As we celebrate Earth Day this year, let’s focus on the most crucial natural resource in our daily lives: Water!
The Weo Foundation is proud to partner with Miami Dade County Public Schools’ STEAM division to bring you the Water Cycle Station at the Biscayne Nature Center, that hosts field trips from local schools every day.
The Biscayne Nature Center is unique in that it educates a wide variety of people about our coastal ecology, the importance of conservation, and how the water cycle plays a critical role. This interesting dynamic supports not only students in Miami Dade County Public Schools, but the public at large.
Approximately 5,000 students from across Miami Dade visit each year and another 10,000 from the general public pass through the visitor center. 90% of the MDCPS students are 5th graders from Title 1 schools or schools receiving support with science instruction.
To make learning more engaging, we have created an animated video that breaks down the different stages of the water cycle. It explains how this natural process enables the availability of water for all living organisms and regulates weather patterns on our planet. From there, students can take an online quiz to reinforce their understanding of these important concepts.
Our partnership with M-DCPS at the Biscayne Nature Center reinforces this connection between science education and environmental conservation! The Water Cycle Station is not just limited to the classroom – it’s an immersive experience that extends to the outdoors. “The partnership with the Weo Foundation is multi-layered in that the public can watch the water cycle clip in the visitor center, MDCPS students visit a station in the lab where they interact and practice their mastery, and it’s reinforced by our three teachers as students explore the coastal ecology outside, comments Kathleen Ortiz, one of the MDCPS science educators at the BNC. “While students need to recognize that the water cycle involves the movement between various states (SC.5.E.7.1), they also need to understand the ocean’s integral role in this (SC.5.E.7.2) and what better location than on the coast? To teach a concept within four walls is VASTLY different than when you can bring students outside to see it in action. This is where true comprehension happens.”
Since its implementation, over a thousand kids have experienced the Water Cycle Station at the Biscayne Nature Center’s Lab! But you don’t have to be in Miami to enjoy this learning experience – you can visit the Water Cycle Station virtually here!
On this Earth Day, let’s celebrate by learning and appreciating the importance of water in our lives. Visit the Water Cycle Station at the Biscayne Nature Center, or explore it virtually, and experience the fun and interactive learning firsthand!