In 2003, the District partnered with local school districts to develop and implement
an “Environmental Unit”. The unit includes 5 one-hour lessons, including topics
such as point/nonpoint source pollution, watershed management, wetlands, and Best
Management Practices (BMPs). It has been incorporated into nearly every fourth-grade
classroom in Northern Kentucky, reaching over 5,000 students every year. Each student
is required to complete a “water log” that contains assignments for each lesson,
providing a mechanism to measure the effectiveness of each lesson.
The local school districts have embraced the program and the feedback to date has
been incredibly positive. This success has triggered some local schools to initiate
efforts to revise the unit to also accommodate middle and high school classes. Additionally,
representatives from school districts in other parts of Kentucky as well as other
states including New York and California have requested copies of the unit for use
in their schools.
If you would like a copy of the unit or would like to schedule a training session
on how to administer the lessons, please call the Storm Water Hotline at
859-578-6745.
Click the links below to access each of the five Environmental Unit lessons developed for use with SMART board technology. The lessons correspond with SD1's Environmental Unit Guide (for teachers) and Water Log Workbooks (for students).
Lesson 1 -- Would You Swim Here?
Lesson 2 -- Gimme a BMP!
Lesson 3 -- We All Live in a Watershed
Lesson 4 -- Help Save the Birds
Lesson 5 -- Wetlands
**A special thanks to St. Catherine of Siena teacher, Dave Schlachter, for the initial development of the Environmental Unit SMART Board lessons. He was awarded SD1's 2007-2008 Protecting the Environment Award for this series. Lessons have since been updated by SD1.
If you have trouble accessing the lessons, or if you have any questions, please call the
Storm Water Hotline at
859-578-6745 and press "3" to speak to SD1's Education Coordinator.
