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Virtual Stormwater Lessons for Teachers and Parents

Try these stormwater management lessons with your students or children to show them the effects of polluted runoff on our rivers and streams. All of the activities can be done on the computer or in your backyard with limited supplies. Thank you to NJ Future for funding our virtual lesson plan development!

Day 1: Human Impact on Watersheds:

• Watershed Demonstration using 3-D EnviroScape Model
  • This recorded presentation will teach students:
    
    • 1) what a watershed is
    • 2) the difference between point source and non-point source pollution
    • 3) the various types of non-point source pollutants flowing into rivers and streams 
  • https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wf6Zo-aYRb4pA_cOP1fR0IqUh2WVsUd4/view

Day 2: Human Impact on Watersheds

• Crumpled Watershed Model 
  • This activity will introduce the concept of a watershed to students using common objects found at home, like computer paper and markers.
    • https://water.unl.edu/documents/Crumpled%20Watershed%20Model%20opt.pdf
• Using materials found in their homes, students will create their own watershed model
  1. to observe how rain and snowfall become runoff in urban and suburban environments and
  2. to reinforce student understanding that stormwater also picks up pollution and causes erosion as it moves through human dominated landscapes. 

Day 3: Introduction to Stormwater Pollution and Green Infrastructure

• "Stormwater Pollution and Green Infrastructure Solutions" Video
  • In this video produced by the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, students will learn what stormwater runoff is and how we can effectively manage it using nature-based stormwater solutions.
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATNy-vaIPXI 
• Stormwater Crossword Puzzle
  • Fun activity to reinforce stormwater management vocabulary
    • https://www.nassauswcd.org/uploads/8/0/9/9/80996798/stormwater_crossword_puzzle.pdf
• Stormwater Runoff Online Simulator 
  • Model created by Stroud Water Research Center to demonstrate different infiltration, evapotranspiration, and runoff volumes on selected land cover types.
  • Used to show students the effects of land cover and soil type on the volume of stormwater runoff. 
    • https://runoff.modelmywatershed.org/ 
• Model My Watershed Site Storm Model   
  • Stroud Water Research Center interactive model created to show the effects that different stormwater best management practices can have on water infiltration and runoff rates.
    • https://modelmywatershed.org/ 

Day 4: Home Stormwater Inventory 

• Site inventory of their homes
  • Students will observe the conditions around their homes and create a map of the specific features of their properties that would affect stormwater runoff.
  • Students should make note of where the water is currently flowing, the location of trees and other types of vegetation, areas with shade and sunlight, wildlife habitat, any hills or changes in elevation, impervious surfaces (driveways, decks, pavers, rooftops), and the location of their gutters and downspouts.
    • How-to Directional Video for Yard Site Inventory: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yGbTCRFP7v9dtnsTiPkj3Y4x1yBYxo80/view?usp=shari ng
  • Students will then brainstorm stormwater management projects that can reduce stormwater runoff at their homes.
    • Have students either update their home inventory map or create a new sketch to identify where their projects would be installed. 

Day 5: Effect of Soil Class on Runoff 

• Soil testing: allows students to see the multi-faceted levels of planning that are necessary when planning stormwater management projects
  • Step 1: Use the Natural Resources Conservation Service guide to soil texture chart to learn how to classify soil by texture in your yard: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcs142p2_054311
  • Step 2: Soil Percolation Test
    • Used to see if a rain garden will infiltrate water in your yard 
    • Soil Percolation Test Directions (page 22 of Rutgers Rain Garden Manual):
      
      • http://water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/misc/3_Planning_14-31.pdf

Day 6: Hydrograph Analysis 

• Students will learn about the effects of stormwater runoff on stream health by examining hydrographs to show how runoff volumes differ depending upon the land use/land cover, soil type, and topography of a watershed.   
• Students will compare three hydrographs of the Delaware River in real time and make observations about how the hydrographs are different. 
• Then, using the graphs, they will hypothesize what watershed characteristics account for a graph displaying rapid peak discharge after a storm versus a graph with a long lag time between the start of the rainfall event and the watershed’s peak discharge.
  • Factors to consider in the analysis are: 
    • 1. presence of vegetation/trees
    • 2. percentage of paved, impervious surfaces
    • 3. slope of the landscape
    • 4. soil type
    • 5. level of current soil saturation 
• This activity will be most effective if completed during or soon after a rainfall event so students can observe the drastic discharge differences among the three watersheds.
• As an alternative to this activity, have students compare hydrographs in different regions of the U.S. https://water.weather.gov/ahps/  
  • Hydrograph 1: Delaware River at Montague (Sussex County, NJ)
    • https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bgm&gage=mtgn4 
  • Hydrograph 2: Delaware River at Trenton, NJ
    • https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=tren4
  • Hydrograph 3: Delaware River between Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ
    • https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=phbp1 

Day 7: Using Plants to Manage Stormwater- NJ Natives and Invasives 

• Present information about the differences between native and invasive plants using the JerseyFriendly Plant Database
  • https://www.jerseyyards.org/plant/
• The Interactive Yard 
  • Through this interactive computer program, students will be able to select which features they would like to add to/subtract from the lawn-dominated yard to improve it for both wildlife habitat and stormwater management.
  • Students will learn about different stormwater best management practices as well as different types of native and invasive plants.
  • https://www.jerseyyards.org/create-a-jersey-friendly-yard/the-interactive-yard/ 
• Have students make a poster about a specific invasive plant and virtually share with the class using the information on these websites to create their posters:
  • https://www.jerseyyards.org/jersey-friendly-plants/invasive-plants/
  • https://www.fohvos.info/invasive-species-strike-team/fact-sheets/ 

Day 8: Rain Garden Design and Cost Estimates 

• Rain Garden Design/Plant Layout
  • Learn how plants are placed in a rain garden by level of dryness
    • Students will design their own rain gardens using native plants
    • http://water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/misc/7_Appendix_52-68.pdf
    • Begin at page 60 of the Rutgers rain garden manual to see appropriate plants to install in each zone of the garden
• Calculate cost of rain garden installation, including plants, mulch, and excavation with a rototiller.
  • Compare rain garden costs to traditional gray infrastructure costs. 
    • Which is more expensive and why?
  • Have students brainstorm different mechanisms to bring down rain garden costs even further. 
    • Examples: beginning a community-wide program so homeowners can save money on plant delivery and excavator rental costs, seek grant money to help pay for rain garden projects, partnering with local organizations for in-kind donations, etc.