Autumn 2016 California Project WET Gazette
Volume XXl, Issue IV
A Rainy-Day Hike for the Next Generation
“WHEREAS, the Sierra Nevada and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta are inextricably linked and of significant value to all of Californians who rely on these two Regions for water supply and quality…”
– Excerpt, Sierra to Sea Resolution, Sierra Nevada & Delta Conservancies
On Coastal Clean-up Day last September, over 65,000 volunteers pulled 1,055,553 lbs. of trash and 87,444 lbs. of recyclable materials from California waterways. Stunning to this reader was that 21% of the trash was collected by a subset of the total volunteers working inland as part of the Great Sierra Rivers Clean-up on the same day – That is 217,096 lbs. of trash people by and large chose to discard that ended up in the streams and waterways that are the primary source of water for two-thirds of California citizens and could have eventually flowed downstream through the Delta to the Pacific Ocean and California shorelines!
Last Fall also saw Project WET embark on an ambitious project to analyze and develop more detailed correlations to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for every activity in our new and original guides, including suggestions for re-alignment of activities to enhance connections to NGSS and connecting Common Core State Standards. It felt like a scene out of ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ as one began the correlation work. But, very much like Jack Skellington in the Tim Burton holiday tale, one knew they were delving into something new and exciting, but it took time to fully understand how everything connects - as is often the case as one investigates phenomenon in the real world. A case in point is the phenomena that water flows downhill and can carry matter with it, a simple occurrence that lies at the core of a classic Project WET activity as well as many of the Autumn Events and Student Contests listed in this Gazette, and is as inextricably linked as the Sierra Nevada and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the human generated water quality impacts to our California waterways.
‘Rainy-Day Hike’ (p: 169) is a classic Project WET activity that has students investigate how water flows across the schoolyard and the matter it may carry with it – a perfect bridge to help students link the flow of water and pollutants on campus to the larger watershed and the material collected by the Fall waterway cleanup events. The activity has a constructivist design aimed at taking students from awareness and study of a phenomenon to the point of action. The activity includes elements involving observations, construction of explanations, planning and conducting investigations, patterns, cause and effect relationships, core ideas regarding earth systems and human interactions that allow for building complexity as one moves upward through grade levels – a spiraling complexity that becomes like the design of a grand staircase from Kindergarten upward into Middle School when integrated with the 3- dimensional architecture of the Next Generation Science Standards.
An NGSS re-alignment of the activity would still have Lower Elementary students exploring where water flows and what it carries by building small boats to study how water flows on the school grounds. The activity would also still have students working in small groups to observe where water flows on the school grounds and drawing pictures showing what their boat encountered and where it went across the school grounds with the flow of water. ‘Rainy-Day Hike’ would also still have students observing what else is in the flow besides water, but rather than just discussing and drawing what they find, a revised activity will have students recording what they find in the water – and determining what came from humans and what came from plants, animals or the ground. Students will also discuss how these materials got in the water, how they might affect plants or animals downstream and come up with ways the amount of litter and other materials getting into the water can be reduced or stopped on the school grounds. As written, the activity correlates very well to the Kindergarten performance expectation K-ESS3-3 and the corresponding Common Core standards, and the simple addition of having students record and conduct simple analysis of the data they observe – and develop solutions – strengthens the alignment of the activity to these standards and to an additional PE K-ESS2-2!
Where Kindergarteners are drawing pictures of where their boats flow on the school yard, Second Graders would be learning skills to develop a simple map of the school-yard – ‘a model representing the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area’ – and making predictions on where they think water will flow or puddle in the next rainstorm based on evidence they observe while creating their maps. A wonderful addition to the activity is having students ‘add drawings or other visual displays (like a map) to recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas…’ to capture where they think water will flow or pool versus the notes they will add after observing the actual flow of water in the next storm Included in this second observation of the schoolyard, students would also note areas where the flow of water is slowed by landforms and vegetation, collects in depressions and flows off school property and then use the information they have collected to write a summary describing the general pattern of surface water as it flows across the school grounds – this would include evidence for how the flow of water may be changing the school-yard and open the door for ‘comparing ideas on how the flow of water is or could be slowed to prevent it from changing the shape of the school-yard.’
