Teaching Resources
Teaching environmental issues in your classroom is a critical component of providing your students a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. Discover a wealth Chesapeake Bay related books, multimedia, curriculum guides, individual lesson plans and online data sources.
Begin by choosing the criteria for your search. It is only necessary to include the criteria you wish to use to limit your search. The more specific your search the more focused and narrow the results.
If you know of a great teaching resource that is not included in the Bay Backpack please let us know by suggesting a resource.
Subject
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- Art
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
Social Studies- Technology
Level
- All Levels
- Early Learning
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
Type
Alignment
Keywords
- All Keywords
- acid rain
- adaptation
- African American
- agriculture
- air pollution and fossil fuels
- aquatic grass SAV
- beaver
- biodiversity
- blue crab
- boats, canoes and kayaks
- climate change
- culture and watermen
- development
- dissolved oxygen
- Drinking Water
- economics
- ecosystem and biomes
- erosion
- experiments and investigations
- fish
- food web
- forest
- geocaching (GIS/GPS)
- Geography
- green development
- habitat and niche
- identification
- invasive species
- John Smith and colonial times
- land use
- litter, trash and recycling
- Native American
- nitrogen and carbon cycle
- non-point source
- orienteering
- Outdoor Activity
- oyster
- photosynthesis
- point source
- pollution
- population growth
- predator prey relationships
- renewable resource
- restoration
- salinity
- schoolyard habitat
- sediment, soil and rocks
- smart growth
- stormwater
- stream study
- student action
- Temperature
- transportation
- Underground Railroad
- water and energy conservation
- water cycle and movement
- water quality
- water testing
- watershed
- weather
- wetland
- wildlife
> Elementary School > pollution The Water Sourcebook: Grade Level 3-5
This environmental education program from the US EPA explains the water management cycle using a balanced approach showing how it affects all aspects of the environment.All activities contain hands-on investigations, fact sheets, reference materials, and a glossary of terms. Activities are organized by objectives, materials needed, background information, advance preparation, procedures, and resources. This resource is divided into five chapters: Introduction to Water, Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment, Surface Water Resources, Ground Water Resources, and Wetlands and Coastal Waters.
Subject(s):
Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, water cycle and movement, acid rain, wetland, land use, watershed, water quality, Drinking Water
Virginia's Natural Resource Education Guide: Virginia's Public Policy & Environmental Management
Check out these great lesson plans! This information and activity packet discusses the environmental quality and pollution, and the management and public policies that seek to address them. Two lesson plans are also included. In the "Pollution Prevention Audit Activity," students predict types of waste produced and analyze ways to
decrease it. In the "Sum of the Parts: From the James River to the Chesapeake Bay" lesson plan, students will map and collate different land uses in a simulation “puzzle” exercise that shows the cumulative effects of each land use on water quality.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
pollution, land use, watershed, air pollution and fossil fuels, litter, trash and recycling, renewable resource, water quality, economics
Project Learning Tree Curriculum Guide
The Project Learning Tree Curriculum Guide is a collection of 96 hands-on interdisciplinary activities that bring the environment into your classroom. The guide is designed so you can use a single activity or many over the course of a quarter or school year. Each activity includes an overview, background content and a teachers' step-by-step guide. The guide's five main themes are diversity, interrelationships, systems, structure and scale, and patterns of change.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland,
Virginia,
New York,
West Virginia,
District of Columbia,
Delaware,
National Science Education,
Pennsylvania
Keywords:
pollution, land use, watershed, air pollution and fossil fuels, biodiversity, forest
Maryland Project WET Training and Curriculum Guide
After completion of a six hour training, educators are given a free Project WET curriculum and activity guide packed with 91 hands-on activities that cross many disciplines in the study of water and water resources - chemistry and physics, life science, earth systems, natural resource management, history and culture. During the workshop educators learn how to incorporate local issues into the lessons.
Perfect for 4-H Youth Development, Scouts, and other youth organizations as well, the goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote the awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the development and dissemination of classroom ready teaching aids.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, watershed, biodiversity, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, water quality, wildlife
EPA - Turning the Tide on Trash: Marine Debris Curriculum Guide
The three units in this learning guide are designed to increase students' awareness of the impacts of marine debris and teach them pollution prevention techniques. At the same time, the activities strive to inspire an appreciation of the ocean. This guide may be used as a stand-alone teaching tool or individual activities may be used to supplement work in other subject areas.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
pollution, water and energy conservation, litter, trash and recycling
TEAM DNR
TEAM DNR is a volunteer program, organized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, that is dedicated to educating elementary and middle school students about the Chesapeake Bay and other natural resource issues in Maryland. TEAM DNR currently offers schools four different classroom programs and one outdoor program. Each program has pre and post visit activities to enhance the experience of your students. These programs are available upon request of the classroom teacher or school administrator.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, point source, non-point source, population growth, land use, watershed, oyster, culture and watermen, experiments and investigations, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife, fish
Wetlands Reading List Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12
The Wetlands Reading List is an annotated list of printed material that will supplement lesson plans and provide students with suggestions for independent reading on wetlands. This is a great resource to help you find the wetlands book you are looking for!
