Dragonfly gazette, Fall 2007

GEORGIA PROJECT WET Environmental Protection Division

FA L L 2 0 0 7

A LONG DRY SPELL:
4 perspectives on drought in Georgia

Imagine a farmer maintaining his crops, a water manager
supplying a community with water, and scientists monitoring precipitation amounts or the distribution of water. How does drought affect them?
Drought is a natural phenomenon that has occurred regularly in Georgia in recent years. It has severely affected water supplies, agriculture, stream water quality, lake recreation, hydropower generation, watercraft navigation, forest resources, and wildlife habitat (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qadroughts.html#drought).
Last April, the director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a level two drought response across the state that has required all Georgians to follow a more stringent outdoor water use schedule. Research indicates that outdoor water use can increase by up to 60% in the summer when conditions are drier than normal. The outdoor water use schedule was established to conserve water.
Georgia Project WET helped develop a new resource for 6th grade Earth Science teachers that will make it easier for them to bring the timely issue of drought and water conservation into the classroom. The Drought in Georgia unit for 6th grade Earth Science teachers features four lessons written in the Understanding by design framework. The unit addresses nine content and characteristics of science standards, plus language arts and social studies standards. Each lesson includes background information, a list of desired outcomes, a recommended assessment strategy, and a detailed plan of action. See a sample on pages 5-8.
The Drought in Georgia unit was developed for the waterSmart program by the Education Roundable, a partnership of
organizations working together to deliver coordinated environmental messages to Georgians. waterSmart

seeks to conserve water in Georgia by encouraging reductions in outdoor water use. It offers simple tips for maintaining healthy lawns and gardens while using less water (see the back page of this newsletter for more information).

One of the lessons in the Drought in Georgia unit invites students to define drought through the experiences of a meteorologist, a water manager, a hydrologist and a farmer. For this article, the Dragonfly Gazette built on that idea and interviewed meteorologist Gene Norman, water manager Max Hicks, hydrologist Wei Zing and farmer John Bridges, Jr.

DG asked them: "How does drought affect your work?"

Gene Norman, Chief Meteorologist, CBS 46 News, Atlanta

The lack of rain becomes a major

focus in the weathercast because

we need to stay up on the water

restrictions and pass those on to

viewers. Also, if there is ever the

slightest chance that rain could be

in the forecast, we do our best to

pin point the duration and

location of expected rain. Finally,

we examine the weather patterns

that are causing the drought as

Gene Norman

well as projections of when those

patterns could change. For example, we pay close attention to

the hurricane projections because a land-falling Florida

hurricane could bring drenching rains into the state.

NOTE: A meteorologist is an individual with specialized education who uses scientific principles to explain, understand, observe or forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena and/or how the atmosphere affects the earth and life on the planet (www.ametsoc.org/policy/whatisam.html).
continued on insert

Managing Editor: Deron Davis Contributing Editors: Jo Adang, Petey Giroux and Monica Kilpatrick Writer: Beth Ball Production artist: Monica Sheppard Cook The Dragonfly Gazette is printed on recycled paper. Pass it on to a friend, and recycle it when you're done.
The Dragonfly Gazette is published bi-annually. It is distributed to Georgia Project WET Facilitators and Educators.

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Congratulations to the Georgia Students Honored in 2007 River of Words Youth Poetry & Art Contest!

The results are in for River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest. Congratulations go to the 7 Georgia students honored through the International River of Words program and the 36 students who received state River of Words awards. Over 18,000 entries were received from around the world for the International contest and 2061 of those were from Georgia!

Shalini Ramachandran, grade 12, Parkview High School in Lilburn, was a National Finalist in Poetry. Her teacher was Mary Lynn Huie, who mentored many other successful students this year.