‘Rainy-Day Hike’ at the Fourth and Fifth Grades would have students using more sophisticated measuring skills to develop digital school-yard maps with layers analyzing specific sets of factors that affect water movement (speed and direction) and water quality on the school grounds – a simple introduction to understanding the power of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Upper Elementary students would also be studying the location of their school campus within the larger watershed using a digital mapping program to trace the likely course of runoff from the school grounds into a local lake or river.
However, Fourth graders will be analyzing the data collected and maps produced to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation , describe patterns of Earth’s features within their own watershed and if issues related to weathering or erosion are discovered generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans using the school campus or living down flow from the camps. The Fourth Grade NGSS PEs provide a great opportunity for bundling ‘Rainy-Day Hike’ with the Project WET activities that engage students in techniques to delineate watersheds – ‘Seeing Watersheds’ (p: 187) – and investigate the processes of erosion and deposition through simulation and simple physical models and common Best Management Practices (BMPs) used to reduce the impact of these processes in the activity ‘Just Passing Through’ (p: 183)
Fifth Graders will be analyzing the data collected to obtain information on campus runoff issues and combine with a study of how other communities use science ideas to protect their environment. The maps they develop will also generate multiple examples of interactions between Earth systems on the campus and/or larger watershed that can be teased out ‘to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact’. The Fifth Grade NGSS PEs provide a great opportunity for bundling ‘Rainy-Day Hike’ with the Project WET activities ‘Seeing Watersheds’ (p: 187), ‘Sum of the Parts’ (p: 283) and ‘A-Maze-ing Water’ (p: 231), with the latter two engaging students in learning about point and non-point source pollutants. Students can use the knowledge gained from these additional activities to add an additional layer of classification to the materials they find flowing through and around campus after the next storm and how these pollutants affect the school campus and water bodies downstream – leading directly into an investigation of how the information students have collected fits into the larger picture of the watershed and ‘ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment’.
Middle school students would be starting with the same steps of an NGSS re-aligned ‘Rainy-Day Hike’ as Upper Elementary students, using grade appropriate measurement tools, math techniques to map their campus and collect data on water flow and potential pollutants. But, Middle School students would be going a step farther by investigating ten of the most common Best Management Practices (BMPs) used by municipalities to mitigate stormwater runoff issues and investigating their local area for examples of storm water BMPs through the activity ‘Stormwater’ (p: 395).
Many of the storm water BMPs involve the reintegration or enhancement of natural processes, which opens the door for Middle school students to ‘evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services’, while also ‘evaluate(ing) competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.’ The goal would be for students to apply this evaluation process to an actual campus runoff issue identified by their ‘Rainy-Day Hike’ study and develop a ranking of recommended options tackle the problem, then use this added information ‘to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.’ for the benefit of the school and larger watershed. This use of the Middle School PEs could also include evaluating methods used in the various Fall waterway clean-up and monitoring events – Could students identify more effective methods for how these events are conducted in their area?
‘Rainy-Day Hike’ also connects well with the activities the California Coastal Commission has posted on the Coastal Cleanup Days website to help you integrate a schoolyard cleanup into your class curriculum. Check out the Websites of Interest for links to additional resources and information for schoolyard based learning opportunities. Our California Fall is also loaded with a full list of potential School, Classroom & Teacher Grants to pursue as well as lots of upcoming Project WET Workshops, Special Workshops and an array of other Professional Development Opportunities. Hope you have a wonderful Fall!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
California Project WET Workshops
Join us for an engaging professional development experience this Fall that will introduce you to the interdisciplinary activities of Project WET! Our interactive activities are correlated to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and are effective tools for integrating student learning of water concepts and issues investigation. Project WET activities provide strong foundations for STEAM and Service-Learning programs and are designed to supplement existing curriculum - including the use of EEI (Education & the Environment Initiative) curriculum units.
California Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
Follow your food from farm to fork this September 22-24, 2016 to America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital! Learn new ways to incorporate agriculture into everyday curriculum. Enjoy field trips to exciting destinations, exhibits packed with valuable standards-aligned resources, innovative presentations, hands-on workshops, inspiring guest speakers and fantastic networking!
Understanding Climate Change in California Workshops
Join the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Climate Change Team and Project WET this Fall in San Jose or Visalia for a day learning about the basics of climate science, how DWR is addressing climate change impacts on California’s water supply and how the interdisciplinary activities of Project WET can help you integrate climate science knowledge and skill back in the classroom!
