Philosophy
The school children of today will soon be tomorrow’s water resource stewards. Teaching children to value and protect their drinking water is an important investment in the future, as well as an excellent way to send a message home to parents.
Approach
The Acton Water District’s education program will be offered free of charge to all students and teachers in Acton’s Public Schools. The school should call the Water District at least 10 days in advance to schedule field trips, classroom activities, or arrange to borrow resource materials.
The Education Program will provide the following:
- Classroom visits and field trips with Water District staff
- A menu of drinking water related lessons and activities that can be presented by Water District staff, or provided to teachers for their own implementation
- Lesson plans that incorporate the Massachusetts Department of Education Science and Technology Curriculum Frameworks
- Consultation on integrating drinking water topics into science curriculum
- Lending library of educational videos, books, and other resources
- Special activities each spring during Drinking Water Week
- Sponsorship of student summer internships and special drinking water-related projects
Field Trip Topics
The Acton Water District’s Education Program offers a variety of field trips free of charge to all students and teachers in Acton’s Public Schools. Each field trip can be structured to meet the needs of the age group, and accompanying classroom materials are available upon request. Most of these field trips have an outdoor component, and are best scheduled during the spring or fall. The school should call the Water District at least 2 weeks in advance to schedule field trips.
Field trips available:
- Clapp/Whitcomb Wells and Facility: Approximately 2 and 1/2 hours. Includes introductory slide show and carbon filtration demonstration at District Office. Covers: basics of water treatment and wellfield operation, water quality.
- Assabet Wellfield Tour: Approximately 2 and 1/2 hours. Covers: groundwater basics, water cycle, water treatment and wellfield operation, groundwater protection, surface water/groundwater connections.
- Conant II Wellfield Trip: Approximately 1 and 1/2 hours. Covers: basics of water treatment and wellfield operation, water withdrawal issues (wetland impacts) and water cycle.
- Water Conservation Tour: Approximately 2 hours. Includes introductory slide show, tour of Water Wise Garden and conservation related activity.
Resource materials available:
Our Drinking Water Information center contains many free brochures and fact sheets on a variety of drinking water topics. In addition, all of the following materials are available to sign out for a specified period of time.
- Drinking Water Curriculum Packages: Elementary, Middle, and High School
- Drinking Water Videotapes
Groundwater protection
Water Conservation
Hydrologic Cycle
Groundwater and wells - Slideshows
Acton Water District
Water Conservation - Testing Equipment and Supplies
Portable pH meter
Coliform bacteria test kit
Tapwater test kits
Iron test kit - Water Conservation Supplies
Leak detection tablets with instructions sheet
Rain gauges
Soil corer - Books
Groundwater
The Regulation of Drinking Water
Water Conservation for the American Landscape
Energy Efficient and Environmental Landscaping
Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations, latest update
Drinking Water and Health
Chemistry of Water Treatment
Handbook of Water Use and Conservation - Groundwater Simulator Model
The groundwater simulator model is an excellent tool for demonstrating many concepts such as aquifer basics, groundwater and surface water dynamics, and the water cycle.
