Heading Hands-On Learning · (Gr. 2-8) Duration 1 hr Grades K-8 Branching Out! (Gr. 5-8) In this engaging lesson, students learn about watersheds and discover how water moves through

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Hands-On Learning K-12 Environmental

Education Catalogue

www.watereducationcenter.org

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Table of Contents

Page

What are Hands-On & Service Learning? 3

About this Catalogue 3

Planning a Visit 3

Link to Washington State Learning Standards 3

Program Offerings:

Grades K—8 4—9

Grades 9—12 10—12

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What are Hands-On & Service-Learning? The William A. Grant Water & Environmental Center is a place for academic and community learning. We offer both hands-on and service learning opportunities for school aged students through our K-12 environmental education program. Hands-on and service-learning are unique approaches to teaching students about their natural world. Hands-on learning at the Water Center emphasizes the use of models and other manipulatives such as our salmon aquarium and stream simulator machine. Service-learning empowers students to learn through personal experiences while simultaneously giving back to their community. Our goal is to educate students through concrete and practical experiences.

About this Catalogue This guide was created as a reference tool for primary and secondary teachers interested in pursuing environmental education in their classrooms. Our program offerings address themes relating to water and environmental stewardship. Educators may select lessons and activities from the guide which are flexible in nature, occurring either at the Water Center (on-site) or in primary and secondary classrooms (in-class). For on-site field trips, lessons are combined or modified to fit a theme in conjunction with classroom learning. Link to Washington State Learning Standards Program offerings have been designed and selected to align with WA State Science and Integrated Environmental & Sustainability Learning Standards. To view our curriculum alignment with learning standards, please give us a call.

Planning A Visit Our educators can serve you in multiple ways including classroom visits, on-site field trips, teacher workshops, and selected materials for loan. Please direct all questions and scheduling to:

Sarah E. Fry

K-12 Outreach Specialist 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla (509) 524-5193

K-12 Hands-On & Service Learning:

A Guide

We look forward to serving you and your students!

To find more information about our programs or to contact our Education Coordinator, Melissa Holocek at (509) 524-5208, or visit our website: www.watereducationcenter.org

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Grades K — 8

Enviroscape Model: Non-Point Source Pollution

Location: In-class

(Gr. K-8) Duration: 1 hr

Let the Water Center bring the environment to you! Introduce your students

to the concept of non point-source water pollution with the EnviroScape

Model by simulating the creation of polluted waterways from storm-water

runoff. Students will learn about their local watershed and what Best Practices

lead to healthier waterways in their community. Students and adults alike love

this hand-on model! EnviroScape User’s Guide, 2007

Worm Composting! Location: In-class


Do you have a school-garden? Help your students enrich its soil! The Water

Center can help your class create a worm composting bin that is easy to care

for. Nutrient-rich compost is created by Red Wiggler worms who grow,

reproduce, and transform right before students eyes! Students can explore the

biological and chemical processes involved in the breakdown of organic

material over time. This is a great fit for classrooms studying plants, seeds,

Annelids, soil chemistry or other related subjects. WNSE Vermicomposting Kit, 2002

EcoArt Location: In-class or on-site

(Gr. K-8) Duration: 1—2 hrs*

EcoArt is series of activities that integrate art with environmental education.

Students are given the opportunity to express their creativity while exploring

important environmental concepts like resource conservation, recycling, food

webs, wildlife, and agriculture. Examples of activities include seed mosaics,

paper-making, salmon-mobiles, forest fans, and macroinvertebrate rock

sculptures (pictured left). Recycled materials are incorporated into our art

projects when possible in order to promote sustainability.

*Can be taught in two parts over two class periods.

Salmon and Their Streams

Location: On-site

(Gr. K-8) Duration: 2—3 hrs

Getting their hands dirty in the WEC’s on-site Stream Simulator, students learn

about what salmon need in their natural aquatic habitats in order to survive and

thrive. Students will then view live fish in the Water Center’s Aquarium and learn

about the salmonid lifecycle and what is being done by scientists to help protect

and restore populations of this endangered species. To conclude, students will take

a walk along Titus Creek, which is currently undergoing salmon habitat restoration.

