Published April 2020
As the end of the school year nears, many students begin working on reports for a variety of classes. From science to social studies and history to geography, the Lake Erie Shores & Islands region is home to numerous report topics perfect for any grade! So, grab your No. 2 pencil and notebook and join us on this educational tour of the region.
- Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial – Learn about the War of 1812, including the Battle of Lake Erie and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry that led Perry to write “We have met the enemy, and they are ours,” not the more famous “Don’t give up the ship,” which he never said.
- Thomas Edison – From the phonograph to the motion picture camera, learn more about Milan, Ohio’s most famous resident and all of his inventions that have made our lives fuller and simpler. Did you know that his 1,093 patents are the most on record?
- Glacial Grooves – Take a step back in time, 18,000 years ago in fact, to learn more about the largest easily accessible grooves in the world that were carved into the solid limestone bedrock on Kelleys Island by a sheet of ice that covered a large portion of North America.
- Confederate Stockade Cemetery – During the Civil War, the Federal Government held thousands of prisoners of war at a facility on the tiny island of Johnson’s Island in Sandusky Bay. More than 200 people are buried at the cemetery that some say is haunted by those very souls that reside there.
- Birding – Spring migration is happening and hundreds of thousands of birds are flying north for the summer, many taking the trek right through the Lake Erie Shores & Islands region. Learn more about which birds you can spot, even in your own backyard, during this special time of year. How many birds will you spot?
- Hayes Presidential Library & Museums – Learn more about the 19th President of the United States and former Governor of Ohio Rutherford B. Hayes. Not only was he wounded several times while fighting in the Civil War, but Hayes was also the first President to visit the West Coast, started the annual Easter Egg roll on the White House lawn, and was the first to have a typewriter and a telephone in the White House.
- Nature – With more than 150 miles of shoreline, the Shores & Islands region is home to a variety of wildlife, plants, trees, geological features, and more. Learn what species of tree you have in your backyard, or what type of creatures are springing to life in your own backyard right now.
- Cedar Point – The second oldest continually operated amusement park in North America, Cedar Point, traces its history back to the 1800s! Known now as the roller coaster capital of the world, the park’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, stood a then-impressive 25 feet tall and reached a top speed of 10 mph! Today, that would be the shortest and slowest coaster at the park.
You can find more resources on local history at the Erie County Historical Society, Sandusky Library, Kelleys Island History Museum, Ottawa County Historical Society, and Lake Erie Shores & Islands History and Education page.
