Secrets of Watersheds and Their Community Impact is an interactive online course that explores the critical roles watersheds play in our environment and communities. Through four engaging sections featuring real-life examples, multimedia lessons, and hands-on activities, students will learn what watersheds are, how water moves across landscapes, and the characteristics of the critical zone that affect water movement. The course takes learners on a journey from understanding global watershed conditions to examining major watersheds in Pennsylvania, modeling water movement in the hydrological cycle, and using real data to monitor local watersheds through case studies like Bald Eagle Creek and Two Lick Creek. Knowledge check questions throughout each section reinforce learning, while activity challenges such as "Journey of a Raindrop" and "Support Your Local Watershed Using Data" encourage active participation and empower students to identify meaningful actions they can take to support watershed sustainability in their own communities.
Overview: An interactive online course that explores the critical roles watersheds play in our environment and communities. Through four engaging sections featuring real-life examples, multimedia lessons, and hands-on activities, students will learn what watersheds are, how water moves across landscapes, and the characteristics of the critical zone that affect water movement.
This online module was created in collaboration with Dr. Kathy Hill, Professor of Science Education and Director of Center for Science and the Schools, Dr. Elizabeth Boyer, Professor of Environmental Science at Penn State University, Yi Zhang of the Learning Brand, support from the Critical Zone Network, and funding from the National Science Foundation award number 2012893.
Standards:
3.4.6-8.C Develop a model to describe how watersheds and wetlands function as systems, including the roles and functions they serve.
3.4.6-8.E Collect, analyze, and interpret environmental data to describe a local environment.
3.4.9-12.C Analyze and interpret how issues, trends, technologies, and policies impact watersheds and water resources.
3.4.9-12.E Plan and conduct an investigation utilizing environmental data about a local environmental issue.