Ecology of the Great Lakes Teacher Workshop

1
Ecology of the Great Lakes Teacher
Workshop Aboard the U.S. EPAs R/V Lake
Guardian July 7-13, 2002 Joan Chadde,
Education Program Coordinator Western U.P.
Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental
Education Michigan Technological University
Benefits to Great Lakes Conservation Outreach
Course Coordinator
Lead Faculty
The goal of the one-week teacher education course
aboard the R/V Lake Guardian was to enhance the
ability and motivation of K-12 teachers to teach
about the physical, chemical, biological,
meteoro-logical, and geological components of
Lake Superior and Great Lakes ecosystems, and to
integrate Great Lakes topics into their math,
science, social studies and technology
classrooms.
Dr. Sarah Green, Associate Professor (left
photo) Dept. of Chemistry Michigan Technological
University

• PROGRAM OUTCOMES
• ? Statewide publicity for EPAs R/V Lake
  Guardian and Great Lakes research in Michigan,
  Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
• ? News articles published in six newspapers
  throughout Michigan
• Houghton Daily Mining Gazette (July 10, 2002),
  Flint Journal (August 2002), Sault Ste. Marie
  Evening News (August 23, 2002), Marquette
  Mining Journal (August 11, 2002), Escanaba Daily
  Press (August 12, 2002), Grand Rapids Press
  (August 8, 2002) and Michigan Tech Alumnus
  (December 2002) mailed to thousands of MTU
  alumni.
• ? Open house conducted aboard Lake Guardian
  attracted more than 100 local residents to tour
  the research vessel.
• ? Development of new K-12 curriculum units
• Seven Days Aboard a Research Vessel a
  childrens story that describes how research is
  conducted on the Great Lakes
• Mercurys Toxic Tale
• Michigans Aquatic Exotic Species
• National Parks Lake Superior
• Public Beaches Water Quality
• Symmetry of Diatoms
• Chemistry of Soils
• An Investigation of Algal Indicator Species
• These curriculum units are posted to the Western
  U.P. Centers website at http//wupcenter.mtu.edu
  /education/workshop/lake_guardian/lake_guardian.ht
  ml

Joan Chadde, Education Program Coordinator (far
right) Western Upper Peninsula Center for
Science, Mathematics and Environmental
Education Michigan Technological University Tel
906-487-3341 Email jchadde_at_mtu.edu
Dr. Matt Julius, Assistant Professor (right
photo) Dept. of Biological Sciences St. Cloud
State University
Course Description

• In an exciting week aboard the U. S. EPAs
  research vessel (R/V) Lake Guardian, participants
  had the opportunity to live and work in the
  ships labs beside scientists doing hands-on data
  collection and analysis. The course covered a
  variety of topics
• Shifting Shores and Eroding Beaches
• Light and Temperature Profiles
• Phyto/Zooplankton Sampling ID
• Micrometeorological Measurements of Air Toxins
• Aquatic Exotic Nuisance Species
• Benthic Communities of Nearshore, Slope and
• Profundal Zones
• Geology of the Great Lakes

Sponsored by a Michigan Tech Partnership
MTU Graduate Course Requirements
Course References
(provided to course participants)
Bennett, Thomas R. 1995. Shoreline Processes of
the Great Lakes. Michigan Dept. of Environmental
Quality (Land Water Management Technical Report
95-1) Great Lakes Aquarium. 1998. Lake Effects
Lake Superior Curriculum Guide for Grades K-8.
Lake Superior Center, Duluth, MN. LaBerge, Gene
L. 1994. Geology of the Lake Superior Region.
Geoscience Press. Tuscon, AZ Monson, Bruce A.
2000. A Primer on Limnology 2nd Edition. (Public
Report Series 6). University of Minnesota
Extension Service, Room 173 McNeal Hall, 1985
Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108 Shaw,
Byron, Christine Mechenich and Lowell Klessig.
2002. Understanding Lake Data. University of
Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and Government of
Canada. 1995. The Great Lakes An
Environmental Atlas and Resource Book
One-Week Teaching Unit Following their one-week
course aboard the Lake Guardian, teachers design
a teaching unit or program appropriate for their
teaching level on a topic of interest related to
their experience, and that meets the guidelines
of the Michigan or national content
standards. Manuscript for Publication During
Fall semester, participants were required to
implement and evaluate the effectiveness of their
teaching unit, and submit a summary of their
experience in a manuscript following the
publication guidelines for the National Science
Teachers Association for Science and Children
(elementary), Science Scope (middle school), or
The Science Teacher (secondary), Green Teacher,
or the journal of the Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse (enc.org/focus/write).
Western Upper Peninsula Center for
Science, Mathematics Env. Education KITES
Project (NSF) Isle Royale Institute
Educators Science and Mathematics Institute
Series
Future Courses Ecology of the Great Lakes
Michigan Tech Universitys new research vessel
Agassiz will be used for the next Ecology of the
Great Lakes teacher workshop planned for July
13-18, 2003.