JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Staying home is staying safe, and many parents of school-aged kids are looking for ways to keep those busy young minds engaged in learning. The St. Johns River Water Management District is bolstering its online water education resources to help both teachers and parent-teachers meet that challenge while at home.
“As many shelter at home to stop the spread of Covid-19, I am proud that our district staff are able to further support our region’s educators — along with the many parents who now find themselves in the role of teacher — and keep students learning about our precious water resources,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle.
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Among the district’s online resources is a new video lesson about Florida’s aquifer system, led by district communications coordinator Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, using jars, sand and pebbles to create a hands-on aquifer that demonstrates where our water comes from.
New videos enhance current educational resources on the district’s website, www.sjrwmd.com/education, including hands-on activities, educational videos with self-grading quizzes, coloring sheets, vocabulary words, stories to read and interactive cartoon adventures in the world of water.
The district’s website also features:
- The Great Water Odyssey, an interactive look at the water cycle and states of matter for elementary school-aged children, and includes online quizzes: www.sjrwmd.com/education/odyssey
- An introduction to district mascot Raleigh Otter, a tour of the St. Johns River and overview of water management in Florida: www.sjrwmd.com/education/raleighs-den
- Tour the Indian River Lagoon from the perspective of lagoon natives Sebastian and Lucie Snook, with information on seagrasses, mangroves and other unique lagoon tidbits: www.sjrwmd.com/education/snooks-cove
- Learn about the different kinds of aquatic macroinvertebrates and how they are indicators of water quality: www.sjrwmd.com/education/macroinvertebrates
- A collection of activity and coloring sheets to download, reading comprehension activities and lesson plans with videos: www.sjrwmd.com/education/teacher
- Videos on the district’s YouTube channel feature otters, manatees, the journey of a water sample, highlights of district public lands and much more: www.youtube.com/user/floridaswater
District staff will continue to add videos and materials to the website and social media platforms in the coming days.
Teachers and parent-teachers are invited to reach out to Mitchell at jmitchell@sjrwmd.com with questions or to schedule a Skype lesson.
Join the conversation on social media: #safeathome #sjrwmd #athomelearning #thegreatwaterodyssey
About the St. Johns River Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the district and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The district encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.
Connect with us on Twitter at @SJRWMD, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. For more information about the district, please visit www.sjrwmd.com.
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