Resources for Teachers

Teachers have a pivotal role in ensuring that students understand the connection between the choices they make and local water quality. You can help spread the word about storm water and other water quality issues by educating your students and helping them to be environmentally conscious citizens.

Remember that what you teach your students will impact people outside of your classroom. Students often share the information they learn in school with friends and relatives, which helps to spread the word about storm water pollution prevention.

Below are links to information about water quality education workshops offered in Clermont County, and some links to educational materials that will help you get started. You will find that students enjoy learning about local water quality issues, and the educational materials listed below are accessible to students of all ages.

Clermont County Water Quality Education Workshops
The Clermont Soil & Water District offers free programs and resources to any school or group located within Clermont County. The programs are designed to meet learning outcomes for the Proficiency Tests. The District’s Education Specialist is available to present any of these programs to K-12 classes or other groups. Educational materials are also available on loan from the District. Go to ‘Programs and Services’, then ‘Conservation Education’ to learn more about the programs, benchmarks and grade-level indicators. For more information, email our Education Specialist, or call 513.732.7075 ext. 5.

Rain Garden Lesson Guide – Under an Ohio Environmental Education Fund grant, the Clermont Soil & Water Conservation District worked with Greenacres Water Quality Project LLC to develop a Rain Garden Lesson Guide tied to Ohio Academic Content Standards. With this guide, schools can turn their rain gardens into outdoor learning labs. To download the entire guide or specific lessons, check out Clermont Rain Garden Lesson Guide page.

U.S. EPA Water Sense Educational Materials “Water Sense”
U.S. EPA’s “Water Sense for Educators” site includes learning resources for Fix a Leak Week, including a teacher’s guide, a worksheet, a Family Fact Sheet, and a kid’s activity page. The site also includes “A Day in the Life of a Drop” resources, including a teacher’s guide, two worksheets, a water use table, and a “Student and Family Pledge to Filter Out Bad Water Habits.”

Clermont County Storm Drain Labeling Project
Help students get involved in the community by participating in a storm drain curb label project. Clermont SWCD provides labels, adhesive and door hangers for the students to apply and educate. This project will help your students educate citizens in the community about where storm drains lead (to the river, not a treatment plant!), and prevent storm water pollution.

Project WET!
Promote awareness and stewardship of water resources in your classroom with the help of Project Water Education for Teachers (WET). Through this site, you can find out about water festivals in your area, download activities for students, and order catalogs of water resources.