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Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Promotion and Education department has created a new activity guide for fourth- through ninth-grade science teachers and other educators who are exploring watersheds.

Window on your Waterways uses problem-solving based learning exploration and investigates watersheds by focusing on ecosystems, land use and local issues. It is to be used as a complement to OFBF’s Agricultural Ecology’s Agricultural Watershed Awareness and Resource Evaluation (AWARE) Program. AWARE is a member-based voluntary education and assessment program for Ohio's agricultural watersheds. A goal of the AWARE program is to increase the natural resource stewardship of Ohio’s rural landowners and citizens while raising public awareness about the local water resources.

There are several science standards covered in the guide activities. A full list for grades four through nine are posted on the OFBF Web site, www.ofbf.org, under the Learning Resources section. A few examples of standards the guide includes are: demonstrate an area in which agricultural technology has improved human lives; understand the processes of the water cycle; and identify a problem or need, then propose designs and choose between alternative solutions for the problem.

Others who may be interested in using the guide are soil and water conservation staff who work with teachers, or after-school programs, scout advisers and other leaders of youth groups interested in the topic.

To order copies of Window on your Waterways, contact your county Farm Bureau office.