PLT’s New Activity Collection for Grades 9-10: Forests, Water & People

Project Learning Tree’s newest activity collection includes three inquiry-based lessons that examine the connections between forests and watersheds while investigating their impacts on communities.

PLT and the USDA Forest Service collaborated to create a special digital activity collection – Forests, Water & People. The lessons are designed for educators to use with learners in grades 9-10, with variations for grades 6-8.

Hands-on Learning

The three downloadable activities invite students to investigate the relationship between forests and watersheds as they investigate the source of their own drinking water. It’s place-based learning that also incorporates technology to study our environment.

1. From Tap Root to Tap Water: Students use maps to identify local watersheds and forest cover, evaluating the extent to which their community’s water supply depends on forests.
2. Mapping Your Community Through Time: Students investigate the history of their community and make map overlays to look for patterns in how its housing, water systems, and green spaces have changed over time and in relation to each other.
3. Watershed Watch: Students examine different perspectives on a community issue related to forests and watersheds, and plan to take action on a local watershed issue.

New Features

In addition to the typical elements that educators have come to rely on from PLT, the following new features in our theme-based series will further help educators adapt the activities for specific groups and settings.

Ties to UN Sustainable Development Goals

You’ll still find correlations with national academic standards for science, English language arts, and social studies, but in this activity collection, we’ve added ties to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals were adopted by all UN members in 2015 in an effort to “improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.”

Forests to Faucets 2.0 Toolbox

In each activity, you’ll find a special Toolbox section. Using the GIS mapping tool, Forests to Faucets 2.0, created by the USDA Forest Service, learners explore watersheds in their own communities. You’ll be able to see why sustainable forest management is vital to maintaining quality drinking water supplies.

Backgrounder

New to this collection are “backgrounders”, which highlight relevant information on activity topics. You’ll find things like key vocabulary terms and ways to engage students in each activity.