More Lesson Plans
Grades K – 3
Grades K – 12
Grades 5 – 12
Grades 6 – 8
Salmonids in the Classroom - Primary
From Fisheries and Oceans Canada
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/education/lessonplans-lecons/sicprimary-secprimaire-eng.html
This learning resource, which focuses on salmon, biology, and stewardship, encourages an ecological approach, integrating science with social studies. Knowledge of salmon biology and habitat are viewed as building blocks toward a stewardship ethic.
Explore a Wetland
From the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/School-Solutions/ . . ./.ashx
Take your students on a wetland safari so they can get a firsthand look at a unique, watery community. Younger student can make a wetland picture story and older student can survey the flora and fauna they see during the field trip.
The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands
From the U.S. Geological Survey
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/ff_index.html
Many students will recognize the marshes along the coast as wetlands., and this curriculum provides the basis for a comprehensive study of coastal wetlands.
SalmonWILD
From the Young Naturalists Club of British Columbia
http://www.ync.ca/2011/12/new-salmonwild.html
For anyone interested in learning about the intriguing world of salmon, the Young Naturalists’ Club of BC has brought together fascinating and fun-filled facts to help you on your way. In SalmonWILD you’ll learn about salmon lifecycles and discover how salmon navigate back to their home stream. You’ll connect with First Nations salmon culture and discover how salmon are vital to the Circle of Life. You’ll learn where to find salmon and where to find more information about salmon. You can get involved in helping protect salmon and their habitat by diving into some of the stewardship activities and get inspired for action by reading about our salmon champion professionals and children in the field.
Saltwater Wetlands
From the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/School-Solutions/ . . ./.ashx
Stretching along much of the world’s coastlines are ribbons of life – productive and important communities of plants and animals that flourish between the open waters of the oceans and the dry lands beyond. This pdf includes several activities related to saltwater wetlands including making a mud snail, building a mangrove swamps, understanding brine shrimp, and making a salt march display board.
Teaching about Wetlands
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/outreach/upload/teaching.pdf
Why is a wetland important? Many people can’t answer this question with confidence. Although the public’s appreciation of wetlands is increasing, wetland studies have often been omitted from school curricula in the past. Once young people learn about the value of wetlands, they have the tools to become active citizens working to protect this critical feature of the environment for future generations.
Wetlands Ecosystem Study Unit
From Mrs. O's House
http://www.mrsoshouse.com/enviro02/2002.html
Examine the variety and numbers of organisms that live in wetlands. You will discover that wetlands are one of the most productive habitats on earth. There are many types of wetlands including fresh and salt water marshes, bogs, fresh and salt water lakes, estuaries, swamps, retention ponds, vernal pools, and river banks.
WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands
https://www.watereducation.org/product/wow-wonders-wetlands
WOW!: The Wonders of Wetlands is an instructional guide for educators that provides a resourceful and creative collection of wetland activities, information, and ideas. WOW! includes: over 50 hands-on multidisciplinary activities in lesson plan format, extensive background information on wetlands, ideas for student action projects, and a wetlands resource guide.
Explore the World with Shorebirds: Educator’s Guide for the Shorebird
From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/sssp/
Sister Schools Program is a migratory bird curriculum created by the US
Fish and Wildlife Service. It is available as a CD in English and in paper
in Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
Fill Those Potholes: Identifying Ecosystem Services of Small Wetlands on the American Prairie
From the USDA Forest Service’s Natural Inquirer
http://www.naturalinquirer.org/Fill-Those-Potholes-a-98.html
The Prairie Pothole Region of North America is an area of the northern Great Plains once mostly made up of mixed grass and tallgrass prairies. When the glaciers receded 10,000 years ago in this area, they left millions of shallow depressions. These depressions filled with water and are now known as prairie potholes. These potholes are wetlands which provide a temporary home to over 50 percent of North America’s migratory waterfowl. Most of the water found in prairie potholes comes from melting winter snow. In this area of the United States, the soil is good for growing agricultural crops. In the past, farmers drained the potholes to increase the amount of land available to grow crops and over half of the prairie potholes have been drained. This was not good for the waterfowl that depend on the potholes for breeding habitat, food, and shelter. Government programs now help farmers and landowners restore the prairie potholes to their wetland condition. As wetlands, the potholes do more than provide habitat for waterfowl. In this research, students learn about other services provided to humans by prairie potholes. These services are known as ecosystem services.
Wetland Surveys and Slogans
From the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/School-Solutions/ . . ./.ashx
Hundreds of species of plants and animals depend on wetlands for food, water, and shelter, and as a place to raise their young. By making posters, T-shirts, stamps, and/or bumper stickers, your kids can let others know that wetlands are valuable wildlife habitats.
What Goes Around Comes Around: How Long Term Weather Patterns Affect Plants in Carolina Bay Wetlands
From the USDA Forest Service’s Natural Inquirer
http://www.naturalinquirer.org/What-Goes-Around-Comes-Around-a-96.html
Why should we care about freshwater wetlands? Freshwater wetlands play an important role in an ecosystem by providing ecosystem services throughout the world. Freshwater wetlands help clean water by removing pollution and act like a storage unit when floods occur. These wetlands are also homes and breeding areas for many different types of wildlife.
