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Alice Ferguson Foundation

Alice Ferguson Foundation

Connecting people to the natural world, sustainable agricultural practices and the cultural heritage of their local watershed through education, stewardship and advocacy.

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How to Organize a Cleanup Event
The Potomac River Watershed Cleanup has grown from a small shoreline cleanup at Piscataway National Park to a watershed wide network. What started as a few cleanup events along the Potomac River is now a regional event spanning Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Here is everything you need to know to organize your own Potomac River Watershed Cleanup this year.
Cleanup Leader Planning Guide | Cleanup Volunteer Waiver Form | Cleanup Talking Points | Results Tally Sheet | Volunteer Certificate of Appreciation (PDF) | Volunteer Certificate of Appreciation (.docx) | La guía de planificación del líder del sitio | Site Leader Planning Guide_Potomac Cleanup_2022 | Cleanup Datasheet 2022 | Adopt-A-Stream Manual | Adopt-A-Stream Trash Survey_ COVID-19
All Ages
watershedstrash & waste reduction
Outdoor Activities
Visible Trash Survey
The Potomac River is used for recreation and as a major water source for people in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The Visible Trash Survey is an important tool for monitoring the sources and composition of land-based trash in our watershed. Analyzing the trash data collected through this program provides information in directing efforts and resources towards trash and litter reduction. The survey involves categorizing and counting visible trash along a 200 foot length along a body of water, road or land, within the confines of the Potomac River watershed. Visible Trash Survey volunteers spend approximately an hour of their time per site and you may certainly monitor more than one site. (Please note that you must receive permission by the landowner to monitor a site located on private property.)
Site Survey Counts | Volunteer Release | Landowner Release Form | Instructions | Handbook | Volunteer Evaluations | Site Description Form | Follow-Up: Community Action Plan
1112All Ages
watershedstrash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Outdoor Activities
Native Plant Restoration
In partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Alice Ferguson Foundation created a new module focused on Native Plant Restoration for grade 7 students and teachers. In this module, students learn about how they are connected to their watershed, the importance of native plants, and how humans can have negative and positive impacts on the environment.
Native Plant Restoration Guide
7
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainabilityerosionrunoff & stormwaterpollinators
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Herring Highway
Curriculum Unit to be used during a program in Rock Creek National Park. In this module, students will learn about river herring, their characteristics, and migration patterns, study the problems the fish encounter and the methods designed to correct the problems, learn basic fish identification and conduct a field study at Rock Creek Park in which they will collect data about the kinds and numbers of fish present in Rock Creek.
Herring Highway: Teacher Guide | Herring Highway: Ranger Guide | Herring Highway: Data Collection Instructions | Herring Highway: Foldable Map | Herring Highway: Key To Common Fish | Herring Highway: Student Booklet | Herring Highway: Student Worksheets | Online Game: Fishing for a Name
678
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood webs
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Mine Over Matter
Depending on how it’s written, the story of Prince William Forest Park could be about fair pay for a day’s work or a business owner’s right to fire everyone, lock the doors and walk away. It could be about racial integration in the workplace and segregation at quitting time. It could even be about soil and water ecology or recreation and tourism. It could focus on government regulations or using natural resources for building wealth. Through this lesson, students will engage with the cultural history and geology of Prince William Forest Park and broader implications of the topic.
Mine Over Matter: Teacher Guide | Mine Over Matter: Resource Guide | Mine Over Matter: Student Guide | Mine Over Matter: Comic
678
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainability
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Potomac Gorge
A Curriculum Module Written for C&O Canal National Historical Park & George Washington Memorial Parkway. Through this field study, students will use data and exploration to identify the relationship between humans and natural resources. Students will determine how human behavior in protected areas can help or harm an ecosystem.
