Teachers & Kids
AMWUA’s members and partners promote water conservation with both students and teachers by providing a variety of programs for the classroom, working with the schools to ensure teaching time is preserved and existing math and science teaching goals are met.
The City of Avondale is committed to working with their local schools on water education. Free water conservation magic shows and or in class presentations are offered to schools in the Avondale water service area on first come first serve basis.
Chandler schools are invited to schedule free educational assemblies for students. A magic show is offered for students in grades 2 - 5. The presentation uses magical illusion, comedy, games, and audience participation to teach the importance of water conservation, the water cycle, and local water sources. The Great Arizona Puppet Theater show, "Zoner and the Drip," teaches students in grades K thorugh 2 aboout good water conservation habits.
Each year, the City of Chandler hosts approximately one thousand fourth grade students from eight Chandler schools for the Make a Splash Water Festival, where they experience hands-on activities covering: water conservation, our water supply, ground water, surface water and the water cycle.
The Gilbert Water Conservation office provides free educational programming for 4th and 6th grade classes throughout Gilbert. The city incorporates science and math to teach children about the importance of water in the desert and how to conserve it.
Gilbert Water Conservation also supports a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math event called the Water Festival. Run by Arizona Project WET and utilizing Town employees and business community volunteers, the Water Festival immerses 4th graders and teachers alike in an educational field trip as well as pre- and post-field trip lessons to increase knowledge about where our water comes from and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Glendale Water Watchers Program is a comprehensive program for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers in the Glendale water service area. The program progresses through each grade, where baseline knowledge of water-related issues is established in fourth grade and then applied towards real-life, service-learning projects in fifth and sixth grades. The Water Watchers program is designed to supplement existing curriculum and provide teacher support in the delivery of innovative water education activities. A unique element of the Water Watchers program involves guest speakers visiting classrooms and providing presentations on several water education topics.
Glendale will arrange for the Great Arizona Puppet Theater to visit schools and teach students about good water conservation habits through a free puppet show. "Zoner and the Drip" is designed for students in grades 1and 2 and "Zoner and the Water Cycle" is designed for students in grades 3 and 4.
The city's water conservation website offers downloadable scavenger hunts and puzzles, Wayne Drop sightings, and a list of recommended books and picture books on a wide variety water topics.
Contact the city for details regarding available programs and materials.
Mesa Water Conservation staff works closely with Mesa Public Schools to educate students about water issues in Arizona. Mesa Public Schools presents water-related curriculum to students in the first and fourth grades that includes concepts on water resources, water treatment, water conservation, and the importance of making responsible decisions relating to water use.
The city will provide free American Water Works Association workbooks tailored for K-3 and 4-6 grades that include a teacher's manual with activity and science project ideas. The city also offers field trip tours of their water and wastewater plants on a limited basis for high school groups within Mesa Public Schools boundaries.
Contact the city for details regarding available programs and materials.
City of Phoenix Water Services Department has a mission to teach students of all ages about water science and conservation and help create the water stewards of tomorrow. They offer free in-classroom presentations tailored for grade levels and time limits, covering a wide variety of topics including our Phoenix water sources, Arizona water history, water and wastewater treatment, or a visit from Wayne Drop for younger students.
Phoenix offers an extensive toolbox of complimentary educational resources for teachers and curriculum coordinators who work in Phoenix schools. These resources are designed to support existing curriculum and to help teachers reach learning objectives and standards with innovative and interactive water STEM activities. Materials can be ordered online and delivered at no cost.
Scottsdale Water offers free interactive, inquiry-based water education presentations to schools located within its water delivery area. Presentations include hands-on activities that are designed to increase water awareness and encourage water stewardship. The activities correlate to the Arizona Academic Standards.
Free Project WET Kids and Channing Bete Co. booklets are available to schools located within the Scottsdale water delivery area. These booklets make excellent handouts to complement school curriculum. Books can be ordered online, by email or by calling.
Tempe is dedicated to helping their youngest residents develop water consciousness. Each year, Tempe partners with Abracadabra to provide interactive and engaging presentations on water conservation and science to students in K-5 grades at elementary schools within the city.
Tempe teachers are invited to order classroom sets of the activity book The Curious Lives of Water-Saving Pets for grades K-5.
