Educational Activities
Interactive games, labs, and short exercises for your classroom or educational center.
Keep students engaged while learning about Great Lakes ecology! These stand-alone activities are perfect for supplementing a larger curriculum, filling a short class period, or engaging groups during field trips and outreach events.
Aquatic Invader Bingo
A fun, visual way for younger students to learn how to identify common native and nonindigenous species in the Great Lakes. Includes caller cards and printable bingo boards.
Download ActivityInvasive Species Scavenger Hunt
Perfect for a field trip or outdoor learning! Students are given a checklist of invasive plant characteristics to search for in their local wetland or schoolyard.
Download ActivityMussel Filtering Lab
A hands-on, wet lab demonstration that allows students to observe the filtering capacity of bivalves and understand how invasive mussels disrupt plankton levels.
Download ActivityNative vs. Invasive Roleplay
An active, gym or playground-based game where students are assigned roles as native fish, invasive fish, and food resources to simulate ecological competition.
Download ActivityBallast Water Match-Up
A matching game that pairs major global shipping ports with the Great Lakes, helping students understand how organisms are transported across the globe via ballast water.
Download ActivityLooking for more?
Check out our partner links for even more hands-on activities and educational loaner kits.
View Partner Links