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You’ll find a variety of lesson plans and programs on this page that can be used by students and educators, homeschoolers, parents, and environmental educators. Knowledge is meant to be shared! Click the links below to be directed to the appropriate section.
The WOW Mobile takes visitors on a water journey, covering topics on the Memphis aquifer, water conservation, watershed science, the water cycle and more! The program is tactile and engaging – great for learning.
The WOW museum is accepting a limited number of in-person requests.
Students will have the opportunity to ask questions from knowledgeable research center staff. The program is best for 4th graders and aligns with Tennessee State Curriculum Standards, but is available for all ages.
For questions or instructions to reserve, email wow@memphis.edu
Below are free lessons to use in your classroom or event. Interested in a classroom or event activity guided by a staff member from CAESER? Request programming today! We have a watershed model and groundwater model that we would be happy to demonstrate to your class or group as well as any of the lessons below. Have an idea for a lesson or questions? Email us at wow@memphis.edu
The purpose of this lesson is to build upon the knowledge students may already have about the water cycle and to further educate them on our local water source. In this lesson, students will learn about the Memphis aquifer, the source of their drinking water, and the effects of groundwater pollution through a hands-on activity. Each student will build an aquifer model in a cup to observe the water’s behavior before and after it is “contaminated”. We will introduce new vocabulary and encourage critical thinking. Students can use the information they learn in this lesson to teach their families and to make better choices regarding water conservation and pollution management.
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Virtual Learning Videos & Questionnaire
There are multiple water cycle activities to choose from, with the lesson plan covering the Water Cycle Wheel and Water Cycle in a Bag. Sing-a-long links are included in the lesson plan – one is a rap, the other is folk. Conduct them all for a greater understanding of the water cycle!
These activities can be done in the classroom but are also great activity for virtual learning. All can be done at home!
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Another great activity for virtual learning – it allows students to use their creativity!
Build a model of the water cycle using using materials that can be found at home. What can represent a cloud? We used coffee filters! What about the ground? Let students’ imagination roam as they create a model containing all the water cycle processes.
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Another great way for students to experience the water cycle is this water bracelet activity. This activity shows students that the water cycle is not the same steps in the same order every time, plus they have a bracelet when they are done.
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Though this lesson is under elementary school, everyone enjoys this lesson no matter the age. What we love about this one is you are creating an actual cloud in a jar just like nature does in the sky.
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These lesson plans were created for teachers to build their students’ knowledge about the Earth’s water and how it is used. The link contains three lesson plans for grades 3 and 4 that may be used as an entire unit, or as stand-alone activities. Students will have a better understanding of the water cycle, how we use water, and why water conservation is important. This knowledge will help students learn what they can do to protect the Earth.
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Pouncer the Tiger Fish activity gives students a visual representation of how different activities in a watershed can have an effect in streams and rivers and the aquatic life in them. This can be an engagement activity to lead into another lesson, water testing or watershed lesson for example. You can also use this water as the polluted water in a DIY water filter lesson.
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Don’t have a watershed model? Then make your own! In this lesson students will make their own watershed model and use it to model non-point source pollution.
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The purpose of this lesson is to build upon the knowledge students already have about the water cycle and to further educate them on where their water comes from and where it goes once they have used it. Students will identify the differences between sewer drains and storm drains , evaluate the ecological damages that occur from storm drain dumping, will create a PSA informing the public about the importance of proper waste disposal.
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The purpose of this lesson is to build upon and expand the knowledge students have covering the global water crisis and why it’s important. Students will record information they learn from the video, evaluate and discuss the world’s water crisis, then write a persuasive letter to their community leaders (mayor, governor, etc.) informing them of ways they can work to resolve the water crisis locally.
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This 18-minute video gives students an overview of the water issues throughout the world. The lesson plans and supporting documents allow students to form their own thoughts, understandings, and potential solutions!
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In this lesson students will engineer a water filter from given to supplies and test to see which one filter polluted water the best.
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Why are we talking about geology? Because geology is a part of hydrology! In this lesson students will model the rock cycle with Starburst.
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Did you know it was a hot spot that helped the Memphis aquifer form? In this lesson students will model how a hot spot can deform the Earth’s crust.
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In this activity, students will make a groundwater model. This model will help them see how water enters an aquifer, how water flows underground, and how groundwater interacts with surface water.
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Coming Soon!
Introduce your students to career opportunities in transportation! Transportation and Logistics, one of CAESER’s four divisions, conducts research in key ares of transportation and supply chain logistics areas. The industry has many different career fields!
Ways to spread the word:
West TN STEM Hub features a variety of community-engaged programs, all of which foster the concept of STEM for All.
There are numerous pathways and entry points to excellent STEM careers that offer opportunities for students with varied strengths, interests, and backgrounds!
CAESER, part of the UofM’s Herff College of Engineering, encourages all students to engage in engineering curriculum. Engineers innovators and inventors of the past, present and future. There are many different branches of engineering to explore!
Visit the extensive website of engineering activities and lesson plans for all K-12 students.
The federal agency tasked with protecting human health and the environment, including water, air, and land in the USA.
The EPA has K-12 lessons on topics such as: water quality, climate change, ecosystems and health.