Sustainability
Submitted by Frank Brzeczek on May 5, 2011 - 10:50am
Curriculum Resource
Water In Our Desert Community is an instructional resource for people who care about water and the Sonoran Desert. Funded by a grant from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the goal of the materials is:
"To provide students and teachers with information about central Arizona's water supply, water demand and the importance of wise water management in the Desert Southwest. This unit should strengthen the teachers' and students' awareness of the social, economic and environmental impact water management has on all water users in Arizona."
This curriculum was developed to:
- help teachers implement the learning objectives outlined in the Arizona Science Essential Skills guidelines;
- be broad enough for use in other disciplines, such as social studies and math; and
- be implemented by teachers of sixth through ninth graders in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
While intended to supplement existing curricula, the sixteen activities include concepts, attitudes and skills emphasized in the Arizona Environmental Education Framework and many of the Arizona Essential Skills documents.
The activities also reflect a conceptual framework based upon seven themes:
- The Properties and Importance of Water
- History of Water in Arizona
- Local Water Resources
- Water Treatment
- Water Users
- Water Conservation
- Water Problems and Issues
The Curriculum Framework and matrix of activities with Arizona Essential Skills and Environmental Education Goals and Concepts appear in the Appendices.
Curriculum Document
Self Review
Submitter has the right to make this material available for public use
This resource supports skill-building and understandings within the identified topic area (see links)
Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education Materials
Key Characteristic 1: All material has been vetted for fairness and accuracy
Key Characteristic 1: This resource encourages diversity in perspectives and opinions
Key Characteristic 2: The material facilitates a depth of understanding, focusing on concepts and unifying themes
Key Characteristic 2: Concepts are explored within the context of society as well as ecology
Key Characteristic 3: This resource encourages student driven conclusions and actions
Key Characteristic 4: Use of this resource fosters a sense of personal stake and responsibility in students
Key Characteristic 4: Use of this resource strengthens students' sense of self-efficacy
Key Characteristic 5: This resource includes mechanisms to assess achievement of learning objectives
Key Characteristic 5: This resource addresses varying styles of learning
Key Characteristic 6: The materials are clear, easy to follow and adaptable
Key Characteristic 6: Additional support is provided to meet educator needs
Areas of Interest
Audience(s)