The Truckee River Language Arts Corner

Language Arts Lesson #1 Introduction The Global Water Sampling Project gives you the opportunity to compare your sample of fresh water with samples from bodies of fresh water all overthe world. Learn more about your local water conditions and those of other places. Share your conclusions, concerns, and solutions with your legislators. Instructions 1.A watershed is an area that drains all of its water into the same place. Watersheds vary in size. Your watershed might be just a few square kilometers in size, but the Amazon watershed is over 7,000,000 square kilometers! Look at the conditions of your local watershed by going to Surf Your Local Watershed and entering your zip code. 2.Once you are on the page for your watershed, go to Environmental Profile and choose Index of Watershed Indicators. Click on Condition and Vulnerability Indicator Graphs where you will be able to view water quality data about your local area. One graph shows current conditions and the other indicates where future problems are likely to occur. 3.In a small group, work with the information on the graphs to determine where the greatest areas of concern are for your area. What are the biggest threats to the quality of your water today? What do you think will be the most serious water problem in the next decade? Brainstorm some possible steps that could be taken to slow or perhaps even reverse the damage that is predicted. 4.Go to the site for Project Vote Smart and find the list of your state legislators by typing in your zip code. Look at your legislators' voting records. How did they vote on environmental issues? Then go to the section called "Tips for Contacting Your Elected Official". Choose one of your legislators and compose an email or letter to him or her expressing your concerns about the water quality in your area. Include specific details about your primary concerns and list the solutions that your group proposes. 5.Go to the Global Water Sampling Project web site and view the List of Project Participants. Select the city or town of one of the schools in the United States. Go to Surf Your Local Watershed and access the water quality information about that location in the same way you did your own area. Compare their water quality problems to yours? How can you account for the differences? Write a journal entry comparing the profiles for the two areas.   Select a school that is located in another country. Go to The United Nations State of the Environment Report and access the environmental information for that country. What are the main environmental issues? Do they have water quality concerns? What measures are they taking to deal with their problems? Write a summary of your findings, conclusions, and suggestions. Language Arts Lesson #2 Introduction Do you remember the location where you collected the fresh water sample for The Truckee River Project? You might not have thought there was anything remarkable about the area surrounding or adjacent to the river, lake, stream, or pond where you did the collection, but take a look at your site from a different perspective. Instructions 1.Prepare a nature interpretation walk that will enhance others' understanding and appreciation of the natural features of the area. Choose at least five features that you would point out to your audience. You might include such things as trees, wildlife habitats, wildflowers, and rock formations. What would you say about them? Use reference materials to write an outline; practice your talk with a partner. 2.Who were the first settlers in your area? Native Americans? Colonists? What were some of the natural resources that might have been valuable to them? How have people, both recently and long ago, used the water for food, entertainment, economic gain, housing, and transportation? Use the following suggestions to compile a Profile for your site. Interview your parents or grandparents for background data about former uses of the site. Go to your Official State Web Site where you will find a wealth of information including maps, local history, places of interest, and inventories of natural resources Go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Site where you will find information about fresh water fishing and recreation. Go to the National Register of Historic Places and check whether or not there are any historic or archeological sites nearby. Is there a relationship between them and your water source?

The lessons above were adapted from those suggested by the Global Water Sampling Project

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