Adapted from Streams of Thought Curriculum Manual, OSU

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Sum of the Parts Location: In-class

(Gr. 3-5) Duration: 1 hr

“You have just inherited river-front property and one million dollars!” In this

interactive lesson involving art and imagination, students learn about water

pollution by becoming land-owning polluters themselves. After “developing”

their land, students engage in an activity highlighting the cumulative effect of

water pollution and how it can be reduced by applying Best Management

Practices. Adapted from Project WET Curriculum & Activity Guide, 2007

In this investigation, students learn the difference between point and

nonpoint source pollution through exploring the cause of an algal

bloom in an imaginary lake in their community. Students spend time

reading and interpreting topographic maps, making predictions,

analyzing data, and drawing conclusions to decipher causes of the

changing environment in the lake. Healthy Water Healthy People, 2003

There’s No Point to this Pollution! Location: In-class


Location: In-class


In this important and engaging lesson, students learn about creative and simple ways

to conserve water in their homes on a daily basis. Exciting hands-on activities teach

students how low-flow showerheads work, how to reduce the amount of water

flushed down a toilet, and just how much water one drippy faucet leaks!

Every Drop Counts

Project WET Curriculum & Activity Guide, 2007

Location: In-class


It’s story time! Designed to introduce young students to the concept of water

conservation, this lesson demonstrates the interdependence among water us-

ers and the consequences of overextending a water supply. Students become

characters in a story illustrating the use of water in a lake by a community of

people over time, then get a chance to create their own story.

Common Water


Grades K-8

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“First in Time, First in Right”

Everybody needs water. From the farmer to the steel producer, from the

restaurant owner to the paper factory, we all depend on this valuable resource.

In a series of two interactive lessons, students learn about the interconnected-

ness of water users, how a water supply becomes overextended, and the rules

governing water use in Washington: water rights. Students get a unique chance

to make real-life connections about how these topics affect their region.


Location: In-class



The Incredible Journey (Gr. 5-8) Students learn explore the water cycle

by becoming water molecules themselves! While tracking their own

movements, students discover learn how water cycles not only between

clouds, lakes, rivers, and oceans, but also through aquifers, plants, animals,

and humans. Students create water cycle bracelets as they track their progress.


The Water Cycle!

Water Match (Gr. 2-4) In this lesson, students learn about the three

physical states of water—solid, liquid, and gas—and become familiar with

how they can be found in the natural environment. Students discover how

water moves through its three physical states, then explore how pollution

cycles through, too!

Location: In-class

(Gr. 2-8) Duration 1 hr

Grades K-8

Branching Out! (Gr. 5-8) In this engaging lesson, students

learn about watersheds and discover how water moves through them by creating an in-class model.

Students are introduced to topographic map reading and get an opportunity to analyze a map of their

local watershed. By the end of the lesson, students understand how gravity and geography dictate

drainage patterns and begin to predict those patterns themselves. For lessons taught on-site, WEC’s

Water Moves


Location: In-class

(Gr. 3-8) Duration 1 hr

Just Passing Through (Gr. 3-4) Designed for classrooms with lots of

energy, students use their whole bodies to model as a class how water moves

through and over the ground. As they role-play, students discover how water

pollution moves through the system and why maintaining lush vegetation is

important for keeping our water clean. Project WET Curriculum & Activity Guide, 2007

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Paper-Making

In this creative hands-on activity, students learn about the importance and ease

of recycling paper products on both practical and environmental levels.

Students will create their own recycled paper out of paper scraps they’ve

accumulated and are introduced to a fun, artistic skill in the process!

WARD’S Natural Science Establishment (WNSE), Paper Recycling Kit, 2002

Adapted from Project Learning Tree, 2007

We All Need Trees Location: In-class


It’s a Mystery to Me! (Gr. K-1) Introduce your students to the tree-based

products they use, eat, and see each day! Students explore items made from

trees using their sense of touch and learn how to classify them. Students gain a

basic understanding of the term natural resource and how trees fit into this

important category.

Tree Scavenger Hunt (Gr. 2-5) Students learn just how important trees are in their daily lives by

embarking on a team adventure to discover what items in their classroom come from trees…there are more than they think! Students learn that trees are a natural resource and essential components of larger ecosystems. They are also informed about ways to practice tree conservation in their everyday lives. With adequate time, students will craft forest fans from recycled tree products.


Renewable or Not? Location: In-class

(Gr. 3-8) Duration: 2 hrs*

What’s the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource? What do we use everyday that can be recycled or reused? How are resources distributed, and how can natural resources be used in a sustainable way? Through a series of activities involving students’ favorite resource (food!), students learn the answers to these important questions in ways that hit home.

Project Learning Tree, 2007

Tree Cookies Location: In-class


Scientists can tell the story of a tree’s lifetime by reading a cookie...how does that work? In this lesson, students learn about the science of dendrochronology, “the study of tree time,” by handling real cross-sectional samples from trees, which we call “tree cookies.” Students count the rings on their samples and learn how to predict the environmental conditions and historical events that occurred during the lifetime of their tree based on its appearance. Your students will love getting a “taste” of this important field of science!

