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Public Information > Education
Education
The guiding principle of the San Antonio River Authority’s Education Outreach Program is that students who have an understanding of and are engaged in water as it relates to the communities in which they live are more apt to develop a sense of ownership in and stewardship for this most precious natural resource. Our goal is to help foster this sense of stewardship by providing water education materials and hands-on activities that are tailored specifically to the San Antonio River Basin. SARA offers several opportunities for students to learn about and engage in their river basin.
BasinQuest Water Education Program:
 This middle school curriculum is tailored to show students the relationship between universal science processes and concepts that they are required to know under TEKS and the area in which they live—the San Antonio River Basin.
The program was developed in partnership with Texas State University’s Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center and educators within the basin. It is a 5-E Inquiry Method curriculum, encouraging students to explore and learn on their own with guidance from the teacher. The lessons are designed around engagement, exploration, elaboration, explanation, and evaluation activities.
Each 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classroom set includes a teacher’s guide and 30 student booklets. Each lesson plan features the TEKS processes and concepts addressed within the lesson, a materials list, the duration of each activity, the lesson objectives, and a 5-E Inquiry Model at a Glance lesson overview. Teacher tips, guiding questions, conversion and measurement charts, and step-by-step guidance through the lessons make incorporating the material easy. For teachers and students wishing to take the materials one step further, G/T activities and numerous references to web, agency, and other resources allow for additional classroom tailoring. Educators interested in obtaining the printed classroom materials must complete a singleday training session on the program’s use and further potential for tailoring. To learn more about the program and training opportunities, contact SARA’s education outreach staff at (210) 302-3642, toll free at (866) 345-7272, or click here to send us an email.
BasinQuest Water Education Program Login:
In order to continue developing materials such as these, we ask that you supply us with a little information about yourself so that we can keep track of how and where these materials are being utilized. Any contact information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with outside entities. We may contact you by email at a future date.
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Home School Field Trip for 10- to 18-year-old Students
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Did you know that the famed San Antonio Riverwalk serves a vital flood control function for downtown San Antonio? How about that a 3-mile-long underground tunnel diverts San Antonio River flood waters from the downtown area? Learn about these and other “Flash Flood Alley” facts in a half-day field trip titled San Antonio’s Urban Flood Management System.
The field trip begins at SARA’s headquarters with a presentation and hands-on activities. Next, students are guided on a windshield tour to Olmos Dam, the San Antonio River Tunnel inlet structure, the Riverwalk’s Convent Park, the flood control tower at Nueces Street Dam, and, if time permits, the tunnel outlet structure and the Eagleland segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project. Along the way, students will learn not only how this infrastructure works together as a system but also how its many beautification features blend the components into the surrounding environment.
This field trip generally takes 3.5 hours. Schools must provide their own transportation.
Two dates have been set aside to accommodate home-schooled students:
- Friday, March 23, 2007:
Sessions at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Thursday, April 19, 2007:
Sessions at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
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To schedule your class field trip or to reserve a spot for your home-schooled student, call (210) 302-4247 or 866-345-7272 and ask for Community Relations.
Join us in touring these well-integrated, often award-winning engineering feats tucked into our urban landscape.
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World Water Monitoring Day:
In observance of World Water Monitoring Day, SARA hosts interested schools in Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, and Goliad counties in the collection, analysis, and submission of water quality data to the World Water Monitoring Day’s international web site. Through this program held annually in October, students develop a database of water quality data that they may then compare to data collected throughout the world and to data they collect in future years. SARA offers this opportunity on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact SARA’s education outreach staff at (210) 227-1373, toll free at (866) 345-7272, or click here to send us an email. Visit the World Water Monitoring Day web site at www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.
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Water: A Living Lesson Educators’ Conference Will Return in June 2007!
The 4th annual water conference for educators, titled Water: A Living Lesson, will again provide a unique opportunity for 300 educators to learn innovative, interactive and tested methods of teaching water subjects. This free, three-day conference will explore practical, up-to-date examples of successful educational programs and materials through interactive sessions and field trip opportunities.
The conference’s target audience includes both formal and non-formal educators in settings serving Kindergarten through 12th grade. State Board of Education Credit (SBEC) as well as Gifted and Talented credit is available.
SARA co-sponsors the conference with the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the San Antonio Water System, and Our Lady of the Lake University. To be included on the registration mailing list, please e-mail Gwukasch@saws.org.
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Other School Events:
SARA works with schools to expose young students to environmental careers and watershed issues. SARA staff attends career day events, school Earth Day-related events, science nights, and judges science fairs. SARA scientists are also called on to lecture in college and university settings and serve as mentors. SARA views networking with educational institutions as a specialized component of our public outreach that continues to increase awareness of the expertise of SARA’s staff on environmental issues facing our communities. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program: SARA’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) manager serves as a mentor in the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program. This summer mentoring program is open by application to all current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, with preference given to qualified women and minority applicants. Students assigned to the San Antonio River Authority work alongside ESD biologists for eight weeks conducting water samples, collecting fish throughout the San Antonio River Basin, and assisting with education outreach programs. The annual application deadline is in February. For more information, visit the Hutton Program web site at www.fisheries.org or contact SARA’s Environmental Services Department at (210) 227-1373, toll free at (866) 345-7272, or click here to send us an email.
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The Witte Museum’s Take It to the River Exhibit:
The Witte Museum’s Take It to the River Exhibit opened in June 2005 and features ecosystem, habitat, and flood management information provided by SARA. This permanent exhibit is housed in the Witte’s HEB Science Treehouse overlooking and featuring the riparian habitat of the Upper San Antonio River. Communitywide Events: Many communitywide events designed to educate students and/or the public on specific environmental topics also have purposes consistent with SARA’s education outreach mission. Arbor Day, Basura Bash, Earth Day, and National Public Lands Day are just a few of the events attended by SARA staff. Look for us; we’ll be happy to answer your questions!
River Reach in Education:
SARA provides its quarterly newsletter, River Reach, to lead science teachers and other educators throughout the San Antonio River Basin. To be placed on the mailing list, contact SARA’s Community Relations Department at (210) 227-1373 or, toll free, at (866) 345-7272.
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For more information about these programs, contact Karen Bishop, (210) 302-3642, or toll free at (210) 866-345-7272.
Downloadable Basin Water Quality Data
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