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Based on the Living River paddleboat field trip and associated with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Living River Online (LRO) is a program that introduces students to the Mississippi River floodplain forest along with two of its species, the northern pike and mussels. Each station, or module, consists of four sections:

 

1. Introduction: This section consists of a special video welcoming students (and teachers) to the module, along with 'I Wonder' questions, a vocabulary list, and a word search puzzle.

 

2. Learning: This section consists of ways to engage with learning about the topic, including slide presentations, readings, and videos.

 

3. Activity-Product-Project: This section gets students involved with the topic. Students will be asked to use what they learn in order to complete an activity, or create a product or project.

 

4. Self-Assessment: This section gives students an easy pre or post assessment to show what they know using drop-down answers for immediate feedback.

 

This site was created for teachers by teachers. National park rangers and our River Educator team, consisting of teachers who have worked in the classroom, have designed a site that is flexible for use in your classroom - so no prescriptive model. Students are encouraged to explore and begin at multiple starting points. Teachers are encouraged to supplement the modules with their own engaging lesson plans and online methods. Use this site however it fits best in your classroom designs.

 

Added to this site is a fun literacy component: the River Poetry Challenge. Students are encouraged to use their newfound vocabulary words to write a poem. Top Ten entries will be posted on the website. You can read more about it on the website.