Lesson Plans and Activities by Subject Area 1st and 2nd Grades 3rd and 4th Grades 5th and 6th Grades 7th and 8th Grades 9th - 12th Grades   1st and 2nd grade SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities Amazing Alligators Students will work in cooperative groups using a Resource List of Internet sites to collect information about alligators. Students will use an Alligator Fact Gathering Sheet to organize the data. Students will use the data to create a KidPix slide that will be incorporated into a group slide show. Camouflage Capers Students will discover how animal features help camouflage/benefit them in their environment. Visiting Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the students will see first hand animals in nature. The students will see camouflage at its best. Can You Spot the Hiding Animals? This activity goes great with the lesson on camouflage. Individual students or the whole class can try to spot the hidden animals. Classifying Critters (Grade 2) Students will browse the Inspiration symbol library and find pictures of various animals. They will classify the animals as insect, fish, amphibian/reptile, bird, or mammal. Create a Life Cycle of a Frog, Timeliner Students will go to websites to find information about the life cycle of a frog. They will then use Timeliner to create a timeline of a frog’s life cycle. Falling Into Leaves (Grade K) Students will learn that leaves are very different in size, shape, and color for various reasons. The students will travel to Black Bayou Lake refuge to collect leaves which will be sorted by their characteristics. While at the refuge the students will splatter prints of their favorite leaf. The students will later draw their favorite leaf in KidPix and then try to match their favorite leaf to the real leaf that they collected on the refuge. (The class will only collect leaves with permission and only enough leaves for the activities.) Field Trip, Kidspiration (Grades PreK - 4) Students predict what they may see, hear, feel, taste, and smell on a trip.  Upon returning from the field trip, students recall what they actually saw, heard, felt, tasted and smelled on the trip. Help the Duckling Find His Way (Grade K ) Download the Inspiration template. Students will show the duckling how to get to the wildlife refuge and find pictures of other wildlife to insert along the way. Home Tweet Home - Birds of Black Bayou Lake (Grade 1) Students will explore the different kinds of birds in their own habitat. While walking the nature trails and the pier at Black Bayou Lake NWR, the students will use binoculars and digital cameras to observe and document the different kinds of birds that can be seen at the refuge. The students will write and illustrate sentences using KidPix software. Looking for Bugs (Grade K) This lesson will familiarize Kindergarten students with various insects and their sounds. After listening to the story about The Very Quiet Cricket by Erick Carle, the students will discuss the various insects and the sounds they make. Students will draw their favorite insect using the software KidPix. Louisiana Family Feud Students will visit Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. While there, students will become familiar with animals found in Louisiana and their offspring. Sounds of the Wetlands Students will visit the Electronic Zoo and listen to sounds of wild animals that live in our area. Download the Sounds of the Wetlands PowerPoint game and let students pick the animal that makes the sound they hear. We All Live Together (Grade 1) Through observation of classroom and family pets and animals in their natural habitat, first grade students will develop an understanding of the needs of plants and animal and how those needs are met.   1st and 2nd grade ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Birds of a Feather Flock Together  (Grades K and 1) While visiting Black Bayou Lake, students will look for and take pictures of birds. Students will then view a slide show of the pictures taken at the lake. They will engage in a brief discussion as they view the slide show and look at illustrations in the story text. They will imitate the actions and sounds of birds. Students will then read and discuss the story (The Story of a Bluebird) and use Inspiration to create and complete a flowchart or story map to sequence story events. They will write a brief journal entry about birds or their trip to Black Bayou Lake in their journals. Book It (Grade 1) Students will visit Black Bayou Lake Refuge to identify and name plant and animal life.  The students will then make an experience booklet to be shared in class.  This lesson was originally written for deaf children that have a very limited vocabulary and language base; however, this lesson would be beneficial for all students. Children, Children, What Did You See? (Grades K and 1) Students will name, draw, and create a simple story about something they saw at Black Bayou Lake refuge. Froggie Fun (Grades K, 1 and 2) Students will read a story about a frog, learn what frogs eat and where they live, learn interesting facts about frogs, and write stories, songs, and/or poems about frogs. Home Again!  (Grade K) This lesson will focus on being happy with who we are and what we have. The Kindergarten students will retell the story of The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise. The students will use an Inspiration template and a flannel board to sequence the story. Louisiana Wildlife and Habitats Alphabet Book  In KidPix students will make an alphabet book. Let students browse through the backgrounds and stamps to find pictures of Louisiana wildlife and land features to illustrate their book. You Can Do IT...Mr. and Mrs. Mallard! After viewing the video "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey, first and second grade students will write letters of encouragement to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, will make a map for the mallards to aid them in their journey, and discuss the importance of the environment for animals.  1st and 2nd grade MATHEMATICS Lesson Plans and Activities A Lengthy Visit to Black Bayou Lake (Grade 2) In this lesson, second grade students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to locate objects that can be measured. The students will work in pairs for the activities which involve estimating, measuring, recording and graphing the objects found at the refuge. The students will enjoy using graphing software to create their graphs. Alligator, Duck, or Frog - GRAPH IT! Students will be introduced to the concept of a wetland by watching a video from United Streaming, "Creature Features: All Part of a Whole." After introducing the students to the types of animals that are found in the Black Bayou Lake refuge, a wetland area, the students will then vote on their favorite animals. Students will count tally marks and then create a graph showing the favorite animals. Alligator Subtraction (Grade 1) First grade students will take a virtual tour of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Students will then use alligator cutouts to show subtraction stories with a minuend of 5. They will then illustrate an equation with a minuend of 5 using KidPix.   Counting the Animals (Grades PreK, K and 1) In KidPix, place numbers or number words and the names of animals in text boxes . Let students use the stamp tool and the Nature catalog to find the animals and stamp the correct number of animals next to each text box. Shaping Up With Nature Students will enjoy Black Bayou Lake refuge as they identify shapes in nature. The students will take pictures of the various shapes that they discover. Back at school, the students will use KidPix to draw shapes around the shapes in the pictures. These pictures will now be placed in the KidPix slideshow.   1st and 2nd grade SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plans and Activities Map Maker, Map Maker, Make Me a Map Students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge. While there they will follow a map to visit certain areas of the refuge such as The Pier, The Nature Trail, etc. The students will be introduced to a compass which they will use to identify which area is north at the refuge. Back at school the students will create a map of the Black Bayou Lake area in KidPix. They will add a compass rose and a legend to the map. The students will identify Black Bayou Lake as a physical feature. Rosie the Explorer!  (Grade K) In this lesson Kindergarten students will focus on the positional words used in the book, Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. The students will visit Black Bayou Lake where the lesson will be extended to include directional words such as, left, right, big, small, top, bottom. After returning to the classroom, the students will use KidPix and a Louisiana map to illustrate the directional words. Trekking Black Bayou Lake NWR (Grade 2) In this 2 week unit, students will access various types of technology. Students will use a GPS to track their route throughout Black Bayou Lake NWR. While they are exploring the area, they will record and describe sights they see on a recording form. After completing their trip, students will return to the classroom to create their masterpieces. They will use KidPix to make a map of their trek through Black Bayou. Next, they will use Venn diagrams to get ready for the writing part of the unit. In this part of the activity, the students will write an essay that compares sights that were seen on their trek from land to water at Black Bayou Lake NWR. 1st and 2nd grade ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Never Smile at a Crocodile (Grade 2) Students in the second and third grade will enjoy learning and singing about crocodiles in their music class. The students will learn and sing the song, "Never Smile at a Crocodile." The students will discover where crocodiles live as they conduct research using the Internet.  (The American Alligator, which can be found at Black Bayou Lake, is in the same family as the crocodile.  You would not find the crocodile at Black Bayou Lake, because it is a salt water animal.) 