OVERVIEW ON HOW TO USE THIS SITE

Working River Online is designed for teachers as either a stand-alone collection of lessons to complement your elementary grade level science and history classroom lessons, or it can be used as a pre or post-field trip companion to our Mississippi National River and Recreation Area field trips, especially our Working River field trip. 

STEPS ON HOW TO EXPLORE THIS SITE

1. Have students begin with this WELCOME section 

1. • Get to know the context for the upper Mississippi River by viewing the Mississippi River Introduction video located below

   • View the park map to see if students can identify any landmarks, symbols, or icons. Compare this map with other maps of the Twin Cities area or a state of Minnesota map. 

   • View the video titles, Mni Sota - Dakota Sacred Waters, so students can get a feel for Dakota history as it relates to this area. Combine this with another classroom lesson you may have on hand. Combine this also with the slide deck for understanding indigeneous place names.

   • View the video titled, My Mighty Journey - A Waterfall's Story, which tells the geological story of St. Anthony Falls and how it traveled from Saint Paul to Minneapolis.

   • View the video titles, Building the Perfect Landscape, to understand how the falls area became the perfect place to build a city.

   • Have students read the article titled, A Most Amazing River, located below to get a feel for the importance of the Mississippi River.

2. Click to explore a MAIN TOPIC that is listed above and located on the black bar (or drop down menu if using a mobile device)! 

• Explore four topics from the above menu that are related to this section of the river:

• River Geology

• River Transportation

• River Power

• River Stewardship 

• Each topic is divided into four sections:

1. An introductory video with related topic questions and vocabulary to explore

2. Learn It: Explore and learn about the topic through slide decks, videos and readings

3. Do it: Complete a hands-on activity, experiment, product, or project

4. Know it: Take a short quiz to see what you know about each topic

3. Other Website Features -- See Menu Bar

• Write Out Prompt: STUDENTS practice writing about what they are learning by using the Write Out Prompt! 

• Write Out for Teachers: TEACHERS! Learn how to participate in the Write Out program, sponsored by the National Writing Project and the National Park Service!

• Resource Section: TEACHERS! There are valuable resources for you to use here to get to know more about each topic. 

Students: Your teacher may also assign you related activities and lessons. Have fun!