Learning to Give
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Purpose:
Learners will discover individual and collective responsibility for maintaining the health of the Great Lakes Basin.
Duration:
Two to Three Forty-Five Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
- analyze content of the reading book, A River Ran Wild.
- apply knowledge gained from the reading to the Great Lakes.
- identify citizen responsibility for the Great Lakes Basin.
- develop concept of community capital as applied to Great Lakes Basin.
- identify reasons for maintaining water quality.
- demonstrate use of vocabulary associated with water quality.
- locate his/her nearest river, pond, lake, reservoir.
Materials:
- Book - A River Ran Wild (see Bibliographical References)
- Video- Outside Television: "The Hudson Riverkeepers"
- www.ijc.org Excellent resource. Ask for: Lakes Agreement Information Kit.
International Joint Commission: Great Lakes Regional Office, United States Section or Canadian Section
Subject: Kit includes a pamphlet on "What the IJC is and how it works," a bibliography of IJC reports under the Agreement, a brochure on toxic substances and on the Remedial Action Plan program, posters on "Our Fragile Ecosystem" and on RAPs, Water Quality and Water Quantity. Level: All ages Cost: Free
- District and/or school science texts appropriate for grade level: sections on water quality, pollution and conservation of water
- Journals
- Large map of the Great Lakes visible to all learners
- Poster board or large sheets of paper
- Markers, colored pencils or crayons
- Student copies of Attachment One: Guided Practice
- Student copies of Attachment Two: Fishing for Facts
Teacher Preparation:
Due to the technical nature of the content on water quality and the Great Lakes Basin, it is highly recommended that the instructor use the following websites to become familiarized with the content to be developed with the learners.
- Great Lakes Sea Grant Network
http://www.greatlakesseagrant.org/
This Web site will help the instructor to become familiar with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Also found here are excellent articles on the introduction of non-indigenous species introduced into the lakes such as the zebra mussel.- Environment Canada [Ontario] Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/glwqa/sht-history-e.html
To review the history of pollution in the Great Lakes Basin and what is currently being done about it. This Canadian site has multiple references.- www.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine This Web site is an excellent source for downloadable maps for student use. Obtain from your local library, media center or Public Broadcasting System the VHS produced by Outside Television entitled, "The Hudson Riverkeepers" by Robert Kennedy et al. (1998).
- U.S. Geological Survey
http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/
explorer/topic_water_links.asp
Source for water glossary terms (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/glos.html) , activities, maps, etc.
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Use a large map that shows the Great Lakes. Ask the learners why these lakes are so important and make a list of the responses. Ask the learners if they know the definitions or give examples of pollution and conservation and how they can relate these terms to what they already know about our lakes, rivers and streams. Read and discuss Attachment Two: Fishing for Facts, as a class. Tell them that the true story they are about to read will describe how a once great, clean river became polluted and how Marion Stoddard and others practicing philanthropy helped save the river.
- Read book, The River Ran Wild, and discuss the following questions:
- How does a river change over time? Is this good or bad?
- What factors did we discover about the Nashua River that we could see happening in the Great Lakes?
- Why do you think Marie felt that it was her responsibility to act philanthropically and accept stewardship for the river.
- Define terms appropriately: ecosystem, pollution, estuaries conservation, water quality, philanthropy, stewardship, community capital, selfish, selfless.
- Have the learners complete Guided Practice (Attachment One) to accompany the reading. Take home for parents to view and if needed, learners my complete at home.
- Discuss the responses learners wrote on the Guided Practice (Attachment One) sheet. Come to consensus with the class on each response.
- View the video, "The Hudson Riverkeepers," and have the learners compare how the Nashua River was cleaned and how the Hudson River is being cleaned. Make certain that the learners discuss the examples of stewardship and public action for the common good.
- Form cooperative groups and discuss how the concepts involved in stewardship and philanthropy can be connected to the saving of our Great Lakes ecosystems.
- Create a poster reflecting the slogan, "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute," and write a caption for the poster.
- Display posters in room or hallway outside the classroom
Assessment:
- Assess Attachment One: Guided Practice for comprehension of story.
- Evaluate poster with a slogan.
- Instructor observation
- Class participation
- Instructor-designed assessment of content
School/Home Connection:
Take-home sheet is included as Attachment One: Guided Practice to be completed if needed at home. If completed at home, check for accuracy and show to parents.
Bibliographical References:
Cheery, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. An Environmental History (A Reading Rainbow Book). Harcourt. ISBN: 152005420
National Geographic's Map Machine
www.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network
www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakes/glnetwork/exotics.html.
