Nicholas Allen | August 19, 2020
Here’s a letter from Lauren Daniel about the program:
On Behalf of NC DEQ, Division of Water Resources
Dear Amazing Educators:
Interested in a unique approach to learning and teaching about watersheds and water resources? Wondering how to teach about science through English/Language Arts? I’m currently taking applications for the latest Water Education Pen Pal Fall 2020 Cohort! This program is open to K-12 classrooms, however depending on interest, it’s possible that not all applicants will be paired. Feel free to forward this to any other educators in your life.
Program Overview:
Your class will be paired with another class, probably in a different region or even state. I will share with you some templates and sentence starters to offer your students to guide their letter writing.
You will ensure the letters are either typed or hand written and sent off to the partnering class. Classes will be paired based on: Class size, grade level, and desired form of correspondence (email or hand-written mailed letter).
Your students will get to receive letters from their peers and learn about similarities and differences in various ecosystems. Topics include (you will select): Watersheds, water quality, streams/rivers, oceans, ecosystems.
We’ve had a lot of fun with this in the past. When you are ready to apply, you’ll need to have your class roster/email addresses available. It’s also a good idea to run this past your principal, too. Deadline to apply is August 31. You will receive your paired class by mid-September.
Feel free to email me with questions: Lauren.Daniel@ncdenr.gov
Apply for Water Education Pen Pals Fall 2020 Cohort