Teacher Reasources for the Song of the Santa Cruz River

Teaching about the Santa Cruz River is a fantastic way to connect your students to their local environment and history. We have many amazing organizations in the Tucson area that offer free or low-cost resources, from lesson plans to hands-on field trips. Here is a guide to some of the great materials available for your classroom.

Pima County Environmental Education

The Pima County Environmental Education (EE) team is dedicated to providing meaningful learning experiences about the Sonoran Desert. Their programs promote literacy in environmental and cultural topics and are available for all grade levels, from pre-K to high school.

  • Teacher Professional Development: Programs are offered in the summer and for in-service opportunities related to our Sonoran Desert ecosystem, data literacy and analysis, and work connected to the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

  • School and Youth Programs: The team offers custom programs that can be tailored to your group's needs, including both indoor presentations and outdoor field trips that can happen in areas near the Santa Cruz River. 
  • Living River of Words: This is a major youth arts and science program that encourages students to express their creativity while exploring the wonders of water. They offer virtual resources, lesson plans, and even a contest for students to submit art and poetry. The program is an excellent way to use the Living River Reports from the Sonoran Institute as a guide for your classroom.

Find out more about these programs and resources at: https://www.pima.gov/3247/School-and-Youth-Programs 

Tucson Water 

The city's water utility provides education and outreach programs focused on water conservation and the local water supply.

  • Classroom Programs: They partner with the Environmental Education Exchange to offer multi-part programs for various grade levels, such as "Water Smart Kids" (grades 1-3) and "Our Water, Our Future" (grades 4-5).
  • Field Days: Tucson Water holds annual water education field days for 4th graders, which are a great opportunity for students to participate in hands-on activities.

Arizona Project WET

 A program of the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center, Arizona Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) provides a variety of resources and training to help educators teach about water, with a strong focus on STEM literacy and stewardship. Their programs often include field-based learning and hands-on activities.

  • Teacher Professional Development: They offer workshops and academies to deepen teachers' knowledge of water science and provide them with new instructional practices.
  • Direct Student Outreach: APW works directly with students through programs like the Arizona Water Festival, the School Water Audit program, and Riparian Habitat Exploration, which includes field-based learning opportunities on river systems.
  • Curriculum: They provide curriculum units on topics such as groundwater, watersheds, and water conservation.

Find out more: https://projectwet.arizona.edu/

Watershed Management Group (WMG) 

WMG is all about getting hands-on with water conservation and harvesting. They offer services specifically for schools, including:

  • Schoolyard Water Education Program: WMG can help you design and build outdoor learning labs, such as rain gardens, right on your campus.
  • Teacher Training: They provide professional development for teachers in topics like water harvesting, urban wildlife gardening, and river restoration.
  • Curriculum: WMG has a variety of educational activities and can come to your school to present on topics like watershed health.
  • Find out more: https://watershedmg.org/ 

BIORETS Santa Cruz River

The BIORETS program offers middle and high school science teachers in the Tucson area (including the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui Nations) an immersive summer research experience focused on the Santa Cruz River. This experience aims to demonstrate the complexity of the regional water cycle—specifically how recycled wastewater benefits the biodiversity of local aquatic and riverside life.

https://santacruz.arizona.edu/biorets-santa-cruz-river 

Beyond Fronteras

The Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office created lesson plans related to the Santa Cruz River for High School students that are connected to Arizona State Standards:

https://beyondfronteras.org/lesson-plans/ 

Sonoran Institute

The Sonoran Institute's Living River reports are a great tool for teachers. These annual reports simplify complex data on river health, making it an engaging and understandable resource for students. Find out more: https://sonoraninstitute.org/ 

Professional Development

Many of the organizations listed above also offer professional development for educators to grow in their knowledge of the Santa Cruz River, the larger watershed, and other environmental Science topics. The organizations to look into are:

Another opportunity is The Water Leadership Institute, which is a transboundary and bilingual networking and water stewardship program that has brought together emerging community leaders from the U.S., Mexico, Tohono O’odham, and Pascua Yaqui nations. Participants practice leadership skills, build lasting relationships, and share dialogue about water security issues along the Santa Cruz River. Currently, the program is open to participants 18+, but we are open to collaborating and establishing youth programs. An interest in water stewardship is the only requisite to participate. https://waterleadershipinstitute.com/

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