Environmental Education Lesson Plans | Solid Waste Division | Public Works &amp; Utilities

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Water Education Pre-Lesson Plans

These lesson plans support the concepts learned in the Water In, Water Out presentation and are recommended (not required) before and after our classroom visit to extend the environmental learning.

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Pre-Visit Lesson Plans:

Pre-Visit Lesson Plans	Learning Objective
Dewey's Water Cycle Journey Any grade level	Coloring sheet featuring 'Dewey' the water drop. This document is an Adobe PDF file, and print size is 11 x 17.
Water Cycle Activity Grades 2 - 3	Students will understand the basic components of the water cycle.
Rain, Rain, Go Away Grades 2 - 3	Students will understand the basic components of the water cycle.
Where Does It Go After I Go? Grades 2 - 12	Students will determine whether their home is on a sewer or septic system.
The Groundwater Model Grades 5 - 12	Students will understand the interactions between surface water and groundwater.
What Goes on Down Under? Grades 9 - 12	Students will explore the sources for recharge and discharge of groundwater, identify the connection between surface and groundwater, and describe the relationship between soil grain size and water flow rate.

Post-Visit Lesson Plans:

Post-Visit Lesson Plans Learning Objective

Audio Water Cycle Journey
Grades 1 - 5 To help students understand that our earth's water is continuously moving around the globe through the process known as the water cycle.

What is a Septic Tank
Grades 2 - 4 Students will gain a deeper understanding of how a septic system works.

It's Time to Conserve
Grades 2 - 5 To help students see how much water we waste and how easy it is to conserve it.

Water Conservation Task
Grades 2 - 8 To help students understand the importance of water conservation and learn ways that they can conserve water at home and school.

Tour a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Grades 2 - 12 Students will understand the steps necessary to clean and treat wastewater.

Home Water Use Audit
Grades 3 - 5 Students will know how much water they use and discuss how conservation measures will change the amount of water they use.

Wash That Dirt Right Outta My Water
Grades 3 - 5 Students will have a deeper understanding of what occurs to make our water drinkable before it comes to our homes.

Going Underground
Grades 5 - 12 Students create ground water models to observe the interaction between ground water and surface water, and to study how this relationship affects ground water pollution.

More Than Just Passing Through
Grades 5 - 12 Students will investigate different chemicals that are difficult to remove from wastewater, and report results to the class.

Make Your Own Water Filter
Grades 6 - 12 To better understand how a water purification plant works.

Do Septic Tanks Do the Job?
Grades 9 - 12 To better understand the problems that can occur with septic systems.

Water Quality Monitoring

These lesson plans support the concepts learned in the Water Quality Monitoring presentation and are recommended (not required) before our classroom visit to extend the environmental learning.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

Pre-Visit Lesson Plan:

Pre-Visit Lesson Plan	Learning Objective
Introduction Activity Grades 4 - 12	Students will understand the measurable attributes of objects and be able to visualize units of measurement in parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb).
One in a Million Grades 4 - 12	Students will understand the measurable attributes of objects and be able to visualize units of measurement in parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb).

Water We Doing?

These lesson plans support the concepts learned in the Water We Doing? presentation and are recommended (not required) before and after our classroom visit to extend the environmental learning.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

Pre-Visit Lesson Plan:

Pre-Visit Lesson Plan Learning Objective

When a Little is a Lot
Grades 2-12 Students will understand how the combined effects of our individual actions add up to create non-point pollution, which pose a huge threat to our natural environment.

Life Cycle of a Salmon
Grades 4 - 8 Students will become familiar with the life cycle of the Pacific Salmon.

Salmon Sense
Grades 7-12 Students learn the life cycle of a Pacific Salmon.

Salmon Life Cycle Hexagon
Grades: Any Students learn the life cycle of a Pacific Salmon.

Post-Visit Lesson Plan:

Post-Visit Lesson Plan Learning Objective

Motivate and Educate
Grades 2 - 12 Students will develop a pollution message that educates and motivates others to protect our environment.

Video & Follow-up Questions
Grades 3 - 5 Students will be able to: define and give examples of point and nonpoint source water pollution; list actions each of us can incorporate into our daily activities to reduce nonpoint source water pollution.

CSI: Neighborhood Water Pollution
Grades 4 - 12 Students will investigate possible water pollution sources within their neighborhood.

There is no Point to this Pollution
Grades 5 - 12 Students will be able to identify point and nonpoint source pollutants (NPS) and understand the cumulative effects of NPS pollution.

Sum of the Parts
Grades 5 - 12 Students demonstrate how everyone contributes to the pollution of a river as it flows through a watershed and recognize that everyone's 'contribution' can be reduced.

Water Wise Pledge
Grades 5 - 12 Students will take a pledge to change one aspect of their water use to conserve water or to prevent pollution.

Watersheds and You

These lesson plans support the concepts learned in the Watersheds and You presentation and are recommended (not required) before and after our classroom visit to extend the environmental learning.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

Pre-Visit Lesson Plans:

Pre-Visit Lesson Plans Learning Objective

Mapping Boundaries
Grades 3 -5 Students will develop an awareness of different types of boundaries and the commonalities that can exist within.

This Could Lead to Something Big
Grades 3 -5 Students will understand the classic drainage pattern of a watershed.

Streams of Consciousness
Grades 3 - 12 Students will learn that water is connected to many different parts of our lives.

Where in the World?
Grades 3 - 6 Students will learn about the geography of Washington State.

Water Runs Downhill, Right?
Grades 3 - 8 Students will improve their knowledge of the school campus topography and will learn how and where stormwater moves on campus.

Post-Visit Lesson Plans:

Post-Visit Lesson Plans	Learning Objective
Investigating the School Grounds Grades 3 - 12	Students will determine where rain water (stormwater) travels from the impervious surfaces on the school grounds; understand if there is no detention pond, the rain water is not being allowed to soak into the ground naturally; determine areas on the school grounds to which some runoff may be redirected for infiltration.
It's Just a Little Rain Grades 4 - 12	Students will use simple math calculations to understand how quickly the amount of stormwater runoff accumulates.
Low Impact Development Grades 9 - 12	Students will research a low impact development topic.
Which Way does the Water Flow Grades 4 - 12	Students will experience the way geographical contours define a watershed by determining the direction in which water flows.

Other Lesson Plans

Waste Reduction Lesson Plans

Pierce County Public Works & Utilities
Solid Waste Division
9850 64th Street West
University Place, WA 98467-1078
Phone: (253) 798-2179
E-mail: pcsolidwaste@co.pierce.wa.us

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Closed all major holidays