Great Lakes! INSTITUTION Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, IL
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 422 181 SE 061 748 TITLE Great Minds? Great Lakes! INSTITUTION Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, IL. Great Lakes National Program Office. PUB DATE 1997-03-00 NOTE 29p. AVAILABLE FROM Great Lakes National Program Office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Activity Units; Elementary Education; *Environmental Education; History Instruction; *Interdisciplinary Approach; Learning Activities; Natural Resources; *Pollution; Science Education; Social Studies; Teaching Guides; Water; Water Quality IDENTIFIERS Environmental Protection Agency; *Great Lakes ABSTRACT This book contains lesson plans that provide an integrated approach to incorporating Great Lakes environmental issues into elementary subjects. The book is divided into three subject areas:(1) History, which includes the origins of the Great Lakes, Great Lakes people, and shipwrecks; (2) Social Studies, which covers government, acid rain as a shared problem, and the lakes as a natural resource; and (3) Environmental Sciences, which is presented through a read-aloud story about the journey of a research vessel called Lake Guardian. The final section discusses science issues including the hydrologic cycle, wetlands, biomagnification, recreational activity as a source of pollution, surface runoff, groundwater, industrial runoff, and mayflies. Each section contains background information, discussion points, and a variety of hands-on activities designed to illustrate the major points of each lesson. The final section also contains vocabulary words. The lesson plans in each section are designed to interrelate with each other to demonstrate how environmental issues cannot be isolated from other issues such as population and industry. A map of the Great Lakes for photocopying, a bibliography, and a references page for further resources are also included. (PVD) ************* ***** ********************** ****** ******************** ************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** United States Great Lakes 905-R97-004 Environmental Protection National Program Office March 1997 4EPA Agency 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60604 oo 7t- 4.1 tIc U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This cument has been reproduced as ived from the person or organization originating It. 0 Minor changes have been made to Improve reproduction quality. °Points of view or opinions stated In this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. ID Don't Miss the Lboat with Environmental Education What's Inside: History Acknowledgments Where Did the Great Lakes Come From? 1 Great Lakes People 2 This document was prepared Shipwrecks 3 under the direction of The Fate of the Christmas Tree Ship 4 Margaret McCue, Region V Office of Public Affairs, and David Social Studies Rockwell, Great Lakes National Where Would We Be Without the Great Lakes? 6 Program Office, United States Who Governs the Great Lakes? 8 Environmental Protection Acid Rain: A Shared Problem 9 Agency. Under a contract with ICF Incorporated, support was Environmental Sciences provided by Helen Taylor, I. The Journey of Lake Guardian 12 Timothy H. Brown, Danielle Lake Guardian Explores Lake Superior 14 D. Ward, Georgia Zeediclg Gene III. Investigating Lake Huron 16 Hallinan, and Sally Bullard. IV. The Journey Continues on Lake Michigan 18 Design by WATCH! Graphic V. Lake Guardian Travels the Length of Lake Erie 20 Design. Illustrations by Joseph VI. The End of Lake Guardian's Journey, Lake Ontario? 21 G. Taylor. Great Lakes Facts 23 Printed on recycled paper. Classroom Activity Map Back Cover Learning More About the Great Lakes Back Cover iiIMMIIIMMKOMIMMOrk CIVCaUC Great Minds? Great Lakes! just a sampling of the educational Lakes. For example, explore the has been developed by the United material contained in Great difficulties of solving interna- States Environmental Protection Lakes in My Worlda more tional problems such as acid rain. Agency's Great Lakes National comprehensive curriculum Finally, follow the journey of the Program Office to introduce envi- developed by the Lake Michigan Lake Guardian as it travels from ronmental curriculum for use in Federation and the Great Lakes lake to lake introducing your stu- avariety of elementary subjects. National Program Office. dents to some of the more com- Inspired by U.S. EPA's environ- pelling environmental problems Use the material in this book mental research vessel named affecting the Great Lakes today. Lake Guardian by elementary to introduce your students to the schools in the Great Lakes Basin, importance of environmental Once you have used Great this publication is dedicated to issues and to see how all of us Minds? Great Lakes!, move on to helping students learn more are part of the Great Lakes Basin the expanded and more detailed about the environment and about ecosystem. Share the lore of the lessons offered in Great Lakes in