- Author:
- Michigan Geographic Alliance
- Subject:
- Environmental Science
- Material Type:
- Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
- Level:
- Middle School
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
- Language:
- English
Education Standards
Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes Answer Key
Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes Student Activity
Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the Great Lakes Food Chain Transparency Master
Contaminants of Concern in Fish of the Great Lakes
Contamination in the Great Lakes Answer Key
Contamination in the Great Lakes Student Activity
Toxic Tag Transparency Master
Which Great Lakes Have You Visited?
Water Quality Lesson 9 : Bioaccumulations & the Great Lakes Ecosystem
Overview
Students reflect on what is “great” about the Great Lakes.
Next they investigate aquatic food chains in the Great
Lakes and how some contaminants can bioaccumulate in
Great Lakes and inland lake fish, resulting in state fish
consumption advisories.
Lesson Overview
Students reflect on what is “great” about the Great Lakes.
Next they investigate aquatic food chains in the Great
Lakes and how some contaminants can bioaccumulate in
Great Lakes and inland lake fish, resulting in state fish
consumption advisories. In an extension lesson, students
select a Great Lakes issue to investigate and develop a
PowerPoint presentation.
Focus Questions
Students answer the following essential questions: What
makes the Great Lakes great? How do I know if it’s safe to
eat fish from the Great Lakes? What types of contaminants
are found in the Great Lakes? How can I help protect the
Great Lakes?
Subject/Target Grade
Science and Social Studies/
Middle School (6-8)
Duration
Two 50-minute class periods –
Classroom setting
Materials
per class
• A Lake Trout Food Web in the Upper
Great Lakes (transparency master)
• Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the
Great Lakes Food Chain (transparency
master)
• computer projector
• Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes
PowerPoint (on MEECS Water Quality CD)
• 5 small squares of paper per student, mark
1/3 of squares with an X to designate toxic
chemicals
• Toxic Tag (transparency master)
• Contamination in the Great Lakes (answer
key)
• Maximum Contaminant Level in Drinking
Water (transparency master from Lesson 6)
• Great Lakes Watershed and Political
Boundaries (transparency master from
Lesson 3)
• Small resealable plastic sandwich bags for
minnows (1/3 of class)
per small group
• Michigan highway map
• Michigan Water World poster (laminated)
• Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide
• washable markers or dot stickers
(4 colors: orange, purple, brown, green)
• Optional student resources (see Advanced
Preparation)
per student
• student journals or notebooks
• Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes
PowerPoint Study Guide
• Contaminants of Concern in Fish of the Great
Lakes (student resource)
• Contamination in the Great Lakes (student
activity)
Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Describe a typical Great Lakes food web.
2. Explain bioaccumulation and why it is a concern in the
Great Lakes.
3. Describe the various pathways for toxic chemicals
reaching the Great Lakes.
4. Give examples of ways that citizen involvement,
including student-led activities, can help protect the
Great Lakes.
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
Science Grades 6-7:
• Explain how human activities change the surface of the
earth and affect the survival of organisms. E.ES.07.41
• Analyze the flow of water between components of a
watershed, including surface features (lakes, streams,
rivers, wetlands) and groundwater. E.ES.07.82
HS Earth Science:
• Explain why small amounts of some chemicals may be
beneficial for life but are poisonous in large quantities.
E2.3b
• Explain how the impact of human activities on the
environment can be understood through the analysis of
interactions between the four major Earth systems. E2.4B
• Explain how water quality in both groundwater and
surface systems is impacted by land use decisions. E4.1C
• Draw the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Predict
changes in the food web when one or more organisms are
removed. B3.2C
• Examine the negative impact of human activities. B3.4C
Social Studies Grades 6-8:
• Conduct research on contemporary global topics and
issues, compose persuasive essays, and develop a plan for
action. 6 - G6.1.1
• Clearly state an issue as a question or public policy, trace
the origins of the issue, analyze various perspectives, and
generate and evaluate alternate resolutions. 6 - P3.1.1
• Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where
individuals would plan and conduct activities intended
to advance views in matters of public policy, report the
results, and evaluate effectiveness. 6 - P4.2.1
• Engage in activities intended to contribute to solving a
national or international problem. 6 - P4.2.2
• Participate in projects to help or inform others. 6 - P4.2.3
• Identify and explain factors that contribute to conflict and
cooperation between and among cultural groups.
