Teach

Find a collection of stories designed to help teachers deepen student understanding of Great Lakes topics, as well as lessons, resources, and media to support meaningful, connected learning.

Resources

Great Lakes fisheries offer engaging educational opportunities for schools, community partners, educators, and youth to explore, experience, and learn about the Great Lakes. In partnership with Michigan’s America250 commemoration, the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail network is proud to connect with and support educators and students through a “Great Lakes fisheries science meets social studies” approach.

These featured educational resources highlight how fisheries science, history, and culture intersect, while the programs and partners below provide hands-on, standards-aligned opportunities to bring these connections to life.

Life of the Lakes: A Guide to the Great Lakes Fishery

A comprehensive resource connecting fisheries science, ecosystems, and human dimensions of the Great Lakes.

Small Fry, Big Catches: The Great Lakes Fishery

(Michigan History Magazine) — an anchor article linking fisheries science, history, and culture through Michigan’s Great Lakes story; and aligned with Michigan Science and Social Studies Standards.

Explore Feature Programs & Partnerships

Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC)—For Educators

The GLFC’s new educator page offers Great Lakes and sea lamprey resources for teachers, nature centers, camps, and other learning settings across the region.

Center for Great Lakes Literacy

Promotes the Great Lakes Literacy Principles and helps build a community of educators, students, scientists, environmental professionals, and citizen volunteers dedicated to informed stewardship of the Great Lakes.

NOAA B-WET Great Lakes

Provides competitive funding to strengthen environmental education programs, support new initiatives, and build partnerships across watershed-based education efforts.

Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science (GLEAMS)

A regional network that brings together educators, agency professionals, and community partners to advance Great Lakes literacy through professional learning, collaboration, and shared resources, supporting connections between classroom learning and real-world aquatic science and fisheries issues.

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI)

Supports place-based stewardship education by engaging schools, educators, and youth in local investigations that foster informed, active stewardship of Great Lakes ecosystems.

Project F.I.S.H. (Friends Involved in Sportfishing Heritage

Develops school–community partnerships that engage youth in long-term, hands-on sportfishing and aquatic resource education experiences.

Students can also serve as valued community partners by researching, documenting, and sharing local fisheries heritage stories. For example, this place-based community-connected learning project with Alpena High School students worked to uncover and share how local Lake Huron fisheries have shaped communities across northern Michigan.

From ecosystem and historical studies to field experiences and archival research, the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail network of partners provides access to a wide range of educational resources, projects, and partnership opportunities.

Explore

Browse our interactive map to find Great Lakes fisheries heritage sites and attractions — from museums and historic landmarks to fish markets and restaurants.

Learn

Go deep into Great Lakes fisheries heritage using this curated list of materials — including audio, videos, books, and more — that have been curated for independent learning.

Dive In

Discover fisheries heritage stories of people, places, traditions, and ecology that shape the Great Lakes region—from Tribal Nations and fishing families to researchers and the fish they study.