Educational Activities about the Upper Mississippi River Angela Freyermuth US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District

Timeline September 2004 NESP study finalized for Upper Mississippi and Illinois waterways Memorandum of Agreement signed (USACE; USFWS; IL, IA, MN, MO, WI Historic Preservation Officers; Advisory Council on Historic Preservation) Determined a need to document history of Upper Mississippi River and Illinois waterways

Timeline June st meeting of NESP Cultural Resources and Stewardship Mitigation Team; LaCrosse, WI April nd meeting of NESP Cultural Resources and Stewardship Mitigation Team; Alton, IL August 2009 USACE contracted with Formations, Inc. to produce “Our Mississippi: Educational Activities about the Upper Mississippi River”

Timeline December 2009 Three workshops held to develop activity guide lessons Alton, IL; Pleasant Valley, IA; St. Paul, MN May 2011 Final guide completed Funding and distribution draft plan developed Winter Initial funding secured for printing Rivers Project Office (450 copies) National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (250 copies)

11 Workshops 240+ Educators 3 Districts 1 River 40 Facilitators 5 States

Book Walk Background Information Table of Contents Educational Approach Unit Overview Icons Units – by the numbers Appendices

Unit 1 – Mississippi River Watershed Assessment Overview Glaciations Movers and Scrapers Sediment Strata Sediment Bottle Water Cycle The Mississippi Watershed Mapping the Watershed

Unit 2 – Upper Miss River Ecosystems Assessment Overview Explore Your Ecosystem Habitats Along the River Food Chain Checkers Mississippi River Flyway Health of the River System Endangered Species Sustainability

Unit 3 - Miss River History & Culture Assessment Overview Ancient Civilizations Express Yourself through Poetry Early European Exploration Louisiana Purchase Human Migration Pathway to Freedom

Unit 4 – Mississippi River at Work Assessment Overview Early Navigation Steamboat Power The Great Floods Controlling the River Inland Waterway System

Unit 5 - Our Mississippi River Assessment Overview A Shared Resource Managing for Everyone Caring for the River

Information Visit for lessons and information on upcoming workshops. Like us on Facebook to receive up to date information on events, workshops and news regarding the curriculum guide.

Our Mississippi Coordinators Erin Hilligoss-Volkmann Angie Smith