Option 1 is available year-round. We will provide you with background information, lesson plans, student handouts, and all of the materials. At pick-up, we will provide an orientation to the materials and answer any questions.

Option 2 will be available in March/April/May for Columbia Public Schools' teachers and includes everything in Option 1 along with a Missouri River Relief Co-Instructor. We will coordinate a date and time for a Missouri River Relief instructor to join you in order to collaborate on teaching the lesson plans. The collaboration should look something like this:

• Lesson One: Missouri River Relief instructor teaches the entire lesson. The teacher will observe how the instructor leads the lesson.
• Lesson Two: Missouri River Relief instructor teaches most of the lesson and teacher leads either the beginning or end of the lesson plan.
• Lesson Three: Missouri River Relief instructor teaches half of the lesson plan while the classroom teacher leads the other half. 
• Lesson Four: The teacher leads the entire lesson plan on their own, with the Missouri River Relief instructor acting as classroom support. 

This model is not structured for the Missouri River Relief instructor to do all of the teaching.

Once a teacher has participated in Option 2, they will not have the opportunity to choose Option 2 again. Our goal would be that you could move to Option 1 for the future use of the material.

Lesson One: Discovering the Missouri River

Overview

• Focus: What is the relationship between the Missouri River and the Pallid Sturgeon?
• Topic: Missouri River Environmental History

Next Generation Standards

• 4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
• 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
• 4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
• 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Lesson Two: Structure and Behaviors of the Pallid Sturgeon

Overview

• Focus: How do the Pallid Sturgeon's structures and behaviors help them survive in their habitat?
• Topic: Pallid Sturgeon History and Adaptations

Next Generation Standards 

• 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
• 4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Lesson Three: Forces that Shape the Pallid Sturgeon Decline

Overview

• Focus: How have human alterations to the river affected the Pallid Sturgeon?
• Topic: Pallid Sturgeon Status and Reason for Decline

Next Generation Standards 

• 4-ESS2-1. Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. 
• 4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans. 

Lesson Four: Scientific Arguments for Pallid Sturgeon Management

Overview

• Focus: How do scientists use claims, evidence and reasoning when debating solutions?
• Topic: Scientific and Evidence-Based Reasoning of a Solution for the Pallid Sturgeon Recovery

Next Generation Standards 

• 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• 3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.