Teacher Resources

Welcome to the Anacostia Watershed Society Teacher Resources page!  Here you will find descriptions of our programs and how they are designed to fit into both your school's schedule, and national teaching standards. 

ProgramModulesRecc. Level*Time of YearNational Standards
Nature Near Schools
The Nature Near Schools program is a three-part learning experience that connects students with local greenspaces near their school through hands-on activities and restoration work.
What is a Watershed (Class Visit)
Solutions to Pollution (Class Visit)
Wild about Wetlands (Field Trip)
Wildlife of the Watershed (Field Trip)
Mussel Power! (Field Trip)
Teacher Trainings (Virtual)
3rd-5th Year Long
Onboarding Meeting (Sept)
Classes and Field Experiences (Sept-Nov)
5 virtual teacher training (Jan-June)
2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
5-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Rice Rangers
The Rice Rangers program is a three-part learning experience that connects students with hands-on restoration work that is making the Anacostia River swimmable and fishable once again. Focusing on the wetland habitats that surround the Anacostia River, students learn about the role of wetlands in our ecosystem, the wildlife that lives there, and what they can do to promote healthy wetlands.
Class Visit
Wetland Workday
Boat Tour
4th Sept-Nov 4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4-ESS2-2: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
Mussel Power!
The Mussel Power program is a three-part learning experience that connects students to the Anacostia River's restoration through the magic of freshwater mussels. A tank of mussels in the classroom bring the lesson to life, and students later release mussels themselves into the Anacostia River.
Class Visit
Mussel Release Day
Boat Tour
5th Dec-March 5-LS2-1: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
5-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Saving Our Native Grasslands (SONG)
The Saving Our Native Grasslands (SONG) Program is a three-part learning experience where students study ecology through the lens of riverside meadows. During the class visit they learn what makes meadows so important to a healthy environment, then participate in seed spreading and meadow upkeep activities.
Class Visit
Meadow Workday
Boat Tour
2nd Sept - Nov 2-LS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
2-LS2-2: Develop a model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
Shad
The American shad program is a three-part learning experience where students raise shad in the classroom and release the fry into the river. Incorporating classroom work and a field trip, this program seeks to replenish the Anacostia' River's shad population. After more than 30 years, shad populations are increasing once again.
Class Visit
Shad Release
Boat Tour
3rd Mid-April - early May, aligning when Shad run, which greatly depends on when the spring thaw occurs 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.
RiverSmart Schools
The RiverSmart schools program is a collaborative effort between the Anacostia Watershed Society and the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). This Schoolyard Conservation Site program focuses on creating green space on school grounds while also connecting teachers and students to that green space, and the Anacostia Watershed as a whole. DDOE selects 5 schools each year to participate in this exciting and innovative program that integrates local conservation efforts with the DCPS curriculum standards.
Class Visit
Environmental Steward Project
Boat Tour
     

*Recommended levels can be modified for other ages/class levels.

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