Biodiversity of Iowa: Aquatic Habitats CD

This searchable CD contains information about aquatic habitats in Iowa and some 370 plants, animals, and other species that live here. Each species account includes the following information: color photos, scientific classification, features, natural history, habitats, range map, sound, and status. Aquatic Habitats can be used as a classroom resource, or in non-formal educational settings. It is an excellent supplement to educational materials such as Projects WILD, WILD Aquatic, Learning Tree, and Fish Iowa!

Email the Aquatic Education Program to request a FREE copy of the CD.

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Early Explorers

Corridors of Exploration: Iowa's Rivers includes information about the exploration of Iowa via our river corridors and provides opportunities to compare current river conditions/issues to those encountered by early explorers.

It contains 11 activities for grades 4-8 which may be easily adapted for older students. The activities are correlated to the National Curriculum for Social Studies: Middle Schools.

Corridors of Exploration: Iowa's Rivers is available on CD. Iowa educators can request a FREE copy from the Aquatic Education Program.

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Energy & Society

Energy & Society provides formal and nonformal educators with tools and activities to help students in grades PreK-8 learn about their relationship with energy and investigate the environmental issues related to energy's role in society. In addition to hands-on activities, the program integrates music and dance to enhance the study of energy issues. Check out the national PLT web site for more information and an order form.

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Fish/Fishing

Check out the Fisheries web page for information Iowa fish, places to fish, catching fish, and cooking and cleaning fish.

Interested in learning how to fish? Attend a free fishing clinic offered across Iowa. Activities may include fish identification, how to operate a reel, casting techniques, knot tying, and fish cleaning techniques.

An Organizer's Guide to Conducting a Fishing Clinic provides a brief outline of how to plan and conduct a fishing clinic. A printable pdf version also is available.

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Fish Iowa!

A comprehensive module to teach basic spincasting, Fish Iowa! incorporates physical education, health, biology, geography, and family and consumer sciences into a program that focuses on fishing. It is designed for use in formal settings with middle school through senior high students, but easily adapts to nonformal programs such as camps, scout outings, etc. Fish Iowa! works with students with all levels of abilities.

Program support includes free-loan rods and reels (see the list of rod and reel distribution centers). Materials are available to Iowa educators and youth leaders only through mentor sessions (one-on one) and workshops. Email the Aquatic Education Program to locate a mentor near you, or check out the workshop page.

See our Fish Iowa! brochure (38KB pdf).

Additional modules include Ice Fishing and Fly-Fishing.

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Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs®

Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs® (HOFNOD) is a national, award-winning program that combines angler education with drug use prevention and community involvement. Through fishing, students focus on building self-esteem, life skills, civic values, better relationships with family and community, and stewardship of aquatic resources. HOFNOD is offered through training sessions with the Fish Iowa! program.

For more information about HOFNOD at the national level, visit the Future Fisherman Foundation's web site.

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General Information: IA Natural Resources

This page includes background information about Iowa's waters, forests, and wildlife. Printable pdf versions also are available.

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Mussels

The Plight of the Freshwater Mussel: Canaries of the Deep CD provides an overview of the life cyle of freshwater mussels in Iowa, factors that threaten their existence, and ways we can work to improve water quality, so increase their chance of survival in Iowa waters. It is designed for general audiences from upper elementary through adult.

Iowa educators can request a FREE copy from the Aquatic Education Program.

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Other EE Resources (Resource Guide)

The Resource Guide lists agencies and organizations related to natural resources that provide resources and information useful to educators. Federal agencies, state agencies, public universities, county conservation boards, and conservation organizations are included. (The list does not include all agencies and organizations.)

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Outdoor Skills

An Introduction to Outdoor Skills in Iowa is designed to acquaint students with basic information about Iowa's natural resources; basics for recreating in the outdoors-safety, dress, ethics; and human interactions with natural resources. This is a very brief introduction to these concepts.

An Introduction to Canoeing/Kayaking provides a basic introduction to canoeing and kayaking. It is designed for use with upper elementary through adult audiences. It includes information about the history of paddling, Iowa's aquatic resources and values related to them, types of paddling, equipment, basic strokes, paddling safety, and Iowa regulations.

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Project Learning Tree

The Project Learning Tree Pre-K - 8th grade guide contains activities relating to trees, forestry, the interrelationships between organisms and their environment, and other ecological concepts. Over 10,000 Iowa educators and youth leaders have participated in PLT workshops. There is a $15.00 workshop fee charged to fund Project Learning Tree workshops in Iowa. Check out the national PLT web site for more information or attend a workshop. PLT is correlated to the National Standards for Science and Social Studies.

High school modules also are available.

See our PLT brochure (36K pdf).

• Sample three PLT Activities

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Projects WILD and WILD Aquatic

Learning about wildlife in the environment is just part of the goals of these programs. They allow student experiences to be the source of the teaching. The activity guides are full of activities that may be immediately added to any K-12 curriculum. More than 12,000 Iowa educators have participated in workshops and use the materials with more than 500,000 Iowa youth. Check out the national Project WILD web site for more information or attend a workshop.

See our WILD/WILD Aquatic brochure (38K pdf).

• Sample three WILD Activities
• Sample three WILD Aquatic Activities

Projects WILD and WILD Aquatic are correlated to the National Standards for Science and Social Studies:
Early Grades - K-4 (73K pdf)	Middle Grades - 5-8 (107K pdf)	Secondary Grades - 9-12 (102K pdf)

Looking for great activities to help you teach about Iowa's natural resources? Check out our suggested activity lists for Social Studies and Science Standards:
	Early Grades (K-4) Suggested Activity by Activity (161K pdf)
	Early Grades (K-4) Suggested Activity by Social Studies Standard (14K pdf)
	Early Grades (K-4) Suggested Activity by Science Standard (16K pdf)
	Middle Grades (5-8) Suggested Activity by Activity (128K pdf)
	Middle Grades (5-8) Suggested Activity by Science Standard (25K pdf)
	Middle Grades (5-8) Suggested Activity by Social Studies Standard (17K pdf)
	Secondary (9-12) Suggested Activity by Activity (107K pdf)
	Secondary (9-12) Suggested Activity by Social Studies Standard (21K pdf)
	Secondary (9-12) Suggested Activity by Science Standard (15K pdf)

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