The Kindergarten Pod is named for Lake Erie. It was the last of the Great Lakes to be discovered. It was named after the Erie Indians.  Explorer Adrien Jolliet entered Lake Erie from the Detroit River in 1669 and traveled the north shore eastward to discover a body of water that played an important role in maritime history. The waters of Lake Erie provide for commerce, navigation, manufacturing, and power production, thus creating much industrial development along its shore. Because its temperatures are moderate, it also provides recreational activities. Lake Erie is the eleventh largest lake in the world, fourth largest of the Great Lakes in surface area, and the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume.