Teacher+Tips

===Instructional tips, technology integration ideas, additional online resources, and background information about the Wolf River and its erosion, history, etc. can be found on this page. Please feel free to submit any additional resources you might want to share!===


 * Tips:**
 * This is a great unit of study for collaborative research and projects. Consider giving different groups of students a specific topic on which to focus, then have each group present what they have learned to the whole class at the culmination of the unit.
 * Plan to have students share what they learn and publish the information in some format (i.e., Glogster, PowerPoint, Keynote, iMovie, etc.).
 * Consider having students develop and plan an action "activity" related to their local river. It could focus on a problem in their community along with a solution. They could clean up river areas in their community, share information about keeping their local rivers clean, work with a local conservation organization, do something on their school campus related to water and ecology, etc.
 * Implement the study of rivers as an interdisciplinary project involving many curricular areas (art, music, literature, science, math, history, etc.).

Wolf River Information
During the 1940's the Corps of Engineers coordinated channelization projects along the Wolf River in an effort to reduce flooding and improve navigation. However, this channelization of the Wolf River led to headcutting or bank erosion on some parts of the river due to the increased velocity of the river that resulted because of the procedure. Today, the Corps of Engineers is working to remedy the situation, and the Wolf River Conservancy works to protect the Wolf River and the land surrounding it, thus eventually restoring all part of the river to its natural beauty. Download this file for an introduction to the Wolf River.

Visit the [|The Wolf River Conservancy] website for more information.

Technology Integration Ideas
[|Glogster EDU] – Students can create an online poster showcasing what they have learned through their research. If students worked collaboratively, a specific topic could be given to each group.

[|Google Tools for Education/Educators] (Docs, Presentation, Spreadsheet, etc.) – Consider utilizing Google tools for students to conduct collaborative research, document information, create a presentation, etc. Students can then publish their results to a wider audience through the sharing options.

Digital Storytelling with __iMovie__ or __MovieMaker__ – Students could conduct and video interviews with members of their local community who have been affected by river floods, then create a documentary or digital storytelling project.

__PSA__ (public service announcement) – Students could create a PSA to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our rivers clean and healthy. This could then be published to the web.

Additional Resources
[|Discovery Education Lesson Plan on the Mississippi River]