7 - G4.4.1
• Describe the environmental effects of human action on the
atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere..
7 - G5.1.1
• Identify the ways in which human-induced changes in
the physical environment in one place can cause changes
in other places (e.g. cutting forests upstream can cause
flooding downstream). 7 - G5.1.3
• Describe the effects that a change in the physical
environment could have on human activities and the
choices people would have to make in adjusting to the
change. 7 - G5.2.1
• Contemporary investigations – Conduct research
on contemporary global topics and issues, compose
persuasive essays, and develop a plan for action 7 - G6.1.1
• Clearly state an issue as a question of public policy, trace
the origins of the issue, analyze various perspectives, and
generate and evaluate alternate resolutions. 7 - P3.1.1
Advance Preparation
1. Write “What’s so great about the Great Lakes?”
on the board. (If time is limited, have students
prepare for this lesson by doing “hook” for
homework.) Draw a bar graph with 5 columns
and write the name of one Great Lake in each
column.
2. Prepare for the Toxic Tag game, by gathering
five small squares of paper (or use poker chips)
per student to represent food; mark 1/3 with
an X to designate toxic chemicals. Mark the
boundaries of the playing area for Toxic Tag: 25
x 20 meters.
3. Download one copy of the most recent
Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide
by the Michigan Department of Community
Health at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/
FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf (on MEECS CD).
Make enough copies of the contaminant data
for individual Great Lake watersheds (Huron,
Michigan, Erie, Superior) contained in the Guide
so that each student group has one Great Lake
watershed.
4. Reserve the computer lab if students will
be getting additional information online to
complete Contamination in the Great Lakes
student activity.
Background Information
Students’ understanding of the important role of
water in Michigan’s economy and environment,
gained from earlier lessons, is woven together
into this final lesson on the bioaccumulation of
contaminants in the Great Lakes food web and
stewardship of Michigan’s water resources. Here is
a brief summary of what has been presented in each
lesson.
• Lesson 1 – Water moves around the Earth via
the water cycle. Less than 1% of the water
available on Earth is freshwater. The Great
Lakes contain 95% of the United States’
surface freshwater and 18% of the world’s
surface freshwater.
• Lesson 2 – Water plays an essential role in
our daily lives. In the U.S., each day we use
80-100 gallons of water directly for toilet
flushing, showers, laundry, drinking, cleaning,
watering lawns and gardens, and other
household uses. In addition, we use more than
one thousand gallons of water indirectly for
all of the products we enjoy—making water
an essential part of Michigan’s economy for
manufacturing, agriculture, forest products, and
tourism.
• Lesson 3 – Watersheds are the land area from
which water runs off into each of Michigan’s
lakes, rivers, and streams. Almost all Michigan
watersheds empty into the Great Lakes.
• Lesson 4 – Land uses affect the amount and
quality of runoff that reaches Michigan’s inland
lakes, rivers, streams, and the Great Lakes.
Every land use has the potential to contribute
pollutants, such as sediment, nutrients, bacteria,
and toxins, to Michigan waterways. Best
management practices are recommended to
reduce potential pollution from each land use.
• Lesson 5 – One-third of U.S. residents and
one-half of Michigan’s residents get their
drinking water from groundwater. The speed of
groundwater movement (permeability) depends
upon the type of earth material the groundwater
is moving through. Many human activities
contribute to groundwater contamination, which
is very difficult to clean up.
• Lesson 6 – Water quality standards are
established to protect water used by people
for drinking, swimming, and boating, and to
maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems. Very tiny
amounts of some contaminants can be harmful
to human and other organisms’ health.
• Lesson 7 – The ecological health of Michigan’s
streams and rivers is evaluated using
bioindicators, water chemistry, physical channel
measurements, and habitat assessment.
• Lesson 8 – The quality and quantity of storm
water runoff is determined by land cover
type, soil type, rainfall amount, and land use
practices. Best management practices are
recommended to reduce the quantity and
improve the quality of storm water runoff.
