Indiana DunesEducation

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Indiana Dunes National LakeshoreEducation Department

Lake Michigan Alive

Summary: Learn the history and significance of Lake Michigan and how it affects our l ives. Experience the predator/prey relat ionships of the lake. Discuss how man’s influence has affected this re lat ionship and what we can do about i t .

Objectives: students will be able to

1. Describe basic geography and stat is t ics of the Great Lakes.

2. 2. List and explain exotic species or pollutants . Explanations could include how they arrived stressing the human influences, what effect exotics or pollutants have, and what we can do about them.

3. State the natural and economic importance of Lake Michigan in their own words.

4. Demonstrate a predator/prey relat ionship process of bio-magnification and correlate this to

human impact

Setting: This year-round program will take place indoors at the Douglas Center for one hour. If a visi t to the lake after the one hour indoor program is desired, then the program will last one and one half hours. If the recommended trip to the lake is presented, then the buses wil l have to be ready to take the group and the rangers to the lake after the one hour indoor program. There is l i t t le hiking involved in this program..

Grade: Aimed at 4th grade; will accommodate other grades.

Ratio of students to ranger: 30 to 1 unless staff ing is l imited; then

the groups wil l be larger.

Safety Issues: No apparent safety issues present. There will be no swimming during program.

Background Information: Lake Michigan i s why we’re here! There would be no Indiana Dunes i f i t wasn’ t for the powerful lake tha t has been deposi t ing and e roding the sand tha t forms our beaches for the pas t 15 ,000 years . Lake Michigan suppor ts the indus t r ies tha t suppor t our economy and the thousands of fami l ies tha t l ived in Nor thwes te rn Indiana and the Chicago area .The lake i s a l so a f ragi le ecosys tem housing many di f ferent organisms f rom microscopic p lankton to l a rge f i sh .Human inf luence and ac t iv i ty such as pol lu t ion and in t roduct ions of non-nat ive species of p lants and animals have a de t r imenta l e f fec t on the l i fe wi th in and around the lake .Our program s t resses the impor tance of the l ake not as an i so la ted ecosys tem but as i t re la tes to the landforms and popula t ios tha t sur round i t .

Geography : *The Grea t Lakes a re a lso known as the “ In land Seas” c rea t ing the na t ion’s “ th i rd coas t” . * Conta in 1 /5 t h o f a l l the Ear th’s s tanding f resh water ; wi th 10 ,000 miles of shore l ine . * The l as t major change to the Grea t Lakes occurred about 3 ,500 years ago.* Eight s t a tes and one Canadian province border the Grea t Lakes . * The l akes cover more than 95,000 square mi les , an area larger than New York and Pennsylvania put together .* The f ive lakes and the i r connect ing wate rways s t re tch 2 ,342 mi les f rom Kingston, Ontar io a t the eas tern t ip of Lake Ontar io to Duluth , Minnesota , a t the wes te rn edge of Lake Super ior .* The Grea t Lakes were formed a mere 14 ,000 years ago.

Lake Michigan:* the 3 r d la rgest of the Great Lakes and 6 t h la rgest lake in the wor ld .*only Great Lake to ta l ly in the US.*307 miles long f rom s t ra i t s of Mackinac to the shores of Indiana .*118 miles across f rom WI to MI.*average depth i s 279 ' .* Maximum depth = 923’ (281m) near Manis tee , MI; 2 n d deepest .*connec ted to o ther Great Lakes v ia Lake Huron through the s t ra i t s . *Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are b io logica l ly cons idered one lake because they are a t the same sea l evel and connec ted .

