niagara falls and the great lakes unit study...niagara falls and the great lakes unit study ©2019...

Niagara Falls and

the Great LakesUnit Study

©2019 Randi Smith www.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

Subjects: Reading, Vocabulary History, Geography, Math, Science,

Writing

Teacher InstructionsThank you for downloading our Niagara Falls and Great Lakes Unit Study! It was created to be used with the books: Where is Niagara Falls? and/or The Mystery on the Great Lakes. See notes below for which pages to print for each book. You may incorporate other books about Niagara Falls and the Great Lakes, as well. Here is what is included in the study:

Pages 3-9: History of Niagara Falls: Notetaking sheets with answer key. (Use with Where is Niagara Falls?)

Pages 10-11: Facts about the Great Lakes: Notetaking sheets with answer key. (Use with The Mystery on the Great Lakes.)

Pages 12-15: Great Lakes Compare and Contrast: Chart to research and complete with questions and answer key. (Use with The Mystery on the Great Lakes.)

Pages 16-19: Timeline of Niagara Falls: Students may write on the timeline or cut and glue events provided. Events are provided with and without the year to provide options for a variety of ages. (Use with Where is Niagara Falls?)

Pages 20-22: Getting to Know the Great Lakes: A following direction activity to become more familiar with a map of the Great Lakes. (Use with The Mystery on the Great Lakes.)

3: Writing Prompt: Be a Daredevil (Use with Where is Niagara Falls?)

Page 24-28: Vocabulary Cards: Set of 12 cards (Vocabulary is pulled from both books.)

Also refer to our post: Niagara Falls and the Greet Lakes FREE Unit Study for:1. Videos about waterwheels and electricity, including how to experiment with

making your own waterwheel.2. A video about rainbows.3. A video about how to experiment with erosion and footage of a large part of

the falls eroding away in 1954!!4. A video showing lighthouses on Lake Michigan.5. The song about the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck.

©2019 Randi Sm

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w.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

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The falls were carved out about 14,000 yeas ago by ____________________________________________________

The first people to see Niagara Falls were ____________________________________________________

The first known person to discover Niagara Falls was ___________________________________________________ who discovered them in ______________________.

Niagara Falls consists of ____ waterfalls that are ____feet high and ______________________________ wide. The names of the waterfalls are: __________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________

Behind the falls is a _______________________________.

People started visiting Niagara Falls regularly in the__________________________________.

What did Augustus Porter do?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: ___________________ ©2019 Randi Smith www.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

The History of Niagara Falls

Who was the Hermit of the Niagara?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the Maid of the Mist?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What problem did engineer, Charles Ellet, Jr. solve and how did he solve it?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List some daredevils that visited the falls and what they did:1.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Name: ___________________ ©2019 Randi Smith www.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

The History of Niagara Falls (cont.)

5.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Augustus Porter also built a _________________ to use some of the Niagara River to power a _______________.

What did Jacob Schoellkopf do with this set-up in the late 1800s?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Niagara Falls Power Company was formed and asked _____________________________ to help them send electricity hundreds of miles away. However, he wanted to use _________________________________, which would be expensive to deliver electricity hundreds of miles away. So _________________________and ________________________________ worked together on the idea of __________________________________. The Niagara Falls Power Company used this method to provide electricity to _______________________________.



What are some ways the cold weather influenced the Niagara Falls area?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are some ways people enjoy Niagara Falls today?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



The falls were carved out about 14,000 yeas ago byice glaciers.

The first people to see Niagara Falls were Native Americans

The first known person to discover Niagara Falls was Father Louis Hennepin, a French priest, who discovered them in 1678. (Note: Samuel de Champlain has also been credited with documenting the first siting in 1604.)

Niagara Falls consists of 3 waterfalls that are 160 feet high and more than a half mile wide. The names of the waterfalls are: Canadian Falls or Horseshoe FallsAmerican FallsBridal Veil Falls

Behind the falls is a cave.

People started visiting Niagara Falls regularly in thelate 1700s.

What did Augustus Porter do?He bought a lot of land on the American side where he started to build what would become a town. He also bought Goat Island to keep as a natural area and built a bridge out to it.


The History of Niagara Falls Answer Key

Who was the Hermit of the Niagara?A man named Francis Abbott who came to Niagara Falls in 1829 and lived in a cabin on Goat Island. He did not speak to people and liked to hang over the falls. After two years, he jumped in the river below the falls and drowned.

What was the Maid of the Mist?A ferryboat that sailed through the mist of the waterfall while taking people from the US to Canada. It is still a tourist attraction today, but no longer crosses from one country into another.

