Curated OER
A Coin Out of Water
Students examine the Michigan state quarter and identify land and water on the quarter. They locate the Great Lakes and other bodies of water on a map. They compare and contrast streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans.
Curated OER
Marine Protection Areas
Learners explain the importance of having Marine Protected Areas. In this ecology lesson, students research MPA's in any of the Great Lakes. They play a MPA simulation game and identify MPA's on the map.
Curated OER
Exploring The Great Salt Lake
Second graders experiment with sand samples taken from a lake. They use this as part of an inquiry that is based on observations. The properties of the sand are observed in the lab and recorded in writing. Prior to the lab students...
Curated OER
Water Properties of the Great Salt Lake
Fourth graders examine the ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake in this two-part instructional activity, completing a KWL chart before and after the field trip to the site. While there, they draw and write about their observations. To test...
Curated OER
Great Flathead Lake Ecosystem Mystery
Students analyze data to solve the mystery of what contributed to an ecological disaster at Great Flathead Lake. They read and graph the available data, create a food web of the problem ecosystem, and construct a formal problem statement...
Curated OER
The Great Water Hunt
Students examine a globe to locate the bodies of water present and create a representation of those bodies of water for further exploration of the concept. Extensions of their observations are made at school, home, and the community.
Curated OER
Invasive Species
Eighth graders explain the impact of exotic species to an ecosystem. In this environmental science activity, 8th graders brainstorm ways to eliminate invasive species. They share their ideas in class.
Curated OER
The Summer of the Swans
The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars, is a 160-page chapter book about a family going through a difficult time. Complement your reading of Byars' book with this detailed outline of each chapter. Every section includes comprehension...
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Habitat and Humans
Strict habitat requirements are needed for the survival of fish populations and fish variety in the Great Lakes. Young scientists become experts in the basic needs of fish and understand how survival necessities can vary with different...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on the Edmund Fitzgerald
Fourth graders describe the weather conditions and location of the Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank in Lake Superior.
Curated OER
Holes
In this reading worksheet, learners answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "Why was Stanley sent to Camp Green Lake?"
NOAA
Coastal Dynamics
Life's a beach! The 16th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program first examines different types of coasts and how they form. An activity then has learners investigate the shoreline...
Curated OER
Lollipop
This line dance incorporates the grapevine, step-claps, the Twist, and the Lindy step. It's a great way to introduce the Lindy step in a line dance before teaching them to dance the Lindy with a partner. The directions are well written...
Curated OER
Visual Vocabulary
Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education lesson, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students place all...
Curated OER
Prime Factorization: Finding Factors in the Fifth Grade
The lesson starts out with a brain drain, which is a great way to get students to activate prior knowledge and build lasting connections. They tell everything they know about prime factorization, use their knowledge to...
California Academy of Science
Carbon Cycle Role Play
Anytime you make concepts clear with role playing or hands-on experience, it's a win for the whole class. Ping-Pong balls are used to represent carbon in a carbon cycle role-play activity. In small groups, children first discuss what...
Curated OER
The Wave - A Science Lesson Plan
Young scholars investigate the geography surrounding the Great Salt Lake and the three main benches in the area. In this Great Salt Lake lesson, students read a background for the areas geography and make their own beach to analyze wave...
Curated OER
North America, Then and Now
Students identify ocean, lake, gulf, and continent on maps of North America from 1845 and the present, and identify Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico on maps of North America from 1845 and the present.
Curated OER
From Lake to Lake
Fourth graders investigate the formation of the Great Salt Lake. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used to construct a timeline of the history. Each phase of history should include facts and...
Curated OER
Path Map for the Lake Bonneville Flood
Students use a digital atlas of Idaho to explore the effects of the Lake Bonneville Flood. They become familiar with how floods shape our earth and change landscapes. Students graph a a timeline of the rise and fall of Lake Bonneville.
Curated OER
Great Salt Lake
Third graders are introduced to the Great Salt Lake (GSL) environment and the various components of it. They make observations about algae and its environment and discuss why it is considered a living organism and various components of...
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quantity
It may be tricky for a young mind to conceptualize that less than 1% of all water on earth is useable for humans to drink. Simulating the amount of fresh water available on earth by removing measured amounts of water from a five-gallon...
Curated OER
The 1927 Flood
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the Great Flood of 1927 in the state of Arkansas. They each prepare an oral report about this flood and the huge impact it had on the economics of that time. Additionally, learners research...
Curated OER
Let the River Run
Learners explore the environment by reading a story in class. In this water formation lesson, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Learners read the story A River Ran Wild and discuss the...