{"id":6888,"date":"2016-06-10T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T08:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=6888"},"modified":"2025-07-29T14:52:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T18:52:14","slug":"new-nature-of-teaching-lesson-plan-healthy-water-happy-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/new-nature-of-teaching-lesson-plan-healthy-water-happy-home\/","title":{"rendered":"New Nature of Teaching Lesson Plan: Healthy Water, Happy Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Healthy<\/a>Many\u00a0choices we make in our daily lives can have an impact on the water quality of rivers and streams around us. Animals like the eastern hellbender need\u00a0clean water for\u00a0their habitats, and\u00a0they depend on us to make environmentally friendly choices whenever possible. Small changes to our daily routines such as sweeping sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them off can improve water quality around us.<\/p>\n

The new lesson plan from The Nature of Teaching<\/a> titled Healthy Water,\u00a0Happy Home<\/a>\u00a0offers a fun way for 4th and 5th grade students to learn about healthy water choices they can make in their\u00a0home and community, along with learning how to identify aquatic animal species like the eastern hellbender.\u00a0Healthy Water, Happy Home<\/a>\u00a0is available as a free download in The Education Store which includes a board game, vocabulary worksheet, accompanying lesson notes and power point slides for the teacher. It can be used as a 60-90 interactive classroom lesson on water quality. The board game allows students to choose an aquatic species like the northern water snake or water strider as their player piece, travel along the riverbed answering questions along with completing fun and educational tasks about positive water quality choices.\u00a0The first group to make it to the hellbender, indicating the highest level of water quality, wins the game.<\/p>\n

\"Healthy<\/a>Teachers are highly encouraged to check out Healthy Water, Happy Home<\/a>\u00a0as well as the rest of The Nature of Teaching<\/a>\u00a0lesson plans for educational wildlife activities for the classroom. To keep updated on resources involving the eastern hellbender conservation efforts, please visit HelpTheHellbender.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong>
\nHealthy Water, Happy Home – Lesson Plan<\/a> – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
\nThe Nature of Teaching<\/a> – Purdue Extension
\nLesson Plans<\/a> – Help the Hellbender
\nKids Resources<\/a> – Help the Hellbender
\nHellbender Havoc video game<\/a> – Google Play Store<\/p>\n

Rebecca Busse<\/a>,\u00a0Extension Associate
\nPurdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n

Rod Williams<\/a>, Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
\nPurdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many\u00a0choices we make in our daily lives can have an impact on the water quality of rivers and streams around us. Animals like the eastern hellbender need\u00a0clean water for\u00a0their habitats, and\u00a0they depend on us to make environmentally friendly choices whenever possible. Small changes to our daily routines such as sweeping sidewalks and driveways instead of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,44,54],"tags":[319,318,196,232,211,320,297,321,322,300],"class_list":["post-6888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aquaculturefish","category-gotnatureforkids","category-wildlife","tag-board-game","tag-eastern","tag-hellbender","tag-help-the-hellbender","tag-k12","tag-lesson-plan","tag-nature-of-teaching","tag-students","tag-teachers","tag-water-quality","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t