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Education

Prairie Waters is proud to provide fun, engaging educational opportunities for students, teachers, and community members. Outlined below are the educational goals we strive to meet and opportunities provided to student groups we host.

If there are topics not on our lists that you would like us to cover, we can design a specific program to meet your needs.

  • Mussels of North Dakota – students learn about the different kinds of mussels found in ND and examine mussel shells. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.1., K.4.1., 1.1.1., 1.1.2., 1.1.3., 1.3.2., 1.4.1., 2.1.3., 2.2.1., 2.3.3., 2.4.2., 3.4.1., 3.4.3.
  • Something Fishy – students learn about fish parts and how fish are different than humans and build a fish of their own to take home. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.1., K.2.1., K.3.1., K.4.1., 1.1.1., 1.1.2., 1.1.3., 1.4.1., 1.4.2., 1.6.2., 2.2.1., 2.4.1., 2.4.2., 3.4.1., 3.4.3.
  • Creepy, Crawly Macros – students learn about the bugs found in streams and lakes and why we look at them. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.2., K.2.1., K.4.1., 1.1.3., 1.3.2., 1.3.3., 1.4.1., 1.4.2., 2.4.1., 2.4.2., 2.6.2., 3.4.1., 3.4.2., 3.4.3.
  • Water Cycle – students learn about the water cycle through demonstrations, activities, and games. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.2., K.5.1., K.5.2., 1.1.1., 1.1.3., 1.2.1., 1.3.1., 1.3.2., 1.6.2., 2.1.1., 2.2.2., 2.3.1., 2.3.2., 2.5.4., 2.6.2., 3.1.1., 3.2.3., 3.3.1., 3.5.1.
  • Rain and Thunderstorms – students learn about rain and thunderstorms, make rain sticks, and create their own class thunderstorm. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.1., K.1.2., K.2.1., K.5.1., K.5.2., 1.1.1., 1.1.3., 1.3.1., 1.3.2., 1.5.1., 1.6.2., 1.8.1., 2.1.1., 2.3.1., 2.3.4., 2.3.6., 2.5.4., 3.1.1., 3.5.1.
  • Water Animals of North Dakota – students learn about animals that live in and near water in ND by looking at and touching various furs, skulls, etc. ———- ND Science Standards – K.2.1., K.4.1., 1.1.2., 1.3.2., 1.4.1., 1.4.2., 2.4.1., 2.4.2., 3.4.1., 3.4.2., 3.4.3.
  • Water Through the Seasons – students learn how river flow changes through the seasons and with differing amounts of precipitation. ———- ND Science Standards – K.1.2., K.2.1., K.5.1., 1.1.1., 1.1.2., 1.1.3., 1.3.1., 1.3.2., 1.5.1., 2.3.1., 2.5.1., 3.1.1., 3.5.1.
  • Field Journaling – Students learn how to create a field journal and why they are essential to science. Hike around Prairie Waters, recording and sketching what is observed
  • Scientific Method–Introduction to the scientific method. Making predictions, recording observations.
  • Burrow—Students learn about underground and underwater habitats and creatures that live there by crawling through our indoor “burrow” (constructed of appliance boxes)
  • Water Animals of North Dakota – students learn about animals that live in and near water in ND by looking at and touching various furs, skulls, etc. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.4.1., 4.4.2., 4.4.4., 5.1.3., 5.4.3., 7.1.4., 7.4.4., 7.4.6., 7.7.3.
  • Needs to Live – students learn what a habitat is and how it provides the things living things need to survive through a series of activities that may include a habitat hunt, food chain/web activity, population activities, and activities addressing the basic needs of living things. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.1.2., 4.2.2., 4.4.1., 4.4.2., 4.4.4., 4.7.1., 5.1.2., 5.2.2., 5.4.3., 6.1.3., 6.2.4., 6.7.1., 7.1.1., 7.1.2., 7.2.1., 7.4.4., 7.4.6., 7.7.3.
  • Mussels of North Dakota – students learn about the different kinds of mussels found in ND and examine mussel shells. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.2.1., 4.4.1., 4.4.2., 4.4.4., 5.1.3., 6.2.5., 7.1.2., 7.1.4., 7.4.4., 7.4.6., 8.7.1.
  • Macroinvertebrate Collection – students wear waders and use nets to collect macroinvertebrates found in streams. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.2.3., 4.4.1., 4.4.4., 5.4.3., 6.4.1., 6.2.4., 7.4.4., 7.4.5.
  • Animal Adaptations – students learn how different animals are adapted for different habitats by using a scope to view macroinvertebrate adaptations and/or through a simulation of different bird beaks. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.4.1., 4.4.2., 4.4.4., 5.1.3., 5.2.2., 5.4.3., 5.6.2., 6.1.1., 6.2.4., 7.1.1., 7.1.4., 7.2.1., 7.4.4., 7.4.6., 8.2.2., 8.2.3.
  • Geocaching – students use GPS units to find various caches. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.7.2., 5.1.1., 5.6.1., 6.2.4., 7.6.1.
  • Water Quality with Macros – students determine the health of the water in their stream by identifying the types of macroinvertebrates present. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.4.1., 4.7.1., 5.1.1., 5.1.2., 5.2.2., 6.1.3., 6.2.4., 6.2.5., 6.7.1., 6.7.2., 6.8.1., 6.8.2., 7.1.1., 7.2.1., 7.4.4., 7.4.5., 7.4.6., 8.2.3.