Potomac Gorge: Teacher Guide | Potomac Gorge: Resource Guide | Gorge Game Instructions | Gorge Game Cards | Gorge Game Pieces | Gorge Game Board (color) | Gorge Game Board (bw) |
678
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Urban Pools
A curriculum module written for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Students will come to a deeper understanding of our human connection to water, not only through the study of urban pools in Washington, D.C., but also through the study of how water has been used and managed throughout history in several different cultures.
Urban Pools: Teacher Guide | Urban Pools: Field Study | Urban Pools: Ranger Guide | Urban Pools: Student Booklet
6789101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Water Power
A Curriculum Module Written for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The physical and historical geography of the Harpers Ferry area demonstrates how landscapes shape human history and how human endeavors profoundly affect natural landscapes—a powerful reminder that the actions of today determine the opportunities of tomorrow. Students will come to a deeper understanding of how human manipulation of river ways affects those rivers and how those rivers in turn affect human settlement.
Water Power: Curriculum Design | Water Power: Student Booklet | Water Power: Ranger Guide |
6789101112
watershedsecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainabilityerosionwater quality
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Food Web Activity
The food web activity resource contains worksheets with questions that help students determine the nature of a food web and a slide show presentation.
Food-Web-Cards__AFF | Foodweb_AFF
9101112
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfood websadaptations
Crumpled Paper Watershed
Students will use a model to create a watershed. By observing how surface water flow is determined by the shape of the land, students will visually and dramatically observe the physical characteristics of a watershed, and investigate the impacts of human land use decisions.
Crumpled Paper Watershed
9101112
watershedsecosystems & habitatsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Address
Students will use the provided maps to determine the limits of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and their watershed address.
Watershed Address Lesson Plan | Watershed Address Map | Bay Map 18x24 | Bay Map 11x17
9101112
watershedsecosystems & habitats
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Watershed Watchdogs
The resources for the Watershed Watchdog module include activities relating to the understanding of the water quality index and a Watershed Watchdogs Parameters presentation.
Watershed-Watchdogs-Parameters_AFF | Understanding-Water-Quality-Index_AFF | WQI-Missing-Parameters_AFF
9101112
watershedsecosystems & habitatswater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Water Canaries
The Water Canaries resources include the "Potomac Confidential" comic and a macroinvertebrate identification activity worksheet.
Potomac Confidential | Macro-ID_AFF | Macroinvertebrate-ID_AFF
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatswater qualityadaptations
Classroom Activities
Talkin’ Trash
This resource contains the lesson plan for teachers and additional documents needed for students to participate in the "Talkin' Trash" module.
Trash Timeline Lesson plan | Trash Timeline Cards | School Yard Cleanup
56789101112Teachers
trash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Mapping Our Parks: An Online GIS
Lesson plans and tools developed by to help students investigate the geography and environment of local parks.
MOP Cover | MOP Lesson 1 | MOP Lesson 2 | MOP Lesson 3 | MOP Optional Measuring InfiltrationRates Activity | MOP Infiltration Rates Worksheet | MOP Teacher Notes | MOP Understanding by Design Curriculum
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatserosion
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Polluted Water: Can We Clean It?
This activity engages students by having them design and conduct a procedure to clean a polluted water sample.
Can We Clean It
9101112
watershedsecosystems & habitatswater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Exotic Invaders Jeopardy
This jeopardy game features questions about the identification of invasive species and their characteristics.
Exotic Invaders Jeopardy
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline Activities
Watershed Watchdogs Jeopardy
This game of jeopardy contains questions and facts about the Potomac River watershed, including water quality and political involvement.
Watershed Watchdogs Jeopardy
9101112
watershedsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionerosionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
GameClassroom ActivitiesOnline Activities
Exotic Invaders
This resource identifies the characteristics of invasive species and their impact on ecology and ecosystems.
Exotic Invaders
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatswater qualitypollinatorsadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline Activities
Leaf Characteristics
This guide is a pictorial glossary of leaf characteristics including leaf shape, leaf width, and arrangement.
