In this issue:
BTW
Curriculum is Finished. A-men!!
Bridging the Watershed (BTW) has just turned four, and it has taken four years to complete the curriculum, the linchpin of the BTW educational program. Five high school, stand-alone, science modules (i.e., Watershed Watchdogs, Water Canaries, Alien Invaders, Don't Get Sedimental, and Talkin Trash), a benthic macroinvertebrate poster, detailed postcards of most critters in the Potomac River, and a CD ROM with all five modules in a "pdf" format make up what we are calling the "BTW Action Kit." All materials have been placed in a three-ring binder for convenient use and storage.
Many thanks go to those who contributed to the development of the curriculum. It was truly a team effort and is an example of how partnerships can work. There was ample time over the four years to field-test materials and write revisions-many revisions. We were also able to update changes in learning outcomes/education benchmarks as they evolved in our partnering school districts.
In concept BTW is a partnership involving the National Park Service, nonprofit organizations, and school systems. In actuality it is a vehicle to help high school students better understand some of the real-world issues that impact the natural resources in national parks in the Potomac River basin and become better informed citizens who will be the future stewards of national parks. The BTW curriculum is the bridge between classrooms and national parks. It provides students with investigations that they begin in the classroom and continue in a national park where they collect real-time data.
There has been a recent movement nationally to rethink what students study in science courses and the manner in which they are taught. BTW curriculum aligns with these national educational reform efforts. All BTW modules are interdisciplinary-incorporating mathematics, geography, language arts, and social studies. All investigations are inquiry-based which means students become active learners. The material in the curriculum is directed to the student; the teacher acts as a facilitator. Science concepts studied are included in local core learning goals/benchmarks; the big difference is that these concepts are studied in context. In other words, they are applied to the real world where these concepts make sense.
Technology is incorporated into each module. There are internet searches, online interactive activities on the BTW web site, an opportunity to upload data collected during the field study, and the opportunity to study authentic data collected by students from other schools in the watershed. Additionally each module incorporates a service-learning component (i.e., preparation, action, reflection), and students are encouraged to get involved in a service project in a national park or in their backyard.
BTW is actively recruiting high school teachers who would like to use the BTW curriculum in their classroom and bring students to national parks. We have ongoing workshops to train teachers to use the curriculum; a schedule of upcoming workshops is listed in this newsletter. You can also log onto our web site at http://www.bridgingthewatershed.org.
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