What problem did engineer, Charles Ellet, Jr. solve and how did he solve it?He needed to get metal cables across the gorge to build a bridge. He held a kite flying contest with the idea that once a kite string was across the gorge, thicker and heavier strings, ropes, and eventually metal cables could be tied together and pulled across the gorge.

List some daredevils that visited the falls and what they did:1. Sam Patch (1829) jumped into Niagara Falls. Survived one jump, but not a second one.2. Blondin (1859), a tightrope walker. 3. Farini (1860), a tightrope walker.4. Carlisle Graham rode a barrel through the rapids, but not over

the falls.5. Annie Edson Taylor (1901) went over the falls in a barrel.6. Nik Wallenda (2012) modern day tightrope walker.


The History of Niagara Falls Answer Key (cont.)

Augustus Porter also built a canal to use some of the Niagara River to power a waterwheel.

What did Jacob Schoellkopf do with this set-up in the late 1800s?He bought the canal from Porter and used it to power several waterwheels. He sent the power to different businesses and then used the power to light up street lights in Niagara Falls.

The Niagara Falls Power Company was formed and asked Thomas Edison to help them send electricity hundreds of miles away. However, he wanted to use direct current, which would be expensive to deliver electricity hundreds of miles away. So Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse worked together on the idea of alternating current. The Niagara Falls Power Company used this method to provide electricity to Buffalo, NY.

What are some ways the cold weather influenced the Niagara Falls area?The city built an ice palace and charged admission to enter. Some years the falls freeze and sometimes there is enough ice on the river to walk across it. Once a man built a shack in the middle of the river. The ice also knocked down early bridges.

What are some ways people enjoy Niagara Falls today?People still ride the Maid of the Mist and walk near the falls. Goat Island and the Rainbow Bridge are open for people to walk on. There are fireworks and light shows. There is also a Ferris wheel, a lookout tower, aquarium, gardens, restaurants, and more. Name: ___________________ ©2019 Randi Smith www.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

The History of Niagara Falls Answer Key (cont.)

The Great Lakes hold about ____ percent of the fresh surface water on earth.

The Great Lakes from west to east (or left to right) are: ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What word is a memory trick or mnemonic for remembering the names of the lakes? ________________

Which Great Lake is completely in the United States?_____________________________________

What are some common things one can find in the Great Lakes? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the Great Lakes used for? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are some places to visit on the Great Lakes? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Facts about the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes hold about 20 percent of the fresh surface water on earth.

The Great Lakes from west to east (or left to right) are: Lake Superior

Lake MichiganLake HuronLake ErieLake Ontario

What word is a memory trick or mnemonic for remembering the names of the lakes? HOMES

Which Great Lake is completely in the United States?Lake Michigan

What are some common things one can find in the Great Lakes? Answers may vary: lighthouses, islands, shipwrecks, fish, etc.

What are the Great Lakes used for? Answers may vary: drinking water, fishing, shipping, mining salt, boating, exploring, etc.

What are some places to visit on the Great Lakes?Answers may vary: Niagara Falls, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, lighthouses, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum


Facts about the Great LakesAnswer Key

Compare and Contrast the Great LakesResearch the Great Lakes and fill in the information below. Then answer the questions to compare each lake.

Maximum Depth of

Lake

Length of

Shoreline

Volume of

Water

SurfaceArea

Major Cities

Border States and Countries

Connecting Waterway (to next lake)

LakeSuperior

Lake Michigan

LakeHuron

LakeErie

Lake Ontario

Compare and Contrast the Great Lakes

Maximum Depth of

Lake

Length of

Shoreline

Volume of

Water

SurfaceArea

Major** & Minor* Cities

Border Statesand

Countries

Connecting Waterways (to other lakes)

LakeSuperior

1333 ft.406 m

2730 miles4393 km

2935 cubic mi12,232

cubic km

31,700 sq mi

82,097 sq km

Thunder Bay*

Duluth*

CanadaMinnesotaWisconsinMichigan

St. Mary’s River to Lake Huron

Lake Michigan

923 ft.281 m

1640 miles2639 km

1180 cubic mi

4918cubic km

22,300 sq mi

57,753 sq km

Chicago**Milwaukee**Green Bay*

WisconsinIllinoisIndiana

Michigan

Straits of Mackinac to Lake Huron

LakeHuron

750 ft.229 m

3830 miles6164 km

849cubic mi

3538cubic km

23,000sq mi

59,565sq km

Sarnia* MichiganCanada

St. Clair River to Lake St. Clair to the Detroit River

to Lake Erie

LakeErie

210 ft.64 m

871 miles1402 km

116cubic mi

483cubic km

9910 sq mi

25,655sq km

Detroit**Cleveland**Buffalo**

Erie*

MichiganOhio, Penn.New York

Canada

Niagara River and WellandCanal to Lake

Ontario

Lake Ontario

283 ft.802 m

712 miles1146 km

393cubic mi

1639cubic km

7340sq mi

19,009sq km

Toronto**Rochester*Kingston*

New YorkCanada

St. Lawrence River to the

Atlantic Ocean

Research the Great Lakes and fill in the information below. Then answer the questions to compare each lake.

