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Show water Education Background Water education was not an important topic in the late 1970s. " What is there to know about water?" was a question commonly asked when the need for water education was introduced to the general public. A national audit initiated by the Utah- based Western States Water Council ( WSWC) in 1978 confirmed that no comprehensive water education program existed; water education materials of any kind were rare. The WSWC was the catalyst for the first comprehensive water education program. A grant from the National Water Resources Council was used to develop K- 12 water education materials and establish the office of Water and Man, Inc. After two and a half years, grant funds were depleted and the new water education effort looked to state water agencies for support. Though supportive of the effort, western state water agencies were experiencing financial cuts from the federal government and did not have the funds to participate in the fledgling program. Water education in Utah and other western states was suspended. With the positive aspects of Water & Man, Inc. as a guide, the Division of Water Resources ( DWR) and the newly formed International Office for Water Education ( IOWE) at Utah State University began in 1983 to solicit the support of Utah water conservancy districts, the Utah State Office of Education and others to sponsor an ongoing water education program for students in grades K- 6, with plans to extend water education to secondary grades. Utah was the pilot state for the comprehensive program and IOWE planned to expand materials to other states. This was the " new beginning" for water education as it is known today. Status The Utah water education program is strong and steadily growing. A handbook of lesson plans and water- related activities, complete with background information, is the nucleus of the program. The activities are correlated with the state CORE curriculum ( the CORE comprises the standards and objectives teachers are mandated to teach in a particular grade level and discipline). Inservice workshops of various lengths are conducted for teachers statewide. To insure that every Utah student and teacher in grades K- 6 receives instruction and enhancement programs, an instructor makes on- site visits to elementary schools. Each school is visited every three to four years. A typical school visit includes a one hour inservice session with teachers, followed by individual classroom presentations and/ or water- related assemblies. Classroom presentations include hands- on activities that span various disciplines. Teachers receive a copy of the comprehensive water education handbook, " Water Education - K- 6," as well as other resource materials and information. This introduction to water education is enhanced by extended teacher workshops throughout the state. Each year fourth grade students receive copies of " Utah Water: A Precious Resource." This colorful 20- page booklet details the hydrologic cycle, discusses watersheds, |
