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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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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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
2345678
adaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesVideos
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
456
biodiversitywatershedsecosystems & habitatsfood webs
Classroom Activities
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
456
adaptations
Lesson PlansClassroom ActivitiesVideos
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
12345
biodiversityadaptations
Classroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities
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
2345678
biodiversitywatershedserosionrunoff & stormwaterwater quality
Classroom ActivitiesOutdoor Activities

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Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land we use today is the
traditional land of the Piscataway people.
We are learning (and living) on their territory, honoring
their culture and we are enormously grateful for their
stewardship of the land.

2001 Bryan Point Road,
Accokeek, Maryland 20607
301-292-5665
info@fergusonfoundation.org



© 2026 Alice Ferguson Foundation

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