Overview

Library materials are available for free check out to teachers in Nevada County. Teachers in other counties will pay a small shipping and handling charge. Stop by the SYRCL office at 216 Main Street in Nevada City between 9:00am - 5:00pm to peruse the stacks! Call 265-5961 ext. 204 for directions.

Activity Kits
Activity Kits include all materials necessary to teach the lesson described below. To Reserve a Kit: Please call 265-5961 ext.204

1. Who Uses Water?
   Through brainstorming, playing a game, and an outdoor exploration, students see that all living things need water to survive, and that different plants and animals use water in a variety of ways.
   CA State Standards: Life Sciences (1)
   National Standards K-4: Standard C
2. Where is Water Found?
   In an outdoor exploration, students search for and categorize the places that water can be found on Earth. Students see a demonstration showing the relative amounts of water available in different locations, and discuss the effects of water availability on humans and other organisms.
   CA State Standards: Earth Sciences (K,5) Physical Sciences (1,3) Resources (6)
   National Standards K-4: Standards B, D, F
3. The Incredible Journey
   With a roll of the die, students simulate the movement of water within the water cycle and create a water cycle bracelet to create a record of this movement. If time, students will predict and simulate the path of pollution in the water cycle. The activity kit was adapted from “Project WET”.
   CA State Standards: Earth Sciences (5) Physical Sciences (K,1,3)
   National Standards K-4: Standards B, F. 5-8: Standard D.
4. Tuning the senses
   Students increases their awareness and appreciation of the outdoor environment as they explore their surroundings with each of the five senses. Sharpens students’ observation skills, as well as their journaling and writing abilities.
   CA State Standards: Vary depending on the activities used.
   National Standards: Vary depending on the activities used.

back to top

Curriculum and Activity Guides — Salmon.

Clean Water, Streams, and Fish: A Holistic View of Watersheds. Borton, Wendy et al. Seattle: Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle and the WA Department of Fisheries. No date available. A science-based curriculum centered around salmon and watersheds.

The Fish Hatchery Next Door: A salmon in the classroom educator’s guide. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife..

Mapping Fish Habitats. Barrett, K., Sneider, C. Presented by Lawrence Hall of Science: Great Explorations in Math and Science Program. Berkeley: LHS GEMS, 1987. This activity uses an aquarium in the classroom as a research laboratory to make important concepts come alive in ways that textbooks cannot.

Some Things Fishy: A Teacher’s Guide for the Feather River Fish Hatchery (grade 4-6). Produced by the Department of Water Resources and the Office of Water Education. 1997 This guide contains 12 lessons for use before, during, and after a hatchery visit.

back to top

Curriculum and Activity Guides - Water & Aquatic Ecosystems

Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. The Watercourse and the Council for Environmental Education, 1995. For more information on this curriculum, please visit www.projectwet.org.

Project Wild Aquatic: K – 12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. Houston: Council for Environmental Education, 2000. This curriculum is divided into three sections which focus on increasing awareness, building toward understanding, and then taking the students from understanding to action.

All About Water: k-3 Water Activities presented by the CA Department of Water Resource.

Drinking Water Activities for Teachers and Students. Published by the Environmental Protection Agency: Office of Water 4601, 1995. This collection of educational materials and activities was created by the National Drinking Water Week Alliance. These activities can be used in the classroom and carry a strong message that water needs to be cared for and nurtured.

Give Water a Hand: Action Guide; A Youth Program for Environmental Action. Cairn & Associates. This is a step by step guide for taking action in your own watershed. Produced by the Blue Thumb Program and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

Interactive Lake Ecology: Teacher’s Reference. Connor, Smagula, and Denoncour. Concord: New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services, 2002. The ILE curriculum is intended to not only teach students the basics of lake ecology, but also to learn to work together in a cooperative manner. Students will learn the scientific process through making hypotheses and testing these with experiments as well as making observations and conclusions.

Interactive Lake Ecology: Student Workbook. Connor, Smagula, and Denoncour. Concord: New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services, 2002. The ILE curriculum is intended to not only teach students the basics of lake ecology, but also to learn to work together in a cooperative manner. Students will learn the scientific process through making hypotheses and testing these with experiments as well as making observations and conclusions.

Libro de Consulta del Agua: Serie de Actividades en clase para grados 3 – 5. Produced by Water Environment Federation and Legacy, Inc. Sociols en Educacion Ambiental, and Tennessee Valley Authority, 1997. A complete Spanish curriculum on various aspects of water and the water cycle.

