Major Rivers A Water Education Program for Texas.

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A Water Education Program for Texas

Overview

Major Rivers is a water education curriculum designed to teach 4th-5th grade students about Texas’ major water resources, how water is treated and delivered to their homes and schools, how to care for their water resources, and how to use them wisely.

Why do we need Major Rivers?

• Students should be aware of the importance of water and how Texas manages water resources

• Existing water supplies are decreasing and water demand is increasing

Background

• LCRA originally launched Major Rivers in 1989

• LCRA released an updated local version in 2002

• TWDB and LCRA worked together to produce a new statewide version in spring 2003

• TWDB distributed the first printing of the new statewide version in Aug 2003

Materials provided

• Teacher’s guide that covers 8 lessons– 5 full color overhead transparencies

• Introductory video• 30 full color student workbook (20

pages)• 30 home information leaflets• Attractive box to keep materials

together

Teaching tools

• Correlation with TEKS– many objectives covered in science, math,

language arts, and social studies

• Pretest/posttest sheets• Activity sheets, maps & review

exercises to complement lessons• Hands-on activities in every lesson• Internet resources• Optional Extension and Enrichment

Activities

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Water in Texas• Lesson 2: The Water Cycle• Lesson 3: Texas Water Supply and Water

Planning• Lesson 4: Watersheds and River Basins• Lesson 5: How Our Water Use Affects Our

World• Lesson 6: Water Treatment and Distribution• Lesson 7: Using Water Efficiently• Lesson 8: Review and Posttest

Lesson 3: Aquifer Model Exercise

Lesson 3: Water Coursing through History

Lesson 5: Nonpoint vs. point source

pollution

Lesson 6: Water Treatment

Awards

• Major Rivers won a "Gold Quill" award from the International Association of Business Communicators for the design and illustration work for the program.

• Major Rivers also won a related reward, a "Bronze Quill" award, in local competition sponsored by the IABC/Austin chapter.

Awards

• Major Rivers won two awards in 2003 from the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association (TAWWA): 1. a Watermark Award for education 2. a Conservation and Reuse Award for

conservation

Feedback

• Statewide program just launched in August• Evaluations very positive so far• One classroom showed an average score

increase from 46 on the pretest to 85 on the posttest

• Comment from teacher that completed the program: – "They looked forward to class everyday…. I think

they were disappointed when we finished the program."

Continuing Education Credits

• LCRA provides Major Rivers workshops that give teachers continuing education credits (18 hrs total) – State Board for Educators Certification

(SBEC)– Texas Environmental Education Advisory

Committee (TEEAC) – Texas Association for the Gifted and

Talented (TAGT)

Enjoy teaching Major Rivers!

Be Water Smart…for today and tomorrow