‘Getting a GRIP on Groundwater Workshop
Join us for a workshop and a field trip for teachers that will interweave groundwater knowledge around Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Cross Cutting Concepts and the engaging content (DCIs) already featured in two outstanding and proven curricular tools: Project Wet and California’s place-based EEI. We will tour the Water Replenishment District’s Vander Lans Water Treatment Facility after exploring example lessons to illustrate NGSS style three-dimensional learning and develop your knowledge base of the world’s most important substance – water.
FIT+ is an advanced training opportunity for past or future participants of the Forestry Institute for Teachers. This two-day experience provides training in K-12 environmental education – with a focus on Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards – combined with special access to guest experts in natural resources set in unique California locations. FIT+ registration includes Project WET certification and FREE curriculum guide, four meals and overnight accommodations at select sessions. Please contact Shayna Foreman for more information or to register!
Help all of us in ‘Designing Our Future’ this October 9 – 10 in Anaheim! We are returning to the Anaheim Convention Center for the 2016 California STEM Symposium! We are excited to welcome old friends and new comers to what has become the largest annual gathering of STEM educators and STEM advocates in California. This Symposium will bring together teachers, administrators, students, higher education representatives, program providers, philanthropic representatives and industry representatives to engage them in STEM education.
California Science Education Conference
Join us in Palm Springs this October 21-23, 2016! Attendees will have access to over 150 90-minute workshops —providing all with the extended time needed to dive deeper into topics. No other event will bring together this many California science educators in one location that is large enough to offer the diversity of programming our educators need, but also small enough to create an environment that allows for connections to be made, inspirations to be had, and moments to be shared.
California Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI)
The EEI Curriculum is 85 K-12 grade units that teaches standards through an environmental lens, including understanding resources, conservation, where our food, energy, and water come from, and complicated decision-making processes related to climate change, green chemistry, and use of public lands. California examples make learning relevant, connecting students’ learning to the communities they live in, and stimulating their involvement with the world around them.
Forestry Institute for Teachers
These one-week institutes bring together natural resource specialists and K-12 teachers for one week, working side by side to gain a deeper understanding of the intricate interrelationship of forest ecosystems and human use of natural resources. You’ll walk away with a wealth of knowledge and environmental education curriculum- including Project Learning Tree, Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD! This FREE training includes all housing, meal and materials you will receive throughout the week. Register for a summer 2017 location now!
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
The Problem With Marine Debris
Marine debris is defined as “any manufactured or processed solid waste material that enters the marine environment from any source.” Debris is everywhere—found around every major body of water on the planet, and below water as well. Marine debris is a global pollution problem that impacts human health and safety, endangers wildlife and aquatic habitats, and costs local and national economies millions in wasted resources and lost revenues.
Want your students to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day but can’t get them out on a field trip to a beach or local waterway? Interested in a real world data collection and problem-solving experience that takes place right on school grounds and supports Next Generation Science Standards? You can organize a Schoolyard Cleanup and accomplish all of these goals. Register your school as a Cleanup Site and be part of a statewide effort to protect our coast and ocean, no matter where your school is located!
A good way to learn about maps is to make and use a map of a familiar area. For young children who may not have good spatial memory of their region, city or even neighborhood, maps of the schoolyard can be the best way to approach teaching maps. Maps are representations of an area as seen from above. This exercise introduces students to the view of their school from an airplane flying overhead.
Using a computer, Google Earth lets you view the Earth using satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and maps. We will be using Google Earth to look at images of the field site we sketch mapped and determine the latitude and longitude of the site. We will compare the site features, dimensions and scale from our field map to the information available with the Google Earth image. The activity that follows will provide a brief introduction to Google Earth and how it may be used in the classroom.
Google My Maps lets you quickly and easily make custom maps, and share them with friends or colleagues. Whether you’d like to visualize protected forest areas, food drive drop-off areas, or the locations of your project sites, this tool gives you the ability to draw and style points of interest, lines and shapes; manage your maps in Google Drive, and edit your maps with others just like you would a Google Doc; import data from Google Sheets, or as CSV files, Excel files and KML files and embed finished maps on your website.
Litterati uses an interactive photography app for mobile devices that allows users to submit photos and information about the litter they are finding in the environment. Litterati is also a data synthesis and reporting platform. Reports can be generated by dates, geographic locations, persons or groups reporting data, and types of data.The goal is to engage the public in watershed stewardship through an art and technology approach.
