Great Lakes

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/great-lakes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Great Lakes?94,250 square miles (244,106 km2)
2. What is the total volume?5,439 cubic miles (22,671 km3)
3. What is the fresh water percentage?Contains approximately 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume
4. What are the Great Lakes and why are they called inland seas?The Great Lakes are five huge lakes that together cover a huge area and hold a lot of water. Their size and waves make them feel like seas, so people sometimes call them inland seas.
5. How did the Great Lakes form?About 14,000 years ago, big glaciers melted and filled basins that the ice had carved into the ground. This meltwater created the Great Lakes we see today.

Glacial Retreat: The process by which glaciers shrink and move back, often leaving behind carved landscapes and meltwater.
Great Lakes Waterway: A system of canals, locks, and channels that allows ships to travel between and among the Great Lakes and to the Atlantic Ocean.
Invasive Species: Non-native organisms that can cause harm to an ecosystem, economy, or human health.
Biodiversity: The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.