Leaf-Characteristics_AFF
3456789101112
biodiversityecosystems & habitats
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Water Canaries: Macro ID
This resource includes guides to identify macroinvertebrates and an activity that ties in with their field study.
WC-Macro-ID_AFF
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood webswater qualityadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Macroinvertebrate Key
This guide helps students identify the type of macroinvertebrate they are studying by using identifiable features.
Macroinvertebrate-Key_AFF
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatswater qualityadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Make A Macro
For this activity, students will use their understanding of macroinvertebrate adaptations to design the ultimate macroinvertebrate.
Make A Macro
9101112
biodiversityecosystems & habitatswater qualityadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
“Plastic Wars” Discussion Questions
After watching the video "Plastic Wars", students will answer a series of questions of six questions about what they learned.  
Plastic-Wars-Discussion-Questions_AFF
9101112
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Restriction Guide
This resource details which Bridging the Watershed modules can be performed at the available parks, including space limitations and seasonal availability.
restriction-guide_AFF
9101112Teachers
ecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionwater quality
Teacher ResourceLesson Plans
Sustainability Data Sheet
This data sheet helps students track the sustainability of the park they are visiting. Items tracked in this data sheet include visitor consumption, a solar scavenger hunt and the results of a wind energy engineering activity. Students will also make recommendations on how the park can be more sustainable.
Sustainability Data Sheet
9101112
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Sustainable Personal Inventory (Pre-Lesson)
Students will take a personal inventory of the resources they use on a daily basis and then imagine their lives when those resources are unavailable. After evaluating their choices, they will take another inventory and see if their choices and impact were affected by education.
Sustainability-Personal-Inventory-Pre-Lesson_AFF
9101112
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Personal Responsibility Tracker
This chart tracks personal consumption over a 24-hour period. By analyzing the data collected, students will be able to figure out how to reduce their impact on the environment.
Chart-for-Tracking-Personal-Sustainability_AFF
9101112
watershedsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Trash Timeline Worksheet
This worksheet allows students to match items commonly found in the trash with the length of time it takes to decompose if left in the environment.
Trash Timeline Worksheet
9101112
trash & waste reductionwater quality
GameClassroom Activities
Water Quality Trivia
This multi-choice trivia game teaches students fun facts and figures about the Potomac watershed and water quality.
Water Quality Trivia
9101112
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
GameClassroom Activities
Who Polluted the Potomac?
This activity is designed to teach students about nonpoint source pollution. The goals of this activity are to become aware of the many different ways that pollutants can enter a river and to realize that protecting the environment is not a one-time action, but that it requires on-going changes to our daily habits.
Who Polluted the Potomac
9101112
watershedsecosystems & habitatstrash & waste reductionwater quality
Teacher ResourceLesson PlansClassroom Activities
Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Students will take measurements outside and then practice adding and subtracting decimals using their data.
Adding and Subtracting Decimals
4
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Descriptive Writing
Students will use words and phrases to describe something outside using as much descriptive language as possible.
Descriptive Writing
5
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfarm life
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Winter Poems
Students will write a winter poem after going outside and experiencing winter weather.
Winter Poems
5
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfarm life
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Informational Paragraph
Students will write an informational paragraph about why winter is or is not their favorite season including three supporting details. They will go outside for part of class to experience what winter feels like and get some ideas for their supporting details.
Informational Paragraph
4
biodiversityecosystems & habitats
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Tall Tales
Students will learn about hyperboles, hike part of the Dogwood Trail and make observations as they go. They will then write “chain” tall tales when returning to the classroom.
Tall Tales
4
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfarm lifeadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Wiggling Worms
Students will keep a record of questions about earthworms, observations of their adaptations, and results of an experiment. They will use this knowledge as they set up a class vermicompost bin
Wiggling Worms
3
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfood websadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Traditions
Students will read directions for a traditional Chinese children’s game, go outside and play the game, then write their own directions for a traditional game they enjoy.