River of Words: Environmental Poetry & Art for Youth, Educators Guide. Berkeley: River of Words, 2001. As a part of the River of Words, an art and environmental education program, this guide provides educators with information and ideas to inspire them to bring the wonders of nature into the classroom.

Save Our Seas. Brown-Babcock, Maria. Produced by the Center for Marine Conservation and the California Coastal Commission for grades K – 12. San Francisco, 1993. Save our Seas is divided into four units: grades K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12. Each unit addresses why we should care about the marine environment, the marine debris problem, and how individuals can be part of the solution. The curriculum also bridges the gap between marine debris and the larger solid waste issue.

A Teacher’s Guide for Hands-on Water Activities for Grades 1-6 developed by Gilbert C. Yee for the CA Department of Water Resources.

A Teacher’s Guide to Streamwalk developed for the US EPA by Jean St. Maria, Science Teacher, Ford Fellows Science/Mathematics Project, University of Washington.

Water: K-3 Teacher’s Guide. Swift, Judith. Sea World Education Department. 1995 Vocabulary and activities for water education.

Water: 4-8 Teacher’s Guide. Swift, Judith. Sea World Education Department. 1995 Vocabulary and activities for water education.

Water You Doing? Middle School Education Program. Sponsored by the Seattle Drainage & Wastewater Utility. 1992. This manual is part of an overall water quality education program designed for the students and teachers of Seattle Middle Schools. The material in this manual reinforces and enriches concepts presented in the video entitled “Water You Doing?” Together, the video and this manual, along with accompanying Field Trip Guide, can be used to instruct students of Seattle about some of the issues involved in managing and maintaining water quality within the city..

Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds: California Coastal Commission Science Activity Guide. Copple-Davenport, Julia. This is a classroom based hands-on activity guide that integrates California Coastal Commission areas of critical concern (wetland, coastal processes, marine debris and pollution, and endangered species) with California Science Content Standards for grades three through eight. Also included are community action activities for all ages and grades.

What’s Up With Our Nation’s Waters? Environmental Protection Agency, 2001. A May 2001 status report on the quality of our waters and what we can do to make a difference. This report includes what scientists have measured, the percentage of clean waters, major pollutants, suggestions for how to help, projects, a quiz and glossary.

WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands: An Educator’s Guide. Kesselheim, Alan, Slattery, Britt. Produced by Environmental Concern and the Watercourse. St. Michaels, MD, Bozeman, MT, 1995. Intended for classroom teachers (K-12), refuge managers, nature center interpreters, park service educators, and others, this educator’s guide offers in-depth lessons and activities about wetlands, their animals, wetland management and action.

back to top

Curriculum and Activity Guides - Science/Environment

Acid Rain: Teacher’s Guide. Hocking, Barber, Coonrod. Presented by Lawrence Hall of Science: Great Explorations in Math and Science Program. Berkeley: LHS GEMS, 1990. In this activity filled unit, students explore and analyze many aspects of this important environmental issue.

Ecosystem Matters: Educators Resource Guide. Adams, M., Brickell, R., Hanophy, W. editors. Contains environmental education resources/activities organized into categories according to age appropriateness. Sponsored by the USDA & Forest Service.

Environmental Resource Guide: Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Grades 3-5. Developed by Tennessee Valley Authority. Pittsburgh: Air & Waste Management Association, 1992. A series of classroom activities developed to educate students about nonpoint source water pollution. Activities fall into three broad categories: (1)What is it?; (2) Where does it come from?; (3) What can we do about it?.

Environmental Resource Guide: Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Grades 6-8. Developed by Tennessee Valley Authority. Pittsburgh: Air & Waste Management Association, 1992. A series of classroom activities developed to educate students about nonpoint source water pollution. Activities fall into three broad categories: (1)What is it?; (2) Where does it come from?; (3) What can we do about it?.

Environmental Teaching Guide Vol. 2: 21 More Ways to Bring the Environment Into the Classroom. Presented by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Austin: TNRCC, 1997. Offers lesson plans on air quality, water quality, recycling and waste management for grades K-6.

Hands-On Minds-On Science: Environmental Issues—Intermediate. Westminster: Ball, Tricia. Teacher Created Materials Inc., 1994. Facts and hands-on activities for teaching about environmental issues, solid waste management, air quality, water quality and land use.

Hands-On Nature: Information and Activities for Exploring the Environment with Children. Lingelbach and Purcell, Editors. Published by Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Woodstock, VT. Hanover: University Press of New England, 2000. This book provides information and activities to assist educators and parents in exploring the local environment with children. It includes more than 40 natural science units, essays to introduce each subject, experiential activities, and illustrations for each topic.

