SOCIAL STUDIES

Item

Michigan Curriculum
Framework Guideline

Curious Kids' Activity Guide to Michigan

Geographic Perspective
Strand 2
Content Standard 2.1

"All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of places, cultures, settlements.
(People, Places, Cultures)"

The book emphasizes the geography of the Great Lakes region. It familiarizes students with the locations of major cities, the location of each Great Lake, and Michigan's major islands. It promotes identification of the states (and country) that border Michigan by land route and water route.

Geographic Perspective
Strand 2
Content Standard 2.3

"All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of economic activities, trade, political activities, migration, information flow, and the interrelationships amount them.
(Location, Movement and Connections)"

The book introduces key economic activities in Michigan:

   •  the auto industry
   •  agriculture
   •  the food industry
   •  tourism

Geographic Perspective
Strand 2
Content Standard 2.4

"All students will describe and compare characteristics of ecosystems, states, regions, countries, major world regions, and pattern and explain the processes that created them.
(Regions, Patterns, and Processes)"

The book familiarizes students with the Great Lakes area. The book presents facts about the state stone (Petoskey stone), state fossil (Mastodon), and state gem (Chlorastrolite). These items fit well with classroom learning about Michigan's natural history.

Inquiry
Strand 5 Content Standard 5.1

"All students will acquire information from books, maps, newspapers, data sets and other sources, organize and present the information in maps, graphs, charts and timelines, interpret the meaning and significance of information, and use a variety of electronic technologies to assist in accessing and managing information."

Map activities and exercises are used extensively in the book to help students place Michigan's cities, lakes, bridges, islands, and highways, festivals and universities.

Citizen Involvement
Strand 7 Content Standard 7.1

"All students will consider the effects of an individual's actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law, and how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society."

The book presents the state fossil (The Mastodon) on page 11. Something to share with your class: an example of involved citizenship is the story of how the Mastodon came to be the state fossil. A group of Michigan middle school students (with the help of their teacher) were instrumental in making this happen.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Item

Michigan Curriculum
Framework Guideline

Curious Kids' Activity Guide to Michigan

Meaning and Communication
Standard 1

"All students will read and comprehend general and technical material."

The book facilitates both general reading (there are two Michigan Travel Stories) and technical reading (there are facts about the state bird, state tree, state fossil, state flower, etc.).

Meaning and Communication
Standard 2

"All students will demonstrate the ability to write clear and grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs, and compositions."

The book provides an excellent basis for independent writing assignments. Examples are provided below in "Suggested Writing Topics"

Skills and Processes
Standard 7

"All students will demonstrate, analyze, and reflect upon the skills and processes used to communicate through listening, speaking, viewing, reading, and writing."

The book stresses both written and visual communication, with several exercises requiring careful viewing and analysis of photos. For example, students look at photos of Michigan museum scenes. Using visual cues, they determine what kind of information can best be learned at that museum.

MATHEMATICS

Item

Michigan Curriculum
Framework Guideline

Curious Kids' Activity Guide to Michigan

I. Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
Standard 2

"Students identify locations of objects, identify location relative to other objects and describe the effects of transformations."

Emphasis is on relationships and use of directional terms on maps in the exercises on Michigan's Islands, the Great Lakes, and Michigan Highway Navigation.

IV. Number Sense and Numeration
Standard 1

"Students experience counting and measuring activties to develop intuitive sense about numbers, develop understanding about properties of numbers, understand the need for and existence of different sets of numbers, and investigate properties of special numbers."

The page on Michigan Highway Navigation provides an opportunity to calculate mileage of various driving routes in Michigan. See the section on Supplemental Math Facts

V. Numerical and Algebraic Operations and Analytical Thinking
Standard 1

"Students understand and use various types of operations to solve problems."

The page on Sailboat Racing presents a real-world mathematical story problem. Teachers can add additional queries based on the colorful graphic of sailboat racing. Example: "How many miles did the striped sailboat race?" or "Assuming the orange boat sailed at an average speed of 10 mph, how long did it take to get from Chicago to Mackinac Island?"

SCIENCE

Item

Michigan Curriculum
Framework Guideline

Curious Kids' Activity Guide to Michigan

Strand II: Reflecting on Scientifc Knowledge
Standard 3: How science and technology affect our society

All students will show how science and technology affect our society.
Key Concepts: Technology provides faster and farther transportation and communication, organizes information, and solves problems, saves time.

The book provides the groundwork for a class discussion (or written essays) on how cars have impacted Michigan's society. Important concepts to touch on in such a class discussion: auto and auto parts industries, roads, bridges, tourism, economic impact, and environmental factors.

Strand III: Using Life Science Knowledge
Standard 3: Organization of Living Things

Use classification systems to describe groups of living things.
.

Based on pages 10-11 in the book (on Michigan's state symbols), discuss classifications. Animal Classification Facts are provided for teacher reference.

Strand III: Using Life Science Knowledge
Standard 4: Evolution

Part II of this standards reads: "All students will compare ways that living organisms are adapted to survive and reproduce in their environments...."
.

Using the guidelines provided, have students research and report on one of these animals :
   •  painted turtle (state reptile)
   •  brook trout (state fish)
   •  white-tailed deer (state mammal)
   •  robin (state bird)
(a photo of each of these is shown on pages 10-11)

Strand V: Using Scientific Knowledge in Earth Science
Standard 1: The Geosphere
Part 1: The Earth's Surface

1. Describe major features of the earth's surface.
Key Concepts: Landforms— mountains, valleys, plains, bodies of water, deserts.

Based on the photos and maps in the book, discuss the Great Lakes (which are basins created by glaciers), Michigan's sand dunes, the rock formations at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula.

A good resource is the Great Lakes Information Network's Great Lakes Shoreline Geology web page.

Strand V: Using Scientific Knowledge in Earth Science
Standard 1: The Geosphere
Part 2: Earth Materials

Recognize and describe different types of earth materials.

Key Concepts: Materials— mineral, rock, boulder, gravel, sand, clay, soil.

The Upper Peninsula (especially the Keweenaw Peninsula) is rich in minerals, such as iron, limestone, and copper. Have students look at the photo of the Copper specimen at the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum on page 41 of the book.

A good resource is the A. E. Seaman's Mineral Museum's online photo gallery of minerals found in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Strand V: Using Scientific Knowledge in Earth Science
Standard 1: The Geosphere
Part 4: Rocks and Fossils

Explain how rocks and fossils are used to understand the history of the earth.

Discuss what we can learn from the state stone (the Petoskey stone) and the state fossil (the Mastodon). Photos of both are found on page 10-11 of the book.

Mention to students that Michigan's state stone, the Petoskey stone, is actually a fossil fragment from ancient corals, dating back 350 million years. Review with students some general information about fossils.
For more on the Mastodon, see the information provided by the Illinois State Museum.