Overview

In this 10-lesson unit with a culminating action project, we will investigate the driving question, How can we make a positive impact on our watershed? The goal of this unit is civic action. As a class, we want to learn about the health of our watershed so that we can do something to make our watershed better!

This unit is designed for ACTION using a Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) curricular framework. The MWEE framework includes four essential elements:

Shared Waters: Making a positive impact on our local watershed  

• Issue Definition, where students focus on an environmental question, problem, or issue requiring background research and investigation  
• Outdoor Field Activities, where students participate in multiple outdoor field activities sufficient to collect the data or make observations required for answering the research questions and informing student actions  
• Synthesis and Conclusions, where students analyze and evaluate the results of projects and investigations  
• Stewardship and Civic Action, where students participate in an age-appropriate project during which they take action to address environmental issues at the personal or societal level  

As you teach this unit, keep the driving question in mind as you help students think about ways they can help our watershed!