Arizona Conserve Water is a publication dedicated to the premise that it is never too early to learn to conserve water. The K-12 educators' guide is a tool to help Arizona teachers develop among their students a knowledge and respect for water in their semi-arid home state.
The guide is divided into four sections. Part I provides students with a brief overview of Arizona geography, water history, water management and conservation. Students become more actively involved with Part II, a collection of 15 lesson plans presenting creative, hands-on activities to teach students about water conservation in Arizona. Students will be able to review actual case studies in Part III. These tell Arizona water conservation stories in a way as to present problems for students to solve. Part IV includes a cross-reference chart to identify subject areas with instructional activities, glossary, bibliography and index. Each activity is correlated with to the Arizona Academic Standards.
Writing the book was a group effort on a grand scale, a collaborative effort involving scientists, water managers, academics and educators. Arizona Department of Water Resources Statewide Water Conservation Coordinator Marjie Risk says "The development of Arizona Conserve Water brought together more than 75 key stakeholders representing a variety of perspectives who participated in curriculum development workshops and reviewed the guide. Additionally, teachers across the state tested drafts of the lessons in their classrooms."
The publication is joint project involving ADWR, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Phoenix Area Office and Arizona Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). Arizona Project WET, a program within the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center, is located within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Education and Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Contact Kerry Schwartz about purchasing the book and for information on Arizona Project WET training workshops to introduce K-12 teachers to Arizona Conserve Water (kschwart@cals.arizona.edu or call: 520-792-9591, ext. 26) or go to the Arizona Project WET website.