Great Lakes Literacy education exploration (GLLee)

What is a GLLee?

Great Lakes Literacy Education Exploration, or GLLee, are an introductory collection of resources and partners assembled in three easy steps to help teachers and youth explore Great Lakes Literacy through place-based education and stewardship opportunities in your school and community!

  1. Explore a Great Lakes Topic

  2. Support Teaching and Learning with Additional Resources

  3. Engage Youth in Place-based Education or Stewardship

Want to participate?

CGLL programs are open to all, but registration is required for educators to gain access to each Google Classroom and connected content.

Please note you will need to use a personal Gmail address (i.e. not your school address) to access course materials.

Current GLLee Topics available during the 2022-23 school year – join below: 

  • Aquatic Invasive Species (Best suited for students in grades 4-12)

    • What? Aquatic invasive species are nonindigenous species that have a negative environmental, social, or economic impact on the Great Lakes region.
    • Driving Question? How do invasive species impact the Great Lakes and what can we do to help reduce their impacts on native ecosystems?
  • Coastal Erosion (Best suited for students in grades 6-12)

    • What? Coastal erosion is the process by which strong wave action and coastal flooding wear down or carry away rocks, soils, and sands along the coast.
    • Driving Question? How does coastal erosion shape the shorelines of the Great Lakes and impact our ecosystems and communities?
  • Marine Debris (Best suited for students in grades 4-12)

    • What? Marine debris is any human-made material that can end up – on purpose or by accident – in our rivers, ocean, and Great Lakes.
    • Driving Question? How does marine debris impact our Great Lakes and animals (including humans) and plants that depend on this freshwater resource?
  • Urban Water Cycle (Best suited for students in grades 4-12)

    • What? Urban (human) water cycle is a series of processes and paths that water takes as it is used by a community, including stages of collection, transportation, storage, purification, distribution and delivery, and return to natural bodies of water.
    • Driving Question? How do people access clean, fresh water, and what happens to the water after its use?
  • Vernal Pools (Best suited for students in grades 6-12)

    • What? Vernal pools are “wicked big puddles” and ecologically serve as the “coral reefs of our northern forest ecosystems.”
    • Driving Question? How do vernal pools (seasonal woodland wetlands) benefit the Great Lakes region?

For any GLLee questions, accessibility concerns or issues with this virtual resource, please contact [email protected].

Center for Great Lakes Literacy programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.