A day at the beach was the highlight of Wednesday’s events on Lake Michigan, with wonderful weather and lots of learning! Educators ventured out early in the morning to take a bus to Gary Beach and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to learn more about shoreline features from researcher Todd Thompson.

Todd is a geologist with the Indiana Geological Survey and Indiana University. He shared results of his research to explain the processes of dune succession and help educators better understand the formation and age of coastal dunes. Wendy Smith, a National Parks Service ranger, also worked with participants as they studied wildlife and habitat in the environment.

While on the dunes, the group worked on an activity taken from the “Great Lakes in My World” curriculum they received. They examined features associated with various locations on the dune succession path, focusing on animal and plant life in those areas. Afterwards, they worked on the beach to observe box cores at various distances from the waterline.


While at the dunes, the Paul Douglas Center for Environmental Education Center served as a classroom for the day. Along with studying coastal geology, educators delved further into concept mapping as Howard Walters guided their learning. In addition, they met with their grade level groups to work on lesson planning for Friday’s presentations. When the day’s work was completed, they returned to Chicago for a fabulous dinner at Emilios Tapas. Afterwards, they walked back to the Belden-Stratford to work on nightly journaling and lesson planning, and to rest up for another day of learning. As always, it was a fabulous day of the Lake Michigan Exploration Workshop!

MUSINGS

Kelli Polleys: I am so glad that Todd Thompson clarified for us that the dunes around the Great Lakes are formed solely from the erosion and deposition caused by the action of wind and water. Glacial action in the Great Lakes region only provided the sediment for these processes. I am excited to apply what I learned at the Indiana Dunes to the local dunes in my area at the Petoskey State Park. There is a wonderful hike I will take my students on- up and over a forested backdune and out through the swales to the foredune where we will finally end on the beautiful beach of Little Traverse Bay, MI.

Becky Corrigan: I thought it was very poignant when one of the female speakers mentioned that water is the oil of this century…it really illustrates how in general we take our resources for granted.

Richard Tripp: I have seen and learned so many cool things already on the workshop. If it were over at this very moment it would have been worth the time and effort, not to mention the money. I know that it is going to be an astronomical task, but I have decided to take all of my COSEE experiences and create a curriculum that can be useful nationwide. Of course I should take Dr. Russell Cuhel’s advice and “be careful what you wish for” and that “there are a lot of interesting things out there and you have to pick and choose”. Isn’t it great that even in the day we live in there are still a lot of interesting areas yet to be explored or explained? Barb said it best, “We are like sponges soaking up the knowledge to squeeze out on our students”. I may never get to explore the depths of the oceans or these Great Lakes, but who knows… it may just be my student who discovers that here before the unknown of our Great Water World that may change the way we look at our World and maybe even ourselves.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Steve’s feet were propped up on the railing by the back door of the bus today. When the bus driver came back to check on a warning signal she was getting about the doors, Steve took his feet down and suddenly the warning signal stopped! Those are some mighty powerful feet Steve!

“Anybody got any cork?” Todd Thompson asked in hopes to keep Howard quiet. This followed the response he gave to one of Howard’s questions: “You’re ruining my afternoon you know” was the response.

Cindy and Jeff opened their backpacks on the return trip from the dunes today… both contained clipboards from the Paul Douglas Center for Environmental Education Center. Thieves???

Cindi Wallendal’s thoughts of this photo at the Indiana Natural Lakeshore in Gary Indiana: “Who would have ever thought I would be surrounded by photographers in Gary, Indiana. But alas, to be honest the photographers were more excited over the grasshopper than me! After shooting the photographs we found a home for our grasshopper friend back on the marram grass, the prominant grass species found on foredunes of our coastal beaches.”