Introduction

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The Erie Canal is an important ecosystem that stretches across New York State and connects major bodies of water, including the Hudson River, the Finger Lakes, the Genesee River, and Lake Erie.  An historic and recreational treasure, the canal is a superhighway for plant and animal life, as well as for pollution and invasive species.  It is important that New York State residents, business owners, and visitors understand human impact on this ecosystem and engage in behaviors that preserve and protect it for all those who live, work, and play in and around its waters.

Environmental Education on the Genesee (E2G) is an arc of five lessons that examine the ecological health of the Erie Canal with students from Grades 4-12.  E3C is characterized by: 

• active pedagogy
• student collaboration
• hands-on, field-based lab work
• real-world application
• an ethic of citizen science and service

E2G addresses a number of NGSS and ELA standards.  Standards, learning targets, materials lists, teaching notes and procedures, readings, student worksheets, and assessments are outlined in each lesson.  

The centerpiece of E2G is an on-water cruise on the Sam Patch during which students collect evidence of canal ecosystem health.  The E2G field guide for teachers and student recording sheets are provided for use during the cruise.

The culminating activity engages students in conducting an act of service and in sharing their findings with the Fingerlakes Database.  It is hoped that the E2G experience helps foster a new generation of canal enthusiasts and caretakers, as well as informed, environmentally conscious citizens.

Lesson Overview 

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Lesson 1 - Is the Water Healthy?

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In this lesson, students observe jars of water and hypothesize which jar has the healthiest water. After these observations, they generate a list of inquiries and, through a jigsaw activity, build background knowledge about factors that impact water quality. The lesson ends by asking students to consider what they learned from the jigsaw and how it has impacted their thinking.

Lesson 2 - Who Cares?

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In this lesson, students examine the many purposes the canal serves for humans, plants, and animals – from an Erie Canal gift shop owner to the tiniest one-celled organism – and identify ways in which water quality factors such as dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphorus, nitrogen/nitrates, and turbidity affect humans and other living things who use the canal.

Students engage in an interactive word wall protocol to illustrate connections between these “stakeholders,” to explain the relationships that exist among them, and to describe how those relationships demonstrate the importance of a healthy Erie Canal. The protocol may be conducted with the whole class or in groups of 5-10 students.

Lesson 3 - How Do We Measure Water Health?

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During a ride on the Sam Patch, students complete a set of stations where they make and record measurements about the health of the Genesee River water and ecosystem. These measurements include observations of physical characteristics, chemical characteristics, and aquatic organism diversity.

Lesson 4 - Is the River Healthy?

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In this lesson students review the data they collected while on the boat along with data that has been collected from other sources to assess whether or not the Genesee River is a healthy ecosystem with clean water. Once they have finished comparing and analyzing the data, students craft a claim about the health of the Erie Canal ecosystem.

Lesson 5 - What Can We Do?

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Each of us can have a positive impact on the environment. In this lesson, students identify and address an issue that affects Genesee River water quality and complete an act of stewardship.

For More Information  

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E2G has been produced by Corn Hill Navigation, the non-profit organization that operates the Sam Patch, in collaboration with Green Collar Collaborations, Rochester Institute of Technology, and St. John Fisher University.  Funding has been provided by:

• New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
• Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
• Farash Foundation
• Avangrid Foundation

For more information, edits, or suggestions, please contact Corn Hill Navigation at info@cornhillnav.org or call 585-662-5748.