Education for School Children; K-12 Curricula (Project SWELL)

Project SWELL (Stewardship: Water Education for Lifelong Leadership) is a school-based science curricula that teaches children about the importance of the region's recreational waterways and human-water interaction through a well-balanced, comprehensive, and hands-on water quality and pollution prevention program of study. Through the classroom, Project SWELL will help to empower and educated these future leaders of America to understand and improve the condition of our San Diego waterways by improving our environment and our community.

Overview

Project SWELL was started in San Diego, California by a ground-breaking partnership that included the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), the City of San Diego, and San Diego Coastkeeper. These groups united to achieve a common goal: enhance the existing science curriculum to address pressing environmental issues. The project partners have made progress in meeting these goals by developing and implementing a water quality and pollution prevention curricula for K-12 classrooms, with professional development occurring for educators throughout the year.

History

This innovative approach to learning began with the inaugural rollout of Investigation 5: Water - reaching and teaching more than 20,000 5th graders who were attending school in the San Diego Unified School District. Our goal is to develop and implement a water quality and pollution prevention curricula for K-12 classrooms. Project SWELL will ultimately reach approximately 140,000 students in San Diego. Currently, we have developed lesson plans for 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms, and are developing the Kindergarten and 7th grade curricula. Project SWELL has also expanded to the Oceanside Unified School District (5th and 6th grades).

Current Curricula

5th Grade: Water - Project SWELL's first unit was issued to correspond with the fifth grade Water kit used by the SDUSD. The fifth grade unit reaches approximately 10,668 students each year. Assessment of the fifth grade curricula is underway.

6th Grade: Landforms - The sixth grade curriculum, Landforms kit, was completed and began circulating to approximately 10,019 students in the spring of 2006.

4th Grade: Ecosystems - The fourth grade Ecosystems kit was integrated in the fall of 2007 to approximately 10,661 students.

2nd Grade: Pebbles, Sand, and Silt - The second grade curriculum, Pebbles, Sand, and Silt, will roll out to 10,222 students in Spring 2008 with professional development occurring in the Summer and Fall of 2008.