Utilizing the Lake Superior watershed and the St. Louis River as a foundation for learning
The curriculum attached is actually a list of websites you can find useful for you and your students. Some of the websites will give you access to data that you can give to your students, other websites (like the WI DNR EEK!! website) provides information that your students can use (and is age appropriate for elementary/middle school). Other websites provide great kits or other resources.
Students will participate in a hike around their local nature space/place and make observations about what is happening in that natural place. They will try to answer questions like, ‘What is new?’ ‘What is different?’ ‘What has changed?’ The curriculum download is a PDF of the lesson plan.
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.
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.
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.
This lesson will help inform students about abstracts, backgrounds, methods, and conclusions that are written for informational papers and posters in order to present research conducted. Students will practice writing their own components after learning what is required for each component. This will help them in understanding how science is presented as well as practice writing skills they can use in the future. The curriculum download is a PDF is a lesson plan for this activity that includes student resources and writing sheets. The supporting file is a PowerPoint slideshow to support the lesson plan.
Students will use the cards to assist them in using words to describe what they see, feel, and smell outside. This will help guide them when they write a descriptive paper. The curriculum download is a PDF including the lesson plan and student writing sheet. The supporting file is a PDF that is a variation of this lesson for younger learners.