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Books and Publications
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
pollution, wetland, watershed, culture and watermen, John Smith and colonial times, restoration, wildlife
EPA The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8
The Quest for Less is designed for teachers in grades K-8 to use as one of the many tools in the development of lesson plans. Activities and concepts in this resource can be incorporated into existing curricula, or teachers can create special week-long units on the environment and solid waste or use the activities to commemorate Earth Day. This guide provides hands-on lessons and activities, enrichment ideas, journal writing assignments, and other educational tools related to preventing and reducing waste. Its multidisciplinary focus includes math, science, art, social studies, language arts, and health. Lessons encourage students to utilize skills ranging from reading and writing to problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
pollution, litter, trash and recycling
Clean Water - It's the Law
In this lesson, students learn about local and national laws that regulate pollution created by individuals and businesses.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, non-point source, water quality, student action, Drinking Water
Fish and Pollution
In this lesson, students identify what fish need to survive and learn about how human activity can change aquatic environments in ways that are detrimental to survival of fish and other aquatic animals.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, water quality, fish, student action
Protect the Water
In this lesson, students will learn about the CWA and develop a list of goals to help keep local water clean and healthy. You may wish to conduct some additional research before teaching this lesson to learn about any state or local laws (such as setbacks or zoning) designed to help keep water clean. A good resource to start with is your state's Clean Marinas webpage.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, point source, water quality, student action
Keep it Clean!
This lesson helps students make the connection between their own preference for clean environments and that of fish for clean environments.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
West Virginia
Keywords:
pollution, ecosystem and biomes, litter, trash and recycling, student action
Types of Pollution Lesson
Students will examine different types of water pollution and their effect on the estuarine ecosystem. Students will classify examples of pollution, using a Venn diagram, and graph the number of examples of each type. They will learn why there are rules and laws regulating the release of pollution into water and devise alternatives and solutions to pollution problems.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
pollution, point source, non-point source, litter, trash and recycling
Journey of a Raindrop to the Chesapeake Bay Lesson
Students will use political and topographic maps to learn path a raindrop takes when traveling from the schoolyard to the Chesapeake Bay. Students will observe schoolyard surfaces and direction of water flow and infer the polluting or non-polluting effects of those surfaces on rain runoff.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
pollution, non-point source, watershed
Bay-B-C's Guide
This booklet is a compilation of Bay related activities and lesson plans for K to 3rd grade students.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities, Books and Publications
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, wetland, watershed, habitat and niche, restoration, water quality, wildlife
What's in your river?
By assembling a “river” from puzzle pieces, students will develop awareness of how people
and wildlife use and depend on rivers; how actions within a river system can affect the entire system;
and that people need to take action to maintain the vitality of river systems.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School
Keywords:
pollution, non-point source, land use, watershed, development, stormwater, litter, trash and recycling, water quality
Sultana's Chesapeake Bay Ecology Unit
This 67 page unit contains a variety of readings and creative classroom exercises that will help students better understand the ecology of North America's largest estuary. The unit can function as a stand alone curriculum as well as a pre-trip primer for students sailing on Sultana.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
pollution, water cycle and movement, wetland, land use, watershed, blue crab, air pollution and fossil fuels, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, Native American, schoolyard habitat, water quality, wildlife
Maryland Environmental Education ToolKit
This Environmental Education Toolkit provides grade-specific resources for PreK-8 teachers. The toolkit links you to lessons connected to Maryland State Standards. Topics cover a wide range of environmental subjects.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, water cycle and movement, climate change, population growth, wetland, land use, food web, watershed, agriculture, development, biodiversity, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, experiments and investigations, habitat and niche, renewable resource, water quality, wildlife
Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide
The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide is a collection of over 90 science-based, interdisciplinary activities and lesson plans that emphasizes the importance of our water resources. These activities and lessons are teacher-tested and classroom ready for K-12 students.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland,
Virginia,
New York,
West Virginia,
District of Columbia,
Delaware,
National Science Education,
Pennsylvania
Keywords:
pollution, watershed, biodiversity, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, water quality, wildlife
Water-resource Maps and Posters
Provides color posters on wetlands, water use, wastewater, watersheds, water quality and coastal hazards.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Posters and Maps
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
pollution, point source, wetland, watershed
Getting to Know the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Lesson
Using the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States and its watershed as a model, this lesson will focus on how the sciences can identify clues about the health of the environment and the ways in which geography can help make connections between human actions and environmental conditions. Students will be introduced to the Chesapeake Bay watershed through the use of online resources and hands-on experiences. They will then apply what they learn to their local watershed.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
pollution, watershed, water quality
Discover a Watershed: The Watershed Manager Educators Guide
This Project WET publication, is a 193-page guide that contains 19 science-based, multidisciplinary activities that teach what a watershed is, how it works, and why we must all consider ourselves watershed managers. An extensive background section introduces readers to fundamental watershed concepts. Each activity adapts to your local watershed, contains e-links for further internet research, and is correlated to the National Standards for Science.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Books and Publications
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
National Science Education
Keywords:
pollution, wetland, land use, watershed, stormwater, water quality
