Wonders of the Water: Thematic Learning with the Mississippi River

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Wonders of the Water Thematic Learning with
the Mississippi River

• Heath E. Capello
• University of Mississippi
• January 27, 2006

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So you have Questions

• Whats the big idea?
• How can thematic learning help me?
• How do I apply this information?

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The Idea
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Why Study the Mississippi River?

• Its Pervasiveness

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The Father of Waters
http//www.epa.gov/msbasin/culture.htm
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The Father of Waters

• River Length 3,705 km (2,302 mi)
• Basin Area 3.2 million km2 (1.2 million mi2) or
  41 of the conterminous United States
• Population along the Mississippi Corridor 12
  million people live in the 125 counties parishes.
• Amount of water discharged to the Gulf 612,000
  ft3/s (4.6 million gal/s) (EPA 2003)

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Why Study the Mississippi River?

• Its Pervasiveness
• Its Location

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Location, Location, Location

• Mississippi
• Opportunity to have students learn more about
  something that is a part of their state and
  history
• Environmental stewardship and watershed awareness

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Why Study the Mississippi River?

• Its Pervasiveness
• Its Location
• The Environment

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A watershed in trouble

• Watershed the entire surface drainage area that
  contributes water to a river or lake.
• Tributary a body of water that contributes
  materials to a larger body

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A watershed in trouble
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A watershed in trouble

• Hypoxia
• Wetland loss
• Water quality
• Navigation and channelization

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The Theme
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Why use Thematic Learning?

• Wiggins and McTighe (1998)
• Is it worth being familiar with?
• Is it important to know and do?
• Does it create enduring understanding?
• Tomkins
• Integrate across curricular areas to explore and
  explain the answer to questions

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Why use Thematic Learning?

• Provides students with a familiar base
• Adds comfort to challenging material
• Integrates core subjects
• Allows students to draw connections between
  related materials
• Opens eyes to the big picture
• Acts as a foundation for critical thinking and
  inquiry based learning

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The Application
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Brainstorming

1. Problem statement
2. Think Time
3. Brainstorming
4. Think Time
5. Reflection
6. Conclusion

Use role assignments to divide labor and reduce
chaos.
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Todays Two Activities

• Whats in your Watershed?
• Fun with Phytoplankton

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Whats in your Watershed?

• Science
• Geography
• Stewardship

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Fun with Phytoplankton

• Biology
• Mathematics
• Physics

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Extensions Gulf Hypoxia
http//www.smm.org/deadzone/causes/
http//www.epa.gov/msbasin/taskforce/hypoxia.htm
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Extensions Aquatic Food Web
http//www.mindfully.org/Food/Food-Web.gif
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Extensions Technology

• Have students create a PowerPoint that answers
  some of the following questions
• What are some of the most important environmental
  concerns about the river?
• What are some of the literature, music, and art
  that has been inspired by the river?
• What historical events have occurred along the
  river?

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Useful Websites

• General Biology http//www.kensbiorefs.com/index.
  html
• Mississippi River and Hypoxia
• http//www.epa.gov/msbasin/
• http//www.smm.org/deadzone/top.html
• Science and Math Projects
• http//smartweed.olemiss.edu/nmgk8/

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Sources and Acknowledgements

• The Environmental Protection Agency. 2005 July
  28. Mississippi River Basin Gulf of Mexico
  hypoxia Culture/History. Accessed 2006 January
  19. lthttp//www.epa.gov/msbasin/culture.htmgt.
• National Research Council. 1992. Restoration of
  Aquatic Ecosystems. Washington D.C. National
  Academy Press.
• Michelsen, Merridee. 2004. Personal
  communication.
• Wiggins, G. and J. McTighe. 1998. Understanding
  by Design. Alexandria, VAAssociation for
  Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Smith, Jennifer. 2004. Personal communication.

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What questions do you have?

• hecapell_at_olemiss.edu