Environment Canada [Ontario] Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/glwqa/sht-history-e.html
Kennedy, Robert et al. Outside Television: "The Hudson Riverkeepers." Outside Television Producers, 1998. Available at: www.PBS.org.
Lesson Developed By:
Christine JensenGrand Rapids Public Schools
Sibley Elementary School Building
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Guided Practice
Directions: Put an "X" in front of the best answer.
-
The Nashua River runs in which two states?
Michigan and Ohio New Hampshire and Maryland Florida and Georgia Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- These two states are found in this part of the United States.
EastWestNortheastSouthwest
- This story is:
A Fiction book A Non-fiction book
- Which statement is the most correct?
The French settled the area 500 years ago.
Almost 7,000 years ago native people settled the area.
The Americans settled there before the native people.
The area is still not used or settled. - What is the most important thing I learned from the story?
We should find some way to help conserve our resources.
Our government will always pass laws to stop pollution.
It is not necessary for us to help stop pollution.
Industry in the area did not pollute the river.
Directions: Fill in the chart
WhoWhat was the river like when they found it?How did they use the river?Native Americans Settlers to1960s
Directions: Write your answers with your very best spelling and in sentences.What did Marie Stoddard do to help the river?
Describe Marie with just one of our philanthropy words.
Handout 2Print Handout 2
Fishing for Facts
Water is the most common substance on Earth. It is found as ground water, in oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds and streams. There are two forms of water. The water found in the seas and oceans has salt. Lake, river, stream and pond water has no salt. There is one exception. Estuaries, where ocean meets fresh water have both salt and fresh water. When tides come in, the water is saltier and when tides go out, there is less salt in the water.
Water pollution is one of our greatest environmental problems. Our waterways are not as clean as they should be. Our water worldwide has become polluted because of pesticides and other chemicals running off the land into our water. Sometimes people and industry pollute accidentally but sometimes this dumping is done purposefully. In our area of the United States and the nation of Canada we depend on the Great Lakes and the waterways, rivers, smaller lakes, streams and underground water supply. We need clean water for our homes, schools, recreation, transportation, business and industry. The Great Lakes and all the surrounding land are called the Great Lakes Basin.
Many of us have learned the names of the Great Lakes by using the word HOMES. Each letter stands for a Great Lake: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.
Today we know that chemicals like PCB hurt the fish and birds. Fish like perch and walleye developed tumors. Salmon and trout had so much of the chemicals in them that people are still warned not to eat too much of these sport fish from the Great Lakes. The bald eagle became an endangered species because they ate fish containing the pesticides.
The shells of their eggs became weak and their young did not hatch. Because of efforts to stop poaching, reducing chemicals in the water and protecting nesting sites, the eagle has been restored and is now protected, not endangered. However, there are new threats. Ships going through the St. Lawrence Seaway brought unwanted species that hurt native species. The lamprey eel, sculpin fish and zebra mussels are three of these unwanted and harmful species.
Because citizens became alarmed and took voluntary action for the common good, many organizations and conservation clubs were formed. Conservation is the way we attempt to manage, use wisely and protect our natural resources. Businesses, industry and governments also saw the need to stop pollution and they also took action. The United States government now has the Environmental Protection Agency. Canada and the United States have a Joint Commission to protect the Great Lakes. Each state that shares one of the Great Lakes has a Department of Environmental Quality. Grassroots service movements have been formed in communities to monitor and protect our Great Lakes Basin. Yearly river cleanups like the Rouge River Project involve youth and community volunteers to restore this once great river. Youth take active roles in letter writing campaigns, water quality testing, and other service projects to insure the health of the water. They are making a difference by preserving this heritage for the future.
Unit Contents:
Overview:My Water, Your Water, Our Water Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- These Lakes Are Great
- 2.
- Great Lakes at Stake
- 3.
- Responsible Stewardship: The Saving of the Great Lakes
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
Comments
Children were exposed to real-life examples and stories of how rivers became polluted by people. They were able to witness how philanthropy was practiced in both cases (story and video), as well as, become philanthropists themselves by making posters.
(The lesson) Relates to our own Great Lakes and to our "stream study" in 4th grade and our Michigan study in 3rd grade.
The book made a great connection for students. This applied and paralleled our service learning project well.
The support materials were of good quality and really interesting. They did a great job of showing community groups solving problems. Fit in very well with our study of Michigan in 4th grade.