Educational Resources and Materials
Online Games, Quizzes, Videos
School Outreach Program
 For 5th Graders (60-minute classroom presentation).
The Adventures of Wally the Water Drop. An entertaining presentation brought to your classroom.
This new program aligns perfectly with California State Science Content Standards for 5th graders.
Topics include:
- The Water Cycle
- Where our water comes from
- Our water supply is threatened – overdraft consequences and seawater intrusion (using a new animated PowerPoint slide show)
- How we use water
- Using water wisely
- Where our dirty water goes. Wastewater treatment (introducing our new Adventures of Wally the Water Drop Claymation video, 8 minutes)
- Pollution prevention. Watershed protection using interactive EcoMasters® CD-ROM games.
Each student receives a follow-up activity booklet entitled My Watahbug Fun Book (English and Spanish, Water Awareness Committee of Monterey County, Inc.). Program materials are available only to educators within MRWPCA's service area.
Reservations required two weeks in advance and are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Contact Karen Harris at 645-4604 for information about tours and school presentations. Please direct all other questions to John Tiernan at 645-4602.
Water Recycling Plant Tours
 Adults only.
An up-close look at the award winning water recycling plant. Treatment methods; power generation using methane gas, a treatment byproduct; and handling of the wastewater solids (biosolids) are highlighted.
Tour length is 1 to 2 hours.
Tour Information Sheet (PDF format) may be downloaded or viewed online.
Contact Karen Harris at 645-4604 for information about tours and school presentations. Please direct all other questions to John Tiernan at 645-4602.
 Job Shadowing
Grades 10–12.
The program is designed to bridge the gap between education and the work world. Students "shadow" employee mentors at work for up to three hours. After the "shadowing" activity, students and mentors review the skills required on the job. Focus is given to teamwork skills.
Speakers
Need a speaker who knows where the "flow" goes? MRWPCA is pleased to offer the services of Karen Harris, Community Relations Specialist, to speak at your business, club, or organization meeting. Topics include seawater intrusion, changing wastewater into safe water, and pollution prevention.
Contact Karen Harris at 645-4604 for information about tours and school presentations. Please direct all other questions to John Tiernan at 645-4602.
Curriculum Materials
Program materials are available only to educators within MRWPCA's service area.
"Water Source Book," Grades 3-5, Water Environment Federation, (Spanish, 1997, and English, 1995); Grades 9-12 (English, 1997).
Stimulating activities; teacher narratives and keys; and science framwork correlations. Class work plans are available for teachers upon request at no charge.
"What About Water," Grades 3-8, Water Awareness Committee.
Activities teaching water properties, groundwater modeling, seawater intrusion, irrigation effects, water uses and conservation. 1996
"Project WET," Grades K–8, Water Education Foundation, 1996.
The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide is a collection of innovative, water-related activities. 1996
"Water Precious Water," Grades 2–6, AIMS Education Foundation (Activities Integrating Math and Science), 1988. A collection of elementary water activities. 1988
"Making a Bigger Splash," Groundwater Foundation, 1999.
A collection of water education and festival activities with table of key topics and subjects for each of 37 activities.
CREEC Network Resource Guide, Vol. III. California Department of Education Region V, 2000.
California Regional Environmental Education Community Network for the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.
"Inventory of Watershed Training Courses," US EPA, Office of Water, December 1998.
This document provides one-page summaries of 180 watershed-related training courses offered by federal and state agencies, as well as resource professionals in the private sector. Courses listed include on-site training as well as several internet learning modules.
NEW "The California Water Story," Grades 4-6, The Water Education Foundation.
A multi-disciplinary approach to teaching about water as one of California's most important resources. The lessons integrate many subject areas (geography, history, science, math and art) and are designed to help students develop specific skills (critical thinking, organizing data, predicting, mapping and graphing). The program set includes a 24-page lesson plan booklet with video (see below under VIDEOS), the California Water Map, the Layperson's Guide to California Water, Water Fact Card, Hydrologic Cycle Poster and water awareness stickers. Materials can be duplicated for years of use.
NEW Hydroexplorer Computer Games, "Hydroexplorer Comes To Your Home", Grades K-5, The Water Education Foundation.
A primer on water conservation and pollution prevention. User-friendly for non-readers. The latest in the line of Hydroexplorer adventures, is a computer game designed to teach elementary students 5 to 10 years old about water conservation, pollution prevention, the hydrologic cycle and how water gets to the home. Using basic computer skills, players search for clues as they guide the mini-sub from a rain cloud through the maze of water pipes underground, through the treatment plant and into either a house or an apartment. Players tour the floor plan, seeking out opportunities to make wise water use choices. The game uses pictures and voice-overs to help children with limited reading or language skills. Field tested by educators and water conservation specialists, it includes math worksheets to reinforce water conservation concepts. The program is a perfect addition to any water conservation program. Mininmum requirements to run Hydroexplorer: Windows 3.1 or Win 95; 386/33 Mhz (486 recommended); 4MB Ram (8MB recommended); Super VGA (640 x 480 or better, 256 colors); 3.5" floppy drive; Standard sound card (recommended. This Program will occupy about 6MB of disk space when installed.
NEW "Making Discoveries" The Groundwater Foundation, 2000.
