Provided by: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Articles/Websites Grades 3-5, 6-8
Synopsis
This resource contains detailed information about Michigan plants and animals, with separate sections for birds, fish, crayfish, insects, mammals, plants and trees, and reptiles and amphibians.
Each species has a beautiful image and links to information about the habitat, food sources, life cycle, and tips for identification.
This resource contains a wealth of information and links to other, reputable organizations for even more to learn.
Students will love the vivid photographs and pictures of Michigan species.
Prerequisites
Students, especially those who are easily overwhelmed, will benefit from a graphic organizer or other guidance for exploring the resource.
The page for insects only includes information for a few butterflies, and the rest of the insect-related information is not as user-friendly as the other pages.
Differentiation & Implementation
Students can use this resource as a starting point for a species research project.
Using this resource as a guide, students can go birdwatching and identify the local birds they see.
Using the Field Guide to Michigan Crayfish as a mentor text, students can create versions of field guides for the other types of species in Michigan.
Teachers with the capability to do so can plan a field trip to the MSU Bug House.