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Beach Cleanup, small plastics Lake Michigan sparks curiosity and can offer many cross-curricular connections. IISG can help you learn more about this amazing shared resource through activities, curriculum, professional learning, and stewardship project support. Explore the education resources and tools below to enhance your appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of southern Lake Michigan.

Educator Resources

Center for Great Lakes Literacy

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant collaborates with other Sea Grant educators through the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. The center’s goal is to develop a community of Great Lakes literate educators, students, scientists, environmental professionals, and citizen volunteers, dedicated to improved Great Lakes stewardship”.

Curriculum and Activities

Bring Great Lakes science to life with experiential learning. Our curriculum materials and activities focus on hands-on ways of exploring science concepts, environmental challenges, and stewardship through the lens of the Great Lakes.

Explorers

Use these tools to explore a curated list of external educational resources on the topics of weather and climate, pollution and nutrient losses in our waterways.

Learning at Home

Explore the Great Lakes from home with a curated list of online resources for educators, parents, and curious lifelong learners.

Loanable Kits

Borrow materials to provide hands-on learning for your students. Ready-to-use educational materials cover topics ranging from Great Lakes fisheries, invasive species, marine debris, plastic pollution and water quality.

Professional Learning

Find learning opportunities and stewardship support to bring the Great Lakes into your formal or non-formal classroom through professional development.

Students Ask Scientists

Connect your classroom with a research scientist who can illustrate concepts with real-world examples, expose your students to careers in science, and deepen their understanding and appreciation for the Great Lakes.

Recent News

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IISG Instagram

The Shipboard Science Immersion educators worked together to simulate sonar mapping and uncover the secrets of a mystery seabed, just like real underwater archaeologists!

This hands-on lesson mirrors the work of Dr. Ashley Lemke from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who studies paleo landscapes below Lake Michigan by collecting sonar data from lakebeds. Experiences like these can be shared with youth to spark curiosity and connect them to real-world science in action.

#LakeMichigan #GreatLakes

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The Shipboard Science Immersion educators worked together to simulate sonar mapping and uncover the secrets of a mystery seabed, just like real underwater archaeologists! This hands-on lesson mirrors the work of Dr. Ashley Lemke from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who studies paleo landscapes below Lake Michigan by collecting sonar data from lakebeds. Experiences like these can be shared with youth to spark curiosity and connect them to real-world science in action. #LakeMichigan #GreatLakes

15 educators from 7 Great Lakes states have boarded the R/V Lake Guardian for a week of science on Lake Michigan!

Day one was all about meeting fellow educators and the science team from the @epa_greatlakes, @uwmilwaukee, and @purduefnr, and getting shipboard safety training.

This hands-on program, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, helps bring Great Lakes science into classrooms and builds educator-scientist partnerships.

Follow along as we explore water quality, food webs, and even underwater archaeology!

#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan

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15 educators from 7 Great Lakes states have boarded the R/V Lake Guardian for a week of science on Lake Michigan!Day one was all about meeting fellow educators and the science team from the @epa_greatlakes, @uwmilwaukee, and @purduefnr, and getting shipboard safety training.This hands-on program, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, helps bring Great Lakes science into classrooms and builds educator-scientist partnerships.Follow along as we explore water quality, food webs, and even underwater archaeology!#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan

Ready for a party? Join us on the newly-expanded Wild Mile for a celebration of our urban waterways and thriving park spaces. Enjoy local beer, food trucks, and an outdoorsy prize drawing while learning about local environmental nonprofits and volunteer opportunities! This event is free and fun for all ages!

The block party is rain-or-shine, and we`ll only cancel in the case of hazardous weather!
This year’s community partners include @Openlands, Current Water, @chicago_enviro, @cleanupclub_chicago, @chicago_birder, Blazing Star School, @cubillinois, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, @chicagoshapers, @reducewastechicago, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and @honeycombproject!

Learn more at the link in bio.

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Ready for a party? Join us on the newly-expanded Wild Mile for a celebration of our urban waterways and thriving park spaces. Enjoy local beer, food trucks, and an outdoorsy prize drawing while learning about local environmental nonprofits and volunteer opportunities! This event is free and fun for all ages!The block party is rain-or-shine, and we'll only cancel in the case of hazardous weather!This year’s community partners include @Openlands, Current Water, @chicago_enviro, @cleanupclub_chicago, @chicago_birder, Blazing Star School, @cubillinois, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, @chicagoshapers, @reducewastechicago, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and @honeycombproject!Learn more at the link in bio.

📢 Show Your Support for Sea Grant! 📢

Continued federal funding for Sea Grant in FY26 is crucial, and we need your help to demonstrate the nationwide support for these essential programs.

🖊️ Sign the letter urging Congress to continue funding Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and all 34 state Sea Grant programs:
🔗 https://forms.gle/7sPGHGyh8j8a7vfGA or link in bio

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