What's the Big Problem with the Great Lakes?

http://www.great-lakes.net/graphics/5lakes.gif

Brigitte Garth-Young & Pamela Allen-Collins

FRANK L. GILLESPIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Chicago, IL

Objectives
National Standards
Summary/Abstract
Activity/Materials
Assessment
Extension [virtual field trip]
Resources

OBJECTIVES

Students will assess changes in the Great Lakes shorelines due to global warming and relating to sediment availability, water level rise, marine organism diversity and population, and storm frequency. Students will also compare these changes in coastal dynamics, due to global warming, with coasts along the East, West, and Caribbean shorelines.

NATIONAL STANDARDS

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of the following:

(Content Standard C) Populations and Ecosystems; and Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms
(Content Standard D) Structure of the Earth's System
(Content Standard E) Understanding About Science and Technology
(Content Standard F) Natural Hazards

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT

What's the Big Problem with the Great Lakes? This is an activity that explores the condition of the lakes' shorelines, sediment availability, water level rise, marine organism diversity and population, and storm frequency due to the affects of global warming. The activity will engage students in research analysis relating to shoreline changes in the Great Lakes.

Student co-op groups will work with existing imagery and shoreline change maps to produce a developmental sequence of change, and students will also incorporate sediment data, water level, marine life, and natural disasters (frequency/magnitude). Students will compare the Great Lakes data with information regarding the East, West, and Caribbean coastal shorelines.

ACTIVITIES/MATERIALS

Activities for Great Lakes Project

ASSESSMENTS

Student co-op groups can compose a scenic/picturesque collage of a variety of maps, pictures, and other imagery relative to the Great Lakes activities. A rubric can be designed for the evaluation of visual art.
Student co-op groups can present an oral report on their findings about the Great Lakes shoreline changes due to global warming. A rubric can be designed for the evaluation of oral reports.
Student co-op groups can develop a written analysis of their investigations on sediment availability, marine diversity and population, water level rise, and storm frequency/magnitude of the Great Lakes due to global warming. A rubric can be designed for the evaluation of written group analysis.
Students will take a teacher-made exam that incorporates high level questioning and performance assessments. The classroom teacher's and/or school district's grading scale policy can be implemented for grading written examinations.

EXTENSION/VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Due to the fact that everyone is not accessible to the Great Lakes Region, a virtual field trip can be taken to expose students to the variety of beaches and shorelines throughout the midwestern region.

http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/image

RESOURCES

(FACULTY RESOURCES AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY)

Robert Ford
Norm P. Psuty (ESI98 Project Plan)

(WEB RESOURCES)

http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~earthsys/link.html (link to Great Lakes)
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~earthsys/pubs97.html#ACES (Activity Information)
http://www.wcslc.edu/pers_pages/r_ford/ford1.html
http://www.epa.gov./glnpo/image (link to virtual field trip)

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