New 4th Grade Classroom Program

For those of you who have used the CCWD programs over the years you know we are constantly tweaking what we do. This year the 4th grade program underwent some significant changes to make it more relevant, comprehensive and enjoyable for the students.

The classroom program starts out with a video, "Fountains of Columbia," to be viewed ahead of time which sets the stage for the complicated role water plays in California. When the CCWD instructor shows up in the classroom several activities take place including "Pass the Jug" where students build a town with a limited water supply, map work to include locating important water features on relief maps and plotting rainfall illustrating the disparity between where the water is and where it is needed, and then wraps up with a discussion on the importance of water conservation in these parched times.

CCWD Mini-Grant Program

Already two schools have been awarded grant funding for water related classroom projects. 3rd & 4th grade teachers at Vintage Parkway School in Oakley were awarded $1,000 for books and materials for a collaborative project exploring plant and animal adaptations specific to the Delta Wetlands region. The 10th grade at Wood Rose College Prep in Concord was awarded $500 for compost and a 500 gallon water storage unit for a vegetable garden with rainwater storage irrigation.

There are still funds available for this school year. The application is very easy and is available at www.ccwater.com/education . The grants can be used for classroom materials, supporting a field trip, teacher development, classroom videos, school gardens - use your imagination, as long as it is related to water and you can show how your students will benefit.

Welcome to the CCWD Water Education Blog

CCWD Water Education Blog

For the past couple of years I have attempted a e-newsletter to keep teachers in the Contra Costa Water District service area informed about our water education program and other items that may be of interest to teachers relating to water and the environment. The e-newsletter had difficulty getting by the spam filters of many of the school districts, and teachers weren't getting the information. And so this blog was born.


The objective of this blog (as educators we are big on objectives aren't we?) is to provide information on the CCWD Water Education Program, including letting teachers know how and when to sign up for CCWD programs, passing on information on new programs offered by CCWD, providing a forum for your comments on how to make the program fit your needs, and informing teachers of other environmentally related grants, programs and materials that you may find helpful.


Feel free to add any comments you may have, and please pass along this site to other teachers in your school. Last year over 30,000 students in the CCWD service area participated in the Water Education Program either on a field trip, classroom presentation or a school assembly. That means we are also touching a lot of teachers, hopefully this blog will make those connections a little more useful.