Jefferson County Schools fourth graders received a hands-on lesson about the watershed thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Eastern Panhandle District of the West Virginia Conservation Agency and Safe Waters Harpers Ferry. For almost 20 years, the West Virginia Outdoor Learning Network Initiative (WV OLNI) has connected fourth-grade students to science, social studies, and reading curriculum about streams and local watersheds and their connection to the Chesapeake Bay. Their funding ensures every child can participate in an experience that teachers describe as "immersive, educational, and engaging for our students."
The collaboration includes learning conducted in the classroom and outdoors, beginning with five standards-aligned classroom lessons with an environmental educator from WV OLNI. The experience culminates with a field trip to a local waterway for a hands-on investigation of its water quality. Students gain firsthand knowledge about water chemistry, the physical characteristics of streams, and insects and other creatures that play an important role in the ecosystem of our waterways. Regular field trip sites include Town Run at Morgan's Grove Park in Shepherdstown and Bullskin Run at Cool Spring Preserve outside Charles Town.
Ranson Elementary School fourth grade teacher Megan Mossburg said the partnership is a great opportunity for students to learn about their own environment.
"We participate in the Watershed Program because it not only gives students hands-on activities but also a chance to look back on how they can make a difference in their world," she said. "They become more mindful about taking care of our community, and this paves the way to having a better future."
WV OLNI partners include Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan County Boards of Education, Cacapon Institute, Experience Learning, Potomac Valley Audubon Society, and Wind Dance Farm.