Both events are open only to
4th grade teachers and their students!
The application period for the 2009 festival is now closed.
The application period for the 2010 festival will run from the first week of April 2010 through August 1, 2010. Applications are accepted on-line only through this website. Flyers are mailed to area elementary school principals and administrators each March calling for festival applications and giving notice of the deadline for applications.
Teachers are to apply on-line using this website beginning in April. Applications always exceed the number we can serve, so please know that we will contact all teachers after the application period ends to let them know if they have been selected.
One teacher is to apply for all fourth grade classes at your school. If accepted, all fourth grade classes at your school must attend. Please note that this is an application, not a registration. We will confirm whether or not you are accepted no later than the last week in August 2010.
Click here for the Festival Schedule.
Four of Rio Rancho’s ten public elementary schools participated in 2009. They included:
- Rio Rancho Elementary
- Sandia Vista Elementary
- Colinas del Norte Elementary
- Cielo Azul Elementary
Click here for the Festival Schedule.
All other Rio Rancho 4th grade classes will receive an in-class presentation in the coming months.
Teachers must attend a Teacher Workshop approximately three weeks before the festival to understand logistics and learn about teacher water resource education training opportunities that are available throughout the year. Each teacher will receive a Resource Kit that contains information and other materials to continue water education in the classroom.
All activities address multiple New Mexico Science Standards for the fourth grade.
Our goals for teachers...
… continue water education in the classroom using the resources and concepts learned at the Teacher Workshop and Festival.
… utilize new resources and speakers, adopt expanded curricula and modify teaching methods.
… take action to conserve water and protect water quality.
Our goals for students...
…demonstrate that they can answer the Big Water Questions.
…take action to conserve water and protect water quality.
…urge their families and friends to take action to conserve water and protect water quality.
Pre- and Post-Festival Surveys: Students are asked questions relating to the five activities they attended. Feedback is shared with presenters to improve presentation format, information and technique.
Evaluations: Teachers and presenters complete festival surveys. In addition, each activity is observed at least one per day by independent Activity Evaluators.
Post Festival Student Activity: Students may go on a scavenger hunt to find the answers to water resources questions or become leak detectives in their own homes. The activity helps reinforce information they learned at the festival, with an emphasis on one or more Big Water Questions.
In-class Presentations – Rio Rancho: Since 2007, we have been able to offer an in-class water resource education presentation to each fourth grade classes that was not able to attend the festival. This means 100% of Rio Rancho’s fourth grade public school students received some form of water resource education. Successful fundraising will enable us to continue this tradition.
In-class Presentations – Albuquerque: As a contractor to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA), Experiential EE, LLC produces the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Children’s Water Festival and provides approximately 600 in-class water resource education presentations throughout the year in grades 1-12. To schedule an in-class presentation, contact Katie Babuska at
katie@experientialee.com or 505-975-0036. Click here to read about ABCWUA’s entire education program.
Using Water as a Curriculum Theme
RiverXchange Project
Environmental Education Association of New Mexico
http://www.eeanm.org/
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