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K-12 Education

K-12 Education

DCDC partners with educators to develop and present material relating to DCDC research to deliver Advanced Water Education Workshops each summer on a variety of topics.

Working in cooperation with the University of Arizona’s extensive water-education programs, Arizona Project WET, Water Resources Research Center, and Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, K-12 teachers explore themes through activities and presentations from ASU and U of A researchers and local municipal and state experts.

We continue to share DCDC research and products by delivering learning modules directly to students. These projects include WaterSim curriculum and an Urban Heat Island Module created in collaboration with an engineering education program and funded by an NSF-ITEST grant.

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2015 Advanced Water Education Workshop, July 7-8, 2015: Extreme Weather Events

Join us to enhance your knowledge of how city planners, scientists, engineers and water managers plan for and collect data about extreme events. Through this workshop you will:
  • Learn how city planners design systems to manage urban runoff
  • Use storm water data to determine the impact of various rain events in metro Phoenix
  • Understand the formation and development of both dry and wet storms in Southern Arizona
  • Analyze particulate data to determine whether dust storms are becoming more frequent in Arizona
  • Explore health issues associated with extreme weather events in Arizona

Workshop Materials

2015 Advanced Water Education Workshop Flyer
2015 Advanced Water Education Workshop

2014 Advanced Water Education Workshop, July 15-16, 2014: Using Technology to Better Understand our World

Join us to enhance your knowledge about how scientists, engineers, and water managers use technology to gather and analyze data resulting in more efficient water use in the Valley of the Sun.

After completing this workshop you will:

    2014 Advanced Water Educator Workshop

  • Use the new WaterSim modeling lesson to simulate real-world scenarios to manage the Phoenix-area water system with a goal toward sustainability.
  • Learn about new technologies used to analyze water demand in the Phoenix area.
  • Have a means to engage your students in dealing with uncertainty in models and predictions alike.
  • Be equipped to use simple technology in your classroom to collect and analyze data with your students.
  • Use on-line tools for teaching about water sustainability. Explore these and other themes as you meet researchers from ASU and U of A, local water and science experts, and adapt materials to enhance your current water education programs.

Workshop Materials

2013 Advanced Water Educator Workshop, July 10-11, 2013: Using Models to Simplify the Complex Interactions of Water in the Valley

AdvWaterEducator2013_296In conjunction with Arizona Project WET, the Water Sustainability Program, and UA’s Water Resources Research Center, DCDC hosted 35 teachers at the eighth annual workshop. The theme of this year’s workshop is, “Using Models to Simplify the Complex Interactions of Water in the Valley.”

Join us to enhance your knowledge about how scientists and engineers develop and use models to solve problems and ask questions about water in the city. After completing this workshop you will understand how:

  • models are used to explain phenomena, analyze systems, and solve problems
  • decision-makers deal with uncertainty in models
  • modeling is an iterative process
  • to use modeling in your classroom

Explore these and other themes as you meet researchers from ASU and U of A, local water and science experts, and adapt materials to enhance your current water education programs

Workshop Materials

2012 Advanced Water Educator Workshop, July 18-19, 2012: Wetlands and Ecosystem Management

In conjunction with Arizona Project WET, the Water Sustainability Program, and UA’s Water Resources Research Center, DCDC hosted 35 teachers at the seventh annual workshop. The workshop enhanced educator knowledge of riparian systems, created wetlands and ecosystem management. Specific areas addressed as they related to this topic included:

  • What are riparian system functions?
  • What is the value of sustaining natural riparian systems?
  • How are ecosystems managed?
  • How do created wetlands and riparian systems fit into the water resources picture?

Workshop Materials

2011 Advanced Water Educator Workshop, June 28-29, 2011: Public Perception of Water Issues

The sixth annual workshop focused on public perception of water issues covering five main topics:

  • psychological underpinnings of (un)sustainable behaviors
  • gauging public perception
  • consumer responsibility
  • cross-cultural perspectives on water quality and equity
  • learning progressions for water education

Workshop Materials

advanced water educator presentation