Traditions Game
3
GameClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Ecosystem Food Web Mural
Students will research and present information on organisms found in a specific aquatic habitat and them combine their information to create a food web mural.
Ecosystem Food Web Mural
5
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfood websenergy & sustainabilitywater qualityadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Compasses and Magnets
Students will use a compass to complete a scavenger hunt. At the culmination of the scavenger hunt, they will learn how to build their own compass. They will make a connection between compasses and magnetism by completing a concept map.
Compasses and Magnets
6
ecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainability
GameLesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Winter Adaptations
Students will create a comic strip to demonstrate how one or more organisms adapt to survive Maryland’s winter climate.
Winter Adaptations
5
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Energy in Ecosystems
Students will use the scientific method to determine how energy moves in ecosystems and go outside to make observations about the movement of energy.
Energy in Ecosystems
5
ecosystems & habitatsfood websenergy & sustainability
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Die and Decay Activity
Students will create a skit to demonstrate the stages of death and decay of living organisms. They will use props collected from the schoolyard in their skits.
Lesson Plan: Die & Decay
3
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfood websenergy & sustainability
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Natural Resources Activity
Third graders will observe natural resources in their schoolyard. They will complete a concept map displaying their existing background knowledge about how the Earth's resources are used to meet human needs and what they learn from the lesson.
Lesson Plan: Natural Resources
3
biodiversityenergy & sustainability
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Plant Life Cycle Unit Introduction
Students will collect seeds and create a diagram of a plant’s life cycle using their seed.
Plant Life Cycle Activity
1
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsfood webs
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
What Are Microplastics?
Did you know that 8 million tons of plastics enter our oceans each year? Plastics break down, but they don't truly decompose. This means that every piece of plastic ever made is still with us today. See what happens when plastics break down into smaller and smaller pieces with this stop-motion educational video.
Video: STOP(motion) Microplastics
456789101112
trash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Videos
Earth Month Bingo
Celebrate the earth by completing these fun "green" challenges and activities - see if you can get five-across, or check off every box on the sheet!
Earth Month Bingo
9101112
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Classroom Activities
Environmental Observations Guide: At Home
An at-home student activity in which students observe the biodiversity in their neighborhood, their water and energy usage, etc. At the end of the observation period, students will reflect on how they and their community are doing through an environmental lens.
Environmental Observations at Home
5
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Classroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Water Quality Testing
Students will learn to conduct and interpret water quality tests to assess the health of a stream or river. They will test for:
  • Dissolved Oxygen, which is essential for all aquatic plant and animal life;
  • pH, which determines if the water is acidic, basic or neutral;
  • Turbidity, which is a measure of the cloudiness of the water; and
  • Nitrates & Phosphates, nutrients essential for aquatic plants in small quantities but harmful if overabundant.
These tests may be practiced in the classroom, and then conducted in the field to determine the health of a local stream.
Lesson Plan: Water Quality Testing | Water Chemistry Directions
9101112
water quality
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Who Polluted the Potomac?
This lesson is an interactive story modeling how, as populations increase and land use changes, a river can be transformed from a valuable natural resource into a polluted waterway that is still necessary for humans and organisms alike. This graphic example demonstrates that we are all part of the problem - and that we must be part of the solution as well.
Who Polluted the Potomac
5
watershedsecosystems & habitatsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
“You’re Hired!” Measuring Impact of Stormwater Management
Students will take on the role of a Stormwater Manager to clean up urban runoff using best management practices. They will measure the reduction of water runoff and revise a plan to improve water management.
Lesson Plan: Measuring Stormwater Impact
56
watershedsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
Great Terrain Robbery
Students will investigate the rate of runoff and erosion on different land surfaces. After completing this activity, students will be able to explain the effect of land use on runoff, erosion, and water quality.