the Great Lakes. Lakes with your students through My World, available in the fall of history lessons and stories about 1990. For more information The lesson plans in this book famous shipwrecks. Teach your regarding Great Lakes in My provide an integrated approach students about Canada and the World, contact The Lake Michi- to incorporating Great Lakes en- United States through social gan Federation, 59 E. Van Buren, vironmental issues into the studies lessons, and help them Suite 2215, Chicago, Illinois subjects of history, social studies, learn how both countries are 60605, (312) 939-0838. and science. These lessons are responsible for protecting the Introduction rf-T\ D3 Great Minds? Great Lakes! is mation in one lesson plan can be programs underway in the Great divided into three subject areas: used easily with another. For Lakes Basin using samples and History, Social Studies, and Envi- instance, use the lessons in the analysis from the Lake Guardian. ronmental Sciences. Each history section to demonstrate section contains background the link between the settlements About the Great Lakes National information, discussion points, of the early explorers and the Program Office and a variety of hands-on activi- growth of modern metropolitan ties designed to illustrate the areas. Use social studies lessons The Great Lakes National major points of each lesson. In to understand how these metro- Program Office (GLNPO) was es- the back of the book, a map of politan areas use and economi- tablished in 1977 as a special the Great Lakes is provided for cally depend on the Great Lakes. arm of the U.S. EPA dedicated to photocopying, and use with dis- Finally, demonstrate the link Great Lakes environmental cussion points and activities. A between the use of the Great issues. GLNPO was started to bibliography and reference page Lakes and environmental prob- meet the obligations of the United tells you where you can find lems discussed in "The Journey States under the Great Lakes more information on all the of Lake Guardian." Water Quality Agreement with topics presented throughout the Canada. GLNPO is the first U.S. book. EPA office that is solely devoted About the Lake Guardian to a distinct ecosystem such as As the figure below indicates. Research Boat the Great Lakes Basin. GLNPO the lesson plans in each section has an extensive surveillance and are designed to interrelate with The Lake Guardian was con- verted to a research vessel from monitoring program which an offshore supply vessel in 1990 measures conditions in the Lakes by the Great Lakes National and traces the sources of pollut- Program Office and was ants. named by the children of To keep track of pollutants 10,000 elementary schools in entering the Lakes, GLNPO the Great Lakes Basin. The operates the Great Lakes Atmos- students voted on names contrib- pheric Deposition Network to uted by environmental interest measure pollutants from the groups in the Great Lakes area, atmosphere, while states track and the winning name was Lake pollutants in tributaries entering Guardian. the Lakes. GLNPO works closely Lake Guardian is used to with various federal agencies, conduct in-depth studies of water eight Great Lakes states, and quality in the Great Lakes Basin comparable Canadian agencies to by collecting samples of water, share and interpret data. In sediment, fish, and other biologi- addition, GLNPO coordinates U.S. cal matter. By monitoring toxic EPA's implementation of regula- each other to demonstrate how chemicals and other pollutants in tory actions and activities to (mvironmental issues can not be this fragile freshwater world. sci- influence state programs in the isolated from other issues such as entists study the effects of pollut- Great Lakes l3asin. population and industry. Infor- ants and assess various cleanup 4- How to Use this Book Discussion: 1) Discuss what a glacier is, how C37 it moves, how it can change the geography of the land. 2) On a map, point out where the Where did the Great Lakes After billions of years of glaciers covered the Great volcanic activity, central North Come From? America was flooded several Lakes area. Have the students ever seen ice that big? Explain The story begins about three times during the Paleozoic Era, billion years ago. This lesson which lasted more than 350,000 that glaciers still exist today in condenses and describes millions million years. The flooding many parts of the world, e.g., of years of geologic history to brought different soil materials, Glacier National Park in Mon- help students appreciate how such as mud, clay, and sand, as tana, Sierra Nevada Mountain long it took to form the Great well as various forms of sea life, Range in Nevada, and Colum- Lakes and the origin of its many to the Great Lakes Basin area. bia Ice Fields in the Canadian treasures, including rich mineral During the Paleozoic Era, the Rockies near Jasper, Canada. deposits. first fish, insects, reptiles, coni- fers, and tree ferns appeared on During the Precambrian Era, epochs,and scientistsnow believe Earth.