Classroom programs & activities

After a brief educational presentation about how storm drains carry water from our yards and streets into the river every time it rains, spray paint educational messages next to storm drains and distribute related materials to the community.

A storm drain stenciling service outing:
• is just 1 1/2-2 hours in length 
• can be scheduled according to your needs and the stenciling coordinator's availability
• can accommodate anywhere from 10 to 200 people. (Have fewer than 10? Check out a stenciling kit to do this independently)
• is free with all supplies provided

Choose a park or green space around your meeting location or along the river to conduct a trash cleanup. FMR will provide all supplies and a short educational lesson as an introduction.
• 2 hours
• Grades 2-college

Student groups can get their hands dirty restoring an FMR restoration site in the metro area. We often recommend one or more classroom presentations to provide context. 
• 2 hours
• Grades 4-college

This program begins with a brief discussion of the water cycle and how water moves through earth systems. It covers watersheds and how our actions impact their health.  
Small groups build their own model landscape, hypothesize how water and pollution will flow upon it and then test their hypothesis. We conclude with a wrap-up on what we can all do to keep our waters clean in our everyday lives.
• 1-1.5 hour time period
• Often used as an introduction or follow-up to storm drain stenciling
• Appropriate for grades 4-college
• Addresses grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 9-12 academic standards

After a short review of ecosystems and how everything is interconnected, we'll discuss the difference between native and invasive species, how humans introduced them locally, and the social, ecological, and economic impacts of these new species.
A brief game illustrates how invasives can take over an area. We conclude with a discussion on ways to control invasives and what students can do to help.
• 1-1.5 hour time period
• Often used as an introduction to an outdoor invasive species pull
• Appropriate for grades 4-college
• Addresses grade 7 and 9-12 academic standards

The Mississippi River used to be a small river flowing into the Great River Warren. We'll explore how erosion changed the river and our landscape to what it is today. Small groups will then work with a model landscape and water to see how erosion occurs and experiment with ways we can prevent it in sensitive areas. To wrap up, we'll look at keys to preventing stream-bank erosion and examples of what's being done in local restoration projects.
• 1-1.5 hour time period
• Appropriate for grades 5-college
• Addresses grade 4, 6 and 9-12 academic standards

Focusing on the importance of wetlands to people and the environment, we begin by covering some different types of wetlands in Minnesota. Small groups then build a model wetland, watch it work and then pollute it to see potential human impacts. We conclude with a discussion about how well our models reflect the real world and what they teach us about managing our natural resources.
• 1-1.5 hour time period
• Appropriate for grades 4-college
• Address grade 6 and 9-12 academic standards

Discover the rich and often diverse local traditions and make valuable connections to history, place and the environment. Students will explore a range of living cultural expressions and relationships to the natural world in their classroom and broader communities.
This lesson facilitates indoor and outdoor classroom discussions and hands-on learning and stewardship experiences that connect students to their communities and as stewards of plants, land, and water. Students will practice personal, critical reflection and meaningful discussions about their relationships to and connections with nature.
• 1-1.5 hour time period
• Appropriate for all ages