The following Georgia students were honored with National Poems of Merit Awards:
Shalini Ramachandran, with two additional poems selected for Merit Awards // Caila Blanta, 14, Parkview High School, Lilburn, teacher: Mary Lynn Huie // Preena Desai, 18, Tucker High School, Tucker, teacher: David Hirsch // Ting Gou, 17, Parkview High School, Lawrenceville, teacher: Mary Lynn Huie, also with two winning Merit entries

The following Georgia students were named National Finalists in Art:
Jamaal Beazer, 5, Bolton Academy, Atlanta, teacher: Bart Susany // Ali Eustis, 16, Holy Innocents' Episcopal School, Atlanta, teacher: Renee Gracon // Hannah Leathers, 15, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, teacher: Betsy
Eppes

Entries from Georgia were judged again

for the state River of Words contest and

the students were honored in a ceremony

held in May at the Chattahoochee Nature

Center. The winning Georgia state and

national entries have been reproduced in

a printed journal and displayed in two

traveling exhibits. One exhibit is

managed by the GA Center for the Book

and sent to libraries throughout the state. The second exhibit is available for

Would You Do it: Save? by Michelle Landry, Grade 12, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, Teacher: Betsy Eppes, State Winner

free checkout to educators, festivals,

conferences, nature centers, and other interested parties. The state and national winners' work are posted on

the River of Words ion of the Georgia Project WET web site GAProjectWET.org.

The following Georgia students were named State Winners in Poetry:
Chelsey Adams, 12, GA Military College Prep., Milledgeville, teacher: Patty Anderson // Joan Bedinger, 14, Dickerson Middle School, Marietta, teacher: Rebecca Johnson // Ben Ebbinghouse, 12, J.C. Booth Middle School, Peachtree City, teacher: Jennifer Ritter // Katelyn Fitzgerald, 13, J.C. Booth Middle School, Peachtree City, teacher: Jennifer Ritter // Chloe Franklin, 13, J.C. Booth Middle School, Peachtree City, teacher: Jennifer Ritter // Thomas Gaines, 11, Flynt Middle School, Griffin, teacher: Susie Gaines // Linda Hall, 11, Porterdale Elementary, Porterdale, teacher: Lesley Hanchey // Cole Kilby, 8, Upson Lee South Elementary, Thomaston, teacher: Sheryl Farr // Krystle Kvalheim, 18, Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High, Washington, teacher: Jennifer Atkinson // Elizabeth Marr, 7, Casa Montessori School, Marietta, teacher: Cyndia Hunicutt // Skye Mills, 11, South Effingham Middle, Guyton, teacher: Shannon Heard // Bissell Pendergrast, 18, Holy Innocents Episcopal School, Atlanta, teacher: Renee Gracon // David Polefrone, 7, Casa Montessori School, Marietta, teacher: Cyndia Hunicutt // Rebecca Shafron, 11, The Davis Academy, Alpharetta, teacher: Molly O'Brien // Chelsea Williams, 16, Bulloch Academy, Register, teacher: Diane Hathaway

The following Georgia students were named State Winners in Art:
Jesse Abbott, 13, Demorest // Roxanne Addison, 17, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, teacher: Betsy Eppes // Dan Alcero, 7, Lewis Elementary School, Kennesaw, teachers: Kathy Frost and Karen Feathers // Jason Barbieri, 7, Pharr Elementary School, Lawrenceville, teacher: Staley Smith // John P. Bieller, 11, Columbia County 4H, Martinez, teacher: Shirley Williamson // Andy Cornett, 16, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, teacher: Betsy Eppes // Christopher Dong, 9, Tritt Elementary, Marietta, teacher: Tamera Neal // Lillie Duncan, 7, Maranatha Christian Academy, Cumming, teacher: Lyndrid Patterson // Molly Duncan, 17, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, teacher: Betsy Eppes // Emily Galberd, 6, Shakerag Elementary, Duluth, teacher: Karen Klein // Mikala Groshong, 8, Lewis Elementary School, Kennesaw, teacher: Kathy Frost and Karen Feathers // Andrew Henderson, 9, Chalker Elementary School, Acworth, teacher: Iris Rice // Chieh-Yin Kuo, 10, Atlanta // Michelle Landry, 17, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, teacher: Betsy Eppes // Alona Lazarenko, 16, Evans // Taylor Morgan, 15, Bulloch Academy, Statesboro, teacher: Diane Hathaway // Kelsey Primis,
13, South Forsyth Middle School, Suwanee, teacher: Patti Grammens // Jenna Rubia, 14, Coastal Middle School, Wilmington Island, teacher: Mary Jo Fina // Heather Rutt, 17, Evans High School, Martinez, teacher: Pamela Segers // Sushma Sudhi, 13, J.C. Booth Middle School, Peachtree City, teacher: Jennifer Ritter // Grace Willhoite, 8, Casa
Montessori School, Marietta, teacher: Hedwig O'Brien

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VISIT THE www.GAProjectWET.org CALENDAR FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE WORKSHOPS.

