Watershed Connections Materials

Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin

Quick Links:  Build Your Own Model | Lesson Plans | Bilingual Lessons

Watershed ModelICPRB’s Watershed Connections program links the connections between watersheds, land use, and water quality, using a watershed model to demonstrate historical land use, water pollution, and best management practices.

Learn how to build your own watershed model and download the lesson plans below.

*PDF Presentations marked with an asterisk (*) have a companion PowerPoint presentation. Please Contact us for the file. 

Build Your Own Watershed Connections Model

The instructions and lesson plans for building and using your own Watershed Connections Model are below.

Teachers with watershed models• Building Your Own Model Instructions
Supply List
• Pattern Pieces for Model
• Land Use Piece Instructions

 

Watershed Connections Lesson Plans

While meeting multiple environmental literacy and curriculum requirements (listed in the lesson plan), students can use the model to investigate numerous topics, including historical land use, water pollution, and the use of best management practices. From grades 2-12, teachers are finding these models support lessons in the water cycle, ecology, sociology, and more.

Objectives—Students will be able to:

  • Discuss why a watershed perspective is needed to restore or protect water quality.
  • Describe how different land uses affect the water cycle.
  • Describe how impervious surfaces affect stream ecosystems.
  • List sustainable practices students can undertake to reduce stormwater runoff.

Watershed Connections Presentation

Watershed Model Activities

Additional/Optional Activities