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Curricula

Events

Activities and Lesson Plans

Loaner Kits

Agencies & Organizations

Places to Visit

Outside the Box

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Curricula and Professional Development Providers
    SD Project WET - A  K -12 curriculum.  Water Education for Teachers.  Training in multiple curriculums such as Discover A Watershed: Missouri River; Healthy Water, Healthy People and Wonders of Wetlands in addition to basic Project WET.

    SD Project WILD - A K-12 curriculum.  Wildlife and conservation in South Dakota.  The basic workshop includes Aquatic Wild.  Advanced trainings (Elk, Mountain Lions, Science & Civics) available.

    SD Project Learning Tree - A K-8 curriculum.  Secondary curriculums that include exercises about watersheds available as well.

    Leopold Education Project - A 6-12 curriculum focused on developing a land ethic using A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold as a text and hands-on activities suggested by the reading.

    SD Ag in the Classroom - A K-6 curriculum focused on studying SD agriculture.


Events
    Water Festivals - Hands-on field days for fourth graders around the state.  If you are interested in bringing a water festival to your area, please contact Anne Lewis at 605-224-8295.

    World Water Monitoring Day - World Water Monitoring Day™ is an international education and outreach program 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.

    World Water Monitoring Day can be observed any time between March 22 and December 31.  You can collect data once or do it as an on-going project.

    Your class, Scout group, 4H club, home school, library program, or environmental or science club can now participate in World Water Monitoring Day even if you do not have any equipment in one of two ways:

    1. Borrow our Water Quality Monitoring Loaner Trunk (you pay only return shipping)
    2. Request a World Water Monitoring Day kit from the SD Discovery Center (online training required). March 5th is the last day to request kits for 2010!

    CoCoRaHS  - The Community Collaborative Rain Hail & Snow Network is a network of volunteers that collects precipitation data around the state. Sign up to participate in this statewide data collection project.
     


Activity Guides & Lesson Plans

    Big Sioux Water Festival Activities - Activities used at the Big Sioux Water Festival. Hands-on and educational.  Fun, too!


    EE Week: Be Water Wise Activities

    Wind Cave - The Water in the Environment Unit on the Wind Cave is filled with water related activities that will lead students on a journey through the water cycle, from the air to watersheds to groundwater and through cave and karst areas. The program will help to develop a broad understanding of the importance of our world's water. The website is broken into sections to help organize planning. The activities of each section build upon each other to develop the entire hydrology program or can stand alone to support a study of that individual unit.


Loaner Kits
    Family Water Festival
    Discover water's invisible impacts! Eat an ice cream aquifer! Unpack these boxes and 13  science and water history activity stations are ready-to-go for families in your community.

    These festivals are designed to make it as easy as possible to host a fun, educational family event. Can be used collectively as part of a one night event or in smaller groups as part of a continual outreach event.  See the Coordinator Guide for more information about the Family Water Festival.

    Funding for the development of these kits is provided by a SD Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant to the SD Discovery Center.

    Rental is normally $350 for SD Discovery Center members, $400 for .  Thanks to the generosity of the 319 I&E grant, the rental is only $140 for two weeks.

    To book the Family Water Festival, contact Anne Lewis 605-224-8295 annelewis@sd-discovery.com

    Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) Kits.  South Dakota teachers and youth leaders can check out the following kits for a month to teach about water.  SD Discovery Center educator members have the rental fee waived! (Shipping and restocking fees apply). All others: $50 a kit for one month rental plus shipping and restocking.


    Wetlands Trunks
    Explore the wonder of wetlands!  Play games such as Amphibia Trivia, Track
    Match and Shorebird Migration.  Put together puzzles, read books, do activity pages.  Hold a puppet show with our large wetlands creatures.  These trunks are available throughout the state.
      Outdoor Campus, Sioux Falls.
      Local rentals only (no shipping).
      Contact: Kay Gannon (605) 362-2777 kay.gannon@state.sd.us
      Aberdeen Game, Fish and Park Office
      Local rentals only (no shipping)
      Contact: Mary Clawson
      (605)626-2392 mary.clawson@state.us
      SD Discovery Center
      Can be shipped. Borrower pays return shipping fees.  2 week rental. $25 fee, SD Discovery Center teacher members, free.
      Contact: Anne Lewis (605)224-8295 annelewis@sd-discovery.com

    Lakes and Streams Trunk
    Games, music, videos, books and activities to teach kids about lakes and streams.  Collect aquatic insects, play FISHO (like BINGO but water related) and hold a puppet show with creatures commonly found in or near lakes and streams.


      SD Discovery Center
      Must be picked up.  2 week rental. 
      Contact: Anne Lewis (605)224-8295 annelewis@sd-discovery.com
      East Dakota Water Development District
      Grant, Codington, Deuel, Hamlin, Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake,
      Moody, and Minnehaha Counties, the eastern half of Miner County, the eastern half of Day County, and that portion of the City of Sioux Falls that is located in Lincoln County.
      Contact Deb Springman, 605-688-6608, edwdd4@brookings.net
     
    Enviroscapes
    This model of a watershed helps illustrate the causes and mitigation of non-point source pollution in a way that is fun and understandable to youth and adults.
    2 week rental, no charge.  Must be picked up.
    Contact: Anne Lewis (605)224-8295 annelewis@sd-discovery.com
    More about EnviroScapes

    Ground Water Model
    The Groundwater Model is an interactive classroom tool that is designed to show the flow of water and toxins though differing gradients. It can be used in front of the classroom and is easily used by students themselves. Instructors can use it to demonstrate flowage through confined and unconfined aquifers as well as the effects of wells and pumping on these aquifers. Instructions are available with the unit. 

      Wind Cave National Park
      May be picked up or shipped.  Renting site pays shipping fees. Contact: Mary Laycock, Park Ranger
      26611 US Hwy 385
      Hot Springs, SD 57747
      605-745-1132
      email: mary_laycock@nps.gov


Agencies & Organizationss

Places to Visit

Outside the box

 


WET & Language Arts

What do you get when you mix language arts and water?  Great multi-disciplinary learning!

Reading Lists:

 Journaling Resources:

 

 

 
 
 

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South Dakota Discovery Center
805 W. Sioux  ♦  Pierre, SD  57501  ♦  (605) 224-8295
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