Great Lakes Fish
The Great Lakes, along with 11,000 inland lakes
(greater than 5 acres in surface area) and 35,000
miles of rivers and streams, make Michigan a fish
and wildlife paradise. Sport fishing is a $2 billion-
dollar industry in Michigan, while commercial
fisheries net $10.5 million annually. Michigan’s
lakes and streams support a variety of native
game fish species including brook trout, chubs,
pike, perch, bluegill, walleye, and bass, and non-
native game fish species including rainbow smelt
and rainbow trout (“steelhead”). Likewise, the
Great Lakes support native lake trout, lake herring
(“cisco”), lake sturgeon, whitefish, and non-native
salmon species (http://www.fishweb.com/recreation/
fishing/fishfacts/). Some of the non-native salmon
and trout were intentionally introduced to create
a sport fishery. While many enjoy the tug of a fish
biting on the end of their line, are all of these fish
safe to eat? If yes, how do we know they are safe?
And if they are not safe, why not?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great
Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) conducts
annual surveys of all five Great Lakes to sample the
phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, water chemistry,
sediments, and air quality in order to assess the
health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Much of
their research is conducted using the Great Lakes
research vessel R/V Lake Guardian (http://www.epa.
gov/glnpo/monitoring/guard/ship.html). Research
scientists from many universities also use the R/V
Lake Guardian and other smaller vessels to conduct
research on many aspects of the Great Lakes
ecosystem, to help provide the most accurate picture
of the overall condition of the five Great Lakes.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) oversees the Fish Contaminant Monitoring
Program as part of this comprehensive water quality
monitoring strategy. The Michigan Department of
Community Health (MDCH) analyzes the edible
portion of the fish to determine the presence of
contaminants; these results are then used to develop
the Michigan Fish Advisory Guide, which is updated
annually and posted online. Whole fish data are used
to track contaminant trends and caged fish data are
used to identify sources of pollutants and evaluate
spatial trends of contaminant concentrations. The
MDEQ produces annual reports describing the
results of fish contaminant monitoring conducted in
the waters of the state (https://www.michigan.gov/
deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3681_3686_3728-32393--,0
0.html ).
Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in
Great Lakes Fish
The U.S. Geological Survey defines
bioaccumulation as the process by which organisms
(including humans) can take up contaminants more
rapidly than their bodies can eliminate them, thus the
amount of mercury in their body accumulates over
time. If for a period of time an organism does
not ingest mercury, its body burden of mercury will
decline. If, however, an organism continually ingests
mercury, its body burden can reach toxic levels.
The rate of increase or decline in body burden is
specific to each organism. For humans, about half
the body burden of mercury can be eliminated in
70 days if no mercury is ingested during that time.
Biomagnification is the incremental increase in
concentration of a contaminant at each level of a
food chain. http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_216-95/
FS_216-95.html
Chemical contaminants enter the Great Lakes
through direct discharge from pipes (industry),
from natural geology, and from atmospheric
deposition (i.e., pollutants that are washed out of
the air and into the lake when it rains). While these
contaminants may be at very low concentrations in
the water and not harmful for humans to drink, they
can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, becoming
more concentrated at each higher level of the
food chain, until the amount in large fish and top
predators (like lake trout, large salmon, and humans)
can be millions of times higher than the original
concentration in the water. This is especially true
for substances that do not break down readily in the
environment, such as mercury, chlordane, dioxins,
PCBs, and pesticides DDT and toxaphene.
A typical Lake Trout food web showing the five
trophic levels where bioaccumulation occurs in the
Great Lakes aquatic ecosystem is:
Water --> Phytoplankton (algae) -->
Zooplankton --> Forage fish -->
Lake Trout g Humans, etc.
Bioaccumulation of chemicals in fish is much greater
than in other types of food, due to the greater number
of steps in the aquatic food chain. The continuing
presence of contaminated sediments, along with a
continuing supply of toxic contaminants from the air
being deposited on the surface of the Great Lakes
keeps contaminant levels elevated above safe levels
for wildlife, fish, and humans.
People most at risk are those who eat a lot of Great
Lakes fish (i.e., eat one fish meal more than once
per month), eat the older, larger fish at the top of the
food chain, eat fish from highly contaminated waters,
eat a large amount of fish over a short period of time,
or are very sensitive. Because developing fetuses
inside the mother and young children are at an even
greater risk from these chemical contaminants,
the Michigan Department of Community Health
recommends that children and pregnant women
not eat any fish from Michigan waters. Michigan
Department of Community Health has issued a
Fish Advisory for many of Michigan’s inland lakes,
streams, rivers, and the Great Lakes primarily
due to unsafe levels of mercury and/or PCBs,
recommending a limit on the consumption of fish to
one meal per week or month, depending upon the
fish species and body of water. View the most recent
Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory by visiting the
Michigan Department of Community Health website
and searching “Fish Consumption Advisory” and
reviewing Contaminants of Concern in Fish of the
Great Lakes (student resource) included with
Lesson 9 on the MEECS Water Quality CD.
Procedure
1. Hook Your Students: What’s so great about
the Great Lakes?
As students enter the classroom, have the
question “What’s so great about the Great
Lakes?” posted on the white board with lots of
markers available. Tell students that it’s OK to
write graffiti!! Students should draw a picture
of their response to ‘what is so great about the
Great Lakes.’
Make a bar graph on the board, and label
each column with one of the Great Lakes. Tell
students to place a self-adhesive note in the
column for each lake that they have visited
(HOMES): Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie,
Superior. Which lake have most students visited?
Which has had the least visits by students?
Admire students’ drawings about the Great
Lakes. Encourage them to share their thoughts
and experiences related to the Great Lakes.
Recap for students what has been covered in the
water unit to date (see Background).
Ask students:
What role do the Great Lakes play in our
personal lives?
What role do the Great Lakes play in Michigan’s
economy and quality of life?
Does the health of the Great Lakes matter for
future generations?
Note: If time is short, have students
respond to these questions in their
science journals.
2. What is the food web in the Great Lakes?
Display the overhead transparency of A Lake
Trout Food Web in the Upper Great Lakes.
Note the five trophic levels of the food chain:
Phytoplankton (algae) -->
Zooplankton --> Forage fish -->
Lake Trout --> Humans
Phytoplankton and zooplankton are
microscopic plants and animals, respectively.
Ask students for examples of typical terrestrial
food chains found in a field or forest and write
on the board:
Grass --> deer --> wolf
Nuts --> squirrels --> coyote
Seeds --> mouse --> fox
Compare the number of trophic levels in the
terrestrial food chain to the number in the Great
Lakes food chain. [There are more trophic levels
in an aquatic food chain.]
3. What is bioaccumulation?
Contaminants can enter the Great Lakes from
many different sources: atmospheric deposition,
polluted streams, contaminated groundwater,
contaminated sediments in the water that become
resuspended, and runoff from various land uses.
While people may be able to drink, swim, or
boat in the water with little or no ill effects,
these contaminants bioaccumulate in aquatic
organisms higher in the food chain, becoming
concentrated at levels that are much greater than
in the water itself. This is especially true for
contaminants that do not break down readily in
the environment, such as mercury, chlordane,
dioxins, and PCBs.
Display the overhead transparency
Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the
Great Lakes Food Chain. Discuss how the
toxic chemicals in the water accumulate in the
phytoplankton at the base of the food chain.
They are then further concentrated in the
bodies of the zooplankton and small fish that
consume large quantities of phytoplankton. This
is repeated at each step in the food chain. The
concentration of some chemicals in the tissues
of top predators, such as lake trout and large salmon, can be millions of times higher than the concentration in the water. Bioaccumulation is
more common in aquatic food chains because
of the greater number of steps in the aquatic
food chain. Contaminated sediments and air
deposition continue to keep contaminant levels
elevated above safe levels for wildlife in the
Great Lakes ecosystem.
4. Explore bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes.
Show the 10-minute PowerPoint
Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes found on
the MEECS Water Quality CD.
At the end of the presentation, have
students write responses on the study guide
Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes or discuss
the questions aloud:
• explain bioaccumulation,
• list pathways for pollution entering the Great
Lakes,
• describe a typical Great Lakes food chain,
• list several pollutants and their sources, and
• describe possible impacts of contaminants on
the Great Lakes food chain and human health
5. Play a game of life and death: “Toxic Tag.”
(Outdoor Connection)
Tell students that they will become a part of
an aquatic food chain on a mission to gather
their necessary food in order to stay alive.
Separate students into three groups: one-half
of the class becomes zooplankton, one-third
becomes minnows, and one-sixth of the class
becomes fish-eating birds (i.e., an eagle or loon).
Show students the phytoplankton food squares.
Distribute “stomachs” or small plastic bags, to
zooplankton.
Show students the boundaries of the playing
area: 25 x 20 meters. Remind students that they
are not to go outside the playing area to avoid
predation. Scatter the phytoplankton squares
inside the marked playing area.
