Grand Bay NERR Lesson Previews
Grand Bay NERR has lessons that can cater to your classroom! Any of the lessons previewed below can be adapted for any age group. Don’t see a lesson you might need? We can work with you to create a lesson based on your curriculum, particularly lessons on estuaries and salt marshes, pine savannas and general forest habitats, environmental science, stewardship actions, and local history. Lessons follow the 5 E’s format with detailed instructions and activities. Contact Jennifer Cumbest for full lesson downloads or to chat about how we can best help you in the classroom or on a field trip to the NERR.
Pollution/Water Quality: Life in a Fish Bowl
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will understand the effects of poor water quality on living things.
- Students will identify different forms of pollutants.
- Students will become familiar with ways to reduce pollution in our waterways.
Grade/Audience:
- Pre K-4th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Life Science
Watersheds: Drain Game
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will learn why it is important to keep a watershed healthy.
- Students will demonstrate how watersheds function.
Grade/Audience:
- 2nd-4th grade
- Extensions for 5th-6th grade
- Extensions for 7th-8th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Earth and Space Science
Nature Scavenger Hunt (at NERR only)
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will understand how vegetation can help describe habitats.
- Students will be able to observe nature along our Boardwalk with all their senses.
- Students will practice observation skills and data collection.
Grade/Audience:
- 2nd-6th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Life Science, Physical Science
Marine Debris
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will learn about marine debris, watersheds, and ocean current effects on marine debris.
- Students will understand practical ways they can reduce marine debris.
- Students will understand and identify microplastics and microfibers.
Grade/Audience:
- 3rd-7th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Life Science, Earth and Space Science
Research Methods: Surface Elevation Table Model
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will create a model of a surface elevation table (SET) to understand how researchers can study the changing elevation of the marsh surface.
Grade/Audience:
- 6th-8th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science
Research Methods: Sampling Salt Marsh Vegetation
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will use the point-intercept sampling method to determine plant species diversity and cover at each location.
- Students will recognize that plant species diversity and distribution are affected by biotic and abiotic factors.
Grade/Audience:
- 8th-12th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Botany
Habitat Mapping: An Island in Motion
Learning Goals & Objectives:
- Students will understand that landscapes change over time.
- Students will explore maps as useful tools for detecting change over time.
- Students will discover what causes landscapes to change over time.
- Students will know that landscape changes are focus areas of research projects.
Grade/Audience:
- 9th-12th grade
Mississippi Standards Addressed (MS-CCRS for Science): Earth and Space Science, Environmental Science, Marine and Aquatic Science
Meet the Staff
On the Road Program. Contact her to schedule an education program!