Great Terrain Robbery
3456
watershedsrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
The Incredible Water Cycle Journey
With a roll of the dice, students will simulate the movement of water within the water cycle. Students will learn the complex movement of water through the water cycle through this interactive game, and they will identify the states of water and changes in state as it moves through the water cycle.
Water Cycle Game Instructions | Soil Cube | River Cube | Plant Cube | Ocean Cube | Lake Cube | Groundwater Cube | Glacier Cube | Clouds Cube | Animal Cube
5
watershedsenergy & sustainabilityrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Classroom Activities
Trash Free Schools Guidebook
This guidebook will help schools reduce waste and litter by educating and empowering the entire school in direct environmental action. Educators can use this guidebook to engage students while teaching the process of how to recognize, investigate, and take action on an environmental issue.
Trash Free Schools Guidebook | Trash Audit Data Sheet
456789101112
trash & waste reduction
Teacher Resource
Trash Tally Activity
During the Trash Tally, students will collect and analyze trash to understand how much of it could or should have been recycled. This activity will serve two purposes: 1. Students do a public service by collecting trash; and 2. By analyzing that trash, students will become more aware of how they might be contributing to the trash problem.
Trash Tally
567
trash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansOutdoor Activities
Trash Timeline Activity
Students will use common household objects to create a visual timeline depicting the rate of biodegradation of different materials.
Trash Timeline
23456
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Vermicomposting in Your Classroom
Students will create a worm-composting bin, and monitor the decomposition of their lunch scraps over time. This activity teaches that nature truly recycles, turning food matter into rich organic soil. Additionally, there are many experimental design and mathematic extensions with this activity.
Vermiculture In Your Classroom
12345678
ecosystems & habitatsfood webstrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom Activities
The Incredible Carbon Journey
Part of the "Discover Your Changing World with NOAA" series, this activity explores how human activities have changed the way that carbon is distributed in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Incredible Carbon Journey
5
energy & sustainability
GameClassroom Activities
Sweet Resources Activity
Students will use this interactive activity to model and investigate how natural resource depletion and waste increase with technological advances and population growth.
Sweet Resources
5
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
School Sustainability Report Card
Students will assess the sustainability efforts of their school by making and recording observations pertaining to energy use, water use, waste, and transportation. After calculating the sustainability score for their school students will analyze how the students, teachers, and administrators can improve the school sustainability score.
School Sustainability Report Card
5
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Ten Common Misconceptions about Climate Change
A table featuring ten common misconceptions about climate and climate change.
Common Misconceptions about Climate Change
5
ecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainability
Teacher Resource
Carbon Cycle Activity
This activity is meant to demonstrate the various ways carbon is released in the atmosphere and ways that it is scrubbed from the atmosphere.
Carbon Cycle Activity
5
energy & sustainability
Classroom Activities
Candy Bar Dissection
How far do plant products travel to end up in an Almond Joy candy bar? Students dissect an Almond Joy candy bar and discover that the plant products that they use everyday often come from distant locations.
Candy Bar Activity Overview
5
energy & sustainability
Classroom Activities
Energy Spoons Activity
Using cards and a game of spoons students will learn about how energy gets to their home and how renewable sources of energy may provide alternatives to nonrenewable energy sources in the future.
Energy Cards | Energy Spoons Placemats | Energy Spoons Lesson Plan
5
energy & sustainability
GameLesson PlansClassroom Activities
Great Migration Classroom Game
An interactive classroom game in which students play as migratory birds travelling long distances and encountering obstacles. Some birds never make it to their destinations due to the challenges that they face while trying to make the trip. After the activity, students discuss the implications of different migration paths on birds and the ecosystem they are a part of.
Migration Game | Great Migration Powerpoint | Migration Challenge Results | Band Numbers
5
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsadaptations
GameLesson PlansClassroom Activities
Lesson Plans for Systemic 5th Grade Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences
Originally developed to support 5th grade learning in Washington DC schools, this curriculum will walk you through how to turn students’ energy and excitement for nature into a meaningful, student driven, stewardship action project. This resource provides six comprehensive curriculum-aligned lessons and activities for a simple and effective way to implement a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) in a 5th grade classroom.