*Lake Huron/Michigan i s 581 ' above sea leve l and 20 ' be low Lake Super ior and 10 ' above Lake Er ie .*produces i ron ore , s t ee l , l imestone , and gra in and farm products*10 areas of concern .*water enter ing the lake wi l l s t ay there for 99 years because water enters and exi ts through the same path .* Width = 60 to 110 miles .* Elevat ion 581’ above sea l evel .* Area = 22 ,300 square mi les or 58 ,000,000,000 m.* Volume = 1 ,180 cubic mi les or 1300 t r i l l ion ga l lons (4 ,900,000,000,000 m) . Lake Super ior :*wor ld’s l a rges t f reshwate r lake by sur face area .*deep and cold .* least pol lu ted .*sparse ly popula ted .*surrounding natura l resources inc lude t imber , meta ls and recrea t ion . *suppl ies US wi th 97% of wor ld’s i ron ore .*water enter ing the lake wi l l s t ay there for a lmost 500 years . *es t imated tha t 95% of pers i s tent toxic subs tances enter lake f rom a i r .*7 Areas of Concern .* the l arges t f reshwate r lake in the ent i re wor ld .

Lake Ontar io :*sl ight ly smal ler in a rea than Lake Er ie but much deeper , hold ing four t imes the amount of water .*e ight areas of concern .*water enter ing the lake s tays there for s ix years .* the smal les t of the Great Lakes .

Lake Er ie : *nine Areas of Concern .* resources inc lude g lass and s tee l product ion .*water enter ing the lake s tays there for 3 years .* the shal lowes t of the Grea t Lakes .* Wel land Cana l he lps sh ips go around Niagara Fal l s ; has 40 locks ; ra i se or lower sh ips 326 fee t .

Lake Huron:*2 n d la rgest of the Great Lakes and 5 t h la rgest lake in the wor ld .*major resources inc lude: sa l t , copper , s i lver , uranium, and the wor ld’s la rgest l imes tone quarr ies .*4 Areas of Concern .* water enter ing the lake s tays there for 22 years .* the only lake tha t connect s to more than one Great Lake. Det ro i t and the S t . Cla i r Rivers ; S t ra i t s of Mackinac; S t . Mary’s River .* Er ie Canal , 363 miles long, bypasses S t . Lawrence River be tween Buffa lo

and Albany, New York. * S t . Lawrence Seaway bui l t in 1959.* Soo locks a l lows t ravel be tween Lake Huron and Lake Super ior .

S t . Lawrence River :*870 miles long; 110 of these mi les i s in the US.* s ix t r ibutar ies near ly double the r iver ’s f low, f rom i t s beginning as i t leaves Lake Onta r io to i t ’ s out f low in to the Gulf of S t . Lawrence

Ecology: * Aqua t ic food chains are long compared to t e r res t r i a l ones : phytoplankton – zooplankton smel t her r ing perchsa lmon. * In the l ake wate r animals are long l ived and p lant s a re shor t l ived . * Chinook ea t a lewives exclusively . Lake Trout and Coho Salmon wi l l swi tch i f needed.

Human His tory:* “Discovered” by the French in 1535 by Jacques Car t ier . Huron f i r s t , then Super ior , Michigan, Ontar io , and Er ie . I roquois Indians guarded Lake Er ie . * The f i r s t ‘ sh ip’ on the Great Lakes was the Gr i f f in in 1679. * Ci t i es making up the region are Hammond, Gary , Eas t Chicago, and Whit ing .

Indust r ia l Uses and Consequences* 5 s tee l mi l l s located wi th in the Ca lumet Region. Ci t ies making up the region a re Hammond, Gary , Eas t Chicago, and Whi t ing . * An impor tant ingredient for making s tee l i s i ron ore . Nor thern Minnesota and Wiscons in are known for the i r la rge depos i ts of i ron ore . * I f you drop pol lu t ion in Lake Michigan, i t wi l l t ake approximate ly 99 years to f i l te r i t se l f through and get out . Lake Super ior wi l l take about 200 years and Lake Er ie about three .* Pol lu t ion comes f rom ai r th is i s the main pol lu t ion source as d i rec t fa l lout f rom the a tmosphere , sediments , t r ibutar ies .* Pol lu t ion becomes more concentra ted over t ime .* There are 10 Areas of Concern a long Lake Michigan. Each Area of Concern needs a Remedia l Act ion P lan or RA.P

A Sample of Grea t Lake Exot ics1 . Zebra Mussels2 . Ruffe3 . Spiny Water F lea4 . Euras ian Wate r Mi l fo i l5 . Sea Lamprey Exot ic Sea Lamprey* Can l ive both in f resh and sa l t water , na t ive to At lant ic though.

