Parents & Teachers Resources | Regional Water Providers Consortium

Parents & Teachers Resources

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Consortium Programs

Children's Clean Water Festival

The Consortium is a proud co-sponsor of the Children's Clean Water Festival which includes more that 40 hands-on, water-focused activities, classroom presentations, and stage shows to about 1,400 fourth graders annually. We also offer a variety of youth-oriented print materials to supplement kids' experiences at assemblies and at the Festival.

Consortium Member Resources

Many of our water provider members have additional resources such as assembly programs, classroom presentations, or water system tours that they provide to schools in their service area. Contact your local water provider for more information about what they have to offer. (Note: not all water providers offer these resources or they may not be available in your service area.)

 

Get Kids Involved

Wondering what you can do to teach children to appreciate the importance of using water wisely? Take some time to help your kids feel connected to their water, and they will share your desire to protect it. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Teach children where their water comes from.

The Portland, Oregon metropolitan area is fortunate to have multiple sources of water to serve the region. Depending on where you live, you probably get water from one of the area's main sources: the Bull Run Watershed, the Trask and Tualatin Rivers, the Clackamas River, or the Willamette River. If you visit any of the rivers listed above for recreation, make it a teachable moment! If you don't know where your tap water comes from, use our look-up tool to see who your water utility is and then ask them for details.

2. Find and fix leaks together.

Kids can play an important role in helping put a stop to leaks at home by becoming junior leak detectives. It only take around 20 minutes to check your whole home for leaks, and with a little helper, the time goes by fast! Checking your home's faucets and showers for leaks today could have hundreds to thousands of gallons of water. Plus, the toilet dye test is pretty fun!

3. Bring it home with some books.

For the bookworms among us, the Consortium offers two online activity books: "What Do You Know About H2O?" (PDF) and "Water and You" (PDF). We also like these water-related books that you can easily find at your local library:

Books about Water
  • Bear Loves Water by Ellen Weiss
  • Water (The Four Elements) by Carme Solé Vendrell and J.M. Parramó  
  • Water (My First Nature Books) by Adrienne Soutter-Perrot and Etienne Delessert
  • I am Water by Jean Marzollo
  • Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean by Arthur Dorros
  • Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers and Chief Seattle
  • The Drop in My Drink: The Story of Water on our Planet by Meredith Hooper and Chris Coady
  • Snail Girl Brings Water: A Navajo Story by Geri Keams and Richard Ziehler-Martin
  • Water, the Source of Life (Voyages of Discovery) by Scholastic Books
  • The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
    • Spanish: El Autobus Magico: Viaja por el Agua
  • The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
    • Spanish: El Autobus Magico - Se Salpica Todo
  • A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry
  • Raven Returns the Water by Anne Cameron and Nelle Olsen
  • Signs Along the River: Learning to Read the Natural Landscape by Kayo Robertson
  • A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw McKinney and Michael Maydak
  • Water Dance by Thomas Locker
  • All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
  • Water Is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul and Jason Chin
  • Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
  • Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water? by Robert E. Wells
  • The Water Princess by Susan Verde
  • One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss and Rosemary Woods
  • “Water Can Be…” by Laura Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija
  • Why Should I Save Water? by Jen Green and Mike Gordon
  • Water: Up, Down, and All Around by Natalie Myra Rosinsky and Matthew John
  • You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Clean Water! by Roger Canavan and David Antram
  • Water! Water! Water! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
  • We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

 

Additional Online Resources

The Water Cycle

Mystery Science - How much water is in the world? - video and activity

Project WET Discover Water - The Blue Planet - video and online activity

National Environmental Education Foundation - Water Quality Backyard Activity Guide

Project WET Discover Water - The Water Cycle - video and online activity

US Geological Survey - The Water Cycle for Schools and Kids - available in 39 languages

NASA - The Sun and the Water Cycle - activity booklet

Clean Water Services - One Water Cycle - interactive water cycle

Blazer Fresh - Water Cycle - video

Watersheds and Drinking Water

Portland Water Bureau - Build a Watershed Model - video and activity

Clark County - Explore the Clark County Watershed - maps and graphics

The Nature Conservancy - How Nature Makes Clean Water - video

The Nature Conservancy - Where Does Your Water Come From? - video

Project WET Discover Water - Explore Watersheds - video and online activity

Project WET Discover Water - Investigate Freshwater - video and online activity

Water Quality

Oregon State University - The Willamette River Before the Clean Water Act - video

Scholastic Super Science - Mr. Trash Wheel - video and article

Johnson Creek Watershed Council - Water Quality Testing with Johnson Creek Watershed Council - video

The Nature Conservancy - Meet the Scientists: Judy Haner - video

Science Sparks - Homemade Water Filter Experiment - activity

National Geographic - Make a Water Filter - activity

Water Conservation and Water Use

Water Use It Wisely - Kids Page - games, activities, videos, and more

EPA - WaterSense for Kids - activities, games, and teacher resources

Project WET Discover Water - Use Water Wisely - video and online activity

PBS - Water Conservation - lesson plan (grades 6 - 8)

Alliance for Water Efficiency - Outdoor Water Efficiency and Conservation Lesson Plan (grades 3 - 8)

Groundwater

PBS - Groundwater Beneath the Surface - video and teaching materials

KQED QUEST - What is Groundwater? - video

US Geological Survey - What is Groundwater? - article and graphics

Groundwater Foundation - Students and Educators - resources, lesson plans, activities, and games

Portland Water Bureau - Build an aquifer model - video and activity

Wastewater

Clackamas Water Environment Services - Trash It, Don't Flush It - video

Metropolitan Council - Wastewater Treatment for Youngsters - activity book

Hampton Roads Sewer District - Clean Water Curriculum - wastewater teaching unit (grade 4)

Stormwater

Oregon Public Broadcasting - Drained: Urban Stormwater Pollution - video

The Nature Conservancy - Valuing Our Freshwater - video

North Central Texas Council of Governments - Freddy the Fish Teaches about Stormwater - video

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council - Stormwater Matters for Kids - activities and games

Only Rain Down the Drain - Be a Drain Ranger - activities and games

Recycling and Composting

National Environmental Education Foundation - At Home Upcycle Projects - activities

SOLVE - Kids Activity Page - interactive activities and links to kids education resources

Metro - Worm Composting - video

Emergency Preparedness

Ready.gov - Be a Ready Kid! - activities and games

UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction - Stop Disasters! - game

King County Washington - Ready Freddie! - comic book

Island County, Washington - Preparedness for Kids - activities and games

Additional Online Resources for Teachers

State of Oregon - Tribal History Lesson Plans (grade 4)

The Nature Conservancy - Nature Lab

Learn Forests - Programs and Resources (grades 3 - 5)

National Environmental Education Foundation - Watershed Basics

Groundwater Foundation - Tools for Parents and Educators

US Geological Survey - Teacher Resources (multiple grades and languages)

NOAA - Freshwater Education Resources