Tell zooplankton that they have 60 seconds to
gather as many phytoplankton as they can into
their “stomach” (a small plastic bag in which
they will store their food). Next send in the
minnows. Minnows have 60 seconds to try to
catch the zooplankton by tagging them and then
taking their food. If a zooplankton is caught, it
must give all of its food to the small fish and
leave the playing field. Lastly, the loons have 60
seconds to gather their food by tagging minnows
and taking their entire stomachs.
Gather everyone together to examine the
results. Any zooplankton, minnow, or loon
without three food pieces does not survive.
Next, have survivors count the number of
toxic food particles (marked with an “X”) they
have and compare that number to the overhead
transparency Toxic Tag that shows the chart of
consequences due to consuming contaminated
prey.
How many organisms did not survive? How
might this alter the aquatic food chain? What
happens when animals cannot reproduce?
What happens if an entire population declines
or disappears?
6. Would you eat the fish in Michigan’s rivers
and lakes?
Ask students for a show of hands on how
many students have been fishing in Michigan’s
streams, rivers, inland lakes, or in the Great
Lakes. Fishing is fun to do, and eating fish
is a good source of protein. The Michigan
Department of Community Health analyzes
numerous species of sport fish each year for
mercury, PCBs, chlordane, and dioxin to
determine their safety for consumption by
Michigan residents. Fish consumption advisories
are issued for fish species high in contaminants.
Michigan began its fish advisory program in the
1970s. Since then, fish have become much less
contaminated. PCBs have steadily declined in
fish since Michigan became the first state to ban
the use of these chemicals.
Where is the most contamination in Michigan
lakes and rivers?
Assign each student group one Great Lake
watershed in which to investigate fish
contamination. Give each group a copy of
the pages from the Michigan Family Fish
Consumption Guide for one of the Great Lake
watersheds (Erie, Huron, Michigan, or Superior),
a Michigan Highway Map and a Michigan’s
Water World laminated poster. Instruct students
to use a washable marker to highlight rivers and
lakes within their assigned Great Lake watershed
that are contaminated and therefore have a fish
consumption advisory. Put the following key
on the board for students to use, showing which
color corresponds to each contaminant. Have
all students follow the same color key so that it
is easier to compare fish advisories in different
Great Lake watersheds.
• Mercury – orange
• PCB – purple
• Dioxin – brown
• Chlordane – green
7. Which Great Lake is the cleanest?
Have students complete Contamination in
the Great Lakes student activity pages.
Provide students with Contaminants of
Concern in Fish of the Great Lakes student
resource for information on each of the
common contaminants in Great Lakes fish.
(See Additional Resources.)
Remind students of the serial dilution they
performed with red food coloring in Lesson 6,
which illustrated just how tiny a part per million
is. Look at the Maximum Contaminant Level in
Drinking Water table from Lesson 6 to see the
amount, potential health effect, and possible
sources of the most common contaminants in
the Great Lakes as indicated in the Michigan
Family Fish Consumption Guide (chlordane,
dioxin, mercury, PCBs). Other useful sites are
The Effects of Great Lakes Contaminants on
Human Health (http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/
health/report.htm) and Toxics in Top Predator
Fish (http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/glindicators/
fishtoxics/topfishb.html).
8. Tying it all together.
Discuss the following overarching questions
dealing with environmental issues in the Great
Lakes basin:
• Why is it important to be an informed citizen
of the Great Lakes? [To make good personal
decisions, vote wisely, promote appropriate
policies for management of the Great Lakes,
and understand consequences of different
actions or failure to take an action.]
• Show the Great Lakes Watershed and
Political Boundaries overhead transparency.
All of the tiny squares represent different
units of government making land use
decisions. What are the challenges to Great
Lakes management when there are two
countries, eight states, two provinces, and
thousands of counties, townships, and cities
all making decisions that can affect the
Great Lakes?
• What can we do? Discuss the statement:
“If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re
part of the problem” or “Ask not what the
Great Lakes can do for you, but what you
can do for the Great Lakes.” Give examples
of ways that citizen involvement, including
student-led activities, can help protect the
Great Lakes.
Assessment Option
Ask students to write a 25-word response to the
following statement in their science journals or
notebook, “The Great Lakes are important to me and
to Michigan because...”
Extensions
1. Have students view the web module Aquatic
Ecosystems: The Great Lakes developed by
Michigan Technological University at
(http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm) to
learn more about the Great Lakes food chain
and see live footage of some organisms.