Projects WET, WILD & Learning Tree Facilitator Training
The Effects of Drought on Water Quality, Wildlife and Forests in Georgia
UGA Griffin Campus-Stuckey Building l 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30224 Thursday & Friday, November 15 & 16, 2007 (Workshop hours 8:00 am 6:00 pm each day)

PLT, WET & WILD l Environmental education for Pre-K12 students l Correlated to the Georgia Performance Standards
and Character Education program. l Research Based and Field Tested l Designed by educators l Interdisciplinary and activity-based l Classroom Friendly l Fun for students and instructors l Can be used indoors and outdoors l Supports "No Child Left Behind" Law
for Education Reform
www.plt.org
www.gaprojectwet.org
www.projectWILD.org

Aspiring Facilitators
l Facilitator training is for individuals interested in conducting workshops for their school or organization; Professional Learning Units or continuing education credits are available.
l Become a leader in environmental education! l We provide educational materials and resources to help you make your workshops a success! l Network with other natural resource professionals and learn about other educational
resources!
Special Focus
l Learn from knowledgeable guest speakers about the effects of drought. l Engage in drought-themed activities from the Projects. l Take home the Drought in Georgia poster and four-lesson unit for 6th grade earth science
teachers as a special bonus.
Participants must attend the entire workshop to be certified in all three projects. We are unable to discount the fees on a per project basis.

Hurry, space is limited! Registration Deadline November 2, 2007
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
School, Comp. or Org: ______________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________ State:________ Zip:__________________
E-Mail:___________________________________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________ Fax:________________________________
Purchase Order #__________________________________________________________ (Authorization MUST BE ATTACHED. Registration cannot be processed with out form. ALL PURCHASE ORDERS WILL BE INVOICED.) $90 Workshop Registration Fee includes: Lunch and snacks both days and resource materials for all projects (Confirmation, directions and a list of hotels will be sent upon receipt of payment) Return registration form and check payable to EEA/Project WET | Monica Kilpatrick | Georgia Project WET 4220 International Pkwy Ste 101| Atlanta, GA 30354 (404) 362-6536 Phone | (404) 675-6245 Fax | Or email her at monica_kilpatrick@dnr.state.ga.us

4 MAKE THE GEORGIA CONNECTION

Make the Georgia Connection provides state-specific background information and correlations to the Georgia Performance Standards for some of your favorite Project WET lessons. In this issue we focus on drought in Georgia. The information below may be used with A Drop in the Bucket, Back to the Future, Dilemma Derby, Hot Water, Super Bowl Surge, Water Works and Wet Work Shuffle.

Drought in Georgia
Written by Beth Ball, Environmental Outreach Assistant, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream and Georgia Project WET

Drought is defined as a period of drier than normal on watering, for the purpose of conservation. The

conditions that results in water-related problems. appropriate level of response is determined by the severity

Meteorological drought occurs when the precipitation of the drought.

amount is less than normal compared to levels over time.

Agricultural drought is caused by low moisture levels in Drought severity is determined through data from

the topsoil. During this type of drought, conditions can monitoring streamflows, lake levels, precipitation (rainfall in

change drastically with one good rainstorm. the last 90 days and expected precipitation), groundwater

Hydrological drought is a long lasting condition that levels and soil moisture, as well as other factors. This data

affects surface and groundwater levels.

is collected by a variety of

scientists including climatologists

Unusually dry conditions can cause farmers to lose crops, livestock, and income. In 2006 Georgia farmers reported $819.4 million in production value losses due to drought conditions

May 2007 was the driest May in Georgia history out of 113 years. The state average precipitation was 0.66 inches, compared to an average of 3.69.
April-June was the 3rd driest in Georgia history. The last time it was this dry was 1986. January-June was also the 3rd driest.

and meteorologists, researchers at

the United States Geological

Survey and National Weather

Service, staff of the Georgia

Environmental

Protection

Division, as well as water utilities

(http://www.caed.uga.edu/publica

As of June 2007, 104 out of 159 Georgia

managers and University of

tions/2006/pdf/CR-06-06.pdf)." When dry conditions persist for

counties were classified as being in extreme drought, a condition that weather experts expect to see only once every 50 years.