DC 5th Grade MWEE
5
biodiversitywatershedsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Teacher ResourceLesson PlansClassroom Activities
Useful Websites
A list of websites featuring useful environmental education and classroom resources on topics such as issue investigation, water quality, composting, gardens and rain barrels.
Useful Websites
Teachers
biodiversityecosystems & habitatsenergy & sustainabilitywater quality
Teacher Resource
Teaching Outdoors Tips & Tricks
A one-pager of tips and tricks to help teachers make the most of an outdoor program or class. Adventures await!
Outdoor Activities Tips and Tricks
Teachers
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood websfarm lifeenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionerosionrunoff & stormwaterwater qualitypollinatorsadaptations
Teacher ResourceLesson Plans
Outdoor Learning & Activities: Book List
A list of 20 books featuring outdoor learning and teaching activities, information about outdoor education, and more.
Book List
Teachers
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood websfarm lifeenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionerosionrunoff & stormwaterwater qualitypollinatorsadaptations
Teacher Resource
Forest Ecology
This resource was created by Living Classrooms. Students will hike through the forest at Camp Fraser (through video) and learn to identify producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Video: Forest Ecology | Lesson Plan: Forest Ecology
456
ecosystems & habitatsfood webs
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline ActivitiesVideos
Trash & Watershed
This resource was created by Living Classrooms. Students will explore (through video) the way trash travels through the watershed, how long trash stays in the water, and its impact on the water.
Video: Watershed & Trash | Lesson Plan: Trash & Watershed
45
watershedsecosystems & habitatstrash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwater
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline ActivitiesVideos
Water Ecology: Macroinvertebrate
This resource was created by Living Classrooms. Students will explore (through video) streams and small bodies of water in the Potomac River watershed with nets and magnification tools to discover what organisms live in the water and assess the water quality based on their findings.
Video: Water Ecology | Worksheet: Water Ecology Macro | Lesson Plan: Water Ecology Macro | Sheet: Water Monitoring
45
watershedsecosystems & habitatswater qualityadaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline ActivitiesVideos
What is Composting?
Students will explore the energy cycle and the use of decomposers feeding on different ingredients to create compost and how composting is important to reduce trash in our environment. Students will also explore what happens in a worm composting bin by observing how nature recycles, turning food matter into rich organic soil.
Worksheet: Composting | Lesson Plan: Composting | Composting Energy Cycle
5
energy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reduction
Lesson PlansOutdoor ActivitiesVideos
Trash Timeline
Students will use common items found during trash cleanups to create a visual timeline depicting the rate of biodegradation if these articles of trash were left in our environment.
Video: Trash Free Lunch | Lesson Plan: Trash Timeline |
56789101112
watershedsenergy & sustainabilitytrash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwater
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor ActivitiesVideos
Nutrient Pollution Lab
Explore the effects of excess nutrients on aquatic ecosystem. Students will study the factors affecting eutrophication in stream water when plant fertilizer is added. This lab is an introduction to basic experimental design and the scientific process.
Lesson Plan: Nutrient Pollution Lab | Video: Nutrient Pollution Lab | Discussion Questions: Nutrient Pollution Lab | Data Sheet: Nutrient Pollution Lab | Lab Procedure
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watershedsrunoff & stormwater
Online ActivitiesVideos
Watershed Address
Using the EPA Water Geoviewer (GIS) students will locate their watersheds and explain how human impacts to the environment affect water quality.
Video: Watershed Address (GIS) | Lesson Plan: Watershed Address | Data Sheet: Watershed Address
9101112
watersheds
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOnline ActivitiesVideos
FrankenFish
In this lesson students will learn “how to read a fish” by making observations about the anatomy of a fish. The characteristics of a fish’s body can tell us a lot about how the fish lives its life. Students will then use the fish adaptations list to create a unique fish, label and explain each adaptation.
