An Interactive Educational Module to Introduce Elementary School Students to Water Resources and Environmental Systems Management

Many elementary school students, especially those in low-income urban areas, do not place a high priority on performance in courses such as mathematics and science that will prepare them for scientific and technical careers. It is expected that exposure to exciting real-world engineering and mathematics applications at grade-appropriate levels will inspire such students to view these subjects with more enthusiasm and motivation. Such exposure will also improve the likelihood that these students eventually choose engineering careers. This paper describes some learning materials and an interactive computer-based module that have been developed to introduce elementary students to water resources and environmental engineering problem-solving and issues in water resources management. The module includes computer simulation tools that have easy-to-interpret graphical displays to help students understand the effects of implementing various system management strategies on issues such as environmental response, cost, and equity. A class exercise has been developed where students work in teams representing various interest groups involved in a water resources system. The class exercises introduce students to the issues that different interest groups face and to the concept of managing a water resources system as a whole through optimization to benefit all groups. This educational module is intended to increase the students' awareness of water resources and environmental issues, as well as the role of mathematics and science in effectively analyzing and managing these problems.