Great Lakes Learning: Freshwater science for the youngest learners – Part 1

As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/great-lakes-learning-younger-learners/

Gary Abud Jr.

Heavy rain undermined a Kenosha, Wisconsin, construction site, causing a rupture to a sewer pipe and the bypass of nearly 2 million gallons of sanitary sewage into the storm water system and ultimately into Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Kenosha News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-sewer

Ceci Weibert

As the energy utility company Northern Indiana Public Service Company prepares to close its Michigan City Generating Station, a coalition of residents and environmental groups are calling on the company to do more to protect their health and the environment. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-nipsco

Ceci Weibert

With Great Lakes and river water levels projected to be higher than last year, the city of Detroit is underway on a $2 million dam project to protect the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood ravaged by flooding last year. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-dam

Ceci Weibert

Marina officials in Indiana along the Lake Michigan shoreline said that while some aspects of their operations have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus, boaters have been respectful of social distancing mandates as the season gets under way. Read the full story by The Post-Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-marina

Ceci Weibert

So many fantastic plants and animals call the Great Lakes their HOMES. Their habitats are in or near the Great Lakes because that’s where they find the food, water, and shelter they need.

In this lesson, your child will choose a Great Lakes creature to learn more about – including what it eats and what animal eats it. Then, they’ll diagram a food chain. Students will see how the plants and animals that live in and around the Great Lakes are connected.

Time/Materials

This activity will take between 30 minutes and an hour.

You’ll need:

  • Computer
  • Paper
  • Drawing materials
  • Optional: printer

Ready? Head to the Classroom!

Watch the video below to learn about food webs.

Share the Learning

Ask your kids: What foods do you or your pet eat? Is it mostly plants or animals? What about the animals you see out your window or when visiting a Great Lakes habitat. Can you make a simple food chain for those creatures?

Activity

  • Option 1: Use our Web of Life page to create a food chain by drawing lines with arrows to show what is eaten by each of those creatures. If the creature is a plant, where does it get its energy from? Draw a line from its energy source to the creature. (You can find the completed food chain drawing on page 1 of our Web of Life lesson plan.)
  • Option 2: Choose one of the Great Lakes Creature Cards, and start a food web. Use the information on the back of the card to connect them to what they eat, and who eats them. Then connect those creatures to what they eat and who eats them. And so on! If you want to print Creature Cards: 1) Select double-sided print, 2) Select “Flip on short edge,” 3) Under page sizing, select “Fit” (rather than “Actual Size”).

Extra Credit

Parents: Take a photo of your Great Lakes food chain or food web, and share it on social media. Tag us in your creations, and we may share it with others! 

Deep Dive

Want to learn more? Check out these resources!

  • The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory has created sample food webs for each of the 5 Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair. Visit the GLERL website
  • Have fun making a Tangled Web of Great Lakes plants and animals with this Great Lakes in My World lessons for grades 4 and up. Students make a food web using yarn to demonstrate the connections between Great Lakes species, discuss the significance of the complexity of the web, and discover the impacts of changes to the web (e.g. overfishing, pollution).
  • Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit gives a Virtual Tour and an introduction to food chains and food webs in this interactive 17-minute video.
  • Learn food web vocabulary and more examples of Great Lakes plants and animals with this Food Chains and Webs activity from Michigan Sea Grant.

Find more Great Lakes lessons at H.O.M.E.School.

 

 

The post H.O.M.E.School Week 5: Food Chains & Food Webs appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2020/05/homeschool-food-webs/

Kirsten Ballard

Great Lakes Moment: River otters return to western Lake Erie

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

Most people know river otters from zoos or YouTube videos as endearing playful creatures that can put a smile on anyone’s face.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/river-otters-western-lake-erie/

John Hartig

Tim Kohlstedt has a greater appreciation nowadays for the angst expressed in Vincent van Gogh’s Night Café: “Everyone in the painting is hunched over. It’s how the world is feeling right now.” 