Join the thousands of International Coastal Cleanup® volunteers who are working for a cleaner ocean by picking up the millions of pounds of trash that wash onto beaches around the world.With the Clean Swell app, simply “Start Collecting” trash wherever you are around the world and the data you collect will instantaneously upload to Ocean Conservancy’s global ocean trash database. These data deliver a global snapshot of ocean trash, providing researchers and policy-makers insight to inform solutions.
Nutrient Pollution is one of America’s most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water. We can all take action to reduce nutrient pollution through the choices we make around the house, with our pets, in lawn maintenance and in transportation!
Polluted Runoff: Nonpoint Source Pollution
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, picking up natural and human-made pollutants along the way and finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters. What You Can Do!
World Water Monitoring Challenge™ (WWMC)
WWMC is an international education and outreach program of EarthEcho International that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. EarthEcho provides relevant educational content to make learning about our world an adventure; our 21st century tools and resources empower and equip youth to take action to solve environmental issues starting in their own communities.
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) is a non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages working together to measure and map precipitation. Using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. Click to learn how your class can participate in real hands-on science!
Polluted runoff is one of the greatest threats to clean water in the U.S. As we develop our cities and towns, we replace the forests and meadows with buildings and pavement. When it rains, the water running off roofs and driveways into the street, picking up fertilizer, oil, pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way through storm drains and ditches – untreated – to our streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean. When we take action to soak up the rain, we keep rain closer to where it falls and reduce the runoff from our properties.
California Waterfowl Association
The California Waterfowl Association is a statewide nonprofit organization whose principal objective is the conservation of the state’s waterfowl, wetlands, and hunting heritage. We offer programs for youth, adults, families and teachers, focusing on the science of wetlands and waterfowl, wildlife art, hunting and conservation. We offer classroom programs, field trips, volunteer events, restoration programs, festival activities and more!
Seasonal change is all around us. We see it in the length of a day, in the appearance of a flower, in the flight of a butterfly. Journey North engages students and citizen scientists around the globe in tracking wildlife migration and seasonal change. Participants share field observations across the northern hemisphere, exploring the interrelated aspects of seasonal change. Journey North is a free, Internet-based program presented by Annenberg Learner, a division of the Annenberg Foundation.
Learning and Teaching about the Environment
K-12 students and educators need access to quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas to learn and teach about the environment. Environmental education (EE) is a multi-disciplinary approach to learning about environmental issues that enhances knowledge, builds critical thinking skills and helps students make informed and responsible decisions.
AUTUMN EVENTS
September 17 – October 9, 2016: COASTWEEKS 2016
COASTWEEKS is an annual celebration of our coastal and water resources, kicked off by California Coastal Cleanup Day when tens of thousands of Californians will come together to keep our coasts and inland waterways free of debris. The COASTWEEKS calendar is loaded with events collected from throughout California and organized by county to help you celebrate. Have fun, and enjoy our Coast and Waterways!
September 17, 2016: California Coastal Cleanup Day
California Coastal Cleanup Day, is the State’s largest annual volunteer event. Vast amounts of plastic debris litter the world’s oceans causing all manner of harm, and most of this debris comes from land. Our beaches are collecting spots for trash from city streets and highways. Trash travels – via inland waterways, storm drains, sewers, and on the wind, and eventually ends up on the coast. If not removed, this debris will end up in the ocean.
September 17, 2016: Great Sierra River Cleanup
During the first seven years of the Great Sierra River Cleanup, almost 29,000 volunteers have joined together to remove over 800 tons of trash and recyclables from watersheds throughout the Sierra Nevada. Hundreds of community groups have spread across 22 counties and over 2,500 river miles to pull appliances, cigarette butts, beverage cans, baby diapers, tires, furniture, and more from the rivers and streams that provide more than 60% of California’s developed water supply. This effort, in partnership with California Coastal Cleanup Day, serves to promote good stewardship on all of our waterways, from the Sierra to the sea.