2. Make a Great Lakes floor map using a 9’ x 12’
canvas drop cloth. Hang the tarp on a blank wall
and project the map of the Great Lakes basin,
showing all five lakes and their watersheds, onto
the drop cloth. With a pencil, lightly draw the
outline of the lakes and their watersheds, noting the location of state, province, and country
boundaries. Take the canvas cloth off the wall
and use a heavy marker to retrace the pencil
outline. Use fabric paint to paint the lakes blue.
Make laminated labels for the countries, states,
provinces, rivers (tied with blue yarn), and cities
(optional). This makes a great geography and
watershed lesson!
3. Investigate a Great Lakes Issue using the extension
lesson on the MEECS Water Quality CD.
Additional Resources
The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book is packed full of information about the Great Lakes basin. Topics include natural and human history, ecology, physical characteristics of each Great Lake, and today’s challenges. Contains fact sheets, photographs, and many colorful maps. Environment Canada. (1995). Ottawa: Canadian Government Publishing. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/atlas/
Innovations in the Water Industry: Going Green
By the year 2013, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 36 states will face serious water shortages. While there are many water solutions that are green, primary among them and the focus of this paper is wastewater recycling. American Water (2011) http://www.amwater.com/files/InnovationsInTheWaterIndustryGoingGreen.pdf
International Joint Commission (IJC), established in 1909, assists governments in finding solutions to problems facing the rivers and lakes (including the Great Lakes) that lie along, or flow across, the border between the United States and Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.ijc.org
Mercury is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website with links to information about mercury, its health and environmental effects, how to protect yourself from it, and what government and industry are
doing to reduce emissions. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/mercury/index.html
Mercury Pollution Prevention is a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality website with links to information and brochures. Retrieved July 10, 2018, from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/M2P2_141687_7.pdf
Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide: Important Facts to Know if You Eat Michigan Fish (2011-2012) is a 25-page comprehensive guide to eating fish caught in Michigan lakes and rivers. Includes sections on consumption risks for the general population and for women and children; guidelines for cleaning
and cooking fish, and specific advisories organized by watershed, species of fish, size of fish, and risk category. From the Michigan Department of Community Health. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf
Michigan Fish Advisory: A Family Guide to Eating Michigan Fish (2011-2012) is prepared by the Michigan Department of Community Health to provide recommendations for anglers, young children, pregnant women,
fetuses, and the public about which fish species caught in Michigan’s lakes and rivers may have too many chemicals in them to be considered safe to eat by everyone. Michigan’s lakes and rivers and the species of
fish that have been tested for contaminants, such as mercury, dioxin, and PCBs. These chemicals have been connected to liver damage, cancer, birth defects, and could harm brain development Retrieved April 16, 2012
from: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-54783_54784_54785---,00.html
On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century is a book that presents the natural and cultural history of the Great Lakes and highlights both the ordinary people who have helped preserve this reservoir of 20% of
the world’s freshwater supply and the continuing threats facing the Lakes. The Library of Michigan selected the book for inclusion on its 2005 list of Michigan Notable Books. Dempsey, Dave. (2004). East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.
Our Great Lakes is a 28-page report describing what is happening to the Great Lakes, what the changes mean, and what area residents can do. Topics include how the Lakes are doing; how safe they are for drinking water,
swimming, and fishing; how fish and wildlife are doing; and how exotic species affect the Lakes. Appropriate as a student reading. From the State of the Great Lakes 2003 Report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
Environment Canada. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://binational.net/ourgreatlakes/ourgreatlakes.pdf
Ruin and Recovery is a book describing how Michigan has faced two turning points in its conservation history. One came at the end of the 19th century when its logging era ended, and the second turning point came in the late
1960s, when rampant and extensive water and air pollution prompted public outrage and galvanized efforts to pass environmental protection laws in Michigan. Dempsey, Dave. (2001) Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
State of Michigan’s Environment Triennial Report (2011) is prepared by the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to report on the quality
of the state’s environment based on scientifically supportable environmental indicators and using sound scientific
methodologies. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3308-266777--,00.html
Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) data are reported annually to the state under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. The data include air releases, discharges to surface
waters, disposal to land and to underground injection wells at the facility, and transfers off site for disposal. The Toxic Chemical Release Inventory is a valuable tool for citizens who want to know about toxic and hazardous
chemicals used, stored, and released in their community. Michigan’s TRI data, trends, and summary reports are available online (retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.michigan.gov/deqsara). The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory Program website contains TRI data for all states searchable by zip code. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/tri
United States Department of Agriculture, National Invasive Species Information Center is a gateway to invasive species information; covering federal, state, local, and international sources. Retrieved July 6, 2011
from www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
USGS Science for a Changing World. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database, central repository for spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of introduced aquatic species. The program provides scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial data sets, regional contact lists, and general information. The data is made available for use by biologists, interagency groups, and the general public. Retrieved July 7, 2011 from http://nas.er.usgs.gov/
Understanding Lake Data is a 20-page booklet written to help the public understand lake water quality, the physical and chemical compositions of different types of lakes, trophic condition, and the susceptibility of some lakes to acid rain. Shaw, Byron et al. (2004). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Extension. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/G3582.PDF
Waterborne Contaminants in the Great Lakes, a 2-page flyer, describes why they are a problem. (2005) Retrieved April 15, 2012 from www.glerl.noaa.gov. By the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.
