Curriculum Developed by: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
- Rick Reynolds, M.S.Ed., Founder, Engaging Every Student
- Krista Reynolds, MLIS, M.Ed., Library and Information Solutions Consultant, Engaging Every Student
- Natalia Szklaruk, M.S., Aquatic Invasive Species Educator, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
This curriculum is made possible through a partnership between Engaging Every Student and the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative, a program administered by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. Funding is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Original Publication Date: 2025
Lesson 1: Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary This lesson is designed to be highly adaptable, but options include a brief “crayfish…
Lesson 2: Invasive Crayfish and Community Changes, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary Students first read about mysterious population changes in a freshwater ecosystem, then create line…
Lesson 3: Crayfish Adaptations, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary In this lesson, students explore crayfish adaptations that help them to survive in freshwater…
Lesson 4: Native and Invasive Crayfish, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary In this lesson, students explore native and invasive crayfish species of the Great Lakes…
Lesson 5: Collecting Reliable Crayfish Data, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary In this lesson, students participate in a scientific field study* and apply what they…
Lesson 6: Competing Crayfish Game, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary In this lesson, students model impacts of invasive species by playing an engaging game…
Lesson 7: Crayfish as Indicator Species, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary Students will first read about a hypothetical mysterious phenomenon about crayfish disappearing from a…
Lesson 8: From Mental Maps to GIS – Modeling Data with Visualization and Mapping, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary Students are engaged by creating mental maps of their local watershed or the larger…
Lesson 9: Community Presentations and Engagement, Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems
Lesson Summary Students make presentations and/or create videos about their crayfish research project(s). In this way,…