3rd and 4th grade SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities Amazing Wildlife @ Black Bayou Lake (Grade 3) During this lesson, the students will visit Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge to observe plant and animal wildlife. The students will use their observations and photographs to create a Black Bayou Lake (NWR) class field trip booklet. This activity will be used to summarize the class field trip and further motivate other students to visit Black Bayou Lake refuge. Birds of a Feather Students will become familiar with various bird species in Louisiana and learn how bird beaks are adapted for specific food gathering techniques. Can't Bayou This Water Cycle (Grades 4 - 6) This lesson leads the student through the entire water cycle with activities and projects. It also allows the student to explore a local body of water and observe the water cycle in action.  Students will create their own water cycle from the pictures they took at the Black Bayou Lake refuge using KidPix. Classifying Critters (Grade 3) Students will browse the Inspiration symbol library and find pictures of various animals. They will classify the animals as insect, fish, amphibian/reptile, bird, or mammal. Field Trip, Kidspiration (Grades 3 - 4) Students predict what they may see, hear, feel, taste, and smell on a trip.  Upon returning from the field trip, students recall what they actually saw, heard, felt, tasted and smelled on the trip. Louisiana Plants  (Grade 3) The students will compare and contrast plant structures and functions of plants that are native to Louisiana. The students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to view some of the plants that grow in this area. Stellaluna Download the Inspiration template. Students will classify animals as either birds or mammals. The Sound of Science at Black Bayou Lake (Grade 4) The physics of sound can be studied both by science students and music students. Using internet sources and classroom hands-on experiences, students will identify the elements of sound and the instruments that produce them. While visiting Black Bayou Lake Refuge, the students will listen for the natural sounds produced by nature. The students will enjoy trying to replicate these sounds on their Rubber-Band Banjo. Tree-mendous Hide and Seek This is an onsite lesson which will be conducted at the Black Bayou Lake refuge in the newly constructed Conservation Learning Center. This lesson is part of a class study of plant life and resources of Louisiana. Where Do You Live?  (Grade 3) Students will explore habitats of animals at Black Bayou Lake Wildlife Refuge. They will use a digital camera to take pictures of animals and their habitats. When they return to school, students will use the pictures to classify the animals according to their habitats. Using pictures they have taken and online reference sites, the students will design and create a trading card. You're on the Right Track Students will identify animal tracks and describe how parts of animals' bodies are related to their functions and survival.  3rd and 4th grade ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities The ABC's of Black Bayou Lake (Grade 4) Each student will be assigned a letter of the alphabet. Students will take a field trip to Black Bayou Lake to observe and learn about something found at Black Bayou Lake starting with their assigned letter. Using a digital camera, students will photograph the object they have chosen. They will then write a descriptive and/or informative paragraph of their object. All of the students' pages will be put together to make a book entitled "The ABC's of Black Bayou Lake." Bobby Beaver @ Black Bayou Lake (Grade 3) Students will learn about alliteration and increase their vocabulary as they tour Black Bayou Lake NWR. After touring the refuge the students will create an alliteration with animals or objects seen on the field trip. The students will then use Microsoft PowerPoint to create a digital book, Alliterations on Black Bayou Lake. Duck, Duck, Goose or Swan? Third and fourth grade students will study the waterfowl of a wetland. The students will use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the duck, goose and swan. The students will research the waterfowl using the Internet. Using Timeliner the students will create a timeline and a slideshow of the life of a duck, goose, or swan over the course of a year. Figuratively Writing...IT's for the Birds! Students in grades three and four will study figurative language. The students will identify and use correctly literary devices such as personification, idiom, hyperbole, metaphor, etc. The students will identify one literary device and illustrate the meaning. These will be placed in a KidPix slideshow presentation. The students will write in correct format a thank-you letter using figurative language. Frogs Sing Too! - CROAK!!!! (Grade 3) Third grade music students will compare and contrast the sounds of frogs by listening to different frogs using the internet. They will imitate frog sounds through song.  The students will write a descriptive paragraph about the different frog sounds.  The student will draw an illustration for the paragraph.  Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute at Black Bayou Lake (Grade 4) Students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to observe the effects of land and water pollution. Using a digital camera, students will photograph examples of pollution. They will then write a persuasive letter to convince others of the harmful effects of pollution. Hello, My Fine Feathered Friend Students in grades three and four will write multi-paragraph essays using figurative language. The students will travel to Black Bayou Lake refuge to view birds in a natural habitat. While there, the students will be encouraged to think about figurative language as they connect with nature and quietly write in their groups. Literary Devices - They're for the Birds! (Grade 4) Students work in groups to locate examples of literary devices from various sources including television, advertisements, campaigns, web sites, poetry, field trips, etc. The students take a virtual field trip to Black Bayou Lake refuge in which they observe birds in their natural habitat. The groups create multi-media presentations which will include song, dance, etc. to share their findings with the class. Students compose a letter to the editor of the local paper personifying birds and illustrating similes, metaphors, and hyperboles to describe the plight of the bird without Black Bayou Lake refuge. Louisiana Critters Puzzle Let students demonstrate their knowledge of spelling and of Louisiana critters by completing this interactive crossword puzzle. When they’re done, they can look at the answer sheet. Louisiana Scavenger Hunt Students will use World Book Online to find the answers to questions about Louisiana wildlife. Divide the students into groups and see which group can find the most answers within the allotted time. Mammals or Birds?  (Grade 3) Students will use technology and hands on experiences to describe likenesses and differences of birds and mammals. They will use digital cameras at Black Bayou Lake refuge to take pictures and present a slideshow at school. Onomatopoeia If your class is studying figurative language, this activity allows you to download an Inspiration template and demonstrate onomatopoeia in a fun way. After completing this page, students can create other examples. Writing on the Refuge (Grade 4) The sights and sounds of Black Bayou Lake refuge are the stimulus for this lesson. Writing on the Refuge was written for 4th grade gifted students, but could easily be used for a regular education class. An outdoor classroom is so much fun for the students and makes it so easy to be creative. The students will enjoy completing this lesson in the newly constructed Conservation Learning Center.  3rd and 4th grade MATHEMATICS Lesson Plans and Activities Graphing is for the Birds! While visiting Black Bayou Lake, students will observe nature to find, identify and tally animals. The students will use this data to make a bar graph in Excel. The students will choose an animal that they observed and use the internet to research facts about this animal and to further identify it. Poly-gon to Black Bayou Lake  (Grade 4) After a study of polygons in class, students will travel to Black Bayou Lake refuge where they will connect the study of polygons to their real world application. After reading The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns, students will search for examples of polygons mentioned in the book. They will work in groups to capture the shapes with digital cameras and will use technology to create a book of their own about the shapes they have discovered. 3rd and 4th grade SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plans and Activities Louisiana Waters (Grade 3) After attending a field trip to Black Bayou Lake, the Ouachita River, and Bayou DeSiard, students will learn about some of the major rivers, lakes, and bayous in Louisiana. They will create a photo journal. They will locate and label the major rivers and lakes on a map of Louisiana. They will also compare and contrast the rivers, lakes, and bayous using a Venn diagram. Mapping Magic Students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge. While there they will follow a map to visit certain areas of the refuge such as The Pier, The Nature Trail, etc. The students will use a hand held compass to aid them in their directions. Back at school the students will create a map of the Black Bayou Lake area in KidPix. They will add a compass rose and a legend. The students will identify Black Bayou Lake as a physical feature. Trekking Black Bayou Lake NWR In this 2 week unit, students will access various types of technology. Students will use a GPS to track their route throughout Black Bayou Lake NWR. While they are exploring the area, they will record and describe sights they see on a recording form. After completing their trip, students will return to the classroom to create their masterpieces. They will use KidPix to make a map of their trek through Black Bayou. Next, they will use Venn diagrams to get ready for the writing part of the unit. In this part of the activity, the students will write an essay that compares sights that were seen on their trek from land to water at Black Bayou Lake NWR. 3rd and 4th grade ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Never Smile at a Crocodile (Grade 3) Students in the second and third grade will enjoy learning and singing about crocodiles in their music class. The students will learn and sing the song, "Never Smile at a Crocodile." The students will discover where crocodiles live as they conduct research using the Internet.  (The American Alligator, which can be found at Black Bayou Lake, is in the same family as the crocodile.  You would not find the crocodile at Black Bayou Lake, because it is a salt water animal.)  5th and 6th grade SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities Black Bayou Lake Refuge: Extra, Extra, Read All About It! Students will observe plant and animal wildlife at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. They will use their observations and photographs to design and publish a class newspaper. This post-visit activity will be used to summarize the class field trip. Can't Bayou This Water Cycle (Grades 4 - 6) This lesson leads the student through the entire water cycle with activities and projects. It also allows the student to explore a local body of water and observe the water cycle in action.  Students will create their own water cycle from the pictures they took at the Black Bayou Lake refuge using KidPix. Does Extinction Mean Forever? At the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the area along the lower Mississippi River was rich in wetlands and hardwood forests and was teeming with an abundant wildlife population. As more and more people moved in, forests were cleared for farmland, cities began to grow, and animals lost much of their natural habitat. Today, many animals in our state are extinct, endangered, or threatened with endangerment. Students will define the terms "extinct" and "endangered" and determine factors that contribute to extinction and endangerment. They will conduct research to obtain information about endangered animals in the state of Louisiana and measures being taken to prevent further decreases in their population. Food Webs On the Bayou (Grades 6) This unit focuses on food webs in the ecosystem of Black Bayou Lake NWR. Students will explore resources on the Internet to learn how plants and animals react within the ecosystem. They will research using TrackStar and record answers on a worksheet. Information obtained in this activity will be used to complete a multimedia presentation. Life On The Bayou (Grade 5) his lesson provides experiences for identifying animals who are held in captivity. Learners identify captive animals, explore the management of manually-controlled habitats, and other characteristics of these habitats. Nonnative Species (Grade 6) Students will observe, record, and explain the impact of nonnative species in an ecosystem.  Students will record the impact of nonnative plant species on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  The students will locate the nonnative plants on the refuge with geographic coordinates using GPS units. Refuge Reality Students will become familiar with Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge and its importance in the preservation of local ecosystems prior to taking an actual field trip. This pre-visit activity is adapted from the "Rhythms of the Refuge" Environmental Education Project. What's the Matter in Black Bayou Lake? (grade 5) Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Physical properties, such as color, size, texture, smell, taste, and sound, can be used to identify different types of objects and substances. Three states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. The students will work in groups to observe and describe as many examples as they can while on a field trip to Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.   5th and 6th grade ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Bayou or Lake...Will the real one please stand up! Black Bayou Lake refuge is a lake; however, it is many times referred to as a bayou. In this lesson students will research the Black Bayou Lake refuge and the animals that inhabit the area. They will act as tour guides as they create and present a PowerPoint presentation of their findings. Louisiana Critters Puzzle Let students demonstrate their knowledge of spelling and of Louisiana critters by completing this interactive crossword puzzle. When they’re done, they can look at the answer sheet. Louisiana Scavenger Hunt  Students will use World Book Online to find the answers to questions about Louisiana wildlife. Divide the students into groups and see which group can find the most answers within the allotted time. Nouns in Nature (Grade 5) The students will learn about nouns by taking a nature walk around the playground. Using the digital camera, the students will take pictures of the various nouns that they identify around the school.  The students will also take a "virtual walk" around Black Bayou Lake refuge to identify nouns in nature discovered there. A Storyboard for You About Black Bayou Lake Students will use Microsoft PowerPoint and/or KidPix as well as Paint to create a storyboard about Black Bayou Lake refuge for a younger child. The fifth grade student will interview a child in the first or second grade using an Interview Guide. The student will then visit selected web sites to locate information and pictures for the storyboard, or if possible visit the refuge on a field trip. The student will illustrate the storyboard using Paint. When all is said and done, the older student will present the storyboard to the student interviewed and leave that child with a digital copy of the storyboard. What Would You Say If You Were a Frog? Download the animals page and let students fill in the speech bubbles with dialogue. This activity can be modified to use cartoon characters or digital pictures instead of animals.   