Rain Bird Takes Water Conservation Back to School
Rain Bird, manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and
services, has teamed up with Dr. Stefanie Saccoman at California State
Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) to design an
elementary school curriculum that presents students with the
opportunity to explore the critical role water plays on Earth in the
same manner that scientists and engineers do in the field, through
research and experimentation. Free to download at http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/community/curriculum.htm,
and geared for use by students in grades 3-6, Rain Bird's Explorations
Into Water teaching curriculum is ideal for educators and/or parents to
use as an engaging resource to teach students about the need for water
conservation, the properties of water and the importance of water
conservation in an easy-to-understand, educational, fun and interactive
way.
The curriculum is well organized, self-explanatory and easy for
teachers, parents and students to use for related course work, projects
or research in natural history, ecology, biology, physics and
chemistry.
Developed in partnership with Dr. Stefanie Saccoman, secondary
science educator and project director for the Science IMPACT (Institute
for Modern Pedagogy and Creative Teaching) program at Cal Poly Pomona,
the Explorations Into Water teaching curriculum includes projects that
integrate science with art; data gathering, observation, and inference;
analysis of physical matter; in-class demonstrations that can be
presented by teachers for students; and at-home projects that
illustrate scientific principles in a manner that is understandable and
meaningful to school-aged children.
"Focused on motivating students to think about the part each person
plays - and the actions they can take in using and conserving water,
each lesson includes demonstrations, experiments and classroom
activities that enable students to learn about water management,
conservation and preservation by linking abstract ideas and scientific
concepts through fun, hands-on activities," said Dr. Stefanie Saccoman.
"As students work their way through the curriculum, they will discover
the critical role water plays on planet Earth and how to manage it
locally and globally to ensure a safe, clean water supply for future
generations."
The release of the Explorations Into Water teaching curriculum
builds on Rain Bird's commitment to The Intelligent Use of Water(TM)
and extends its partnership with Cal Poly Pomona that already includes
the creation of a K-12 Rain Forest teaching curriculum, focusing on
endangered tropical rain forests as the basis for teaching science and
sustainability, and the development of three Rain Bird Rain Forest
Learning Centers within Cal Poly Pomona's BioTrek Project, a 3,500
square-foot, freestanding greenhouse structure and research lab that is
home to a self-contained tropical rainforest.
"As a pioneer in irrigation, Rain Bird continues to lead its
industry partners and extend the commitment to building a solid
foundation for water conservation awareness, environmental stewardship,
and community and social development among future generations," said
Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's Corporate Marketing Director. "The
Explorations Into Water teaching curriculum, The Rain Forest teaching
curriculum and the BioTrek Project illustrate a 'highest and best'
partnership between industry and university to create programs of true
significance and universal application."
Rain Bird's Explorations Into Water teaching curriculum is the most
recent example in the company's history of creating programs and
initiatives to boost education and awareness pertaining to The
Intelligent Use of Water. Rain Bird devotes significant resources to
its Intelligent Use of Water public initiatives, which include a series
of white papers; public service announcements; membership on the
Alliance for Water Efficiency and the steering committee advising the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its WaterSense product
labeling program; bi-annual Intelligent Use of Water Summits,
partnerships with non-profit organizations; development and support of
elementary and middle school curriculums; The Intelligent Use of Water
Awards Program and participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade®, an
annual worldwide stage to communicate the need for water conservation.