Resources and Curriculum for Grades 6th - 8th
Teachers:
As part of the Clean Drains Fort Wayne initiative, Friends of the Rivers and City Utilities has created a week of science curriculum lesson plans and activities for Grades 6 -8.
These activities provide real world—oriented experiences to the earth and space science standards. Students will learn to be good stewards of Fort Wayne’s three rivers and the importance of keeping storm drains clean because everything that goes down the storm drains goes directly and untreated into our rivers.
The provided lesson plans and activities are designed to meet the needs of your students at their level.
In addition, these lesson plans and activities as part of a collaborative week that also includes art, language arts, and social studies. But, at their core this curriculum offers a solid science-focused learning opportunity.
Please Note: Several of the provided lesson plans involve being outside. And although they are designed to be conducted by a single teacher, classroom aids and parent volunteers may need to be on-hand to assist students with staying focused and completing the required tasks.
Should you have questions and/or need additional information, please contact Lynne Gilmore, Education Coordinator, Clean Drains Fort Wayne, lgilmore226@gmail.com.
Curriculum & Lesson Plans
LESSON 1: WHAT’S STORMWATER?
– Students learn the about watersheds and stormwater.
LESSON 2: THE WATER CYCLE
– Students model the water cycle in four watersheds.
LESSON 3: YOUR SCHOOL: MAPPING STORMWATER RUNOFF
– Students plan and investigate stormwater runoff at their school.
LESSON 4: YOUR COMMUNITY: WHERE DOES THE WATER GO?
– Students explore how their school is part of larger community and where the rainwater goes.
LESSON 5: NOW WE KNOW: SO WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
– Students use the knowledge they have acquired to explore their civic responsibility to protecting Fort Wayne’s three rivers.
TEACHER SUGGESTION: Feel free to print out the Be A Drain Stormer Family booklet and send home with your students so they can extend their classroom learning into the home.
Extra Materials
Acknowledgements:
Author: Elizabeth Sutton, teacher, Northwood Middle School, Fort Wayne Community Schools
Curriculum Reviewers: Friends of the Rivers Education Committee members Susan Burns, Kathy Zoucha, Pam George; Jennifer Lash and Brandi Wallace, Fort Wayne City Utilities.
Friends of the Rivers is grateful for the assistance of the Purdue University Environmental Resources Center ( http://www.ercpfw.org/) and its Where My River Runs curriculum project, that provides an extensive curriculum for studying watersheds and riverine ecosystems.