Watershed Education Program |
Field Studies
The highlight of WEP for both teachers and students is the field study component. Field studies give students the opportunity to explore the concepts they have been studying in the classroom out in the natural world. They help build a connection between students and some of the unique habitats found within the Westport River watershed. Please call WRWA at 636-3016 to learn more about developing a field study for your class or school. WRWA also offers a wide range of programs for SCOUTS please contact Shelli Costa, Education Director for information. We also offer educational summer programs for children age 7-15. The key to successful pollution prevention and preservation of our watershed resources is to provide the future stewards of the region with the awareness, knowledge and skills needed to become effective decision-makers. The Westport River Watershed Alliance firmly believes this can be accomplished through the hands-on methodology, and critical and creative thinking skills emphasized in our Watershed Education Program.
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| The Watershed Education Program is an interdisciplinary environmental education program developed by the Westport River Watershed Alliance. Originally designed to compliment existing school curriculum within the boundaries of the watershed of the Westport River, WEP has been adapted for use within the Buzzards Bay watershed. WEP incorporates the philosophies of the Partnerships Advancing Learning in Math and Science (PALMS) initiative and the recommendations of the Massachusetts Science Curriculum Frameworks into a series of curricula kits, teacher guides, workshops, and field studies. |  |
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The main emphasis of the primary grade (K-2) kits is environmental awareness; for grades 3-5, the kits' focus shifts to introduce man's interrelationship with the environment and his impact on nature. Middle School kits (grades 6-8) focus on the economic value of the watershed's resources to the region as well as pollution and its impact on the water quality of the river and ground water.Each kit contains a teacher's guide, hands-on materials, posters, working models and background information. |
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| The components and materials included in each kit are designed to build upon the concepts introduced through a kit in the preceding year. For example, in kindergarten the kit focuses on marine and aquatic environment. In grade 1, students then learn about the plants and animals inhabiting aquatic habitats. |  |
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| Enveloped within each topic are concepts which are repeated two or three times during the student's school career, enabling introduction of more complex aspects of issues in the upper grade levels. |  |
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The kits include:
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| The field studies include: | |||||||||||||||||||
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