Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, United States Geological Survey, the American Ground Water Trust and middle and high school teachers from Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee and Polk counties
What:The goal of this free, two-and-a-half-day workshop for teachers is to increase water awareness among teachers and students so that they are empowered to play an active role in protecting water resources.
When:Thursday night through Saturday, June 19-21. Media are encouraged to attend Friday’s (June, 20) hands-on activities which include:
At 8:15 a.m. the teachers will go on canoe trip on the Peace River. The trip will be led by members of the U.S. Geological Survey. Teachers will learn about the river’s features, ground water inputs to sustain flow, aquatic fauna and water quality issues, fossils and geology.
At 3 p.m. an American Ground Water Trust scientist will conduct a water science classroom exercise. Teachers will study how water moves through soil and rocks, the factors that control infiltration rates, a method for calculating a watershed’s water balance and what constitutes one part per million. The teachers will then learn how to use this information in classroom presentations.
Where:Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 N.E. Roan St., Arcadia, FL 34266
District Contact:Mary Margaret Hull, 800-423-1476, ext. 4774 or (352) 279-3473
Ground Water Institute Fact Sheet
The Ground Water Institute for Teachers is a free, two-and-a-half-day workshop for teachers offered in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey and the American Ground Water Trust and is a significant component of the District’s overall watershed education efforts. The goal of this program is to increase knowledge about local water resources among teachers and students so that they are empowered to play an active role in protecting these resources.
The program is a content-focused training opportunity with applicability to many grades. The exciting and practical “science” of ground water can be applied to existing curriculum in many traditional subject areas. This training program has applicability beyond the typical “earth sciences” perspective. The program provides real-life examples of the science and technology behind water issues.
The following schools will be represented at the workshop:
Charlotte County Schools
Lemon Bay High School
Charlotte High School
DeSoto County School
Desoto County High School
Hardee County School
Paynes Creek Middle School
Manatee County Environmental Education
Around the Bend Nature Tours
Polk County Schools
Frostproof Middle and High School
Sonrise Christian School
Victory Christian School
Stambaugh Middle School
Bethune Academy
Southwest Middle School
Haines City High School
Winter Haven High School
Jewett Middle Academy
Polk’s Nature Discovery Center
The program’s agenda is available by visiting the American Ground Water Trust web site at www.agwt.org/teachers/institutehome.htm.
Workshops were also held in April through June at the Marine Science Station in Crystal River, Nature’s Classroom in Thonotosassa and the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida in Sarasota.