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##  Studying Watersheds: A Confluence of Important Ideas. ERIC Digest.           

"How is life in your watershed?  Though we generally describe where             we live in terms of towns, cities, or school districts, we also live            within the boundaries of local watersheds.  Determined by the                   topography of a region rather than political boundaries, watersheds             are areas of land defined by the flow patterns of rainwater or                  melting snow and ice.  In general terms a watershed is a geographic             area where all the water, sediments, and dissolved materials drain              to a common outlet-a stream, river system, reservoir, underground               aquifer, or other body of water.  It can also be thought of as an               area that "catches" water and routes it to a common basin, channel,             or network of channels.  Internationally, the term catchment rather             than watershed is used to convey this idea. 
Some watersheds are               complex systems like the Everglades (Robinson, Robinson, & Lane;                1996), while others are simpler river systems.  Together they supply            the world's fresh water. Understanding these natural systems and                sustaining environmentally healthy conditions within these systems              require the application of knowledge and skills from many subject               domains, as well as active inquiry, collaborative study, and                    decision making.  Unfortunately, most Americans do not know what                watersheds are, and only 22% know that storm water runoff is the                most common source of pollution in streams, rivers, and                         oceans (NEET, 1999). WATERSHEDS IN THE CURRICULUMAs the linked            forces of curricular reform and standards-based assessment continue             to delineate important ideas and skills to learn in science and                 other subjects, there is a growing need to identify focal points for            organizing school programs.  Locally relevant topics are needed to              connect concept and skill development across subject areas and grade            levels. A study of watersheds can serve this role; everyone on earth            lives within a watershed; the quality of life is greatly affected by            the condition of the local watershed; and watersheds can serve as an            instructional focus for active learning in science, mathematics,                social studies, environmental education, and other subject areas.               Here are some examples (Cole-Misch, Price, & Schmidt, 1996): 
* A              watershed's geological history and hydrological processes teach                 elements of earth science. 
* Analysis of the chemical and                     biological parameters of a river teaches physical and biological                sciences. 
* The gathering of quantitative, empirical data involves            students in mathematics. 
* Land and water use within a watershed              provide a context for the social sciences in watershed                          management. 
Furthermore, the study of watersheds provides the                 perfect forum for engaging community partners in the school                     curriculum.  Many local issues relate to the supply and protection              of drinkable water, and many occupations relate to monitoring and               managing the environmental health of watersheds. CONNECTIONS TO               NATIONAL STANDARDSFollowing are examples of how the study of                watersheds intersects with the standards of selected                            subjects. 
"The National Science Education Standards" (NRC, 1996)              include statements about unifying concepts, skills of inquiry, and              content knowledge that are relevant to the study of watersheds.                 Among the unifying concepts and processes explicitly mentioned is               the concept of systems, a concept central to an understanding of                watersheds.  The Standards also emphasize engaging students in                  active inquiry, and the study of watersheds provides opportunity for            both authentic, local inquiry and collaboration with others at a                distance.  Finally, the Standards refer to science in personal and              social perspectives; a study of watersheds provides a unique                    opportunity to study issues related to water quality, water                     management, and community actions and policies. 
"Excellence in                Environmental Education-Guidelines for Learning (K-12)" (NAAEE,                 1999) presents guidelines that emerge from six core principles which            relate to a study of watersheds: (a) systems, (b)                               interdependence, (c) the importance of where one lives, (d)                     integration and infusion, (d) roots in the real world, and (e)                  lifelong learning.  Guidelines are organized into four strands                  directly relevant to the study of watersheds: (1) questioning and               analysis skills, (2) knowledge of environmental processes and                   systems, (3) skills for understanding and addressing environmental              issues, and (4) personal and civic responsibility. 
"The Principles            and Standards for School Mathematics" (NCTM, 2000) present standards            in ten knowledge domains, with several being particularly pertinent             to the study of watersheds.  Here is a sampling: 
* Apply                      appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine                        measurements. 
* Formulate questions that can be addressed with                data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer                 them. 
* Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are              based on data. 
In the "Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum                 Standards for Social Studies" (NCSS, 1994), a set of ten                        thematically based curriculum standards are presented, the following            seem most pertinent to a study of watersheds: 
* "People, Places               and Environments:" Students make informed and critical decisions                about relationships between humans and the                                      environment. 
* "Science, Technology and Society:" Watersheds                  provide specific conditions and contexts for considering responses              to societal issues related to science and technology. 
* "Civic                Ideals and Practices:"  Examination and care of the local watershed             provides an authentic forum for civic participation and personal                involvement. WATERSHED CONCEPTS AND ACTIVITIESThe study of                water has traditionally been organized around specific                          resources-wetlands, ponds, rivers-or issues-pollution, water use,               water quality-rather than within the context of a larger water                  system, the local watershed. The traditional approach creates                   awareness of water issues and facilitates development of skills and             knowledge, but it fails to address the subtle, systemic, and chronic            factors that influence the environmental health of watersheds.  What            is needed is a deeper understanding of the natural systems through              which fresh water flows. 
