Here are some outstanding lessons on the geology and history of the Great Lakes. These lessons are divided into Grade 4 -6, and Grade 7 - 8 activities. The activities all use the background information, maps, graphs, data, and Great...

Stories from "The Great Lakes Mariner" provide pupils with an opportunity to practice their synopsis-writing skills. The tabloid, which focuses on the Great Lakes region, is filled with stories written by sea captains, that are filled...

An online animation demonstrates how the lock system between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan works. Pupils then construct their own models of the lock system out of shoe boxes that they bring from home. This is an educational activity...

Students investigate the differences in Lake Tahoe from the past to the present. In this geography activity, students read the book Washoe Seasons of Life and identify the descriptions of the land and lake. Students create a Venn diagram...

Learners identify the processes that shape our rivers and form our lakes. They participate in hands-on and multimedia activities as they discover and apply the river-cutting processes of water.

Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary...

Students investigate Great Lakes' navigational charts while practicing topographical map skills. They draw an 'elevation' of the bottom of the lake and graph the depths of the lake.

Young scholars participate in a variety of activities in a unit about the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System. They create a diorama, read related stories, and correspond with other classes located in other port cities along the St...

Students participate in a virtual field trip to Lake Superior. In groups, they perform experiments in which test the level of toxins and bacteria in the water. They also watch video segments life in the lake and discuss their observations.

Students examine the effect of foreign species on various habitats. In groups, they identify the population dynamics of the zebra mussel. They calculate averages and graph data from Seneca Lake in New York. They develop hypothesis...

Students, after exploring several secondary historical sources, compare/contrast their local history of the Brush Lake area, by viewing their own individual local histories. They assess contemporary cultures of the white homesteaders and...

Second graders explore the geography of Nevada. In this map-making lesson, 2nd graders use salt dough to create a relief map of Nevada. Students label the landforms and bodies of water that are studied and specified in the lesson.

Each slide is a simple notebook page with one landform in blue and its definition in red. There are 26 vocabulary terms in all, some you may want to use, and others easily hidden. It is recommended that you add photos or other graphic...

Students examine the use of topographic maps as two dimensional representations that show elevations and slopes with contour lines. They read maps of the Salt Lake City, Utah area and complete the associated worksheets that show map...

Students discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal.  In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods.  Students research...

Students use their previous knowledge of the Pyramid Lake War to help them analyze different primary sources of Fort Churchill. In this source analysis lesson, students work in groups to study 4 different primary sources for Fort...

Learners examine a fresnel lens and compare it to simple concave and convex lenses. They measure its focal length and then discuss why this type of lens is useful in a lighthouse system. That is about all there is to this instructional...

Students review the concept of character and name the traits associated with good character. As a class, they discover a mystery at Lake Cachuma and complete a worksheet. They use the internet to research the history of the Chumash...

Upper elementary learners identify the Aztecs as the builders of a great city and rich civilization in what is now Mexico. They locate the Aztec Empire and its capital on a map and place the Aztecs in the chronology of American history....

During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking.  Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They...

For this mystery state worksheet, students answer five clues to identify the state in question. They then locate that state on a map.

Students research lakes of eastern Kansas. Students compile their information into a "sandwich" with each layer containing a specific list of information.

Learners locate the Great Lakes on a US map, then read a news article about a sled being used as a wintertime school bus in Wisconsin. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity,...

Third graders investigate the concept of bodies of water. The information is obtained from the internet while conducting research. Then students draw upon prior knowledge from a film to combine information for the purpose of creating a...