* Found in a l l 5 grea t lakes ; grea tes t concent ra t ion is in Lake Huron. young lamprey are produced in l ake t r ibutar ies ; many s t reams run in to Lake Huron * Mechanica l and e lec t ronic bar r iers are be ing bui l t in to Great Lakes t r ibutar iescol lapsed Lake Trout , Whi te f ish , and Chub popula t ions in 40’s and 50’s* Wel land Cana l comple ted in 1829 and improved in 1919 and consequent ly lampreys spread to Lake Er ie* In 1938 they entered Lake Super ior by being a t tached to sh ips going through the locks on S t . Mary’s River* Can consume 40 pounds of hos t f i sh in i t s l i fe t ime* Adul t l ives for 18 months

Fish Species in Lake MichiganLake s turgeon Sea LampreyAlewife- Lake whi te f ishBloater - ^Blackf in c isco^Deepwater c isco ^Shor t j aw c isco^Longjaw c isco ^Kiyi^Shor tnose Cisco ^Lake her r ingRound whi tef i sh Lake t routBrook t rout- Ra inbow t routBrown t rout Chinook sa lmonCoho sa lmon- Nor thern p ikeCarp- Emerald sh inerSpot ta i l sh iner Longnose suckerWhite sucker Channel ca t f i shBul lheads- Trout-perchBurbot- Ninespine s t ick lebackSmal lmouth bass Yel low PerchWal leye -Freshwate r drumSlimy sculp in Fourhorn sculp inSpoonhead sculp in Rainbow smel t ^ endangered

History of Lake Michigan Timeline

Time Event

12,ooo yrs. B.P. GLENWOOD STAGE B.P. = before present Glacial Lake Chicago is formed.

10,000 yrs B.P. CALUMET STAGE

Lake level is 40 ft. above present level._________________________________________________________________________

8,000 yrs B.P.- TOLLESTON STAGE_____Chicago plain is formed. Post-glacial to late 1700’s Native American groups seine, net and spear fish from a relatively “pristine” lake

Early 1800’s Advent of a commercial fishery on Lake Michigan. Exploitation of streams, then near shore environment, then gill nets and hand lining in open water.1825 Completion of the Welland Canal connecting Lake

Ontario and Lake Erie.1829 Erie Canal completed connecting Hudson River and Lake

Ontario; later connecting Lake Ontario with Lake Erie.

Introduction of the pond net._________________________________________________________________________1870’s Commercial fish catch declines 50% from 1855 level._________________________________________________________________________1840’s – 1900 Lake Sturgeon population is depleted close to extinction._________________________________________________________________________1879 Carp are introduced into Illinois. They establish

themselves in Lake Michigan in 1890’s. Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal constructed.

_________________________________________________________________________1892 Goldfish escape from World’s Fair and establish

themselves in Lake Michigan._________________________________________________________________________1900’s Population of Blackfin Cisco decline – after 1950 they

disappear completely._________________________________________________________________________1912 – 1920 Smelt is introduced into the Lake Michigan basin._________________________________________________________________________1913 – 1934 Welland Canal enlarged. (It was probably at this time.

1913, that the sea lamprey made the passage.)

1921- The Sea Lamprey is reported in Lake Erie.1931 Alewife reported in Lake Erie.

1943 Advent of Sea Lamprey into Lake Michigan. 1951 Lake trout fishery is wiped out by the sea lamprey and commercial fishing pressure. Burbot and whitefish populations are also reduced by the lamprey.

