Educators

Texas Steam Team Curriculum Companions

• Grades K-High School

  This curriculum was created in collaboration with Jackie Mattice for the Wimberley Outdoor Educators. The lesson plan and methods in this curriculum provide teachers with instructions for constructing a stream table to model river formations and provide students with a basic understanding of the water cycle.

  Texas Stream Team Water Education Curriculum - Kindergarten through High School (PDF)

• Conducting a Watershed Survey: Grades 3-12

  

  This curriculum was created in collaboration with Margaret Russell, Christine Kelley, Evan Wilder, Cathy Springer and Allison Glass. The documents below are in pdf format and can be downloaded in sections.

  Introduction

  Lesson 1: Water in Texas

  Lesson 2: Land and Water

  Lesson 3: Investigating Watersheds

  Lesson 4: Visual Assessment

  Lesson 5: Best Management Practices

  Worksheets

• Intermediate Student Guide to Water Quality Monitoring: Grades 4-6

  Grades: 4th through 6th

  

  The Intermediate Student Guide to Water Quality Monitoring (24 pages) was produced in cooperation with Cinde Jimenez and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. This Guide introduces the four core water quality concepts and is appropriate for younger students. 

  Grade 4-6 Water Quality Monitoring Guide (PDF, 3MB)

• Surface Water Quality Data Interpretation: Grade 8

  

  The goal of this curriculum is for students to use critical thinking skills and scientific problem-solving skills to interpret water quality data. These cross-curriculum exercises are appropriate for classrooms that have been collecting monthly water quality monitoring data at a local site or that are able to download water quality data from the web.

  Texas Stream Team would like to thank Christine Kolbe of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program for creating this excellent guide to understanding and interpreting water quality data.

  Section 1: Surface Water Quality Data Interpretation (PDF 399 KB)

  Section 2: Cumulative Student Project (PDF101 KB)

  Section 3: TEKS Correlation (PDF 12 KB)

• Water Quality Monitoring: Grades 8-12

  The water quality monitoring curriculum presented here is designed for Middle School to High School science teachers. This curriculum is designed for use as a companion to the Texas Stream Team Water Quality Monitoring Manual. This curriculum provides lessons, exercises, evaluation materials and TEKS correlations. Texas Stream Team hopes this curriculum will facilitate the presentation of Texas Stream Team concepts in the classroom and during field investigations.

  Introduction, TEKS, Introductory Lesson

  1: Dissolved Oxygen

  2: Clarity

  3: Temperature

  4: pH

  5: Conductivity

  6: Monitoring Plan

  Vocabulary & Map

• Sedimentation Curriculum

  • Lesson 1

    Lesson One introduces sedimentation as a nonpoint source of pollution involving soils in runoff from the watershed into the surface waters. The Three Major Types of Dirt activity allows students to make observations on three major types of soils and analyze ways that soils can differ. The Nonpoint Source of Pollution worksheet gives the students a chance to practice applying the definitions of point and nonpoint sources of pollution to practical situations.

    Lesson One: Dirty Water

    Dirty Water Overhead

    Dirty Water PowerPoint

    Dirty Water Student PowerPoint Handout

  • Lesson 2

    Lesson Two furthers the understanding of soils and explains some of their observations from the first soil activity, such as why sands feel gritty and clays are slippery when wet. The Rock Cycle demonstrates the importance of weathering to form different soils. The Sedimentation Observation Activity allows the students to observe the particles again and how the soil particles interact with water. The Rock Cycle Worksheet provides an opportunity for the students to review the Rock Cycle.

    Lesson Two: Soils

    Soils Overhead

    Soils PowerPoint

    Soils Student PowerPoint Handout

  • Lesson 3

    Lesson Three examines ecosystems so that we can understand how sediment harms life in an aquatic ecosystem. The interaction of matter and energy are examined. The ecosystem worksheet allows the student to review the major concepts. We begin a two-day quantitative lab in which the amount of water the soil can absorb is measured.

    Lesson Three: Ecosystems

    Ecosystems Overhead

    Ecosystems PowerPoint

    Ecosystems Student PowerPoint Handout

  • Lesson 4

    Lesson Four reinforces the students' familiarity with the essential parts of the ecosystem. In this lesson we can explain why sedimentation is a source of pollution. Sediment deters photosynthesis by reducing sunlight. Reduced photosynthesis means less food and oxygen for other forms of aquatic life. The gills of aquatic organisms also get clogged with sediment. The homework is to finish the lab report.

    Lesson Four: Sedimentation as a Source Pollution

    Sedimentation as a Source Pollution Overhead

    Sedimentation as a Source Pollution PowerPoint

    Sedimentation as a Source Pollution Student PowerPoint Handout

  • Lesson 5

    Lesson Five is about ways that we can reduce sediment that gets into the surface waters. It starts with using the experiment on % water in the soil, to explain that both soils and rocks can hold water. The aquifers are important because they supply over half of the water we use in this country. The difference between surface water and groundwater is illustrated. Sediment usually enters the surface water when it rains and the water runs off of bare soil into the surface waters. If the soil is covered by plants or mulches, sediment in the runoff is reduced. Best management practices for reducing sediment are learned such as contour farming, selective logging, retention ponds and silt fences. The lesson is finished with a worksheet reviewing the ways to reduce sedimentation.

    Lesson Five: Reducing Sediment

    Reducing Sediment PowerPoint

    Reducing Sediment Student PowerPoint Handout