The Hudson River: An American Treasure (river, watershed)
An example of good curriculum integration, this site was created by Dutchess County high school students working in a summer enrichment program at Marist College. Many images accompany text the students wrote on culture, economy, environment, politics and transportation.
Middle School Discovery (watershed)
Discovery School offers another collection of watershed education activities. The links below connect to detailed lesson plans on four topics: population growth and water availability; waste water disposal; water ecosystem pollution; and the earth’s waters.
Water Everywhere Activity
Earth’s Waters Program
Aquatic Habitats Program
Finite Oceans Program
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Provides links to environmental education websites, all leads divided into three broad grade level categories.
Environmental Protection Agency for Kids (wetlands)
This site provides a wealth of introductory information about estuaries. It offers interactive games and activities as well as hands-on tours of specific estuaries around the country. A glossary page defines technical terms used throughout the site. Resources also are provided for teachers and students interested in learning more about related organizations, publications, and Web sites.
See also water for more general water topics.
Washington State Department of Ecology(wetlands)
A curriculum guide for grades K-12 which focuses on what wetlands are, why they are important, and how human actions affect them. Focuses on Washington state, but can be adapted to the northeast.
A World in Our Backyard(wetlands)
Developed in cooperation with EPA by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. Information and activities about wetlands in New England for educators and their middle school students. It suggests ways to study wetland characteristics, why wetlands are important, and how students and teachers can help protect a local wetland. This guide aims to help students get to know the complexities of wetlands, discover wildlife, enjoy the experience of being outdoors, and learn how necessary wetlands are to the health of our environment.
Sea Education Association (wetlands, water supply)
Most of this website deals with marine study, but two lesson plans are applicable to fresh water.
Wetlands Transects
Waters of the Earth
US Geological Service (water)
Ciencia del Agua para Escuelas!
The USGS water education site is available in both Spanish and English, and is easily navigable, providing aspectos básicos del agua, cuestionarios, encuestas de opinion, y mas! El lugar para practicar español y aprender sobre de agua.
Fair Banks Museum (Vermont– multiple topics))
This site features an easily accessible and comprehensive natural science curriculum for teachers and students in grades 4-8, exploring over 36 topics. Note especially Raindrops to the Sea, Water, and Acid Precipitation.
Lewis Creek Association (Vermont– benthic macroinvertebrate sampling))
Want your class to look at bottom-dwelling bugs to determine water quality?
This site has a down-loadable curriculum for Grades 5-12, including the applicable VT Standards, as a PDF file.
Vermont Institute of Natural Science: Environmental Citizenship
“Environmental Citizenship comprises four interdisciplinary, ecosystems-based units and one unit focused on local environmental decision-making. They can be taught collectively as a two- or three-year curriculum, or each unit can be taught individually. EC helps educators instruct to educational standards, providing interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students to attain essential skills and knowledge.”
– VINS Website
One of the units is “Atlantic Salmon: A Watershed-Wide View”. Two others deal with vernal pools and with investigating local environmental problems in your town.
Grades 5-12; Vermont Standards: 3.7; 3.9; 4.1; 6.9; 7.13