Michelle Howe, a science teacher at Lodi Middle School, will participate in a unique opportunity to study Lake Michigan. During July, Howe will join 14 other teachers on the Lake Guardian, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s research vessel for the week-long Shipboard and Shoreline Science Workshop. The annual research cruise sets sail from Milwaukee on July 12.
Onboard sampling guided by researchers will give educators an opportunity to learn firsthand about the unique ecology of Lake Michigan. Port stops, including one in Manitowoc, Wis., will allow participants to learn more about Great Lakes recreation, history and stewardship before returning to Milwaukee July 18.
Howe expects participating in the workshop will bolster her knowledge of the Great Lakes, and she plans to integrate what she learns into her curriculum.
“The current sixth-grade curriculum focuses on environments — how human actions affect environments, and the domino effect that humans have on other organisms. Including what I learn at this workshop and information about the impact humans have on the Great Lakes would be a perfect addition for my students,” Howe said. She also teaches an agriculture class and will see how what she learns about water resources can benefit these students as well.
“Many past participants have said this workshop is the best professional development experience of their careers,” said Kathy Kline, the education specialist for Wisconsin Sea Grant who is coordinating the Manitowoc visit. “It’s always inspiring to see the creative ways they incorporate Great Lakes science into their classrooms afterwards.”
The Shipboard and Shoreline Science workshop takes place on a different lake each year and is hosted by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy and coordinated by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network and the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office. Funding comes from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
