Learn and Teach about the Mississippi River - WDNR

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, opportunities abound to help kids explore the Mississippi River. On this page you can:

• find the Exploration of the Mississippi River Activity Guide which includes lessons and classroom activities,
• learn about upcoming teacher workshops and sign up for educator updates,
• find opportunities for school groups to learn about the river at Mississippi River education festivals,
• take your own kids to the river for a Huck Finn type experience or send them to Environmental Explorers,
• find links for additional information.

Mississippi River Lessons and Activities

Exploration of the Mississippi River- Activity Guide (available as PDF).This activity guide was put together as a a resource for educators interested in using the Mississippi River as a focal point for teaching. It includes sections on water quality monitoring and sedimentation, management, fish and wildlife, mussels, and river history. Where possible, actual data from monitoring the ecological health of the Mississippi River has been used as examples for the students.

Early Childhood Exploration of the Mississippi River [exit DNR]. Follow this link for activities and lesson plans for early childhood (PreK-K) with options for Music and Movement, and Outdoor Exploration.

Mississippi River Teacher Workshops

Teachers- immerse yourself in what the Mississippi River has to offer! A teacher workshop from the WDNR- Mississippi River Team is offered each summer. The next workshop is being held June 22-25, 2009. See the 2009 Workshop Brochure [PDF 518KB] .

This workshop began in 1992 and since then over 250 teachers have polly-wogged for mussels, learned about aquatic plants, caught fish in a net, and used transparency tubes and secchi discs to learn about water quality. The unabridged version of the Mississippi River Activity Guide is used for this workshop and will be provided to each participant. Preview the workshop offerings in the June 1997 article in the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine [exit DNR]. For more information contact: Jeff Janvrin.

Winona State University professors Ann Rethlefsen and Jeanne Franz offer Project WET and Project Wild workshops during the summer on-board the WSU houseboat - the River Explorer. The project encourages teachers to venture out of the classroom and introduce their students to nature. This is a collaboration with the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (USFWS), and Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. Teachers (K-12) are given curriculum to take back to the classroom. Most of the program takes place aboard the River Explorer and on islands of the Upper Mississippi River NWFR. More than 100 teachers have taken part in this program. For more information contact: Cindy Samples.

Sign-up for Educator Updates

To sign up for educator updates, send an e-mail to: Jeff Janvrin.

Take Them to the River for Adventure and Education

There are numerous opportunities for kids to explore the Mississippi River through outdoor education festivals for school groups, summer programs or adventure days for families. These events are held in a variety of places along the river from Trempealeau to Prairie du Chien.

Environmental Explorers

Environmental Explorers [exit DNR] is a hands-on two day summer program in June for children in fourth through sixth grade offered by U.W. LaCrosse- Continuing Education and the USGS-Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.

Mississippi River Days

Upper Miss River Festival

Mississippi River Adventure Day

More Resources for Educators

Wisconsin DNR- EEK

Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center [exit DNR]. Follow the Link for Teachers and Students.

Steamboats [exit DNR]

Environmental Education U.S EPA Region 5 [exit DNR]

EPA's Surf your Watershed [exit DNR]

ESRI Schools and Libraries Program [exit DNR]

Nonpoint Source Pollution [exit DNR]

River of Song [exit DNR]

Rivers of Life Welcome [exit DNR]

Archeology Mississippi Valley Archeology Center [exit DNR]