Georgia cooperative extension agents.

weeks, months, or years, hydrological drought is the result. The flow of water in

SOURCE: David Stooksbury, State Climatologist and Associate Professor Engineering and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Georgia

In 1991, the University of Georgia

(UGA) established the Georgia

Automated

Environmental

streams and rivers decreases and

Monitoring Network to collect

water levels in lakes, wells, and reservoirs can fall, reliable weather information for agricultural and

causing problems in municipal and industrial water environmental applications. Each station monitors air

supplies as well as water quality and habitat issues. temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind

Earlier this year officials in Heard County in west Georgia speed, wind direction, soil temperature at 2, 4, and 8 inch

said the county's two water sources had dried up due to depths, atmospheric pressure, and soil moisture every 1

the drought.

second. Data are summarized at 15-minute intervals and at

midnight a daily summary is calculated. A microcomputer at

In Georgia, the EPD Director, working with the State UGA's Griffin Campus initiates telephone calls to each station

Climatologist, consults with the State Drought Response periodically and downloads the recorded data. The data are

Committee members and then determines whether to processed immediately and disseminated via

declare a drought response. There are four levels of www.GeorgiaWeather.net (http://www.griffin.uga.edu/aemn/).

drought response, which legally designate restrictions

Activity
A Drop in the Bucket Back to the Future Dilemma Derby Hot Water Super Bowl Surge Water Works

Georgia Performance Standards Science*
S5E1c / S6E3a / S6E5i / S6E6b S7CS1a / S7CS3a,d / S7CS5a / S7CS7b-d / S7S8c / S7CS10c,d / SCSH1a,b / SCSH3a,b,f / SCSH4a / SCSH6c,d / SCSH7a,b,c,e / SCSH8b-f / SCSH9a,c,d / SPS2b / SPS5a / SPS6a-e / SB4a-f /
S6E3a / S6E5c / S6E5h / S6E5i / S6E6b / S7CS1b / S7CS3a / S7CS3d / S7CS5a / S7CS6c / S7CS7c,d / S7CS9b,e / S7CS10c / SPS6d / SB4a-f / SB5d,e / SCSH1a,c / SCSH3a-e / SCSH4a,b / SCSH6b-d / SCSH7b,e / SCSH8b,c,f / SCSH9a-d / SC2b / SC5a / SC6c / SC7a / SP1a / SP3a / SP3e
S7CS4a / S7CS6b / SCSH1a-b / SCSH3a,b,f / SCSH6c,d / SCSH7a-c,e / SCSH8b,c,e,f / SCSH9a,c,d / SB4a,b,d,e,f / SB5e
SCSH1a-c / SCSH3a,b / SCSH4a,b / SCSH6b-d / SCSH7a,c,e / SCSH8b-f / SCSH9a-d / SB4a,d / SB5e
S3L2a,b / S5L4b / S7CS1b / S7CS5a,b / S7CS6a-c / S7CS7a-d / S7CS9a,b / S7CS10c / SCSH1a-c / SCSH3a-f / SCSH4a,b / SCSH6b-d / SCSH7a,b,d,e / SCSH8b,c,f / SCSH9a-d / SB4a-f / SB5e / SP1a / SP3a,e
S3L2b / S4L1b-d / S7CS5a,b / S7CS7a,b / S7CS8b,c / S7CS9a,b

Wet Work Shuffle

S7CS5a,b / SCSH1a,b / SCSH3a-c / SCSH4a / SCSH5e / SCSH6b,d / SCSH7a,b,e / SCSH8c,e,f / SCSH9a-d / SB4a-d

*A complete list of Georgia Performance Standards/Project WET correlations including Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science can be found at www.GAProjectWET.org.