Study of watersheds has been encouraged,             with varying emphasis placed on awareness (Vandas, 1997a, 1997b),               protecting water resources (Jewett, 1996), and active                           exploration (Rainy day hike, 1995).  Mattingly (1991) provided a                rich context for thinking more broadly about watershed systems, and             Milne and Etches (1996) provided a model to examine the dynamics of             watersheds within classrooms.  A high school guide (Gail, 1995)                 offers help in developing a program that includes community service.            These ideas and activities provide excellent ways to examine aspects            of watersheds, but more ideal would be ongoing attention to                     watersheds within curriculum frameworks. WATERSHED EDUCATION                  PROGRAMS AND MATERIALSThe following programs and materials                  emphasize the opportunity for active investigations, integration of             school subjects, and collaboration with other community                         partners. 
Adopt-A-Watershed.  This K-12, integrated,                          school-community program uses the local watershed to engage students            in comprehensive studies of ecosystems, issues, and a broad range of            science concepts. The curriculum matrix includes concepts, field                studies, action projects, and community education activities for                every grade level. For more information, see                                    www.adopt-a-watershed.org. 
The Rivers Project Curriculum was                  developed over several years through the efforts of several hundred             high school teachers. Curriculum units include: Rivers chemistry,               Rivers geography, Rivers earth science, Rivers biology, Rivers                  language arts, and Rivers mathematics. These supplementary materials            help teachers incorporate field studies, classroom activities, and              community resources related to watersheds within their traditional              courses. For more information, visit the Website at                             www.siue.edu/OSME/river. 
Earth Force -- Global Rivers                         Environmental Education Network.  This interdisciplinary watershed              education and action program incorporates hands-on, scientific                  learning with civic action for young people. Program participants               assess the health of their local watershed and develop a sustainable            plan to improve water quality in their community.  For more                     information see www.earthforce.org/green. 
Give Water A Hand is a              national watershed education program designed to involve young                  people in local environmental service projects. For more                        information, visit the Website at www.uwex.edu/erc/gwah. WATERSHED            RESOURCES ON THE WEBSurf your watershed (www.epa.gov/surf) is               provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and enables you            to locate local watersheds and monitor conditions. 
River                      network (www.rivernetwork.org) aims to help people understand,                  protect and restore rivers and their watersheds. 
The World's                  Water(www.worldwater.org/links.htm) offers information and data on              organizations and individuals who are cleaning up their                         watersheds. 
U.S. Geological Survey Water                                      Resources (water.usgs.gov/education.html) offers links to data,                 pictures, maps, and interactive sites related to water. FOR MORE              INFORMATIONSearch the ERIC Database (ericir.syr.edu/Eric) for               more resources related to watersheds.  For best results, use                    watersheds as an identifier in your search strategy.  To locate more            watershed education resources on the World Wide Web, use a search               engine, such as Google (www.google.com) and use the following search            terms: watershed or watersheds education.  For more information                 about Websites providing water information and data, please see Katz            and Thornton (1997). REFERENCESCole-Misch, S., Price, L., &               Schmidt, D. (Eds.).  (1996). "Sourcebook for watershed education."              Ann Arbor, MI: Green Rivers Environmental Education Network. 
Gail,            P.A. (1995). "A curriculum activities guide to watershed                        investigations and environmental studies."  Chagrin, Falls, OH:                 Chadbourne & Chadbourne, Inc. [ED 378 054] 
Jewett, J. (1996).                 Protecting our water resources. Science Scope, 19(7), 26-27. 
Katz,            M., & Thornton, D. (1997). "Environmental management tools on the               Internet."  Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press. 
Mattingly, R.                  L. (1991). Shedding light on watersheds. "The Science Teacher,"                 58(8), 46-51. 
Milne, A., & Etches, J. (1996). Floods n'                       dams. "Green Teacher," Issue 48, June-September, 13-16. 
National              Council for the Social Studies. (1994). "Expectations of excellence:            Curriculum standards for social studies."  Washington, DC:                      Author. (Available online at                                                    www.socialstudies.org/standards/stitle.html) 
National Council of              Teachers of Mathematics (2000). "Principles and standards for school            mathematics."  Reston, VA: Author. 
National Environmental                     Education Training Foundation. (1999). "National report card on                 environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors: Seventh annual                Roper survey of adult Americans." Washington, DC: Author. 
National            Research Council.  (1996). "National science education standards."              Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 
North American Association            for Environmental Education.  (1999). "Excellence in environmental              education-guidelines for learning (K-12)."  Rock Spring, GA:                    Author. 
Rainy day hike.  (1995). Science Activities, 31(4),                   30-33. 
Robinson, G.B., Robinson, S.C., & Lane,                                J.  (1996).  "Discover a watershed: The Everglades." Bozeman, MT:               The Watercourse, Montana State University. 
Vandas, S. (1997a).                Watersheds: Where we live. "Science & Children," 34(7),                         28-30. 
Vandas, S. (1997b) What's in a watershed?  "Science Scope,"            20(7), 24-26. 
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This digest was funded by the Office of                 Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education,             under contract no. ED-99-CO-0024. Opinions expressed in this digest             do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the             U.S. Department of Education.                                                **Title:** Studying Watersheds: A Confluence of Important Ideas. ERIC Digest.           **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC/CSMEE, 1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1080. Tel:                      800-276-0462 (Toll Free); e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:                     http://www.ericse.org.                                                       **Descriptors:**  Environmental Education, National Standards,  Science Education,               Secondary Education, Water Resources                                         **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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