Ask a CCA

staf f member for help!
3
 MAP OF AGWORKS

*Use this map to complete the

activity on the next page.

4 5
 SCAVENGER HUNT THE AQUAPONICS CYCLE
HO W DOES AQUAPONICS WORK?
Use your map to find the answers to
It’s a circle of life!
these questions.

What fish are living here? 1 2 Bacteria

change fish
The fish poop. poop into food
for plants.

What tree is growing here?

6 3
Clean water Lots of light
What plant is growing here? returns to fish. helps things
grow.

When was the avocado tree planted? 5 4

As plants grow, Plants grow
they filter the from the water,
water. food and light.

What color light do you find here?

6 7
 GE T TO KNOW TILAPIA KNOW YOUR KOI FISH
(OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS) (CYPRINUS CARPIO)

! Pick a koi from the tank and draw its unique pattern.

Dorsal fin
Caudal fin
Dorsal fin
Rays
Caudal fin

Nostril Lateral Line

Pectoral fin Barbels

Anal fin
Pectoral fin

Anal fin Pelvic fin

Pelvic fin

Koi are colored varieties of common carp that are typically kept for decorative
purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi varieties are distinguished
by coloration, patterning and scalation. Some of the major colors are white, black,
red, orange, yellow, blue and cream.

FISH FAC TS ! FISH FAC TS: TRUE OR FALSE? (ANSWERS ON PAGE 17)

• Tilapia are a schooling fish, which means they like living in tight spaces
with one another. • Koi fish and goldfish are related. TRUE FALSE

• Tilapia are mouth breeders. Mouth breeders carry fertilized eggs and • Some koi live to over 200 years old. TRUE FALSE
young fish in their mouths for several days. • Koi fish can reach up to 5 feet in length. TRUE FALSE
• Farm-grown tilapia are almost always male. • Koi fish don’t have a stomach. TRUE FALSE
• Tilapia is the fourth most consumed fish in the U.S., dating to 2002. • The koi fish is a symbol of luck,
• The AgWorks facility has room for 400 full-grown tilapia. prosperity and good fortune in Japan. TRUE FALSE

8 9
 SEEDS: READY TO GROW PARTS OF A PLANT
The inside of a seed contains everything needed to grow into a There are a lot of different plants in the world, but most of them have the
strong, healthy plant. same parts. Use the guide below to label the correct parts of the plant.

Seed coat - A protective

layer around the seed.
Endosperm - Stored food 1
to help the plant grow.

Epicotyl - Will 2
become the first
leaves of the plant.

3
Hypocotyl - The stem of the
baby plant, or seedling.

Radicle - The root of the baby

plant, or seedling.

Flowers - Allow plants to

! GUESS THE SEED
reproduce and create seeds.
4
Leaf - Collects energy from
Draw a line to match each seed with the fruit or vegetable you think it will the sun and converts it into
grow into. (Answers on page 17) food for the plant.

1 Stem - Carries nutrients to

COFFEE the rest of the plant.

LETTUCE 2 Roots - Anchor the plant to

the ground and absorb water 5
and minerals.
EGGPLANT 3
Fruits - A fleshy or hard
AVOCADO 4 growth that protects a plant’s
seeds. Can be edible!

10 11
 GROWING WITH MAKE YOUR OWN
AQUAPONICS, HYDROPONICS SCRATCH ‘N’ SNIFF
AND SOIL Rub different plants onto the page in the squares below.
Then record the plant and what each smell reminds you of!
Soil-based - Plants grow Hydroponics - Plants grow
RUB YOUR PLANTS IN THIS AREA!
from nutrients in soil. from water that has had
• Sustainable produce if nutrients added to it.
crops are rotated and soil • Less equipment
is treated • No weeds
• Local food production • Less fossil fuels
• Yields plants only • Less land usage/space
• Faster growth
• No soil-based pests
PLANT NAME PLANT NAME
• Local food production
• Yields plants only
REMINDS ME OF REMINDS ME OF

Aquaponics - Fish are raised in this system, providing

nutrient-rich water to plants.
• Less equipment • Less land usage/space
• Less fossil fuels • Faster growth
• No soil-based pests • Higher nutritional value
• Sustainable • No harmful chemicals
• CCA’s system is a closed (insecticides, pesticides,
PLANT NAME PLANT NAME
system herbicides)
• Prevents water waste • Local food production
• No weeds • Yields plants and fish REMINDS ME OF REMINDS ME OF

12 13
 EAT BE T TER, EAT LOCAL! NOTES

How To Fill Your Plate

Here’s what someone with an average (2,000-calorie) diet
should eat every day*:
s 5½
ruit ou
lef nc
es
ho

of
s of dai
cup
of

pr
r ps
3

ote
y

2 cu

in
2 ½ cu

ins
ps

gra
of

ho

of
s
w

le ce
veg un
gies 6o

Why Local Food Is Better

Local food is fresher and tastes better.

Local food is better for the environment.

Local food promotes food safety.

Local food supports your local economy.

*Source: USDA
14 15
 16
ANSWER KEY
PG. 9 PG. 10 PG. 11
TRUE 1. LETTUCE 1. FLOWERS
TRUE 2. AVOCADO 2. LEAF
FALSE 3. EGGPLANT 3. FRUITS
TRUE 4. COFFEE 4. STEM
TRUE 5. ROOTS
NOTES