Join Chesapeake Bay Foundation educators Maya, Rick, and Norah as they lead you on a journey through the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Investigate how we are all part of a watershed as you twist and turn from the Appalachian Mountains, through the rivers and streams of Piedmont, all the way down to the Chesapeake Bay. Along your journey, you’ll meet the unique critters that call the watershed home. You’ll also explore what you can do in your own neighborhood to protect the environment and become a Backyard Bay Saver! 

Time to demonstrate how the watershed works with this message in a bottle lesson. Students will have the opportunity to send a message in a bottle and observe how it travels down the watershed to the ocean!

Students use a report card to evaluate how their schoolyard positively and negatively affects the Chesapeake Bay.  They then design a plan to effectively address the negative impacts.  They design and create a way to present their plan to others.

In a class demonstration, students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of pollution in a lake and the resulting environmental consequences.

Students will plan out their family’s vacation to visit important water features in Virginia, then write a fiction story about their vacation.

Students build a model of a watershed, apply water to the model, and explore what happens when elements of the watershed are changed.

A model is used to demonstrate what a watershed is and students go on a watershed walk to identify the path water travels within their school community and neighborhoods.  Students will document their neighborhood walks and create a watershed model to share with the class. They will note areas of concern (erosion, deposition, etc.) and present a solution.  Students will create and implement a plan to address the area of concern and analyze results.