The 25 to 30 teachers attending each workshop practiced water sampling, seining and identifying fish and other aquatic organisms, in addition to attending classroom sessions. Aquatic habitat and the damaging effects of nonpoint pollution were emphasized in the sessions, which were part of the Conservation Education Now for Tennessee Students Program funded by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. While state environmental agencies fulfill their mandate for water education, educational institutes are finding water the ideal medium for linking diverse topics like history and aquatic habitat. Many of the teacher training courses are jointly sponsored by these agencies. The integrated curriculum that South Carolina teachers explored at their workshops is a good example of this partnership.
Maps help people understand the water basin concept.
Schools enrolled teams composed of teachers from the four disciplines in the three-day workshops. The SC MAPS curriculum emphasizes problem-solving skills and employs a portfolio containing 80 laminated maps, aerial and satellite film images, and other geographic resources. After completing the workshop, the teacher teams will share the portfolio as a tool to tie together lessons in geology, history, and environment. The curriculum includes information about 10 study sites, with each study site representing different landforms and land uses in the state. An interactive computer curriculum is currently being developed around one study site, Congaree Swamp National Monument, the largest old-growth stand of bottomland forest in the United States.