Improving Student Learning by Improving Teacher Practices:

Project WET is a highly developed and tested program.

Research shows an improvement in student knowledge
and teacher practice when implementing these activities
in various educational settings.

Improved Student Learning:

6 Activities are compatible with instruction in science, social
studies, language arts, and mathematics.
6 Activities lead to a gain in student knowledge.
6 Activities stimulate student interest in environmental issues.

Improved Teacher Practices:

6 Trainings help teachers develop new
skills and teaching techniques.
6 Trainings are relevant to the
individual needs of teachers.
6 Trainings help teachers to prepare
and modify curricula.
6 Sustained contact with programs leads to gains in teacher
awareness and knowledge of teaching strategies.

Why Water?
6 Water is important to Montanans.
6 Water is intimately tied to you and the place you live.
6 Education about the place you live enhances learning as
well as builds stewardship for the local environment,
culture and economy.
6 Water is a universal known. Use the known to teach the
unknown.

Why educators like our workshops:

6 Hands-on activities to engage learners and increase
concept retention.
6 One does not have to be an expert in any subject to
understand and use the lessons as they are written.
6 Instructors are knowledgeable about the lessons and
subjects they are presenting.
6 We can provide workshops in your school or town
avoiding travel to another site.

Montana Watercourse can offer:

Professional development workshops
Water as the topic for a thematic unit (K-7)
These workshops are well received by educators and
encourage cross-curriculum thinking and
collaboration. River of Words program emphasizes
art and language in a contest format.
Non-Science Teachers
Increasing the non-science teachers comfort level with
aspects of life sciences, ecology, chemistry and pollution
sciences related to water. We also work to incorporate water
into language arts, social studies, art and math lessons.
Science Teachers
Helping science teachers use water concepts to meet
their goals and strengthen their understanding of
water-related science and geography.
Watershed-based workshops
Helping educators become familiar with waters economic,
social and historic issues in their area. These workshops help
educators, as citizens, to better understand local issues and
provide examples and real-world problems when teaching.
River of Words, water monitoring
and WET workshops fit this
category.

Trunks
Bring resources on ponds and wetlands, water in literature, water
in history, groundwater, water quality/stream
ecology, pollution prevention/non-point source
pollution and watersheds to you.

Funding
Resources and funding for water monitoring training,
equipment and data collection. (Usually 7-12th grades.)

What Montana teachers are saying!

"Every teacher could benefit from this course. Should be required.
Elementary teacher
Water monitoring is great for hands-on science teaching.
Plains High school teacher
"Outstanding - and the materials are alone well worth the day."
Elementary teacher, Lame Deer

WATER:
A theme for teaching
and learning

For the past 3 years, we have used [your] equipment, Project WET
and other activities in our 7th grade science Riparian unit.
Bozeman middle school teacher
"I would like to see this workshop incorporated into summer camp
counselor training and day camp training. Girl Scout Leader
[WET] will be a great resource for science teaching ideas
Elementary pre-service teacher, Bozeman
The most useful thing I learned was" the vast amount of info that is
out there about water and the importance of water and how it relates
to our curriculum."
Elementary teacher, Trego
The local aspect [of this workshop/tour] is beneficial to everyone.
Sun Valley teacher

Contact Us:
Montana Watercourse
Montana Project WET
201 Culbertson Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman MT, 59717
406-994-6425 6 fax: 406-994-1919
www.mtwatercourse.org

Inspired Professional
Development for
Montana Educators