Great Lakes in My World		free sample lesson
Grade level: K-8	Date: 2005	Program cost: $40.00
Subjects: art, environmental studies, geography, language arts, music, science, social studies

Publisher: Alliance for the Great Lakes
Correlated to education standards? Yes
Ordering Information
Table of Contents


A complete Great Lakes Unit which looks at the lakes and lake issues, sand dunes, wetlands, human communities, history, geology and water flow. A real issue, problem-solving focus provides authentic learning and opportunities for action.


This complete Great Lakes curriculum is made up of six units:

1. Lakes: how they work, how people are connected, and some lake issues
2. Sand Dunes: uniqueness, interrelationships, adaptations and extraction
3. Wetlands: structure, function and importance
4. Human Communities: human dependence and impacts on the lakes, living sustainably
5. History: interactions of various peoples with the lakes through time; relationship to the present
6. Geology and water flow: formation and significance of Great Lakes geology and water flow, including issues of withdrawal and export

Each unit contains a series of active, inquiry-based lessons placed in a sequence of connect --> explore --> investigate, which generally end up in summary activities leading to an exploration of local issues and actions taken in relation to those issues. The units also provide a choice of in-class or outdoor activities (many of the latter on-site) and opportunities for service learning (for example, Adopt-A-Beach). There is a good balance of research, observation, discussion, writing and action. Assessment is primarily done through rubrics, which provide both formative and summative evaluation opportunities. Many of the wrap-up suggestions could also be used to evaluate students. Good background information includes sources and additional references (many on-line), and journal pages confirm and extend activities and lessons. CD-based images and sounds enhance the program. The curriculum comes with a set of 60 Great Lakes Creature Cards, used in many of the activities.

Disclaimer: The reviews of this and the other Great Lakes Fisheries education materials were conducted by a single independent reviewer. The views of this reviewer do not necessarily reflect the views of GLIN, the Great Lakes Commission, the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, or the University of Michigan.