FOR EDUCATORS

Excellent educational resources for K-12 teachers can be found on these pages:
Lesson Plans on WATER, BIOLOGY, AQUATIC ORGANISMS, INVASIVE ANIMALS AND PLANTS, AND ECOSYSTEMS.  Gathered from Michigan teachers by Aquarium educators.
K-12 curriculum assistance
Education information about invasive species  
Belle Isle Aquarium Education Guidebook  (background on the Belle Isle Aquarium, food webs, and ideas that can be used by educators for leading field trips to the Belle Isle Aquarium
​Creation of these pages was funded in part by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program through the Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Agricultural and Rural Development.  
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​This material is also based partly upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1614187.
​Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Lesson plan ideas.  Click on "What do you want to CREATE today?" to see lesson plans on a variety of science topics, labeled according to target grade level.

Online Educational Tools

Teacher websites

Food Chains of the Great Lakes and Lake Saint Clair

General information

  1. List of non-native species in the Great Lakes, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

  2. Great Lakes Aquatic Nuisance Species

  3. United States Great Lakes Program Report on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement shows how invasive species have effected the Great Lakes

  4. Visualizing the Great Lakes - Issues - Invasive Species -  high-resolution photos of various invasive species in the Great Lakes

Regulations and Research

  1. Great Lakes Nonindigenous Invasive Species - Briefing Paper

  2. Predicting the Identity, Spread, and Impact of Future Non-indigenous Species in the Great Lakes - An EPA-funded study by the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago

Zebra Mussels
  1. Basic information about zebra mussels - General facts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) about zebra mussels and their effects on the Great Lakes

  2. EPA Study: Reestablishing the Native Clam Population of Metzger Marsh, Lake Erie - Zebra mussels readily colonize clam shells, disrupting feeding, movement, and reproduction. Clams generally die within 1-2 years after infestation. This die-off has been well-documented in the Great Lakes

  3. EPA Study: The Effect of Zebra Mussels on Cycling and Potential  Bioavailability of PCBs: Case Study of Saginaw Bay - The aim of this work was to understand and quantify the effects of zebra mussels on cycling and bioaccumulation of PCBs in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

Spiny Water Fleas
  1. Monitoring the Great Lakes: Controlling the Spiny Water Flea


Asian Carp
  1. Preventing Asian Carp in the Great Lakes - EPA's Web page on the electric barrier that will help prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan