Great Lakes Education Program		free sample lesson
Grade level: 4-5	Date: 1999	Program cost: Free
Subjects: environmental studies, geography, history, math, music, science, social studies

Publisher: Michigan Sea Grant
Correlated to education standards? Yes
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A classroom/schoolship program designed to stimulate interest in the Great Lakes and help students understand their role in protecting freshwater resources. Activities are organized within four major themes: Water, Land, Life, and People.


Based in southeast Michigan, the Great Lakes Education Program introduces fourth-graders to the unique features of the Great Lakes through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience. The program is designed to stimulate interest in the Great Lakes and help students understand their role in protecting freshwater resources. The program integrates elements of geography, history, biology, and physical sciences in each of its three components: classroom pre-trip introduction, shipboard field trip, and post-trip classroom follow-up. The pre-trip activities include learning about such concepts as the aquatic food web, the water cycle, the role of oxygen in water, and the effects of exotic species. A two-hour boat trip on the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair provides an opportunity for hands-on experiences such as examining plankton samples, testing water clarity, marine knot-tying, and more. Back in the classroom, students conduct experiments and discuss what they have learned based on the data they collected on the field trip. Activities are organized within four major themes: Water, Land, Life, and People. Within the Educator's Handbook, activities are coded by theme and grouped in sections (pre-cruise, shipboard, post-cruise). Suggestions are provided on how to sequence particular activities. In addition, the Great Lakes Education Program created a curriculum framework consisting of six major learning objectives: Knowledge of Natural Systems, Knowledge of Human Systems, Inquiry Skills, Investigation and Analysis Skills, Skills for Decision and Action, and Sense of Personal Responsibility.

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.