Here’s an overview of the key questions and vocabulary students will tackle in the Elementary School lessons. Search by keyword to find the perfect lesson for your class, then click on the lesson name to access the PDF!
| Lesson Name | Key Questions | Key Vocab |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1: Water, Its Uses & Importance | ||
| 1: Water Limits | How much water is available for human consumption? What are five important uses of water? What can you do to use less water? | finite, resource, water cycle |
| 2: Water Reflections | What are some examples of water reflections? How may water uses be expressed in art? How may water reflections be expressed in writing? | collage, relfection |
| 3: Water Ups and Downs | What is the water cycle or hydrologic cycle? Name a body of water (stream, river, brook) that runs through your town or city? How are clouds and rivers connected in the water cycle? | atmosphere, condensation, evaporation, ground water, precipitation, run-off, surface water, transpiration |
| 4: Water Wheres | Where does our drinking water come from? How is water stored? What type of soil is best suited to contain water? | aquifer, clay, gravel, permeate, reservoir, sand, well |
| 5: Water Reserves | Where does our drinking water come from? What is the largest reservoir in Farmington River Watershed? What does the term, “carrying capacity” mean? | gravity, ridge, turbulent, wetlands |
| Week 2: The Farmington River Watershed | ||
| 6: Water Ways | Where does the Farmington River flow? Where does the Farmington River meet the Connecticut River? How can I identify a water body on a map? | border, confluence, map, tributary, watershed |
| 7: Water Lines | How is a river formed? How do hills direct the flow of water? | dam, flow, man-made, model, ridge line, topography |
| 8: Water Connections | How do tributaries connect to the main stems of rivers? Why is it important to be concerned with all aspects of the watershed and not just where you live? What is a special aspect of the Farmington River? | buffer zones, erosion, riparian area |
| 9: Water Flows | How are puddles and reservoirs alike? How does water flow differently over grass and parking lots? | erosion, impervious, orient, pervious, storm drain |
| 10: Water Recreation | What type of water-related activities do you enjoy? What types of water-related activities are available in the Farmington River Watershed? | awareness, recreation, safety measures |
| Week 3: Watershed Ecosystems | ||
| 11: Water Creatures | How do insects survive under water? How are insects indicators of the health of a stream? | adaptations, larva, macroinvertebrate, metamorphosis, nymph |
| 12: Water Finds | Why do we examine aquatic insects? Why are they important to determining the health of the stream? What other observations about the stream indicate health? | biotic index, identify, macroinvertebrate, magnify, observations, pollution tolerance index |
| 13: Water Webs | What is the difference among food chains, food pyramids and food webs? How are food webs affected naturally and unnaturally? | carnivore, components, consumer, ecosystem, energy, decomposer, food chain, food pyramid, food web, herbivore, producer, tertiary, trophic |
| 14: Water Wilds | Is there threatened wildlife in CT? What types of habitats exist in Farmington River Watershed? What animal would you like to know more about? | endangered, species, threatened, wildlife |
| 15: Water Threats | What is the reason salmon populations have declined? Why is the Rainbow Dam fish ladder in Windsor important to the salmon? What are Farmington River Watershed and DEP doing to help the salmon? | alevin, anadromous, fish ladder, fry, incubating, pollutants |
| Week 4: Going Back to the Past | ||
| 16: Water Matches | What is significance of certain dates in history? How do events change history or the geology of the land? What is a timeline? | flooding, geology, historical |
| 17: Native Waters | Why is the river important to Native Americans? How is life different now? How did Native Americans pass down traditions to other generations? | ancestors, cattails, culture, drift, elders, generations, glaciers, storyteller, wigwam |
| 18: Colonial Changes | How was the way of life different for the colonists? What was the attitude of the colonist towards the land and water? How did the Native Americans react? | colonial, gorge, sawmills, traders |
| 19: Farmington Canal | How was the Farmington Canal built? How did boats travel on the canal? Do you know about other canals? | booming, canal, locks, man-made, natural, structure |
| 20: Walk to the Past | What clues are provided about our town’s or city’s history? Does understanding our past help us understand the present day? | aqueducts, clues, decipher, uncover |
| Week 5: Pollution and Monitoring | ||
| 21: Storm Waters | What is the purpose of a storm drain? Where does water in the streets go when it rains? What is non-point source pollution? | non-point source pollution, pollution, run-off, storm drain |
| 22: Water Spills | What happens to wildlife during oil spills? What happens to water if oil spills? How is it cleaned? | oil, oil spills, tanker, magnifying lenses |
| 23: Water Wear | What types of surfaces absorb water and what types do not? What can farmers do to prevent the land from eroding? | contour plowing, cover crops, erosion, impervious, pavement, pervious, terrace farming |
| 24: Riparian Wear | What does a healthy river bank look like? What does an unhealthy bank look like? What can be done to prevent erosion? | erosion, riparian, turbidity |
| 25: Industrial Water | What were the effects of Industrialism on water? What impact on the water did the factories have? What types of factories existed during Industrialism? | chemical, factory, Industrialism, machine, pollute |
| Week 6: Water Protection and Conservation | ||
| 26: Water Preserves | How much water do we use? How can we conserve water? | conservation, estimate |
| 27: Water Watchers | What can I do to help prevent a water shortage? What are some water saving tips? | dilemma, water shortage |
| 28: Water Protection | What organization(s) help protect the watershed? What can you do to help with conservation and protection measures? | organization, protection |
| 29: Water Around the World | How much water is used in the United States? How much water is used in other countries? | country, water usage |
| 30: Water Locations | What factors are important in planning a community around a river? | biodiversity, community, location |