5th and 6th grade MATHEMATICS Lesson Plans and Activities Black Bayou Lake Measures Up Students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge with measuring tools in hand. The students will be placed in cooperative groups for the activities. The students will select what they would like to measure (from a suggested list), and choose the tools that will be needed for the task. One, Two, Three - They're OFF Students will make origami frogs to race. After the race the students will measure the distance raced, collect the data, enter it into a chart. The students will find the mean, median, and mode of the data. Next, the students will enter this data into Excel at which time they will make a pictograph. Poly-gon to Black Bayou Lake  (Grade 5) After a study of polygons in class, students will travel to Black Bayou Lake refuge where they will connect the study of polygons to their real world application. After reading The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns, students will search for examples of polygons mentioned in the book. They will work in groups to capture the shapes with digital cameras and will use technology to create a book of their own about the shapes they have discovered. Tessellations on Black Bayou Lake This lesson is designed for fifth and sixth grade students. The students will investigate and identify tessellations, both natural and man-made, in the environment. After a field trip to Black Bayou Lake refuge, the students will create their own tessellations using the Paint program.   5th and 6th grade SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plans and Activities Caching In On Wildlife Woes (Grade 6) The student will become aware of the potential problems associated with the increasing human invasion of wildlife areas, the ecological changes incurred as a result of pollution, loss of wetlands, and urban development as they use GPS units in this lesson. Trekking Black Bayou Lake NWR (Grade 5) In this 2 week unit, students will access various types of technology. Students will use a GPS to track their route throughout Black Bayou Lake NWR. While they are exploring the area, they will record and describe sights they see on a recording form. After completing their trip, students will return to the classroom to create their masterpieces. They will use KidPix to make a map of their trek through Black Bayou. Next, they will use Venn diagrams to get ready for the writing part of the unit. In this part of the activity, the students will write an essay that compares sights that were seen on their trek from land to water at Black Bayou Lake NWR. Where in the World is Black Bayou Lake Refuge? As an introduction to the lesson, students will locate Black Bayou Lake refuge using online tools. We will discuss the use of a map versus a globe and talk about the various maps that are available. The students will then divide into groups according to north, south, east, and west for the research. The students will locate the latitude and longitude of interesting places located in these areas. They will plot the location on a huge wall map using push pens. The students will then visit each area via the internet and record the high and low temperatures of a given area for five days. Students will enter data into Excel to create a graph of their findings.  5th and 6th grade ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Batiking Black Bayou Lake Students will research Black Bayou Lake using the Internet and then design a landscape based on Black Bayou Lake using Chinese Batiking and oil pastels. After the landscapes are completed the students will take digital pictures of the batiks to use in the creation of a slide show created with Microsoft PowerPoint. 7th and 8th grade SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities A Black Bayou Lake Wildlife Cycle (Grades 7, 8, and 9) Students will research the wildlife species indigenous to Black Bayou Lake and its environment. They will select an animal, research its life cycle, and then create a life cycle presentation and/or publication illustrating the life cycle of that species. Cypress Trees: A Wetlands Tree  (Grades 7, 8 and 9) Students will gain an understanding of the characteristics of the Cypress tree and what makes this species unique. The students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to view the many trees that can be found in this wetlands environment. Does Extinction Mean Forever? (Grade 7) At the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the area along the lower Mississippi River was rich in wetlands and hardwood forests and was teeming with an abundant wildlife population. As more and more people moved in, forests were cleared for farmland, cities began to grow, and animals lost much of their natural habitat. Today, many animals in our state are