| Great Lakes Education
Summer Discovery Cruises
Many people who live near the Detroit River may not know that a roller coaster once graced the shores of Sugar Island... or that extensive beds of wild celery thrive in the river’s murky bottom. And chances are, many people may never have seen the Detroit River Light up close.
But that’s just a sample of what people learn and see after taking a Summer Discovery Cruise, sponsored by Michigan Sea Grant and Lake Erie Metropark. The two-hour cruises take visitors on a unique tour of the Detroit River, highlighting its natural, cultural and aesthetic features.
“Growing up with the river doesn’t mean you necessarily know as much about it as you’d like to,” says Gerry Wykes of Lake Erie Metropark, who recalls those who participated in 2004. “Some were boaters and wanted to get the story behind the sights. Many others were not. For both groups, it was a chance to get out on the river and let someone else do the driving.”
Wykes and co-worker Paul Cypher led the 2004 cruises with educator Steve Stewart of Michigan Sea Grant. Three types of cruises focus on the river’s natural history (Eagle’s Eye), cultural history (River of Time), and aesthetic quality (Flow of Ideas). The latter is an art cruise that offers participants the opportunity to draw, paint and take photos.
Coordinators conducted 12 cruises in 2004, with 301 people participating. This year’s expanded program will offer a greater number of cruises, which are tentatively scheduled for July and August.
Contact: Steve Stewart, (586) 469-7431.
Students and Science: Go with the FLOW
When it comes to teaching science, most educators know that it takes more than textbooks and lectures to stimulate student minds. Active participation and interesting content are key elements.
Both concepts are part of a new online education project underway at Michigan Sea Grant. With support from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, the project will feature 15 online lessons based upon the peer-reviewed Great Lakes Education Program curriculum.
“These lessons fill a gap in online education about the Great Lakes,” says Michigan Sea Grant education program co-leader Elizabeth LaPorte. “Each lesson includes field-tested, hands-on activities for kids, and the online component is visually appealing and accessible for teachers.”
Project FLOW—Fisheries Learning on the Web—features three educational modules, geared toward upper elementary and middle school students. Combined with research-based background information for educators, the lessons will cover the Great Lakes food web and aquatic invasive species, building toward fisheries sustainability and stewardship concepts.
One important objective of Project FLOW is to ensure that the lessons meet state and national educational standards and benchmarks. University of Michigan environmental education specialist Anna Switzer has identified 10-15 social, scientific and process-oriented standards and benchmarks for each series of lessons.
Project FLOW is scheduled for completion in October 2005.
Contact: Elizabeth LaPorte, (734) 647-0767.
Great Lakes Education Program: A Teacher’s Perspective
Like any teacher, Kathy Bouren not only cares what her students think but also what their parents think. Both viewpoints help her to plan upcoming field trips, which often require special fundraising.
This year, Bouren already knows that she and her fourth-graders—and many of their parents—will participate in the Great Lakes Education Program, sponsored by Michigan Sea Grant. Known as GLEP, the program introduces students to freshwater concepts in the classroom and provides hands-on learning via educational “schoolship” cruises on the Clinton River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River.
“The kids love being on the boat,” says Bouren, who teaches at Ritter Elementary in Rockford, “and the reaction from parents is that it’s one of the best—an outstanding field trip.” Preparations for the educational boat cruise actually begin well in advance, says Bouren, who uses the GLEP curriculum to teach a number of Great Lakes concepts in the classroom. Educational cruises then take place, in spring or fall, followed by post-cruise activities.
Michigan Sea Grant’s Steve Stewart coordinates the Great Lakes Education Program each year, with the help of many volunteers. In 2004, 84 fourth-grade classes participated in the program on Lake St. Clair, involving 2,843 students, teachers and chaperones. Another 84 classes participated in the lower Detroit River GLEP, representing 2,940 students, teachers and adult chaperones.
For her part, Bouren encourages parents to attend, “because it’s such a memorable event” not only in terms of what the students learn—but also in time spent together with parents and as a class.
More than 42,000 fourth-grade students from Macomb, Wayne and adjacent counties have participated in the program since 1991.
Contact: Steve Stewart, (586) 469-7431. See: www.miseagrant.umich.edu/glep
ShoreLines
More than 250 educators received the first issue of ShoreLines in 2004, an email-based newsletter developed by Michigan Sea Grant. The periodic newsletter is designed for people interested in using Great Lakes and marine resource topics in their educational efforts. Recent issues have highlighted National Estuaries Day and EstuaryLive, an interactive, web-based field trip to estuaries around the country. If you’re interested in receiving Shorelines, email Steve Stewart at stew@msu.edu
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