1. Discuss the value of knowing the history of an area.

What would it be like to travel back in time? Have you ever heard of a “Time Machine”? Tell students that, in this lesson, they will imagine they are traveling back in time to learn about what Michigan used to be like and how people have changed our environment over time. Studying history can help people make more informed decisions and help them better plan for the future.

Lead a brief discussion of what students know about major events in the history of Michigan. What would Michigan have been like a million years ago? Or 20,000 years ago? Or 500 years ago? [Allow students to share ideas. Most likely one million years ago and 20,000 years ago, Michigan was covered by glaciers. Five hundred years ago, Michigan would have been forested.]

2. Develop the concept of a timeline.

If students have no prior experience with timelines, start by drawing a timeline on the board to model the concept, perhaps using an example timeline from your life. To be arranged in the order of time is called chronological order.

Distribute a set of Sequence Cards to each group of two to four students. Challenge them to put the eight cards in chronological order. Even without prior study of this topic, students should be able to use logical thinking to correctly sequence the cards. Review the correct sequence of events, as shown on the transparency, Answers to Sequencing Activity. (This sequence is prior to 1837 when Michigan becomes a state). Discuss which events were most significant in the development of Michigan’s natural environment up to this point (e.g., glaciers and arrival of Euro-American settlers).

3. Perform the skit Michigan Time Machine: Journey to 1830.

What would it be like to live in 1830, as either a settler or a Native American? Tell students that they are going to participate in a play to help learn about what life may have been like back then. Assign parts of the play and allow students to practice their lines. Provide students with a copy of the play, and then assign students to the ten speaking roles. Allow students some time to practice, and then have students read the play out loud.

4. Compare and contrast how Native Americans and Euro-American settlers viewed the environment differently.

After the play, have students compare and contrast lifestyles of Native Americans and Euro-American settlers in 1830. Students should observe several differences, as indicated on the chart on the following page. (As an option, you may have students create their own similar chart, using the blank Compare-Contrast Chart student 

points of comparison

5. Introduce the term stewardship.

Stewardship means to protect and manage the natural environment in such a way that it can be passed on to future generations. Ask students to be prepared to identify examples of environmental stewardship during this lesson.

6. Investigate changes in landcover over time.

Provide each group of students with a copy of the Michigan Landcover map to compare pre-settlement conditions (1800) and present (1997–2001) conditions. Lead a discussion using the following questions:

What happened to Michigan’s forested land between 1800 and 1997? [Forested land decreased between 1800 and 1997. Michigan now has approximately ½ the amount of forested land it did in 1800. Prior to Euro-American settlement, Michigan had been 95% forested. Just over 100 years later, only 7% of the State’s original forest remained. Today, thanks to natural regeneration and reforestation efforts, Michigan is now 51% forested.]

What are the three different kinds of forests shown on the maps? How has the mix of forest types changed? Why might that be? [The three types are coniferous (needle bearing), deciduous (leaf bearing), and mixed (some of both). Today a higher percentage of Michigan forests are mixed than in the past. The percentage of coniferous and deciduous forest is lower than in the past. Part of the reason is that today, some farmland is no longer being used to grow crops, and forests are once again growing on this land. Forests in early stages of succession contain a wider mix of trees.]

What has happened to Michigan’s wetlands? Why should we care? [The amount of wetlands have decreased substantially. Michigan has lost approximately half of its wetlands since 1800. Wetlands were often considered undesirable “mosquito-ridden waste-lands,” that were often drained or filled so that the land could be used for agriculture. Wetlands were not protected from development in Michigan until 1979. Wetlands are important because they provide habitat, help control runoff, and filter pollution.]

What has happened to farmland? Given what we know about what happened to forests between 1800 and 2000, what might have happened to farmland? [The percentage of agricultural land increased. Today farmland comprises 28% of all land in Michigan. Most of this is located in the southern Lower Peninsula, because of the richer soil and longer growing season. More of Michigan’s land was in agriculture 100 years ago, but within the past 100 years both the amount of forest area (often on poor agricultural land) and urban land (often of good agricultural land) have increased.]

