Cacapon Institute is science and education-based watershed conservation non-profit organization.  We have a menu of educational activities that range from half-day events for an entire grade-level, to 45-minute interactive discussions for a single class. We have worked with students from 4^th grade to 12^th grade, in classrooms, gymnasiums, and forests. All activities can be tailored to suit the needs of your students, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to meet special needs.

The Potomac Highlands Watershed School was developed to make the educational content of activities available as a high-quality educational experience on the web, to expand knowledge of and appreciation for the Potomac Highlands water resources, and to offer a tool for teachers to use in meeting educational Content Standards and Objectives (CSO) requirements and achieving the goal of increased use of technology. 

 A partial list of Cacapon Institute learning activities includes:

Around the Bend Best for 9^th through 12^th grade. Students analyze mock water quality samples to deduce the condition of a river, and the likely human activities occurring "around the bend" that would lead to the observed results. Preliminary information on watersheds and water quality is provided up front with a brief introductory discussion.

How Watersheds Work Best for middle school students but can be tailored to suit any age group. Uses a question-driven approach, and simple line drawings to illustrate how water flows through a watershed, and how what people do within a watershed that can promote or harm watershed functioning.

Keep Well Water Study Best for high school students. This is a two-session activity that takes place over three days. The students learn how to test for bacteria in their drinking water, conduct the test, and then analyze the results. The discussion addresses potential problems posed by contaminated drinking water, mitigation strategies, and local factors influencing the quality and quantity of drinking water.

Stream in an Envelope Water Quality Exercise Great for middle school students. Uses an envelope full of cutout line drawings of "critters" to represent the benthic macroinvertibrates one may find in a stream. These critters are identified, tallied and scored using a standardized protocol. Discussion includes factors affecting stream quality, watershed services and conservation, and the shared nature of water resources.

Analyzing Data Best for high school students. Participants analyze and graph locally-generated quantitative data on drinking water quality. Allows for a discussion of water as it relates to human health, and factors affecting the quality of groundwater.

Watershed Stewardship Fairs Best at the middle school level. This activity takes about three-hours, during which students rotate between concurrent mini-demonstrations given by local natural resource professionals. Total group size can range from 30 to 100 students. After rotating through three to five demonstrations, the students participate in a panel discussion with the presenters.

Activity Scheduling To discuss the program or schedule an activity you can email us at Cacapon Institute . Some activities require purchase of materials or coordination with partners so advanced notice is important.