Video: FrankenFish | Worksheet: FrankenFish | Lesson Plan: FrankenFish | Adaptations Sheets: FrankenFish
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adaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesVideos
Rock to Cheese
Utilizing different props, students will determine the processes in which rocks are turned into cheese.
Video: Rock to Cheese | Lesson Plan: Rock to Cheese | Worksheet: Rock to Cheese
erosion
Lesson PlansOnline ActivitiesVideos
Talkin’ Trash: Out Of Sight, But Still There
When you throw something away, where is "away"? Away is an actual place. Every time you throw something AWAY, it goes to a landfill or an incinerator. When there is no more space in a landfill, a new landfill has to be built. Find out what happens to trash once it goes to the curb or into the dumpster. You'll test your knowledge on how long it actually takes some of the things we throw away to break down and learn what we can all do to help.
Webinar: Talkin' Trash
56789101112
trash & waste reductionrunoff & stormwater
Videos
Virtual Field Trip
When students step foot at Hard Bargain Farm they are immersed in our history, programs, and amazing wild spaces. Now, students can explore our educational campus all without having to leave the comfort of home.
Virtual Tour | Virtual Field Trip Packet | Lesson Plan: Virtual Field Trip
456
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatstrash & waste reductionerosionrunoff & stormwaterpollinators
Lesson PlansOnline ActivitiesVideos
Making Bio-Plastic with Milk and Vinegar
Discover how you can make bioplastics some common ingredients (Milk and Vinegar) through this simple, at-home experiment.
Video: Make Bio-Plastic from Milk and Vinegar
56789101112
trash & waste reduction
Videos
The Super Power of Observation
Knowing how to make meaningful observations is the first step to training your mind to think like a scientist. These three prompts can guide individuals to make focused observations and form connections to their prior knowledge that will help them answer their own questions.
Video: The Superpower of Observation | Observation Lesson Plan | Obervation Data Sheet
12345
ecosystems & habitats
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesOutdoor ActivitiesVideos
Nature Crossword
A fun nature-themed crossword that challenges kids with ten clues. This activity is a great way to practice key vocabulary terms like "carnivore," "habitat," and "decomposer," and "watershed." This resource also includes a video introduction and instructions.
Video: Nature Crossword Tutorial | Nature Crossword Puzzle | Nature Crossword Answer Key
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biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood webs
Classroom Activities
Investigating Macroinvertebrates
Did you know that the bottom of the stream is teeming with life? Amongst the rocks, macroinvertebrates are clinging-on, crawling around, catching food that comes by, or hunting their prey. Find out how clean your stream is with this easy-to-follow "Macroinvertebrate Investigation" learning activity.
Video: How Clean is Your Stream? | Macroinvertebrate Investigation Plan and Reference Sheet
3456789101112All Ages
ecosystems & habitatstrash & waste reductionwater qualityadaptations
Outdoor ActivitiesVideos
Make A Macro
Macro-invertebrates have an array of structural and behavioral adaptations that aid in their survival. This lesson plan, video, and resource document provides everything students need to explore structural and behavioral adaptations in nature, and then to apply their understanding to design the ultimate macroinvertebrate.
Lesson Plan: Make a Macro | Discussion Questions: Make a Macro | Video: Make a Macro
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adaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesVideos
Swim for your Life
Swim for Your Life is an interactive lesson and simulation game intended to appeal to students in middle and high school. During the game, virtual anadromous fish leave the open ocean each spring and travel into estuaries, coastal and freshwater rivers, and creeks to release their eggs.
Game: Swim for Your Life
9101112
Game
Plant Identification
Plant Identification is an interactive lesson and online activity that helps students practice plant identification and classification using a dichotomous key. This activity uses a visual key based on leaf shapes, margins, and their arrangement on a stem.  