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Investigating Drought
Scientific Processes for Determining Drought Lesson Plan Template Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2004). Understanding by design professional development workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
One of four lessons from the Drought in Georgia unit for 6th Grade Earth Science Teachers found on www.ConserveWaterGeorgia.net.
Teacher Background Information
A variety of scientists study drought conditions, including climatologists, meteorologists, researchers at the United States Geological Survey and National Weather Service, members of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division staff as well as water utilities managers and cooperative extension agents. These professionals have training and expertise in monitoring and analyzing critical factors and indicators associated with drought.
Scientists study a great deal of data to analyze drought conditions and to make decisions. A sophisticated system for measuring drought was developed by meteorologist Wayne Palmer for the National Weather Service in 1965. Now known as the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), it uses temperature and rainfall to determine dryness and has become a semi-official drought index. The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network (AEMN) was established in 1991 by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia to assist with the monitoring of conditions such as drought. In addition, officials at the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources look at many indicators of moisture in the state, including groundwater levels, streamflows, reservoir levels, rainfall for the last 90 days, expected precipitation in the next 90 days, and water use patterns across the state. Scientists also use simple tools such as rain gauges and soil moisture probes to analyze various drought conditions.
Researchers investigate drought and other natural phenomena through the process of scientific inquiry. This process is guided by observations, targeted questions and hypotheses, experimental procedures and investigational design, collection of valid and reliable data through appropriate tools, analysis of data to determine reasonable explanations, and communication of results for necessary action.
Language:
analyze to examine methodically by separating into parts and studying the interrelationships of those parts
climatologist a scientist who studies climate as the prevailing weather conditions of a place, including climate data, the analysis of causes of the differences in climate, and the application of climate data to the solution of specific problems
meteorologist a scientist who studies the atmosphere and atmospheric conditions
monitor to keep track of systematically with a view to collecting information; to test or sample on a regular basis
scientific inquiry/processes investigation done through a step-by-step, logical method; a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge or correcting or integrating previous knowledge; generally includes the steps of observing, hypothesizing, testing, concluding, and reporting and discussing results

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Desired Outcomes Goals:
S6E3. Students will recognize the significant role of water in earth processes. b. Relate various atmospheric conditions to stages of the water cycle. S6CS4. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating equipment and materials in scientific activities. c. Read analog and digital meters on instruments used to make direct measurements of length, volume, weight, elapsed
time, rates, and temperature, and choose appropriate units for reporting various quantities. S6CS6. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly. a. Write clear, step-by-step instructions for conducting scientific investigations, operating a piece of equipment, or
following a procedure. b. Understand and describe how writing for scientific purposes is different than writing for literary purposes. c. Organize scientific information using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs, and identify relationships they reveal. S6CS9. Students will investigate the features of the process of scientific inquiry. a. Scientific investigations are conducted for different reasons. They usually involve collecting evidence, reasoning,
devising hypotheses, and formulating explanations. b. Scientists often collaborate to design research. To prevent bias, scientists conduct independent studies of the same
questions. c. Accurate record keeping, data sharing, and replication of results are essential for maintaining an investigator's
credibility with other scientists and society. d. Scientists use technology and mathematics to enhance the process of scientific inquiry.

Students will understand that...
drought and water use impact the availability of water resources
scientists and other professionals engage in drought research utilizing appropriate skills and training
scientists use specialized tools and techniques to collect and analyze data about drought conditions
scientists look at a variety of indicators and references to determine drought conditions
scientific inquiry is a process for questioning, investigating, gathering data, explaining, and communicating.

Essential Questions...
What interests, education, and training do scientists need to study drought?
What tools do scientists use to study drought? How do scientists determine if we are in a drought
situation? What skills are involved in scientific inquiry
concerning drought?

Students will know...
that scientists utilize training, knowledge, and inquiry methods to investigate drought
that scientists collect and analyze drought data by means of specialized tools and resources
that scientists constantly monitor and evaluate drought conditions in Georgia
that scientific inquiry is an organized series of logical, methodical steps.

Students will be able to...
describe the job of a scientist who studies drought list tools and resources that scientists use to study
drought. perform simple soil moisture and rainfall measures discuss ways that scientists determine if a drought
situation exists outline and plan a method of scientific inquiry.

