Utilizing the Lake Superior watershed and the St. Louis River as a foundation for learning
This is a copy of one of the first hand drawn maps of the St. Louis River Estuary. It was drawn by Admiral Henry Bayfield in 1824. Pay close attention to the inscription on the map. Curriculum download is a PDF version of the map.
This is a brief read and understand on algae and cyanobacteria focusing on both cell structure and affects on humans. Curriculum download is a PDF version of this information sheet.
As partners, students will work to understand materials about frogs. Then, partners will be separated to form two groups to play the amphibian trivia game. Students will learn about the importance of amphibians such as frogs as well as how frogs differ from toads. Curriculum download is a brief lesson plan including a reader about amphibians.
Wild rice is a keystone species in the ecosystem. If it were removed, many other species would be negatively impacted. In our region, it is being threatened by a number of different factors, a couple of which, purple loosestrife and Canada geese, will be covered in this lesson. Students will act out a small scale ecosystem in order to learn about the issues facing wild rice in our area. Curriculum download is a lesson plan with which to run this lesson.
This lesson will guide students through learning about Lake Whitefish, a valuable fish for commercial fishermen, and how climate and profit impacts fishermen’s livelihood. Students will learn facts about whitefish, learn about local fishing businesses, and apply what they’ve learned using economics to decide whether their business can continue to stay open with different scenarios. Curriculum download is a PDF lesson to run this with your class. Supporting file download is a PDF document with fact cards and question cards all about whitefish and fishing in the region.
Students will discover the importance of Manoomin to the region and uncover a mystery about who has been eating the wetland plant. The Curriculum download is a PowerPoint slideshow teaching guide that has all the links you need to run the lesson with your class.
Students will discover the relationship between Lake Superior temperatures and algae growth. Lesson resources are linked in the teaching guide. Curriculum download is a Powerpoint slide deck with links to all the resources you need to run this lesson with your class.
Students will play a game of survival by creating fish with dominant and recessive traits to understand how evolution through adaptations of structures and functions help with survival and continuation of genetic variations. The curriculum download is a PDF of the lesson plan for running this lesson with your students. The supporting file is the student worksheet.
The attachments below are a "student copy" and a "teacher copy" of a guide to each exhibit at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, MN. One purpose of this resource is as a school research project kick-off for students and their teacher. Another is developing a teaching unit, using student inquiry as your guide. This resource may also be used for digging in deeper to the exhibits through teacher-guided discussion, partner-group discussion, or individual reflection. The curriculum download is a PDF of the 'teacher copy'. The supporting file is a PDF of the 'student copy'.
Students will work in teams to read about an animal that lives in the St. Louis River Estuary. They will then work together to draw and name the animal that they think the description describes. This allows students to become familiar with animals that could be present around their school or homes that live in the estuary while also learning valuable lessons in team work. The curriculum download is a PDF lesson plan for this activity. The supporting file is a PowerPoint slideshow to support the lesson.