Introduction to Watersheds – 6th Grade

This unit is designed to have students communicate scientific procedures and explanations through a variety of activities. Students demonstrate that clean water is essential to all aspects of life on earth, and they expand understanding between human activities and water quality. Students also learn how to identify and define a watershed.

Biodiversity – 6th Grade

Students study live macroinvertebrates, including dragonfly nymphs, beetles, crayfish, stoneflies, and many other critters. Some learned skills include how to identify macroinvertebrates, and classify water quality by assessing what species are present.

The other part of this unit is focused on invasive species and their impacts on native plants and animals. Students develop an understanding of how adaptations enhance survival of a species and what characterizes an invasive species. Students spend the class period identifying native and invasive aquatic plants such as milfoil, starwort, pondweeds, bladderwort, and many others using a dichotomous key. Green crabs are also brought in to discuss invasive aquatic creatures and their impact on local species. Students are asked to think about why invasive species may be more successful, and outcompete native species.

Groundwater – 7th Grade

Students learn where their drinking water comes from, what may be in it, and ultimately test water from their homes.This project is about giving the students a chance to be real scientists, and teaches them how to follow scientific procedure. Students are given a sample bottle to bring home, with instructions on how to properly collect their water. The students test their samples for pH, conductivity, hardness, chloride, iron, and nitrates. A presentation of results and conclusions is given the week following testing, and students create a water quality report card project outlining their class’s results.

Capstone – 8th Grade

This module is designed as an interactive project for classes looking to have a multidisciplinary experience. Students participate in a project centered on water quality, and build upon previous lessons about environmental stewardship. Capstone projects can take many forms including identifying erosion, developing a design, and implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs), or landscaped features. These features promote the diversion and infiltration of runoff before it reaches lakes, rivers or streams. Other projects may include students building and operating underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in local lakes, and conducting various scientific investigations.

Trout in the Classroom

AWWA was awarded a Norcross Wildlife Foundation grant to purchase the equipment needed for the Trout in the Classroom Program. This program is facilitated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, in partnership with Trout Unlimited. The Wakefield NH’s Paul School 4th graders have taken part in this program in which aquariums are set up in the classroom, and are filled with brook trout eggs. Children gain hands on experience of a trout’s life cycle, and the project culminates with the excitement of students releasing the fish. In 2018, we will partner with the Portland Water District to bring this program to Acton Elementary.

Introduction to Watersheds – 6th Grade

This unit is designed to have students communicate scientific procedures and explanations through a variety of activities. Students demonstrate that clean water is essential to all aspects of life on earth, and they expand understanding between human activities and water quality. Students also learn how to identify and define a watershed.

Biodiversity – 6th Grade

Students study live macroinvertebrates, including dragonfly nymphs, beetles, crayfish, stoneflies, and many other critters. Some learned skills include how to identify macroinvertebrates, and classify water quality by assessing what species are present.

The other part of this unit is focused on invasive species and their impacts on native plants and animals. Students develop an understanding of how adaptations enhance survival of a species and what characterizes an invasive species. Students spend the class period identifying native and invasive aquatic plants such as milfoil, starwort, pondweeds, bladderwort, and many others using a dichotomous key. Green crabs are also brought in to discuss invasive aquatic creatures and their impact on local species. Students are asked to think about why invasive species may be more successful, and outcompete native species.

Groundwater – 7th Grade

Students learn where their drinking water comes from, what may be in it, and ultimately test water from their homes.This project is about giving the students a chance to be real scientists, and teaches them how to follow scientific procedure. Students are given a sample bottle to bring home, with instructions on how to properly collect their water. The students test their samples for pH, conductivity, hardness, chloride, iron, and nitrates. A presentation of results and conclusions is given the week following testing, and students create a water quality report card project outlining their class’s results.

Capstone – 8th Grade

This module is designed as an interactive project for classes looking to have a multidisciplinary experience. Students participate in a project centered on water quality, and build upon previous lessons about environmental stewardship. Capstone projects can take many forms including identifying erosion, developing a design, and implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs), or landscaped features. These features promote the diversion and infiltration of runoff before it reaches lakes, rivers or streams. Other projects may include students building and operating underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in local lakes, and conducting various scientific investigations.

Trout in the Classroom

AWWA was awarded a Norcross Wildlife Foundation grant to purchase the equipment needed for the Trout in the Classroom Program. This program is facilitated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, in partnership with Trout Unlimited. The Wakefield NH’s Paul School 4th graders have taken part in this program in which aquariums are set up in the classroom, and are filled with brook trout eggs. Children gain hands on experience of a trout’s life cycle, and the project culminates with the excitement of students releasing the fish. In 2018, this program was introduced in Acton Elementary.