Project Learning Tree, 2007

Location: In-class

(Gr. K-8) Duration: 2 hrs*

*Can be taught in two parts over two class periods.

Grades K-8

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Grades K-8

All About Groundwater

Envision 3000 Environmental Education Groundwater Model Manual

Location: In-class, on-site

(Gr. 3-8) Duration varies

Using WEC’s Envision 3000 Groundwater Flow Model, students are introduced

to landform analysis while viewing groundwater flow through a working

model. The presentation introduces students to terms like aquifer, water

table, porosity, permeability, saturation, and water contamination. Individual

lessons vary in length and topic depending on teacher requests.

Topics Covered:

Erosion and Deposition

What is a Watershed?

Fish and Wildlife Habitat

Streams of Thought

Streams of Thought

Location: On-site

(Gr. K-8) Duration: 2 hrs

LaMotte Water and Soil Kits

Water Quality Monitoring (6-8) Using GREEN and Earth Force LaMotte

kits, students get to experience what it’s like to monitor water quality within

their local community. Armed with water samples, students perform basic pH,

temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and BOD tests to

determine water quality. Students gain an understanding of how each test

helps scientists determine the health of a local water source. If performed

on-site, students obtain samples from neighboring Titus Creek.

LaMotte, Nitty Gritty Soil Science Handbook

LaMotte, Low Cost Water Monitoring Handbook

Location: In-class, on-site


Nitty Gritty (3-8) Introduce your students to the magical world of soil science! Students learn how

different kinds of soils form, what organisms live there, and the nutrients it contains to keep plants alive

and healthy. Students can perform basic pH, nitrate, phosphorous, and potassium tests on soil samples

from various locations and compare data. If performed on-site, students get a chance to view WEC’s worm

composting bin and receive tips on how to start their own. This is a perfect lesson for schools with

composting systems or school gardens—test your soil!

Streams of Thought is a series of lessons taught with the use of the Water

Center’s hands-on stream simulator machine (pictured here) which is used to

demonstrate river processes, freshwater habitats, and natural resource

management. Students literally get their hands dirty as they mold stream

channels, create riparian vegetation and in-stream habitat, build culverts, farms,

homes, and dams, and devise a plan for implementing Best Management

Practices in a simulated stream restoration project. The experience will conclude

with a tour of a nearby stream restoration site, connecting learned concepts with

a real-life application.

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Something’s Fishy… Location: In-class


This lesson covers it all! Students identify the importance of maintaining “fishable and

swimmable” waters in their local community by playing a game that explores the

connection between water quality, fish populations, and the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Students become experts on how to ensure that ecosystems remain balanced and

water in streams and rivers remains healthy.

Project WILD Aquatic, 2008

Benthic Bugs and Bioassessment If your students are learning about aquatic ecosystems in the classroom, this lesson

brings the “bugs” to you! Students learn about the role of macroinvertebrates as

indicators of healthy aquatic ecosystems by conducting a simulated in-class stream

bioassessment. Using the scientific method, students will collect and analyze data

from three stream sites to determine water quality. Conclusions will be based on

compared data analysis. This lesson is a great introduction for students who will be

performing a real macroinvertebrate bioassessment using Water Center equipment

and/or staff in an outdoor setting. Project WET, Healthy Water Healthy People, 2003

Location: In-class


Grades K-8

Web of Life

In this activity, students discover the amazing web of life that makes a

freshwater ecosystem. By simulating a food web, students discover how plants

and animals are connected to each other and how energy from the sun is

made available to animals through the process of photosynthesis. Students

will learn that all organisms play important roles in keeping an ecosystem


Location: In-class


Joe Giersch

Understanding Water Rights Location: In-class or on-site Duration: 50 min.

We all need water, right? But what is a water right? Introduce students to the

historic and legal process of water allocation in the Walla Walla Basin, the State of

Washington, and beyond. This topic is an easy and meaningful way to integrate

multiple subject areas—history, government, economics, math, science,

environmental studies—infusing them with local and practical relevance. Students

are challenged to engage in conversations and make decisions based on scenarios

addressing water allocation and use both locally and around the world.

Grades 9 — 12

*All lessons and field trips must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

pH Turbidity Temperature Stream Flow Coliform Bacteria Dissolved Oxygen Nitrates and Phosphates Stream Habitat Survey Macroinvertebrate Bioassessment

Location: In-class or on-site Duration: 50 min. per topic

Water is the most important—and threatened—substance on our planet.

