Asian Carp Background Information:
We all know how special the Great Lakes are to our state. We know that the
lakes need to be protected too. Ecology is the study of how plants and
animals relate to their environment. Ecology tells us that some plants and
animals belong in our environment and some don’t. Have you ever walked
along the shores of Lake Michigan and seen those little shells tangled in the
seaweed? Those are zebra mussels and they don’t belong in our Great Lakes.
They came here attached to big ships and they are hurting our lakes. Now
we have another problem: some big fish from the South are traveling up the
Mississippi Basin and through Illinois into our Great Lakes. A long time ago,
people built canals to connect Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. This
fish, called the Asian carp, is swimming up through the canals toward the
Great Lakes. The Asian carp is bad because it eats all the food that our fish
need to live. Asian carp eats up all the algae and plankton and doesn’t leave
any for the fish who do belong in the Great Lakes. We need to keep the
Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes because they will reduce the
biodiversity of the environment. We don’t want to see our fish like the Lake
Whitefish become endangered species. Lots of fishermen will lose their
jobs too and fishing in the Great Lakes will be less fun because they will be
full of carp.
Good news: You can make a difference. If we can show our government
representatives how special the Great Lakes are to us, then they can do
everything in their power to protect our waters from Asian carp and other
animals that don’t belong in Michigan.
Essay Prompt: “Why I Love the Great Lakes”
Write a 2 to 3 paragraph essay about why you love the Great Lakes. Tell us
why you think the Great Lakes should be protected and how special they are.
When you’re done writing, illustrate your essay. Draw us a nice picture!
Give your completed essay to your teacher. Thanks for helping us save the
Great Lakes!
Asian Carp Word Search
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Directions: Find the words listed below and circle them.
ALGAE
ASIAN CARP
BASIN
BIODIVERSITY
CANAL
CONSERVATION
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEM
ENDANGERED
ERIE
FISHING
GREAT LAKES
HABITAT
HURON
ILLINOIS
INVASIVE SPECIES
MICHIGAN
NATIVE SPECIES
ONTARIO
PLANKTON
SHORE
SUPERIOR
WATER
WATERSHED
Asian Carp Crossword Puzzle
Across
7. A word describing the amount of difference in a habitat
9. Something fish eat
10. All of the types of plants and animals as well as the land and
water making up a particular environment
11. When people come together to preserve the environment
12. Another word for threatened
13. The government agency whose job is protecting the environment
14. A big fish that does not belong in the Great Lakes
15. Something we all need to live. Hint: it’s not food or shelter.
16. A manmade connection linking two bodies of water
17. The study of how plants and animals interact with their environment
Down
1. An area where rain water or water from snow and ice flows into a
bigger body of water, such as a lake, river, or ocean.
2. Place where animals live
3. The largest freshwater bodies in the world
4. Something fun you can do in the Great Lakes. Hint: You use a fishing
rod or a net for this activity!
5. Plants and animals that do belong in a particular environment
6. Food supply for fish
8. Plants and animals that don't belong in a particular environment
Answers:
Across
7. Biodiversity
9. Algae
10. Ecosystem
11. Conservation
12. Endangered
13. EPA
14. Asian Carp
15. Water
16. Canal
17. Ecology
Down:
1. Basin
2. Habitat
3. Great Lakes
4. Fishing
5. Native species
6. Plankton
8. Invasive species
Asian Carp Maze: Remove the Asian Carp
from Lake Michigan!
FINISH!
START!
Vocabulary Words
Algae: a source of food for fish
Asian Carp: a big fish that does not belong in the Great Lakes
Basin: an area where rain water or water from snow and ice flows into a
bigger body of water, such as a lake, river, or ocean. A Basin could
also be called a Watershed. Basins include groundwater and surface
water. The Great Lakes form their own basin called the
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.
Biodiversity: the amount of difference in an environment
Canal: a manmade connection linking two bodies of water. The canals in
Chicago link the Mississippi Basin to the Great Lakes.
Conservation: when people come together to preserve the environment
Ecology: the study of how plants and animals interact with their environment
Ecosystem: all of the types of plants and animals as well as the land and
water making up a particular environment.
Endangered species: plants or animals that are threatened by extinction
Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.): the part of the government
whose job is protecting the environment
Habitat: another word for environment. Where plants and animals live
Invasive Species: plants and animals that don’t belong in a particular
environment
Native Species: plants and animals that do belong in a particular
environment
Plankton: another source of food for fish