This lesson will explore the phenomenon of warming waters in Lake Superior. The coldest and largest of the Great Lakes has been experiencing steady increases in average temperatures for a few decades, enough to give rise to concern for the lake ecosystem, the weather patterns in the surrounding area, and more. But before solutions can be explored, we must first understand the problem. That’s why, through hands-on experiments, students will explore thermal stratification, model algal blooms, and investigate the impact of ice coverage.

• Know why the waters of Lake Superior are warming
• Understand how thermal stratification works in lakes
• Be able to model the albedo effect, thermal layering, and algal blooms with household materials