What other category of land use has increased substantially and why? [Urban (including suburban) land use has increased. Over the past 100 years, more people live in urban areas, and fewer people work in agriculture. Today, land is being urbanized at a rate faster than population growth. From 1978 to 1995, the State’s population increased 2.88% while the “built environment” increased 25%.]

What do you think Michigan might look like in another 100 years? [Many possible responses.] Discuss what students think a third map showin Michigan’s landcover 100 years from now might look like and why.

7. Develop a Michigan Environmental Timeline, focusing on 1825 to present.

Tell the students that they will be acting as news reporters traveling nearly 200 years back in time to describe some of the events that have affected Michigan’s environment. Using a printed copy of the Michigan Environmental Timeline from the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD, equally distribute the 33 cards to pairs (or groups) of students. For example, every group of two students may be responsible for two or three cards. It will be each group’s job to examine the historical events in their time period and then write a related headline, which might go on the front page of a newspaper, for each event. Tell students that newspaper headlines should use as few words as possible to describe the event and catch the reader’s attention. Show students some sample headlines from a newspaper. Students should write each headline on a separate sheet of blank paper in clearly printed bold letters. Then, each group of students presents their section of the timeline and headline (in chronological order).

After students have presented, create a classroom timeline by posting their cards and headlines on the wall. Timeline cards depicting Michigan’s history prior to 1825 may be added to the timeline by the teacher.

Optional: Show the Michigan Environmental Timeline PowerPoint presentation (provided on the MEECS Ecosystems & Biodiversity CD) as students share their news headlines. The presentation slides are the same as the cards. Refer to and add to the timeline throughout the school year.

8. Tying it all together.

Working in pairs or small groups, have students refer to the Michigan Environmental Timeline now posted on the classroom wall to complete the Michigan Time Machine Fact Find student activity page. When students have finished, discuss the following answers as a class: Answer Key for Michigan Time Machine Fact Find:

1. Glaciers.

2. The French Explorers arrived in the 1600s. They started a fur trade with the Native Americans.

3. 1837. The human population was growing rapidly, especially between 1830 and 1840.

4. With the onset of Euro-American settlers in the 1800s, large numbers of Native Americans died as a result of diseases like small pox and typhoid that were brought by the settlers. Tribes also lost large amounts of land to the U.S. and Michigan governments, for which they were often neither paid nor compensated.

5. Answers will vary.

6. Answers will vary.

7. Stewardship means to manage and protect the natural environment in such a way that it can be passed on to future generations (intact).

8. Answers will vary.

9. Answers will vary.

9. Optional: Decisions affect Michigan’s environment: critical thinking activity.

Have you ever wished you could travel back in time and change a decision you had made? What if we could go back in time and change some of the decisions that were made that affected Michigan’s environment? Provide each group of students with a What if…? scenario (you may want to write some of the following scenarios on separate 3” x 5” cards) using the following suggested prompts (or make up your own):

What if …

• Michigan never created any laws to control hunting and fishing?

• In the 1800s, forests were not cut down faster than they could regenerate?

• In the 1800s, people planted a tree for every one they cut?

• The Civilian Conservation Corps was never created?

• A law was passed to protect the passenger pigeon in Michigan?

• Michigan never created a State Park system?

• Laws were never developed to prevent water pollution?

• The pesticide DDT was never banned in Michigan?

• The St. Lawrence Seaway was never opened?

• The Michigan voters never passed the 10-cent deposit law for beverage containers (bottles and cans)?

• The DNR and the DEQ did not exist in Michigan?

Students should consider how the suggested scenarios would have led to a different outcome than what we have today, taking into account effects on Michigan’s natural environment, economy, and society. For example, if the Welland Canal had never been opened, perhaps we would have far fewer exotic species in the Great Lakes, but commercial shipping might never have been possible, reducing the potential of our State’s economy. Have each group of students share their scenario with the class and how they think the outcome would be different today had it actually happened.