AMWUA’s Water In Our Desert Community curriculum provides teachers and students with information about central Arizona's water supply, water demand, and the importance of wise water management in the Desert Southwest. It strengthens the teachers' and students' awareness of the social, economic and environmental impact water management has on all water users in Arizona. Contact the AMWUA office to receive a copy of the curriculum.
Since 1989, magicians from Abracadabra Productions have been making water disappear and reappear, putting enchantment into water conservation for kindergarteners through fifth graders. Abracadabra's main goal is to increase the efficient use of water while strengthening the awareness of the social, economic, and environmental impact water management has on all of Arizona. In 2014, Abracadabra presented 149 magic shows for 29,000 students and teachers. Contact Kathy Whalen 623-266-1157 for more information.
Arizona Project WET develops water stewardship and STEM literacy by providing teacher professional development that evolves instructional practices and deepens content knowledge, direct student outreach that delivers or extends classroom learning, and community engagement. From the tried and true Arizona Water Festival Program to the new School Water Audit Program and Water Investigations Program, Arizona Project WET engages students in relevant learning about a subject that is arguably the issue of this century: water.
Check with your local AMWUA member or partner conservation office to ask if they offer free Project WET activity guides, educators guides, and other WET materials and to learn about upcoming Water Festivals.
CAP offers a selection of resource materials through their website, including the Arizona Water Story (grades 4-6), H2O for Kids (K-3), H2O4U (6-12), and non-fiction reading passages.
CAP also offers tours and presentations and awards research grants.
Do you know how much water a family of four uses every day in the US? 400 gallons, enough to take ten baths! EPA WaterSense offers simple ways to save, an online game for kids, and resources for educators, including teachers guides, worksheets and activity sheets, an a family fact sheet.
The City of Flagstaff partners annually with Arizona Project WET and SCA to host Water Festivals for more than 800 local fourth graders. Students partipate in water-themed educational activities, including topics on the water cycle, watersheds, groundwater, and water conservation. Fourth-grade teachers received specialized training prior to the event and prepared students by adding educational opportunities to their classroom instruction.
Flagstaff also sponsors Project WET Teacher Academies to provide professional training for teachers that prepares them to engage their students in real world and relevant STEM learning on water-related topics.
Arizona Cactus-Pine Council and the University of Arizona recognize the importance of water conservation with a Water Conservation Patch and encourage Girl Scouts of all ages to become aware of opportunities for water conservation.
For 20-plus years, the Great Arizona Puppet Theater has helped students learn about conservation with the help of water-smart puppets Drip and Zoner, presenting "Zoner and the Drip" for 1st through 3rd grade students and "Zoner and the Water Cycle" for 4th and 5th grades, reaching more than 10,000 students in 2014.
Check with your local AMWUA member or partner conservation office to see if they offer Puppet Theater presentations.
SRP annually contributes more than $1.3 million to education initiatives, grants and partnerships throughout Arizona as well as training and resources to educators throughout the state. SRP provides workshops and comprehensive in-service programs for Arizona educators related to the water and energy industries.
Half-day workshops are offered each fall and spring, and each June, several multi-day workshops are offered that delve deeper into STEM, sustainability and water related topics.
All of SRP's in-service programs and supporting materials are available free of charge through their website.
Tucson Water offers in-class and guided tour programs tailored to many grade levels, made possible by partnerships with the Environmental Education Exchange and Arizona Project WET. Arizona Project WET offers instructor-tested, water-related curriculum at no cost to teachers via hands-on workshops. Water Festivals feature two hours of interactive learning, and Workshops provide fun, classroom-ready activities. Free programs through Environmental Education Exchange provide age-appropriate lessons and interactive activities on water conservation, water supply, and water quality for 1st to 3rd grade students, 4th and 5th grade students, and 6th to 8th grade students.
Students can learn about wetland ecology and wildlife through self-guided tours of the Sweetwater Wetlands, a water treatment facility, urban wildlife habitat, and outdoor classroom. Field guides and activity books are available online.
Pete the Beak, Tucson’s beloved water conservation mascot, stars in a series of ten activity books downloadable from the Tucson Water website.
The Water—Use It Wisely website hosts a large collection of games, tips, and information specifically for kids. (Our personal favorite is Tip Tank.) There are loads of resources for teachers and parents, too. Don't miss the the downloadable water saving tip posters, perfect to get youngsters thinking about water use. You can also take an interactive tour of how water works — from source to tap and back.
