Create a Watershed Display

Grade level: Any
Group size: Any
Duration: Minimum three hours spread over several days.
Location: Hands-on displays may be located in such areas as school hallways or cafeteria walls.
Materials: Common art materials for hands-on displays; appropriate equipment (e.g., video cameras, computer software and projector) for video, PowerPoint or website presentations.

Summary
Students plan, prepare and present a hands-on or an electronic display on a theme related to watersheds. They may also bring the display and its messages to the attention of other schools through CWF’s WILD Education website and other media.

Procedure
Follow these five easy steps to create a spectacular display.
1. Choose your theme. Match your theme to your grade level, curriculum focus and interest.
2. Select a display style. Have students select an exciting style for their display.
3. Research, plan and prepare. Have small groups of students work co-operatively to research, plan and prepare parts of the display. They can research it through the library or the websites listed in the Resources for a Watershed Display section of this guide.
4. Show the display in busy locations at school. Let students select a suitable location to show their display for maximum exposure at their school.
5. Connect, share and celebrate. Have students celebrate and share their display by connecting with other classes, parents and other schools in your watershed. Better yet, have students share what they learned about watersheds by posting their electronic presentations or photos of their hands-on display on CWF’s WILD Education website.

Evaluation tips
Evaluate students on their clarity (written work and presentation), creativity and the integration of their visual messages with the theme.

Choose a Theme

Canada’s watersheds are diverse and fascinating. We suggest that students focus on getting to know their local watershed as a starting point. See the Resources for a Watershed Display section of this guide. Here are some suggested topics:

Grades K–3

• Sharing space with animals and plants.
• Me and my watershed.
• Living things in the water and on the land.
• Wetlands in my neighbourhood.
• Water in my environment and where it flows.

Grades 4–6

• How an animal meets its habitat needs within my watershed.
• How we affect — and protect — our watershed.
• A community beneath the water (or at the shore).
• Wetland communities.
• Protecting endangered species in our watershed.
• Animal and plant adaptations to a local habitat.

Grades 7–8

• An aquatic food web.
• Meeting human and environment needs in a watershed.
• Our connections to an aquatic ecosystem.
• Water systems in our watershed.
• Water on the surface and beneath the ground.
  

Grades 9–12

• The role of aquatic areas in maintaining productivity.
• Comparing an aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem in our watershed.
• How wetlands contribute to sustainability.
• Trace “our footprint” on our watershed.

Research, Plan and Prepare

Research the theme that is chosen for the display. Communicate your ideas visually through colourful photos, artwork or crafts. Here are some ideas:
Be interactive. Create displays that motivate audience participation by including:

• quizzes (where answers to questions are revealed in fun ways);
• scavenger hunts (where students search for items in a hands-on display or in a game on a website created by students);
• a pledge sheet so people can sign up to do something to protect their watershed; and
• an interpretative pamphlet to guide students through a display on their watershed.

State a clear theme. One key element of any display is to state its theme clearly. Be sure to do so in your display.
Make it 3-D. Hands-on displays could involve special crafts such as origami, “animal prints” and mobiles.
Use visuals. Get lots of great photos from the WILD Education website and other sites listed in the Resources for a Watershed Display section of this guide.

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