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Lesson Hook:
Students review introductory letter from a professional scientist who is directly involved in studying drought and soil conditions in Georgia. (See Student Copy Page on page 8.)
Assessment
Performance Tasks:
Using a scientifically sound inquiry process, students work in groups to develop a written plan. Groups present their plans to the class, as teachers note the inclusion of the following scientific inquiry/scientific process components in each plan: Statement of the problem Research question or hypothesis A research plan or design Measurements or tests to collect data under controlled conditions Analysis and interpretation of the data Communication of conclusions based on the data Students will use rain gauges and/or soil moisture probes or other appropriate instrumentation to make observations and collect local data associated with drought conditions.
Other Evidence:
Students summarize how the Georgia Environmental Protection Division determines if Georgia is in a drought and subsequent actions (Review information at http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/disasters/drought/restrictions/faq.html).
Plan of Action
Tasks: Part A: Thinking Scientifically About Drought: 120 minutes 1. Following students' reading of the scientist's letter designated in the Lesson Hook, teachers review vocabulary
(found at the end of the Teacher Background Information section) and the scientific processes (outlined in the Assessment section above). 2. Teachers then ask students to think like scientists to develop a process for collecting and analyzing information to answer the research question: How do we determine if Georgia is in a drought situation? 3. Teachers pose the following additional questions: What evidence or observations do we need to determine if there is a drought? How could we collect data? What could we measure? How could we best measure it? What tools would we need? How do we analyze, interpret and communicate our findings and results? Where could we find information to help answer questions about drought? 4. Teachers facilitate the process of investigating drought with appropriate inquiry worksheets (http://trackstar.4teachers.org Search scientific method for model worksheets) to guide the planning effort and allow time for students to work in groups to create a plan that should include use of rain gauges/soil probes (See Part C below) and all of the following steps of scientific inquiry: statement of the problem, research question or hypothesis, a research plan/design, collection of data, analysis and interpretation of data, communication of conclusions. Guidelines for science fair projects are also helpful for outlining the scientific processes, as provided in the Web site: http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/scientificmethod.html
Part B: Determining A Drought Situation: 60 minutes
1. Teachers explain how the Director of the Environmental Protection Division determines if the state is in a drought (Review the information at http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/disasters/drought/restrictions/faq.html).
2. Students present their plans to determine Georgia's drought situation and compare their plans from Part A to the state's overall plan.
Part C: Using Scientific Tools to Investigate Drought: Time varies depending on student investigations
1. Students use rain gauges and soil probes as part of executing their drought investigation plan from Part A. (Teachers may choose to use these tools for demonstration purposes rather than active student participation if necessary.)
2. Instruments are available at the Web sites listed in the Dragonfly Gazette section of the Georgia Project WET web site GAProjectWET.org.

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This section of the Dragonfly Gazette recognizes Project WET Facilitators, Teachers and Schools and provides a place for them to share their ideas and accomplishments.

Award-Winning Facilitator, Teacher, and School

On Saturday, March 31 at the Georgia Environmental Education
Awards Ceremony at the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia's annual conference, Georgia Project WET presented the Facilitator of the Year award to Sharon Boyer for her leadership in the Fayette County schools. Celia Steigerwald received the WET Teacher of the Year award for making WET and River of Words a regular part of her classroom at Casa Montessori School, and Whitehead Road Elementary School's commitment to environmental education earned it recognition as the Project WET School of the Year.
Georgia Project WET Facilitator of the Year Sharon Boyer - Fayette County Board Of Education

Sharon identified the Project WET curriculum and Urban Watershed supplement as the ideal resources to help the school system meet this need. She devised a strategy that invited input from teachers, insured the strongest curriculum connections, trained the most teachers and saved the school system time and money. Sharon created a WIN-WIN situation for water education!
Her first step was to convene a committee of teachers to review the Project WET materials and to determine the grade levels and science standards that would best benefit from training in the curriculum and supplement. The group decided to target 4th grade, 6th grade, 8th grade, High School Biology and High School Environmental Science teachers.
Sharon's second step was to identify lead teachers in each school. Those representatives received training from the state Project WET office and became certified facilitators of Project WET/Urban Watershed.
Her third step may have been the most impressive one of all. On an early release day, Sharon made arrangements for the Fayette facilitators to simultaneously train teachers at their schools. By incorporating the training into a regular workday, Sharon saved the teachers time, and the school system money.
Sharon Boyer created a model that other school systems can use. By taking advantage of local government policies that would have cost the Fayette County school system money and by using her position in the system administration to reach every school, Sharon provided training for almost 100 teachers, who will reach even more students with water education.
For more information on how Sharon made this happen, contact her at the Fayette County School Board: 770-460-3990 Ext. 118.

When Peachtree City and the City of Fayetteville instituted a
stormwater utility fee last year, the timing was just right for Sharon Boyer to bring Project WET to the Fayette County schools. If the school system established a comprehensive environmental education program that targeted water resources and conservation, it would receive a reduction in the stormwater fee.

