Water infrastructure is complex; if one factor changes slightly, the rest of the system can easily be thrown off. This is why we need to aid in introducing water infrastructure to youth, and this must be done in interactive ways. Interactive activities will keep students engaged and active in the topic of conversation. My group and our partners are absolutely thrilled to get us started with conducting our water fair for the kids at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center.
Over the course of the past few weeks, I have compiled several possible lesson plans as my options that I will choose from to conduct for the water fair at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center. I wanted to find credible lesson plans and resources that I can use to compare normal ground with rain garden ground, focusing on infiltration rates, runoff, and environmental impacts.
I began looking into lessons where the students can build rain gardens and where the lesson itself can demonstrate the benefits and inner workings of a rain garden. I researched another type of lesson where the kids can see how water gets filtered through different types of soil with obstructions within the soil. There’s also one complex lesson guide I have looked into that branches out into six adjustable lessons based on the needs of elementary level students. I am keeping my overall options open to accommodate different minds because some lessons may be less comprehensive and detailed than others are.
The plans I have found in my research can provide an effective and fun learning experience for children while also keeping the costs and requirements for activities low. For example, one of my lesson plans that I researched revolves around using watering cans to simulate rain gardens. Another one has students simply predicting how water moves on a local surface. You do not need a massive budget to teach kids skills that could help them better their communities one day.
Along with that, there are lesson guides available for all types of students. There are kids who learn best from listening to their teacher, kids who require hands-on experience, and even kids who need a visual example from an instructor. For the last type, there are plans that include videos of instructors demonstrating rainwater runoff. This is why I am being open to finding a lesson that is easy to understand, comprehensive, interactive, and engaging.
Regardless of the type of student in the classroom, there are methods available to teach them in the way that suits them best. Group work, hands-on work, and visual models are all accessible for teachers who want to give their students an experience that teaches them important life lessons while stimulating their creativity at the same time. Currently I am in the process of finalizing which lesson plan would be the most engaging and the most effective. I am weighing pros and cons and getting feedback from my group members.