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/04/life-skills-skateboarding-art-appreciation-relationship-mending/

David Poulson

...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING... Dry air combined with winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph will result in an elevated fire risk across the area through early this evening. The greatest risk will occur near and ahead of a cold front that will continue to drop south across the area. The front will shift from Lincoln and southern Marinette County around 12 to

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BD0C110.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BDD7E00WI.GRBSPSGRB.747e49cf925d473ecac83faa26316a44

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TODAY... Dry air combined with winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph will result in an elevated fire risk across the area today. The greatest risk will occur near and ahead of a cold front that will be dropping south across the area. The front will move through northern Wisconsin during the late morning and mid-day hours, and central

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BCFACE4.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BD0D3D0WI.GRBSPSGRB.747e49cf925d473ecac83faa26316a44

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...ELEVATED FIRE RISK EXPECTED SUNDAY... Dry air combined with gusty winds will result in an elevated fire risk across the area on Sunday. The greatest risk will occur near and just ahead of a cold front that will be dropping south across the area. The front will move through northern Wisconsin during the late morning and mid-day hours, and reach central and east-central

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BCE4D54.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BCFC260WI.GRBSPSGRB.5cf3797acd1a901ac77b8d3d54bd6a7c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS... Mild temperatures, west winds gusting between 25 to 35 mph, and low relative humidity will result in near-critical fire weather conditions into this evening. Similar conditions are expected for portions of the area Sunday afternoon, as a cold frontal passage occurs.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BC21A48.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BCE3BC0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE WEEKEND... Mild temperatures, west to northwest winds gusting to 25 to 35 mph, and low relative humidity will result in near-critical fire weather conditions this weekend. The worst conditions are expected over central Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon, as a cold frontal passage occurs.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BC05E24.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BC22DD0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

Du­luth, Minnesota, tour­ism lead­ers are ready for Min­ne­so­tans that may be look­ing for summer va­ca­tions close to home. Vis­it Du­luth, the city’s tour­ism non­prof­it, plans to use taglines like “Lake Superior: Big en­ough for ev­er­y­one.”  Read the full story by the Star Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-duluth

Patrick Canniff

Despite a delay, Emmet County, Michigan, is slated to open the Crooked River Lock later this month. The lock regulates water levels between the Crooked River and Crooked Lake, and is one passageway in the extended Inland Waterway connecting to Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-crooked-lock

Patrick Canniff

As Ohio begins to open some businesses again, Lake Erie fishing guides will be back in operation. The guide operations will be taking customers fishing starting Friday, but only if the guides and their customers diligently follow the COVID-19 protocols mandated by Gov. Mike DeWine. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-charter

Patrick Canniff

Milwaukee Neighborhood Pushes Toward Climate Resilience

Over the last two decades, Milwaukee's Walnut Way neighborhood has gradually transformed from lifeless parcels to green space and become a model for others.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/rust-resilience-milwaukee-climate-resilience-green/

WUWM-FM, Milwaukee Public Broadcasting

Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Shale gas and coal groundwater impact, coal ash pollution in Indiana, Ohio EPA OKs mine despite protests

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Indiana residents are worried about insufficient measures being taken to address pollution during coal ash pond closure; Yale University study could help Ohio homeowners connect water contamination to shale gas and coal industry; Ohio EPA approves Athens County mine despite protests; Supreme Court ruling adopts new standard for Clean Water Act; and states and municipalities might not have the resources to make up for the federal government backing down on enforcement.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/energy-coal-ohio-indiana-enforcement/

Ian Wendrow

Once a city in decline, the city of Duluth has rebounded as a tourism destination and a “climate haven”. However, changing weather patterns and higher lake levels are forcing citizens to adapt and prepare for future challenges. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-duluth

Ned Willig

The novel coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to the consequences of insufficient water access, air pollution and the role of federal oversight in protecting the basic right to clean water. Read the full story by WDET – Radio – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-water-is-a-human-right

Ned Willig

As spring returns and birds migrate north, bird enthusiasts in Chicago are hoping a locally famous pair of piping plovers returns to Lake Michigan. As the coronavirus shuts down activity along Chicago’s beaches, bird enthusiasts hope that the new quiet help birds like the piping plover safely nest and hatch their eggs. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-plovers

Ned Willig

Stay-out-home orders and restrictions on “non-essential” businesses have left Ohio’s fishing and tourism industry floundering. The halt in manufacturing across the region has also beached cargo shipping along the lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-fish-n-freight

Ned Willig

At a recent public hearing, community environmental groups urged the Northern Indiana Public Service Company to protect public health and fully remediate the areas currently used as a coal ash pond near a power generation facility in Northwest Indiana. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-nipsco

Ned Willig