Investigating Your Environment: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum for grades 6 – 12. Portland: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public Affairs, Natural Resource Education, 1993. IYE is a supplementary interdisciplinary curriculum that contains complete unit/lesson plans on “Your Basic Environments” such as soil, water, forests and wildlife as well as “Unique Environments” such as marine, dunes, ponds and range, and methods for environmental investigation.

Lesson Plans & Resources for Teaching Environmental Sciences. Published and distributed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Austin, TX, 2001. This is a guide for teachers and non-formal educators interested in integrating environmental topics into their lessons and activities. The chapters cover topics of air, water, and waste with background information, detailed lesson plans and ideas and information for student field trips, games and activities.

Manure to meadow to milkshake by Hidden Villa Environmental Education.

Nature Journaling: A Creative Path to Environmental Literacy. A guide for grades 4-8. Kate Hofmann.

Windows on the Wild: Biodiversity Basics: An Educators Guide to Exploring the Web of Life. Braus, Judy, editor. Presented by World Wildlife Fund. Tustin: Acorn Naturalists, 1999. A complete curriculum defining biodiversity, explaining its importance, the current status, and how to protect biodiversity.

Windows on the Wild: Biodiversity Basics Student Book. Braus, Judy, editor. Presented by World Wildlife Fund. Tustin: Acorn Naturalists, 1999.

back to top

Curriculum and Activity Guides - Curriculum Evaluations

The Environmental Education Collection: A Review of Resources for Educators Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Published by NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education), 1997. This review is designed to help educators find curricula, multimedia resources, and other educational materials that can enhance teaching environmental education in a variety of settings.

Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for Excellence. Published by North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), 1996. This is a set of recommendations for developing and selecting environmental education materials. The guidelines aim to help developers of activity guides, lesson plans, and other instructional materials produce high quality products and to provide educators with a tool to evaluate the wide array of available environmental education material.

Excellence in Environmental Education—Guidelines for Learning (K – 12). Published by NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education), 1999. This is a set of common voluntary guidelines for environmental education.

Excellence in Environmental Education—Guidelines for Learning (K – 12): Executive Summary & Self Assessment Tool. The summary can be used as an overview of and easy reference to Excellence in Environmental Education—Guidelines for Learning (K – 12) (NAAEE 1999).

Environmental Education Compendium for Communities: A Review of Curricula on Natural and Built Environments. Rigby, J., Antunez, K. and Andrews, B. Developed by The Acorn Group, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA, 2002. This compendium offers background information and reviews of environmental education materials focusing on the topic of communities, specifically the interplay of natural and built environments.

www.uwex.edu/erc/eypaw: Lists of water education curricula.

back to top

Children’s Books

Cone, Molly. Come Back, Salmon. San Francisco: Sierra Club Bks for Children, 1992. Describes the efforts of the Jackson Elementary School in Everett, WA, to clean up a nearby stream, stock it with salmon, and preserve it so salmon can return there to spawn.

The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference. Lewis, B. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 1995. Ideas for all kinds of service projects, from simple things you can do on your own to large-scale commitments that involve whole communities.

The Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Coloring Book. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illustrations by Gary Whitley. An Educational Coloring Book. (Class sets available.

Red Tag Comes Back. Phleger, Fred. Harper & Row, 1961. .

The Salmon. Crewe, Sabrina. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 1997. The life of a sockeye salmon, told with brief text, drawings, and photographs.

Salmon Stream. Reed-Jones, Carol. Illustrated by Michael S. Maydak. A Sharing Nature with Children book, 2001.

Salmonid Savers. SYRCL and NOAA Fisheries. 2004. A full-color 16 page activity book about salmonids. Includes science concepts of habitat, adaptations, life cycle, and stewardship. (Class sets available.

back to top

Children’s Videos & Tapes

Dancing with the Earth. Banana Slug String Band. Slug Music (BMI), 1993. With a unique blend of rock, rap, folk, and world beat, The Slugs sing of ancient redwood forests and the awesome ocean and inspire appreciation for our planet.

Detective Drizzle’s Picks. A mix of water songs including songs about the water cycle and rivers. The Water Cycle and Water: Who Needs It? plus Albert & Einstein in Aqueduct Safety. Presented by the California Department of Water Resources. Intended for grades K – 6. “Water Cycle” depicts the four phases of the water cycle and shows how water is cleaned and purified. Junior “scientists” demonstrate 3 easy experiments children can do. “Albert & Einstein” show children the need to be safe around aqueducts. “Water: Who Needs It?” shows children the importance of water and demonstrates ways they can conserve it. Water Songs & David Stokes “The Sun Chorus” An audio cd of water song.