Pittsburgh, PA - With the new school year in full swing, access to engaging educational material is more important than ever for students, teachers, and families. To help make learning about water exciting and meaningful, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is sharing water education resources and assistance for teachers and parents.
“It’s never too early to learn how water is essential to our lives and shapes our community. With three rivers and frequent storms, Pittsburgh is rich with opportunities to learn about water at home, outside, or in the classroom,” stated Will Pickering, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.
Our educational resources webpage contains hands-on and virtual activities to help students of all ages expand their awareness about local drinking water, water pollution, and the impacts of too much rain. Whether learning from home or in a classroom, this webpage is a one-stop shop for teachers and parents looking for free educational materials all about water.
The compiled resources include experiments with common household materials and guided worksheets to spark curiosity about water science and the local environment. There are also online games and models for practicing analysis and problem-solving skills. In addition, parents and teachers can access printable word puzzles to quiz students’ water knowledge and artistic coloring sheets to encourage responsible water habits.
More Ways to Connect and Share Your Water Knowledge
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is also creating short video lessons to help Pittsburgh’s elementary and middle school students connect with their local water and dive into the fascinating world of water science. Each video explores a different water topic or demonstrates an experiment that students can do with basic materials. The latest video in the series teaches viewers how to do a watershed model experiment using just paper, markers, water, and towels to learn how watersheds work. Teachers and parents can subscribe to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s YouTube channel to be alerted when new video lessons are published.
We are excited to collaborate with Pittsburgh educators to help provide locally relevant water education. Teachers can request a guest speaker or activity demonstration from the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority for virtual classes this fall by submitting the “Request Us at an Event” webform at www.pgh2o.com/request-us-at-an-event. Teachers and parents can also email Elaine Hinrichs, Education and Outreach Associate at ehinrichs@pgh2o.com with any questions or suggestions related to water education.
In addition, we encourage parents and teachers to share your students’ water knowledge with us! When students complete a water experiment, word puzzle, coloring sheet, or other activity, post the results to Twitter or Facebook and describe what the students learned. Those that participate can receive Pgh2o branded giveaways including a water bottle, buttons, and stickers. Be sure to tag @pgh2o so we can see your hard work!
