Environmental Education Compendium for Water Resources.

Interdisciplinary by nature, environmental education is appropriate in any subject area and many educators often integrate environmental concepts into their lesson plans. This compendium of 109 collections of curriculum materials has been developed to assist educators in their selection of materials focusing on water resources. Curricula cover such topics as water science, watershed management and protection, water pollution, water resources and conservation, and related human/societal issues. At the primary level, a predominant number of curricula focus on the physical and chemical properties of water and the role of water in students' lives. The content offers a diverse selection of activities in science, geography, language arts, history, and social studies at the upper elementary level. Intermediate and secondary level curricula frequently address sustainable water use as well as political and economic systems that govern water use within the context of societal values and cultural beliefs. Descriptive and evaluative information on each curriculum is presented. Curricula were evaluated for appropriateness at four grade-group levels: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The materials were evaluated to identify those curricula that align with California education frameworks and that are accurate and comprehensive in their presentation of issues related to the topic of water resources. Each curriculum described in the compendium received an overall grade of B- or above. Supplemental materials not deemed curricular in design are listed in the appendices along with other resources. (PVD)