Utilizing the Lake Superior watershed and the St. Louis River as a foundation for learning
In this newly updated lesson, students will learn about the differences between saltwater and freshwater, where they are found, what water is in Lake Superior and the animals of both types of water. The curriculum download is a PDF containing the lesson plan, procedures, and student materials.
This is a current satellite photo of the St. Louis River Estuary. This is a great tool to aid your students in finding their place in the watershed. The curriculum download is an 11 inches by 17 inches PDF with a satellite image of the St. Louis River Estuary.
The Savanna Portage was the crucial link between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Mexico. Its discovery and usage created an interesting and important mix of cultures between Native Americans, Voyageurs, fur trading companies, and other explorers. This lesson is a readers theater reenactment of events that may have transpire along the Savanna Portage during the time when Voyageurs and Native American people were first interacting. The curriculum download is a PDF of the plan for this lesson. The supporting file is a ZIP file containing supporting files for this lesson such as PDF character guides and PowerPoint slide shows.
Students will observe and investigate the properties of snow and snowflakes as a means to learning about states of matter in this exploratory lesson. The curriculum file is a PDF of the lesson plan.
In this newly updated lesson, students will discover the insulating effect of snow and understand that temperature varies according to snow depth. Students will also learn what the subnivean zone is and how it helps animals survive the winter. the curriculum download is a PDF including the lesson plan and student data collection sheet.
This lesson is a map quest that incorporates maps, land, government, and bodies of water. Using maps and a legend students will discover the different governing entities that are responsible for certain parts of the river and determine if the land is federal, state, city, or tribal. The curriculum file is a PDF lesson plan. The supporting file is a road atlas style map of the St. Louis River Watershed and is a PDF.
Students will see maps of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River to compare the sizes. Students will then each draw a portion of either the St. Louis River or a river near their school that flows into the St. Louis River or Lake Superior. They will make connections that every part of the river can impact the health of the rest of the river and of Lake Superior. The curriculum download is a PDF lesson plan for this activity. The supporting file is a PDF with a simple outline of Lake Superior.
Students will learn about temperature and temperature changes using the Lake Superior thermocline. Concepts and vocabulary covered are: water column, thermocline, metalimnion, epilimnion, hypolimnion, lake turnover, dimictic, and lake stratification. The curriculum download is a PDF of the plan for this lesson.
Attached is a lesson plan and worksheet for investigating Thompson Reservoir. This will prepare students for a more detailed chemistry investigation by gathering a physical inventory of the Reservoir and a chance to experience a virtual overview of the upstream watershed. The lesson also introduces the study of sediments. Use the curricula titled "Google Earth Tour of the St. Louis River" for the virtual tour. Sediment core is optional. The curriculum download is a PDF including the lesson plan and worksheet for data collection.
The emphasis on reading and understanding informational texts in classrooms mirrors our efforts in science at the Lake Superior NERR. These readings are based on real scientific efforts in the Lake Superior Watershed, and include questions to check for understanding. This reading on vernal pools is great for springtime and is derived from an article in the Duluth News Tribune, April 2016. The curriculum download is a PDF version of this reader.