Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District

Educational Tools

Environmental Wheel of Knowledge This free-standing game can be used indoors or outdoors. Like the popular Wheel of Fortune game, contestants spin the wheel, landing on a category where they need to answer an environmental question. Eight broad categories, ranging from agriculture to water makes the game challenging for students in grades K through twelve
	Tic Tac Know Everyone knows how to play Tic Tac Toe. Now you can play this game, "Tic Tac Know" that challenges the participant to use their environmental knowledge as well as their skill of playing Tic Tac Toe. This fun and easy game is popular with teachers at events like school fairs, environmental days or club events. Even though we have a list of grade appropriate questions, teachers have used their own classroom notes to design questions for their specific use.
Enviroscape The Enviroscape is a light weight, interactive model used to demonstrate Non-point source pollution. The model comes with a Teacher's Guide, add-ons for demonstrating wetlands and riparian areas. This is a great tool that allows students to work individually or as a team to evaluate potential pollution problems from different landscapes.
	RivrLab Stream Table The soil and water conservation district has several tools available that provide a hands-on approach for learning about soil erosion, water quality and groundwater movement. Pictured left, Cheryl Bersaglia, Program Coordinator, demonstrates how erosion takes place on stream banks, using the RivrLab Stream Table. Other models which provide the hands-on study include: a groundwater model and stream side microscopes. Cheryl uses these models in presentations which provide students with a better understanding of real world ecological systems.
Sweet Soil Samples 1 - 16 oz. pkg. Oreo Cookies 2 cups cold milk 1 - 4 oz. pkg. Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding 8 oz. Cool Whip 8 to 10 - 7 oz. paper cups Topping: Gummy Worms or Chopped Peanuts or Granola, etc. Crush cookies in zip lock bag with rolling pin. Pour milk into large bowl, add pudding, beat with a wire wisk for 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in cool whip and 1/2 crushed cookies. Place 1 tbsp. of crushed cookies in bottom of each cup, then fill cup 3/4 full with pudding mixture. (If you have a larger group to serve, use 3 oz. cups to double the number of servings this recipe makes.) Top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate one hour or until ready to serve. Serve with any one of the toppings listed above. Makes a neat treat to serve at environmental clubs or group meetings or for students studying soil.
	Sweet Soil Samples can be a real "cool" treat for a hot day. If you make in advance, they can be refrigerated, put in a cooler and delivered to the students activity site.