The water cycle is the system by which Earth's fixed amount of water is collected, purified, and distributed from the environment to living things and back to the environment. Plants pay a large part in the cycle by absorbing water with their roots and transpiring it as vapor through their leaves. This activity will introduce students to the various steps of the water cycle and to the various paths water can take. They will also make connections between the water cycle and all living things.

At a Glance : Perform simulations that demonstrate some of the important ecosystem services that biodiversity provides.Objectives : Perform a series of simulations that demonstrate ecosystem services. Identify and discuss the services illustrated in the simulations. 

In this activity,students participate in a charades-like activity to learn about some of the secret services provided by ecosystems and the species within them. Later, students apply understanding of the terms ecological, economic, and social to categorize ecosystem benefits. Finally, students review the lesson concepts in a bingo game.

Students are introduced to a series of historical events that
contributed to the development of Michigan’s ecosystems of
today.

Students use a ball of twine to create a forest ecosystem “web of life,” illustrating interdependence within a natural community and the importance of diversity within it.
Students are then introduced to the concept of biodiversity and its importance.

Using events from a timeline of Michigan environmental history (also used in Lesson 5), students identify examples of five main threats to biodiversity, including habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, population growth, and overuse of resources.

Students experience first-hand the competition that a nonnative species may have on native bird species. In this simulation students role play the native birds with a narrow range of feeding capabilities, and then observe what happens when a more opportunistic non-native bird is introduced. Although the example focuses on birds, it can be easily adapted to illustrate the effects of other invasive animals. This lesson is recommended as an introduction to the topic of invasive species.

This short activity provides an opportunity to help students sharpen their questioning skills and become more familiar with a variety of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species of Michigan. This activity follows the same format as the Lesson 2 Extension Who Am I?

Students use a set of Invasive Species Picture Cards to learn about 30 invasive species affecting both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the Great Lakes region. Students
use the cards to classify the organisms according to their habitat type, method of introduction, origin, and date of arrival. Students then identify strategies for preventing the
introduction of new species or the spread of existing ones.

Students use pictures, graphs, and a map to identify the kinds of energy we use in Michigan, differentiate between renewable and non-renewable energy resources, and
identify the sources of Michigan’s energy resources.

Students build a model turbine to observe how different energy resources can be used to turn a turbine, inquire how the interaction between a wire and a magnet generates
electricity, and investigate the different mix of energy resources used to generate electricity in Michigan, the United States, and the world.

The advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of non-renewable energy sources are the focus of this lesson. Students match different kinds of energy resources with
their advantages and disadvantages, and then discuss whether these advantages and disadvantages are economic, ecological, or social.

The focus of this lesson is learning about the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of renewable energy resources and their potential use in Michigan. Students
read about different renewable resources, watch a teacher demonstration, and match different kinds of energy sources with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Students then compare the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable resources and use the comparisons to write a letter to their state legislators.

This lesson develops the concept of an ecological footprint. Students use data and tools to assess the impacts of their energy and resource consumption. They examine their
results and assess their impacts on the environment. Students discuss and compare their impacts and try to identify actions to reduce their footprints.

Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the focus of this lesson. Students learn how basic energy conservation and energy efficiency choices can save their family money,
reduce energy consumption, and prevent energy-related pollution. Students learn how to identify and fix air leaks, compare incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs,
and list ways they can conserve energy and increase energy efficiency in their daily lives.

Students learn how energy consumption has changed over the past 100 years, why it has changed, and the impact it has had.

Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the focus of this lesson. Students learn how basic energy conservation and energy efficiency choices can save their family money,
reduce energy consumption, and prevent energy-related pollution. Students learn how to identify and fix air leaks, compare incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs,
and list ways they can conserve energy and increase energy efficiency in their daily lives.

The focus of this lesson is learning about the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of renewable energy resources and their potential use in Michigan. Students read about different renewable resources, watch a teacher demonstration, and match different kinds of energy sources with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Students then compare the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable resources and use the comparisons to write a letter to their state legislators.

The lesson introduces the concept of a product life cycle and how it can be used as tool for the consumer to make more environmentally friendly product choices. The lesson uses the life cycle of a CD or DVD as an example to investigate the life cycle of an everyday product and examine options for reusing, recycling, or disposing of the item after its useful life.

Students are introduced to air photos. They first view a neighborhood from a bird’s-eye view, a photo taken from a kite. They next compare two air photos of Shelby
Township, MI. The air photos show the land use change during the period from 1980 to 2010. The students compare, contrast, and use evidence from the air photos
to explore the changes.