Students, scientists, policy-makers, business and homeowners—everyone

must learn to conserve and protect the quality of this natural resource. Our

educators will introduce your students to the scientific process of water

quality monitoring by analyzing the physical, chemical, and biological

properties of water samples, and by studying the landscape through which

it flows. Biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental studies teachers

may be interested in one or more of the following lessons:

Water Quality Monitoring

How It Works: Teachers may select one or more lessons to be

taught by our educators. Water samples can be

supplied by the Water Center or collected by

students near your school. During field trips, tests

will be performed on nearby waterways such as

Titus Creek, Mill Creek, and Bennington Lake.

Making Choices Location: In-class Duration: Two 50-min. periods

Challenge your students to step up and make some choices about water conservation

after learning stunning facts about domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural use

of freshwater resources both locally and worldwide. Students will practice examining and

communicating their values, then confront a variety of water conservation dilemmas that

require their consideration and action. What will they choose?

Adapted from Project WET Curriculum & Activity Guide, 2007

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Grades 9-12

Going Blue: A Service-Learning Resource

Water Center staff would love to partner with you and your students to help implement a service-learning project that addresses the global water crises on a local level. Going Blue, written by service learning expert Cathryn Berger Kaye, is owned by the Water Center as a resource that will help guide students through the process of service-learning: “Going Blue educates young people about the earth’s water crisis and gives them tools and inspiration to transform their ideas into action. With lively photos and practical suggestions, the book helps teens plan and do a meaningful service project that benefits our planet’s water system. Going Blue is divided into the five stages of service learning: investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration. Along the way, readers learn about issues such as clean water access, coral reef damage, runoff pollution, trash islands, factory fishing, bottled water, and much more.”

Location and duration will vary depending on student projects.

Friends of Titus Creek Titus Creek, a tributary of Mill Creek, flows through the Community College’s campus and is in the process of having its natural habitat restored. Each fall and spring, students are invited to the Water Center to learn about the process of stream habitat restoration by seeing it with their eyes and doing it with their hands. There are multiple opportunities throughout the school year for classes, student clubs, sports teams, and individual students to participate at the Water Center as Friends of Titus Creek. Teachers can contact us to schedule an individual classroom field trip or to join our email list, which will send notifications about Friends of Titus Creek community volunteer days.

Location: On-site Duration: 2—3 hrs


Introduce your students to local career pathways in water and environmental studies

during a visit to the Water Center. Student groups will receive a short WWCC campus tour

of science and technology facilities, participate in hands-on activities, and receive a

presentation from a local professional. Water Center staff will collaborate with teachers to

create a unique and applicable student experience. Environmental studies professionals

may be recruited from the following fields:

Career Connect!

Natural Resource Education

Renewable Energy

Stream Ecology

Fisheries Biology

Habitat Restoration

Hydrogeology

LEAD Certified Architecture

Sustainable Design

Watershed Ecology

Location: In-class or On-site Duration: 1—3 hrs

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Streams of Thought Streams of Thought is a series of lessons taught with the use of the Water Center’s

hands-on stream simulator machine (pictured) which is used to demonstrate river

processes, freshwater habitats, and natural resource management. Students literally get

their hands dirty as they mold stream channels, witness the creation of sinuosity through

erosion and deposition, create riparian vegetation and in-stream habitat, build culverts,

farms, homes, and dams, and devise a plan for implementing Best Management Practices

in a simulated stream restoration project. The experience will conclude with a tour of a

nearby stream restoration site, connecting learned concepts with a real-life application.

Topics Covered:

Erosion and Deposition What is a Watershed? Fish and Wildlife Habitat Salmon and their Rivers Design a Stream Restoration Project Survive and Thrive: A Stream Simulator Scenario Game of Best Practices

Location: On-site Duration: 1—3 hrs

Grades 9-12


Water-Table Contour Mapping

The Envision 3000 Groundwater Model will travel to your classroom to help

demonstrate advanced concepts relating to how water moves and is stored

underground during this lesson. In-class use of the Groundwater Model requires a

table, electrical outlet, and access to tap water. For more information on the

Envision 3000, please visit :

http://www.envisionenviroed.net/envision_3000.html

Location: In-class or on-site Duration: Two 50 min. periods

Developed in partnership with the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council, this

lesson facilitates student exploration of the Walla Walla Watershed’s alluvial

aquifer, which stores our region’s groundwater. In a two-part series, students will

learn how to read and interpret water table contour maps and create

cross-sectional drawings of the topographic surface of a water table. Students will

then be given a scenario for investigating the cause of groundwater contamination.

Envision 3000 Groundwater Model

http://www.envisionenviroed.net/envision_3000.html

Heading Hands-On Learning · (Gr. 2-8) Duration 1 hr Grades K-8 Branching Out! (Gr. 5-8) In this engaging lesson, students learn about watersheds and discover how water moves through

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