September 17, 2016: Delta Waterway Cleanups
The trash that finds its way to the Delta is a serious water pollution issue for both humans and wildlife! At Delta Waterway Cleanups, volunteers actively participate in water stewardship practices by cleaning up trash and preventing it from reaching waterways and ultimately, the ocean. Delta Waterway Cleanups provide a personal experience connecting volunteers with the issue of trash pollution. For more information, contact Kathryn Kynett at the Delta Conservancy – (916) 376-4022
September 23 – 24, 2016: Oroville Salmon Festival
Come see thousands of returning Chinook salmon! Every September, the streets of Oroville between Historic Downtown and the Feather River Fish Hatchery burst with activities during the Annual Salmon Festival. On this special weekend Oroville celebrates the thousands of spawning salmon that annually make their way from the ocean back up the Feather River. Environmental education, music, salmon tasting, tours of the hatchery and fun for kids and adults highlight this free event.
September 24, 2016: National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. NPLD educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resource issues and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands, while building partnerships between the public sector and the local community to enhance and restore America’s public lands.
September 26, 2016: Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entrance to a local National Park! Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
October 9-16, 2016: Earth Science Week 2016
“Our Shared Geoheritage” – the theme of Earth Science Week 2016 – promotes public understanding and stewardship in many areas, including Earth science, energy, paleontology, water quality, conservation, and climate science. Geoheritage is the collection of natural wonders, landforms, and resources that have formed over eons and come to this generation to manage, use and conserve effectively.
November 11, 2016: National Parks Free Entrance Day
Listen as US veteran and National Mall and Memorial Parks Park Ranger James Pierce invites you to visit a national park on Veterans Day. Many national parks have direct connections to the military – there are dozens of battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans. The National Park Service invites you to remember our veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free this Veteran’s Day.
SCHOOL, CLASSROOM & TEACHER GRANTS
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education - Deadline: September 26, 2016
Raise up to $5,000 for your school in minutes! It’s that easy when you take advantage of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe’s. Lowe’s will donate up to $5 million to K-12 public/charter schools and to parent teacher groups – at as many as 1,000 different public schools per school year.
Target Field Trip Grants - Deadline: October 1, 2016
Some of the best learning opportunities happen outside the classroom, but tt’s become increasingly difficult for schools to fund learning opportunities outside the classroom. Target stores award Field Trip Grants to K-12 schools nationwide. Each grant is valued up to $700. We accept grant applications between noon CST Aug. 1 and noon CST Oct. 1.
Literacy for Life Grants - Deadline: October 1, 2016
Want to take your class on an ag. field trip, purchase a class set of ag. books, or host an ag. education day? Here is your chance! Grant possibilities are limitless; be creative and innovative! The Literacy for Life grants are designed to initiate new projects or expand existing ones that promote agricultural literacy. Grants of up to $500 are provided to California K-12 educators to support the integration of agriculture into regular classroom instruction.
Toshiba America Foundation Grant: Grades K – 5 – Deadline: October 1, 2016
K-5 grade teachers are invited to apply on-line for a $1,000 Toshiba America Foundation grant to help bring an innovative hands-on project into their own classroom. With a $1,000 Toshiba America Foundation grant K-5 teachers can bring their best new teaching ideas to life. We only accept on-line applications and applications must be for project based learning. We do not consider requests solely for computers.
Explore the Coast Grants – Deadline: October 7, 2016
Explore the Coast Grants fund a wide range of programs that bring people to the coast, increase stewardship of coastal, and provide educational opportunities. The grant program prioritizes programs that teach Californian’s to value the state’s coastal resources or programs that combine education with beach maintenance and habitat restoration projects
The Imagine This… Story Writing Contest - Deadline: November 1, 2016
The Imagine this… Story Writing Contest is open to all California third through eighth-grade students. The contest aligns with Common Core State Standards, as students write creative narratives based on facts about California agriculture. All students who write stories will receive a FREE packet of seeds! Contact Jennifer with questions or to request hard copies of the promotional flyer/entry form.
WHALE TAIL® Grants - Deadline: November 1, 2016
The WHALE TAIL® grants support programs that teach California’s children and the general public to value and take action to improve the health of the state’s marine and coastal resources. Adopt-A-Beach® programs, as well as other beach maintenance and coastal habitat restoration projects that have an educational component, are also eligible for these grants. This grants program focuses on reaching communities that are currently poorly served in terms of marine and coastal education.
Walmart Community Grant Program – Deadline: December 31, 2016
Through the Community Grant Program, our associates are proud to support the needs of their communities by providing grants to local organizations. Whether it’s a small grant to a local school or a large grant to a hunger relief organization working across several states, we engage in opportunities that align with the Walmart Foundation’s key areas of focus: Opportunity, Sustainability and Community.
