Online

Visible Earth, NASA

An online catalog of NASA images of the Earth that may be downloaded and used freely for educational purposes. Image #915 is a photograph showing an impressive view of Michigan and the Great Lakes, when seen from space. Image #2429 is an image of the entire Earth. Retrieved July 12, 2005, from http://visibleearth.nasa.gov

Square of Life: Studies in Local and Global Environments

An Internet-based, collaborative project in which students investigate their local environment and share that information with other students from around the country and the world. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/

TechAlive Ecosystems Modules

Developed as a support to the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity Unit, these interactive, on-line learning modules provide virtual tour to some of Michigan’s ecosystems (forests, wetlands, rivers/streams, coastal dunes, and Great Lakes) and the issues surrounding them. Retrieved July 12, 2005, from http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm

The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book (Third Edition, 1995) 

Full of information related to the Great Lakes region. Topics include geology, hydrology, history, climate, and lake processes. Contains fact sheets, photographs, and many colorful maps. Jointly written and published by the Government of Canada (Toronto, Ontario) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (Great Lakes National Program Office, Chicago, Illinois). Retrieved July 12, 2005, from http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/intro.html

What’s It Like Where You Live? Biomes of the World

Student-friendly, interactive site hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden provides in-depth information about the Earth’s biomes (rainforest, tundra, taiga, desert, temperate deciduous forest, and grasslands) as well as aquatic ecosystems (rivers and streams, ponds and lakes, wetlands, shorelines, temperate oceans, and tropical oceans). Retrieved July 11, 2018, from www.mbgnet.net/sets/

In Print

Barrett, K., et al. (1998). Aquatic Habitats: Exploring Desktop Ponds. Great Explorations in Math and Science. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Hall of Science. This book is a good reference for exploring aquatic life with young students.

Hosoume, K., and J. Barber. (1994). Terrarium Habitats. Great Explorations in Math and Science. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Hall of Science. This book is a good reference for exploring terrestrial life with young students.

Ingram, M. (1993). Bottle Biology: An Idea Book for Exploring the World Through Soda Bottles and Other Recyclable Materials. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company. This book is full of ideas for re-using 2-liter soda bottles to explore science and the environment. Specifically, this resource has ideas for constructing and maintaining a variety of different types of miniature ecosystems (e.g., ecocolumns, decomposition column, and predator-prey columns).

Western Upper Peninsula. In the western Upper Peninsula, the underlying hard and erosion-resistant bedrock of granite is responsible for the area’s rugged, hilly terrain, which includes the only mountainous area in Michigan. Elevations in the Huron and Porcupine mountains reach more than 1,800 feet. Most of the region experiences very cold winters due to northern winds that are not buffered by Lake Superior. However, in the northern region, including Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties, the proximity to Lake Superior leads to milder temperatures and the highest precipitation rates in Michigan. Predominant soils in this region include a thin loam over bedrock, clay, and wet clay.

Prior to European settlement, the western Upper Peninsula was dominated by northern hardwood forest, with smaller areas of white, red and jack pine, and eastern hemlock. This area also contains significant shrub and conifer swamps, and bogs. Today, much of this area is still forested, though current forests differ greatly from those of 150 years ago. Many conifers such as white pine and eastern hemlock are far less abundant than they used to be, and aspen is far more common than it was in the mid-1800s.

Related Children’s Literature

Cole, H. (1995). Jack’s Garden. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Fife, D. (1991). The Empty Lot. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children.

Fredericks, A. (2001). Under One Rock. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.

Green, J. (1999). A Dead Log. (Small World Series). Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: Crabtree Publishing.

Green, J. (1999). Under a Stone. (Small World Series). Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: Crabtree Publishing.

Hibbert, A. (1999). A Freshwater Pond. (Small World Series). Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: Crabtree Publishing.

Mazer, A. (1991). The Salamander Room. New York: Dragonfly Books.