extinct, endangered, or threatened with endangerment. Students will define the terms "extinct" and "endangered" and determine factors that contribute to extinction and endangerment. They will conduct research to obtain information about endangered animals in the state of Louisiana and measures being taken to prevent further decreases in their population. Food Web Follies This lesson helps students develop a better understanding of how the energy flows in a food web. Food Webs On the Bayou (Grade 7) This unit focuses on food webs in the ecosystem of Black Bayou Lake NWR. Students will explore resources on the Internet to learn how plants and animals react within the ecosystem. They will research using TrackStar and record answers on a worksheet. Information obtained in this activity will be used to complete a multimedia presentation. Heating Black Bayou Lake In this lesson, students will be asked to develop and test a hypothesis about how quickly different materials absorb radiation. Students will use wireless laptops and temperature sensors to gather data, evaluate findings, and draw conclusions. Nonnative Species Students will observe, record, and explain the impact of nonnative species in an ecosystem.  Students will record the impact of nonnative plant species on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  The students will locate the nonnative plants on the refuge with geographic coordinates using GPS units. pH Around the Pond Using wireless laptops and pH probes, middle school science students will predict and measure the pH of water samples taken from 3 different locations at Black Bayou Lake. The students will gather data, classify water samples, and synthesize possible pollution sources. Tiny Creatures from Black Bayou Lake (Grade 7) Discuss the living components of a pond/bayou/lake. Have students describe macroscopic and microscopic organisms and infer how they relate to the pond. Through research and activities students will discover how something so small can be so vital to other living organisms.  7th and 8th grade ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Louisiana Scavenger Hunt  Students will use World Book Online to find the answers to questions about Louisiana wildlife. Divide the students into groups and see which group can find the most answers within the allotted time. RESEARCHING pH Around the Pond Students will choose one of the many possible sources of water pollution to research. Students will then write a paper using the information found. Up Close and Personal with Black Bayou Lake (Grades 6, 7 and 8) Students get up close and personal with Black Bayou Lake. Visiting web sites and taking virtual tours, the students are inspired to write multi-paragraph essays using descriptive words and literary devices. "Whooose" Who on Black Bayou?  After taking a virtual tour of the Black Bayou Lake Project, students will compare and contrast animals which live on the Black Bayou Lake refuge. The students will use Inspiration software for pre-writing activities.  7th and 8th grade MATHEMATICS Lesson Plans and Activities The Numbers Tell a Story Using a data chart the students will research to find the number of plants and animals that are listed as threatened or endangered which are located in the southeast region of the United States. The students will create a graph in Excel using the gathered data. The students will manipulate the data by using the AutoSum to add the total numbers of threatened or endangered animals. The students will find the mean, median, and mode of the numbers listed. The students will present their findings in a PowerPoint presentation.   7th and 8th grade SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plans and Activities Caching In On Wildlife Woes (Grades 6 - 8) Students will become aware of the potential problems associated with the increasing human invasion of wildlife areas, the ecological changes incurred as a result of pollution, loss of wetlands, and urban development. This lesson plan parallels Grade 8, Louisiana History, Unit 1: Louisiana’s Physical and Cultural Geography, Activity 10 of the Comprehensive Curriculum. (Activity Parallel Reproducible). A Little Salty or Not! - A Comparison of Wetlands (Grade 8) The learner will construct a research project comparing and contrasting the different types of wetlands. Saving the Best in Louisiana (Grade 8) Students will identify the importance of animal and plant resources found in wetland regions and identify endangered species living within the state. They will learn about efforts which have been made to conserve endangered species. The students will also take a field trip to Black Bayou Lake NWR to explore answers to questions about wetlands and important wildlife resources in Louisiana.  