Lake Superior K-12 Assembly Programs for Spring 2002!!

Dear Principals and Teachers,

The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education will coordinate several Assembly Program offerings for K-12 schools in the Copper Country and Gogebic-Ontonagon ISDs. By coordinating these programs, the Center reduces costs for participating schools, because travel costs for the presenters are shared among several schools, and we receive a reduced rate for multiple performances.

Schools may select from several assembly options and dates listed below. Please read the assembly program descriptions below and sign up to host one or more of the various assembly programs at your school. Assemblies are approximately 60-minutes in length, and can be shortened to 45 minutes for early elementary audiences. The assemblies rely heavily on audience participation. They will be fun, interactive and informative.

COST

Great Lakes Aquarium assemblies are $175 for the first assembly, and $150 for each additional assembly in the same location. Spirit of the Voyageur assemblies, canoe adventures and rendez-vous are $300 per half day for any combination. Half-days are 8:00 am – 11:30 am and 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm. Consider using either program as an evening family event for the entire school! Every effort is made to make these assemblies affordable to all schools. Your charge includes the cost of the assembly program(s) at your school, plus a share of the presenters’ travel (mileage, lodging and per diem) for the week. An invoice will be mailed to your school. Payment should be mailed to the CCISD by the day of your assembly at the address below:

Attention: Shawn Oppliger

Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education

P.O. Box 270

Hancock, MI 49913

TO REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL

E-mail, fax (487-1620) or mail your registration form to Joan Chadde by Friday, February 8, 2002. Availability will be on a first-come basis. Please choose several possible dates and times. The presenters need 45 minutes to set up an assembly, 20-30 minutes between assemblies at the same school, and 45 minutes to pack up the assembly materials before departing. Depending upon the distance between schools, afternoon times may need to be adjusted. Confirmation of date and time for your assembly program(s) will be sent via email by Thursday, February 21^st .

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Joan Chadde at 487-3341 or e-mail jchadde@mtu.edu .

Take advantage of this excellent educational opportunity!!!

Monday-Thursday, March 18-21, 2002

(1) The Great Lake Superior (K-8)

by Great Lakes Aquarium staff, Duluth, MN

Experience a 45-60 minute program with a full cast of characters that educates and entertains your students. Enthralled students will learn about the origins of Lake Superior, the animals of the lake and the diverse human history of the Lake Superior region.

(2) HEADs Up Underwater! (K-6)

by Great Lakes Aquarium staff, Duluth, MN

A high-energy, 50-70 minute interactive assembly featuring fish and fish habitat.

Discover more about the fascinating world of fish by focusing on these key concepts:

Habitat - needs and requirements for suitable homes;

Ecology - food chains and trophic levels;

Adaptation - form follows function. living in a watery environment;

Diversity - fish identification and life history of some fascinating fish.

(3) Great Lakes of the World (Gr. 6-12)

by Great Lakes Aquarium staff, Duluth, MN

Did you know that 57 percent of the world's available surface freshwater is contained in just three lake systems? Where are these lakes, and how are they connected to us? This assembly program will explore some amazing large lakes of the world from cultural, physical and biological perspectives and create an understanding of the scarcity and importance of freshwater resources.

COST: $175 for first assembly; $150 for each additional assembly conducted in the same location.

Monday-Friday, May 20-24, 2002

(4) Spirit of the Voyageur Assemblies, Canoe Adventure or Rendez-vous

by Ron Hobart, storyteller, musician, paddle-maker

a) Voyageur Assembly Program (K-12)

The assembly program is a unique and inspiring program that portrays the 17^th century voyageur, Louis Baron, garbed in authentic clothing—muslin shirt, canvas pants, wool socks, moosehide moccasins. Ron will sing and tell lively stories of his fellow voyageurs as they travel the woods and waterways of North America while co-existing peacefully with the Indians. Students will enjoy story-telling, music and audience participation.

b) Voyageur Canoe Adventures (Gr. 6-12)*

A half-day or full-day canoeing opportunity for students. Ron’s 36’ birch bark canoe can safely hold 20-25 students and take them for hour-long paddles,

while singing voyageur ballads, on any inland lake with public access.

c) Voyageur Rendez-Vous (Gr. 6-12) *

A one-hour hands-on experience including a flint-and-steel fire-building demonstration, music, singing, games, and a lot of fun!

*Schools may opt to combine the paddling experience with the rendez-vous. Appropriate locations for this would be a village, county or state park on a nearby inland lake. The paddling experience and rendez-vous were two of the most popular events at last year’s Lake Superior Youth Symposium for middle/high school students. Ron also spent an entire day with Hancock Middle School students last May, as a climax to their unit on the Great Lakes. Ron is an effective teacher, providing inspiration and age-appropriate challenges for middle and high school students.

Ron Hobart has been presenting programs on the lifestyle of the voyageur to schools, camps, elderhostels, and corporate groups since 1980. He paddled from Montreal, Canada through the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico on an 8-month, 3300-mile expedition, re-enacting LaSalle’s 1682 claiming of the Mississippi River Valley for France. He traveled with 24 men over the same portages and waterways as their 17^th century counterparts. This experience provides depth and zest to his performances. Joan can provide references upon request for Ron’s programs from local schools that hosted him last year.

COST: $300 per half-day for any combination; $575 for a full-day. Half-days are 8:00 – 11:30 AM and 12:30 – 3:30 PM.