Description
Did you ever wonder where your water comes from? Where on Planet Earth is the water located and in what forms does it exist? Do you know how much of the earth's fresh water is contained within the Great Lakes? How were our Great Lakes formed? How much water do we use each day in relation to the rest of the world? Through experiments with water, exploring Suttons Bay beach for rocks and sand, and examining the rocks and sand collected for clues we will answer these questions.
Overall Objective
The participants will develop a sense of stewardship towards the Great Lakes, how it relates the overall freshwater supply found on Earth, and how these Great Lakes, which surround us, were formed.
Background
Everything relates to WATER. The human population needs to be conscious on a daily basis how important water is in all elements of our everyday lives. If all the earth's water fit into a gallon jug, available fresh water would equal just over a tablespoon, less than half of one percent of the total. According to the World Health Organization .007% of all the water on Earth is readily available for human consumption. Twenty percent (20%) of the Earth's surface freshwater is found within the Great Lakes.
Eighteen thousand years ago most of North America lay beneath sheets of ice one to two miles thick. This ice retreated about 10,000 years ago. There have been four major ice ages in the last two million years. Many scientists believe ice ages occur when a change in the tilt of the earth on its axis and a slight narrowing and lengthening of the earth's orbit change to allow the earth to receive more heat from the sun. The current day Great Lakes Basin was created by glaciers. As the glaciers melted and retreated northward they left behind the large scars and deep depressions that filled with water as the glaciers melted and formed our Great Lakes.
Activities
The Amazing Great Lakes Puzzle
Understanding Global Water Distribution
Shoreline Exploration for Evidence of the Formation of the Great Lakes
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