What is an aquifer? How does groundwater get contaminated? Find the answers to these questions and others in Making Discoveries. This activity guide helps you teach others about groundwater, surface water, wetlands, and pollution through entertaining, hands-on experiments and activities. Making Discoveries is perfect for someone planning a Water Awareness Day or teaching a session on groundwater contamination. Spiral bound paperback, 124 pages.
NEW "Career Paths in the Water Environment," Grades 6-9 and Grades 9-12, The Water Environment Federation, www.wef.org, 2003. The curriculum consist of 12 lesson plans. Each develops one aspect of a specific type of water environment career into a hands-on classroom unit. These units range in difficulty and many include a more challenging extender. Most of these lessons may be completed in one or two class periods, or they may be taught over a period of one or more weeks. Each lesson contains a Teacher's Guide which includes teaching notes, answers, and lessons plans. The last chapter includes 50 Job Descriptions. Students learn the scope and variety of careers in the water environment field.
NEW "Ground Water Education," Grades 7-10, The Water Education Foundation.
Teaches junior high and high school students about groundwater and the prevention, reduction and elimination of groundwater pollution. The 52-page teacher's booklet contains lesson plans, lectures, demonstrations, laboratory exercises, games and assessment activities. Each lesson has clearly defined objectives and complete teacher instructions, and is coordinated with the California State Department of Education's Frameworks for Science, Math and Social Science. Includes a California Groundwater Map.
NEW "Fountains of Columbia," Grades 4-6 The Water Education Foundation.
An interdisciplinary study of water and the California Gold Rush. Includes 7 lessons and an 11 minute video (see VIDEOS below). Based on the actual diary of 11-year-old Mary Leary who lived during the Gold Rush era, the Fountains of Columbia docudrama is part of the California 2000 Sesquicentennial Legacy Project. The interdisciplinary lesson plan booklet is correlated with the new state frameworks for History/Social Science, Language Arts and Sciences and has hands-on activities involving: world timelines, erosion experiments, primary source readings, including Mark Twain's "Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", art analysis of famous Nahl painting "Sunday Morning in the Mines", a role playing town hall meeting, a map-reading lesson about the overland routes to the gold fields.Videos
Videos
Video loans require a refundable deposit of $10 per video. Videos are available only to educators within MRWPCA's service area.
NEW Wastewater Treatment - A River In A Box, 3 min – Grades 3-adult
Microscopic organisms are essential to secondary wastewater treatment processes. This video captures protozoans, nemadoes and rotifers feeding. Developed by the MRWPCA, 2004.
Water In An Endless Loop, 23 min—Grades 6–12
This is an historical documentary on wastewater recycling in California. Developed by the WateReuse Foundation, 1996.
Biosolids — Kids Wanna Know, 7 min—Grades 3–8
An informative and fun video that explains how wastewater and the solid by-products of wastewater treatment can be reused safely. Developed by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, 1996.
Seawater Intrusion, 4 min—Grades 6–12
Water Recycling, 6 min—Grades 6–12
An explanation of the new Salinas Valley Water Recycling Projects developed by Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, including wastewater process descriptions and a brief history of seawater intrusion in the Salinas Valley. Developed by MRWPCA, 1998.
Waterhog Haven, 6 min—Grades K–6
A fun, entertaining story of the Waterhog and his water-wasting neighbors in Waterhog Haven. Done in tantamime. This video is great for ELS students. Developed by the San Diego County Water Authority, 1991.
Frogline, 8 min—Grades 4–8
This fast-paced and humorous program covers non-point source pollution in a news format. Anchor amphibians Fineas frog and Kris Croak discuss what we can do to reduce and prevent pollution. Developed by the Water Environment Foundation, 1999.
NEW The California Water Story, 9 min – Grades 4-6
A multi-disciplinary approach to teaching about water as one of California's most important resources. Coordinates with the California Water Story unit (see Curriculum above). Developed by the Water Education Foundation.
NEW "Fountains of Columbia," 11 min, Grades 4-6
An interdisciplinary study of water and the California Gold Rush. Coordinates with a lesson plan booklet of 7 lessons (see Curriculum above). Based on the actual diary of 11-year-old Mary Leary who lived during the Gold Rush era, the Fountains of Columbia docudrama is part of the California 2000 Sesquicentennial Legacy Project. The video, shot on the location at Columbia State Historic Park, tells the story of a mining town struggling to manage its resources as miners, farmers and townspeople wrangle over water issues. Developed by the Water Education Foundation, 1999, as a part of the California Legacy 2000 series.
NEW Go With the Flow, 7-min – Grades 5-12
Teaches where storm water goes – and why it is so important to clean up trash, use pesticides and fertilizers wisely, and prevent other chemicals from going down the storm drain. The video's teenage actors explain the water cycle and the difference between sewer drains and storm drains, how storm drain water is not treated prior to running into a river or other waterway. The teens also offer a list of BMPs – best management practices that homeowners can do to prevent storm water pollution. Developed by the Water Education Foundation.
NEW 3 in 1 Video, 27 min, Grades K-6.
Developed by the California Department of Water Resources, 2001:
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The Water Cycle, 12 min, lively and entertaining, provides experiments for junior "scientists"
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Albert & Einstein Aqueduct Safety PSA, 30 sec, animated characters show how to be safe around aqueducts
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Who Needs It? 14 min, a colorful video highlighting the importance of water and demonstrating ways to conserve it. Junior "scientists" show how water quality and quantity affect plants.
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