1950’s – 1960’s During the 1950’s alewives double their numbers yearly. During the 1960’s massive alewife die-offs occur. Alewives out compete other fish populations so that by 1970’s close to 90% of fish in Lake Michigan are alewives. Species affected include the emerald shiner, lake herring, yellow perch, “chubs” and whitefish.

1959 St. Lawrence Seaway completed – increase shipping in Lake Michigan.

1965 Introduction of coho, Chinooks, Lake trout and other salmon varieties to reestablish a predator population. Commercial fishing is greatly reduced while sport fishing gets an upsurge.

1960’s – 1970 Cultural eutrophication results in local “blooms” of Cladorphora.

Prerequisite Classroom Activities: Before your v i s i t to Indiana Dunes Nat iona l Lakeshore , p lease t ake a moment to read through the informat ion l i s ted be low. We sugges t tha t you do one or more of the descr ibed ac t iv i t ies wi th your c lass in order to prepare them for the l essons and exper iences they wi l l have dur ing the i r f i e ld t r ip . A l i s t of vocabula ry words has been provided to prepare s tudents for the i r v is i t . I f there i s a specia l topic or area tha t you want the ranger to cover dur ing the presenta t ion , p lese contac t the park’s schedul ing of f ice , and every ef for t wi l l be made to accommodate your request .

1) Look a t a drop of lake , pond or s t ream water under a microscope . Discuss the impor tance of microscopic organisms in a l l bodies of wa ter ; where do they f i t on the food chain?

2) Have the s tudents wr i te a s tory as i f they were a f i sh l iv ing in Lake Michigan. What would they see , do and ea t?

3) Water ente r ing a l ake mixes wi th the water a l ready there in the lake . I t takes a very long t ime for subs tances tha t en te r the lake to wash out ; about 3 t imes longer than the i r f i l l l ing t imes . Ques t ions to ask your s tudents :* I f you poured a cup of o i l in to Lake Super ior , how long would i t take for i t to wash downstream of Lake Super ior?* How long would i t take to comple te ly wash through the Great Lakes and out of Lake Ontar io?* What does th is te l l you about pol lu tants enter ing the lakes?Recyc l ing T imes for the d i f ferent lakes .Super ior =180 yearsMichigan=99 yearsHuron =23 yearsEr ie =3 yearsOntar io =8 years

4) A capta in of a sa i l ing sh ip knows i t i s 50 mi les to por t . The wind i s b lowing 40 mph. When the capta in’s sa i l s a re fu l l , he can t rave l 40 mph. Wi l l he make i t to por t before the s torm ar r ives in 3 hours . What would you do? Gamble wi th the s torm or run to the neares t she l te r?

5) Connect the f l ags of countr ies capable of sa i l ing in to the Great Lakes f rom the i r home por t to the Por t of Indiana on a wor ld map.

6) Five s tee l mi l l s a re located wi th in the Calumet Region. Ci t ies making up the region are Hammond, Gary , East Chicago, and Whit ing . An impor tant ingredient for making s tee l i s i ron ore . Nor thern Minnesota and Wisconsin are known for the i r la rge deposi t i s of i ron ore .

7) Imagine you are an ore boat capta in based in Super ior , Wiscons in . You have been h i red to p ickup a load of i ron ore a t a por t in Duluth , Minnesota and del iver i t to the Por t of Indiana . Use a ru ler or o ther s t ra ight edge to char t the course you wi l l take on your map of the Great Lakes .

Through which l akes and locks do you t ravel?The Soo Locks c lose on December 15 and do not re -open for bus iness unt i l Apr i l . Think about i t s loca t ion and g ive one reason why you th ink these locks c lose for four months every year .

