At the start of each school year at Oil City Elementary Magnet School in Oil City, Louisiana, eager students ask, "What's our theme this year?" This curiosity comes from their expectations that they will study a different environmental concept each year. Kindergarten classes learn to "Be a Friend to the Earth," followed by life…

A Clemson University introductory landscape design class collaborated with South Carolina Botanical Gardens (SCBG) staff and coordinators of Sprouting Wings to design an exploratory Children's Garden within the SCBG. Service learning provides students with invaluable real-world experiences solving problems and interacting with clients while…

The goal of this mini-curriculum is for students to discover what drinking water really is. Five units are designed to be presented as a lecture and to allow 30 to 40 students to perform every procedure, each testing their own tap water sample. Games are provided in each section to reinforce the concepts presented in each unit. Unit 1 introduces…

The objective of this manual is to train volunteers in the process of identifying vernal pool habitat so that as many of these pools as possible can be certified by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Vernal pools are a kind of temporary pond in which salamanders and other animals breed. The pools are unique…

The goal of this unit is to increase elementary students' understanding of water, water management, and water-related issues. Topics included in the guide are conceptual framework, the learning cycle, and tips about classroom management and cooperative learning. In Chapters 1-4, 63 student lessons are included that cover topics such as the…

This booklet contains games and activities that can be photocopied for classroom use. Activities include Wetland Terminology, Putting on the Map, Erosional Forces, Water in...Water out, Who Lives Here?, Wetlands in Disguise, Dichotomous Plant Game, Algae Survey, Conducting an Algal Survey, Water Quality Indicators Guide, Farming Wetlands, Wetlands…

This guide is one of three teacher's guides developed for the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Education Initiative. Each guide supplements a set in the accompanying poster series which forms the core of this project. This guide covers navigating the water highways, groundwater, and water quality and helps teachers use the included Water…

This activity guide, developed to provide hands-on environmental education activities geared to New River State Park in North Carolina, is targeted for grades 7 and 8 and meets curriculum objectives of the standard course of study established by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Three types of activities are included: pre-visit,…

Lead levels in school drinking water merit special concern because children are more at risk than adults from exposure to lead. This manual provides ways in which school officials can minimize this risk. It assists administrators by providing: (1) general information on the significance of lead in school drinking water and its effects on children;…

Advocates including environmental issues balanced with basic science concepts/processes to provide a sound science foundation. Suggests case studies of regional environmental issues to sensitize/motivate students while reflecting complex nature of science/society issues. Issues considered include: fresh water quality, earthquake predication,…

The Rivers Project at Southern Illinois University began in February, 1990 as a pilot program involving eight high schools along the Mississippi and lower Illinois River. The Rivers Project network has grown through the training of teachers from across the United States and Canada. With scientific literacy as the ultimate goal, students collect…

Details the development of a professional development program by teachers, for teachers focused on the use of a pond ecosystem. Explores watersheds, water flow, and water composition. (DDR)

This study sampled 268 people involved in natural resource research and management education from every state in the United States to determine what concepts, skills and affects should be included in the National Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) water and water resource curriculum framework. The analysis contains an 80-item curriculum…

Discusses the management of the earth's water resources. Describes the global water cycle and the status of water pollution. Recommends that a water-management project should lean toward increasing the efficiency of water consumption rather than toward increasing the supply of water. (YP)

Summer camps can implement a biomonitoring program that determines water quality through study of aquatic insects. Such a program requires a minimum of equipment and allows campers to explore the natural world and absorb information that will affect their views of science and the environment. (LP)