  • Water Quality with Chemistry – students test water samples for various chemical parameters that affect the quality of the water. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.2, 4.2.2, 4.2.3., 4.5.2., 4.6.1., 4.7.1., 5.1.2., 5.2.2., 5.8.1., 6.1.3., 6.2.4., 6.2.5., 6.7.2., 6.8.1., 7.2.1., 7.6.3., 8.2.2., 8.2.3., 8.7.1.
  • Watersheds – students learn about watersheds, how to identify watersheds, and build watershed models. ——— ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.1.2., 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.5.2., 4.7.1., 5.1.1., 5.1.2., 6.1.1., 6.1.2., 6.1.3., 6.7.2., 7.1.1.
  • Wetlands – students learn about wetlands and model wetland formation and wetland function. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.1.2., 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.5.2., 4.7.1., 5.1.1., 5.1.2., 5.3.3., 6.1.1., 8.5.4., 8.5.7.
  • Water Flow – students play a game to learn about CFS and flow. Flow calculation with a stream table may be requested also. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.1.2., 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.5.2., 4.7.1., 5.1.1., 5.1.2., 5.2.2., 6.1.1., 6.1.2., 6.1.3., 6.2.4., 6.2.5., 6.7.1., 7.1.2., 8.1.1., 8.2.3., 8.5.4.
  • Animal Migration – students play a game to model migration and learn about the importance of wetlands to migrating birds. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.4.3., 4.4.4., 5.1.2., 6.1.1., 6.1.3., 7.4.4., 7.4.6., 7.5.2.
  • Fish Seining – students learn about the different fish in North Dakota and catch fish in a stream using a seine net. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.2.2., 4.2.3., 4.4.1., 5.1.3., 6.2.4., 7.1.4.
  • Water Pollution – students learn the difference between point source and non-point source pollution and how to prevent it. ———- ND Science Standards – 4.1.1., 4.6.1., 4.7.1., 5.1.2., 5.7.2., 6.1.3., 6.7.2., 7.6.3., 8.7.1.
  • Field Journaling— Students learn how to create a field journal and why scientist they are essential.
    Hike around Prairie Waters, recording and sketching what is observed.
  • Scientific Method—Introduction to the scientific method. Making predictions, recording observations.
  • Burrow—Students learn about underground and underwater habitats and creatures that live there by crawling through our indoor “burrow” (constructed of appliance boxes)
  • Macroinvertebrate Collection – students wear waders and use nets to collect macroinvertebrates found in streams. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.1.2., 9-10.1.4., 9-10.1.5., 9-10.4.10., 9-10.5.4., 9-10.5.6., 9-10.7.2., 11-12.1.4., 11-12.1.5., 11-12.5.3.
  • Water Quality with Chemistry – students test water samples for various parameters that affect the quality of the water. There are three options for this activity: A basic version using LaMotte Low-Cost monitoring kits with test-tabs, a more complex version using LaMotte Water Monitoring kits with titrations, or a technology version using more advanced equipment used by our ND River Watch program. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.1.2., 9-10.2.6., 9-10.2.8., 9-10.5.4., 9-10.5.6., 9-10.6.1., 9-10.7.2., 11-12.2.2., 11-12.2.4., 11-12.2.5., 11-12.5.3., 11-12.6.1.
  • Geocaching – students use GPS units to find various caches. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.6.1., 11-12.2.2., 11-12.2.5., 11-12.6.1
  • Stream Flow – students measure and calculate actual stream flow. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.2.7., 9-10.6.1., 11-12.2.2., 11-12.2.5., 11-12.2.6., 11-12.6.1.
  • Fish Seining – students learn about the different fish in North Dakota and catch fish in a stream using a seine net. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.1.2., 9-10.1.4., 9-10.1.5., 9-10.4.10., 9-10.5.4., 9-10.5.6., 9-10.7.2., 11-12.1.4., 11-12.1.5., 11-12.5.3.
  • Stream Assessment – students do a habitat assessment of a stream. ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.1.2., 9-10.1.3., 9-10.2.7., 9-10.2.8., 9-10.5.4., 9-10.5.6., 9-10.7.2, 11-12.1.2., 11-12.2.2., 11-12.2.6
  • Water Chemistry through the Ice – students test water through the ice. (Winter Only ———- ND Science Standards – 9-10.1.2., 9-10.2.6., 9-10.2.8., 9-10.5.4., 9-10.5.6., 9-10.6.1., 9-10.7.2., 11-12.2.2., 11-12.2.4., 11-12.2.5., 11-12.5.3., 11-12.6.1., 11-12.6.1.
  • Snowflakes and Ice Crystals – examine the science of snow and ice.
  • Snow and Tell – Investigate snow pack and snow water equivalency. Describe the factors that affect snowpack runoff.
  • Surviving Winter – learn about plant and animal adaptations that help them survive winter.
  • Groovy Glaciers – Participate in an activity that demonstrates how glaciers formed North Dakota’s landscape during the last ice age.