So You Want to Be a Ranger? Students will research career opportunities with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They will each select one career and prepare an application and be interviewed for that position. Speaking Out for Louisiana Wetlands Students will conduct research in groups to locate information concerning the importance of wetlands conservation and the impact that it has on our environment. They will recognize the civic responsibility we have to become involved in protecting our environment. A brochure will be created using Publisher or Microsoft Word to present their findings and express their opinions concerning this important matter in our state. The Wetlands - A Geographic Feature in Louisiana (Grade 7) This lesson presents selected information on the wetlands, a geographic feature of Louisiana. Thousands of birds and animals were being killed for their feathers and skins for the fashion industry. Before President Roosevelt left office he established 53 additional refuges around the country. Their purpose was to protect not only birds but other wildlife too. Black Bayou Lake Wildlife Refuge at Monroe, Louisiana is just one of them. High School SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities A Black Bayou Lake Wildlife Cycle (Grade 9) Students will research the wildlife species indigenous to Black Bayou Lake and its environment. They will select an animal, research its life cycle, and then create a life cycle presentation and/or publication illustrating the life cycle of that species. Cypress Trees: A Wetlands Tree  (Grade 9) Students will gain an understanding of the characteristics of the Cypress tree and what makes this species unique. The students will visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to view the many trees that can be found in this wetlands environment. pH at Black Bayou Lake (Grades 9 - 12) In this lesson students will discuss pH and various terms related to pH. Students will view a TrackStar, pH at Black Bayou Lake, and answer questions located on the track. Then students will measure pH readings of samples of water from the pond and the lake located at Black Bayou Lake National Refuge and record their findings. Students will compare the readings and prepare a PowerPoint presentation on their findings including a chart comparing the differences in pH in the different areas and conclusions based on their data. In conclusion to the lesson, students will present their PowerPoint presentations to their class.   High School ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Lesson Plans and Activities Black Bayou Lake Short Story (Grade 10) Students will write an original short story with illustrations created in Publisher or they can present their story as a PowerPoint presentation. The setting must be Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The characters must be animals found at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The story contain the elements of a short story. The story must also have at least two similes and metaphors and an example of imagery and personification. Figurative Language at Black Bayou Lake (Grades 9 - 12) While visiting the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, students will take digital pictures and make notes with information about the scenic life. Back in the classroom, students will use the digital pictures to complete a figurative language writing assignment. "Whooose" Who on Black Bayou?  (Grade 9) After taking a virtual tour of the Black Bayou Lake Project, students will compare and contrast animals which live on the Black Bayou Lake refuge. The students will use Inspiration software for pre-writing activities.   High School SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plans and Activities Black Bayou Lake - Our Wetland (Grade 9) This lesson will be used to acquaint students with Black Bayou Lake NWR as a state and local wetland. It is also designed to define a wetland, its characteristics, and the types of wetlands. The learners will explore the importance of a wetland and its inhabitants. The students will be able to compare and contrast the characteristics of different types of wetlands. Caching In On Wildlife Woes (Grade 9) The student will become aware of the potential problems associated with the increasing human invasion of wildlife areas, the ecological changes incurred as a result of pollution, loss of wetlands, and urban development as they use GPS units in this lesson. Louisiana Wetlands and the Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge (Grade 9) Students will conduct research to locate information concerning the importance of wetlands conservation and the impact it has on our environment. A pamphlet will be created using MS Publisher or Word to present their findings.   High School FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE Lesson Plans and Activities Recipes from Black Bayou Lake (Grades 11 and 12) Students will tour Black Bayou Lake NWR, take pictures of the wildlife/fish they see, make a list of wildlife/fish that might be used for food, and prepare recipes using the wildlife/fish that would be found in the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. High School FOREIGN LANGUAGE Lesson Plans and Activities Visitons Black Bayou Lake en Louisiane! After visiting Black Bayou Lake NWR, students will create a Brochure Presentation with an introduction to Louisiana and Black Bayou Lake's native animals, plants, waterways and activities. The Lesson Plan Resources have been moved to the Resources Page. Click to go there now. Black Bayou Lake Home | Curriculum Materials | Resources | Black Bayou Lake NWR | Monroe City Schools