. .
. .

. . .
.

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Georgia Project WET Teacher of the Year Celia Steigerwald Casa Montessori School, Marietta
Celia's colleagues describe her as dedicated, hard working,
enthusiastic, and inspirational. For more than 14 years, she has shared these traits and a love of the environment with her 3-to-9year-old students. Celia says that Project WET activities like "Macroinvertebrate Mayhem", "Sum of the Parts" and "Incredible Journey," opened up a world of water awareness for her students. When they spotted an oily puddle in the school parking lot for example they were determined to keep the oil from entering a stream. "We need to stop it," they said. Without teachers like Celia, students might not understand the countless ways our daily activities affect water quality. Thank you Celia! For more information on how Celia incorporates Project WET into her curriculum, contact her at Casa Montessori School at 770-973-2731.

Georgia Project WET School of the Year Whitehead Road Elementary School, Athens
Sure the students and teachers at Whitehead Road Elementary
School have nature trails and butterfly gardens on campus to explore, but they also have the Amazon Tributary Aquarium, a learning station that brings a watery world almost 3,000 miles away to life right before their eyes. Surrounding the aquarium are wall plaques with facts about the Amazon River, the function of the Amazon Basin and the amazing diversity of life that depends on them.
The third, fourth, and fifth grade students in the Science Club at Whitehead Road have made water education a priority by leading sessions for other students on watersheds, wetlands, rivers and ocean ecosystem preservation.
In the near future, the school will build a small discovery pond in the courtyard where students can learn more about aquatic insects, plants and water quality. Georgia Project WET will help the teachers at Whitehead Road bring these and many more water topics into the classroom by providing them with a complimentary WET workshop in the 2007-08 school year.

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News, Notes and Upcoming Events

Tools of the Trade: The Nuts and Bolts of Outdoor Classrooms
Outdoor Classroom Symposium October 12 at Fernbank Science Center
www.eealliance.org Participate in how-to hands on sessions and
workshops to earn 1 PLU. View exhibits by program providers and outdoor
classroom experts. Gather valuable educator resources and curriculum. Don't miss the Project WET Urban Watershed
workshop on Saturday.
Rivers Alive Fall 2007
www.riversalive.org Apply your Project WET knowledge & skills to a fun hands-on activity that has a direct & immediate impact on local waterways and communities. Join Rivers Alive, Georgia's annual waterway cleanup, this fall to remove trash from creeks, rivers, wetlands, lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. There are three ways you and your students and their parents can join in the fun: Join an existing cleanup as a cleanup participant. Register to start a new cleanup. Offer an educational program at an existing cleanup.

Momma Bass Gets a Makeover
Georgia Project WET's performance characters, Momma Bass and the Mudsliders entertain hundreds of people annually with their water education songs. This year audiences will experience a Momma Bass like they have never seen before. With big dark eyes, tight scaly skin and full lips, this new and improved Momma Bass
is dressed to impress (especially if you're another largemouth bass). She is joined by her exotic `mudskipper' friends (a.k.a., the Mudsliders). Mudskippers are lungfish from mangrove swamps with eyes on top of their heads and fins that act as feet. These "fish out of water" are quite comfortable on stage singing back up for Momma Bass.
Momma Bass and the Mudsliders were re-imagined by Lisa Adang, a gifted artist, skilled craftsman, and the youngest daughter of Project WET coordinator, Jo Adang. Lisa, a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, is interested in pursuing a career in art direction, scenic design, prop-making, or special effects costuming.
Lisa said, "I wanted the children to be able to listen to the messages of the performers as if they were truly hearing from Momma Bass and the Mudsliders...I think it is a fantastic idea to communicate principals of water education through the creatures themselves - this plays upon the awe children have for nature and encourages them to respect animals and their environments."
Great work Lisa!

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division Watershed Protection Branch 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101 Atlanta, GA 30354
What's Inside this Issue?
This issue of the Dragonfly Gazette features a number of resources to help teachers teach about drought. Cover article - A long dry spell: 4 perspectives on drought in Georgia Page 3 - PLT/WET/WILD Facilitator Training, The Effects of Drought on Water Quality, Wildlife and Forest in Georgia Page 4 - Make the Georgia Connection, state-specific background information on drought and GPS correlations for Project WET lessons Page 6 - Discovering Drought and Conserve Water activity books for students Insert - Lesson Plan, Investigating Drought: Scientific Processes for Determining Drought
For additional resources visit the Dragonfly Gazette section of the Georgia Project WET web site GAProjectWET.org.