Use the chart you created to answer the following questions.1. Which lake is the deepest? ________________________Which lake is the shallowest? ________________________What is the difference between their depths? __________________________

2. Which lake has the longest shoreline? __________________________Which lake has the shortest shoreline? ________________________What is the difference between the lengths of their shorelines? __________________________

3. Which lake has the largest volume of water? __________________________

Which lake has the smallest volume of water? ________________________

The smallest volume lake is what percentage of the largest volume lake? __________________________

4. Which lake has the largest surface area?__________________________Which lake has the smallest surface area? ________________________The smallest lake is what percentage of the largest lake’s surface area? __________________________

5. Why would the lake with the largest shoreline have one of the smaller surface areas?________________________________________________________________________


Compare and Contrast the Great Lakes

1. Which lake is the deepest? Lake SuperiorWhich lake is the shallowest? Lake ErieWhat is the difference between their depths? 1,123 feet or 342 meters

2. Which lake has the longest shoreline? Lake HuronWhich lake has the shortest shoreline? Lake OntarioWhat is the difference between the lengths of their shorelines? 3118 miles or 5018 miles

3. Which lake has the largest volume of water? Lake SuperiorWhich lake has the smallest volume of water? Lake ErieThe smallest volume lake is what percentage of the largest volume lake? 4.0%

4. Which lake has the largest surface area? Lake SuperiorWhich lake has the smallest surface area? Lake OntarioThe smallest lake is what percentage of the largest lake’s surface area? 23%

5. Why would the lake with the largest shoreline have one of the smaller surface areas? Its shoreline is long because it has lots of inlet (or bays) and points while the largest lake by surface area has a straighter shoreline.


Compare and Contrast the Great Lakes Answer Key

Timeline of the Development of Niagara Falls

1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900

Niagara Falls was formed around 12,000 BC by ice glaciers. They were likely first discovered by Native Americans. The first documented discovery of the falls was by Father Hennepin in 1678. (Although, there are some who think Samuel De Champlain was the first to document the discovery.) The development of the area around the falls began in 1814. Fill in major events that have happened there since.


1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000



2000 2020




Events for Niagara Falls Timeline1801 Aaron Burr’s (former Vice President) daughter and her husband are recorded as the first couple to honeymoon at the falls.

Aaron Burr’s (former Vice President) daughter and her husband are recorded as the first couple to honeymoon at the falls.

1814 Augustus Porter buys land near Niagara Falls.

Augustus Porter buys land near NiagaraFalls.

1829 The “Hermit of Niagara” arrives. The “Hermit of Niagara” arrives.

1829 Sam Patch jumps into the falls. Sam Patch jumps into the falls.

1846 The Maid of the Mist takes its first voyage.

The Maid of the Mist takes its first voyage.

1848 Ice blockage causes the falls to stop flowing.

Ice blockage causes the falls to stop flowing.

1848 The first bridge over the Niagara River is built.

The first bridge over the Niagara River is built.

1855 Roebling’s Suspension Bridge opens. Roebling’s Suspension Bridge opens.

1859 Blondin walks across the gorge on a tightrope.

Blondin walks across the gorge on a tightrope.

1860 Farini crosses the gorge on a tightrope. Farini crosses the gorge on a tightrope.

1877 Shoellkopf runs several waterwheels to create electricity.

Shoellkopf runs several waterwheels to create electricity.

1886 Steel railroad bridge is built across the Niagara River.

Steel railroad bridge is built across the Niagara River.

1896 Niagara Falls Power Company sends electricity to Buffalo.

Niagara Falls Power Company sends electricity to Buffalo.

1901 Annie Taylor goes over the falls in a barrel.

Annie Taylor goes over the falls in a barrel.

1941 Rainbow Bridge is built across gorge. Rainbow Bridge is built across gorge.

1960 Seven-year-old survives going over the falls.

Seven-year-old survives going over the falls.

2012 Wallenda crosses the gorge on a tightrope.

Wallenda crosses the gorge on a tightrope.

1. Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world when measured by surface area. Color it blue.

2. Isle Royale National Park is on the large island along the north side of Lake Superior. Draw a tree on this island.

3. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is on Whitefish Point near where Lake Superior flows into Lake Huron. Draw a boat in this area.