Game: Plant Identification
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Game
Macro-Invertebrate Identification
Macro-Invertebrate Identification is an interactive lesson that helps students identify benthic macroinvertebrates using key characteristics.
Game: Macro-Invertebrate Identification
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Game
Classified Information
Students learn the basic concepts of classification by sorting imaginary creatures to create an identification key in “Creature Feature”, then, move on to using a key to classify and identify some of the local species of fish here at Hard Bargain Farm in “Fishin’ for a Name”.
Game: Classified Information
Pre-K12345678
Game
Cow In and Out Game
In this fun and informative activity, students learn the “ins” and “outs” of cattle. The “Cow In and Out Game” requires students to decide what goes into the cows, and what comes from them by sorting a variety of items.
Game: Cow In and Out Game
Pre-K12345678
Game
Let’s Take a Dip
Let’s Take a Dip is a virtual dip netting activity. Students get to “virtually” catch the kinds of organisms they might find when they really dip net here at Hard Bargain Farm.
Game: Let’s Take a Dip
Pre-K12345678
Game
Ways of a Watershed
What in the world are watersheds? This interactive online lesson defines what a watershed is, and follows a single raindrop on its journey from the sky to the ocean.
Game: Ways of a Watershed
Pre-K12345678
Game
Take Out the Trash Game
Take Out the Trash helps students learn how to Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in order to become better environmental stewards. Activities include packing a “Trash Free Lunch” online, comparing and ranking lunches, “Trash Sorting”, and analyzing their lunch trash data collected during the field trip.
Take out the Trash
Pre-K12345678
Game
The Water Cycle
The Water Cycle allows students to explore the water cycle through a series of interactive lessons.
The Water Cycle
Pre-K12345678
Game
Fishing for a Name
Fish Identification is an interactive lesson that helps students identify fish commonly found in the tidal waters of the Potomac watershed (downstream of the Great Falls) using a dichotomous key.
Game: Fishing for a Name
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Game
Animal Olympics
An interactive classroom activity that gets kids moving and thinking about biodiversity and animal adaptations. This resource includes printable sheets, and instructions for both small and large groups of students.
Animal Olympics Banner I | Animal Olympics Banner II | Animal Olympics Banner III | ANIMAL OLYMPICS Original | Animal Olympics Bin Inventory | Animal Olympics Instruction Sheets for Large Groups | Animal Olympics Instruction Sheets | Animal Olympics Scorecard | Animal Olympics Station Signs
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biodiversityadaptations
Classroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
An Educator’s Guide to the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)
Developed by the Chesapeake Bay Program, this resource is an easy-to-use manual for constructing high-quality educational experiences, with the goal of strengthening outdoor learning for students throughout the region.
Educators Guide to MWEE
Teachers
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitats
Teacher Resource
Don’t Get Sedimental
In this activity, students explore cultural eutrophication: land use and impact on the watershed over time. Students analyze and report on real-time data, reflect the results, and apply their gained knowledge and comprehension to a real scenario in the watershed. Students are encouraged to use their field experience to engage in a service project such as joining a local stream monitoring group to examine the health of area streams.
Stream Habitat Assessment Intro and Guide | DGS Habitat Assessment What to Look For | Stream Habitat Assessment Sheet | Stream Reach Diagram
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biodiversitywatershedserosionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Classroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
Take Out the Trash Lesson
Take Out the Trash helps students learn how to Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in order to become better environmental stewards. Activities include packing a “Trash Free Lunch” online, comparing and ranking lunches, “Trash Sorting”, and analyzing their lunch trash data collected during the field trip. Recommended as a preparation activity for any of the courses offered at the Alice Ferguson Foundation.
Take Out the Trash Lesson Plan | Take Out the Trash Interactive Online Activity | Supplemental Resource: Video
3456
trash & waste reduction
GameLesson PlansOnline ActivitiesVideos

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