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

 

Integrating Watershed Education & Stream Monitoring into the Curriculum          

For:                 Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science Teachers of Gr. 4-12

 

Dates:                         June 11-14, 2002

 

Location:         MTU Ford Forestry Center, Alberta, MI

 

Registration Cost:  $275 per person includes meals, overnight accommodations at Ford Forestry Center, activity guides, videos, chemical and biological monitoring kits, and other workshop materials.  Registration covered by Eisenhower funds for schools in the CCISD consortium and for CCISD & GOISD schools enrolled in the Earth Science Professional Development Initiative for 2001-02.

 

Credit:  2.0 semester credits from Northern Michigan University ($356 for two ED 989 credits; seq # 10980-97 Integrating Watershed Education into Curriculum) or Michigan Tech University ($159 for two ED 5540-Sec. 6            Applied Watershed Science non-degree seeking credits and $312 for two MTU graduate credits, w/ MTU scholarship).  Cost of university credit is responsibility of participant.  Registration for NMU and MTU credit options will be on the first day of the workshop.

 

Sponsors:  Western U.P. Center for Science, Math & Environmental Education and Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality.

 

Course Description:

This workshop takes the watershed approach to learning about streams, river, lakes and wetlands by integrating history, literature, writing, social studies, math and science. Through field trips, hands-on activities, sharing best teaching ideas and examining a variety of water education materials, teachers will enhance their understanding and gain the skills to perform physical, chemical, and biological water quality monitoring with their students, using Michigan stream monitoring protocols. The workshop will address Michigan content standards for science, math, language arts, and social studies. 

 

Course Objectives

  1)  Link workshop objectives to Michigan Benchmarks for Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Language Arts.

  2)  Provide teachers with the knowledge, tools, and skill to develop a watershed/adopt-a-stream unit involving at least two subject areas.

 

Requirements/Method of Evaluation

Each teacher team will:

§         Fully participate in and attend all workshop sessions.

§         Share a 1-page written summary of their team’s proposed teaching unit at the workshop.

§         By August 31, submit a two-page outline of a teaching/learning unit that reflects effective teaching strategies, meets Michigan curriculum standards, and can be implemented in the classroom during Fall 2002.

§         Share their findings with their community through a news article, community meeting, newsletter, or any other form of communication the teachers select.

 

Resources/Texts

·         GEMS River Cutters Activity Guide

·         Water Education for Teachers (WET) Activity Guide

·         Watershed Science for Educators Curriculum Guide

·        Videos, posters, youth literature, ID sheets, etc.

Integrating Watershed Education & Stream Monitoring into the Curriculum  

                       

WORKSHOP AGENDA

Tuesday, June 11

10:00-11:00       Check-in

11:00-Noon       Workshop Overview / Introductions / Credit Options / Grant Req’ts   (Joan)

What is A Watershed? – Lake Superior Floor Map

Topo Maps – watershed delineation

 

Noon – 1:00      Lunch

 

1:00 – 3:45        GEMS River Cutters (Barb McTaggart, Western UP Math & Science Center)

                        - back of Dining Hall

 

4:00 – 4:45        Tour of Alberta Sawmill

 

5:00-6:00           Free Time (canoe, hike, relax)

 

6:00-6:45           Dinner

 

7:15-9:15          Classroom Activities from Project WET   (Joan Chadde)

¨       Sparkling Water   p. 348

¨       Sum of the Parts  p. 267

¨       Color Me A Watershed   p. 223

¨       Macroinvertebrate Mayhem  p. 322

 

9:30 - ?             Preview water videos (optional)

 

Wednesday, June 12

 

7:30-8:30                       BREAKFAST

 

8:30-11:00 AM         Introduction to Stream Monitoring  (Joan Chadde)

§         Enviroscape demonstration of water pollution prevention practices

 

11:00-11:45       Stream Macroinvertebrate  (Katie Walch)

¨       Morphology, Key to Orders, life cycle & metamorphosis, role in food chain

¨       Collecting & Preserving

¨       Biological indicators & Biotic Indices (Joan)

¨       Stream Insect ID

 

11:45-12:30                   LUNCH

 

12:30-4:30                     How to Assess the Health of a Stream: Monitoring Sturgeon River,

Linden Creek and Menge Creek

¨       Biological assessment  (Evelyn Ravendran, Keweenaw Bay Natural Resources Dept.)

¨       Water chemistry

¨       Physical stream channel measurements

¨       Stream habitat assessment   

 

4:30-5:30                       Free Time

 

5:30-6:15                       Dinner

 

6:30-9:30                       USGS Stream Monitoring – Steve Blumer, hydrologist, USGS

                                   

Thursday, June 13

7:00-8:00 AM                Breakfast

 

8:00-9:00                       Drive to MTU (Each group of 3 brings one personal car for afternoon)

 

9:00-12:00                     Houghton-Portage Wastewater Treatment Plant tour  (Dr. Marty Auer, MTU)

·         9:00-09:30     PowerPoint Presentation (875 Dow)

·         9:30-09:45     Travel to treatment plant

·         9:45-11:45     Tour

                                   

12:00-12:30                   Lunch at the MUB at MTU

 

12:30                            Problem-Solving Assignment:

                                    Evaluate the Health of the Huron Creek Watershed   (six groups of 3)

 

3:30-4:30                       Group Presentations & Discussion (UPPCO Bldg. Conference Room – Houghton)

                                       Panel Members: Bruce Petersen, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

                                                                                  Tom Merz, mayor, City of Houghton (invited)                                                                

                                                                                  Kristine Bradof, Center for Science & Env. Outreach, MTU

                                                                                  Jim Luoma, Houghton Middle School (invited)

                                                                                  Bill Deephouse, Copper Country Trout Unlimited (invited)

 

5:00-6:00                       Drive back to Ford Forestry Center

 

6:00-7:00                       Dinner

 

7:30-9:30                       River of Words: Students Communicating Their Knowledge

                                    (Jenn Klipp, Lake Linden-Hubbell Middle School teacher)

                                   

10:00 - ??                      Campfire & Stargazing (Kevin Anderson, LLH)

 

Friday, June 14

7:30-8:30                       BREAKFAST

 

8:30-10:00 AM              Teacher Team Planning                                                                                                   

 

10:00-Noon                   Teacher Team Presentations on their Watershed Units

(10 minutes each)

 

Noon-12:45                   Lunch

 

1:00-2:00                       Equipment Distribution & Workshop Evaluations & Departure