4. Lake Superior flows into St. Mary’s River and then into Lake Huron. Draw a green arrow next to St. Mary’s River to show the direction the water is flowing.

5. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake to lie completely within the United States. Color it blue.

6. Sleeping Bear Dunes lie on the eastern shore of the lake. Circle their name in brown.

7. Chicago, the third largest city in the US, is near the southern end of Lake Michigan. Circle its name in red.

8. Draw a purple circle around the area where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. This is called the Straits of Mackinac.

9. The lakes here divide Michigan in two parts. The upper part is called the Upper Peninsula. Color it pink.

10. Lake St. Clair lies between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Color it blue.

11. The city of Detroit lies to the south of Lake St. Clair. Circle its name in orange.

12. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland overlooking Lake Erie. Draw a music note next to this city.

13. Niagara Falls is in the Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. Trace this river in blue and draw a waterfall next to it.

14. In 1848 Niagara Falls dried up because a storm created an ice dam where Lake Erie meets the Niagara River and water could not flow into the river. Draw a red line where Lake Erie meets the Niagara River.

15. Toronto, the largest city in Canada, lies on Lake Ontario. Circle its name in yellow.


Directions for Getting to Know the Great Lakes

Getting to Know the Great LakesFollow the directions to learn about the Great Lakes.


Niagara River

Chicago

Toronto

Buffalo

Cleveland

Milwaukee

Detroit

Great Sleeping Bear Dunes

Here is what the map should look like when completed.

In Where is Niagara Falls? we learned about many daredevils that tried to become famous by doing stunts. What stunt would you do at Niagara Falls and what are some of the challenges you might face in doing the stunt? How would you overcome these challenges?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Name: ___________________ ©2019 Randi Smith www.peanutbutterfishlessons.com

Be a Daredevil


Teacher’s DirectionsThese are a sample of our Vocabulary Concept of the Day cards. 12 vocabulary cards are included. Normally, our sets have a full month’s worth of cards.

• Print as two-sided documents onto cardstock and cut cards apart.• Each day read a card to your children.

• At the end of the week, review cards by giving a short summary of the back of a card and having a student point to the answer.

• As the month goes on, review previous weeks by giving a word and the students give a short summary of the information on the back of the card.

Note: These work great in a pocket calendar such as the Lakeshore Classroom Calendar Kit. Pockets should be approximately 3 inches x 3 inches.

Arid

1 2

River

3

4

Erosion

5

Island

6


Glacier

Gorge

Rapids

2Naturally flowing water that flows into an ocean, lake, or another river. It usually contains fresh water. Rivers start at the highest point in an area and flow downward. The water flows in a channel and the bottom is called the bed and the sides are called the banks.

3Areas of fast flowing water. They occur in shallow rocky areas of a river where some rocks have eroded more than others leading to sudden drops and rises in the river bed. They can be very dangerous and some of the most dangerous in the world are the Whirlpool Rapids in the Niagara River.

4A narrow valley with steep walls between hills or mountains that has a stream or river running through it. They are typically formed by erosion, but sometimes are caused by an earthquake.

Erosion6A piece of land completely surrounded by water. Continents are so large they are not considered islands. Greenland is the largest island in the world.

Gorge5A process where the surface of the Earth is worn down. Water causes most erosion, but wind and ice can also cause the surface to wear down.

1RiverA mass of ice that is constantly moving very slowly. It is formed from snow whose height is above the snowline and never melts. The layers of snow each winter form into a glacier. As it moves it carves away rock, which can become part of the glacier.


GlacierRapids

Island

Arid

7 8

Canal

9

10

Dunes

11

Shipwreck

12


Dam

Lighthouse

Lakeshore

1

7A barrier built to block the flow of water. It can be used to build up a reservoir of water to then be used as a water supply or to create electric power. Beavers also build dams so they have quiet, deep water to build their homes in.

8A human made channel of water. It can be used for boats to move from one area to another, to irrigate an area of land, or to channel the water to a power plant.

9A shore is the edge of the land at a body of water. A lakeshore is the land at the edge of a lake. It may be rocky or sand dunes or a beach made of sand or pebbles.

10 Dunes12The remains of a ship that has crashed or sunk. The remains may be beached on land or sunken below the surface of the water.

11A hill of sand created by wind or the flow of water. When they are located near a shore they run parallel to the shore. Usually the side where the sand is pushed up the dune is longer than the other side of the dune.


DamCanalLakeshore

ShipwreckA lighthouse is a tower or building designed to give off light from a system of lamps and lenses. It serves as a way for boats to know where they are on waterways.

Lighthouse

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niagara falls and the great lakes unit study...niagara falls and the great lakes unit study ©2019...

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