8) You a re a sa i lor on an ocean-f re ighter . On th is journey, your sh ip unloaded s tee l s labs a t a s tee l mi l l in Indiana . When you reach the ent rance to the S t . Lawrence Seaway you decide to wr i te a le t t e r to a f r iend in Ar izona. Your f r iend does not know much about the Great Lakes , so you should descr ibe your t r ip through the Great Lakes in de ta i l . Tel l your f r iend about each of the lakes and a l l the locks you go through. Your f r iend does not know about how locks are used in the Grea t Lakes , so descr ibe why a lock i s used and how i t works . I f you want to do ext ra , you can a lso wr i te about o ther de ta i l s of your t r ip such as weather you exper ience or some of the c i t i es you pass a long the way.

As you enter the Por t of Indiana , a towboat comes to he lp push your boat , the Lady Lee a long s ide the dock. A crane unloads the s tee l s labs you have de l ivered .

Congratu la t ions , you have successfu l ly comple ted your miss ion!

9) Choose an organism in our Lake Michigan Al ive word l i s t ac t iv i ty and research i t . Answer severa l ques t ions about i t ; such as : I s i t na t ive or exot ic? Is i t harmful , he lpful or ne i the r? Can we get r id of i t i f we want to? How did i t ge t in the lake in the f i r s t p lace?

10) Role P laying on Ways we use the Great Lakes . Ass ign a s tudent to

each ro le l i s t ed below and le t them te l l you why they th ink the lakes are impor tant to the i r l ives .

Farmer Frank (Agriculture)The main produc ts are wheat , corn , soybeans , bar ley , and oats .The Lake Michigan a rea conta ins the most fa rmland and is a leading grower of vegetables and f ru i ts . Cheeses and o ther mi lk products come f rom WI The Lake Er ie reg ion ra ises p igs , sheep, soybeans , whea t , and chicken corn The Lake Huron bas in i s wor ld’s b igges t produces of navy beans whi le the Lake Super ior reg ion i s a fores t product producer .

Freddie the F isherman (F ishing)The Grea t Lakes i s an impor tant resource for f i sh , a food resource for both people and wi ld l i fe . Species inc lude whi tef i sh , ye l low perch , l ake t rout , sa lmon, chub, whi te bass , and ca rp . Lake Er ie ’s wa l leye p ike f i shery is cons idered to be the bes t in the wor ld .

Samantha the Shipper (Shipping)The shipping has been respons ib le for the deve lopment of the ent i re Great Lakes Region. This na tura l t ranspor ta t ion system helped wi th explora t ion and se t t lement , inc luding t rade and t ranspor t of goods . Today shipping is a major indus t ry . I ron ore f rom Lake Super ior a rea i s sh ipped to the mi l ls of Chicago, Cleveland, and Gary to be made in to s tee l . This s tee l i s then sh ipped to Det ro i t to be made in to cars . Some of the produc ts t ranspor ted are coal , l imes tone , gra in , newspr in t , cement . The S t . Lawrence Seaway helped the sh ipping to become an in ternat ional t ranspor ta t ion route .

Mary the Manufacturer (Manufactur ing)Manufactur ing indus t r i es a re a t t rac ted to the Great Lakes area because the water source provides cheap e lec t r ic i ty and convenient t ranspor ta t ion routes . Major indus t r i es inc lude the s tee l mi l l s ( located in the southern end of Lake Michigan , and in Det ro i t , Cleveland, and Lora in , Ohio) ; the paper mi l l s ( loca ted in the upper Grea t Lakes) , the chemica l manufacture rs ( located on the Niagara River and the Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron and the automobi les ( loca ted in Det ro i t ) .

Tommy Tour is t (Tour ism and Recrea t ion) Tour ism and recrea t ion are a lso major indus t r ies . For example , in Ot tawa County , Ohio the regular popula t ion of 40 ,000 inc reases to 250,000 dur ing the summer weekends . Mar inas , res taurants , and s tores have been bui l t in popular areas . Over 60 mi l l ion people each year v is i t the 98 s ta te parks and the 12 na t iona l parks in the Uni ted S ta tes not to ment ion Canada’s tour i s t s .