Captain Planet Foundation – Deadline: See specific grant details
Captain Planet Foundation invests in high-quality, solution-based programs that embrace STEM learning and empower youth to become local & global environmental change-makers. K-12 educators who are interested in receiving support for students to design and implement hands-on environmental solutions are eligible for project funding. The Captain Planet Foundation cannot fund all of the great work students and teachers are doing in the environment, but there are other organizations who are as passionate about engaging youth in hands-on environmental stewardship work as we are! .
STUDENT CONTESTS
California Forestry Challenge - Register By: September 30, 2016
The California Forestry Challenge is an academic competition for high school students in technical forestry and current forestry topics. Participants spend four days in the forest learning about the ecology and management of the forested landscapes that provide communities with water, recreational opportunities and wood products. Youth benefit by better understanding the relationship of the forested environment to their community, by exposure to natural resource management as a potential career option, and by undertaking a rigorous critical-thinking exercise which addresses a current forestry topic such as wildfire, insects, and forest health.
Campus Rain Works Challenge – Registration Deadline: September 30, 2016
EPA’s Office of Water is inviting undergraduate and graduate student teams to design an innovative green infrastructure project for their campus showing how managing stormwater at its source can benefit the campus community and the environment. Green infrastructure strategies use or mimic natural processes to manage stormwater. Prizes are awarded for top projects!
Earth Science Week: Photography Contest - Deadline: October 14, 2016
“Our Heritage in Earth Systems” is the 2016 Earth Science Week Photography Contest, open to interested persons of any age. Entries must be composed of original, authentic, unpublished material and must be the sole property of the entrant, not previously submitted to any other contest. Published material includes that which has been posted on the internet. This includes, but is not limited to any social network website where photos have been posted and shared.
Earth Science Week: Visual Arts Contest - Deadline: October 14, 2016
“Seeing Earth Heritage” is the theme of this year’s Earth Science Week Visual Arts Contest, open to students in grades K-5. Earth science is the study of our planet’s land, water, air, and living things. These systems have been affecting each other for billions of years, as in the way wind has shaped the landscape or the way falling rain has nourished plants. Our natural heritage is the evidence of these past processes that we see today, such as the shapes of mountains, seashores, and forests formed over many years.
Earth Science Week: Essay Contest – Deadline: October 14, 2016
“Sharing and Caring for Our Geoheritage” is the 2016 Earth Science Week essay contest open to students in grades 6-9. Our “geoheritage” is the collection of natural wonders, landforms, and resources that have formed over eons and come to this generation to manage, use and conserve effectively. Whether a natural arch, geyser, or other evidence of our planet’s spectacular past, examples of geoheritage are in many ways unique and irreplaceable. Geoscientists play an important role in identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing geoheritage sites.
Get to Know Contest - Deadline: November 1, 2016
Our mission is to foster connections to nature through the creative arts and to celebrate the fantastic work being done by youth in response to the environment and the need to understand and value nature. Through the annual Get to Know Contest, we work to ensure that young people are provided with opportunities to spend more time out of doors. The contest runs until November 1st and invites participants to get outside and create original works of art, writing, photography, videography and music inspired by nature. Get started today!
Caring for Our Watersheds Contest – Deadline: January 27, 2017
The Caring for our Watersheds (CFW) program empowers 9th-12th grade students to imagine, develop and create solutions to water issues they identify in their local watersheds. Students work independently or as teams of no more than four to research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution. CFW is both an environmental proposal contest and a project funding opportunity for high school students. Interested? Please contact Beth Del Real at the Center for Land-based Learning at (530) 795-1544.
AMAZON SMILE FOUNDATION
The Water Education Foundation is now participating in the Amazon Smile program, which allows Amazon customers to designate a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to receive 0.5% of purchase price of products bought from Amazon. Amazon Smile provides the customer with the same products, prices and service as Amazon.com, but has the added bonus of allowing you to support the organizations. Please consider designating the Water Education Foundation as your charitable organization of choice – Your support will be much appreciated!
Credits
California Project WET Gazette is published by the Water Education Foundation, which serves as the state coordinator for Project WET USA, a program of the Project WET Foundation.
Editor: Brian Brown, California Project WET Coordinator
Water Education Foundation
1401 21st Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95811
916.444.6240
Internet: www.watereducation.org
email: projectwet@watereducation.org