A L O N G D R Y S P E L L : continued from page 1

"How does drought affect your work?"
Max Hicks, Director, Augusta Utilities Department
During a drought, there is increased production at our water treatment plants due to the outdoor water use on lawns and gardens. We also have the potential for low pressure in some parts of our distribution system due to the higher flows to meet outdoor water use demands. We have increased electrical costs due to pumping higher flows in our system. There are additional customer service activities in answering questions about the outdoor water use regulations and in distributing information about outdoor water use. We also have an increase in the 30-day new planting exemption applications and in the site visits to confirm the new planting. We are responsible for enforcing the outdoor water use schedules and this creates more paperwork, telephone calls, and site visits for enforcement.
NOTE: A water manager coordinates decisions about water use and allocation through a proactive outreach and planning process with many kinds of water user groups. A water manager might work in state or local government or in private business (The Watercourse. (2002). Discover A Watershed: Watershed Manager. Bozeman, Montana.) (http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/about/intro.htm).
Wei Zeng, Hydrologist, Georgia Environmental Protection Division
When a drought takes place, we need to closely monitor data reflecting rainfall (how much water Mother Nature is giving us), streamflow (how much water is flowing in streams), reservoir storage (how much stored water do we have left), and groundwater levels (how much water stored underground do we have left). We then analyze this data to figure out how severe a drought is, and advise decision- makers on what drought measures to implement to save water.
As a drought continues and gets worse, stress on all water users starts to take place, and disputes among different water

users begin to emerge. In order to resolve the disputes, hydrologists are usually brought in to analyze the reasonable use of water by all users. Sometimes we use computer models to make a prediction of what would happen if the current (or a hypothetical) water use pattern is in place when a drought takes place or progresses.
NOTE: A hydrologist is a person who applies scientific knowledge and mathematical principles to study water-related problems in society: problems of quantity, quality and availability. Hydrologists may be concerned with finding water supplies for cities or irrigated farms, or controlling river flooding or soil erosion. They may work in environmental protection: preventing or cleaning up pollution or locating sites for safe disposal of hazardous wastes. (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hydrology.html).
John Bridges, Jr., Farmer, Albany
A drought costs the farmer money and creates more work. Without rain you have to pump water to the crops. Water costs money as does maintaining the irrigation system. Irrigation systems are constantly in need of maintenance, repair and management. A drought can quickly produce a desolate situation for farmers and the farming community. Most farmers are simply not making a profit this year. An economic slump will eventually spread to the entire farming community, as the farmer cannot afford to buy things. Restaurants, clothing stores and the like will all suffer.
NOTE: A farmer is a person who grows field crops, has orchards, vineyards, or market gardens, and does so with the prospect of selling the produce as food. Farmers may, however, provide raw materials for industrial purposes, such as cereals for alcoholic beverages, fruit for juices, hides for leather, and wool or flax for yarns and cloth-making. Farmers may also be involved in rearing livestock for meat, milk, or other substances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer).

KIDs (Kids in Discovery Series)
These colorful, 16-page activity booklets are written and illustrated for eight through twelve year olds and are designed to complement concepts introduced in the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. Creative and hands-on investigations, demonstrations, science experiments, educational games and stories stimulate understanding of each booklet's topic. These informative, inexpensive, award-winning booklets make excellent handouts to support school curriculums or public education efforts. To order these materials, visit http://www.projectwet.org/kids/ or call Monica Kilpatrick at 404-362-6536 to receive an order form by mail or fax. Call Project WET USA at 866-337-5486 for information about quantity discounts starting at 1,000 copies and special branding opportunities for large quantities.
KIDs Discovering Drought How can there be a drought in a rain forest--or in the desert? What exactly is a drought? Learn these answers and more,
such as the roles of snowpack and ground water, droughts around the world and throughout history, predicting and planning for drought, plant and animal adaptations, and dendrochronology.
KIDs Conserve Water Kids test their water IQ by matching familiar plants and animals with their water content, then get outdoors to learn "catchment," and think about their own neighborhoods in the "Water Detective."