S tar t wi th the Ice Age Geology of the Glacie r Carving out our Lake Michigan.

This ac t iv i ty br ings out the concept of the shore l ine f luc tua t ion tha t Lake Chicago grew and shrunk many t imes .* Have s tudents s tand and represent the fo l lowing: moraine , g lac ier , water l ine , wa ter . * Have g lac ier drop of f debr is for moraine and mel t and f i l l new lake . As i t mel t s and f inds new dra inage , some water moves out . Have g lac ier grow and take back some water and a rea , mel t again , have g lac ier mel t back and uncover the so i l . Be sure to show fas t water leve l changes everyt ime a new dra inage develops .

12) S tudy the d i f ferent Lake Eras . This ac t iv i ty involves having the s tudents research and provide three th ings tha t should be done dur ing the next 10 years to he lp the lake . * Voyageurs , fur t rapping* Indust r ia l age; increase sh ipping use ; harvest and pol lu t ion* Using for a dump, * us ing power to harvest f i sh* Man removing natura l bar r ie rs* Bui ld ing of cana ls , movement of l iv ing th ings quickly be tween wate r zones* Al iens af fec t ing na tura l ba lance* Human rea l iz ing mis takes* Set t ing s tandards to s top pol lu t ion* Contro ls to s top the advance of a l iens* Trying to reverse mis takes made( P lanning for the fu ture )

Vocabulary:

Exotic - p lant s and animals in t roduced f rom another count ry or region

Adaptat ion - ad jus tment to environmenta l condi t ions ; an adjus tment of a sense organ to the degree or qual i ty of s t imula t ion; a change in an organism or i t s par t s tha t f i t s i t be t ter for the condi t ions of i t s environment

Pollut ion - to make impure; to spoi l (as a na tura l resource) wi th was te made

by humans

Glacial - of , re la t ing to , or produced by g lac ie rs ; of , re la t ing to , or be ing any of those par ts of geologic t ime when a la rge por t ion of the ea r th was covered by g lac iers (a la rge body of ice moving s lowly down a s lope or va l l ey or spreading outward on a land sur face)

Biological - re la t ing to b io logy or to l i fe and l iv ing th ings .

Bio - Magnif icat ion – the ac t of to enlarg ing in fac t or in appearance .

Food Chain - a ser ies of organisms in which each uses the next usual ly

lower member of the se r ies as a food source .

Illinois Content Standards: The following is a list of the learning standards which the Lake Michigan Alive program at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will assist you in fulfilling. Please realize that every program is unique, based on the students’ abilities, weather factors and time, and not all of these standards may be articulated. This listing is meant as a guideline for you as an educator. You may want to conduct activities in your classroom to strengthen certain goals and standards, and our program may only briefly cover certain elements of the standards. There are many other curriculum standards which this program could also assist you in fulfilling, however, these identified provide the most obvious links between our program and your curriculum objectives.

Science State Goal 12 understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earths pace sciences.

B. Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

12.B.2a Describe relationships among various organisms in their environments (e.g. predator/prey, parasite/host, food chains and food webs).

12.B.2b Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments (e.g. specialized teeth for eating certain foods, thorns for protection, insulation for cold temperature).

E. Know and apply concepts that describe the features and processes of the world and its resources.

12.E.2b Describe and explain short-term and long-term interactions of the world’s components (e.g. earthquakes, types of erosion).

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Science State Goal 13 Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

B. Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society.

13.B.2e Identify and explain ways that technology changes ecosystems (e.g. dams, highways, buildings, communication networks, power plants).

13.B.2f Analyze how specific personal and societal choices that humans make affect local, regional and global ecosystems (e.g. lawn and garden care, mass transit).

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Social Science Goal 15

Understand economic systems, with an emphasis on the United States.