Wisconsin Sea Grant Fish of the Great Lakes website contains photographs and descriptions of most fish species found in the Great Lakes. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/sitemap.html
Literature Connections
The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away describes what might happen if the Great Lakes drained away. This unique and thought-provoking children’s book shows the landscape that would be revealed if all the water
of the Great Lakes were to suddenly disappear. The book taps into and unlocks a timeless mystery for both children and adults—just what is under all that water? Most importantly the book will remind us to never take this natural wonder for granted. Barker ,Charles Ferguson (2005). Mackinac Island Press, Inc.
The Dynamic Great Lakes is a non-fiction book that highlights the importance of our freshwater seas—the five Great Lakes. In eight chapters, the history, impacts and future challenges are described. Appropriate reading for middle/high school students. Spring, Barbara (2002). Independence Books
Life in a Lake describes Lake Superior as a complicated and dynamic ecosystem. If just one of it’s physical conditions is changed or its organisms harmed, the entire ecosystem is altered. Stewart, Melissa (2003). Minneapolis, Twenty First Century Books.
Sooper Yooper: Undaunted Hero from the North battles Alien Sea Creatures features Billy Cooper, an ex-Navy Seal who lives in the U.P. with his scuba-diving bulldog, Mighty Mac. In the book, Cooper and Mighty Mac discover the Lakes are being invaded by blood-sucking sea lamprey and destructive zebra mussels, and a host of other invasive organisms. Newman, Mark and Mark Heckman. (2010). Thunder Bay Press. Stevens Point, WI.
Curriculum Connections
Fisheries Learning On the Web or Project FLOW presents 15 lessons about the Great Lakes food web, water, fisheries, and stewardship. From the Michigan Sea Grant. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/flow/index.html
Fresh and Salt: A Curriculum Integrating Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy Principles contains a collection of 14 activities for teachers in grades 5-10 that connect Great Lakes and ocean science topics taught using a comprehensive range of instructional modes including, data interpretation; experimentation; simulation; interactive mapping; and investigation/decision-making. Goettel, Robin, and Terri Hallesy, Rosanne Fortner. (2011). Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) 213 pages available online. Retrieved July 27, 2011 from http://www.iiseagrant.org/catalog/downlds_09/FreshSaltCurriculum.pdf
Great Lakes Literacy Principles establishes an expectation for understanding of the Great Lakes’ influences on us and our influence on the Great Lakes. (2010). Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) for the Great Lakes. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://greatlakesliteracy.net/
Great Lakes in My World is a K-8 curriculum that contains 80 activities on the Great Lakes, sand dunes, wetlands, urban areas, geology, history, and more; 60 Great Lakes creature cards, and a CD with supplemental materials. Alliance for the Great Lakes. (2005). Grand Haven, MI: Alliance for the Great Lakes. To order: www.greatlakes.org
Great Lakes CoastWatch displays temperature maps for each of the Great Lakes. This reporting system is a cooperative effort between the NOAA CoastWatch, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, and Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Retrieved July 27, 2011 from
http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu or http://www.miseagrant.com/
Project Fish is an educational program that works with local organizations to encourage interest in fishing and maintaining healthy fisheries by providing fishing education and fishing skills to interested adults and youth from Michigan’s many diverse populations. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.projectfish.org/