Education Resources
The following resources have been adapted from our Lakeside Learning Field Trip program to bring Great Salt Lake to you. Whether these tools guide you on your visit to the Lake, in your classroom, or in your backyard, we hope that teachers, students and families feel empowered to explore Great Salt Lake's unique ecosystem. For additional information about any of these activities, please contact Katie Newburn at pelican@fogsl.org.
Pre-Field Trip Meet Your Watershed Worksheet
This activity will provide context for your Lakeside Learning Field Trip and introduce some of the big ideas we'll be exploring.
Self-Guided Lakeside Learning Field Trips
Printable Field Journal
Record your observations as you explore different habitats within the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. The PDF below is formatted to print as a double-sided booklet.
Great Salty Phenomenon: Investigating Great Salt Lake's Decline through 3-D Science
Investigate Great Salt Lake's changing water levels using 3-D science in this adaptable lesson aligned with Utah's SEEd Standards.
Contact pelican@fogsl.org for additional resources.
Postcard Reflection Activity
Following a field trip or visit to Great Salt Lake, this activity will help students reflect on their experience and continue the conversation about the state of the lake.
Hands-On Science Activities
Brine Shrimp Hatch Kit
Teachers who attend our Lakeside Learning Field Trips will receive a Brine Shrimp Hatch Kit for their classroom! The kit includes everything you need for the activity (just add water!), and also includes some Oolitic Sand for an additional experiment. Check out the activity instructions and assembly video below.
Desert Water: Climate Change and the Future of Great Salt Lake
Free Partner Games & Activities
- NHMU's Great Salt Lake Virtual Field Trip - How did the Great Salt Lake come to be and what happened to Lake Bonneville? Explore the history of this iconic landmark and its amazing ecosystem that supports all kinds of life today.
- Audubon's "Whose Beak? Whose Feet?" Game - Birds have many special adaptations that help them survive. A bird's unique beak and feet can tell us what that bird has adapted to eat and where it finds its food. Read the hints to match the beaks, feet, and birds in this Audubon quiz.
- Audubon's "Who Lives Where?" Game - Calling all bird watchers! Think you know which birds live in which habitats? Test your bird knowledge with this quiz created by Audubon!
- Audubon's "What's Helpful? What's Harmful" Game - Think you know what habits are good and bad for our water systems? Test your knowledge on the Audubon website! Great Salt Lake's health is dependent on our actions, and we can use this time to reflect on what habits we can improve to help our ecosystem.
- University of Utah's Learn.Genetics - Extreme Environments: Great Salt Lake
- Merlin Bird ID App - Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will come up with a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers to learn about birds in their region and around the world.
- Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell App - Keep the Great Salt Lake Watershed clean by collecting trash from any waterway near you and recording it using the Clean Swell app. You'll be contributing real data to inform research and policy, while helping to improve habitat and water quality for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and beyond.