D. Understand trade as an exchange of goods or service.

15.D.2a Explain why people and countries voluntarily exchange goods and service. Social Science Goal 16

Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

E. Understand Illinois, United States and world environmental history.

16.E.2c (US) Describe environmental factors that influenced the development of transportation and trade in Illinois.

Social Science Goal 17 Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.

B. Analyze and explain characteristics and interactions of the world’s physical systems.

17.B.2b Explain how physical and living components interact in a variety of ecosystems including desert, prairie, flood plain, forest, tundra.

C. Understand relationships between geographic factors and society.

17.C.2a Describe how natural events in the physical environment affect human activities.

17.C.2c Explain how human activity affects the environment

Extension or Follow- up Activities:

After your f ie ld t r ip , the fo l lowing ac t iv i t ies can enhance what was t aught dur ing your f ie ld t r ip exper ience .

Class reflection paper or writ ing sample: Ask each s tudent to wri te a short essay, le t ter or s tory about what they learned on their f ie ld t r ip to Indiana Dunes Nat ional Lakeshore . Rangers love receiving mail f rom their s tudents . Send the ranger the packet of essays from your class (or a copy of them), and your ranger wil l send your c lass a cert i f icate from the dunes. Send your essays to:

Indiana Dunes Nat ional Lakeshore1100 N. Mineral Spr ings Road

Porter , IN 46304Attn: Your ranger’s name or just Educat ion Depar tment

If you are using this essay as a class assignment for a grade, we would l ike to suggest that each essay contain the following elements. Use the rubric below to score them.The name of the park and the location of their field tr ip—for example: Douglas Center , Indiana Dunes National LakeshoreThree facts they learned on the field tr ip about Lake Michigan.* A brief explanation of why Indiana Dunes is unique and therefore a national park.* At least two things the student can do to help take care of his or her national park.* Fill in the blank of this s tatement and provide an explanation: I would l ike to learn more about __________ at Indiana Dunes.

***For advanced groups, add the following element:Tell the park rangers if you would l ike to bring your families and fr iends to the dunes and if so what would you do here and where would you go.

Assessment :

Grading for Class reflection writing assignment:

1) Writing and organization- 4 points the writing sample is very well written and organized by the elements provided. It has a strong introduction, middle and conclusion. 3 points the writing sample is well written and organized by the elements provided. It includes an introduction, middle and conclusion. 2 points the writing sample is choppy and is not well organized. It lacks an introduction or conclusion. 1 point the writing sample is very short and unorganized.

2) Grammar & Spelling- 4 points Mistakes in spelling and grammar are minor or non-existent. 3 points Mistakes in spelling and grammar are minimal—about 4-5. 2 points mistakes in spelling and grammar are numerous—5-10. 1 point mistakes in spelling and grammar are more than 10.

3) Facts and content - 4 points the writing sample demonstrates the student’s learning on the dunes program and includes three or more facts provided by the park staff. 3 points the writing sample demonstrates the student’s learning and includes only two facts provided by the park staff. 2 points the writing sample does not demonstrate much learning and only includes one fact provided by the park staff.1 point the writing sample does not demonstrate any learning and does not include any facts provided by the park staff.

4) National Park Service theme - 4 points the writing sample clearly demonstrates the student’s understanding of the role of the NPS in preserving the dunes by explaining why Indiana Dunes is such a unique treasure.3 points the writing sample mentions the NPS and its role in preserving the Indiana Dunes. 2 points the writing sample mentions the NPS and Indiana Dunes. 1 point the writing sample does not mention anything about the NPS or its role at Indiana Dunes.

5) Stewardship- 4 points the writing sample lists three things the student can do to assist in taking care of the Indiana Dunes. 3 points the writing sample lists two things the student can do to assist in taking care of the Indiana Dunes. 2 points the writing sample lists one thing the student can do to assist in taking care of the Indiana Dunes. 1 point the writing sample does not list anything about what the student can do to take care of the Indiana Dunes.